Defining a Panorama, Cyclorama and Diorama, by Gene Meier
A view of the cyclorama, Battle of Atlanta, by the American Panorama Company.
Many of my posts mention painted illusion for the stage and their connection to moving panoramas, cycloramas and other large-scale visual spectacles. Today, I received an email from Gene Meier about defining panoramas, cycloramas and dioramas. It is probably the easiest definition that I have ever come across and decided to pass it along. It was written by Meier and simplifies something that is often confusing to many individuals.
From the pen of Gene Meier:
Writers attempt to explain what a panorama is to their readers and begin by saying “A panorama is a cyclorama…” Both terms mean “all around view.” “Panorama” is the term used in Europe and America. “Cyclorama” is used in America. This is how I introduce the subject to others: “A panorama is an inside-out diorama, and a diorama is an in-side out panorama.” A (rotunda) panorama consists of a painted circular canvas with foreground, middle ground and background, plus faux terrain (objects) to add to the tree-dimensional illusion. A 3-D diorama (as opposed to a DIORAMA PAINTING) consists of a main object (an up-graded “faux terrain”) and a painted panoramic background suggesting foreground, middle ground, and background.
Thank you, Gene!
Author: waszut_barrett@me.com
Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
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