Google has been building out an online museum for the past five years, and today it's adding a large new collection: it's partnered with the National Park Service to add over 3,800 works of art, artifacts, and records. Those include objects used in the 1962 Alcatraz escape, a pen used to sign the Civil Rights Act, and a typewriter from Frederick Douglass' home. That's all alongside 58 new Street View exhibits — 50 outdoor park views and eight interior views of museums and historical locations, like President Eisenhower's house. They're all available to browse through at Google's Cultural Institute site.
Google and the National Park Service are putting 3,800 artifacts and artworks in an online museum
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is The Verge’s executive editor. He has covered tech, policy, and online creators for over a decade.
Google says that it’s now partnered with over 1,000 groups to add art and other historical objects to its site. Though the Cultural Institute is largely just a collection of images, it’s one of the more accessible ways to start diving through different parts of history. Google even says that it helps to send more foot traffic to the institutions it partners with, as its website makes it easier for people to explore what they have available. In the case of the Park Service, Google’s site is barely scratching the surface. Across its more than 380 museums, it claims to have 45 million objects in its position — not to mention the actual parks.
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