The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-19
THE cYCLoRAMA AS AN ATTRACTION.
What Is Thought of the Proposition to Ex-
hibit Battle Panorama in This City.

The proposition to establish, in Indianapolis,
one of the great battle panoramas of the coun-
try is meeting with the most generous encour.
agement Only those who have seen
these panoramas can realize how great
feature they become among a city's institutions.
The records show that more than ], 500. 900 peo-
pie have visited the Gettysburg panorama in
Chicago in the past five years. netting to it's
owners over s4o0, 900 in dividends on the capital
invested. Immediately opposite the Gettysburg
building stands the imposing structure owned
by Mr. William Wehner and his company, in
which is now exhibited Jerusalem the Day
of Crucifxion." This picture Mr.. Wehner com
pleted and opened to the public Sept
1. 1887, and in the first three months
with two other panoramas open in the city,
GOO, and stock has recently sold as high $115
III Chicago Experience has shown that after a
few years the patronage begins to decrease.
Mr. Wehnsr has met this problem in the enter
prise by efecting exchanges among the
several cities in whose panoramas he
holds an interest, thus forming circuit
and keeping the business q permanently
profitable basis. For instance, tho Battle Of
Atlanta. now at Minneapolis, has realized be-
tween 500 900 and $70 900 to il in the past
two years, and is to be exchanged for a counter
part of the cruci6xion painting. now at Chicago.
The picture will draw the same crowds
which witness the first.
The Battle of Atlanta, which Mr.. Wehner is
preparing to locate In Indianapolis, is the
which has proved so successful at Minneapolis,
SO that the company forming here has a known
quantity to deal with. The great popularity of
the picture, aside from its artistic merit lies in
the fact that the daring and gallant Logan,
mounted on his "back charger and at full gal
lop. is the central figure of the foreground.
The picture is four hundred feet long and fifty
feet high and weighs a. 900 pounds. There is
but one loom in the world, and that at Brussels,
capable of weaving the canvas for these pict-
ures. Mr.. Wehner had in his employ eighteen
distinguished German artists, who spent nine
Hor OF sD9 ps or
several weeks the old battlefield
near Atlanta, and getting the most exact sketches
the work which it is proposed to bring here. Mr..
Gookins, the secretary of the Soldiers Monu-
ment Association, himself artist and critic Of
high ORDER said:
81 have not seen the picture myself but 1
know of Mr. Wehner and his great studio and
his methods of work. had the pleasure of a
personal acquaintance with Briedwiser, Schnei-
der and several of his artists in Munich,
from which city they brought by Mr..
Wehner. So great was Briedw eputatlon in
Europe that he had as pupils several members
of the Royal family Of Austria. While have
not seen the picture itself the names of the
artists who painted it., August Lohr. f, W.
Heine, Briedwiser and the rest is to my mind
guaranty of splendid piece Of work. 1t will
be a credit to the city"
Mr. William Henderson said: ''Indianapolis
is unfortunate in having so few points of inter-
such an attraction. Hardly day passes but
the city has convention gathering of some
kind At night the theater may be open, but
there is way now for a stranger in the city
on business pleasure, or by accident, TO
spend a leisure hour during the day. People in
about sixty counties of the State can come into
Indianapolis, spend few hours and return the
Same day."
The enterprise is also indorsed by General
Foster, Z. Z. Jacobs and other citizens who re-
gard 1t as undertaking that will greatly
benefit the city. A. F. Potts, who has the mat
ter In charge, has been making some estimates.
He found that du:ing the campaign of 1884.
there were probably two hundred thousand
people in Indianapolis attending the vari-
GUS conventions, reunions, receptions to Blaine
and Logan and other political events. Events
of that character will be repeated in the next
few months, and to them be added the nat
ural-gas exposition now in prospect the laying
of the cornerstone of the soldiers monument
and the meeting of the Legislature next winter.
These several events will draw to Indianapolis a
multitude of people almost altogether from In
diana.
when I presented all these facts to Mr.
Wehner,' said Mr.. Potts yesterday, The appre-
ciated them at once. and offered to to take stock
for his great picture, believing the investment a
good one. What we need to raise here is 500, 900,
simply the money for the building. II our peo-
pie take stock for that purpose can have the
exhibition open by May L. The advantages to
Indianapolis are, of course, apparent. Mr..
Wehner asks only place in the directory,
leaving the management with resident stock
holders"