Pre-Release v0.6.0

Release of v0.6.0 of the Auden Musulin Papers SDE web app, based on v0.9.0 of the amp-data repository.

1 Data

1.1 ODD

The AMP ODD has been updated to support editorial interpretation both in human-readable language and TEI formalization within an XML/TEI environment.

The ODD is available through the amp-data GitHub repository.

1.2 Markup of Contents

For the full core correspondence (the Auden-Musulin correspondence 1959-1973), editorial interpretation is now encoded in XML/TEI within the <interpGrp> element of the <teiHeader>; the respective elements within the textual data or metadata to which the editorial interpretations refer are linked to the relevant <interp> elements via the ana attribute. The <desc> elements within the <interp> nodes contain human-readable comments intended for UI display; furthermore, TEI elements have been used to partly formalize editorial interpretation in machine-readable format (such as bibliographic references encoded via <bibl>). Thus, the results of intensive editorial investigation (including interviews, study of biographical sources, and archival research) are offered to users in multiple formats - together with the TEI markup of confidence (<certainty>) and responsiblity (<respons>). The editorial comments enrich the edited documents by providing both biographical and historical information.

In the core correspondence, intertextuality has been encoded via the TEI <quote> element to provide information on the quoted work entity.

The system of numbering pages has been updated to provide information on the position of transcribed contents on the sheet by specifying recto and verso by means of the ed attribute (e.g., ed="1r" and ed="1v" for the recto and verso of the first digitized item of a document, respectively).

1.3 Documents

The previously missing facsimiles of the sheet of Auden's letter from 30 April 1962 have been digitally reproduced and are now available through the AMP SDE.

1.4 Indexes

The XML/TEI indexes have been updated. The <idno> elements have now additional values of the subtype attribute (GND, WIKIDATA, GEONAMES) and the values of the type attribute specify general categories (URI, URL). The events index was updated to support the latest TEI schema which allows for encoding persons in <listPerson> and places in <listPlace>. Next to event types, start and end dates are now encoded in the events index.

2 Web Application Features

2.1 Search

The structure and design of the search interface has been updated to provide a more user-friendly experience. The search results now include a preview of the document, and the search form has been updated to adjust document search according to multiple parameters (including date range, document type, and document content.) The full text preview has been disabled and instead keywords in context will be displayed after successful full-text search. Entity badges have been disabled in the search results to improve readability. #144

2.2 Updated Document View

The detail document view now includes options for enabling/disabling the display not only of original text features, entities, and comments, but also of intertextuality information (via the Quotes slider).

2.3 Feature Update Summary

• HTML documents updated from xHTML to HTML5 #152
• minor design updates: white background for all documents; light-brown navigation, cards and grid items
• new comments section below the document view to display editorial comments and interpretations
  • issues #121, #123, #124, #125, #126, #127, #133, #134, #135, #136, #137, #139, #140, #141, #143, #145, #146, #153, #154, #157, #158, #159
• new pagination labels for recto and verso of sheets and evelopes #122
• new Original spelling option added to the document view #142
• sliders for highlighting comments and quotes added to the document view
• updated document-view search with navigation and hits counter #147
• new events index to display type, subtype, start and end dates of events #138 #150
• works index display type of work #155
• values transmitted and redirected of type attribute in <correspAction> displayed in document-view Correspondence Description #149
• support for new ACDH-CH imprint service added #160

2.4 Bug Fixes

• URLs navigating to next and previous documents in the document view #110
• font family and size features for TEI <seg> elements #111
• Typesense Search in new structure (from v0.8.0 onward) of correspondence documents #114
• missing or duplicated contents in updated correspondence structure
  • issues #113, #117, #118, #131, #156
• authority-record information in indexes #116, #129
• institutions index map #128

3 Disclaimer

In its present state, the AMP edition relies on a heterogenously developed dataset. The core correspondence set of documents (amp-transcript__0001 to 0025, 0035, 0038-0045, 0053, 0057-0059, 0063, 0070-0071) features the updated correspondence schema introduced with pre-release v0.7.0 of amp-data, the markup of contents (in terms of the TEI <event> element) introduced (for a subset of documents) in v0.8.0, as well as the markup of editorial interpretation described above. Developing editorial solutions for the markup of pre-printed correspondence (such as aerograms), non-correspondence prose texts, as well as photographs is in development.

