Take a VR trip into the Palace of Versailles with this new app

Want to visit the Palace of Versailles but can't afford to purchase a plane ticket? Don't worry. Google's got you covered, if you're willing to invest in a VR headset. By using VersaillesVR, an app for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, you can virtually explore Louis XIV's royal residence and take a close look at hundreds of artworks in high definition.

According to Engadget, "it's the largest photogrammetry project ever done at the castle, with 21 rooms and 387,500 square feet of internal surfaces captured." For those who are not familiar with photogrammetry, it's a technology that reconstructs 3D models of objects and landmarks from two-dimensional photos.

With VersaillesVR, users can visit the Royal Grand Apartments, the Chapel, and the Opera, as well as explore 3D models of things like Marie Antoinette's jewelry cabinet or the King's Bed online. The app is available in English, French, and Chinese.

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Thai artist paints on mosquito nets

I find them quite intriguing, these ghostly portraits that Uttaporn Nimmalaikaew paints on mosquito nets. His creations look like a hologram, changing form depending on where the viewer stands. Overall, they're gloomy, haunting, and endlessly fascinating. I could stare at them for ages. [h/t: Colossal ]

'Women of the Future,' according to vintage trading cards

Firefighter In 1902, French artist Albert Bergeret printed this set of trading cards depicting women and their futuristic occupations as firefighters, politicians, soldiers, lawyers, and journalists. Titled Women of the Future , these collectibles were released primarily for the boys, that's why many of these outfits fall more on the side of post-Victorian pin-up calendar than professional attire. General Marine Journalist Artist [h/t: Dangerous Minds ]

When Mickey Went Gothic

In the 1930s, Universal's hits like Dracula and Frankenstein had everyone buzzing, and Walt Disney wanted a piece of that spooky action for his biggest star. The result was The Mad Doctor —a frantic, gothic horror show where Mickey Mouse has to brave a booby-trapped castle full of dancing, self-assembling skeletons to rescue his snatched dog, Pluto. It was the first time audiences saw a truly terrified Mickey. Not only did some theaters refuse to screen the short film, but the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) outright banned it, deeming it "too gruesome" for kids.

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