Gazette Profile; RocketHub

The Gazette profile casts its eye across the Atlantic to a platform that over a short time has become one of the biggest global providers of crowdfunding services to a host of creative projects. 

RocketHub was founded in February 2010 by film maker & musician Brian Meece, and technology & business consultant Vladimir Vukicevic. Its singular mission is to help creative projects into the light of day by tapping into the power of the crowd. A peruse through the site reveals a creative endeavour using the vivid notion of a project as the rocket in need of fuel (funds) which is being sought from fuellers (investors). Yet RocketHub is more than just aesthetically distinct from other crowdfunding sites. 

RocketHub is the first in the crowdfunding industry to expand into brand and media partnerships, offering "LaunchPads" beyond funding to creative people, and creating a new avenue for companies to celebrate their brands, access fresh talent and build the “right” audience. - Brian Meece, Co-founder

RocketHub works on the principle of "launch, fund and fly" and goes beyond simply providing a platform from which to attract investors. RocketRub aims to help advance the careers of its creative community members with launchpad opportunities. These are crowdsourced campaigns open to entrants from all over the world but is free to RocketHub creatives with successfully fuelled projects. RocketHub works with leading individuals and organisations to afford those who are selected to work with those names, such as Gibson guitars, or even have their work viewed and critiqued by field leaders at major events.

In helping projects get the funding needed, RocketHub appreciates that this is no easy task and offers help through its sister site RocketHub.org also known as the Crowdfunding Bootcamp. The site contains comprehensive components vital to launching a successful campaign and features the article The Crowdfunding Manifesto which has been presented to over 10,000 people at prominent events such as SXSW and The Recording Academy. Creatives can also take advantage of the intricate crowdfunding tool kit and site forum for further advice and information.

It has been a very fast and busy year for RocketHub, one which has seen it grow into one of the leading crowdfunding platforms with some 25% of projects reaching their funding target. One project, Extra Credits, reached it's funding target of $15,000 within 4 days of launching and has raised a total of $100,000. In addition, RocketHub is now a member of Crowdsortium and will play a role in the upcoming CrowdConf 2011. With ambitions to expand globally coupled with the potential for crowdfunding to help rebuild economies, the future certainly looks even brighter for the team at RocketHub.

Acknowledgements; Thanks to Brian Meece for taking the time to speak to me. 
Image Credits; Jen Montes

Community Projects Turn to Crowdfunding for Help

Guest Contributor, Sue Lancaster

With the introduction of the Big Society the UK government has turned to communities to solve problems in their neighbourhood, by encouraging a more local approach to social action, social enterprise and responsibility.  In reality however obtaining funding to support community based initiatives have become more competative due to the proverbial tightening of the nations belt. This year has seen the launch of two crowdfunding platforms which communities can use to help fund community based projects.   

  

Buzzbnk uses an online platform which connects potential financial backers to a range of social ventures and projects. Funds can be raised for not only community projects, but business start-up ideas or projects.

Users can browse through projects, choose the ones they want to support by pledging money, time or both while inviting their own social networks and communities to join them in supporting those ventures. In return they receive benefits and can participate in social loans to upcoming social enterprises. - Theresa Burton, Buzzbnk co-founder and Chief Executive.

Buzzbnk considers itself to be different from other fundraising platforms as backers are given greater flexibility on how they can support the project.  The system not only encourages support from those wanting to make traditional style donations, but provides the opportunity for willing backers to receiving goods or services in return for providing project capital, or contributing to social loans.

Launched in January 2011 Buzzbnk offered a new crowd-funding model for social enterprise ventures, pledging to help finance 80 social change initiatives through 2011. The Chairman and co founder Michael Norton has predicted that this innovative approach could attract a million backers by 2015.

The latest platform launched this month to offer opportunities for crowdfunding community projects is the Scottish-based website SoLoCo.

We want to make it easier to raise funds, and in time make it easier for organisations to be become less reliant on the ‘traditional’ funding bodies. We also want to help improve the visibility of our communities and all the amazing work happening on the ground every day. - Katy Burnham, Co-founder.

The website – which is run by a social enterprise of the same name – aims  to obtain small donations from high volumes of people within a short space of time.  SoLoCo is built on a successful model used for arts projects and political campaigns, such as Barack Obama’s US presidential campaign in 2008. SoLoCo encourages registrations on the site from any community project, social enterprise or charity in the UK that benefit communities (please note costs apply).

