O Say Can You See?

Fancy pixel tricks

Pixelization is not usually a desired effect, but it is a much-anticipated event this week at the National Museum of American History. A team of riggers is attaching 960 notebook-sized tiles or “pixels” of polycarbonate resin to the Abstract Flag in the center of the museum. The flag, a focal point and striking new symbol of our renovation, waves over the new atrium heralding the gallery for the Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the National Anthem. This is an architectural representation of a waving flag—approximately 40 feet long by 19 feet high and made of 15 stripes, or ribbons. The reflective pixels will mirror the light and the movement of visitors in the atrium.

The installation of pixels is a mesmerizing process. Two large lifts move in syncopation carrying riggers and pre-assembled sets of five tiles to be bolted to the undulating metal frame. The pixels, which are both translucent and mirrored, reflect the clothing colors and deliberate movements of the four men. Ribbons of pixels are emerging starting from the top of the frame, and because they are so heavy—weighing a total of about 2000 pounds—two flats with sandbags hang at the bottom to keep it counterbalanced. The work goes remarkably fast, and given the marvelous vantage point from the window in the director’s office I would be surprised if he’s getting much work done.

As the rest of the architectural details of our construction come more into focus each day, one part of the renovation is rapidly and spectacularly pixelating.

Judy Gradwohl is the museum’s associate director for public programs, but don’t look for her over the next few days—she’ll be watching the Abstract Flag take shape.

Raising the flag

If you have been following the renovation at the National Museum of American History, you know that one of the visual centerpieces of our new central atrium will be the large abstract flag that marks the entrance to the Star-Spangled Banner gallery. I’m pleased to announce that we have achieved another milestone towards our reopening by raising the flag’s frame onto the gallery wall.

Previous posts on this blog have featured the undulating frame that will support hundreds of reflective tiles—the architects call them “pixels”—to create the effect of waving stripes, and a large star—a giant prong—that attaches the entire frame to the wall. After assembling all the pieces on the floor, skilled riggers carefully lifted the frame into place and attached it to the marble wall. I watched the “flag raising” on a long Saturday afternoon and it was a privilege to see the care and skill of the team.

Even in its partly-finished state, one gets the sense of how striking this feature will be. The photos below show the frame as it’s being lifted, as well as a rendering showing the final effect.

  

Other parts of the museum are a beehive of activity as well, as construction areas are finished and cleaned, protected artifacts are uncovered, and exhibitions are installed. Behind the scenes, others are busy putting the final touches on a host of new public programs and visitor services. Like any major project, there are bumps in the road. But we are fortunate to have an amazing staff with boundless creativity and abundant energy. Thanks to their efforts, our visitors will explore and experience history in a truly memorable new setting.

Brent D. Glass is Director of the National Museum of American History

A glimpse inside the construction zone

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Viewing this slideshow of photographs from around the building, therefore, will spare you from reading approximately 17,000 words!

Are there areas of the museum you want to see more of as we get ready to reopen?  Let us know by leaving a comment and we'll try to send our roving photographers out to capture the images you want to see most.

Dana Allen-Greil is the museum's new media project manager.

A moving experience

In our last post, we chronicled this week’s move of the Star-Spangled Banner into its new state-of-the-art exhibition gallery. While this event signified an important milestone for the museum’s reopening effort, I admit I was a little skeptical about how exciting the rolling of a crate could be.

As it turned out, I was wrong.  First of all, this was a REALLY big crate—30 feet long, as my colleague Dana mentioned. They even had to do a little demolition to get it around all the corners. One couldn’t help being impressed as it glided into the carefully-prepared portal in the wall of the exhibition chamber, soon to be sealed against the bright lights and airborne contaminants that pose a threat to the long-term preservation of this important artifact.

But what made the moment truly special was seeing the beehive of construction activity come to a halt as workers gathered around and lined up on the third-floor balcony to get a view. Anyone with a camera phone had it out to snap photos. As the last piece of the crate disappeared from view into the darkened chamber, staff and construction crew alike erupted into spontaneous applause.

And then, for all of us, it was back to work—but perhaps with a renewed sense of purpose.

Matthew MacArthur is the museum’s Director of New Media.

Now we're really rolling

I would normally be a bit grumpy about waking up at 5:00 am for work—but not today. This morning—at “dawn’s early light,” you might say—I felt unusually energized . . . and I wasn’t the only one. At 6:45 am I arrived at the museum and joined staffers and media crews in hard hats gathering around a huge, stainless steel crate. At 30 feet long, the container made its presence known—although its steely exterior didn’t provide any hints about the treasure resting safely inside.

So what were all these people here to see so early in the morning? The Star-Spangled Banner, carefully rolled up inside its crate, was to be delivered from the conservation lab where it has been housed since 1999 to its new permanent home in the center of the museum. Moving this national icon marked a major milestone in the museum’s transformation and reminded us all that we’re literally rolling into the final weeks before our reopening on November 21.

Take a look at the video and hear what Jeffrey Brodie, project manager for the Star-Spangled Banner exhibition, has to say about what will happen next as the museum gets ready to unveil the new gallery. Stay tuned!

Dana Allen-Greil is the museum's new media project manager.