Atlanta Cyclorama Continues Commemoration of 150th Anniversary of Civil War with Special Programs in 2015
“We are energized by the interest in our special programming at the Atlanta Cyclorama,” states Camille Russell Love, Executive Director of the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “And because the Civil War did not end until April of 1865, we are continuing our commemoration of the 150th Anniversary this year. We will present some thought-provoking events, a film series, and some fascinating guests from February through June. We hope you’ll join us to discover new information about the Civil War and its aftermath, and explore its impact on our lives today.”
Here’s what you can look forward to:
Abraham Lincoln, the Anti-Slavery Movement and the Congregational Church
Thursday, February 12 at 7 pm
FREE Lecture and Q&A by authors William F. Moore and Jane Ann Moore
The age-old adage “politics makes strange bedfellows” was as true during the Civil War era as it is today. President Lincoln, often criticized for not going far enough, and early enough on the issue of slavery, befriended and often sought advice from Owen Lovejoy, described by Lincoln as “the best friend I had in Congress.” Lovejoy, a radical abolitionist, Congregational Church minister and attorney, spoke candidly about his willingness to assist fugitive enslaved African Americans. In their new book, Collaborators for Emancipation: Abraham Lincoln and Owen Lovejoy, William and Jane Ann Moore retrace the journey from casual acquaintance to abiding friendship between President Lincoln and Reverend Lovejoy and how their relationship impacted politics of the day. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
Philip Randolph: For Jobs and Freedom
Thursday, April 23 at 7 pm
FREE film screening in partnership with Urban Film Review
Ask most people who led the 1963 March on Washington and they’ll probably tell you Martin Luther King, Jr. But the real force behind the event was the man many call the pre-eminent black labor leader of the century, A. Philip Randolph. Randolph believed economic rights were the key to advancing civil rights. The documentary takes viewers on a tour of 20th-century civil rights and labor history as it chronicles Randolph’s legendary efforts to build a more equitable society. After the film the audience will be invited to participate in an open discussion.
Uprising: The Music
Sunday June 7 at 3 pm
Concert featuring the cast from Uprising
Tickets: Adults $10, Seniors $8, Children (4-12) $8
Based loosely on the life of Osborne Perry Anderson (1830-1872), Atlanta playwright Gabrielle Fulton’s tour-de-force musical Uprising recounts the story of John Brown’s failed 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry. The piece also shines a light on the themes of pre-Civil War African American self-determination, sacrifice and love. Anderson was a free-born abolitionist and one of only five men, and the only African American, to escape capture by the U.S. Marines following Brown’s doomed attack. Uprising features both original and traditional African American jazz, blues and gospel. Join us for an inspiring afternoon of music from this phenomenal play!
The Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum opened in 1921 and contains the world’s largest oil painting. The circular painting, known as a “cyclorama,” is 42 feet high X 358 feet long, and depicts the series of conflicts which encompass the Battle of Atlanta. Tours of the Cyclorama take place Tuesday through Saturday throughout the day, and include stadium seating for patrons on a revolving platform which affords a 360° view while they listen to details of the exciting events in the painting. The centerpiece of the two story museum is the Texas, the locomotive that won the Civil War adventure called “The Great Locomotive Chase.” The museum also features uniforms, guns & artillery, soldiers’ personal items, maps and other artifacts.
The Atlanta Cyclorama is located near downtown Atlanta, in Historic Grant Park, at 800 Cherokee Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30315. For general information, and more details about this year’s special events, visit www.atlantacyclorama.org.