Bruce Kennett Studio

BOOK DESIGN  •  EXHIBIT DESIGN  •  PHOTOGRAPHY

Runnymede Meadow

Boston College Law School Photo Mural

This ordinary spot along the banks of England’s River Thames is the place where King John issued the Magna Carta. The date of John’s encounter with the English barons was June 1215, but in 800 years, the scene hasn’t changed.

The Magna Carta soon became absorbed into the common law of England, but centuries later it also served as a source for the Constitution of the United States. The document’s Chapter 39 has a striking similarity to the Fifth Amendment.

The project: Boston College Law School wanted to show students how the actions of individuals and groups had influenced the growth of the American legal system, inspiring in them the desire to positively affect the world during their own careers.

The murals show places where significant events in legal history had occurred, in both the U.S. and in the U.K. (the American system being largely based on British law).

More than a dozen color murals, ranging in size from 4 x 6 feet to 6 x 16 feet, are mounted in permanent locations throughout the school. I worked with Dean Daniel Coquillette and law school faculty members to write detailed captions for display next to each mural.