October 2006: Bourbaki Panorama in Lucerne

Panoramas reached the height of their appeal in the early 19th century, when special buildings were constructed to hold these circular paintings that attracted crowds of patrons. Cities such as Rome, Paris, London and Geneva boasted panoramas of their locales, many of which can now be found in art museums.
Panoramas would make their appearance in America, where they would become one of the most popular forms of public entertainment, in the mid-1800s.
Later, the Napoleonic wars became a popular theme and extreme care and effort were taken to ensure accurate representation of topographical details and minor scenes, with artists dispatched to the scene of the battle and veterans interviewed.
The painting of these panoramas was no small affair but entailed a master artist who directed teams of other artists who specialized in landscapes, buildings, people and skies.
These panoramas were so accurate that veterans often brought their families to the panorama exhibit to show them the exact point where they had stood in battle.