Archiving is in progress, so that the PIDs (resource handles displayed in the document metadata) currently do not link to the most up-to-date versions of the edition resources.

What's Changed

• Release v0.6.0 by @linxOD in #161

Full Changelog: v0.5.0...v0.6.0

Pre-Release v0.5.0

We are happy to release v0.5.0 of the Auden Musulin Papers web application, based on v0.8.0 of the amp-data repository.

1 Data

1.1 Documents

The AMP digital edition now includes W. H. Auden's first letter sent to Stella Musulin from 1959 as well as the only letter sent by Musulin to Auden that has been preserved.

For Auden's letter from 30 April 1962, which has not yet been digitally reproduced, a transcription has now been made on the basis of a published version of that letter in Denzer and Seidl (eds.), Silence Turned into Objects, 2014 (p. 4).

1.2 Markup of Contents

Drawing inspiration from the model of 'assertive edition' (Vogeler 2019, 2021), we have introduced a new subcategory of the TEI <event> element to capture contents whose evidence is asserted only by the edition documents. Against the background of the express research aim to explore Auden's networks of social interaction and artistic collaboration during his Austrian period, these 'internal' <event>s especially comprise communicative events (telephone calls, correspondence, meetings, professional activities).

Most notably, this pre-release features the results of intensive editorial research. Person, place, work, institution, and event entities have been updated, and relevant external authority files (Wikidata, GeoNames) and encyclopedic articles (Wikipedia) to which these entities are linked have been enriched.

Editorial comments (aimed at clarifying entities as well as metadata, for instance, with regard to <origDate>) are marked up in XML within the <interpGrp> element of the <teiHeader>. The respective elements within the textual data or metadata to which the editorial interpretations refer are linked to these via the @ana attribute. The <desc> element within each <interp> node contains a human-readable comment for display on the user interface; furthermore, TEI elements have been used to formalize that comment in a machine-readable format.

1.3 Additional Updates

For all dates in the <teiHeader> metadata, we now use the TEI @notBefore-iso and @notAfter-iso attributes, with indication of time zones and, if applicable, daylight-saving-time offset.

Information on languages used in the transcribed texts is encoded by means of the @xml:lang attribute.

For three image items, additional licensing information is now encoded in the <teiHeader> metadata. In two instances (https://amp.acdh.oeaw.ac.at/amp-transcript__0036.html, https://amp.acdh.oeaw.ac.at/amp-transcript__0037.html), the permissions given by institutions to publish under a CC BY 4.0 licence have been specified; in another instance (https://amp.acdh.oeaw.ac.at/amp-transcript__0050.html), a restricted reuse license has been declared.

1.4 ODD

The first draft was completely revised and updated to comply with the new correspondence container structure. Node attribute restrictions including Schematron rules were added. Schematron rules and constraints now dictate node nesting in some scenarios. For example, <opener> and <closer> elements require their nested nodes to be in a specific sequence.

Overall, the new ODD provides better support for editors.

2 Web Application Features

2.1 Updated Start Page

The start page of the edition website has been slightly redesigned: access tiles have been enlarged to enhance accessibility.

2.2 Updated Document View

The detail view of individual documents now highlights the options for user engagement with the edition (en-/disabling display of original text features, entities, and comments) as well as metadata information and correspondence description (which now includes options for navigating within the chronological sequence of documents).

Editorial comments can be displayed in a separate box below the transcription window.

The IIIF image viewer is now embedded in a stable-size window, still allowing zooming in and out as well as full-screen presentation.

Line numbers have been removed for facilitating copy-pasting from the edition website.

3 Disclaimer

Currently, the AMP edition relies on a heterogenously developed dataset. The core correspondence set of documents (amp-transcript__0001 to 0025, 0034, 0038-0045, 0053, 0057-0061, 0063, 0070-0071) features the updated correspondence schema introduced with the previous pre-release of amp-data v0.7.0. Within this set, a smaller group of documents (amp-transcript__0001-0006, 0021-0025, 0038-0039, 0045, 0057-0059, 0063, 0070-0071) has been updated also with regard to the markup of contents as part of the current v0.8.0 pre-release.

