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Caribbean.NewMediaLab.Cuny.edu is a digital humanities project hosted by the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), focusing on the study of the French Caribbean in the 17th century. The website serves as an online archive for various historical texts, including travel narratives, legal documents, and administrative correspondence, all of which contribute to research on early French colonialism in the Caribbean.
Overview
[edit]The project was developed by Ashley Williard, a doctoral candidate in French Studies at CUNY, and a researcher at the CUNY Institute for African American and Caribbean Studies. Williard’s doctoral dissertation, *Engendering Islands: Taxonomies of Difference in the 17th-Century French Caribbean*, forms the foundation of the project. The website’s primary aim is to provide scholars, students, and the public with access to primary historical documents related to the colonial and cultural history of the French Caribbean.
Content and Features
[edit]The website features content primarily sourced from a variety of archival institutions, including the [Guadeloupe Archives](https://www.archives.guadeloupe.fr/), [Martinique Archives](https://archives.martinique.fr/), the [National Archives of France](https://www.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr/), and the [Caribbean Digital Library](https://www.caribbeanlibrary.org/). These materials include a wide range of historical documents such as travel narratives, letters, official decrees, and other colonial-era records.
Though still under development, the website currently offers a curated selection of documents that represent the project's intended scope and focus. Users can search through the collection or browse documents by categories such as "Colonial Administration" or "Caribbean Geography." With additional permissions for archival content, the site plans to expand its database, thus becoming an increasingly comprehensive resource for historical research.
Collaborations and Partnerships
[edit]The project collaborates with several international institutions, including [Gallica](https://gallica.bnf.fr/), the digital library of the French National Library, the [Manioc Digital Library](https://manioc.org/), and the [Early Caribbean Digital Archive](https://ecda.northeastern.edu/). These partnerships enhance the site’s scholarly value and broaden access to primary sources on the French Caribbean, many of which are available in digital form for the first time.
Design and Imagery
[edit]The website’s visual design features an image taken from Jean-Baptiste Labat’s *Nouveau Voyage aux Isles de l'Amérique* (New Voyage to the American Islands), first published in 1742. The image, which shows a "wild fig tree" (Figuier sauvage), is used with permission from the Caribbean Digital Library and serves as a significant visual symbol of the site’s thematic focus on French Caribbean colonialism. The inclusion of such historical images adds a layer of visual context to the scholarly materials on the site.
Significance
[edit]Caribbean.NewMediaLab.Cuny.edu is an essential resource for researchers working in the fields of colonial history, Caribbean studies, and digital humanities. By offering easy access to primary sources from the 17th-century French Caribbean, the project helps scholars and students better understand the early formation of the Caribbean's colonial landscape and its lasting cultural legacies.
The website’s integration of digital archives from major institutions, alongside its focus on creating an open-access repository for critical historical documents, makes it a vital tool for ongoing academic and public discourse surrounding the Caribbean's colonial past.
External Links
[edit]- [Official website of Caribbean.NewMediaLab.Cuny.edu](https://caribbean.newmedialab.cuny.edu)
- [CUNY Graduate Center](https://www.gc.cuny.edu/)
- [Gallica - French National Library Digital Library](https://gallica.bnf.fr/)
- [Manioc Digital Library](https://manioc.org/)
- [Caribbean Digital Library](https://www.caribbeanlibrary.org/)
References
[edit]1. Williard, Ashley. *Engendering Islands: Taxonomies of Difference in the 17th-Century French Caribbean*. CUNY Graduate Center. 2. Archives of Guadeloupe. [Guadeloupe Archives](https://www.archives.guadeloupe.fr/). 3. Archives of Martinique. [Martinique Archives](https://archives.martinique.fr/). 4. *Jean-Baptiste Labat's Nouveau Voyage aux Isles de l'Amérique*. 1742. Reprinted with permission from the Caribbean Digital Library. 5. *Caribbean Digital Library*. [Caribbean Digital Library](https://www.caribbeanlibrary.org/).