Monday, Feb 12, 2007
The new Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center opened its doors on January 2nd to greet visitors arriving for the events of this year’s 400th anniversary – and beyond.
This 18,000-square-foot facility provides a variety of orientation services, including museum exhibits, audio-visual programs, and personal interpretive services. Interactive museum exhibits tell the story of Jamestown’s 92 years as capital of Virginia, including the arrival and melding of three cultures – the Virginia Indians, English and Africans. In the audio-visual “immersion” experience, nine computers control more than 3,000 images as a multi-media overview of Jamestown’s rich history and personalities unfolds in a 180-degree theater setting.
A new, elevated footbridge leads from the new visitor center to the historic town site, providing a panoramic view of Jamestown. From the bridge’s terminus at the Jamestown Tercentenary Monument, visitors may visit the Jamestown Rediscovery archeological excavations or take a stroll through New Towne, site of the Jamestown's post-fort population center from the 1620s to 1699, when the capital moved to Williamsburg.
In late January, the Virginia Gazette ran a review of the new facility entitled “Immerse Yourself in History” by staff writer John Shulson. The text of his story follows:
*****
Historic Jamestowne is a must-do activity. Not to be overshadowed by the wonderful new facility and exhibition spaces at the Jamestown Settlement next door, the new $7 million Visitor's Center is an attractive and information-filled facility.
Boasting some 18,000 square feet of space, the exhibits depict the impact of three cultures in one spot: American Indians, Africans, and Englishmen. However, the focus of the artistically presented exhibits seems to serve more as an enticing tease for the expansiveness of the original site and innovative Archaearium that showcases the findings of the Jamestown Rediscovery archeological sites, all waiting just beyond the Visitor's Center's patio doors.
Unquestionably, the exhibits within the center are smartly assembled and offer a compelling personal face to the diverse people who occupied the land during Jamestown's early days and its 92-year tenure as the first capital of Virginia. However, of major appeal within the center is a very innovatively designed multimedia show entitled "Jamestown: America's Birthplace" and shown in a circular theater holding 160 seats offering expansive, 180-degree vistas.
The project fell under the umbrella of Hillman & Carr, an innovative multimedia development operation in Washington. It's one of the best, most sophisticated such examples of blended media use I've seen. And I've seen lots, having been actively involved in this arena of product development for quite a number of years. The product is neither film nor video. Rather, it's a wonderfully designed presentation that cleverly blends limited video, still shots, graphics, visual and auditory effects, music, and animation-type movement into what the National Park Service calls an "immersion experience." For the hearing impaired, the program offers subtitles of the narration and even sound effects and musical style.
The program intelligently uses technology to educational advantage and not for the sake of showcasing its gee-whiz ingenuity. "America's Birthplace" uses the technology to advance the story of Jamestown and the collision of cultures from three continents that helped establish the foundation of America. And, it does so in a very honest and moving manner.
What is refreshing about "America's Birthplace" is the honesty of information with which it was crafted. There's no glossing over blemishes here. The program openly approaches the subject of the initial negative impact the Englishmen from the Virginia Company had on the Powhatan empire and the fact that the Indians were here long before the settlers landed, in fact some 10,000 or more years. It openly addresses the role colonists played in establishing a slave state society in which no rights were considered all right by the founding fathers.
For what negative natures prevailed in those early days, there also prevailed major legacies that, to this day, are proud indicators of the American way. Primary among them was the establishment of representative government in 1619, the fine point of friendly competitiveness being placed on narration indicating that Jamestown was making legislative rules a year before the Plymouth landing took place.
Throughout the presentation, there's carefully blended acknowledgement of the historic excavation work being done on the grounds and the positive influence these finds have had on history, drawing it back to the here-and-now of Historic Jamestowne and the ongoing work being done between the National Park Service and the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities.
"America's Birthplace" is a compelling experience that evokes a stirring sensation toward the end when the narrator says, "Walk the very ground they walked. Put yourself in their place." In fact, following the program, you should walk across the new bridge to the actual property, with its historic foundations and structures, and breathe deeply of the hallowed nature of the space and place. Do so, and reflect on the final words of encouragement from "America's Birthplace" to "listen to the echoes of the voice of Jamestown." It will provide a moment of chilling self-awareness and renewed appreciation when you fully realize it really did start here, right in our own backyard.
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