- Pleorama
The best-known pleorama was a 19th century moving panorama entertainment where the viewers sat in a rocking boat while panoramic views on painted canvas rolled past. The word has sometimes been used for other entertainments or innovations.
Architect
Carl Ferdinand Langhans introduced a pleorama inBreslau in 1831 with scenes of theBay of Naples on both sides of 24 "voyagers" sitting in a wooden boat floating in a pool of water. The illusion was enhanced by light and sound effects: the boatman singing,Vesuvius erupting. Writer/artistAugust Kopisch was involved in designing the hour-long show.Carl Wilhelm Gropius, who had a
diorama exhibit inBerlin , took over management of this pleorama in 1832, and there was also a pleorama of a journey along the riverRhine .The Swiss writer Bernard Comment, among others, has pointed out the similarities between Langhans' pleorama and the ambitious
mareorama at the 1900 Paris Exhibition.A similar idea was used for a
London "padorama" in 1834. Spectators were seated inrailway carriages to watch a moving panorama of scenes visible from theLiverpool and Manchester Railway .In 1850s
Finland the name "pleorama" was given to shows which presented historic scenes and panoramic views using glass, but posters for these do not mention anything resembling Langhans' boat concept. [ [http://bibbild.abo.fi/nojen/ Posters in Swedish for pleoramas] ]Etymology
The name "pleorama" was coined from Greek elements. Like other 19th century novelties ending in "-orama" -
diorama andcyclorama , for instance - the second half of the word has the sense of 'something seen'. The "pleo-" part here is understood to come from a Greek word meaning 'float' which applies to Langhans' boat in water idea. "Pleorama" is also the 21st century name of an innovative "floating house".References
* [http://books.google.com Bernard Comment, "The Panorama" (1999)]
* [http://www.musikwissenschaft.uni-mainz.de/musikwissenschaft/tbmberlin99.htm Stefan Simon, "Fern-Sehen" und "Fern-Hören"] ("in German")
* [http://www.musikwissenschaft.uni-mainz.de/musikwissenschaft/tbmexpoe.htm Theatre Images and Music]
* [http://www.acmi.net.au/AIC/DAGUERRE_BIO.html Moving Panoramas]
*"Oxford English Dictionary"
* [http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/1695/?letter=P&spage=9 Etymology website page on "Pleo-"]ee also
*
Myriorama
*Panoramic painting Further reading
*C.F.Langhans, "Pleorama erfunden und aufgestellt; (Erläuterungen der in dem Pleorama erscheinenden Gegenstände von August Kopisch)", 80 pages (Breslau; Eduard Philipp, 1831):(In English: "Pleorama devised and arranged; Explanations of August Kopisch's artefacts appearing in the pleorama")
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