Henry Knox….On The Knox Trail

The Berkshire County Historical Society and Bidwell House Museum will co-host a screening with filmmaker Jonathan Barkan. In 1973, emerging professional photographer and media producer Jonathan Barkan was contracted by the Massachusetts Bicentennial Commission. His assignment – create a multi-projector traveling slide show to inspire a statewide reenactment and tell the story of Revolutionary War hero Henry Knox and his plan to retrieve and haul cannons from Fort Ticonderoga, New York, to Boston, Massachusetts. This historic event linked the entire Commonwealth from west to east and led directly to the first major military victory of the War for Independence–Evacuation Day. The original media program has been modernized for twenty-first century audiences as a state-of-the-art video. It is enlivened by additional imagery and retains a re-creation with period cannon, draft horses, and oxen that was filmed at the Jug End Resort in South Egremont. Mr. Barkan will screen the video and briefly share his personal experiences and production challenges…both then and now. Jonathan Barkan is the executive producer/director and founder of Communications for Learning (CFL), a full-service communications firm with offices in Conway and Arlington, Massachusetts. His work demonstrates a career-long commitment to the accuracy, appeal, and creative presentation of essential content, the value of careful process design and project management, and aesthetic and production quality. He is multi-disciplined, with education and experience in communications strategy, media direction and production, graphic and 3-D design, photography and video, sound recording, music, teaching, and consulting. His extensive experience includes the management and creative direction of high-profile video, slide, and desktop multi-media presentations, interactive and web-based media, events, print graphics, and exhibits. Barkan has planned, designed and supervised the installation of numerous theaters, classrooms and conference rooms, and has led media, photography and production courses and workshops. This event is sponsored by Massachusetts Cultural Council, Greylock Federal Credit Union, City of Pittsfield, and The Feigenbaum Foundation.