Celebrating a Revolutionary Day
For the Concord Museum’s April 19, 1775 exhibition, RLMG’s media presents the story of the day the “shot heard round the world” was fired—as both a sweeping overview and an as-lived experience. A companion website provides a deep dive into content and an opportunity for the museum to share the story of this momentous day with people around the world.
The website can be seen here.
The overview story is projected onto a scaled-up 18th century map of eastern Massachusetts. We see a lantern lit in Boston and watch what happens next—24 hours of history told in 6 minutes. Shadows shift, troops move, alarm riders spread out, and Provincial troops pour into battle from across the region. Discrete text and infographics help viewers track the story and understand its significance, while a subtle audio track, built from sound effects heard as if from a distance, enhances the magic.
We use smaller videos, built from historic etchings and embedded within object displays, to highlight four key moments of action, from the battle at Lexington to the retreat of the British. Motion graphic treatments bring the visuals to life and draw attention to details: flames flickering from store houses, barrels of flour being tossed into water, etc.
Explore at Home
A dynamic, innovative web-based timeline of April 19, 1775 combines elements of the gallery media, high-resolution photos of the objects, actor-read quotes, and little-known factual details. It engages users at their own pace, allowing them to track time, troop movements, and casualties, trigger animations of battle, listen to quotes, and examine “witness objects” up close.
RLMG’s dynamic multi-media elements complement and allow the iconic artifacts in our collection to shine and tell their stories in new ways. The enthusiasm and originality that was engendered through the process of our two teams working was the perfect marriage of substance and creativity!
Tom Putnam | Former Director, Concord Museum