Dioramas of the Battle of Bunker's Hill

 

               Being the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill I thought I would post a      series of articles on the battle this week. When I was with the National Park Service (1975 to 2005) I was site supervisor for the Charlestown district of Boston National Historical Par which included the monument.  So the actual battle and its area is still special to me.

 

  Back in the 1980's and 1990's there were three dioramas at the Bunker Hill monument in Charlestown Massachusetts.  These were very important to the Park Rangers who used them for interpretation of the battle.  While there are still some landmarks of the grounds the entire battlefield has disappeared under concrete and tenement houses.  These dioramas have recently been moved across the street to a new and improved museum.

  Two of the dioramas were built by the Pittman studios in Cambridge Massachusetts during the 1930's.  The first was a diorama of the Charlestown peninsula as it looked at the time of the battle.  It includes Boston and the surrounding countryside.  Most importantly it showed the harbour and various small rivers and creeks.  What it does not show are the mud flats and marshy ground which effected where the British could or could not land troops.

  Next was a large shadow box of the redoubt atop Breed's Hill.  The view is along the breast work looking towards the redoubt atop Breeds Hill. As with all Pittman dioramas there are plenty if fascinating details.   The figures are made from wax and clay.  

  Lastly, a massive diorama of the battle.  This was constructed by a members of the  Massachusetts Military Miniatures painters for the Museum of Fine Art in  Boston as part of a bicentennial project in 1975.  The figures were made by Jack Scruby (and are still available today as his 9mm American Revolution line). The topography is excellent but the troop movement show a variety of times during the battle rather then one attack.  Still it gives the viewer an excellent idea of the scope and size of the battle.