Google Virtual Museum Tours Get even More Realistic - Dispatch Weekly

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June 5, 2017 - Reading time: 3 minutes

Google continues to expand its extensive platform with new developments and additional features added to their already successful repertoire. Their most recent addition comes to their Arts and Culture app and initiative. It allows people from all over the globe to tour art museums and gain the benefits of being there from their home, with an increasingly accurate experience.

Google Virtual Museum Tours Newest Update

With the newest update, Google allows people to access even more information, and realistically so, on the artwork they view online. Now users possess the capability to view and read the annotations provided in the museum describing each individual piece, on the online platform as well. While additional information on the art was available previously through Google’s Arts and Culture initiative, the annotations themselves are a new feature.

national gallery google art tour Google Arts and Culture Development

When Google first started their Arts and Culture initiative, the development was to serve as a continuation of Google’s dedication to bring information to people all over the globe. Google began this venture by uploading high quality and detailed photos of famous pieces of art work in 2011. The project used previously existing Google technologies in combination to begin.

Google Street view technologies were used to capture the interior of the museum and allow for an experience similar to that of walking through the gallery. Picasa, another Google application, was used to provide detailed photos of the artwork. After the initial launch, updates continued to be made, including an increase in the number of participating museums, when over 100 more museums agreed to join the initiative, including the White House and the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Other updates included adding more features such as increased search capabilities, tour information, and educational tools. And now with the recent update, providing even more information on the paintings with the newly added annotations. It is noteworthy that as Google continues to develop more features, the changes have become less dramatic between updates.

DW Staff

David Lintott is the Editor-in-Chief, leading our team of talented freelance journalists. He specializes in covering culture, sport, and society. Originally from the decaying seaside town of Eastbourne, he attributes his insightful world-weariness to his roots in this unique setting.

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