236 Years of Panoramic Technologies

236 Years of Panoramic Technologies

Saturday, June 17, 2023
Tickets: $12 General/$10 VPES
Doors Open: 7pm
Program Begins: 7:30pm

An illustrated lecture by James Fishburne (Forest Lawn Museum), Eric Kurland (3-D Space) and Sara Velas (Velaslavasay Panorama) in celebration of Robert Barker's June 19, 1787 Panorama Patent. Surveying the patents, productions and technologies of the panoramic medium, this talk illuminates some of the artifacts and items in the current exhibition at Forest Lawn Museum (Glendale), Grand Views: The Immersive World of Panoramas, currently on view until September 10th, 2023.

The evening includes a garden reception and opportunity to explore the exhibits at the Velaslavasay Panorama.

On June 19, 1787 Robert Barker received a patent for what he would later call a panorama - a 360-degree painting which immerses the viewer in landscape through a specific interface, often including a three dimensional terrain.  

Sara Velas and Ruby Carlson will introduce the panorama as a patented technology, describing the canonical principles of the artform through a tour of heritage-era panoramas still in existence throughout the world. An overview on moving panoramas will be given. Additional information on the original Hollywood Boulevard Location will be shared as context for the new diorama “Sunset at 5553 Hollywood Boulevard” on display at the “Grand Views” exhibition at Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale.

James Fishburne will discuss the history of Crucifixion panoramas, focusing on Jan Styka's1896 painting displayed in a purpose-built structure at Forest Lawn. He will also give a behind-the-scenes look at the new audiovisual program that accompanies the painting, which will debut later this summer.

Eric Kurland will present information on Cinerama - a mid-20th century film media which utilized three separate cameras and projectors to create an extremely wide-screen cinematic experience.

In addition to celebrating the panorama’s technological underpinnings, this event also marks the release of a limited-edition publication associated with the exhibit at Forest Lawn Museum -  “Grand Views: The Immersive World of Panoramas” - Designed by Willem Henri Lucas, Edited by Erkki Huhtamo, James Fishburne and Ruby Carlson, and featuring essays by Ruby Carlson, James Fishburne, Erkki Huhtamo, Gabriele Koller, Sara Velas and Suzanne Wray.

236 Years of Panoramic Technologies - Fishburne, Carlson & Velas

On the Presenters

Ruby Carlson
Ruby is an award-winning cinematographer and writer. Since 2009 she has been working, writing, curating and researching at the Velaslavasay Panorama. She is the former Secretary-General of the International Panorama Council and currently holds a position on the Advisory Board.

James Fishburne
James is an art historian and the Director of Forest Lawn Museum. He has taught courses on ancient Roman, Renaissance, and Modern art history at UCLA and California State University, Long Beach. In collaboration with the Velaslavasay Panorama, “Grand Views: The Immersive World of Panoramas” is the seventh exhibit he has curated at Forest Lawn Museum.

Eric Kurland
Eric Kurland is an award-winning filmmaker, Director of the LA 3-D Movie Festival, and founder and CEO of 3-D SPACE, The Center For Stereoscopic Photography, Art, Cinema, and Education, a Los Angeles based nonprofit dedicated to the art, science, and history of stereoscopic images. 3-D SPACE operates a stereoscopic museum and educational center in Los Angeles.

Sara Velas
An artist and native Angeleno born in Panorama City, Sara Velas is the Founder, Co-Curator and Creator of the Velaslavasay Panorama. She currently serves as Co-President of the International Panorama Council, a Swiss-based NGO committed to supporting the legacy and conservation of heritage-era panoramas and related media along with their current relevance and development.