Google and Life Magazine to Showcase Millions of Rare Photos

In a move towards a 'common' way of looking at history, Google and Life magazine have come together to release nearly 10 million photos for public viewing.

Words are superfluous when an image speaks. Some of the turning events in our recent history have been captured through a keen eye and a keener lens. Now a media partnership between Life magazine and Google will bring the beauty of those images through the browser. Ten million archived photos will be made available to the public through the partnership. Many pathbreaking photos, some by esteemed auteurs like Gordon Parks, Margaret Bourke-White, and Dorothea Lange will again see the light of day. This is good news for all of us interested in a slice of history. Some photographs can be accessed currently, just by typing in keywords into Google Image Search and in the following days, more will be added. The vast material spells good news especially after a similar initiative by Flickr in January. Under its ‘Commons’ initiative, Flickr hosted thousands of hitherto rare photographs from the U.S Library of Congress. What seems to be a tantalizing prospect emanates from Life’s assertion that nearly 97 percent of the snaps haven’t been seen by the public before. The photos date back to nearly 1750's. For instance, the report mentions the famous shot of migrant worker Florence Thompson in 1936 by Dorothea Lange. A close-up of Thompson with two of her children gathered in her arms became symbolic of the Great Depression. The newly released archived photo shows a wider view of the woman. The photo today, evokes not only history but also sentiments for an era gone by. Go to the Google archive page.