What's Changed

• Release v0.5.0 by @linxOD in #109

Full Changelog: v0.4.0...v0.5.0

Pre-Release v0.4.0

We are delighted to release v0.4.0 of the Auden Musulin Papers web application, built on v0.6.0 of the amp-data repository.

1 Data

1.1 Computer-Vision Images and Transcriptions

In documents Autograph Letter Signed W. H. Auden to Stella Musulin with Typescript W. H. Auden "Joseph Weinheber" 1965-04-28 and with Typescript W. H. Auden Translation "Joseph Weinheber" and Autograph Letter Signed W. H. Auden to Stella Musulin 1969-06-10, visualizations and transcriptions of poetic texts contained in indented typewriter impressions have been added (see https://amp.acdh.oeaw.ac.at/cv.html for more information).

1.2 Added Document

Version 0.4.0 now includes the previously unpublished Autograph Letter Signed Stella Musulin to Christine Busta 1962-05-23.

1.3 Added Entities

In the photo documents depicting W. H. Auden's funeral in 1973, an added number of attendees has been identified in the document titles and marked up in the <particDesc> sections.

1.4 Improved Markup

The TEI/XML <cb/> element has been introduced to indicate the beginnings of new columns on multi-column pages.

2 Web Application Features

2.1 Computer-Vision Feature Page

A feature page (https://amp.acdh.oeaw.ac.at/cv.html) now informs about the AMP project's collaboration with TU Wien's Computer Vision Lab to retrieve early versions of poems by W. H. Auden from indented typewriter impressions in two edition documents.

2.2 Search Bar

The navigation bar now includes a search box which allows for a quick-search opportunity. Furthermore, the link to the full faceted-search page on the start page is highlighted.

3 Disclaimer

The facsimile view is not yet optimized for the mobile version of the web application.

What's Changed

• Dev verison 0.4.0 by @linxOD in #61

Full Changelog: v0.3.0...v0.4.0

v0.3.0

Pre-Release v0.3.0

We announce the launch of v0.3.0 of the Auden Musulin Papers web application, which builds upon the foundation of v0.5.0 of the amp-data repository.

1 Data

1.1 Additional Photographs

This release includes previously unreleased photographs sourced from the private Musulin family archive. These photographs provide a unique perspective on the personal and professional life of W. H. Auden, shedding light on his interactions with notable figures in his social network in Austria. Furthermore, they capture moments of the poet's funeral on 4 October 1973.

1.2 Improved Markup

The TEI/XML <langUsage> section now provides precise information about the language(s) used in the documents containing text. The use of the <language ident="..."> element ensures that each language appearing in a document is appropriately encoded according to ISO 639-1.

Information pertaining to the text type(s) is incorporated within the <text type="..."> node. Depending on the document's main communicative type, this categorization encompasses a range of classifications: letter, card, invitation card, memoir, photograph, notes, speech, telegram, and aerogram. Titles have been updated to facilitate prompt identification of the key contents and text types of the documents.

v0.3.0 moreover includes a minor fix in the markup: for indented page numbers in typescripts, the space element has been inserted.

2 Web Application Features

2.1 Data Categorization

The web application now arranges the data set chronologically as well as with regard to content type into three categories: Auden Musulin Papers 1959-1973 (W. H. Auden's correspondence with Stella Musulin together with other materials evidencing their contact and collaboration); Musulin as Memoirist 1976-1995 (Musulin's memoirs as well as correspondence related to her activities as Auden's memoirist); Photos.

The landing page has been redesigned to offer easy entry points to explore these categories of edition documents.

2.2 Document View

In the default document view, the facsimile display is now disabled to focus on the transcribed texts.

2.3 Search

Full-text and faceted search parameters are now enabled as URL search parameters, thus permitting users to bookmark URLs that represent individual website queries.

3 Disclaimer

The facsimile view is not yet optimized for the mobile version of the web application.

