Battle of Atlanta, at Atlanta History Centre

Battle of Atlanta 1864

Atlanta History Center's 'Cyclorama' in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, depicts the Battle of Atlanta in superb detail, with Clark Gable, star of the film Gone with the Wind, making a special appearance somewhere out of this particular shot.

There are two cycloramas in existence in North America. The other one is at Gettysburg. They were like Victorian 'virtual reality' entertainments. This particular view is called 'The Railroad Cut'. Atlanta is three kilometres to the west, in the distance. The destruction of anything rail-based was essential for both sides in the American Civil War as Atlanta, being a huge rail hub, was supplying the confederacy.

The well-defended brick house - the Troup Hurt house - no longer exists but the Georgia tracks are still present and trains can still be heard traversing them early in the morning when the since-expanded city is quiet. The site around the house is now Inman Park, Atlanta's first suburb (courtesy of the new street car lines in the city). Inman Park was created in 1898 and is the location of some large and intricate Queen Anne Victorian homes, many being the residences of some of Atlanta's most prominent families.

The cyclorama was painted in 1886 for a northern audience. It is one of the largest oil paintings in the world. The exhibit it forms part of is really about history as seen through the lens of entertainment, with the fallacies, biases, and outright manipulation of the truth for the sake of money, along with how deeply emotional that embrace can be of something that is false.

The painting is property of the city, but Atlanta History Center organised its restoration using real life German artisans, just like those who painted it originally. The 3D diorama figures in front of the painting are three-quarter scale. Clark Gable is in there somewhere, thanks to the entire cast visiting the cyclorama during the Gone with the Wind premiere in 1939.