Final Info; final v

Name: Jax Cushing

Project: Tales of Essex
Abstract:

I wanted to use this Studio XL course not only to benefit the Essex Shipping Museum, but my own personal interests as well. After immersing myself for several weeks in research around Essex County, and pursuing several dead ends, I finally found the strings I was attempting to find and pull all along.

These strings included the tale of Rachel Wall, the last female American pirate, who roamed the shores of the area hundreds of years ago. Another string was the names and ages of all those whose bodies were taken from their graves in the Essex Burial Ground by the ‘convicted” bodysnatcher Thomas Sewell (these names were not previously known by the Museum). A third string was ghost ship stories, and the last piece of eight if you will for this project/mini-series, John Greenleaf Whittier’s poem ‘The Spectre Ship of Salem.’

This project tapped several experiences and newly acquired skills: the podcast series ‘Lore,’ the interactive beta software Aurasma, and video editing tools, mainly Adobe After Effects. I wanted to retell these little-known tales in an enticing manner. By narrating the story with sound effects and then adding a visual element — i.e. video taken and edited by myself — I was able to create the immersive and individual experience I set out to accomplish.

This type of interactive experience was my goal even before I found ‘my stories,’ and I hope can contribute to the Essex Shipping Museum’s self-guided tour, and possibly its guided tour as well.

To access this interactive experience, scan the QR code below using Aurasma.

final: the update

on the last trip to essex, i lucked out entirely. kurt was able to find the 'coffin book'--a record of deaths during the 1800s. i photographed every single page, and got several video clips in different 'styles' of the hearse house and the cemetery. with all of this, along with my initial research about the grave robbings, i will be able to create an abstracted video of the tale.
video 1: concept, gathering: complete.
video 1: to do: composite, record/edit audio story


to do: kelven and i will be making a trip this TUESDAY at 3 to venture back to the museum and collect more footage as equipment died out quickly day 1.

Update: Indecision levels are dropping

If there are any books on Rachel Wall, I would be very interested. I have not found too much in a brief continued search for some. I am also interested though, in the East India Trading company, and the trade that occurred throughout the Essex County betwixt the East in particular. I have always been a huge history buff, and collect fun (dark) facts. This is a topic of continued research I wish to venture through in this upcoming visit to the Museum/library. I will be conducting on my own in the meantime. I know I covered a lot of topics already, but I find it so enticing to get lost in the search, in the collection of data. It's never failed me.

Should I not end up going forth with any concept from this new information, I shall focus on connecting pieces of my previously acquired topics. I want to focus on the Spectre Ship of Salem, and the poetry therein, as well as this pale young couple of mention aboard in particular.  I am likely going to stick with Aurasma, as far as programs/apps go, as I realized using a simple software for what I envision my artwork to be (complex)--it is simply more logical, captain.

Attempting to learn some complicated software to create likely something 'simple' as per time/learning curves and all that, inhibited me even at the research stage. So I am crossing it out and going back to start. I am not much for games, but I do like the chain reaction one can create with something as 'simple' as an aura.

I want to create a video, using all sorts of images; i.e. photos taken on location, time lapses (looped, brief), found documents/images, my own artworks in relation, etc. I want to do a voice over over it all, perhaps going in a more 'abstract meets informative', type of project, and combine some of the stories I have found. These will be triggered by the area itself, possibly adding to the tours, the historical society, etc.

It is possible I could even do a series of short videos, touching upon each topic of my research as I go, allowing my viewers to collect information they did not have access too before. The Spectre Ship, poetry, Rachel Wall's story, and the tale of the body snatcher, Thomas Sewell. Each of these could inspire a series of auras, or they could all be part of some 'fun fact' sort of series, tying them all together. Either way, I have a lot to work with. Whenever I have no idea what exactly to do, I find it best to simply begin, and make it work.

I will be using my time at the museum to wander, taking photographs and short videos of what I believe pertain to each of my chosen topics. If any books of interest are available in advance, I will take some time for that as well. The main goal is collecting the raw material for whatever series 'calls to me' from the area when we're there. I'm literally just going for it.

Shoutout at Groups?:
As far as the groups go, I know what topics I want to do, so am not sure what to really provide here.

