View single post by pamc153PA
 Posted: Tue Oct 28th, 2008 11:49 pm
PM Quote Reply Full Topic
pamc153PA
Member
 

Joined: Sat Jun 14th, 2008
Location: Boyertown, Pennsylvania USA
Posts: 407
Status: 
Offline
Mana: 
 Just talked to a friend who was at Gettysburg over the weekend. He and his family went to see the Cyclorama painting, along with the film, at $7.50 a pop. His disappointment was with the cyclorama, not so much the film. He said that the time each group has to view the painting was about 15 minutes, with a narration of various parts of the painting. He said they also had trouble seeing parts around the crowd. He said that what they saw was terrific, but he didn't like very much being herded in and out like cattle with a very limited time to view the painting.

I just read a very similiar letter written to The Civil War News. The person who wrote it felt the same way about much of the same things. She also mentioned that none of the guides doing the "crowd control" told anyone they should move around to get a good view, so most people just stood there, expecting to be able to have more time to view the painting.

I suppose, just like with the film and the museum itself, that most people don't want to spend a large amount of time viewing the painting. Most want to get an overview, and then go. But I really think a 15 minute viewing time limit does a disservice to the painting itself. If you look at it from either a Civil War perspective, or purely an art perspective, you need more than a "hurry up and look" chance to really appreciate it. I wonder if I could pay the $7.50, and skip the film, and see the painting twice instead?!

Has anyone experienced these things at the cyclorama? I won't be out there until Remembrance Day in a month.

Pam