Have you ever walked the streets of a historic city such as Boston or New York and recognized famous buildings from old photographs or movies? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to view those various locations through the eyes of the past? History fans undoubtedly have considered this, and now thanks to an iPhone app from the Museum of London, looking into the past has never been easier – at least not in London.
Using augmented reality, the museum’s app, named Streetmuseum, contextually places old and historic photographs around London in 3D space. With the app in hand, people walking the streets of London can now view these photos in a live AR view from the perspective at which they were taken.
“Hundreds of images from the Museum of London’s extensive collections showcase both everyday and momentous occasions in London’s history, from the Great Fire of 1666 to the swinging sixties,” says the app’s homepage.
This fun and educational application is a great example of augmented reality being used in a practical and useful manner. Rather than simply pointing out historic locales around the city, the integration of historic photos into the live AR view is both engaging and entertaining. The app also works as city-wide mobile marketing for the Museum of London, which encourages users to continue the journey at the museum’s galleries.
The app was developed for the museum by brothers and sisters – a London-based creative agency with an impressive resume. Past clients include Adidas, National Geographic, Discovery Channel and Nintendo. AR enthusiasts like myself with a historic itch to scratch can only hope the developers partner with more museums worldwide to create additional compelling applications.
