San Jose, CA — February 19, 2014 — Today History San José and Google Cultural Institute launched a group of online exhibits as part of a new partnership to introduce History San José’s collection to a global audience.
The online exhibit will include a total of 166 artifacts, derived from three “physical” exhibits curated by History San José and shown at History Park. These exhibits are now accessible to the entire world, showcasing the depth and variety of HSJ’s permanent collection.
“The significance of be being able to share the history and culture of San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley to a global audience is monumental,” said Alida Bray, President and CEO of History San José. “History San José has the largest regional history collection in the state of California and it is our mission to share it with the largest audience possible.”
The exhibit Artists for Hire: Painting for the Market in Santa Clara Valley reflects the range of ‘hired art’ in the Valley. From a collection of more than 500 paintings in the HSJ collection, this exhibit demonstrates how local artists earned a living by commissions from the wealthy, and includes works by A.D.M. Cooper, Andrew Putnam Hill, and Elizabeth A. Rockwell.
The photography exhibit San José: City With a Past reflects the heritage of the Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, and the evolution of Santa Clara Valley from an agricultural and food processing center, through revitalization and redevelopment of the downtown core, into what is today the capital of Silicon Valley.
The largest exhibit lends itself perfectly to this online initiative. The Perham Collection of Early Electronics is the legacy of radio pioneer Douglas McDonald Perham (1887-1967), an early wireless experimenter and radio broadcaster, technician and collector; and documents the pre-silicon communications industry in the Bay Area.
The Google Cultural Institute is a global project based in Paris. Originated in 2011, it already has nearly 400 partners from 50 countries exhibiting millions of pieces of art, history and culture. The aim is to work with the cultural sector, bringing art, archives, heritage sites and other material online, making it more accessible to people via the internet, thereby preserving it for the future.
“The Google Cultural Institute and History San José’s vast permanent collection are a perfect combination for online exhibits,” added Bray. “We look forward to providing online access to future exhibits held at HSJ.”
The exhibit Artists for Hire: Painting for the Market in Santa Clara Valley was curated by the HSJ Collections and Exhibitions staff. The photography exhibit San José: City With a Past was originally created in 1991, curated by Leslie Masanuga and Nancy Valby, San José Historical Museum and sponsored by the 1991 San José City Council. The Perham Collection of Early Electronics was curated by Bjorn Forsberg, Stuart Hansen, Will Jensby, Ralph Simpson, and Dr. Roxanne Nilan.
The HSJ exhibits on the Google Cultural Institute site may be accessed at http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/collection/history-san-jose or by searching for “History San Jose.”