At the other extreme to the peepshow the panorama presented optical spectacles that literally surrounded you while the ghost shows astounded you.
In the 18th century optical shows evolved which were very popular at fairs. The panorama emerged in the late 1700’s. It consisted of one large extended picture or series of pictures of a scene which encircled the spectator and could trick the eye. Depictions of foreign cities were very popular as were famous battle scenes. Many panoramas were housed in permanent buildings but others were successful on the fairground. Another visual trick, the Ghost Show was hugely popular. In Paris for instance the ‘Phantasmagoria’ drew large audiences in the late 1790’s. This was a type of light and shadow show in which images were projected in smoke. There were quite a lot of them in Paris, often displayed in permanent buildings. But there were also travelling Phantasmagorias which frequented fairs everywhere.
Phantasmagoria at the end of the 18th century. The devil itself appears causing unbelief and fear. The projection even makes a militia man unsheathe his sabre.
Women faint and men shrink back at the sight of the Grim Reaper in Richardson’s Phantasmagoria. This engraving is from the end of the 18th century.
Phantasmagoria-pioneers were the German magician Paul Philidor (who built one in 1792) and the Belgian showman Etienne Gaspar Robertson (who created one in Paris in 1799). Robertson introduced such innovations as the projection of three-dimensional mechanically operated figures and tableaux. He also adapted the technology of the camera obscura to project live actors. Robertson created a theatrical Gothic which included electric shocks, fake thunder, incense, light effects, music, smoke and ventriloquism.
Le Magasin Pittoresque published this scene from a phantasmagoria in 1845. Backward spectators must have been thinking they were confronted with an apparition.