With the need for people to look locally for help and support it will be interesting to see if crowdfunding will provide a way in which local communities and charities can break free of traditional funding methods and Government hand-outs to become self sufficient in funding their own community initiatives.

Image Credit; Alan Stanton

New Social Networking Site Puts Priority on Privacy

Privacy and security are the number one concerns when it comes to use of social networking sites whether for business or personal use. The big names are under pressure from uses to better protect their privacy but also from other sites looking to capitalise on this call with assurances of such protection. The latest is FourNote.com, a social networking site that promises to put the security into the hands of its users.

FourNote is like any other social networking site in enabling the sharing of images, audio and video files, as well as a means of messaging and chatting to other users. However it also allows for the sharing of other files such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and PDF, making it ideal for business and academic purposes. 

Fournote.com is for select individuals and groups who want to retain privacy while sharing their lives on the Internet It’s easy to use and designed for friends, schools, students, communities, social organizations, families and businesses. - Alessandro Bani, Founder, FourNote

The new site also enables users to create filters or spheres through which to share information. The group members can then easily communicate and share information with one another or even other members. The user is then empowered to determine who can share what and with whom either within the individual groups or its members. This also helps cut down on the amount of inbox clutter.



FourNote enables message and information exchange with such ease that it opens up the potential to revolutionise the way group meetings can be conducted, for example; a user could conduct a seminar within a group and distribute accompanying materials to all the group members. Business meetings could also be conducted in a similar manner with company performance data or project proposals easily shared. With an emphasis on placing privacy protection in the hands of its users, FourNote could give other social networking sites cause for concern.


Image Credit; Dave Bleasedale

Crowdsourcing Variations on the Classic Nokia Tune

Mobile phone giant, Nokia has launched a crowdsourcing challenge for people from all over the world to create their own composition of their famous ringtone. The winning composition will be awarded a cash prize and feature as the ringtone of choice on selected models.

The Nokia tone which originated from the Spanish composer Francisco Tárrega's famous Grand Vals, has become the most famous tune since it first featured on the Nokia 2100 series in 1994. It is instantly recognisable and has become the centrepiece of all Nokia advertising campaigns. It has even been lampooned by the likes of British comedian Dom Joly. Reports estimate that the Nokia tune has been listened to over one billion times a day.

Nokia have launched the campaign in partnership with AudioDraft, a crowdsourcing platform that enables its users to easily build a crowdsourced music contest. Nokia are looking for a new sound  that is distinctively Nokia, and encourage entrants to experiment with the Nokia tunes. Those participating can create new parts, sounds, and even insert new arrangements. Compositions should have a running time of no more than 30 seconds and must be submitted by 2nd October 2011.

The entries can be submitted via Nokia's AudioDraft page, where visitors can listen to the entries and vote on their favourite tunes. Five finalists will be chosen from those who receive the most "likes", with a further five by a jury, made up by some of the biggest names in audio branding including TED and SoundCloud. The winner will be awarded a cash prize of $10,000 and their composition featured on over 100 million Nokia devices. The tune will also be freely available for download in the Ovi store, along with the works of five runners who will also receive a $1,000 cash prize.

Further details about the contest can be viewed by clicking here.

Image Credit; Top Gold

Funding Open Innovation Scheme to Find New Ways to Support Good Causes

The UK government continues to call on open innovation as part of its Big Society campaign. In addition to Social Impact Bonds, Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd, has announced a £10 million funding initiative to search and support new was to increase volunteering efforts and charitable donations. The Innovation in Giving Fund announced in the government's Giving White Paper is part of a larger programme to encourage social action.

Even in times of austerity, innovators have found inventive means of encouraging charitable intentions into action with platforms such as Freecycle (a means of donating unwanted items to those who can use them) and JustGiving (allowing people to sponsor charitable events online). The government is looking to fund similar initiative in the hopes of tapping into an unrealised community spirit that rewards people for their generosity.

