Moving forward with my project on the Fortifications of Verdun, I have discovered a number of challenges which present unique obstacles for my vision and have forced me to either find solutions or rethink my aims. When creating my second exhibit, I was initially unsure about what other items besides fortresses could fit the overall theme of my project, however I eventually came up with the idea to include locations in and around the city that were either affected by the fighting in 1916, or are dedicated to the battle itself. These included the Cathedral Notre Dame de Verdun which was the first location to be struck by shellfire in the opening German artillery barrage of late February, as well as the Citadel which served as a base of operations and headquarters for French command throughout the course of the battle. The sites that are dedicated to the battle include the Soldiers’ Victory Monument located in the heart of the city center, the Monument to the Citizens of Verdun, as well as the Douaumont Ossuary which contains the remains of thousands of unidentified German and French soldiers. Moving forward, there is still much work to be done which includes filling out some missing Dublin Core information for images, as well as creating and embedding an interactive map of the battlefield. I may have initially been too ambitious in my goal to create a map with a moving front line, so there is a possibility I will have to settle for a map with a static one instead. However this will not take away from the interactive features that will allow users to click on different forts and gain a more spatial awareness of how they were laid out in relation to one another.
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