The painting of the Siege of Paris, a faithful copy of the hugely successful Paris original, was done by the renowned French painter Henri Felix Emmanuel Philippoteaux, and came to Los Angeles after having been exhibited in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. The painting was purported to be nearly 400 feet long and 50 feet high, and a visit was complimented by hourly lectures on the subject of the work by a Professor T. Slater Smith.
Philippoteax's son Paul also became a painter of panoramas who worked extensively in America, and whose monumental work The Battle of Gettysburg can again be seen in its recently restored glory at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Within a year of its construction, the panorama rotunda and its grounds and outlying buildings experienced a multitude of transmutations in its usage, its owners quickly capitalizing on the prestige of the art work and its instantly recognizable address. Not only was it home to the painted battle scene, but also served as a warehouse for the Bancroft Piano Company; a rehearsal hall for the vocal section of the Philharmonic Society; the meeting space for the Young Man's Prohibition Club as well as the Harrison and Morton Club, a Republican party group; and Miss B.M. Tobin's millinery, directly adjacent to the offices of W.O. Merithew, architect.
Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1888
As the city continued to grow and change, the painting was removed, and the rotunda began to take on an array of ventures, some suitable, some not, to its magnificent size and original artistic intent. Throughout the 1890s and early 1900s, the rotunda housed a horse stable; in 1906 it was configured into a grand state-of-the-art roller skating rink, promising exersize and enjoyment for all ages, shown in advertisements touting polite instructors and special lunchtime classes for businesspeople.
Los Angeles Times, May 9, 1906
Unfortunately, it didn't last long as a skating venue; in 1907, the owner of the property, a Mr. Adolph Ramish, demolished the building and made plans to construct the Adolphus Theatre on the site, later to be called the Hippodrome.
Given the history of panorama exhibition in only the most cosmopolitan American cities in 19th century, Angelenos can be proud that their city was host to one of the most grand and important panoramas of the era.
Many thanks to Suzanne Wray and Los Angeles Public Library Archives for information and images on this page.
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