What's Changed

• update v0.3.0 by @timofruehwirth in #59

Full Changelog: v.0.2.0...v0.3.0

Pre-Release v0.2.0

Pre-Release (v0.2.0)

We are thrilled to announce the highly anticipated release of v0.2.0 of the Auden Musulin Papers web application. Based on v0.4.0 of the amp-data repository, this release includes a host of new features that will facilitate the SDE's (scholarly digital edition's) exploration for scholars and non-specialist audiences alike.

1 Data

v0.2.0 adds previously unpublished photographs from the private Musulin archive. These photographs especially offer a fresh glimpse into the personal and professional life of W. H. Auden in Austria.

Entities (i.e., persons, places, institutions, literary works, and events) are marked up through the <rs> element in TEI/XML. Curated links to authority databases (including GND, GeoNames, and Wikidata) identify, and create connections between, entities.

The TEI/XML <correspDesc> section now supports extended spatio-temporal information. <correspAction type="composed"> provides data on the composition (sender, date, and place) as indicated by the sender or on the stationery. <correspAction type="sent"> extracts information (date and place) from the postmark. While the <correspAction type="received"> states the intended receiver and destination (as indicated on the envelope or inside the letter), <correspAction type="redirected"> specifies an alternative destination added by a third party.

2 Web Application Features

2.1 Indexes and Maps

The newly-added index feature allows for a streamlined and efficient search of entities across the SDE materials. It enables users to explore (using the DataTables open-source library) the persons, places, institutions, literary works, and events mentioned in the documents, facilitating their more precise and targeted research.

Integrated maps (built with the Leaflet open-source JavaScript library) provide a visual representation of all the places referred to in the texts. This feature allows users to gain a deeper understanding of the geographic contexts of the materials.

2.2 Display of Entities

The exploration of individual documents is enhanced through the representation of entities. Entities are marked through colors and symbols; pop-up boxes provide additional information and norm-data references.

To facilitate such highlight feature, we use an in-house-developed URL-state-based TypeScript library Digital Edition Micro-Editor, which has been published open-access: it provides a customizable text editor that is free to reuse in SDE projects.

2.3 Search

v0.2.0 switches from StaticSearch to Typesense open-source search engine to enable more precise results for complex queries.

Apart from full-text search, the web application now offers fully faceted search, providing options to query persons, places, institutions, works, and dates. The search results return color-coded entities marked up in the relevant documents.

2.4 User Interface

The landing page was redesigned to represent data entry points more clearly. The card view of the SDE materials has been reworked to offer preview data on document types, number of facsimiles, as well as entities.

3 Disclaimer

The detail view of document transcripts and facsimiles is optimized for display in Firefox and Chrome.

The SDE documents include individual instances of strong language and references to drug use.

What's Changed

• Micro editor by @linxOD in #35
• V0.2.0 by @linxOD in #46

Full Changelog: v0.1.0...v.0.2.0

Pre-Release (v0.1.0)

Pre-Release v0.1.0

We are happy to announce our first web-application release. Built on top of the amp-data repository v0.3.0, this release offers features to explore the Auden Musulin Papers digital edition, access biographical information on W. H. Auden and Stella Musulin, and learn about this FWF-funded project.

1 Project

Auden Musulin Papers: A Digital Edition of W. H. Auden’s Letters to Stella Musulin is a three-year project funded by the FWF Austrian Science Fund (Forschungs- und Wissenschaftsfonds). The project is based at the Austrian Center for Digital Humanities and Cultural Heritage, Austrian Academy of Sciences, and is carried out in collaboration with Landessammlungen Niederösterreich (State Collections of Lower Austria); Zentrum für Museale Sammlungswissenschaften (Center for Museum Collections Management) at Donau-Universität Krems (University for Continuing Education Krems); The Estate of W. H. Auden; and the Computer Vision Lab of TU Wien. Further details can be found in the Project Description section.

2 Data

This digital edition project uses XML technology for data transcription, employing TEI ontology for markup. The project-specific transcription guidelines are outlined in the Editorial Declaration.

