More than 4,500 artefacts from the British Museum are now available to view online, thanks to an innovative new collaboration with Google.
The project will allow many of the museum’s cultural treasures to be seen by people around the world, with Google’s Street View now allowing online visitors the chance of a virtual tour inside the building itself.
"The world today has changed, the way we access information has been revolutionised by digital technology. This enables us to gives the Enlightenment ideal on which the Museum was founded a new reality," said Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum.
"It is now possible to make our collection accessible, explorable and enjoyable not just for those who physically visit, but to everybody with a computer or a mobile device. And this isn’t just about putting the collection ‘online’. Through our partnership with Google, we hope to give people new ways to experience and enjoy the Museum, new ways to learn, and new ways to teach.”
Using Gigapixel technology, some of the museum’s most important and delicate objects, such as the 6th Century Chinese Admonitions Scroll, can be examined all year round in incredible detail.
The new project also allows teachers across the globe to bring these historic artefacts into their classrooms, complete with detailed descriptions from the museum’s expert curators.
"It’s an incredible thought that now anyone, anywhere can experience the riches of their expertly curated collection, which is probably the most comprehensive survey of the material culture of humanity in existence," added Amit Sood, Director of the Google Cultural Institute. "What a wealth of knowledge to access!”
The online collection is now available to view through the British Museum website.
