Cycloramas were a form of three-dimensional art hugely popular in the late 19th century. And as a form of entertainment, they filled a niche between live stage shows and movies – yet to be invented. They were sweeping pieces of artwork that combined painted backgrounds with physical objects, creating the appearance of a live scene.
The elaborate setups required a major investment, starting with paintings stretching a hundred yards and more in length. They also had to have a custom-built circular building. As a result, cycloramas were expensive to create and complicated to set up and take down. But they were so popular they went on tour, traveling from city to city to recreate famous moments in American history.
The most popular exhibits depicted major Civil War battles like Gettysburg and Atlanta. Viewers sat inside the painting as it rotated 360 degrees around them while a narrator, usually a Civil War veteran, related the story of the battle. The most extravagant stagings even hired musicians to provide background music as part of the show…