LIFE Magazine Archives Hosted by Google
May 13th, 2009 | Written by: lauren
Sergey Brin’s Blog Embraces Images and Video in Search
Recently, co founder of Google Sergey Brin shared some thoughts on the value of video, and some marvelous news for all generations. Here are my thoughts on an excerpt from Brin’s 2008 Founder’s Letter.
Remember what search used to be like? Colorfully decorated by ads, simply an ostentatiously dressed list of web pages; Google revolutionized the expectations of search engine results. Incorporating videos, books, maps, images and more, we have comprehensive search: a virtual library, reference of media at our fingertips, a modern microfiche, periodical index and Dewey Decimal system rolled into one fast, easy-to-use interface.
It’s this simplicity, it’s the quickness and ease and depth of coverage that creates a sense of comfort and trust. Google has accomplished advancements that changed it all, such as Google Groups, the vehicle through which Google created the most comprehensive archive of over 800 Usenet postings dating back to 1981.
Google Image Search was launched in 2001, providing a different lens for filtering information and has now given us an immense gift: overwhelming LIFE Magazine archives containing 10 million photos, over 95% of which we have never seen before.
The last printing of LIFE Magazine was a small death for not only photojournalism, but for all of us. LIFE was the visual biography of our world, powerful and informative and unique. LIFE Magazine pictures are iconic, depicting landmarks in history: Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, Alfred Eisenstaedt’s famous photo of the returning sailor’s kiss in Times Square, the storming of Omaha Beach on D-Day.
Alfred Eisenstaedt’s Famous “Kissing Soldier”
(C) Copyright 2000-2005 Getty Images, Inc. All rights reserved.
LIFE Magazine photos showed the coy smile or quiet brooding of timeless celebrities, the pain and anguish of war and tragedy, the breathtaking landscape of space; they showed the faces of people, of humanity: the fresh, the weathered, the yearning, the joyous. Google has brought LIFE back from death, and a pictorial history dating back to the 1750s will not be lost. Yes, over 250 years of history on film, backed up and available for all of us to savor, with the simple searchability we expect from Google!
My excitement aside, the content is very valuable. Brin says, however, that advanced image search still relies much on the text surrounding an image. Google hopes to use “enhanced computer vision technology” in the future to try to analyze and understand the picture without the need for captions.
Brin also mused on the use of video, as more than simple entertainment. Brin says video is “also a very important source of high-quality information,” pointing out that for certain internet search terms, video is extremely relevant. For instance, video is particularly useful for the online travel industry, sports coverage, technology reviews and educational purposes. Brin even bought his last RAID based on a video review!
With the additional value of images and video, Google gives us a broader perspective, another way to learn. The immense LIFE Magazine archive could be immeasurably useful in preserving history, as the imperative expansion of the internet brings endless sources of information, reputable and otherwise. There’s something for everyone in these archives. Take a look at history.
Tags: image search, life magazine, magazine archives, online video, Search Engines, video search
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 at 7:45 pm and is filed under Blog, Search Engines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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