Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Museum conserving this panorama?The Saint Louis Art Museum’s Panorama of the Monumental Grandeur of the Mississippi Valley is the only surviving Mississippi River panorama. Its preservation is critical to our understanding of popular visual entertainment in the late 19th century. In its current condition without conservation, the panorama cannot be safely displayed for Museum visitors.
How was the panorama damaged?
When the panorama was originally shown, it was constantly scrolled from one roller to another to display the twenty-five individual, fourteen-foot-wide scenes. Distemper paint was used to create the images. The paint is made by mixing animal glue with dry pigment. It becomes brittle with age, and over time, as the panorama was rolled and unrolled, paint was worn from the surface. Additionally, the lightweight cotton fabric developed numerous creases and wrinkles from uneven rolling, resulting in paint loss. The scenes vary in condition; some have little loss, while others have extensive damage.
How will the work be conserved and documented?
With the panorama in a horizontal, "face-up" position, the entire surface is sprayed with a solution of gelatin and water. This serves to relax the creases in the fabric and to consolidate the powdery original paint. The paint losses are retouched by applying layers of pigment with watercolor crayons to match the colors of the original work. Once conservation is complete, the entire panorama will be re-photographed. In the meantime, the photos throughout the exhibition pre-date the current treatment.
What equipment is needed to support and maneuver the panorama?The panorama has spent decades in storage on a single roller. Last year, a new scrolling display mechanism was manufactured to support the panorama during treatment. This modern version of the 19th-century apparatus is made of lightweight aluminum and allows the scenes to be displayed one at a time. During the conservation process, the painting will lie in a horizontal position for some procedures, and in a vertical position during much of the in-painting. The new display mechanism is motorized to safely elevate and lower the panorama. Scenes will be carefully advanced by hand for safe transition from roller to roller.
What do conservators do? How do you become a conservator?
Conservators are specially trained professionals responsible for the physical care of artworks. They provide preventive treatments and determine safe environmental conditions for individual works of art and are also charged with cleaning, repairing, and stabilizing works of art as needed. Conservators follow a code of ethics which requires them to maintain specific standards in the course of their treatments.
The path to becoming a conservator begins with undergraduate studies in chemistry, art history, and/or studio art. Next, students must find work with a professional conservator. This pre-program experience is a crucial part of the application to graduate programs in conservation studies. Graduate programs usually take the form of a three-year master’s degree which includes two years of coursework and one year of work in a conservation lab.
