By Bakari Chavanu, MakeUseOf – October 13, 2012 at 07:30PM
Google has partnered with 17 museums and cultural foundations to establish what is called an online Cultural Institute that showcases over 40 online historical exhibitions displayed in a multimedia format. The historical timelines draw on a mixture of archived letters, manuscripts, first-hand video testimonials, and other primary documents.
The Cultural Institute will be a powerful resource for classroom instruction and history buffs. Users can scroll through the timeline at their own pace, and click on individual resources and documents for additional details. The exhibitions weave together short paragraphs, photos, and videos to help make stories easier to understand and explore.
The Cultural Institute is made up of over 40 timeline exhibitions, including A Tragic Love at Auschwitz, the June 5, 1944 D-Day, the August 8, 1956 Women’s Anti-Pass March, the May 20, 1960 Sharpeville Massacre, and a chronicle of the South African leader Nelson Mandela and his release from prison in 1990.
These and other stories can be read in over a dozen different languages, and the content is searchable. Google has also posted a video tutorial for how to make use of the Cultural Institute site.
The Cultural Institute, Google says, is an extension of other similar projects, including its Art Project, World Wonders, and the Nelson Mandela archives. This vast library of historical content is accessible worldwide and will continue to grow.
Interested users can follow the development of the Institute on its Google+ page, which highlights the stories that make up the growing exhibition. And any institutions that would like to contribute to the exhibitions can fill out this form.
Source: Google Blog