12.7

//Source(s): "Amish Heartland," a tourist brochure dated June 1996// published by Spectrum Publications, P O Box 8, 409 Main Street, Orville Ohio 44667 Fax 330-683-2041 Bruce: a cyclorama *too new* to be on your posted list of "Known Surviving Panoramas!" (Working Note 09.3). This is from a brochure I picked up on a recent visit to my ancestral state of Ohio. Best, Candi Strecker page 19 "Behold *Behalt* in Berlin" "*Behalt* == German for 'remembering' == is one of only three 'cycloramas' in the country, and it is located near Berlin (((Ohio, USA))), at the Mennonite Information Center. "It shows the history of the Anabaptist movement, which includes the Mennonites, Amish and Hutterites. Beginning with Christ, the paintings go through the early history of the church, through the Middle Ages and the rise of the Protestant movement, then the history of the Anabaptists. "The circular mural is 10 feet high and 256 feet long, and it took artist Heinz Gaugel four years to paint it. The room is dimly lit, with lights only on the paintings. This adds to the drama, and some people like to sit on the chairs provided and absorb the story at length. Others walk around slowly and stop periodically to study a section. You could visit *Behalt* many times and there would still be more to see. "Gaugel is a self-taught artist. He was born near Stuttgart, Germany, in the Swabish Alps. He began sketching at 6 and did his first oil painting at 12. After World War II, Gaugel started a career as an accountant in Germany, but was transferred to the art department of a factory where he designed metalware. "Gaugel emigrated to Canada in 1951 and became known for his huge mosaics and large paintings outside churches and commercial buildings. "He came to Ohio in 1971 to create a statue in Cambridge. That didn't work out, but he connected with area Mennonite and Amish communities and stayed for 10 years. During that period, some Mennonite businessmen contacted him about developing their history through art. "Gaugel moved back and forth between his Canadian studio and Holmes County, where the cyclorama was completed in 1992. "To get to the Mennonite Information Center near Berlin, take U.S. 62 and Ohio 39 to Holmes County Road 77, and go north on 77. Signs are posted. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Admission to the cyclorama is $5.50. There is no charge to visit just the center. For more information, call 330-893-3192." (((bruces remarks: Among candidates who might revive the panorama/cyclorama form in the 1990s, one could scarcely pick a better group than the Amish and Mennonites. The cyclorama is a spectacular, immersive virtuality without moving parts.))
 * Dead medium: An Amish Cyclorama**
 * From: strecker@sirius.com (Candi Strecker)**