Lots of people already get involved but many don’t for a whole array of reasons, they are missing out. Simple things, like whether or not we know our neighbours, can have a huge impact on our own well-being. And more people doing more to help each other will improve our communities. There’s massive untapped community spirit, skill, and other resources, I want to hear about ways to unleash it. - Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society

Managing the Innovation in Giving Fund is the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA). NESTA is an NGO (Non Government Organisation) run by an independent board of trustees that provides expertise on how to help tackle some of the UK's socio-economic challenges. NESTA are calling for applicants to submit a video pitch of their idea with an application form, to be considered for presentation before a select panel. The pitch should focus on the government's key ideas which include;

• The use of reciprocity, exchange of ideas and services for mutual benefit to encourage social action such as rewards through a points system
• Finding ways of encouraging  professionals to donate their time and skills pro bono (for public good)
• Means of increasing public donations to social causes
• Open sharing of ideas, previously hidden assets and resources with a view to help build social capital.

Applicants must submit their pitch by 14th October 2011. The video pitches will be made public and the winning designs will be awarded significant funding to see their idea brought to life. For more information on how to participate and submit an application visit the NESTA - Innovation in Giving Fund website.

Image Credit; Sludge Gulper

Crowdsourcing Makes Online Shopping Easier with Get.com

Shopping online may have taken the hassle and stress from the hustle and bustle of the high streets. Yet finding the right product at the right price can still prove frustrating, trundling through endless mixed reviews and recommendations. Get.com, a new web platform launched today, utilises the power of the crowd to make searching online for goods more reliable.

Get.com was founded by Steven Fruchter and and Jake Gold, whose successful entrepreneurial  track record lie in the development of online communities and technologies. The two founders served as CEO and CTO respectively of Stickam.com, the first live video streaming network, which under their helmsmanship has seen the network grow into the most active online streaming provider to over 8.5 million registered users. The idea behind Get.com stemmed from having identified a gap in the e-commerce market. Whilst the likes of Amazon ably provide purchasing services, the process leading to the purchase decision was found to be lacking.

This is just one of those obvious services the web needs. Where people who are passionate and have experience in an area, form communities around helping others figure out what is the best choice for their needs. It just makes sense: Tailored needs answered by smart, unbiased people. - Steven Fruchter, co-founder, Get.com

The principle behind the site is simple. A shopper searching for a product types in a question, for example; what is the best electric toothbrush for sensitive gums under $100? A crowdsourced answer is then provided based on suggestions, reviews and recommendations made by the site's vast community or crowd. 

Whereas such information is scattered throughout the web by way of consumer sites, forums and blogs, Get.com acts as a one stop centre for consumer data. It is also a hub for individuals with mutual tastes and interests to get together sharing views and discovering new products. Get.com was launched today at DEMO 2011, an exhibition being held in Silicone Valley, California designed to showcase the latest technological developments. 

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Steven Fruchter
Image Credit; Get.com

CrowdFlower Reaches Out to Publicise CrowdConf Through Crowdsourcing

Anyone who has been following the rapid growth over the years of crowdsourcing around the world would no doubt have heard of CrowdConf, the world's first dedicated crowdsourcing conference. The two day annual event, which will be held in San Francisco on 1st November 2011, is sponsored by some of the leading organisations in crowdsourcing to promote the rise and use of crowdsourcing through a variety of workshops, activities and of course guest speakers sharing their thoughts and encouraging debate. 

One of the world's crowdsourcing leaders, CrowdFlower is working in conjunction with other conference partners to promote CrowdConf 2011 with a series of crowdsourcing contests.The organisers have been searching for a way to promote awareness of the conference by engaging the crowd in a creative and informative manner. 

CrowdConf thrives to identify opportunities to work with and support partners within the industry all the while making sound business decisions regarding best practices for our event. Marketing represents an outstanding opportunity to maximize the benefits of crowdsourcing and harness creative ways to engage our audience. - Lukas Biewald, Founder and Chairman, CrowdFlower

Since many of the partners are leaders in the field of crowdsource design, innovation and promotion, a range of competitions seemed the perfect method in which to make all aware of crowdsoucing's leading international event. Some of the contests include the following;

• CrowdFlower has partnered with fellow sponsors 99Designs, a leader in crowdsourced graphic design initiatives, to create a t-shirt design contest. Participants will be asked to design a CrowdConf 2011 t-shirt with a cash prize of $500 for the winner up for grabs. Further details on the 99Designs contest page.

• Crowdsortium, a collective of crowdsourcing leaders ranging from information outlets to practitioners has invited its members to compete for a free exhibitor table at CrowdConf 2011. Participants must submit a blog detailing why they should be considered the most promising practitioners of crowdsourcing and thus be awarded the free spot. Blogs must be submitted by 23rd September 2011 at 11.00am. Visit the website for further details. 

