Exploring Historic Belfast 1901-1923

By Conor Graham

As part of ongoing research at Living Legacies using geospatial technologies, a new interactive digital map resource is now available for users to explore Belfast’s changing urban landscape, as it looked before, during and after World War I.

The resource is accessible at http://go.qub.ac.uk/belfast1901-23 and includes historic Ordnance Survey maps of Belfast (for 1901 and 1923) as separate map layers. Using the menu bar and navigation tools on the left of the map window, these historic maps can be overlaid onto each other as well as modern aerial imagery. Each can also be made transparent and are fully navigable using pan and zoom tools: as illustrated here.

This online resource is the work of Conor Graham, a geospatial researcher at Queen’s, and uses ESRI software and historic map data (LPS Crown copyright and database rights MOU203).

To launch the online mapping click the ‘open’ tab on the home page, and then this will load the historic map layers in a separate window, where detailed instructions are given on how to use the resource (simply click on the information (‘i’) key).‌

This mapping resource is one example of geospatial and historical GIS research relating to mapping the Home Front being undertaken by Living Legacies 1914-18 researchers and can be replicated for other towns, cities and villages across Ireland and the UK. If you are interested in creating a similar mapping resource for your area please do get in touch with us via LivingLegacies@qub.ac.uk.