Life.com Launches 'Comprehensive' Photo Site
Everything old is new again. At least everything that can figure out how to reinvent itself on the Internet! Behold Life.com. The magazine, which helped to visually define much of the 20th Century, has relaunched online. The site, which is a joint venture between Time Inc. and Getty Images Inc., will combine both companies’ photo collections to “create the most comprehensive photo experience available online.”
Per the release (in full after the jump): “The curated site features both rarely seen and iconic photos from the 1850s through today. The photos are presented with descriptions and categorizations to give users an in-depth photo viewing experience, where they can not only view, but also rate, share and link to images in this expansive collection.”
New York, NY March 31, 2009 — LIFE.com launches today, inviting consumers to “see your world” in a way never before possible. The new Web site is a joint venture between Time Inc. and Getty Images Inc., pairing both companies’ expansive photo collections to create the most comprehensive photo experience available online. The curated site features both rarely seen and iconic photos from the 1850s through today. The photos are presented with descriptions and categorizations to give users an in-depth photo viewing experience, where they can not only view, but also rate, share and link to images in this expansive collection.
“Whatever you want to look at, whether it happened an hour ago, a century ago, or any time in between, you’ll be able to find it quickly, easily, and for free. LIFE.com’s mission is to allow you to explore your world through the world’s greatest images,” said Andrew Blau, CEO of LIFE.com.
“Getty Images is always looking for ways to advance imagery and make it even more accessible,” said Jonathan Klein, co-founder and CEO of Getty Images. “By combining the two best known brands in photography – the classic and seldom-seen photos from LIFE with Getty Images’ award-winning photography – we have created an unsurpassed online photo experience for consumers.”
Beginning today, LIFE.com will provide users with access to more than seven million photos from the LIFE and Getty Images archives, with approximately 3,000 new photos from Getty Images added daily. The site’s dynamic, user-friendly interface will make it easy for consumers to find photos from Getty Images’ comprehensive archival and current collections and LIFE’s extensive photo archive, including photos from as early as the 1850s, the vast majority of which were never published in the pages of the magazine. The site will also offer photo galleries, including news, celebrity, sports, travel and animals; the most relevant and timely photos will be featured daily. Additionally, celebrity curators will create galleries that feature their favorite photos of a particular subject or theme. The site launches with Ellen DeGeneres as the first celebrity curator. Her gallery features some of her favorite dog photos and commentary.
The site was designed with Getty Images’ industry-leading search technology, making it easy-to-use and navigate. Users can search for photos by topic, time period, interest and by photographer and purchase framed prints from the millions of photos available at LIFE.com.
“The LIFE.com tagline, ‘See your world,’ demonstrates the access consumers have to the photos that have shaped their lives. From photos of newsmakers and heroes who have made a profound impact on our lives, to classic Hollywood and celebrity images that have shaped our culture, this expansive photo collection gives the public seven million new ways to see their world,†said Bill Shapiro, LIFE.com Editor.
Shortly, users will also be able to publish their own books and magazines, view photos through an interactive map of the world, and create timelines of their life’s milestones through images across news, events and pop culture.
