The Dwellings of Ybor City Project: Using Archival Recovery and Mapping to Examine Historical Erasure

Authors

• Stephanie M. Mackin, University of South Florida, TampaFollow

Abstract

This article examines how digital archives and spatial humanities can address historical erasure. It focuses on reconstructing the lost residential landscapes of Ybor City, a culturally significant Tampa, Florida, neighborhood. The area was transformed by mid-twentieth-century slum clearance and urban renewal. The Dwellings of Ybor City project uses archival theory, participatory ethics, and GIS-based storytelling to geolocate and reinterpret a Depression-era album called "Photographs Showing Dwellings in the Ybor Slum Area." By pairing digitized historical photographs with contemporary rephotography and mapping them to their original sites, the project restores visibility to homes and neighborhoods largely erased from both the physical and archival record. The project is hosted on the University of South Florida Libraries’ Tampa Through Time Portal. It integrates GIS mapping, metadata enrichment, and visual storytelling to provide dynamic, location-based access to historical and contemporary imagery. Its curated "Then and Now" features, community engagement projects, and educational outreach encourage public interest in local history. These features also deepen understanding of Ybor City’s transformation. The project faces challenges, including incomplete provenance and limited temporal coverage. However, it provides a scalable foundation for future expansion, including other neighborhoods and community-contributed stories. Overall, the Dwellings of Ybor City project demonstrates the power of digital humanities to connect scholarship, public memory, and urban history through accessible, place-based storytelling.

Recommended Citation

Mackin, Stephanie M. (2026) "The Dwellings of Ybor City Project: Using Archival Recovery and Mapping to Examine Historical Erasure," Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies: Vol. 13, Article 9.
Available at: https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/jcas/vol13/iss1/9