Three-Dimensional Representation

The three-dimensional representation (hereinafter TDR) of the Harper's Ferry area in 1861 completed for this project is designed to demonstrate the confluence of transportation networks that made the town a critical hub during The Civil War. Geography influenced the rise of the railroad and the construction of the canal as well as its later decline. At Harper's Ferry, terrain was of primary importance and this project was intended to clarify how and why it was. Although not designed to scale, the representation highlights major land and water systems and indicates various topographical elevations in the area.

The representation consists of three layers of styrofoam and paper mache construction with an anticipated six-month drying time under present weather conditions.

The assignment to create a TDR included six criteria. This representation meets two of them: it occupies a 12"x12" inch piece of foam board and it has dimension. There is a semblance of standard map apparatus (place identifications). It can be hung on the wall, but the structural integrity is questionable and several elevations would probably crash to the floor. The paper mache is prone to mildew, so durability is unlikely. It completely and absolutely demonstrates the absence of small motor skills, spatial reasoning and left-brain function.

Was there any redeeming value?

What about the stipulation that the representation add to our understanding of history? Well, that's the challenge. While the geography of Harper's Ferry is pretty well-known, a properly done topographical map could at least clarify our perception of why it was both developed and contested territory for several decades—particularly with transportation lines clearly mapped and with elevations appropriately represented.

The difficulty in this assignment (aside from personal deficiencies) lay in determining when three-dimensions are necessary and useful in mapping. What questions does a TDR answer that a two-dimensional representation does not? And what differentiates a three-dimensional map from, say, a diorama or any similar representation of spatial relationships?

In this assignment, the historic construct, or question, preceded mapmaking. and a homemade TDR lacked the accuracy to demonstrate the construct. This TDR simply doesn't answer any historical question that a two-dimensional map doesn't demonstrate more thoroughly. I needed either a different kind of representation or a different question. Perhaps, “How did opposing armies use the terrain to their advantage?”

Just because the dimension exists, doesn't mean it has to be occupied. The long list of rejected projects and the inadequacy of the finished product did at least highlight the choices involved in making or using maps and the difficulty of situating two-dimensional perception in three-dimensional space.