MAKING/HISTORY

The legend of the Trojan Horse is one of the most iconic and widely-known stories of Western Civilization. After 10 years of trying to conquer the city of Troy by siege, the Greeks turned to a clandestine operation in the form of an awe-inspiring wooden horse, achieving victory not by brute strength but rather strategy. 

Recounted in histories, painted by artists, and sung by poets, the tale is rooted in the accounts of our earliest storytellers, Homer, Apollodorus, and Virgil. The Trojan Horse and the stunning success of its deployment endures among the most powerful and graphic depictions of deception.

No one has ever tried to build a full-scale Trojan Horse in the style of the period it was created. We’ve teamed up with Handshouse Studio and students at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Mass ART) in a perfect learn-by-doing journey to build the horse. 

We're inviting you to go behind-the-scenes and be a part of the process!  If funded, the Spy Museum & Trillium Studios (documentary makers) will document each step from research, design, and model making workshops, construction of the full scale Trojan Horse in Greece & Turkey, to the final installation at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC.

All contributors will have fun perks and regular updates, and most important, you will be joining us on an exciting journey to make history!

Our mission is simple - we need your help to "Give the Horse Power".
 

What We Need

Rome wasn't built in a day. It will take a lot of research, design, and testing to build our full-scale Trojan Horse based on texts, historic images, and interpretation of the mythic narrative of the Trojan War. But we can do it with your help!

Students from Mass ART have started this rigorous endeavor, creating detailed scale models and reproducing examples of ancient tools and processes. They have become history detectives: looking at centuries of clay, bronze, and stone artifacts; researching horse breeds from ancient Turkey; and studying the architecture and boat building techniques of the period. As the project moves forward, Handshouse will reconstruct the Trojan Horse in Greece or Turkey, with its final installation in DC. 

This Indiegogo campaign is part of a larger effort to raise funds for the Trojan Horse Project. Your funds are important to every aspect of this effort and will be used to help pay for the cost of the many steps toward the building of the Trojan Horse including research, planning, design, engineering, testing, materials, tools, and scouting & research for documentary film. 

Here is how we plan to allocate the money raised for the Trojan Horse: 

50% - Trojan Horse Construction and Installation | 35% - Trillium Studio's The Gift Horse Documentary Film | 15% - Maintenance and Endowment
 

Why do we need this money?

The International Spy Museum is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit and operates completely independent of tax money or government funding. Our core mission is to educate the public about espionage and intelligence in an engaging way and to provide a context that fosters understanding of its important role in and impact on current and historic events. We rely on generous donors like you to support programs like the Museum’s Making History/Trojan Horse Project. Your support will aid in extending our mission to share one of the greatest lessons in military intelligence for generations to come! 

Contributor Perks

No mission is without its rewards! Make a contribution to the Trojan Horse Project and you will also earn fun perks in the process. Here's a sneak peek at our featured perk:

PERK FAQs

1.  When will I get my perks?

Your perks will be shipped out after the close of our campaign - likely December 2016. You will be notified of any delays.

2.    Will any perks go out before the campaign is completed?

All donors will receive a thank you email after your donation! All other perks will go out after the close of our campaign.

3.    How do I select my t-shirt size? 

When the campaign comes to an end, we will send you an email that you can reply to, inquiring about the size you want.

4.    Can I claim multiple perks? 

You can make multiple gifts on Indiegogo using a single account. Be sure to use the same email address and login, so we’ll know that all of your perks are meant to go to the same person.

5.    How much is shipping? What if I’m an international donor?

Shipping is included in the perk price, regardless of your location. 

6.    How will I get my digital download perk?

Of course, by spy dead drops. JK, expect your digital download via email.

7.    What if I want one of the perks but you’re out of stock?
A few perks are only available in limited quantities.  But fear not, we will most likely increase the number of the limited release perks. Additionally, expect new perks to be introduced  throughout the campaign!

Thank You!

Thank you helping us bring one of the world’s greatest stories of deception and military intelligence to life. None of this would be possible without your generosity. We appreciate your support!