America’s Presidents: The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and Brandwidth Bring Iconic Collection Exclusively to iPad

For the first time, virtual visitors will be able to travel through the iconic “America’s Presidents” collection at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, including close-up access to portraits and hundreds of facts about the American Presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama.

The Smithsonian and Brandwidth have announced the launch of the America’s Presidents app for iPad. Developed to expand the reach of the most popular and iconic collection in the National Portrait Gallery, the app is the ultimate guide to these official portraits, and it offers a unique insight into the Presidents as subjects of the paintings.

The app is optimized for the Retina Display on iPad, with pinch-zoom features to view brushstrokes in detail. Through the portraits the app takes the user on a journey across landmarks of American history, displayed on virtual gallery walls that include facts, historical documents, video and sound recordings to illustrate presidential personalities and achievements.

Specific features of the app include:

• Fully interactive journey through the most popular collection at the National Portrait Gallery

• A unique collection of portraits and objects that guide the user through landmarks of American history

• Hundreds of facts about each President’s achievements, including family life, pets and personality

• Unique bonus content, including Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first radio address about the Great Depression and declaration of war with Japan

• An interactive “Games Room” where people can test their knowledge of presidential trivia, First Ladies and famous quotations

• Users can vote for their favorite portrait with a live chart of the most popular choices linked to Facebook

In the “Games Room,” people can test their historical knowledge through trivia tests, presidential pairing and a game to identify famous presidential quotes. Users can also vote for their favorite presidential portrait and view the results through a dynamic Facebook chart.

“The America’s Presidents app for iPad helps us extend the reach and relevance of the National Portrait Gallery to new audiences,” said Wendy Wick Reaves, interim director of the museum. “It also provides educational and fun ways for users to engage with our collection of presidential portraits and share their own experiences.”

“When we saw the presidential collection we were struck by its depth, gravitas and importance as an official record of America’s history,” said Guy Whiting, publishing director at Brandwidth. “We wanted to encapsulate the sense of statesmanship through an app that is clean and unobtrusive in its design—it invites the user to explore and understand the collection in high-definition detail while letting the portraits speak for themselves.”

The America’s Presidents app is available for $6.99 from the App Store on iPad or at www.AppStore.com/AmericasPresidents. It will be available at a discounted price of $4.99 for a limited time at launch to celebrate Presidents’ Day.

The app can be previewed at www.americaspresidentsapp.com. Regular updates and information will be posted on Twitter @AmericasPrez and Facebook www.facebook.com/americaspresidents, which also displays the live results of the most popular portraits from the collection from Feb. 14.

There are a limited number of promotional review codes available. For more information, contact Carmen Marrero at carmen.marrero@brandwidth.co.uk or +44 7852 917503.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery tells the history of America through the individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives embody the American story.The National Portrait Gallery, part of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, is located at Eighth and F streets N.W., Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Information: (202) 633-1000. Website: www.npg.si.edu/.

Brandwidth

Brandwidth is an award-winning digital agency based in the UK, with over 10 years experience developing creative interactive content for digital and mobile platforms. Website: www.brandwidth.co.uk.

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