The sublime yet awful grandeur: the Arctic panoramas of Elisha Kent Kane
Abstract In mid-nineteenth century America, the Arctic adventures of Elisha Kent Kane were a common and central subject for the emerging mass media. Kane's exploits were retold through illustrated newspapers, magazines, and books, but his narratives found one of their widest audiences through t...
Published in: | Polar Record |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1999
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400015485 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400015485 |
id |
crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0032247400015485 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0032247400015485 2024-03-03T08:41:07+00:00 The sublime yet awful grandeur: the Arctic panoramas of Elisha Kent Kane Potter, Russell A. Wamsley, Douglas W. 1999 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400015485 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400015485 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Polar Record volume 35, issue 194, page 193-206 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development journal-article 1999 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400015485 2024-02-08T08:46:19Z Abstract In mid-nineteenth century America, the Arctic adventures of Elisha Kent Kane were a common and central subject for the emerging mass media. Kane's exploits were retold through illustrated newspapers, magazines, and books, but his narratives found one of their widest audiences through the medium of the ‘panorama.’ Initially presented in fixed locations, these panoramas later traveled across the country, combining large moving canvasses with a variety of visual and theatrical effects. Kane's two Arctic expeditions were among the most popular subjects represented by panoramas in the period before the American Civil War. This article examines the history of the panorama as it reflected and shaped public interest in the Arctic regions, including earlier polar expeditions, and gives a detailed account of the Kane panoramas. Other optical media that represented Kane's exploits are also considered. Because of its broad audience and widespread appeal, the panorama, along with other emergent visual technologies, played a vital yet overlooked part, both in disseminating Kane's accomplishments and in elevating Kane to prominence and fame in the mid-nineteenth century. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Polar Record Cambridge University Press Arctic Kane ENVELOPE(-63.038,-63.038,-73.952,-73.952) Polar Record 35 194 193 206 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development Potter, Russell A. Wamsley, Douglas W. The sublime yet awful grandeur: the Arctic panoramas of Elisha Kent Kane |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
description |
Abstract In mid-nineteenth century America, the Arctic adventures of Elisha Kent Kane were a common and central subject for the emerging mass media. Kane's exploits were retold through illustrated newspapers, magazines, and books, but his narratives found one of their widest audiences through the medium of the ‘panorama.’ Initially presented in fixed locations, these panoramas later traveled across the country, combining large moving canvasses with a variety of visual and theatrical effects. Kane's two Arctic expeditions were among the most popular subjects represented by panoramas in the period before the American Civil War. This article examines the history of the panorama as it reflected and shaped public interest in the Arctic regions, including earlier polar expeditions, and gives a detailed account of the Kane panoramas. Other optical media that represented Kane's exploits are also considered. Because of its broad audience and widespread appeal, the panorama, along with other emergent visual technologies, played a vital yet overlooked part, both in disseminating Kane's accomplishments and in elevating Kane to prominence and fame in the mid-nineteenth century. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Potter, Russell A. Wamsley, Douglas W. |
author_facet |
Potter, Russell A. Wamsley, Douglas W. |
author_sort |
Potter, Russell A. |
title |
The sublime yet awful grandeur: the Arctic panoramas of Elisha Kent Kane |
title_short |
The sublime yet awful grandeur: the Arctic panoramas of Elisha Kent Kane |
title_full |
The sublime yet awful grandeur: the Arctic panoramas of Elisha Kent Kane |
title_fullStr |
The sublime yet awful grandeur: the Arctic panoramas of Elisha Kent Kane |
title_full_unstemmed |
The sublime yet awful grandeur: the Arctic panoramas of Elisha Kent Kane |
title_sort |
sublime yet awful grandeur: the arctic panoramas of elisha kent kane |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1999 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400015485 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400015485 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-63.038,-63.038,-73.952,-73.952) |
geographic |
Arctic Kane |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Kane |
genre |
Arctic Polar Record |
genre_facet |
Arctic Polar Record |
op_source |
Polar Record volume 35, issue 194, page 193-206 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400015485 |
container_title |
Polar Record |
container_volume |
35 |
container_issue |
194 |
container_start_page |
193 |
op_container_end_page |
206 |
_version_ |
1792496901292032000 |