The Joseph Gore Shepley Collection

Using Omeka software, I created a professional website which features a collection of letters from a Canadian soldier who served overseas in World War I. Through the use of photographs, newspaper articles, government documents and these letters, I displayed the story of Joseph Gore Shepley, a relatively unknown soldier, who suffered a rather common fate that […]

Spatial History & the ‘Barn’

Spatial history is an innovative and exciting way of doing history. This approach presents a shift from traditional textual history towards a more visual and interactive form of history. Spatial history puts forth the message that there are different ways our minds obtain information and that it may be beneficial to explore these methods. Almost all […]

Legends Row Podcast Interview with Joe Bowen

Hey gang, I just published the latest edition of Hearty History, Western University’s Public History podcast, and I think it sounds fantastic. In this episode, I focused on the Toronto Maple Leafs and their latest attempts to preserve their heritage through the Legends Row project. Joe Bowen, the “Voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” joined me along […]

Cyborgs, Augmented Reality and History

The cybernetic organism (cyborg) has been defined in a variety of ways since the term’s conception in the early 1960s. Traditionally, it has been regarded as a human whose abilities are enhanced through a mechanical or electronic component which is built into their body. In other words, the cyborg is a consolidation of organism and […]

Wikipedia & Historians

Two years ago, for a digital history course, I was required to update a Wikipedia page over the duration of a semester and document my findings. Along the way, I was encouraged to achieve three main objectives: Improve the site’s content, test the editing prowess of wiki editors, and ultimately, assess Wikipedia as a research tool. I […]

Over the Top – Digital History Game Review

“Over the Top is an interactive adventure that allows you to experience the life in the trenches during the First World War.” Created by the Canadian War Museum, ‘Over the Top’ attempts to re-create the experiences of Canadian soldiers during the Great War while offering users a chance to think like a soldier and make do-or-die decisions. […]

Digital Timelines Project – Leafs History

Northwestern University has developed a fabulous website that enables users to easily create beautiful timelines. For the purposes of this blog post, I decided to test it out and create my very own timeline. Naturally, I opted to make a timeline that could coincide with my @Leafs_History Twitter account. Overall, I must say this really […]

Online History Courses: Pros and Cons

Throughout my academic career, I have taken a few history courses online. While some people may be hesitant to enroll in such a program, I strongly suggest you try it at least once. Below, I will discuss several of the pros and cons of enrolling in an online history course. But first a few disclaimers: […]

Leafs History Twitter Project

Photo courtesy of the Hockey Hall of Fame. A couple years ago, I created a Twitter account that focused on the illustrious history of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Using the OTD (“on this day”) format, I brought almost one hundred years worth of history to thousands of Maple Leafs fans every day. This was one of […]

Welcome to Robert’s Fascinating World of Digital and Public History!

Hey gang, Thanks for visiting my blog. My name is Robert DeRose and I’m a graduate student at the University of Western Ontario. Currently, I am working on a Master’s degree in Public History and I hope to use this platform to share my love of history with you all! Here, I plan to present my work and offer […]