Historical Postcard Story Map - Help!

[StephanieWillis]

I am a cultural geography PhD candidate that needs some serious help with how to begin my Story Map of historical postcards of a particular town.

I have about 400 postcards. Each postcard has a front and a back photo. I have them sorted into 10 decades (1900-1909, 1910-1919, etc.). It seems like this "Shortlist" option might be best, with tabs for each decade and have the photos underneath. I would like the postcard images to be displayed with a link to each image's location on the map.

I've hit a couple snags, though:

1. I am not sure how to show the front and the back of each postcard clearly. I can paste the back of the postcard image in the text below the front image. This doesn't seem to always work when I've tried it, for some reason. Any better ideas?

2. Some locations are going to have lots of images shall I just set the points on the map staggered across the landform? Sorry that I'm so clueless about how to beginhave lots of images (i.e. the amphitheater has several dozens different postcards), shall I just set the points on the map staggered across the landform?

Sorry that I'm so clueless about how to begin!  Please help this novice out!

[OwenGeo · Accepted solution]

Hi Stephanie -- Since you have lots of images and the number of images seems to vary for each location I would suggest trying this story as a Map Journal or even a Cascade.

For Journal, you could add a map or postcard images to the main stage (the large area on the right). You could also add postcard images to the side panel. Clicking an image in the side panel will expand it for the reader. You could just make a simple map using a map notes layer so you can just click on the map to add locations for each photo rather than try to deal with GIS data formats (but that's fine too if you want to go that route).

Cascade would also be a neat option too. Here's a great Cascade story about postcards that you might use for inspiration.

Hope this was helpful!

[StephanieWillis]

Thank you, Owen!  I'm including a screenshot of the Journal I started (very much a draft!) and have a couple follow up questions.  How would I best display the back side of each postcard?  I have sections for each decade of postcards.  I can add postcards within a given section (decade) to the side panel, but is there a way to show the reverse after clicking on the front?  I would hate to give the same weight to both sides of the postcard by putting them in order running down the side panel.  Does that make sense?

Also, so I can geotag the text description for each postcard, but can those pinpoints all be visible on the main stage at once?  Or do you have to click on the text to view the location on the main stage map?

Thank you again, so sorry to pick your brain so much!

[OwenGeo]

Looks like you've already discovered how to create story actions, so you could provide a story action link in the side panel that shows the back of the postcard in the main stage. When you set up your story action, just choose a different type of media and you can have the action change the map in the main stage to an image. Be sure to pick FIT or maybe even CENTER for the position option so the image of the postcard's back doesn't get cropped.

You can have all the points in the map at once, if you want. Just add them all to the same map notes layer. You can use your action links to pan/zoom the map to center on a specific one.

[StephanieWillis]

I think I'm missing something here.  I can't select some of the Story Action icons?  I highlight the text, but only the "locate an address or place" icon is selectable.  I'm sure this is an "operator error"!

Thank you again for all your help!

[StephanieWillis]

Oh, wait, maybe I just need to separate the text more.  It seems to think all the text is connected to the other story action.

[StephanieWillis]

Help!  I had 852 photos (426 postcards front and back) added to my map.  I've been working on this for weeks and it has been saved a million times and was all there this morning, but somehow now all the images are not available?  I'm attaching a screenshot.  Help!  What can I do?

[RupertEssinger]

Hi Stephanie, sounds like this happened because you were referencing these photos in Flickr but then removed them from Flickr. https://community.esri.com/thread/223162-journal-help-852-images-disappeared