‘Notre-Dame de Paris’ to bid adieu on March 19

(Photos by Frank J. Methe, Clarion Herald)

By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald

The 850-year history of Notre-Dame de Paris comes to vivid life at an immersive exhibit currently running at The Historic New Orleans Collection, located in the French Quarter at 520 Royal St. Due to its popularity, the multi-sensory exhibit is enjoying an extended stay in New Orleans.

The acclaimed “augmented reality” experience that immerses visitors into Notre Dame Cathedral’s 850-year history and ongoing restoration following the devastating fire of 2019 is entering its final weeks at The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC), 520 Royal St.

“Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition,” a 360-degree, multi-sensory experience that debuted last November, enables visitors to travel through the centuries using a HistoPad – a hand-held, touch-screen tablet that transports visitors back in time through interactive, 360-degree reconstructions.

‘HistoPad’ at the ready

For example, as they carry their HistoPad, visitors can experience cathedral milestones such as the laying of the building’s first stones in the Middle Ages and its design by teams of gifted craftspeople; the 1804 coronation of Emperor Napoleon I; construction of the cathedral’s iconic spire – designed by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and added to Notre Dame’s profile in the mid-19th-century; the emergency response of Paris Fire Brigade members battling the 2019 blaze; and today’s workers contributing to the cathedral’s ongoing reconstruction.

To date, 13,500 people of all ages have passed through the interactive exhibit, a figure that includes field trips taken by more than 1,600 students and 168 chaperones.

Daniel Hammer, president and CEO of THNOC, said public interest so exceeded expectations, it prompted the exhibition’s Paris-based creators – Histovery – to extend its New Orleans stay through March 19.

“We’ve so enjoyed watching all of those visitors explore the cathedral’s 850-year story via the HistoPad tablets that make the exhibition such an immersive educational experience,” Hammer said. “Also gratifying has been observing visitors engage with the connection this exhibition provides to The Collection’s mission of preservation and education – specifically the many historical ties between New Orleans and France, the Catholic community and the cathedral itself. Thousands of locals and tourists have come to the French Quarter to learn about the epic history and preservation of a world heritage architectural landmark. We’ve been so inspired by that outcome!”

The exhibit, which offers 13 language options, is designed as a self-guided “virtual treasure hunt” that encourages exploration of the cathedral’s history and identification of items embedded within the augmented reality screens. The physical setting of the exhibition also visually transports visitors inside the cathedral, with special touches including vinyl replicas of the cathedral’s flooring; reproductions of statuary such as “The Spitting Gargoyle”; audio of Notre-Dame’s organs and tolling bells; stained-glass transfers on the windows; and a projection of one of the famous rose windows that survived the Easter Monday fire of April 15, 2019.

Free timed admission to “Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition” will be available through March 19. Opening hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; and Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The exhibit takes place inside THNOC’s new state-of-the-art exhibition center, located on The Collection’s third-floor Tricentennial Wing. The exhibit and its HistoPad technology were designed and produced by Histovery, a French technology firm, in collaboration with the Public Institution in Charge of the Conservation and Restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and through the sponsorship of the L’Oréal Groupe.

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