Google Cultural Institute

The Google Cultural Institute was started in 2011 and was formally the Google Arts Project. The purpose is to make institution and exhibit content available digitally. The mission is to “make important cultural material available and accessible to everyone and to digitally preserve it to educate and inspire future generations.” It features high-resolution photography of museum exhibits in more than 40 countries. Art work is featured from all over the world.  The history link tells the story behind many significant historical events.The wonders tab tours historic places in the ancient world and modern sites.

The technology features make this a truly amazing resource. The zoom view explores 1,733 items in high resolution with a powerful zoom which lets you see extraordinary details.The Museum View allows exclusive views of many sites. Digital exhibits discovers stories behind important cultural moment.A google cardboard 360 virtual reality experience is available. 

It is easy to spend hours and hours lost in this amazing website. Here are the

 Reading Specialty Top 10 Picks from the Google Cultural Institute.

Click on the title above the photograph to go directly to the picture in the Google Cultural Institute Website.

  1.  The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef , located off the coast of Queensland is the world’s largest coral reef.

2.   Harry Potter:  A History of Magic

Harry Potter: A History of Magic from the British Library Exhibition

Read about the Journey of Harry Potter: From an idea at a train station to global success. Meet the illustrator. Find out about the world go magic including potions, alchemy, herbology, charms, astronomy, divination, magic against evil powers, and magical creatures.  View early sketches and notes of JK Rowling.

3. Stories of the Holocaust

Stories of the Holocaust

The Holocaust was the persecution and murder of 6 million Jewish people and 5 million other minorities by Hitler and the Nazis. Google Arts and Culture exhibits over 136,000 pictures, artifacts, stories, videos, and collections concerning this period in history. There is a ‘must see” section if you are teaching Anne Frank.

4.  Civil Rights Movement

Thousands of artifacts, images, art, and inspirational stories from the Civil Rights era. There is a section where people share their personal stories via YouTube.

5. The White House

Take a virtual tour!

Explore the White House and the grounds, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, presidential portraits,

6. Chicen Itza, Mexico

Visit the Mayan ruins.

High definition photos explore the ruins of the archeological wonders of Chicken Itza on the Yucatan Penninsula.

7. The Great Pyramids

Explore the Giza Pyramid complex. outside of Cairo. These are listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is the only one that still exists.

8. The Art of Music Through Time

Great music and instrument making is celebrated in these images of instruments from around the world with recordings from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

9.  Art Camera

Use the zoom feature to explore art masterpieces so closely you can see brush strokes. Analyze murals, photographs, textiles, mosaics, and drawings from around the world. Monet, Rembrandt, O’Keefe–meet the masters.

10.Nelson Mandel

Political leader and philanthropist Nelson Mandela, South African President from 1994 to 1999 has his journal from prisoner to president chronicled in manuscripts, stories, images, and videos.

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