Cycloramas: The 3D Movies of the Past

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The term cyclorama may be unfamiliar to many people. However, living in Atlanta, most residents would call it a tourist attraction that you may have visited when you went to the zoo. Visiting a cyclorama gives us a peek into what entertainment looked like in the past. It also provides a glimpse into the history of the era in which it was created.

What is a Cyclorama?

A cyclorama is a large panoramic painting. The artwork is positioned where a person stands in the middle of a room and turns their body, the entire story of the mural will come to life. You may even feel as if you are in the middle of the action of the painting. In the 19th century, cycloramas were the equivalent to the modern-day 3D movie.

Many of the cycloramas were part of exhibits that traveled from town. When an exhibit came to your area, it was a big deal. Although cycloramas were popular in the 19^th century, there are less than 50 remaining today. Cycloramas also inspired the creation of motion pictures.

Atlanta’s Cyclorama

Living in Atlanta, I have grown up with the cyclorama. It is 49 feet tall and 371 feet around. Our cyclorama depicts the Battle of Atlanta during the Civil War. It was first painted in 1886 by German artists in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The painting premiered in Minneapolis. It later traveled to Indianapolis before entertainment promoter, Paul Atkinson, purchased the painting for $2,500 in 1890. Although the painting portrayed the accurate defeat of the south, Atkinson wanted the artwork to have southern appeal. He commissioned someone to repaint a few uniforms on the cyclorama and make changes so that visitors viewed a Confederate victory in the war.

During the 1890s, the ownership of the cyclorama changed hands several times. By 1900, the City of Atlanta owned the painting. In 1921, Atlanta built a fire-proof building to house the cyclorama in Grant Park. The painting remained in the park from 1921 to 2015.

During the 1930s, under Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration, the addition of Georgia clay and plaster soldiers gave the cyclorama even more realism.

A fun fact: Gone with the Wind premiered in Atlanta in December of 1939. Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh were visiting attractions in Atlanta, which included the cyclorama. Clark Gable commented that the only thing wrong with the cyclorama was that he wasn’t in it. In response, the mayor of Atlanta, William Hartsfield, had one of the statues painted to look like Clark Gable.  

Atlanta History Center’s Preservation of History

The last showing of the cyclorama in Grant Park occurred in 2015. In 2017, it was moved to the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead. The cyclorama was completely restored, and a new wing was built onto the Atlanta History Center to house the painting. The restoration officially opened to the public on February 22, 2019. Sean, Jackson, Lucy, and I had the privilege of visiting the Atlanta History Center that evening to participate in festivities and view the painting on its inaugural night.

The cyclorama represents Atlanta (at the location of current-day Inman Park) at 4:45 pm on July 26, 1864. At that moment, at the Troup Hurt House, the Confederacy almost defeated the Union, but the Union held out for a victory.

The Atlanta History Center’s portrayal of the cyclorama does not just retell the story of that fateful day in 1864. The focus is not really on that day at all, but rather on the history of the cyclorama. The mural tells a fascinating story of the south and how history is interpreted.

One of the new exhibits at the History Center includes the Texas, a locomotive that famously chased the General through North Georgia during the Civil War. The movie, the Great Locomotive Chase, portrays the action. The Great Locomotive Chase was Jackson’s favorite movie when he was young.

Have you ever visited a cyclorama? We would love to hear about your experience! Please drop us a line in the comment section below.

If you get a chance, go and visit a cyclorama. They are modern marvels of times passed, and historical marvels of the present!

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