The First Salute at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

For generations, stories of the American Revolution have centered on the thirteen colonies between Boston and Philadelphia. The First Salute at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History challenges that narrative by expanding beyond its traditional geographic boundaries and bringing the history of the Caribbean into focus.

Marking America’s 250th anniversary, The First Salute explores the fight for Revolutionary freedom from a rare perspective. Steps from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia’s historic district, the 4,500-square-foot exhibition explores how religious liberty, communal networks and individual courage positioned Jews to play crucial roles in securing independence. The First Salute uses storytelling and technology to place people and personal experiences at the center, allowing visitors to encounter those who lived through the Revolution.

The exhibit is designed around the geography of the Caribbean. Entering, guests are immersed in the first large- scale film telling of The First Salute that explains how St. Eustatius functioned as a major revolutionary port and the first place that America was recognized by a foreign country. When entering the St. Eustatius exhibit, visitors encounter the first of four “living portraits.” Each uses a 32-inch display activated by a push button and paired with headphones. The historical figures come to life through video and sound, sharing their personal experience.

The portraits address a challenge in telling the story of St. Eustatius: few visual records exist of everyday people on the island, particularly women from its Jewish community. Lorem Ipsum used generative AI to create visual representations of four real historical inhabitants based on research into people who lived on St. Eustatius.

Their intent is to use generative AI that is carefully controlled to support the historical record rather than replace it.

The team researched each figure and consulted with historians before creating believable representations grounded
in history. The technology helps give a voice to people for whom little imagery exists.

The team faced a challenge developing the portraits’ voices. St. Eustatius was an international trading hub with people from many backgrounds, making its inhabitants’ speech difficult to recreate. The team hired real life voice actors and trained AI models carefully and consulted native speakers to test accents and speech patterns with particular attention to the Dutch accent. The goal was a believable voice.

Rachel Mendes Balborda is the first living portrait visitor’s encounter. As an unmarried woman living on the island, she shares her experience of life, family and widowhood, offering a personal perspective on a period told through military and political events. Visitors enter the Atlantic World exhibit, where Hannah de Leon Benjamin, a skilled midwife and healer, shares her experiences serving the island community, from calming a fever to guiding birth and comforting families.

The exhibit moves to show the lives of people who experienced the Revolution’s effects. Visitors encounter the Rodney Invasion, when British troops took the island. Three projectors bring three curved vertical screens in a triangular arrangement resembling sails to life, while surrounds visitors. Projection, sound and physical scenery create a larger-than-life representation of British Admiral George Rodney’s invasion of St. Eustatius.

The narrative recounts how Rodney imprisoned men, seized their goods and banished the community from their homes. The audiovisual environment places visitors inside the event rather than asking them to imagine its scale.

Two additional living portraits bring the story back to the individual. Merchants Benjamin Lindo and Moses Myers appear, revealing how the invasion brought that success to an abrupt end. Personal accounts help visitors understand what happened and what was lost.

This combination of technology and storytelling drives The First Salute.

Generative AI solves a challenge in historical interpretation while maintaining accuracy and authenticity. Living portraits turn historical figures into active storytellers. Interactive displays let visitors explore information at their own pace. Projection and sound create an
immersive environment for events. Together, these elements connect individual stories with larger moments in history.

The result is an innovative museum experience that gives visitors new ways to experience the past. By combining responsible generative AI with immersive technology and historical research, The First Salute brings overlooked people and perspectives into the American Revolution narrative and shows how individual lives, communities and acts of courage helped shape the fight for independence.

Partners

Creative Directors: Lorem Ipsum
Technical Partners: Christie, Q-SYS, Bright-Sign

A team of partners came together to bring The First Salute’s storytelling to life. Lorem Ipsum developed the exhibit design and media content that drives the visitor experience, while Christie projection systems created the immersive visual environments. Q-SYS provides the Pendant speakers and serves as the user control interface, connecting the technology into one seamless experience. Bright Sign players deliver digital media throughout the exhibit, while Samsung displays power the living portraits and interactive storytelling moments.