Bringing history to life
Friday, October 12, 2012 | 11:41 AM
En Français
This week, Google launched 42 new online historical exhibitions, including Apartheid, D-Day and the Holocaust. The stories have been put together by 17 of our partners who have drawn on their archives of letters, manuscripts, first-hand video testimonials and much more. Much of the material is very moving—and some is on the Internet for the first time.
Amongst the stories told are exhibitions featuring archive material about Apartheid, including never-seen-before material about some of the most iconic heroes of the Struggle. The Apartheid stories have been put together by three of our partners in South Africa - the Steve Biko Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Center of Memory, and Africa Media Online. Some of the exhibitions you can explore include:
- Steve Biko - on the the 35th anniversary of Steve Biko’s death, this series of exhibitions tell the story of a 15 year old’s political awakening in the midst of the Apartheid movement. Featuring nine documents never released in the public domain including his 1973 banning order, and his Black People’s Convention membership card.
- Nelson Mandela - an update of the current archives, featuring new videos and images covering his early life, his prison years and negotiating for democracy.
- Apartheid events - Sharpeville Massacre, Soweto Riots, 1913 Land Act, Heads of Government, Women’s Anti-Pass March, 1994 elections, Treason Trial and a collection of Apartheid signs
As with the other archives that we’ve helped bring onto the Internet, including the Dead Sea Scrolls you can zoom in to see photos in great detail and search through millions of items for a specific country, person, event or date. Watch our video for some guidance about how to find your way around the exhibitions.
The historical collections are the latest chapter in the work of the Google Cultural Institute, following the Art Project, World Wonders and the Nelson Mandela archives. We’re working closely with museums, foundations and other archives around the world to make more cultural and historical material accessible online and by doing so preserve it for future generations.
You can explore the many exhibitions at www.google.com/culturalinstitute. You can also follow us on our Google+ page. What you see today is just the start, so if you’re a partner interested in contributing your own exhibitions please complete this form.
Posted by Mark Yoshitake, Product Manager, Google Cultural Institute
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Faire vivre l'histoire
Cette semaine, Google a lancé 42 nouvelles expositions historiques en ligne, dont celles sur l'Apartheid, le Débarquement en Normandie (Jour J) et l'Holocauste. Les récits ont été rassemblés par dix-sept de nos partenaires qui ont mis à profit leurs archives : lettres, manuscrits, témoignages vidéo directs, etc. Ces éléments sont pour la plupart très émouvants — et certains sont sur Internet pour la première fois.
Parmi les histoires ainsi racontées, on trouve des archives sur l'apartheid, dont des éléments inédits sur quelques-unes des figures les plus emblématiques de cette lutte. Les récits sur l'apartheid ont été réunis par trois de nos partenaires en Afrique du Sud - la Fondation Steve Biko, le Centre de mémoire Nelson Mandela et Africa Media Online. Parmi les expositions que vous pouvez explorer :
