Scene from Atlanta Cyclorama

This is painting that depicts fierce fighting during the American Civil War as Confederate defenders of Atlanta attacked the Union Army on 22 July 1864.

The painting was commissioned by the unsuccessful Vice Presidential candidate in 1884, John A. Logan, who had commanded a Corps of the Union forces in the battle. Logan is naturally very prominent in one of the scenes where he rides to plug a gap that had appeared in the Union lines.

The painting was created by the American Panorama Company, who were lead by Prussians Friedrich Heine and August Lohr. It opened to display in Detroit in 1887. The painting was sold and ended up in the hands of a travelling circus that came to Atlanta. Few in the South wished to see a Union defeat of the Confederacy and the Circus went bust. Its assets including the painting and the animals were sold. The animals started the Atlanta Zoo and the painting was installed in its grounds where it is today.

A museum was built in 1921 to house the painting, and this has been restored on several occasions, and added to with diorama of figures in foreground.