I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you for visiting the Martin and Bosco Tumblr project website!
About the Project
The Martin & Bosco Tumblr project is a digital humanities study about an unusually beloved photo of my late husband and his dog. Over the years, the post has been reshaped through reblogs, tags, and shared rituals like “Martin and Bosco Day”. It has the privilege of being referred to as a “World Heritage Post”. My work combines data science, preservation, and cultural analysis techniques to trace the post’s adoption and contextualize its place in Tumblr lore.
The project also invites the Tumblr community to participate by asking questions, suggesting ideas for visualizations, and learning how to make sense of their own data along the way. At its core, this is a data storytelling project about how the subjects of a photo grew into collective folklore.
Meet Laura
I’m Laura — a freelance data scientist, former academic STEM librarian, and resigned Tumblr Ancient. I hold graduate degrees in chemistry and library & information science. Both disciplines share a deep affinity for structure, evidence, and data, which led me to pursue a variety of data certifications from educational institutions and professional organizations. My interest in data science is also why I serve on a range of professional committees, including the Medical Library Association (MLA), Research Data Access & Preservation (RDAP), and the CaRCC AI Facilitation Working Group.
Mostly, I just enjoy vigorously shaking a dataset and watching the story fall out. I’m equally passionate about AeroPress coffee, workingline German Shepherd Dogs, and zombie dystopian fiction. Home is a tiny town on the beautiful north shore of Lake Erie in Ontario.