Kaiser Panorama

The original Berlin location of the Kaiser Panorama operated for 56 years, showing 2 collections of 50 slides twice per week. At the height of its popularity, there were estimated to be nearly 250 Kaiser Panoramas throughout Europe. Each panorama presented unique stereoscopic prints illuminated from behind and turned by a simple mechanical function designed to pull each slide to the next viewer. The slides remain only for a short time, while with the chiming of a bell, the panorama rotates. You as the viewer remain seated while the machine presents the rotating selection of slides featuring world events like images from the Great San Francisco earthquake in 1906 or scenes from expeditions to never before seen places like Palestine. The Kaiser Panorama allowed audiences of late 19th century Europe virtual participation in events of the day and virtual expeditions – something we still enjoy today with applications like Google Earth.

Ultimately however the charms and entertainment of the Kaiser Panorama could not compete with other technological advances delivering similar information like illustrated magazines, daily newspapers, and of course the popularization of the moving image in films.