In this post I will describe the importance of the Livingstone’s 1871 Field Diary project. For starters, this project makes it possible for the user to understand and delve into the life of David Livingstone. Livingstone was a British abolitionist and missionary who traveled and explored Africa. While in Africa, Livingstone kept a diary going. However, since the paper he was writing on was very fragile, his works remained illegible up until now. The main approach to this project is transcription, and through spectral imaging and processing technology it is now possible for the public eye to view, read, and analyze the works of Livingstone. 
This is an image of what a typical page in Livingstone’s diary looked like. As you can see it is impossible to make out even one word. The field diary is now available in PDF form thanks to this project.
Mapping is also an important part in understanding Livingstone’s journey. Although it is not explicitly stated anywhere, I assumed that the red outline is the route in which he traveled. This map gave me an idea of the specific geography in which the events took place. Also, the map put his journey in perspective for me and truly illustrated how long and far Livingstone traveled in order to fight for his beliefs to fight against slavery.
An additional secondary approach that this project is useful for is close reading. Through the combination of transcription and close reading it is possible to analyze Livingstone’s words in order to piece together his true experience. History merely teaches us major events that occur, for example, the meeting depicted in the image to the right of Reporter Morgan Stanley and Livingstone. However, this digital project provides the viewer with much more. The diary informs the reader of Livingstone’s interior conflicts and gives the reader a strong perspective of his true nature and personality. As a result of this, the reader can understand Livingstone’s motives, and can gain even more respect for his accomplishments knowing all he went through in order to achieve them. The digital resource gives the public an inside scoop on the life of David Livingstone that could not have been acquired any other way.