If others want to help me, work with me, do something like me, talk with me, whatever, let me know. I would be more than happy to make something together, or alone. I have no preference, but teams can always be of use, no matter the structure of it. I am a good resource, not just for fun, dark historical facts, but also with knowledge of the entire Adobe Creative Suite. My final show in a few weeks will be a work of sound design, video and animation. I also have graphic design experience, professionally.

Photos from the Church: for any interested

The Research; Attempted Routes and Indecision

Route 1: Salem Witch Trial ties
The 'witches' of Salem and the hysterics actually occurred in the following towns of Essex County:
Amesbury
Andover(now Andover and N. Andover)
Beverly
Billerica
Boxford
Gloucester
Haverhill
Ipswich
Lynn
Malden
Marblehead
Peabody
Reading
Rowley
Salem Towne
Salem Village (now Danvers)
Salisbury
Topsfield
Wenham

The now town of Essex however did not participate in said hysteria. They barely had any accusations, and no one was put to death here.
Conclusion: Nothing to work with here

BUT I CONTINUED ANYWAY, JUST IN CASE


AND I am so glad I did, because come to find out, the only place 'witches' were treated like royalty, like they were 'in vogue' so to speak, is my home town of Andover/N. Andover.
Conclusion: FUN. FACT. FOR. ME.
**Route 2: Cemetery concepts for Chebacco Parish, now Essex, MA
listing of graves at Essex Cemetery
Thomas Sewall: Bodysnatcher**
       names of 6 taken, found at the above link: Isaac Allen (10 yrs old), Phillip Harlow (10 yrs old), Mary Millet (35), William Burnham (79), Elisha Story (65), Samuel Burnham (26)
name of another taken : Caesar Conway

above found in History: Town of Essex, From 1634-1868 by Rev. Robert Crowell,
Published by the town.

Conclusion: series of illusrtrations of the body snatching, now that I have names and ages of all but ONE 'VICTIM'. Unsure of software
**Route 3: Ghost Ship
found legend, Salem, MA, which Essex was once a part of
Conclusion: some type of 3D version of the ghost ship, unsure of software to use
Route 4: Sea, Sea levels
past, present, and future
Conclusion: This was a backup, accidental find. Not as interesting as the body snatching, and pirates of course.
**Route 5: Pirates


I stumbled across some pirate code in my readings of Essex in the archives
AND found some information about the last female to be hanged in MA, and the last female American pirate
     
She was known, according to my readings here, to conduct her clever endeavors along the shores of Essex county, including Cape Ann to the Isle of Shoals

Conclusion: some type of 3d artwork of her. Unsure of the media to use.


OVERALL: the bodysnatching by Thomas Sewall, the last female American pirate, Rachel Wall, or the Spectre Ship of Salem are all enticing concepts for me.
I am very unsure about what software to use, despite knowing a bit about each and their uses. I am also unsure as to exactly what one to do. I am leaning towards Rachel Wall or the bodysnatching.
I am pleased to have found pirate code as well as almost every single name of those bodies stolen.

*shrugs*

FINAL IDEAS

FINAL IDEAS
LOCATION: ESSEX SHIPPING MUSEUM 

For the final project, I am very drawn towards the Processing software, as well as Aurasma. 
I find myself at a crossroads between simple software, or complex software. I have never used any type of processing/3D before, and am enticed at the challenge. This may benefit me more so than choosing the simpler option, however I am weary as to what I can accomplish with it in the given time frame. Do I want to struggle and make something new with something new? Or do I want to create something new, simply, with something already known?

My options thus far are as follows: A series of auras--either around the cemetery, or around the shipyard itself. 
I had originally planned to use ghost images [of the past], and overlay them on 'real time' camera triggers--i.e. 3D triggers. 
I could do this, and create some type of narrative/collective series, OR I could use the processing software to generate flowers around graves, or have a forrest overtake the shipyard itself--as a kind of time lapse into the future without humans. 

Before I commit to developing either of these ideas though, I want to do some more research into my family history. I come from a line of Irish and French immigrants, and in the past have traced at least one side of my family to colonial Salem in the past. 

