Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-09-28
INVENTED PANORAMAS.
IT IS SAID THAT A SCOTChMAk
FIRST PAINTED THEM.

Idea First Occurred to Him Edinburgh
Painted as a Beginnsr-A Rival Claim
ns-The Panssama OF Joan Of Arc.
Robert Barker Is generally credited
with being the first paintero Of panoramas
as we know them today. He was born
in Edinburgh, where he lived for sixty
years during the last century. Originally
he made his living by painting portraits,
and il Is said of him that the first notion
Of a picture that would take in the entire
scene visible from a certain point on
svery side occurred 10 him when he was
sitting on the top OF Carlton hill in
Scotlahd's capital He went home and
began painting on a cylindrical surfaced
picture OF the town as 1t appears TO any
body viewing 1t from that famous emf
hence, which would include Arthur's
seat, the Castle Rock and the distant
Firth Of Forth
SIR JOSHUA CONVINCED.
His first picture was on paper pasted
on TO linen. He came TO London with it,
and invoked the patronage Of Sir Joshua
Reynolds, who declared the plan OF such
a picture so impracticabis that he would
willingly, he said. get GU OF his bed al
night time To inspect the work of art il
it could be produced When Barker did
actually surmount all difficulties and
opened his panoramic exhibition In
Castle street. Leicester square. skeptical
Sir Joshua was az good, or almost as
good. as his promise. lie sailed forth
n morning In his clippers from his
breakfast table to see the marvel. and,
having received ocular demonstration
that a panorama was a possibility, gen.
erously congratulated the artist on his
success.
The first picture was painted In a cir
Gle, the diameter Of which was twenty
five feet. but afterwards Barker became
more ambitious. He had succeeded with
Edinburgh, why should he not try Lon
donl This he at once set to work doing,
and he produced a picture taken from
an elevated position In the old Albion
mills, near Blackfrisrs bridge. BY dint
OF begging away" and with the assist
ance Of one or two kindly and wealthy
patrons, such Us Lord Elcho. Barker had
contrived to snatch pecuniary success
out of the jaws Of apparent failure, and
five years after he arrived in London, in
1893, he took the lease Of q piece Of
ground in Cranhourn street and erected
thereon a large building simply and
solely for the purpose Of exhibiting his
panoramas there. A joint stock company
helped him to find funds for this build
ing, where be had three rooms, in the
largest OF which the diameter Of the pic
ture was ninety feet, and the chief open
ing attraction was a representation OF
a review of the fleet at Spithead- This
ker bought up the shares in his own com
pany and became sole proprietor.
From this time onward the Leiceters
square panorama was one OF the lions Of
London, and its inventor having made q
thoroughly good thing out Of it, and
having pleased and improved the minds
Of countless spectators, died in the year
1906, leaving his profitable occupation to
his son. Henry Aston Barker. "who kept
on the business still, resigned" or moi as
the case might be, unto the heavenly
will" At all events Barker the younger
was a conscientious panoramist, for he
journeyed all over Europe in his search
for subjects" He ''panoramed" Malta
and Elba, and in the course Of his visit
to the latter place interviewed the great
Napoleon He illustrated Nelson's most
famous sea fights, and he went to Con-
stantinople and Waterloo to make draw
ingst Of each.
THE BIO PIcrURR IN PARIs
From Waterloo he j~ourneyed on to
Paris, which the allied troops were then
occupying, In order to obtain perfectly
correct accounts OF the dispositions of
the forces from the actual leaders in the
fight. As no inventor Is ever allowed to
be the first in the field, it may be well,
In the interests Of historical accuracy, to
say that Robert Bankers fame Is troubled
by q rival discoverer of panoramas, one
Professor Breisig, Of Danzig; but it is
acknowledged that Barker vas the first
actually to paint and exhibit . panoram-
ic picture on q large scale.
The latest development Of the piano.
ramic art Is to be seen, along with other
wonders, ut Paris. Patriotism has In
spired some enterprising Gaul with the
very happy thought Of seizing the oppor-
tunity for interesting his o~ountrymen
and women and the whole world In the
story Of Joan Of Arc He has according
" had painted and Ia exhibiting . oolos-
sal and beautiful panorama Of the life Of
the Maid Of Orleans In several scenes.
Realism IL, Of course to the fore, and
during the battle scenes before Orleans
the peal Of trumpets Is heard. while the
painting Of tho groups Of figures in the
coronation scene at Rheims and In other
episodes u said to be marvelously life
Hka This panorama, II Il does nothing
else. Affords an agreeable way Of learn
ing the chief facts In the LIE Of . grsst
historical character.
Many people will wish that thsy could
learn all their history In the same easy
fashionL To have we'll painted tablsaux
pass In succession before me- each do
plotting . famous scene In . great drama
Of actual life. In not q contemplate aid
to education. IF there 10 any lecturing
to be done the lecturers remarks are lis
ssned to with far patience when the
eye has ell the time before IL the actual