Moulton Museum Presents American Revolution AR Experience
The Moulton Museum in Laguna Hills is marking the 250th anniversary of the United States with a special exhibition titled “Scenes of the American Revolution: The Augmented Experience”.
The exhibition offers visitors an immersive exploration of key moments, events and individuals from the nation’s founding period through a combination of augmented reality technology and historical interpretation.
This exhibition was created in partnership with the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. It was developed by the French technology company Histovery.
Visitors use touch-screen tablets to view digital reconstructions layered over historical paintings and illustrations. The technology allows them to explore scenes from the American Revolution in greater detail.
According to museum representatives, the three-dimensional recreations are intended to help visitors better understand past events and figures.
The exhibition is travelling across the United States, and the Moulton Museum is the only venue on the West Coast selected to display it.
Museum Executive Director Elisabeth Lange said the exhibition helps visitors explore the lives of the men and women who helped found the United States 250 years ago.
The exhibition uses technology and historical research to recreate three-dimensional versions of well-known scenes from the period. Lange said the display goes past traditional exhibition panels and offers a way to view the past through modern technology.
As part of the augmented reality experience, eight notable paintings are brought to life using devices known as HistoPads.
The tablets scan the artworks and display three-dimensional reconstructions. These provide a historically researched view of the settings and events shown in each image.
The museum has also included a local historical connection within the exhibition. Lewis Moulton, after whom the museum is named, was descended from two Massachusetts great-grandfathers who were early patriots during the Revolutionary War.
To highlight that connection, the museum is displaying a Revolutionary War sword from the Moulton family collection. The artefact is being presented to the public for the first time. According to museum representatives, it is believed to have been commissioned by George Washington.
Museum publicist Jacquelyn Sharga said the sword is both a Revolutionary War artefact and a direct link between the Moulton family and the American Revolution.
She said the inscription “J. Moulton” refers to Jotham Moulton. According to Sharga, it provides a direct link between the family and the American Revolution.
The museum decided to participate in the nationwide commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary because of the family connection between Lewis Moulton and Brigadier General Jotham Moulton, according to Lange.
She said the exhibition was intended to recognise the family’s history. It also gives local residents the possibility to engage with history and understand their connection to it.
Lange said local residents have few opportunities to connect with the people who lived in the 13 Colonies that founded the United States. She said the events of the American Revolution took place far away and long ago.
Lange said the museum could have charged admission for the exhibition. However, it has been made available free of charge to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, with support from a museum board member.
Lange said anniversary exhibitions can help people connect with historical events.
She also said augmented reality can make exhibitions more interesting for visitors. It is one of several digital tools being used in museums for educational purposes.
Lange said anniversary milestones provide an opportunity to reflect on the origins of the United States and its history.
She said the exhibition highlights how historical events continue to influence the present day.
Lange also said she hopes visitors leave the exhibition with a greater feeling of connection to the individuals associated with the Revolutionary War.
She stated that American democracy was built by many people and that the exhibition features their individual contributions.
“Scenes of the American Revolution: The Augmented Experience” will remain on display through October.
The Moulton Museum, located at 25256 Cabot Road in Laguna Hills, is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the first and second Saturdays of each month from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm.
