Index shop addresses from an old trade directory

Record street, building number and edition page. Note any spelling that differs within the directory before treating entries as the same address.

Copy the addresses of two shopkeepers with the same surname from a dated directory. Tie each observation to a place in the source, such as a page, side, timecode or corner of a frame. A record that says where a detail was found is useful even when the immediate interpretation changes. It also saves the next reader from starting the search again at the first page.

The unit numbers may distinguish tenants whose advertisements share a trading name. Give each individual item a location record even when several items share a title. Where a group arrives in a box or envelope, preserve what was together and how you found it. That lets you build an alphabetical or chronological index later without quietly changing evidence supplied by the earlier grouping.

Keep a distinct field for modern names, changed numbering or unresolved locations. Add the title and date of the source supporting each link.

An apparent move may result from local address renumbering. Finish with enough information to find the source and understand what you did to it. Include the identifier, location, date of inspection and the state of unfinished work. If the material could be shared more broadly later, keep a place for permission and credit information alongside its public description.

Look for an accompanying street map or a municipal record of the change. Reference an image by its whole item and by the region you want someone to inspect. A citation that points to a catalogue number alone can be hard to use when there are several sides or panels. Include a visual landmark in addition to an image identifier where the region does not have a printed number.

Keep the transcribed directory address before adding a modern equivalent. The most helpful comparison preserves order. Use the source order for transcriptions and marks, and create a separate chronological or alphabetical view when it helps the reader. This lets you search a useful index while returning to the original arrangement if the relationship between adjacent items becomes important.

Use a short descriptive filename alongside your record number and keep the two linked. Avoid using the proposed interpretation as the only identifier. An uncertain author, place or date may change when someone sees an overlooked clue, but the connection between the item and earlier notes should remain easy to follow. Give one entry to a reader who has never handled the material. They should be able to find the source, distinguish your wording from its wording and see the reason for your conclusion. If they ask whether a detail came from the item itself or a later recollection, add that distinction where they first needed it. A building name can remain constant while storefront numbers move. Check both fields when addresses from consecutive years differ by one or two. Write the date of observation separately from every date you infer from the object. A later reader should be able to distinguish when you read a mark from when you think it was made. This is especially useful if the record may be revised after you consult a clearer copy or a second person.

Try one block first and check whether street numbers follow a consistent pattern in the edition. Start by keeping an untouched image or recording of the whole item. Any enlargement or contrast adjustment belongs with a working copy that identifies its source. This gives a future reader the chance to evaluate a faint character or an ambiguous detail without relying solely on the edited view.