Pop Culture – Early YouTube Video Acquired By The Victoria And Albert Museum.
The Victoria and Albert Museum has officially acquired an early YouTube watch page and the platform’s first-ever video, “Me at the zoo.”
Captured originally by the Internet Archive on December 8, 2006, the acquisition preserves a pivotal moment in web design and digital history. The digital artifact consists of three main components: the front-end code of the watch page, the video file for “Me at the zoo” which was initially uploaded on April 23, 2005, and a selection of banner advertisements from the era. Showcasing the lightweight and functional aesthetic of the mid-2000s, the 2006 layout features the video player and comments in a large left column, flanked by related and suggested videos on the right.
Roy Ayers in performance in Cincinnati in 1976. In addition to being one of the acknowledged masters of the jazz vibraphone, Mr. Ayers was a leader in the movement that added electric instruments, rock and R&B rhythms, and a more soulful feel to jazz.Credit…David Redfern/Redferns, via Getty Images
