A ‘groundbreaking’ online interface for displaying photographs launches next month.
Pixxcell is a photographic digital ‘time machine’ which enables users to view a vast collection of images from across the world and taken through the ages.
Working with content from Getty Images and museums, libraries and archives from across the country, the aim is to create the first archive of life on earth allowing users to explore ‘stories’ from across history and into the present day.
It is the brainchild of CEO, Melissa Mercer, who came up with the idea after realising that there was no long-term plan for the organisation of, and access to, the world’s photographs.
She explained: “The world’s photographs are disjointed. They are spread across millions of different websites, thousands of museums, libraries and archives, or stored in boxes and attics.
“Our entire history is documented yet no one has organised it. In 100 years time how are we going to look back and see the digital records we’ve made of our lives? There is no central platform on which everything can be found.
“Currently we have around 500 million images uploaded to Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Snapchat everyday but because they are generally only shared amongst friendship groups, the chances are we will never see some of the amazing images that document our time now.
“Pixxcell is a collaborative environment to display images together, which maximises their story-telling value.”
A beta version of the site is due to be launched in July. In the meantime, the company is looking to employ to full time web developers.
