The St. Louis Panoramas of the Mississippi Valley were a very popular type of entertainment in the early 19th century. Presented with special lighting and often times music to accommodate the scene with a narrative or speaker to recreate a setting and monumental events. By the end of the 19th century, many of the panoramas across the country lost their appeal and fell to disrepair.
John J. Egan was commissioned to create a moving panorama showing the Mississippi River Valley. The Saint Louis Art Museum now shows in this exhibition one of the six surviving panel.
For more information, visit the Saint Louis Art Museum web site.
