Public records
Institution pages stay visible
The source page points back to the original collection page for every major image or book record.
Open sourcesAbout
An archive built from public collections, captions, and credit lines.
The pages stay close to the records themselves, so readers can check titles, dates, and image notes without sorting through extra noise.
What it is
MerceMay is the site label, and the collection records do the real work.
This archive gathers images, maps, and reading notes from public collections. Each page is written to be legible on its own, with the collection name, the date, and the image credit kept close to the item being discussed.
- The pages favor public records and direct credit lines.
- The notes stay short enough to scan but specific enough to verify.
- The site grows by adding clear entries, not by adding extra commentary around them.
Editorial approach
The writing stays with what is visible in the record: title, date, format, collection name, and a brief note about why the item matters in the archive.
What is included
Items earn a place when they add a useful record, a strong image, or a clear link to a related page. That keeps the archive focused and easy to browse.
How it reads
Plain descriptions, direct credit, and a small amount of context.
The page family works best when each part keeps its job clear.
Image notes
Captions stay close to the image
Image pages keep their notes compact so a reader can see the object and the credit together.
Open image notesMap room
Spatial notes stay general
Map pages focus on orientation, labels, and layout instead of travel storytelling.
Open map roomReading shelf
Books add a second kind of record
The reading shelf keeps the archive balanced with printed material and reference pages.
Open reading shelfLogbook
Updates stay brief
Log entries track page changes, new records, and source checks in a few lines.
Open logbookFAQ
Questions stay practical
The FAQ answers the basic questions a reader usually has before browsing the rest of the site.
Open FAQScope
What the archive does and does not try to do.
The archive is strongest when the page stays close to the record.
Image selection
Choose records with a clear public trail
The strongest entries are the ones that come with a clean collection page, a direct title, and enough context to place the item in the site.
Writing style
Keep the description simple
Short notes are easier to trust than long ones. A sentence or two is usually enough when the record already carries the facts.
Update rhythm
Add pages in small batches
New material works best when it arrives as one new record, one new note, or one new route at a time.
Collection rooms
Six rooms keep the archive from becoming one long image list.
Each room has its own kind of record, vocabulary, and path into the source ledger.
Sky room
Nebulae and galaxies
Carina, Orion, Eagle Pillars, Andromeda, and the Deep Field carry the strongest sense of scale in the archive.
Open image notesEarth room
Orbit and weather
Blue Marble, night lights, aurora, Antarctica, and Hurricane Matthew are grouped by atmosphere, light, and system shape.
Open map roomSurface room
Mars and the Moon
Tracks, dunes, craters, panoramas, and lunar hardware give the archive a record of surfaces and instruments.
Read long noteMap room
Printed geography
City maps, lighthouses, route symbols, and page borders sit together because they teach a reader how to scan space.
Open map roomPrint room
Books and posters
Library rooms, books-and-maps records, and WPA posters bring shelves, typography, and public message design into the set.
Open reading shelfMotion room
Short NASA clips
The Artemis rollout and Perseverance 360 view add time and movement without replacing the source-image index.
Open sources