Wikimedia CH/Innovation/Dapples Archive
Project Overview
[edit]The Dapples Archives project is dedicated to preserving, digitizing, and sharing the historical photographic and documentary heritage of the Dapples family. Originally from the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, the Dapples family played a significant role in the history of agriculture and forestry in Mugello, Tuscany, Italy.
This initiative operates under the Innovation Program of Wikimedia CH, specifically within the Wikiklima project. The family’s work in land organization and forestry in Mugello foreshadowed modern concepts of environmental management, highlighting the critical role of forests in maintaining geomorphological balance and preventing floods.
This initiative aims to make this valuable material freely accessible to the public via Wikimedia Commons, ensuring its preservation and enhancing global understanding of the Swiss-Italian contributions to environmental and land management practices.
Background
[edit]The Dapples family has been influential since the 15th century in Switzerland, with a branch moving to Genoa and later settling in Tuscany. They significantly contributed to local agricultural innovation and reforestation projects in Grezzano, Mugello, including efforts to restore forests. Their approach to land management emphasized the importance of forests for controlling water flow, mitigating erosion, and reducing the risk of floods, ideas that resonate strongly with the goals of the Wikiklima project.
Following the 1966 Florence flood, the Swiss-Italian relationship was further cemented through the creation of the Bosco degli Svizzeri ("Swiss Forest"), a reforestation project aimed at mitigating geological instability and serving as a model for sustainable land management.
Currently, much of the family’s photographic and documentary material is only available in physical format, divided between the Museo della Civiltà Contadina di Casa d'Erci and potential holdings in Switzerland. Digitizing and uploading these resources will ensure their preservation and accessibility while enriching Wikimedia content.
Goals
[edit]- Preservation: Digitize and restore historical photographs and documents from the Dapples family archives.
- Accessibility: Upload at least 500 high-quality images to Wikimedia Commons, making them freely available to the public.
- Enrichment: Expand Wikipedia pages related to Dapples family and their contributions.
- Innovation: Utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to generate precise descriptions and metadata for uploaded materials.