Shortly after twelve noon on July 13, 1865, in one of the most spectacular fires in New York's history, the American Museum was destroyed. Over the course of eight years, from 1996 to 2004, many people participated in varying degrees in the conception and construction of The Lost Museum. This video site was developed by the New Media Lab at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York
The designing of The Lost Museum was an extremely collaborative process, which included historians, artists, programmers, writers, researchers, and animators. Visitors can explore the virtual reconstruction and embedded resources on the Lost Museum, which can be used with classroom lessons, along with clues to the mystery of who set the fire.
Educators, students and history enthusiasts alike can access a rich archive of historical documents and present-day scholarships that delineate the marvels and scandals surrounding Barnum and his museum, as well as the social, political and cultural history of the mid-nineteenth century city. Not only is, The Lost Museum, an informative, educational Video site, but the rich images, graphics and animation make you feel as though you are a 19th century patron, visiting the American Museum in person.
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