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| Plans for the Arlington Memorial Bridge Designs for Democracy Exhibition National Archives and Records Administration 700 Pennslyvania Ave. NW Washington, DC |
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| The National Archives and Records Administration serves as the repository for the federal records of the United States government dating from 1774 to the present, including the original Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The National Archives also houses photographic records, sound recordings, motion pictures, charts, maps, aerial photographs, textual records, electronic records and the 1297 Magna Carta. |
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(Fiber optic illumination of Magna Carta designed and installed by Band, Inc. 10/15/99)
click on the photo to see a 360° QTVR virtual tour of the Rotunda |
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| On July 10, 1997, Band, Inc. received a written request from the National Archives to provide an estimate and develop a design concept for lighting a large drawing for an exhibition entitled “Designs for Democracy”: 200 Years of Drawings from the National Archives. Enclosed with the request, was a series of drawings indicating the location and conditions for exhibiting the artwork. Upon review of the supplied drawings, Band, Inc. submitted its cost estimate and recommendations for illumination the artwork. Upon the approval of Band's design concept, the National Archives next requested that Band coordinate its design development, installation requirements and schedule with the exhibit fabricator, Exhibits Unlimited of Alexandria, Virginia. Band, Inc. notified the exhibit fabricator of the National Archive's directives and coordinated a work schedule between the respective companies. |
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Plans for the Arlington Memorial Bridge - click on the photo to see a QTVR virtual tour of the exhibit wing
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| The work of art itself, “Plans for the Arlington Memorial Bridge”, is a watercolor and pencil drawing measuring 11'-10 1/4” - wide by 4' - 3 1/2” high. The design of the wall mounted case within which the drawing was to be exhibited, provided only 4 inches from the surface of the work to the inside surface of the protective, non-reflective picture glass. To provide uniform illumination in such a limited space, Band had recommended a mirror be installed on the bottom ledge of the display case interior. The purpose of the mirror, which was angled 5 degrees towards the artwork, was to reflect or “reflex” the down lighting from 58 fiber optic fixtures hidden in the soffit above, back up onto the artwork's surface. Due to a delay in the preparation of the drawing, Band, Inc. had to perform its initial lighting settings on the wall where the drawing was to be mounted. When the drawing finally arrived, it was discovered that it was too deep to fit behind the glass. For the next several hours, under the direction of the National Archives Senior Exhibition Designer, Exhibits Unlimited revised the position of the display case until the artwork precisely fit. |
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