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Gettysburg National Military Park's cyclorama painting
"Battle of Gettysburg" painting at Gettysburg National Military Park's Cyclorama Center
The Gettysburg "cyclorama," a 360-degree painting of an important event in Civil War history, is scheduled to go back on public display next September.
The 1884 oil painting has been undergoing restoration since 2003. When it is unveiled to the public next year, it will be housed in a new museum and visitor center, which is scheduled to open in April at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.
The cyclorama, by French artist Paul D. Philippoteaux, depicts Pickett's Charge, the dramatic Union Army stand against the Confederate troops on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the final day of battle.
Philippoteaux, aided by several assistants, based his work on hundreds of battlefield sketches he made, a series of panoramic photographs and interviews with battle veterans.
The painting was designed to place viewers in the middle of the climactic, ill-fated Confederate assault on Union Army troops.
After being cleaned and mended, the cyclorama's 14 original sections are being hoisted into place in a new gallery with a system of ropes and pulleys.
In the new facility, the painting will be displayed in its original hyperbolic shape, meaning the canvas will be stretched at the top and bottom to form a cylinder curved inward, creating a more three-dimensional effect.
Gettysburg Park attracts nearly 2 million tourists annually.
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