Once considered the largest oil painting in the world, this historic, cylindrical panoramic painting of the Civil War's Battle of Atlanta was unavailable for viewing at the time of research, as it was in the process of being restored and moved from its home since 1921 (Grant Park) to the custom-built, 23,000-sq-ft Lloyd and Mary Ann Whitaker Cyclorama Building at the Atlanta History Center. It should be in its new home by the time you read this.
The painting itself, which unrolled measures 42ft (13m) high by 358ft (109m) long, is enhanced by 28 plaster figures that are the focal point of the painting’s 3-D diorama, which slowly rotates to tell the story of the epic Civil War battle alongside narration and music. The new Cyclorama will also exhibit the restored Texas steam locomotive, an important early Atlanta railroading artifact that played a pivotal role in 1862’s Great Locomotive Chase.