LOOK AGAIN

The Old Corner Bookstore in Augmented Reality

Over its 300 year history, the Old Corner Bookstore has been home to commercial ventures ranging from world-famous publishers to 5-cent pizza shops, reflecting the varied and diverse history of Boston itself.  From this corner at Washington Street and School Street, the Old Corner Bookstore witnessed the birth of the American Revolution in the 1770’s, ushered in a gold-age of American literature in the 1850’s, and narrowly escaped the Urban Renewal movement of the 1960’s.

To celebrate the beginning of its third century of continuous use, Historic Boston, Inc. has commissioned artists Ethan Vogt, Giovanna Casimiro and a technical team assembled by Dudley Square Studios to create an Augmented Reality (AR) invention that reveals the Old Corner Bookstore’s past and envisions its future.

Read more from the Boston Globe.

Look Again is available for both Android and iOS devices.

PREPARATION:

• Go to the Google Play Store or the App Store to download the Look Again App. Depending on your device settings, you may be prompted to make a security exception to complete the install.
• Stand directly across School or Washington Street from the Old Corner Bookstore.
• Open the Look Again App and wait for the loading sequence to complete (white screen).

VIEWING:

• Hold your device horizontally and as still as possible, pointing your camera at the “Look Again” banner.
• Scan lines will appear on the banner when the App has been “triggered” and the AR animation is ready to go.
• Keep the banner in view of your camera as the animation plays to ensure the correct registration of the 3D content.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

• If you are not seeing Scan lines, you might want to try moving closer to the banner or try another position, but be careful of the automobile traffic around you.
• Once you have viewed the content, or if you are still having trouble, try quitting and restarting the App.

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE:

• If you capture photos or videos of Look Again, please upload and tag them on Instagram or Facebook with these hashtags: #HistoricBoston or #LookAgainBoston and tag Historic Boston Inc.
• We will be monitoring these hashtags and award gift certificates to our favorites each month!