Pompeii in the Sydenham Crystal Palace
A 3-D model of the Ancient Roman court rendered in Second Life.
This unique project has interests for those studying the up-to-the-minute subjects of programming and 3-D animation, alongside classical scholars and 19th century specialists. In AD79, Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the Roman settlement of Pompeii in volcanic ash, preserving much of the site for excavation from the 18th century onwards.
The Crystal Palace, which was originally located in Hyde Park and was home to the Great Exhibition of 1851, was moved to Sydenham in 1854 – where a life-size replica of the Pompeii court was built for the enjoyment of visitors. The replica perished when the Crystal Palace burnt down in 1936 but this new, virtual, 3-D animated version was created in 2008 and enables visitors to virtually tour the court and interact with visitors, experts and objects.
How can this collection be used in teaching, studying and research?
Like the Crystal Palace exhibition itself, this project has multi-faceted appeal and can be utilised for study and recreation by those with interests in classical and Victorian history, art, learning, heritage, programming and design, as well as anyone with an interest in the development of online and virtual learning facilities.
Highlights from this collection
A navigable database of Pompeian frescoes and a digitised version of the 1854 guidebook.
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You might also be interested in:
- 19th Century UK Periodicals, Series 1
- Full text journals illustrating aspects of Victorian culture
- Pleiades
- Access to historical geographic information about the Greek and Roman Ancient World
- University of Exeter Digital Collections
- Access to University of Exeter's research collections highlighting images of Victorian culture
Subject
Arts and Humanities, Architecture and Planning, Creative and Performing Arts, Classics and Ancient History, Humanities, History, Visual Arts
