American Airlines System Map
1945

Project Overview

The project involved the digitization and enhancement of the American Airlines 1945 System map, aimed at revitalizing historical cartographic data for modern analysis and presentation. Through meticulous georeferencing, digitization, and visualization techniques, the project sought to transform the static historical map into an interactive and informative resource. The overarching goal was to provide valuable insights into the historical air travel network of American Airlines in 1945 while demonstrating proficiency in geospatial data manipulation and cartographic design.

Geoprocessing and Visualization:

• Generalization: Streamlined the dataset from the American Airlines 1945 System Map to focus on key routes and destinations, simplifying complex features and reducing unnecessary detail for clarity.

• Masking: Highlighted the coverage area of American Airlines routes within the United States, emphasizing the airline's network and providing spatial context.

• Projection Selection: Chose an appropriate map projection to accurately represent the geographic extent of American Airlines' routes, minimizing distortions for improved accuracy.

• Label Classification: Prioritized legibility and placement of city names and route labels based on their significance and importance in the airline's network, optimizing readability and visual hierarchy.

• Visualization: Designed the layout and symbology of the map to effectively communicate the coverage and connectivity of American Airlines' routes in 1945.

• Documentation: Recorded all geoprocessing tasks performed, including before-and-after visualizations to demonstrate data refinement and map design decisions.

Skills Demonstrated:

• Georeferenced

• Generalization

• Masking

• Data Digitization

• Projection Selection

• Label Classification

• Visualization

• Typography

• Documentation

Conclusion:

 This project successfully integrated historical and modern spatial data to create a cohesive and informative map. By applying geoprocessing techniques and demonstrating various cartographic skills, it achieved its objective of producing a visually appealing and context-rich representation of the selected geographic area.