St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-23
IN RE PAN0RAMAS.
The Idea Not, as Generally
Supposed, a Modern
One.
The Flopentines Used the
Illusion in Their Gardens
Ages Ago.
Robert Fulton, the Steamboat
Inventor, in the First
Deal.
interesting History Fur
nished by Edward Brandus
Regarding Them.

for the large display of paintings by the
celebrated Russian master, Verest-
chagin, Is one of the originators in
America of the panorama scheme.
which was so successful for a number
of years. He is an interesting CONVEX
sationalist, and gives some historical
facts in regard to panoramas. 1t
has been generally understood that
the panorama scheme was modern
idea, but facts show that as early as the
sixteenth century the Italians used
painted canvas to enhance the effect OF
their gardens, in Florence the finer pal
aces having some artistic work by many
noted artists of the day. The idea seems
to have slept FOR some time, and was
again brought to light by strange Cir
cumStance in France in 1898.
During that year young chevalier
was confined in dungeon in a French
prison. The daylight penetrated his
cell through single grated aperture
at the ceiling. To this aperture, which
opened on public alleyway, friend
of the chevaller was in the habit of
coming each day for short time
to converse with the prisoner and
cheer him in his solitude. AT last
there came time when the friend
failed to appear, and the young pris-
oner, as day after day passed and the
aforementioned voice was not heard
at the opening, grew angry with his
friend, and in the dark he began to
write a letter. cOuched in most uncOm-
plimentary terms to his absent friend.
On the next day, however, the friend
appeared, and explained that he mad
been obliged to be absent from the city.
All the young mans anger vanished at
once. but he laughingly told Of the let
ter, and. holding 1t mp to the grating.
OSked that his friend read it,. As lie
netd it up to the light he was surprised
that. although he was in the dark, by
contrast the writing showed palmer and
More dlnIlnct than if he held it in the
most glaring of lights.
After his friend had departed he eX-
perimented with paper and drawings.
He had been an artist of some note. and
he drew sketches of scenery and added
them end to end, and was astOnished to
find the effect of distance thus given.
He told his friend of his discovery. and
a short time after he was liberated.
This thread of the story ends at that
point. i he next heard of
THE PANORAMA IDEA,
was during the visit to Paris of Robert
Fulton, the inventor OF the steamboat.
During his visit he became acquainted
with al Englishman who had in some
way become possessed of the secret.
Together they laid their plan before all
American banker at Paris, who fur
niShed them the necessary money. and
the first panorama was painted and
placed in position OH the boulevard
MOntmarIre. Soon after another was
finished next to the same building, the
street at this point being covered by a
glass roof. This Is how the name Pas
sage de Panorama came to be given to
this particular street in Paris, and.
though the buildings have long since,
ceased to exist, the street still bears the
name, much to the wonder of those who
are not acquainted with its history.
Robert Fulton made enough money in
the venture to enable him to return to
America and perfect the plans for his
steamboat, tue first to float on any
water.
After this followed the great crisis in
France, the reign of terror and Napo-
Icons campaign, and nothing further
was heard of the panorama until 1885,
when Col. Langlois, who had served
under Napoleon with Gen. Able i'll Rus
sia,,and who had followed the campaign
in Russia, at one time staying in
the frozen waters of the Beresina,
building the bridge for the retreat
of the grand army, met the same
artist who had made the first discovery
in the prison dungeon. He told him of
Fulton's success, and his belief that the
idea had been stolen from him. The
colonel was charmed with the idea. and
a panorama was built in lie Marais. a
section of Paris that has long since dis
appeared. The first panorama placed
OIL exhibition was the battle Of Maren-
90. which met with great success. fol-
lowed by the Eglau, the battle of the
Pyramids and that of Narasino.
These remained upon exhibition
when the Societe de aroramas was or
ganlzed, and a magnificent building
erected in the Champs Elysees, adjoin-
ing the exposition ground of 1856, aud
the Palais d. Industrie.
1he First Panorama
exhibited in the new building was the
battle of SOiferino, followed by the
battle of Sebastopol. After the Franco
PruSSian war, the Societe ds Panoramas
engaged the seyices of the eminent
French artist Felix Phillippoteaux,
historical painter, whose works
are the most priced in France.
some elegant specimens of his
work being now on exhibition at Yer
sailles, and who painted the largest
canvas now on the walls Of the Buffalo
library. This artist painted the first
siege Of Paris, the success OF which was
so great that dividends amounting to
100000 francs were realized the first
year. and the painting is still on exhibit
ton. Since that time many more were
exhibited in other quarters of France
and Europe.
The first panorama exhibit in Amer
lea was painted by Paul Philippe
teauX. the son of Felix, who was part
rama was the battle of Gettysburg,
placed on exhibition in Chicago in 1888.
When the artist first came to this coun-
try it was the intention to paint the
siege of Yorktown, but the partners
were informed that the greatest battle
| in American history was that
battle that marked the high tide of
| the Confederate advance to the North,
that never went beyond that famous
clump of trees so ably portrayed in the
| painting. 1t took some time to view
the battle ground and consult with Gen.
Hancock and others in the battle, but
| finally the great painting was finished,
and placed on exhibition. So great was
| its success that by October. 1883, S24l,-
800 had been realized. and one month
after its start, thirty-eight different
panorama companies had been char
tered in Springfield, the Minneapolis
company being one of the number.
Copies of the first were painted and
placed Oh exhibition in Boston, New
York and Philadelphia, all of them
reaping rich harvest for their owners.
| Although the panorama is thing of
the past in most places, those in Chi
| cago and the other cities named are still