• Conference sponsor CrowdTogether, provider of a free social media marketing platform that incorporates crowdsourcing, has launched a design contest for a CrowdConf poster. The deadline for submissions is 23rd September 2011 and the winning design will be designated the official poster for CrowdConf, with winners being awarded free tickets to the conference.Visit the CrowdTogether website for more details.

• CloudFactory is a platform that provides for the creation of a crowdsourced workforce or virtual assembly line. The platform is currently in beta form, and participation is by invitation only. CloudFactory is sponsoring the first ever hack-a-thon, known as the CrowdHack. The event will occur on 1st November 2011 and involve 24 participants challenged to create a project, app or hack within 12 hours. Winners will be chosen to showcase their project and presented with a "unique prize".

Tickets for CrowdConf are available from the website along with information on nearby hotel accommodation, as well as information on guest speakers and topics to be covered. This is an excellent opportunity to meet and network with some of the leading providers of crowdsourcing services, gaining first hand insight and information on the latest crowdsourcing developments. It also promises to be a lot of fun. 

Image Credit; eandiwu

Help A Bristol Mum Get to Medical School With Crowdfunding

Stories in the news have been regularly featured about the the increasing costs of higher education and more recently rail travel. These are some of the challenges that face young Bristolian wife and mother Jolene Galbreath, who will shortly start medical school at the Kings College London. Yet tuition fees and other financial necessities and support are not what are keeping the young PhD from realising her dream but the cost of commuting by train every day. In order to raise enough funds to cover travel expenses, Jolene has turned to the UK crowdfunding platform, Crowdfunder for help.

Since the age of 17, Jolene knew she wanted to be a physician working with the most vulnerable, especially children. She began looking at the type of care provided and how it could be improved with focus on the big picture, believing that medical knowledge and good intentions were not enough. Jolene immersed herself in immunology, study of genetics, micro biology, and now hopes to study clinical medicine and become a fully fledged doctor. In addition to her work and studies in all aspects of healthcare, Jolene is also a wife and mother. 

Anyone who travels from Bristol to London will no doubt be aware of how expensive it can be (too true - ed). Jolene's tuition fees and costs are covered, along with other financial support and care for her family. However by taking this non - traditional route to education funding Jolene is ineligible for a student loan, and this is where crowdfunding can help. This call for funding is more than just a "help fund my life" campaign. As well as studying to become a physician, Jolene will be writing a book chronicling her experiences as a non-traditional student called White Coat, Bluestocking. The purpose of the book is to help others like Jolene with a desire to go back into education, at a time when higher education funding is facing the biggest challenges.

As student finance loans are no longer available for study at ‘lower or equal levels,’ lack of accessible funding is a very real barrier to re-entry into work and further professional development. Furthermore, the banks have very recently withdrawn their loans for professional degrees, including medicine. This leaves mature and non-- traditional students with very few options, indeed!
 - Jolene Slothouber Galbreath PhD

So far Jolene has reached 61% of her £8,000 target but with a only a few days remaining, pressure is mounting to reach the target. In exchange for any donations, supporters will receive all sorts of rewards starting with a personalised "thank you", and memorabilia such as T-Shirts and signed copies of the book. For generous donors, Jolene offers a "Bag and Blog" sponsor for a term. For more information about the rewards on offer and to pledge your support please visit Jolene's Crowdfunder page by clicking here.

Image Credit; Train Chartering & Private Rail Cars

Social Business Networking Platform Announces Latest Upgrades

One of the latest business information and social networking platforms, GageIn has announced upgrades to its service making it easier  for users to share valuable information with their clients, effectively network and promote their businesses. In addition to service enhancements, GageIn has added incentives for new users who register today looking for another way to build their business online. 

One of the stars of this year's DEMO conference held in San Francisco, GageIn is the only business-networking platform that is content run. GageIn acts as a hub for sought after quality business content which is shared amongst its users looking for ways to enhance their business need.GageIn's algorithm searches through millions of news sources which can then be filtered to the users' dashboard or email inbox. The system also operates like any other social media site allowing users to track and follow individuals and companies by keeping update with their streams as well as tagging and sharing information. 

