A popular but short-lived form of entertainment during the latter half of the 19th century was the cyclorama. Millions flocked to see these marvels of art and technology, and few were ever disappointed by the wonderous spectacle. A cyclorama is a large cylindrical painting, a few hundred feet in diameter, surrounding the viewer and dramatically depicting a famous battle, historic scene, or natural wonders… the IMAX theater of its day.
These paintings were hung so that there was a bow in the canvas, creating an illusion of depth that enhanced the viewer’s experience. Landscaping made of earth, rocks, and flora, along with stone walls and debris of battle was placed between the viewer and the canvas. This foreground display would blend into the bottom of the painted image, creating an illusion where the viewer couldn’t tell where the landscaping stopped, and the painting began! Often, part of a tangible foreground object would be placed against the canvas with the remainder of it skillfully painted. Arguably, the most famous cyclorama created in America was The Battle of Gettysburg, which depicts the climax of the battle known as Pickett’s Charge.
In 1879, French artist Paul Philippoteaux was commissioned to create the cyclorama. Philippoteaux travelled to Gettysburg where he spent weeks researching the battle and making hundreds of sketches. Philippoteaux also hired a local photographer, William Tipton, to photograph the area of the proposed painting. Tipton, working from a scaffold, photographed the scene in ten sections from the point of view where the painting would be seen. Philippoteaux would use these ten photographs to create the basic panoramic landscape of the painting. Working with a team of five artist assistants, Philippoteaux labored for a year and a half on the painting. When completed, the great painting measured 377 feet long and 42 feet high. Rather than sign the great painting, Philippoteaux incorporated a portrait of himself portrayed as a Union officer standing near a tree, complete with a sword in hand.
The Gettysburg Cyclorama went on display to much acclaim in Chicago on October 22, 1883. Thousands of visitors came to see the spectacle. Many Civil War veterans, including prominent generals, who were present at the battle, were thoroughly impressed by the painting. Many wept when they saw it.
The Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama was so successful that a second version was commissioned and went on display in Boston in December of 1884. Two additional versions would also be created. In 1892, after being stored outside in a fifty-foot wooden crate, the now heavily damaged Boston version was purchased and eventually put on display in Gettysburg in 1913.
The painting was purchased by the National Park Service in 1942 and displayed in a specially designed building. In 2005 the Gettysburg Cyclorama received a $12 million dollar restoration and was reopened to the public in 2008 and can be seen today at the new Gettysburg Visitor Center.