Pre-Release v.0.1.0 includes the facsimiles and transcripts of all of W. H. Auden’s letters and literary papers from Stella Musulin’s collection, as well as of Musulin’s memoirs “The Years in Austria” and “In Retrospect”.

The following structural and semantic features are marked up in TEI/XML: divisions <div>; paragraphs <p>; page breaks <pb>; line beginnings <lb>; line groups <lg> and lines <l> for poetry; additional typographic spaces <space>; writing modes (handwritten, typed, printed) <... hand=“...”>; deletions <del>; underlines <hi rend=“underline”>; characters that cannot be transcribed with certainty <unclear> or are undecipherable <gap>.

The TEI/XML files also contain these metadata: edition title <title level=“s”>; document titles <title level=“a”>; authors <author>; editors <editor>; funding body <funder>; publisher domain <publisher>; copyright licence <licence>; manuscript history <origDate> and identification data <msIdentifier>; languages used <language>; correspondence details <correspDesc>; information on file revision <revisionDesc>.

Supplementary biographical data pertaining to W. H. Auden and Stella Musulin have been derived from multiple primary and secondary sources and encoded in TEI/XML, with markup of time and place . Place names have been cross-referenced with GeoNames identifiers.

3 Web Application Features

3.1 Search and Explore

There are multiple ways to explore the Auden Musulin Papers. Documents can be selected from a chronologically ordered card preview, with titles and dates displayed. Furthermore, there is a table view with built-in search and sorting features. Finally, a text-search feature uses the public Static Search plugin. Currently, this search feature enables the user to find information through specifying date ranges or by means of full-text search.

The full-text search supports:

• Stemming of terms (e.g., ‘wait’ will also retrieve ‘waiting’, ‘waits’, ‘waited’, etc.).
• Boolean search operators: adding ‘+’ (plus) before words yields only search results that contain those words; adding ‘-’ (minus) yields results that do not contain that word. Otherwise, searches are treated as ‘may contain’.
• Phrasal search: any quoted phrase will be searched ‘as-is’, and when quoted phrases are included in a search, any hit document must contain at least one of them.
• Wildcard searches:
  • asterisks (*)
  • question marks (?)
  • and square brackets ([ab])
    You can search for:
    • lo[uv]e? to find ‘loved’, ‘loued’, ‘loves’, ‘louer’, etc.
    • lo*e? to find ‘loued’, ‘loved’ etc.
• Search filtering: selecting specific date ranges.

3.2 Detail View

The detailed view of each transcript provides access to the transcribed text, together with the digital photographic reproduction of the document. A comprehensive description of the representation of the edited documents is included in the Editorial Declaration.

For viewing the facsimile, the JavaScript OpenSeadragon plugin has been implemented. This viewer uses a IIIF manifest to access images. The IIIF manifest is stored at the online data archive ARCHE. Common features of the viewer include zooming, centering, and full-screen view.

View option controls (from left to right):

• Full screen: customized full-screen option
• Image on/off: enables/disables the OSD viewer
• Font size: changes font size of the transcription text
• Font: changes the font family of the transcription text (default: Times New Roman for handwritten text; Courier New for typed text; Arial for print)
• Original text features: switches on/off all original text features (see below)
• Deleted (pink): enables/disables display of deletions
• Unclear (grey): highlights unclear sections of the document
• Underlined (purple): switches on/off display of underlines (default: underlined sections of text are represented in italics)
• Original white space (green): enables/disables display of additional typographic white space such as indentations of lines and multiple white spaces

A resizing bar allows users to customize the widths of the text and image areas.

3.3 Biographical Timelines

Two timelines visualize biographical data pertaining to the life and work of W. H. Auden (in the period 1958-1973) and Stella Musulin (1915-1996), respectively. These timelines biographically contextualize, and link to, the edited documents. All mentioned places were identified using consistent identifiers taken from the geographical database GeoNames.

3.4 Metadata

Each document has a persistent identifier that takes users to the archived version of the document in the ARCHE long-term repository. All images are provided via IIIF Endpoints. The TEI/XML versions of the transcribed documents are available for download as well. Furthermore, metadata, describing the sources, are available in RDF Turtle format (ttl). The RDF triples have been created using the ACDH-Ontology.