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Curating your own collection with Smartify from home
Ever wanted to know more about Waddesdon’s extraordinary collection with just the touch of a button?
Now visitors can access artwork details instantaneously, by using our free augmented reality app. Once we re-open our doors, this will greatly enhance the visitor experience in our new permanent gallery, A Rothschild Treasury, but whilst we’re all at home you can use the app to become a curator of your very own exhibition.
We’ve partnered with Smartify, a not-for-profit company who believe in sharing works of art on a global scale. Their belief, that art is a universal language embodying centuries of stories, grabbed our attention here at Waddesdon. Smartify grew out of four friends’ enjoyment of visiting museums and encountering art, and now the love of discovering and sharing the amazing stories behind artworks from around the world is at the heart of their mission.
A Rothschild Treasury tells the story of generations of Rothschild collecting. Smartify will allow you to save the heart-warming stories behind these family objects. For instance, you may wish to know more about the personal connections behind James de Rothschild’s coin collection, Baron Ferdinand’s watch chain, or Miss Alice’s seal and bracelet given to her by Queen Victoria. By saving these objects on Smartify, you can read these anytime, in any place – on or off-line. You can also create an online profile sharing your favourite objects among friends virtually – by text, email or social media.
How does Smartify work?
It’s basically an art guide like never before – you can access information instantly from home and when visiting many museums around the world.
The app is built on image recognition technologies. Download the free app, hold your smartphone up to a painting and after scanning it, a high quality image and caption written by our curators shall appear.
Alternatively, while we’re all currently living our best lives at home, Smartify also allows you to access Waddesdon’s online collection from your armchair. Simply find our profile page, scroll down and discover a wealth of digital content, including objects from A Rothschild Treasury, 14 portraits within our Reynolds online trail, and even our audio sculpture trail, narrated by Senior Curator, Juliet Carey.
What’s more, it’s not just Waddesdon who have been working with Smartify – you can also discover collections from the National Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts, the Wallace Collection, the Rijksmuseum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Make sure to check out the daily highlights from each museum and see what there is to discover at home via the Explore page.
Learn how Smartify works here >
Why did we choose Smartify?
As a house museum, we want to keep our rooms free of labels on our walls. Smartify allows our artworks and objects to remain the focal point of any visit and provides you with a goody bag of best bits to dip back into when you’re home. Best of all, the app is free for users and takes up little space on your phone.
Now the best part – download Smartify onto your device!
Download for iOS Download for Android
Victoria Jenner, Digital Content Editor