Baseball Americana

A contemporary exhibition that features items from the Library of Congress collections to consider baseball then and now—as it relates to players, teams, and the communities it creates.

The Baseball Americana exhibition is located at the Library of Congress, in the Thomas Jefferson Building. Pure+Applied designed the exhibition, branding and identity, custom casework, graphics, and integrated AV experiences. From displaying remarkable historic items from the Library of Congress collections to making bold design interventions in the gallery space — including building and installing a section of a stadium — the P+A and LOC team worked to encourage exploration of and personal reflections on the history of this beloved sport.

The exhibition employs a variety of interpretive elements to express the exhibit’s themes. In addition to ideas conveyed in text, the multimedia projections in the front and back of the exhibit communicate in a strong visual language the overarching themes of “Baseball as Community” and “Baseball Then and Now.” Four multimedia stations positioned throughout the exhibit are also visual components that express exhibit themes and subthemes.

loc.gov/exhibitions/baseball-americana

I served as a senior designer and project manager for this project at Pure+Applied.

Promotional video for Baseball Americana featuring time-lapse footage of the exhibit construction and installation.

The exhibition features six distinct sections that support the overall themes of baseball as community and baseball "then and now."

The large stadium structure integrates casework, graphics, interactive experiences, and AV features. Two pass-throughs keep the gallery open and maintain effective circulation through each section.

A sectional stadium structure activates the gallery and houses casework, interactive experiences, and large graphics.

Tactile interactives, including a touch and feel wall and baseball card photobooth, engage visitors.

AV stations offer clips featuring great sports-casting calls in baseball history and baseball in popular culture as seen through film, radio and television.

Freestanding photobooths and graphic spinners activate additional spaces in the Library and promote the exhibition.