Check out this story posted at Eric Wittenberg’s blog about an effort to relocate Gettysburg’s Electric Map to a site near its old home. I’d like to see it up and running again, simply for the sake of nostalgia. I think the question is whether the map would be enough of a draw to anchor an entire museum. I suspect it would be, since it’s got quite a history of its own.
As much as I love the exhibits in the new Visitor Center, I do miss the opportunity to see the whole battle play out at once that the map provided. I know it was badly outdated, and I understand that space was a factor in leaving it out of the new facility. Still, I wish the new exhibits included an updated version. Cowpens National Battlefield has a smaller and more up-to-date map presentation; I think it uses fiber-optic lights instead of electric bulbs, so it has a much cleaner look and operates more smoothly. The Electric Map was well past its prime, but I think the basic concept remains the most effective way to illustrate the ebb and flow of a battle.
