CONSERVING HISTORY IN THE ROUND.
The Gettysburg Cyclorama Painting.
From 1883 to 1884, French artist Paul Philippoteaux and a team of 20 created the massive Cyclorama painting entitled “The Battle of Gettysburg.” This colossal circular oil painting depicts the heroic but doomed charge of the Confederate infantry led by General George Pickett. It serves as a vivid monument to the soldiers on both sides who took part in the battle.
Originally 377 feet in circumference at its widest point, and 42 feet tall, this painting is one of the most dramatic and popular parts of the Gettysburg experience. It is the largest and one of the most important historical artifacts at Gettysburg. And until recently, it was also one of the most endangered.
When the National Park Service first acquired the painting in 1942, it already had been subjected to moisture, rot, and even fire. It had been cut into sections for display in a New Jersey department store in 1910 and had undergone several unsuccessful attempts at restoration. Flawed hanging, fluctuations in humidity and temperature, and multiple relocations over the years put added stress on the canvas, created new seams and bends and caused paint to chip. Portions of the canvas had even been lost: When conservation began, the painting measured 359 feet x 27 feet. And the adhesive applied to the canvas during the last major attempt at restoration -- 40 years ago -- had become unstable, accelerating the painting’s deterioration.
Coming September 26, 2008: The New Gettysburg Cyclorama Experience
Recognizing the need to act, the Gettysburg Foundation is conserving the Gettysburg Cyclorama painting,
to return it as closely as possible to its original state. Recreation of the three-dimensional diorama
and its lost optical illusions will enable viewers to lose themselves -- once again -- in the scene. A
sophisticated audio system will recreate the battle sounds, heightening the sense of being in the
midst of Pickett's Charge.
This conservation project is the largest of its kind ever undertaken in North America. The process is taking place in two phases. The first included cleaning the painting surface; removing overpaint, inserts and grime; dismantling the canvas; and removing the lining and wax from the canvas back. The second phase includes shaping and lining the painting sections and mounting them on a new support system, which will maintain even tension throughout the canvas.
The conservation team is being directed by one of the nation's premiere conservation firms: Olin Conservation, Inc., of Great Falls, Virginia.
