I have a new project. A labor of love. A volunteer effort. And a feeling of being a little overwhelmed!
At the end of last year I acquired a collection of the history of laser tag. Not just any collection…the Laser Tag Museum Collection. This accumulation of laser tag artifacts traces the game back to its earliest days of Photon, the evolution it took over the last 40 years and the items that were part of it all including packs, clothing and memorabilia of all kinds. The items have been carefully archived and preserved over many years and I am currently in the process of documenting them further…no small task!
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This collection grew from its earliest days of being compiled by the International Laser Tag Association, which first put it on display as the “Laser Tag Museum” in 2005 on custom-built shelves set up at the former Lazer Blaze in Louisville, KY. Years later it was purchased by the former curator who gave it tremendous dedication and care before passing the items along to me, affording me an unbelievable opportunity to showcase them going forward. Now I find myself challenged with how best to make this collection viewable by the largest number of people. This is a new era for the collection and I’d like to share my thoughts and plans with you now.
First, displaying the collection is a high priority for me. There is so much remarkable history here that deserves to be recognized and remembered with huge thanks to everyone who contributed pieces along the way. With a recently updated (and growing!) website at LaserTagMuseum.com I have been working on making new content available in the form of curated video exhibits. This process is far from complete, but if you visit the site now you will see an assortment of new videos that have recently been added, many of which are located on the exhibit page, which showcase selected items from the collection with a closer look than you might get from just seeing a picture. More videos are coming, I promise! Please be patient, as this is a journey, not a destination.
Prior to the pandemic I had volunteered to spearhead the video recording of an oral history of laser tag by interviewing founders and key players from as many laser tag companies as I could. This project is ongoing as well and far from complete, but there are quite a few fascinating stories already posted. I would like to extend an open invite to any laser tag manufacturer who would like to add their story to please reach out to me and we can make arrangements to spotlight your company’s history as well. This is part of my commitment to honor all laser tag companies for their contributions to growing the industry.
I am currently pursuing some options for possibly putting parts of the collection on display at a fixed location. Please bear with me as that is also a process. However, in the meantime I have another way I hope to let people get an up close and in-person look by occasionally doing mobile display exhibits! My first opportunity to take a mobile exhibit directly to the laser tag community is at this year’s Laser Storm Nationals taking place in Butler, PA. For this opportunity I plan to specifically spotlight the Laser Storm system, but I also view this as dipping my toe into the water with hopes of doing similar displays to feature a wider variety of systems and facets of laser tag to the players who have the greatest passion for them. I will share my first mobile display experience here with you soon.
As you can tell, a lot has been happening behind the scenes and the time spent on this project largely accounts for my reduced tag travels this year. However, I have been enthused about showcasing the collection and this is only the beginning of a new era for the Laser Tag Museum Collection to continue to grow and thrive, building on the dedication of those who came before. I invite you to follow the journey!
Comments or Questions?
Contact: Tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com
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