HIS500: Lab #1

    On a particularly chilly afternoon, I decided to escape through the Virtual Museum of New France, an outdated site that looks to encompass “a faithful portrait of such a vast entity.” The entity in question is a large area of modern-day southeastern Canada, and a large strip of the States that was colloquially known as “Louisiana” in the mid 18th century. While the physical land to be covered is vast, the objective of the site’s scope is similarly ambitious, through conquests and shifts from the 16th to 18th century. The site aims to accomplish this with an extensive sidebar that delves into the people who lived there, the explorers, forms of economic activities, and the lasting heritage. 

Figures One and Two: “Introduction,” Virtual Museum of New France, Government of Canada, (2024): https://www.historymuseum.ca/virtual-museum-of-new-france/introduction/

    When discussing the intended audience, it is clear that it was meant to cater to everyone for both minor and major research. The interface enables users to choose the extent of knowledge they wish to indulge in, working as a Russian nesting doll of information. After clicking a topic on the sidebar, there is a brief  description of the general relation of the theme to New France. If that does not satisfy the users needs, there are subsequent drop-down tabs for further understanding. These tabs lead to a similar synopsis, but the bottom of the page houses a few sub-topics with extensive information under them. Most notably, there is a section for suggested readings and websites, enabling the conquest of knowledge to extend beyond the site. 

Figures Three, Four, and Five: “Economic Activities,” Virtual Museum of New France, Government of Canada, (2024): https://www.historymuseum.ca/virtual-museum-of-new-france/economic-activities/

    Looking at the accessibility of the site, there were multiple strides taken to ensure a Canadian audience would be able to easily access and interpret what is on display. There is an option for French language under the sidebar, and a search button is housed directly underneath it. That being said, there are multiple bugs throughout the site, and the search bar is a particular point of contention. It may just be because I am looking at it on a mobile device, but it routinely glitches out and yields no results for things that are present in the website. 

Figure Six: “Search Results,” Virtual Museum of New France, Government of Canada, (2024): https://www.historymuseum.ca/virtual-museum-of-new-france/search-results/?cx=004942658266829129437%3An0cnzsr3ydu&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&as_sitesearch=civilization.ca%2Fvirtual-museum-of-new-france&q=basque

    In the context of digital history, this site provides a more conventional view at digital history, with the digitization of information. There are not any new or grappling technologies at play, with little interactive elements and a basic set up. However, it fulfils its task of being a digital museum to evaluate New France; the success is in its simplicity and broad range of information available. This site is a great example of a first generation digital museum, but it would be beneficial for it to be updated to match the current standard of technology. By analysing the faults of this virtual museum, future web developers can create more engaging sites in the future.  

Word Count: 457

Bibliography: Virtual Museum of New France, Government of Canada, (2024): https://www.historymuseum.ca/virtual-museum-of-new-france/