#MuseumFromHome with Animal Crossing

The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art & Life closed our gallery doors on March 17, 2020 due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. As museums around the world simultaneously closed, the social media hashtag #museumfromhome was created to share virtual museum experiences. In the meantime, the Nintendo Switch video game console released Animal Crossing: New Horizons on March 20. The premise of the game transports players to a nearly deserted island where they build houses, find resources, and interact with a small number of island dwellers. The island also contains a museum of natural history, paleontology, and fine arts.

With this in mind, the Magnes converted iconic images from our collections into shareable QR codes which can be imported into the Animal Crossing game, creating another way for players to #MuseumFromHome. Our shareable images include the iconic photo of Albert Einstein taken by Roman Vishniac in 1942, and other selections from our current exhibitions In Real Times | Arthur Szyk: Art & Human Rights (1926-1951) and Souvenirs from Utopia: The Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts in Jerusalem (1906-1932).

How to transfer an image to your Animal Crossing game

To import an image, you will need a Nintendo Online membership and the Nintendo Online app on your smartphone connected to your Animal Crossing: New Horizons game.

1. From the Nintendo Online app on your phone, select Animal Crossing, then the Designs icon.
2. Select Scan a QR code and use your phone to scan any of the codes from the desired images in the Gallery Selection below.
3. Within your Animal Crossing game, use your Nook Phone and select Custom Designs.
4. Use the + Button to Download the QR code from your phone into your game.
5. Choose a slot to place the design and then display it throughout your game.

If you post a picture of our designs use #magnesfromhome or tag us so we can see and share your work!

*Parents ask your children for permission to play.

Select Vishniac images available here.