V&A displays first YouTube video and watchpage

Visitors to the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) will be able to "step back in time" as a reconstruction of the original YouTube watchpage goes on display.

The V&A has worked with YouTube to rebuild the design and experience of the platform, using internet archives from December 2006 - the oldest available.

The south Kensington museum has also acquired the first video ever uploaded to the site, called Me at the Zoo, posted by YouTube's co-founder Jawed Karim in April 2005.

YouTube's chief executive Neal Mohan said: "By reconstructing the original 2005 watchpage, we aren't just showing a video; we are inviting the public to step back in time to the beginning of a global, cultural phenomenon."

"It is a proud moment to see this piece of digital history housed in the V&A where we hope it will inspire generations to come," Mohan said.

The video, which has been viewed nearly 380 million times and received more than 18 million likes, was filmed by a digital camera and marked a turning point in user-generated content and ways media could be created and consumed.

It also became one of the early examples of user interface design conventions such as badges, rating buttons, sharing and recommendation features which have largely become standard features across media platforms today.

Corinna Gardner, senior curator of design and digital at the V&A, said the snapshot of YouTube's early days marked an "important moment in the history of the internet and digital design".

"The acquisition opens new storytelling opportunities for us to showcase and explore the ways in which the internet has shaped our world, from the birth of mainstream video sharing platforms through to today's hyper visual world and the media and creator economy that go with it."

The process of reconstruction will also be explored in a mini display at V&A East Storehouse, with the acquisition building on the museum's commitment to collecting and preserving digital design.

Previous digital acquisitions include WeChat, Flappy Bird, EUKI, and the design for the mosquito emoji.

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