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Hologram Technology Brings IHS’s You Are There 1968: Robert F. Kennedy Speaks to Life
Indianapolis—The Indiana Historical Society will be the first museum in the country to utilize the type of hologram technology seen in You Are There 1968: Robert F. Kennedy Speaks, which opens to the public on Feb. 22. The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, home of the IHS and its Indiana Experience, is located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.
On April 4, 1968, a crowd gathered in Indianapolis at the corner of 17th and Broadway streets to hear Robert F. Kennedy speak during a campaign rally. Most of the people, who were both black and white, had no idea that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated earlier that evening in Memphis. Against the advice of many on his team, Kennedy chose to attend the rally and to deliver the devastating news.
Revolutionary hologram technology is a crucial factor in allowing visitors to be swept up in that historic moment as part of that night’s stunned crowd. The Musion Eyeliner system, produced by Dimensional Studios in London, is a high-definition video projection system which allows three-dimensional moving images to appear within a live stage setting – with no props and no 3D glasses.
Through vendor and licenser Digital Illusions, the IHS selected the cast that brings the hologram to life and installed the technology. An actor portraying Robert F. Kennedy and three actors playing the supporters who surrounded him that night “appear” on the back of a flatbed truck in the You Are There experience. Historical interpreters playing real people who were at the campaign rally will be there to interact with guests.
“More than watching a film of this incredible moment in history, the technology truly allows our visitors to experience it,” says Jeff Mills, IHS Director of Exhibit Design and Production. “It’s a case where the technology greatly enhances the emotional impact.”
You Are There 1968: Robert F. Kennedy Speaks will be open through April 14, 2012 and is presented by the Joseph F. Miller Foundation and Kroger, with additional support from Diane Meyer Simon. The Indiana Rail Road Company is the 2011 official sponsor of the Indiana Historical Society. For more information, call (317) 232-1882 or visit www.indianahistory.org.
About the Indiana Historical Society
Since 1830, the Indiana Historical Society has been Indiana’s Storyteller, connecting people to the past by collecting, preserving, interpreting and sharing the state’s history. A private, nonprofit membership organization, IHS maintains the nation’s premier research library and archives on the history of Indiana and the Old Northwest and presents a unique set of visitor exhibitions called the Indiana Experience. IHS also provides support and assistance to local museums and historical groups, publishes books and periodicals; sponsors teacher workshops; and provides youth, adult and family programming. The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, home of the IHS and the Indiana Experience, is located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. Normal operating hours for the History Center and the Indiana Experience are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
About the Indiana Experience
The Indiana Experience brings both the people of the state and visitors from around the world a uniquely Indiana experience. Interactive and high-technology experiences allow the IHS to share the tremendous archival holdings of the IHS, including 1.6 million photographs, in easy and enjoyable ways. For more information, call (317) 232-1882 or visit www.indianahistory.org.
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Images of You Are There 1968: Robert F. Kennedy Speaks, including the hologram, are available upon request. Photography is not normally allowed in the space during public hours, but special arrangements can be made with advance notice—please contact Amy Lamb, IHS Media Relations Manager, at (317) 232-1878 or alamb@indianahistory.org for details.
