Beginning in the late eighteenth century; huge circular panoramas presented their audiences with resplendent representations that ranged from historic battles to exotic locations. Such panoramas were immersive but static. There were other panoramas that moved--hundreds; and probably thousands of them. Their history has been largely forgotten. In Illusions in Motion; Erkki Huhtamo excavates this neglected early manifestation of media culture in the making. The moving panorama was a long painting that unscrolled behind a "window" by means of a mechanical cranking system; accompanied by a lecture; music; and sometimes sound and light effects. Showmen exhibited such panoramas in venues that ranged from opera houses to church halls; creating a market for mediated realities in both city and country. In the first history of this phenomenon; Huhtamo analyzes the moving panorama in all its complexity; investigating its relationship to other media and its role in the culture of its time. In his telling; the panorama becomes a window for observing media in operation. Huhtamo explores such topics as cultural forms that anticipated the moving panorama; theatrical panoramas; the diorama; the "panoramania" of the 1850s and the career of Albert Smith; the most successful showman of that era; competition with magic lantern shows; the final flowering of the panorama in the late nineteenth century; and the panoramas afterlife as a topos; traced through its evocation in literature; journalism; science; philosophy; and propaganda."Beneath the Surface" with Jon Wiener
#2495376 in eBooks 2001-07-04 2001-07-04File Name: B00DCKZQJK
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A fantastic gift to yourself or anyone; inspirational!By Charles Horowitz; Ph.D.Words cant describe photographer Drysdales work: these are amazing; uncanny old photos that in 2015; wed think must have been photoshopped. But they werent!There are all kinds of animals who are friends with lions; mice; monkeys; limousines; you name it. This book is multi-species-centered; while Drysdales My Love Unleashed: A Dogs Gift of Comfort is dogs with all kinds of species. A fantastic gift to yourself or anyone; inspirational!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. fun and deeply movingBy Mireille Leterrierthis book is full of humor and compassion; fun and deeply moving...the legends help to understand better the way those incredible pictures have been created; patiently - however on the spurr of the moment... their quality is amazing; black and white giving the depth; sculpting the light around animals and friends...A marvel; a treasure !4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Absolutely CharmingBy N. AtwoodJohn Drysdales delightful photographs will charm any age. Looking at "Excert 1" will give you an idea of his subject matter. In addition to the unusual photos of animals and children; there are fascinating stories; such as the cat who befriended a mouse with 2 photos of them together--one of them napping together and another of them sharing a saucer of milk. The photos and stories are precious and leaves one with a feeling that we do indeed have a "peaceable kingdom." A great gift for anyone who can see--animal lover or not.