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Want to escape the real world? We feel you. You might not be able to travel very far IRL right now, but thanks to some nifty virtual reality, you can now go back in time to 1851 to take a tour round Hyde Park’s Crystal Palace.
Today marks 169 years since the Great Exhibition, which was an event put on by Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert to celebrate the industrial technology and design of the Victorian age. The exhibits were housed in a huge glass structure that became known as the Crystal Palace. After the show, the palace was relocated to a part of south London that was subsequently named after it.
The building has been recreated digitally using archive plans, maps and images. The tour even features a soundscape, which recreates the noises made by the hustle and bustle of crowds of people walking around. Ah, crowds. Remember them?
Take the Great Exhibition virtual tour here.
In other news, the British Museum is displaying 4 million items from its collection online.
And rare works by Banksy and Damien Hirst are going on display at this virtual gallery.