Google captures city heritage gem frozen in time
ABIRMINGHAM factory frozen in time is one of the stars as Google Street View launches a magical history tour.
The labyrinthine corridors and workshops of the Victorian JW Evans silver factory – normally only open to the public for pre-booked guided tours – will be seen as the cameras head indoors at a host of English Heritage attractions.
Visitors to the factory in Albion Street, Hockley, literally step back in time because the interior has not changed since the 1880s.
Behind the frontage of four terraced houses, the workshops retain their original drop stamps and fly presses. They are packed with thousands of dies for the manufacture of silverware, plus other working equipment, stock and records of the business.
Now, the factory can be explored from the comfort of your armchair.
Hard-to-see masterpieces on stately home ceilings and rarely opened stores of archaeological remains are among heritage sites being revealed online for the first time.
A new partnership between English Heritage and Google Arts & Culture has deployed digital technology including Street View and gigapixel cameras to bring 29 historic sites across England to life for an international audience.
From Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, where King Arthur is said to have been conceived, to a Cold War Bunker in York, armchair heritage buffs will be able to explore some of England’s most famous and unusual historic sites.
For the first time, people will get to see in detail Antonio Zucchi’s 18th century ceiling paintings at Kenwood House, London, and the 17th century “Elysium” ceiling at Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire, which have been photographed in ultrahigh definition.
Matt Thompson, head of collections at English Heritage, said: “In our new role as a charity, English Heritage is looking for innovative ways to open our sites to the public and share their fascinating stories with them.
“Now thanks to Google Arts & Culture’s technology, we’ve been able to bring people closer to our historic masterpieces than ever before, open up our storehouses to a global audience, and showcase hitherto unseen artefacts.”
To view and explore the visit : g.co/EnglishHeritage. sites,