A cyclorama is a large panoramic painting that is exhibited in a cylindrical room and wraps around the walls. People in the room will feel as if they are standing in the middle of the scene depicted because they will be completely surrounded by the painting. Cycloramas were extremely popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s before being supplanted by the motion picture.
Robert Barker, an Irish entrepreneur who displayed the first known cyclorama in 1787, is generally credited with inventing the cyclorama. Barker was allegedly inspired by a sweeping view from a hilltop and wanted to share it with others. His exhibit was a huge hit, and other painters quickly followed suit, creating their own cycloramas and inventing a new form of entertainment.
During the cyclorama’s heyday, most cycloramas were transported by being rolled up and wrapped between exhibits. A cyclorama would be displayed for a few weeks before being replaced by a new scene, ensuring a steady flow of visitors to the facilities designed specifically for cyclorama display. Some cycloramas even rotated, allowing visitors to stand still and watch the scenery pass by.
Because the goal of a cyclorama is to make viewers feel as if they are inside the scene, the majority of these paintings were quite large, necessitating the creation of special rooms to accommodate them. The scenery was frequently larger-than-life, and the perspective was meticulously detailed in many cases to maintain the illusion that one was actually standing in the scene. Supporting dioramas were included with some cycloramas, transforming the display into a three-dimensional scene.
These massive panoramic paintings, which appeared at fairs and circuses as well as cyclorama halls, brought the sights of the world to communities large and small. The cyclorama faded from public view with the invention of the motion picture, and many of these paintings were left to molder or chopped up and sold. For those who want to see these fascinating historical oddities for themselves, a few complete cycloramas are still on display in museums. The Battle of Atlanta is depicted in a famous cyclorama in Atlanta, Georgia, and the museum also has a number of Civil War artifacts on display.