Results tagged “Electric Map” from York Town Square

In the final days of Gettysburg's Electric Map's showing in 2007, Mitchell Keiper visited the map while on a field trip from Wisconsin. A photo caption aptly summed up the recent story of the map. Some students said they thought the narrator's voice was boring. Mitchell said he thought the program was interesting. Gettysburg National Military Park is seeking a solution to address both views. Also of interest: Q&A on new Gettysburg visitor center, old Electric Map, Restored Gettysburg Cyclorama arriving in new home and Gettysburg's Electric Map blinking in finale season.

The Gettysburg National Military Park's Museum and Visitors Center is drawing high marks from patrons, The Evening Sun in Hanover has reported.

But many give a brief critique: "I really wish that you still had the map."

Before demolition of the old visitors center, the map was taken apart and is now in storage.

Park officials are considering bringing back the map in video format, as this excerpted Evening Sun (9/13/09) story reports:

Workers started taking down the old Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center this week. The land eventually will be returned to its 1863 appearance. The former Cyclorama building will remain standing pending outcome of a lawsuit. Background posts: Two developers have plans for a relocated Gettysburg Cyclorama building and Gettysburg Cyclorama critics: Reviews ranged from 'huge dinosaur' to 'I was captivated' and Q&A on new Gettysburg visitor center, old Electric Map.

The former visitors center/Electric Map building at the Gettysburg Battlefield, source of so many memories, is coming down.

The Hanover Evening Sun reported on the beginning of the end of the building (3/24/09):

The former Gettysburg Cyclorama building won't face the bulldozer's blade in December after all. Here, visitors experience the Cyclorama in its final days at its longtime post. Background posts: Gettysburg Cyclorama critics: Reviews ranged from 'huge dinosaur' to 'I was captivated', Poster highlights the life of a Civil War soldier and Old Gettysburg visitors center closes today; new site opens Monday.

National Park Service officials will wait to demolish the old Gettysburg Cyclorama building until a court rules on its fate.

A preservation group, Recent Past Preservation Network, has taken the government to court over plans to knock down the familiar round building that housed the Cyclorama from 1961 until recent years. The circular painting, moved to the new Gettysburg visitors center, was opened to the public in September.

According to news reports, the preservation group thinks the park service should explore alternatives before demolition. The park service maintains it sought all such options in 1999 in preparing a plan for the park.

One wonders what the hurry is to demoliish the building... .

Students watch the Electric Map at the former Gettysburg National Park Visitors Center in its final months of operation. Background posts: Gettysburg's vaunted Electric Map to soon stop blinking, Gettysburg Cyclorama, with new shape, set for Sept. display and Shrink wrapping in Electric Map's future; Gettysburg tooth heads south.

The Electric Map, so familiar to visitors of the old Gettysburg National Military Park Visitors Center, is collecting dust in its familar room awaiting the carving knife and storage.

That is, unless one of several groups that have asked about this Gettyburg artifact successfully acquire it.

Seems like this is the last opportunity for someone to acquire it for public use before it is sawed into sections and mothballed... .

The Cyclorama Center at the Gettysburg (Pa.) National Military Park is pictured in 2000. The Cyclorama painting has since been moved to the new visitors center, where restorationists are working on it. The National Park Service has the go-ahead to raze this old Cyclorama building, pending resolution of a lawsuit, and accompanying visitors center. Today is the last day the old visitors center, with its Electric Map, will be open to the public. (See photo of painting under restoration below.) Who is Bob Kinsley, builder of the new Gettysburg Visitor Center?, Gettysburg's vaunted Electric Map to soon stop blinking and Restored Gettysburg Cyclorama arriving in new home.

Those looking for a Sunday afternoon drive - today, April 13 - can head for one last look at the old Gettysburg Visitors Center, with its accompanying Electric Map.

And then head over to do a windshield tour of the new center... .

Matt Gay, with a museum service company, positions a cannon at the Gettysburg (Pa.) National Military Park Museum and Vistor Center. The new center is scheduled to open April 14. Background posts: Shrink wrapping in Electric Map's future; Gettysburg tooth heads south and Gettysburg's Electric Map blinking in finale season.

Plans continue to call for the famous Electric Map at the old visitor's center in Gettysburg to be cut up, shrink wrapped and stored until a use can be found for it.

That was one of several questions the York Daily Record/Sunday News posed to park officials in these days before the opening of the new center.

Here is the Q & A:

Visitors gain a sneak preview of the Gettysburg Cyclorama in the new visitor's center in Gettysburg, the circular canvas that has attracted millions of viewers over the decades.
The Electric Map might be slated for storage, but Gettysburg's other top touristy icon is slated to return to public viewing in 12 months.

Paul D. Philippoteaux's Cyclorama depicting Pickett's charge undergoing restoration, and the first of 14 sections is being installed in its new home - the new visitor's center near the battlefield.

An Associated Press report on the project follows:

This is a view not commonly seen by those visiting the Electric Map - its underbelly. For a topside view, see below. Some map stats: The map is a 30-foot square. It was built in 1938 and installed in its own 554-seat auditorium in 1963. Number of light bulbs? 625. Background posts: Q&A on new Gettysburg visitor center, old Electric Map and Gettysburg's vaunted Electric Map to soon stop blinking. For numerous additional Civil War-related posts on this blog, see this category.

Gettysburg's Electric Map is for sale.

Soon, the low-tech map that for decades has oriented visitors to the Gettysburg Battlefield will not be part of the National Park Service's offerings.

Two observations:

The most memorable part of the presentation is the announcer's comment that Southern forces arrived at the battlefield from the north and Northern troops entered the field from the south. Those who have followed York County and the Civil War know that a whole division of Southern troops -- 6,000-plus men -- who, indeed, entered the field from the north -- had just arrived from the east.

Got that?

Those were Jubal Early's men, who had countermarched to Heidlersburg in Adams County, northeast of the field, after reaching York and the west bank of the Susquehanna in Wrightsville.

Also, park service stats place Electric Map visitors in 2006 at 228,792 people. At an average price of $3.50 a ticket, sounds like a pretty good business opportunity for someone who wants to preserve the Gettysburg icon. (To see how the park service will handle the map, view the post shrinkwrapping ).

The York Sunday News story follows: ....