Case Study

Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum

Summary
Exhibit graphics, digital interactives, and audio experiences that highlight the life and legacy of Joshua Chamberlain.
Client
Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, Pejepscot History Center
Location
Brunswick, Maine

The Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum tells the story of Civil War general, Bowdoin College president, and Maine governor Joshua L. Chamberlain. Located in his former home in downtown Brunswick, the museum connects Chamberlain’s legacy to the pivotal events that shaped our country.

The Pejepscot History Center purchased the home in the 1980s, after it had been divided into apartments, and continues to restore the building to reflect its original state. While docents have long guided visitors through this historic space, the museum wanted to phase in interpretive content so that guests could have the option of a self-guided tour.

Enter Perch. In phase one of this project, we collaborated with the museum to select two high-traffic areas—the lobby and entrance stairway—and introduce written content and interactive experiences for independent visitor exploration.

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Adding Interactivity to the Lobby

The museum’s lobby is a small space that originally housed a few artifacts and artwork, but didn’t tell a cohesive story. While Chamberlain is an iconic figure for many Civil War buffs, we chose to expand the target audience for this space, so that visitors without prior knowledge or interest could find themes that resonate with their own lives.

To tell the interwoven stories of the Chamberlain family and their home, we used two timelines that stretch around the room. In addition to artifacts, historic images, and graphic panels, we created an Interactive Timeline station for visitors to take a deep dive into Chamberlain’s activities during the Civil War.

During this turbulent time in American history, Chamberlain was pulled in many directions (both literally and figuratively). The interactive kiosk allows visitors to scroll through major battles and personal events, honing in on moments that most interest them.

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Stepping Back in Time

The stairway takes visitors from the lobby to the first stop on the house tour. We wanted to make it more than just a necessary step on the path from A to B: our goal was to immerse visitors in the past, setting the tone for the experience and creating the sensation of stepping back in time.

To bring that feeling to life, we filled the stairway with large-scale graphic wraps using photos from the Pejepscot History Center’s archive. As visitors climb the stairs, they travel through the decades of Brunswick’s past until they reach the 1820s, stepping into the decade in which Chamberlain was born.

Along the way, visitors are greeted by three motion-triggered Audio Stations that play iconic Chamberlain quotes from different stages in his life. LED strips laid along the base of the graphics illuminate the photos and pulse gently with the rhythm of his speech, evoking flickering candle light.

Together, these elements transform the stairway into an immersive introduction, setting the stage for the stories that unfold throughout the house.

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