Ghost Writers UPDATE

GHOST WRITERS HAS BEEN UPDATED

TEAM MEMBERS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
--JAX
--KELVEN
--EMMA

PERSONS ON TOUR ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. FRANCIS(FRANK) ELLINGWOOD ABBOT
2. JOHN CARPENTER
3. LUCY LARCOM
4. WENONAH STEVENS ABBOTT (SOLILOQUY END)

PROGRAMMING CREDITS:
--OPENING ART--JAX
--FRANK AND WHITE ROSE--JAX
--JOHN AND MUSIC FLOWER--KELVEN
--LUCY AND LUCYS FLOWER--EMMA
--WENONAH'S END ART--JAX

it is this teams hope to encourage playersto venture through the central cemetery

and have an experience that which connects lives lost to lives that remain

the flowers given at each grave site must be dropped--

i.e. RESPECTS MUST BE PAID iN ORDER TO ADVANCE

The flowers that are dropped, are not destroyed, leaving a collection of flowers in the cemetery in the ARIS database. 

This feature is fitting, don't you think?

essex shipping museum, make-up

To make up for the first class trip, 

On Wednesday, February 15th, I went by myself on a venture. 

To the Essex Shipping Museum. 

I gathered many photos for reference, 

unsure of what would inspire my last project ideas, 

but collecting whatever data suited my fancy, anyway.

I spoke with Justin for about two hours, and enjoyed my tour. 

We hit it off quite nicely, despite a fear of awkwardness on a tour alone,

as I mentioned one of my best friends/colleagues 

happens to be a tour guide over in Concord, MA at the Old Manse.

I am setting up yet another private tour with him now, 

for a tour of specifically the cemetery nearby. 

I ventured through the maps of the cemetery in the archive. 

 If you haven't noticed yet, guys,

clearly, I have a thing for cemeteries.

Francis Ellingwood Abbot, diary begin; Wenonah's soliloquy, end

Francis Ellingwood Abbot Research
[information condensed]

In his student journal, nine days after meeting the pale, hazel-eyed Katie Loring, he wrote, ''Katie is in my head the whole while, and I cannot bear to think of never seeing her again. ''

Courting at the house in Concord, Mass., where Katie's family were lodgers, the young lovers sat by the fire reading Milton and Byron aloud to each other. On Jan. 25, 1857, three weeks after they met, they became engaged, and on Aug. 3, 1859, shortly after Frank graduated from Harvard, they were secretly married by a minister in Nashua, N.H.

By the fall of 1893, Katie was dying. ''Tonight after tea, kneeling before her in her own arm-chair, I asked Katie if she loved me as well as she did in our first days of engagement,'' Frank wrote in his journal on Oct. 21, ''and, throwing her arms around my back, she kissed me and said, 'Yes, better, far better.'''

''So I love you; and you have been just the best wife that ever was.''

''And you,'' she replied with tears in her eyes, ''have been as good and true as any mortal could be.''

Two days later, Frank wrote: ''My darling dies.''

This is a love story with a tragic ending: on Oct. 22, 1903, 10 years to the day after Katie died, at 54, Frank Abbot, still heartbroken, committed suicide by swallowing poison on her grave, in Beverly, Mass.

A compulsive diarist to the end, he left his suicide note pasted in his final journal. ''I do not fall out of this world by accident as a lunatic,'' he wrote. ''I do not sneak out of it as a coward. I go out of it as a free and proud soul, with open eyes, at the command of honor and love.''

grave location @ : 42.5508881,-70.8710251
SOURCE

for ARIS

Wenonah Stevens Abbott, the end point

A Souls Soliloquy 

in the spirit of PIRACY, 

and it's not-so-known close ties to the North Shore area

contradictory to the old sentiment, my project allows for dead men 

to actually tell tales

PART#1
experiment #1: not so much

my first attempt at this, entitled 'cap'n low', failed. the image above is of this first experiment.
the image has no 'graphic' depicted, despite hoping the pole, bench, signage, and horizon would suffice as such. conclusion: not so much.



experiment #2: nailed it
in my second attempt, after a series of photos taken along the shore of Dane Beach, i selected an image that actually HAD  clear graphic. i.e. text.

when you click on the overlay that appears--the pirate ship--a link opens to a specific tale.




PART#2

                                         

just in case the first aura does not work and/or the weather turns poor, i made a backup

triggered by the painting of the woods on the first floor of hardie near the restrooms

this will trigger an edited etching of Captain Edward Low

Threatening another male, drink and pistol in hand

when this overlay is double tapped

Edward Low's pirate flag takes over the woods

ooooo *symbolism*

trigger/overlay experiment: images

aurasma=jaxcushi

this worked out.

*claps*