Panorama Display

Exhibits

Harley-Davidson Museum^®, Bridge
Originally on display May 18, 2018 - September 6, 2019

Top: Army Motor Service at U.S. Capitol, 1919

Middle: Richmond, Indiana MC picnic, 1915

Bottom: Good Fellowship ride, Lueck Bros. H-D, Chippewa Falls, Wis., 1915

Perhaps you just used the “Pano” setting on your phone’s camera to photograph the tank wall display. Capturing a wide vista has never been easier thanks to today’s digital technologies. However, panoramic photography has been around for over a century. Special cameras were engineered for photographing subjects such as landscapes, groups of people, and large events by the late 19th century. One of the first mass-produced panoramic cameras was the Al-Vista, introduced in 1898 by a company based in nearby Burlington, Wis. Soon, the likes of Eastman Kodak and Sears followed with their own affordable and user-friendly versions, while other companies manufactured more sophisticated equipment intended for commercial studios.

Among the tens of thousands of pieces of original photographic material in the Harley-Davidson Archives are a number of panoramic images. These provide a detailed visual record of motorcycle clubs, organized rides and outings, and formal portraits of military and police groups. This display includes framed original prints, as well as modern prints from negatives or digital scans. As part of its ongoing preservation efforts, the Archives regularly digitizes materials such as photos for research purposes, and to make the images accessible for reproduction.

Milwaukee Police, Washington Park, 1927