The Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama: A History and Guide
By Sue Boardman and Kathryn Porch
(December 2008 Civil War News)

Illustrated, bibliography, softcover 79 pp., 2008. Thomas Publications, P.O. Box 3031, Gettysburg, PA 17325, $19.95 plus shipping.

Reviewer: Blake A. Magner
Blake A. Magner is the Book Review Editor of Civil War News. He makes his living as an editor, writer, cartographer and photographer of Civil War history.

Review:
If you have recently been living in a cave and are not aware of it, the Gettysburg Cyclorama has moved from its old home, the Cemetery Ridge Mission 66 building, to the new Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, nicely tucked away in a more secluded spot off  Taneytown Road.

The painting that depicts Pickett’s Charge has also been restored to its original appearance. Thus today’s visitors can see the work as it was envisioned and created by Paul Philippoteaux.

Authors Boardman and Porch have written a nicely illustrated volume describing the new home and appearance of the Cyclorama with a brief history of the battle and the origin of the cyclorama. Through their booklet they describe the evolution of the Gettysburg Cyclorama, covering not only the originals but also the “buckeyes” (knockoffs of the original painting).

The chapters include a history of the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble attack, a history of the cyclorama, American cycloramas, The Gettysburg cycloramas, of which there were more than one, the Gettysburg Cyclorama Comes to Gettysburg and finally the restored Gettysburg Cyclorama.

These chapters use the words and tell the stories of Gettysburg veterans, from the lowly private to the general. The stories point out the changes that were made to the painting over the years by Philippoteaux and others. They also indicate the painting’s accuracies and inaccuracies.

One nicely done chapter shows sections of the restored Cyclorama on left-hand pages. Facing each is a page with period and 2008 photographs of the same section and a third photo noting highlights of that particular portion of the painting, such as identifying Hancock, Gibbon, Webb, Bryan Barn, Meade’s Headquarters and specific units.

I liked this booklet. Thomas Publications once again shows its publishing expertise. Despite a few minor spelling and fact inaccuracies the text is well written and reads quickly.

My only real beef with the book is the “this is the greatest thing since sliced bread” comments by members of the Cyclorama Project, Gettysburg Foundation and Friends of Gettysburg at the end of the volume. I understand that these comments were made before the Cyclorama went on public view, but to me they boil down to gratuitous advertising.

Having visited the Cyclorama many, many times over the last 45 years this volume makes me want to go back and see it once again. I strongly suggest the reader buy it and then go see the “new” Cyclorama.