Busy professionals want business intelligence gathering and social networking tools that can help them cut through the data clutter, save time, and act on information faster.Based on feedback we've received, we wanted to simplify and optimize the GageIn platform to allow users to find better content and receive insights from their peers more efficiently. - Luosheng Peng, CEO, GageIn

The new enhancements to GageIn include an aesthetically revised interface which not only gives   the platform a new look and feel but will allow users to better access their aggregated content from their business ecosystems. Content will be easier to filter and read as well as access news and updates from all media outlets and social media platforms. Users will also be to track keywords to monitor real-time news and updates, as well as create saved search alerts which deliver  updates via email. As well as pulling data and updates from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, GageIn will pull in all comments on shared content. This makes it easier for users to track shared conversations and gain an insight into their business ecosystem.  

As well as performance and interface enhancements, GageIn offers new users who sign up to build their network of business contacts can earn referral points. These points, awarded for referring new users to GageIn, can be traded in upgrades, features, and prizes. GageIn is all about empowering business professionals to better build contacts and expand their business, thus putting the business in social networking.  

Image Credit; V Talk

Cyberpunk Short Flim Looks to Crowdfunding for Support

What would you do if you woke up one morning with a smartphone glued to your hand showing an unreadable code and a clock counting down to zero? That is just one of the many mysteries facing the protagonist of, Reboot, a cyberpunk story  from award winning writer and director Joe Kawasaki. Filming is due to start in September and in order to find the necessary funding, a crowdfunding campaign was launched through the platform Kickstarter. The sum of $12,000 is needed to complete the project and since launching $11,387 has been raised with only three days left to find the balance, at the time of posting.

Reboot is a co-production between Joe Kawasaki and producer Sidney Sherman of Rosa Entertainment, the company behind renowned projects like Lonely Hearts  starring John Travolta and Salma Hayek. It's eerie storyline is reminiscent of the works of Franz Kafka and William S Burroughs, with all the hallmarks of the cyberpunk genre. The interaction of human and  technology which is at the cornerstone of many of the best cyberpunk stories, is a key theme of the film inspired by the real life increasing advent of technology, virtual connectivity and how it is used today.

It (the film) was originally designed to simply be a great little ride, but as real world events keep developing around us (regarding issues of cyber-freedom, online privacy, security, etc.); the connotation of the film evolves and changes with it. - Joe Kawasaki Writer/Director, Reboot

The project has already received the support of 93 backers and for anybody with a love of science fiction, especially cyberpunk, there are some exciting rewards in exchange for your pledge. Supporters can donate as little as $1 for which they will receive exclusive updates from the film makers as to the film's progress. From $10 supporters will be given a "Special Thanks" credit at the end of the finished film. Other rewards, depending on how much is pledged, include limited memorabilia such as; personalised DVDs of the finished project, CD recording of the film's musical score signed by it's composer, and unique digital downloads. 

Once filming has been completed it will be scheduled for a 2012 release to be be viewed at various international film festivals including Sundance, Berlin and Cannes. Those who pledge a significant amount to the project will not only receive memorabilia and acknowledgements on the film's credit etc, they will also have access to all stages of production and be invited to view the films at all the festivals. 

For more information about the project, its creator, and the rewards available, visit the Reeboot Kickstarter page by clicking here and help the project reach its $12,000 target.

Acknowledgements; Thank you to Sidney Sherman of Rosa Entertainment.

Big Society Innovation to Help Deprived Families

The UK government's Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd has announced the launch of a trial scheme designed to help those families affected by crime, addiction, and anti-social behaviour. The Social Impact Bonds allows people to invest in social projects to tackle these issues and be paid a return of if they are successful, and will be trialled in four different counties.

Graham Allen MP produced a report commissioned by the Prime Minister, to tackle problems blighting deprived families through early years intervention. It concluded that by investing in early intervention would result in massive savings which would reduce criminal activities, teen pregnancy, poor education, and alcohol & substance abuse. The report proposed Social Impact Bonds to fund and implement the interventions alongside other projects. 

Social Impact Bonds enable philanthropists and investors to fund intensive social intervention initiatives, to help deprived and affected families. If the initiatives are successful i.e. if the families are taken off long term dependence on state benefits and support, the taxpayer will repay the funds back to the investors. If however the initiatives are unsuccessful then the taxpayer keeps the investment. 

