This Saturday at The Velaslavasay Panorama

One of the most important panorama halls in Japan was the Nippon Panorama in Asakusa, Tokyo, which was built in 1890.  It was opened to the public only two weeks after the beginning of the 'panorama craze' that had started with the inauguration of the Ueno Panorama in the same neighborhood.  Though neither of these panorama-kan survive in Tokyo, the area where they once stood remained an entertainment district throughout the twentieth century.

Asakusa Park Sino-Japanese War Panorama-kan, August, Meiji 29 (1896)

The Panorama-kan of Meiji Japan
明治日本のパノラマ館

an illustrated lecture by
Dr. Machiko Kusahara
草原真知子

Ms. Kusahara's presentation will be followed by a reception in the garden.

Saturday, January 16th, 2010
8 o'clock pm
Tickets $10
($8 V.P.E.S. members, Students and Seniors)
available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/94258
(Please note this ticket link has been corrected since last week's announcement-we apologize for any inconvenience caused by the error.)
Complimentary admission for audience members 70 years and older.

Since the 1980's, Dr. Kusahara has both curated and published internationally,  exploring the connections between art, science, technology, culture, and history. Her research themes include interaction between media technology and Japanese culture such as utsushi-e (Japanese traditional magic lantern shows), and Device Art, a project she pursues with artists and engineers using the latest digital technology.  Currently teaching at Waseda University in Tokyo, she received her Ph.D in engineering from University of Tokyo for her theoretical research in the field of Media Art.

Image from the ephemera collection of Dr. Kusahara and reproduced with her kind permission.  The presentation of The Panorama-kan of Meiji Era Japan has been funded in part by the Pasadena Art Alliance and The Velaslavasay Panorama Enthusiast Society.