The Cyclorama Building
Back in 1888, one idea for entertainment came in the form of a "cyclorama" which was used to expose large groups of people to a place, or event, that they would not be able to see in their hometown. Therefore, an artist would be commissioned to research, travel, and thus capture the scene and translate it into a giant, painted, panoramic view for thousands to see. Buffalo Audio Tour:
www.preservationbuffaloniagara.org/mp3/48_Cyclorama.mp3
The Buffalo Cyclorama Company was the first to act on this new form of entertainment by commissioning a piece on Niagara Falls (measuring 400 ft long by 50 ft wide) that would then travel to Paris and London.
This was such a success, that the Company decided to host an exhibit locally, "The Crucifixion of Christ," and they built The Cyclorama Building (in 1888) to house it. The exhibit attracted one thousand visitors per day, and it was open for two years.
After only housing one more exhibit, the building and the "cyclorama" trend fell out of local favor. Since then, the building has been converted a number of times, serving many different uses.
Presently, the Ciminelli Construction Company owns the Cyclorama Building; they've been calling it home since 1989, and their tireless restorative efforts even won the Historical Building of the Year Award in 1991.
The Cyclorama Building
369 Franklin Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
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