One of the great privileges of working at Ideum is that we get to tell exciting and meaningful stories from various perspectives. We also get to design and build a variety of exhibits, sometimes in unusual settings, to help tell those stories. We were beyond excited when the USS Missouri Memorial Association (also known as the Battleship Missouri Memorial) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, approached us and asked us to collaborate with them on an on-ship exhibition on World War II. This exhibition debuts next year on the 80th anniversary of the war's end.

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On September 2, 1945, the Japanese government surrendered to the Allies on the deck of this famed ship, ending hostilities in the most destructive war in human history. The sailors witnessed arguably the most significant historical event of the 20th century. The Japanese surrender marked World War II's end and the Atomic Age's beginning, and the Cold War soon followed. What an incredible story to tell.

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As we approach this remarkable anniversary, we are working hard to design and build the exhibition and will share our progress. We’ve released a joint press release with the Battleship Missouri Memorial Association, and we encourage you to visit the Pathway to Peace: USS Missouri’s World War II Experience exhibition page on their website. In addition, Blooloop is carrying the story, Ideum collaborates with USS Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor on new WWII exhibit.

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We’ve been working with the curatorial team at the Battleship Missouri Memorial for the last several months. This included a great site visit (who doesn’t want to work in paradise?), where we toured the ship, reviewed the artifacts, and began designing the visitor experience for the exhibition. We also toured some other outstanding museums in and around Pearl Harbor to understand better the larger context of the USS Missouri site and its exhibits.

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As we discussed the exhibit with the curators from the Battleship Missouri Memorial, we began to formulate the approach. Building an exhibition onboard in tight quarters poses some significant challenges. There are low ceilings, angled bulkheads, and small doorways and passages, an environment that doesn’t align with most exhibition and gallery spaces. We decided to try to ‘embrace’ our space; we are designing form-fitting exhibit cases that slide into bulkheads and other space-saving techniques, and we are using the ship itself as part of the exhibition. 

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The ship’s crew provides the perspective of the exhibition. Many of their experiences and the objects they brought, made, or collected along the way are also significant parts of the exhibit. The objects include the Captain’s sword and a Japanese rifle confiscated by a shore party. Personal mementos and “surrender cards” are issued to officers and enlisted men for the ceremony, along with never-before-seen photographs and interviews with Sailors who served during World War II.

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As we wrap up the conceptual portion of this project with our partners at the USS Missouri Memorial Association, we are starting to prototype a form-fitting case and beginning production on an immersive video that will provide an overview and introduction to the exhibition. This project involves all our groups at Ideum as we design the exhibit, develop software, capture and edit interviews, design and install the AV components, and fabricate the custom exhibit cases.

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We will share more of our activities as we progress here and at Pearl Harbor. We will be back in Hawaii in December, with a final visit early next summer to complete the installation. We have a lot of work to do over the next year; we are excited for the opening on the 80th anniversary of the End of WWII on September 2, 2025. 

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