About the project

Based on decades of research, Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier is the first international loan exhibition at the Museum of the American Revolution and fills the museum’s 5,000 sq. ft. Patriots Gallery. The exhibition illustrates the remarkable life of Richard St. George, an Irish officer in the British Army, who fought in the American Revolution. With an artistic background that included the creation of a series of cartoons lampooning politics and 18th c. Irish life, St. George sketched pictures illustrating his experiences in the war. After surviving a severe head wound at the Battle of Germantown, he returned to Ireland where he was ultimately killed by insurrectionists during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The exhibit traces the arc of his life from young aristocrat to soldier for the British Empire, to melancholic artist, and back to aristocrat fighting to maintain the status quo. Visitors to the exhibit learn that St. George lived in a world embroiled in intellectual, artistic, economic and political upheaval. Cost of Revolution features nearly 100 rare objects, manuscripts and works of art from around the world including St. George’s cartoons and sketches. Brought together for the first time, these artifacts offer a unique look at St. George’s life and the transatlantic impact of the American Revolution. Working closely with museum staff, SFD has designed a compelling exhibit that brings Richard St. George’s fascinating story dramatically to life.

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CLIENT

Museum of the American Revolution

PROJECT LOCATION

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

SERVICES PROVIDED

• Planning

• All phases of exhibition design

• Supervision of fabrication & installation

PROJECT PARTNERS

• Exhibit Production:
  Art Guild Inc.

• Figure Sculptors:
  Studio EIS

• Scenery:
  Scenery First

• Lighting Design:
  Streamlight Design