Tuesday, 11 October 2011

History research... Two

Robert Barker

Robert Barker was an rish painter that used the term Panoramic to describe his Paintings on Edinburgh. After creating them, he was soon exhibiting them in London, titled, "The Panorama". In 1793, Barker moved his panoramas into the first purpose-built panorama building in the world, located in Leicester square, London. He made a fortune.


Audiences flocked far and wide, paying 3 shillings just to stand on the centeral platform under a skylight, and get the panoramic experience. His most famous one was a 360 degree view of the South bank from the roof of Albion Mills. The audience had a option whether to purchase a series of 6 prints that modestly recalled the experience.

His achievements involved the sophisticated manipulations of perspective, which has not been encountered in Panorama's predecessors. He managed to capture the side-angle "Prospect" of a city that was familiar since the 16th century. When Barker first used his technique in 1787, he gave it the French title of La Nature a Coup d' Oeil, Which translated means, "Nature at a first glance".

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