Conservation Project: Panorama of the Monumental Grandeur of the Mississippi Valley July 8, 2011

Over two summers, the Saint Louis Art Museum will recruit student interns from the nation's top conservation programs to help restore the historical Panorama of the Monumental Grandeur of the Mississippi Valley (1850), a work commissioned by Dr. Montroville W. Dickeson and created by artist John J. Egan. In 1852, Dickeson toured the country with the Panorama, giving his own live narration of the 25 panels. The Dickeson-Egan Panorama is one of only six known panoramas from this era. Both works of art and theatrical enterprises, panoramas were presented to audiences as a precursor to the moving picture. The conservation of the Panorama will take place in the Museum's Main Exhibition Galleries, so visitors can view and learn about the work in progress. The finished Panorama will be included in a 2013 exhibition featuring the works of Missouri artist George Caleb Bingham before being permanently installed in the Museum's American Art Galleries.