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SBD Dauntless Memorial Exhibit
Chicago, Illinois
Epstein provided architectural design, exhibit design, engineering and project management services pro-bono for an exhibit which provides an educational experience to airport users, while providing a context for the World War II SBD Dauntless airplane on display. Through photographs, narratives and interactive video kiosks, the exhibit raises awareness of the important contributions that the pilots, engineers and the city of Chicago made to the war effort.
Each of the kiosks is devoted to one of three areas of significance: the Battle of Midway, the technology used during the war, and their connection to Chicago. A large mural provides a contextual backdrop for the Dauntless, while actual artifacts, relics and video from the war bring faithful realism to the viewer. The SBD Dauntless Memorial Exhibit is a tribute to veterans of this critical battle and provides viewers with a new appreciation for those brave souls who fought so valiantly to help preserve our freedom.
The SBD Dauntless airplane featured in the exhibit is one that was recovered from Lake Michigan in 1991, nearly 50 years after it crashed during training exercises. During World War II thousands of naval aviators trained on Lake Michigan and as many as 150 planes were lost there.
During the Battle of Midway, a squadron of SBD Dauntless dive bombers destroyed three of four Japanese aircraft carriers in five minutes, turning the tide against an enemy that had held the upper hand in the Pacific. The U.S. Pacific Fleet's victory off the coast of Midway Island in 1942 is considered one of the greatest naval victory in American history and one of the main turning points of the war in the Pacific.
In addition to Epstein’s design, engineering and project management role our graphic designers provided the conceptual design of the exhibit, historical research, and worked in conjunction with video designers and fabricators to complete this multi-media installation.
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