Most of us writers are more textual than visual, but all of us need to be able to see, at least in our mind’s eye, the places, people and things about which we write. A few weeks ago, I discovered a great tool that helps me to do this. Historypin.com shows me images of the past superimposed on contemporary maps. You can view a short video about the site here.
I was looking for architectural images from the coastal area of the state of Maine in the 1870’s, so I typed that into the search bars on the site’s home page. A couple dozen images of houses showed up on the map, and I was able to add some details to the story I was writing about an old house in Maine built just after the Civil War ended.
Another way to use the site is for inspiration. You can browse the site by collection (i.e. facial hair through time), tours (i.e. travels through Europe) or community. What do you think? Useful or a time waster?
Another way to use the site is for inspiration. You can browse the site by collection (i.e. facial hair through time), tours (i.e. travels through Europe) or community. What do you think? Useful or a time waster?
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