Historical photographs offer static windows into the past. What if you could step through the image and truly feel the pulse of a moment in history? This first edition of Moving Archives, created by the Google Arts & Culture Lab in collaboration with the Harley-Davidson Museum, explores how Google AI can bring visual archives to life.

Harley-Davidson Museum’s rich archive is a treasure trove for anyone interested in the history of this iconic American brand, motorcycling, and even broader American culture and industry.

With the help of Veo, we animated the Harley-Davidson Museum’s still archival imagery with subtle motion. You can switch easily between the original archival image and the AI video. Using Gemini and text-to-speech technology, each animated photograph is further enhanced with brief cultural insights and audio commentary.

The goal of this experimental project is to enhance cultural learning and discovery, offering a more intimate connection with the historical moments captured in Harley Davidson Museum’s collection.

Created by Google Arts & Culture Lab artists-in-residence Emmanuel Durgoni and Gael Hugo.