Description
This book is both a history of an unusual camera and a splendid display of its product. "Yard longs," as the Cirkut camera's huge panoramic photographs were called, caused a sensation after the camera's introduction in the early twentieth century. Cirkut cameras were used to record scenic vistas, epic events, and group photographs of conventioneers, workers, soldiers, and students. Here, with many foldouts that show the prints in their full glory, are such historic moments as the building of the Panama Canal, the sunken battleship Maine in Havana Harbor, the crash of the dirigible Shenandoah, the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, the 1908 Wellesley graduating class, and a very early race at the Indianapolis Speedway. More mundane subjects―a bathing beauty contest, locomotive factory workers―are equally fascinating in this format. Collectively these panoramas form a remarkable portrait of America at the turn of the last century.
In the first half of the 20th century, photographers recorded milestones using panoramic technology. Panoramic cameras worked by exposing a length of film gradually, capturing a wider field of view, and making a longer photo. Many of the photos in the collection were taken with a Cirkut camera, like that on display. This camera was loaded with a long spool of film and set on a tripod. The photographer would arrange their subjects, and then open the camera aperture while starting a clockwork mechanism in its base. The mechanism would slowly spin the camera while at the same time unspooling the film, exposing it bit by bit. Done properly, a 360-degree image could be taken on one piece of film. THE BIG PICTURE exhibit reveals how these craftsmen captured DC history. These magnificent panoramic photographs document visiting celebrities and moments of great pride. They celebrate the District of Columbia’s highs, acknowledge its lows, and reveal everyday life.
About the Author
Robert B. MacKay, PhD, is an author, historian, and former director of the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA). His previous books include Long Island Country Houses and Their Architects, 1860–1940, and America by the Yard: Cirkut Camera. He lives in Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
- Publish date: December 17, 2006
- Format: Hardcover
- Pages: 216
- Dimensions: 11.4 x 1.5 x 18.3 inches
