In April, 1865 the photographers descended on Richmond, and for some reason (probably the abundance of time in which to make the photos) made many panoramic photographs; instead of today's panoramic photography technique, in which the camera rotates and takes a continuous image, these photos were taken by exposing one plate, rotating the camera slightly, and then exposing another. This process would be repeated until the cameraman had taken as many plates as he needed (or wanted) for his panorama. Back in the studio, the prints would be developed, and then cropped and then physically joined to form the finished panorama. Unfortunately, these sweeping landscapes were not very popular at the time, and thus, very few originals remain. However, through extensive research in the Library of Congress and the National Archives, it can be ascertained which photographs are meant to go together. In fact, as you will see, some of the best known photographs of Richmond, are actually one part of a panorama. Some of these panoramas have never been published before, and I flatter myself to think that in a few of these cases, I am the first to have realized the fact that these pictures are pieces of a panorama. I hope you enjoy this exposé of sorts of Richmond panoramic photography.

The titles of these panoramic photos are my own, and generally describe what portion of Richmond they show - in the case of the larger, and more inclusive photos, the title refers to where they were taken (ie: Church Hill, Gamble's Hill, Manchester).

Panoramic Photos: