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Panorama – the first Rotunda

Aidan

Aidan

master brummie
I’m interested in the Rotunda building that was built in Birmingham to house the Panorama - canvases that were painted in the round and carefully lit and staged to give “a total immersive experience”. I think they were the IMAX or 3D entertainment of their day and why I think the Birmingham one deserves to be better known and understood.

I have done a search and can find no similar thread on the Forum so hope this isn’t duplicating anything - don’t want to get another slap from Alf :headhit:

I haven’t been able to find much online and what I have found relates mostly to the first Panorama in London after Robert Barker (Irish artist living in Scotland) patented the idea in 1787 and perfected the necessary methods of representing perspective, although these do give an excellent background eg:
• the first Panorama painting of Edinburgh
• Book - The Panorama by Bernard Comment
• NY Uni Media Archaeology
• History of Panoramic Image creation
• And good old Wikipedia

But what of the Birmingham Panorama? There are a couple of books that are either out of print or not online – so am just picking clues from the titles, which suggest that:
• it was situated towards the top end of New Street
• may have been a permanent structure (ie brick/stone rather than wood)
• Was quite early in date ie c1804
• But seemed to cease fairly early c1817 when panoramas in London certainly seemed to develop and become more popular over the C19th (ie become moving images and really the forerunner to modern media)
• May have been initiated and run by the inventor or his family

I am indebted to Rupert on another thread for sharing the wonderful image showing the Panorama centre stage in 1821 (obviously still around then)

What I am hoping the Forum can provide is answers to the following questions (and more…):
• Confirmation of dates (building and destruction)?
• Why was it wrapped up so soon & what happened to it?
• Structure & decoration – was it wood?
• People involved (was it the Barkers?)
• Images shown – assuming one a year or so there should be 10-20 that were shown
• Location – can we firmly pinpoint it in the modern landscape?
• Are there any other examples of it shown in paintings, sketches, maps, etc?
 
Aidan
One thing I think peculiar is that it is not shown on the 1810 Kempson map below, or the 1805 map at https://www.mapseeker.co.uk/genealogy/?id=1127&areaA=a1&areaB=b6&p=&s= . though possibly the latter is on the borderline of when it was built
mike

1810_Kempson_map___city_centreA.jpg
 
Hmm, a little problematic Mike I agree. I need to search for more maps of the period as different mapmakers seemed to choose different things to represent.

In terms of the possible location, I attach a scan of one dated 1845. My thought is that possible the building was replaced by the Society of Arts which I assume is the one with the Greek pillars. May be possible that the frontage is reused or remodelled from the Panorama entrance - just a wild theory at the moment
 
This is all very interesting and I always wondered what the round building was. I thought it was some kind of silo for food or grain or something. Just goes to show that there is a lot here that we don't know. There is a drawing of the inside of that building maybe,,,just can't remember where right now. Probably in B majic somewhere. Anyway it was a round room and there were a lot of pictures on the wall. The old paintings have stuff that was real...we just have to pay attention. They were the photographs of their day.
 
This is very interesting. I had never heard of the 'Rotunda' other than the one we have today. In the painting, what are the hills in the backround? Real or just artistic?
Polly
 
That picture is interesting Aidan.This is because the 1845 shows no round building, but the 1839 map below does, and it seems to be labelled Society of Arts.. Also , if you look at the c 1912 OS map, the back wall of the building seems to have a curved part, behind which other buildings have been built, but leaving a small space.
Mike

Socirty_of_Arts_1839.jpg


royal_soc_arts_building_map_c_1912.jpg
 
Success !
From “A Historical & Descriptive Sketch of Birmingham” by Beilby , Knott & Beilby Pub 1830. is the following view of the inside of the Royal Soc. of Arts, and also the paragraph shown, which confirms it was the Panorama building re-used for the Royal Soc. Of Arts. This was then rebuilt –so it claims, but it still shows a circular building in 1839, and , as I said previously, I think there are traces of the circular buildingat the back left in c 1912. so either the rebuilding was not 100% (possibly only the front additions adding to the capacity of the building, or they retained the circular shape , but rebuilt. Certainly the picture below , which must be after the reconstruction, in outline resembles the drawing in Aidan’s ref above History of Panoramic Image creation
Mike

inside_royal_soc_arts.JPG
 
Mike - the maps and article above are great finds thanks - means the sleuthing is off to a great start!
 
I can't get a streetview as the area is pedestrianised now, but Google Satelliteview suggests the address as being 63-71 New St.

Pollypops - As to the hills in the distance of the painting, I'll need to defer to topological experts but maybe they include Harborne Hill, Mucklow Hill, Clent which are all SW.
 
When the Society of Artists building was demolished The New Street Chambers were built in its place- a block of shops and offices.
I think this is just up from the Odeon, by the yard of Ale pub, about opposite where Primark now stands.
Polly
 
Aidan said:
I can't get a streetview as the area is pedestrianised now, but Google Satelliteview suggests the address as being 63-71 New St.
Click to expand...
Aidan, I am confused - a book I have says that the Artists building was vacated in 1911 and then demolished (doesn't say what date) to make way for New Street Chambers. The Artists Society secured a 100 year lease on a gallery above the new shops.
If you google New Street chambers it gives one company there as 67a New street - which ties in with what you said about 63-71
This is the Rotunda end of New Street (which would make sense) roughly opposite primark, near the High Street
Polly
 
Here is the Kellys entry for 1892:
69 Royal Birmingham Society of Artists(W.Q. Orchardson R.A. president; J. A.Chatwin F.R.I.B.A. vicepresident ; S. H. Baker,treasr. ; Jonathan Pratt,hon. sec)
70 Birmingham Coffee House Co. Limited (branch), William Leaker, mangr
71 Waterloo Bar P.H. George William Hardy​
...here are Christchureh pass.&​
Waterloo st
Mike
 
I am not sure but I think that the hills in the distance on the painting are the Malverns. 35 miles away in a straight line and visible on a good day perhaps...not many of those in my time there. Perhaps the industrial revolution was not in full swing at that time. Actually...just a thought...but I wonder if a visit to St Phillips dome might be arranged for some or one of the members...on a good clear day...with a decent digital camera. Perhaps those in charge would be just as keen to get a match-up with the painting. It could be that tall local buildings would obscure the view now.

Just noticed that Christchurch Passage is at the end of New Street now. Remember going down there lots of times in between the buildings and down two flights of steps from Waterloo St to New Street. There is great early 1900 or so photo of that area on here somewhere.

Perhaps the Malverns are a bi to far and the hills seem to have too much detail in them if you zoom in.
 
OK I hope this is relevant. 1890 ish photo of the top of New Street. The portico of the Society Of Arts building is over the sidewalk. Christ Church is still there and you could get a plate of whelks after the service. This photo curtesy of another forum poster. Incidentally I think this is a stunning photo...one of the best here. I know that the Theatre Royal was fire dammaged a couple of times and wonder if the building work being done in the distance was because of one of those fires.

The photo has so much energy and life in it...sad to say that everything in the picture is no more and people long gone.
 
Rupert - that's a lovely pic thanks. Funny how Oysters used to be the food of the common man - cost a fortune now & I love 'em, especially with a drop o' Guinness! Also good to get the name of the PH - Waterloo Bar. I would imagine that at least one of the Panoramas involved the Battle of Waterloo. There is a modern ie 1904 version housed in a rotunda at Waterloo https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32373561

Like the idea of the modern view from top of St Philips - hope one of the local members fancies some exercise as we are having lovely weather over here right now (volcano dust permitting)
 
Here is another one part of which is new and dated 1829. I wonder what kind of entrance could be crafted for a round, low domed building. The only thing I can think of off hand is an Igloo...not affording a graceful entry perhaps. Maybe this is it but without the pillared portico which is said to be added after some mods I think. This looks substantially the same as the photo but scale is a bit out. The view of the inside looks to be more continuously round than just a part wall so it could be that this is the rotunda room you were looking for.

No...just read Mikes post again and looked at the painting. The roof on the painting appears conical not domed.
 
Thanks Rupert - that certainly matches with the info that Mike got from the Directory of 1830 in Post #7. I'm not yet sure of course whether the pillared portico is original to the Panorama (I'd like to think so) either or an additional for its new use. Its style is reminiscent of the Town Hall (b 1834) which may be a clue.

From info on the other Panoramas of the time, the whole visit would be a play on the senses and the punters would be led through a dark passage way and tower to the focal point just under the indirect (at the time) skylights. So I would imagine there would have been a small viewing platform with roof in the centre of the room and between the floor and ceiling with access by a trapdoor in the platform to a covered (spiral?) staircase to a cellar lobby and thence up to the entrance/exit.

There is a picture here of the arrangement where

A: Entrance and cash desk; B: Darkened corridor; C: Viewing platform; D: Observer’s field of view; E: Cylindrical canvas; F: Three-dimensional foreground (Faux Terrain); G: Trompe l’oeil objects painted on the canvas. You will note the Pillared Portico on the diagram!
 
Mike - Thanks you obviously have better eyesight than me to notice this and better brain to find in the first place. I reproduce here with thanks to Bobsummers - It appears to be the building just above the coach
 
If you look in closely it has the conical roof and dates to about the same time as the panorama painting and seems to have the portico. It's hard to believe but behind that street frontage there was still very much greenary and open fields. Well spotted.
 
Aidena, the building with the portico front was not Society of Arts, it was the Royal Society of Artists, which is slightly different. That building is either on the site or near to the panorama building, from what I remember, as it was near to Christ Church. The RSA (now Royal Birmingham society of Artists, in St Paul's Square) was opened in 1829. Deisghed by Rickman and Hutchinson it was demolished in 1912. Sadly, in my humble opinion. Shortie
 
My pleasure Aidan, fascinating post. I will search my photos for the old Rotunda, but I am sure I have seen this building on old paintings at the History and Arts Museum in town.
 
Just had a quick look in Chris Upton's book 'A History of Birmingham' and there is a picture, which apparently contains a view of this panorama. I cannot see it myself, but it might be because it is time for bed (or nearly). It says - 'Beside the Town Hall stands the circular building known as the Panorama, used for the display of huge, panoramic paintings'. I can't find the Town Hall, nor a circular building, but it may just be me. Shortie

Oops, have found it now, but the building does not look particularly round to me.
 
This picture has really puzzled me - I don't have it in front of me now, but Christ Church is in a funny position, and although St Phillips burial ground was larger then than it is now, the picture seems to be a work of total fiction. New Street never went out of St Phillips graveyard. Look at the right hand side, the Town Hall is just about visible, and the Panorama is possibly the square building with the sort of domed top. I suspect it would have been next to Christ Church - I have a feeling I have read this somewhere in the distant past, but as my daughter has got a couple of books of mine on Birmingham, I cannot check this at the moment. Shortie
 
The Town Hall was not around when the rotunda, represented in the 1820 painting, was in being. That is why it can not be seen. But lots of other stuff can...the canal offices at the coal wharf at the end of Paradise Street...the canal heading to Worcester...the buildings that existed on the site of the future Town Hall... Allins curiosity shop with the flag on top...an early version of the Theater Royal and the Windmill at Holoway Head per another thread.
 
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