Cyclorama Hits Hard Times, Remains Totally Awesome. So Go!
I’ve never made any secret of my overwhelming love of the Cyclorama, the largest painting in the world that’s just down the street from us in Grant Park. It is so awesome, guys.
Unfortunately, it rarely makes it into the news unless there’s trouble afoot, so it’s with a touch of displeasure that I mention yesterday’s article in the AJC. Although, publicity! Good, right?!
The actual news, however, isn’t so heartening. Director Keith Lauer has been let go and his position has been “frozen” after the staff had already been reduced to a skeleton crew. Naturally, visiting hours have been affected. In short, things are rough for one of the country’s most unique attractions.
To put that in perspective, the only other cyclorama painting, the Gettysburg Painting, recently underwent a multi-million dollar restoration and has a brand new museum to house it. Lucky.
A seemingly noteworthy difference between the Gettysburg Painting and Atlanta’s Cyclorama is the fact that the city of Atlanta owns the latter painting and employs its staff, whereas the National Park Service runs the former.
Is being run by a federal agency is the way to go? Or perhaps they should become a 501c3, a la Grady Hospital or countless other nonprofit institutions? What do you think?
No matter what, you should visit the Cyclorama. It really is one-of-a-kind and super neat, and it misses you.
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Amber Suitt
Program Director
Lain Shakespeare
Executive Director
1 Comment to Cyclorama Hits Hard Times, Remains Totally Awesome. So Go!
I was writing a short piece for my blog about me beginnings … them things what shaped the twig, mostly Mama and Daddy … Our weekend entertainment consisted of trips to Grant Park, the zoo and Cyclorama … Stone Mountain, the airport, train stations with their gigantic steam engines and the original Old Hickory House, a little drive-in open only on weekends, out on the Old Bankhead Highway, where you could get a big pork sandwich, chips pickle and a coke for twenty cents. Yes, that wasn’t yesterday or the day before though it sometimes so seems. It was back when streetcars were still in Atlanta, at least a few … and Ford offered you any color of wanted, so long as it was black.
Well, my piece, still a work in progress, includes “And yes, Daddy also knew the man that managed the Cyclorama at Grant Park and I more than once got to walk on part of the ‘painting’ among the horses and soldiers … well, twice is more than once” … and I was looking for some appropriate images to use with the story, when I found this place.
Unfortunately, it seems that time changes almost everything and most of the things I’ve treasured so much and upon which my memories were built have gone the way of Peggy Mitchell’s novel … including George Muse’s clothing, though Mr. Harris’ nest still survives, as does the Varsity.
Another which is surely long gone with the wind is the old carrousel that was then featured at Lakewood Park … that, as memory serves, was designed by the ones what did the Cyclorama.
The painting is awesome … surely there’s a word for something more awesome than awesome … whatever it is, that’s the word folks should use in describing the Cyclorama. It’s like hand cranked ice cream!
For those what haven’t yet seen it … Do! For those who have, do it again!
In writing some pieces about our nation’s founding … John Adams, Dr. Ben and others … it was the paintings what struck me most. I became convinced that the good doctor had also invented the camera … but, none compare!!