   the word diorama  can either refer to a 19th-century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle modeling, miniature figure modeling, or aircraft modeling. == etymology == the word "diorama" originated in 1823 as a type of picture-viewing device, from the french in 1822. the word literally means "through that which is seen", from the greek di- "through" + orama "that which is seen, a sight". the diorama was invented by daguerre and charles marie bouton, first exhibited in london september 29, 1823. the meaning "small-scale replica of a scene, etc." is from 1902.diorama - word origin & history - online etymology dictionary - dictionary.com. retrieved 1 november 2011. daguerre's diorama consisted of a piece of material painted on both sides. when illuminated from the front, the scene would be shown in one state and by switching to illumination from behind another phase or aspect would be seen. scenes in daylight changed to moonlight, a train travelling on a track would crash, or an earthquake would be shown in before and after pictures. == the modern diorama ==  the current, popular understanding of the term "diorama" denotes a partially three-dimensional, full-size replica or scale model of a landscape typically showing historical events, nature scenes or cityscapes, for purposes of education or entertainment. one of the first uses of dioramas in a museum was in stockholm, sweden, where the biological museum opened in 1893. it had several dioramas, over three floors. ===miniatures=== miniature dioramas are typically much smaller, and use scale models and landscaping to create historical or fictional scenes. such a scale model-based diorama is used, for example, in chicago's museum of science and industry to display railroading. this diorama employs a common model railroading scale of 1:87 (ho scale). hobbyist dioramas often use popular scales su
Art_genres Dioramas Figurines Landscape_art Scale_modeling