We want a stronger sense of responsibility across our society and to give people working on the frontline the power and resource they need to do their jobs properly. Social Impact Bonds could be one of many Big Society innovations that will build the new partnerships between the state, communities, businesses and charities and focus resources where they are needed. The four local authorities that will pioneer this work are taking a bold and exciting step. - Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society

The bonds will be trialled in Hammersmith & Fulham, Westminster, Birmingham, and Leicestershire and it has been estimated that they will raise £40 million. However, whilst the principle is fairly simple, it could prove challenging given that estimates for the public service bill for 46,000 of the most deprived families is over £4 billion per year. Yet the bonds are part of the government's statements of commitment to supporting the growth of the Social Investment Market. It is anticipated that the bonds will start investing in interventionist schemes as early as Spring 2012. 

Image Credit; BisGovUK

New Crowdfunding Platform For Jewish and Israeli Projects

A new crowdfunding platform was launched on Wednesday 31st August 2011 dedicated to help raise funds for Jewish and Israeli causes. JCrowd, is dedicated to helping causes and startups find funding and garner support via its platform that incorporates a social networking hub to help manage and promote the ventures.

The platform is powered by Invested.in, a site based in Los Angeles that specialises in cutting edge web designs geared to managing all aspects of any crowdfunding project. Based in Israel, JCrowd's social networking component can build a support base at grassroots level, which can ordinarily be difficult and expensive to muster. By tapping into that crowd, a project has a better chance of success. The platform is also makes it easier to manage every aspect of the venture from posting to promoting and managing the flow of funds and support.

JCrowd is unique among crowdfunding platforms in that its own social network includes exactly the people who would most likely support Jewish and Israeli causes and startups.  Fundraising campaigns that post to JCrowd are therefore more likely to receive support from and develop relationships with people outside project owners' immediate circle of friends - Moshe Tokayer, CEO/Founder, JCrowd

JCrowd has already attracted several projects looking for support. These include;

• Healing Broken Hearts - an organisation dedicated to coordinating efforts with some of Israel's renowned hospitals to bring children suffering from heart defects from Gaza and Iraq to Tel Aviv.

• Noam Elimelech - Funds are being sought for this project to translate prominent Hassidic text into English making it more accessible.

• Maccabi USA Pan American Games - A basketball player from Maryland is seeking funds for himself and his team mates to travel to Brazil in December and compete in the games.

If you have a project that would be suitable and would benefit from JCrowd's services, or wish to fund a project then click here to visit the site.

Image Credit; JCrowd

Clickworker Partners With International Museum for Major Crowdsourcing Project

The world renowned George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film is planning a large scale project that would see its vast collection of photographs available to the world. For this mammoth task the museum has called on the services of Clickworker, one of the leading providers of crowdsourced workers. The goal is to bring the museum's archives of over 400,000 images to the digital age for the world to enjoy.

Since it was founded in 2006, Clickworker has amassed a workforce of over 120,000 members covering a wide range of skills and expertise. With its innovate crowdsourcing technology, Clickworker breaks down a role into microtasks which are then assigned throughout its community of workers. Of those many tasks Clickworker specialises, photo tagging and categorization have been called on for this project. George Eastman House is looking for Clickworker's members to tag and catalogue each image within its archives. 

Clickworker is excited to help the renowned George Eastman House archive world art and history in our latest corporate responsibility project. It’s not just one country or one cause – but we’re actually helping archive the world. The collection offers the most intimate look at the pioneers of photography and their art. It is truly a perfect partnership to showcase our international and multifaceted services. And as a result, the world will have an accessible visual library. - Wolfgang Kitza, CEO, Clickworker

The George Eastman House museum was founded in 1947 on the estate of George Eastman founder of photography giant Kodak. It boasts the biggest collection of photographic images in the world spanning two centuries, with over half a million images from 9,000 photographers, including Lewis Hine, Alexander Gardner, and Nickolas Muray. The collection and archives feature original dauerrotypes from 19th century America with iconic images such as President Lincoln's assassination conspirators, and portraits of some of Hollywood's 20th century legends. 

Clickworker's crowd of workers will be able to sift through the archives tagging and categorising these famous photographs. The goal of this partnership is to make the museum's archives digitally accessible and easy to find. 

The inclusion of Clickworker will not only make available its global workforce and professional insight but will make available the option of crowdsourcing the archives in different languages allowing its internationally focussed collections to be more accessible. It is worth noting that of the images being viewed, tagged and catalogued, some of these will be digitally accessible to the public for the first time. 

Image Credits; Clickworker, 
Marilyn Monroe (1952) by Nickolas Muray - Property of George Eastman House