Diorama

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This article is about the display. For other uses, see Diorama (disambiguation).

A diorama is any of the two display devices mentioned below. It can refer to the 19th century theatre device, which actually moved; or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional model, usually enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum.

1 Daguerre's Diorama
2 The Modern Diorama
3 See also
4 References in Popular Culture
5 References

[edit] Daguerre's Diorama

Plan and Cross-section of Daguerre's Diorama in London.

The Diorama was a popular entertainment in Paris, England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1822 to 1880. An alternative to the also popular "Panorama" (panoramic painting), the Diorama was a theatrical experience viewed by an audience in a highly specialized theater. As many as 350 patrons would file in to view a landscape painting that would change its appearance both subtly and dramatically. Most would stand, though limited seating was provided. The show lasted 10 to 15 minutes, after which time the entire audience (on a massive turntable) would rotate to view a second painting. Later models of the Diorama theater even held a third painting.

The size of the proscenium was 24 feet wide by 21 feet high (7.3 meters x 6.4 meters). Each scene was hand-painted on linen, which was made transparent in selected areas. A series of these multi-layered, linen panels were arranged in a deep, truncated tunnel, then illuminated by re-directed sunlight. Depending on the direction and intensity of the skillfully manipulated light, the scene would appear to change. The effect was so subtle and finely rendered that both critics and the public were astounded, believing they were looking at a natural scene.

The inventor and proprietor of the Diorama was Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre (1787–1851), formerly a decorator, manufacturer of mirrors, painter of Panoramas, and masterly designer and painter of theatrical stage illusions. Daguerre would later co-invent the daguerreotype, the first widely used method of photography.

It has been speculated that Daguerre got the idea for his Diorama by viewing the lesser known “Diaphanorama”, a series of approximately 100 watercolors made by Swiss artist Franz Niklaus König (1765-1832). Initially exhibited between 1811 and 1821 in Switzerland, Germany, and France, these paintings were made selectively transparent by oiling and scraping the paper and then backlighting them in a darkened room.

[edit] The Modern Diorama

A diorama in the Museum of Natural history in Milan (Italy).

The current, popular understanding of the term “Diorama” denotes a partially three-dimensional, full-size replica or scale model of a landscape typically showing historical events, nature scenes, cityscapes, etc., for purposes of education or entertainment. Frank M. Chapman, a curator at the American Museum of Natural History during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, helped popularize the style commonly seen today.

Museum diorama depicting US infantrymen preparing to counterattack

Modern “Museum Dioramas” may be seen in most major natural history museums. Typically, these displays use a tilted plane to represent what would otherwise be a level surface, a painted background of distant objects, and often employ false perspective, carefully modifying the scale of objects placed on the plane to reinforce the illusion through depth perception of viewing a larger space—representations of objects (of identical real-world size) placed further from the observer are smaller than those closer. Often the distant painted background or sky will be painted upon a continuous curved surface so that the viewer is not distracted by corners, seams, or edges. All of these techniques are means of presenting a realistic view of a large scene in a compact space. A photograph or single-eye view of such a diorama can be especially convincing since in this case there is no distraction by the binocular perception of depth.

Miniature dioramas are used to represent scenes from historic events (e.g., tin soldiers arranged in a display depicting a famous battle). A typical example of this type are the dioramas to be seen at the Norges Hjemmefrontmuseum (Norwegian Resistance Museum) in Oslo, Norway.

Room boxes and other doll housing can also be considered dioramas. So too, the landscapes built around model railways, although they often have to compromise scale accuracy for better operating characteristics.

One of the largest Dioramas ever created was a model of the entire state of California built for the San Francisco World Fair and that for a long time was installed in San Francisco's Ferry Building.