Panoramic Photographs: From Past to Present

By Kes Murray, Registrar

Working in an archive, you come across some interesting objects. One of the most interesting objects that I’ve come across are panoramic photographs.The archival collection at the Oshawa Museum has a quite a few, ranging from scenery to group photographs. As I am a very curious, I started to wonder about how early panoramic photographs were made…

The Past

Early panoramic photographs were tied to the development of the daguerreotype, the earliest form of photography. Multiple daguerreotypes were taken so that the individual images would overlap. After, you simply place the photographs next to one another and you would have a panoramic, although a little broken up. The example from the Library of Congress shows how an early panoramic photograph would look.

Behrman, Martin, Copyright Claimant. San Francisco, from Rincon Hill. United States San Francisco California, ca. 1910. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2007660578/.

Towards the end of the 19^th century, the first panoramic cameras were made. In 1897, Multiscope & Film introduced the Al-Vista camera. This camera stayed still as the lens moved 180 degrees. In 1899, Kodak introduced the No. 4 Kodak Panoram camera. This Kodak camera, like the Al-Vista, stayed stationary as the lens moved along a spring. The No. 4 Kodak Panoram had 142 degree angle of view.

In 1904, Kodak manufactured another panoramic camera called the Cirkut. Unlike their previous No. 4 Panoram where only the lens rotated, the Cirkut camera itself rotated, allowing a 360 degree view. This camera became popular with commercial photographers, as it allowed large group photographs.

Although the Cirkut became popular, it produced a distorted view. Since the Cirkut rotated 360 degrees, curved scenes came out looking flat. This is best seen in a panoramic photograph I took of our three houses. If you have been down to visit us, you know that the walkway from Guy House to Robinson House in straight. However, the panoramic I took makes it look like the pathway curves. This is, again, because I had to rotate the camera and thus the photograph becomes misleading.

The Panoramic I took January 12 2023. This photograph shows how panoramic photographs can distort images.

Another great example of the distorted view panoramic photographs came make. View of Simcoe St., from Simcoe St. United Church, (south) to the old City Hall, Simcoe St. N., and King Street from the four corners, East to the Old Post Office, circa 1913. Oshawa Museum archival collection (A981.20.1)

To correct this distortion, photographers would position groups in a curve, so that the photograph would make the group look like they were standing together. The 116^th Ontario County Battalion panoramic photograph example shows how this would look like.

Positioning a group in a curve can correct the 360 degree distortion. 116th Ontario County, Overseas Battalion C.E.F. Niagara Camp July 14th 1916 taken by the Panoramic Camera Co Toronto. Oshawa Museum archival collection (A981.20.2)

The Present

Today, many of us have panoramic camera in our pocket. Our panoramic photograph setting on our phones function the same way as panoramic cameras of the early 20^th century, physically rotating the camera along 360 degrees.

Thanks for coming along this panoramic journey with me!

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Sources:

https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8084582/no-5-cirkut-camera-panoramic-camera-rollfilm-camera

https://content.lib.washington.edu/panoramweb/history.html

http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/entry_C110.html

http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/entry_C105.html

https://www.loc.gov/collections/panoramic-photographs/articles-and-essays/a-brief-history-of-panoramic-photography/#:~:text=Shortly%20after%20the%20invention%20of,plates%20side%2Dby%2Dside

https://mikeeckman.com/2016/10/kodak-no-1-panoram-kodak-1900-1926/

https://mymodernmet.com/history-of-panoramic-photographs/