Five More Patriotic Projects

We had a blast pulling together January’s “Presidential” newsletter but even we were overwhelmed by how many important projects we’ve worked on in the realm of American history. We couldn’t fit them all in our newsletter so here are five more that we love, in reverse order:



5. The Liberty Bell / The Normandy Liberty Bell - DDI has had the privilege to laser scan Philadelphia's Liberty Bell on numerous occasions. The data we acquired during these scans has been used in several projects, including exact and modified replicas. In 2004, we were commissioned to help create a replica bell without the iconic crack to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the August 6th, 1944 D-Day invasion of Normandy Beach by Allied forces. Following a ceremony in Normandy, France on this anniversary weekend, the completed bell was returned to the U.S. and now rests in Philadelphia.



4. Louis XVI Portrait Frame - DDI had the opportunity to scan a priceless painted portrait frame that had been gifted by France's King Louis XVI to George Washington. A representative section of the ornate frame was 3D laser scanned and the resulting data was digitally modeled into a format suitable for replication. A foam prototype of the frame was produced initially and a milled replica is to be created some in several different materials.



3. “Young Ben” Franklin - DDI laser scanned a three-foot tall bronze bust of a youthful Ben Franklin. The sculpture, which is displayed in the University of Pennsylvania's on-campus bookstore, shows the founding father as a young man. The data captured in the laser scan was digitally modeled and used to produce high resolution prototype miniatures of the bust. These prototypes were then used as casting patterns for 8" and 12" bronze replicas.



2. The Lincoln Memorial – Two months after 9/11, Direct Dimensions laser scanned portions of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC for historical documentation of the ornate design. We were able to capture the marble sculpture of Abraham Lincoln himself, as well as the columns and engravings surrounding him. The scans were aligned together to produce an integrated digital model of the monument that can be used to exactly reproduce the original model.



1. Riding In Style – And for the neatest Presidential-related project, in late 2004, DDI scanned the inside seating area of a unique, highly armored vehicle in Washington, D.C.. We'd love to spill our secret further because this was seriously one of the coolest projects we’ve ever done, but we’re not allowed to say any more about this particular project – for obvious reasons.

You can read about more projects here.