What began as an introduction and a spark of an idea took shape as a collaborative partnership with a purpose. Every situation is unique. At Blippar we work in augmented reality — so conversations starting with phrases like ‘So I see, the dragon flies out of the shoe before becoming engulfed in flames’ are not uncommon. So it’s saying something that early on it was clear that the sheer scope of this project was going to call for a different approach.
Preserving the Lower East Side’s Jewish Legacy
The Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy is the only non-profit organization dedicated solely to the historic preservation of the Lower East Side’s sacred sites. From its inception in 1998, the Conservancy has worked collaboratively with a broad spectrum of the Lower East Side’s cultural, social, historic, religious, architectural, programmatic, and business resources. The Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy was looking to evolve — introducing innovative ways to share its legacy and history to new audiences. Which is where the idea for the AR/VR LESJC Herz Heritage Trail was born.
A Project Without a Playbook
While the central idea and commitment to the project was clear, what the tours were going to be like was not. Even with unprecedented access to these sites, capturing images, video and stories around these 50+ historic sites was going to take time. Not to mention the research, sifting through archives and memories, needed to uncover historic artifacts, articles and pictures. Those unknowns shaped the way we approached this endeavor.
Building a Framework Flexible Enough to Tell Every Story
With over 50 sites included in the experience, that could mean a mountain of assets and files. While we didn’t know exactly what assets each site may have, we knew select sites would have 360-degree fully immersive tours, and many would contain points of interest with multiple photos and videos. Understanding that, the focus became on developing a fluid and nimble framework that could deliver a wide range of content in a meaningful way — seamless and easy to use.
Stories Brought to Life Through Augmented Reality
As the content began to roll in, the stories took shape, like a tree filling in with leaves in Spring. What emerged was a glimpse into the rich history of Jewish heritage sites around NYC’s Lower East Side. Blippar’s technology fades away, working seamlessly to connect visitors with these locations. Take Bialystoker Synagogue for example — as you are immersed in a full 360 environment it feels like you are there. The stained glass may grab your attention first, or the carved wood and then you look up and can’t help but be captivated by the intricately painted ceiling. Plus there are informational hotspots where you can learn the stories behind what makes these locations special.
More Than Technology: A True Partnership
Throughout the process, Blippar became a true partner with the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy. Helping not only with the realization of a rewarding and informative augmented reality experience, Blippar conducted research, unearthing historical photographs, plans and documents that helped define how content can help tell the story. From virtual tours with multiple viewpoints featuring 360 images, to views that showed the changes over time and even reconstructing a demolished synagogue in 3D so visitors can experience what it was like to visit.
The Herz Heritage Trail: History You Can Step Inside
The result of this passion project is an augmented and virtual reality experience that touches all corners of the Lower East Side and preserves Jewish Heritage. The Herz Lower East Side Jewish Heritage Trail, dedicated to NYC activist/advocate Roger Herz, empowers individuals to embark on an immersive journey through time, exploring iconic synagogues, tenement buildings, and locations, all while accessing archival photographs, film footage, oral histories and 3D models.
Blippar is proud of the partnership, recognising the hard work and persistence of the teams involved to deliver something truly unique and special.
Bring Your Heritage Project to Life with WebAR
Whether you’re a cultural institution, heritage organisation, or brand with a story worth telling, Blippar’s WebAR platform makes it possible to create immersive, location-based experiences — no app download required.