The Museum of the Moving Image (02/08/2019) February 19, 2019

This week the students went to The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. The museum offered a very interactive experience. First we saw an exhibit about the history of sports games, going back to the very early history of video gaming to now. The students got lost playing games as old as the original Pong, to Nintendo and Sega classics and even recent favorites such as FIFA on a giant screen.

There was also an exhibit on the early history of cinema and film making. Students got to use some of the first entertainment machines available for viewing short moving pictures. We were also awed by a moving sculpture that used the play of light and dark to create the stunning optical illusion of an artist’s dream.

On the other levels of the museum, students got to see original props from the special effects scenes in some famous Sci-Fi and horror movies. The visual explanations revealed the magic of movie-making, showing us how these moments were created and filmed.

Overall it was a wonderful way to experience many old memories from childhood in a new way. And afterwards, no one could turn down trying some of the famous empanadas on Steinway Avenue!