SACO — Before the advent of motion pictures, the moving panorama of Pilgrim’s Progress entertained audiences nationwide in the latter half of the 19th century. Newly restored, the panorama, though not set in motion, can now be viewed in its entirety by the public once again in Saco and Biddeford.

Pilgrim’s Progress is a Christian allegory written by reformation-era preacher John Bunyan. Part one, written in 1678, tells the journey of Christian, and the obstacles he meets along his way to the Celestial City and eternal life. Part two, written in 1684, tells a similar journey of Christian’s wife, Christiana.

A panorama of the story was created by members of the National Academy of Design in New York and artists from the Hudson River School. Scrolled on wooden spools and accompanied by narration and music, it debuted in 1850 in New York, where it played to packed theaters for six months. Because the panorama was “a smashing success,” said Saco Museum Director Jessica Skwire Routhier, a second panorama was created in 1851, and toured the country simultaneously. The second version was “a new and improved version” of the first, said Routhier, and artists addressed criticisms of the first version.

The last known performance of the second version was in York County in 1864.

In 1877, Biddeford real estate agent Luther Bryant bought the panorama from inventor, theater owner and former Biddeford mayor Charles Shaw. Bryant hung at least part of the panorama in his barn.

Bryant died in 1894 and his heirs donated the panorama two years later to the York Institute, which later became the Saco Museum. In 1897, the museum exhibited the panorama in its galleries.

In 1925, an article in the Biddeford Daily Journal laments the loss of the panorama. For a long time, no one seemed to remember or mention the panorama, said Routhier, and there is no record of it from when the museum moved to its present location or later, when an addition with a large storage area was built on the museum.

In 1996, nearly 100 years since it was last on display, the panorama was rediscovered.  Tom Hardiman, museum curator at the time, was cleaning out a storage vault and stumbled upon a bunch of rolled-up drop cloths.

“Immediately, he could tell it was something important,” said Routhier.

Soon after the discovery, the panorama got a particle conservation, and in 2010, it was shipped to Williamstown Arts Conservation Center in Massachusetts for a cleaning and a complete conservation.

The panorama will be on display through Nov. 10 in both Biddeford and Saco. An opening reception will take place Friday from 5-8 p.m.

The panorama, in full, is nearly 800 feet long, too long to be displayed in the museum’s galleries. Christian’s story, which is about three quarters of the panorama, is on display at the Pepperrell Mill at 100 Main St. in  Biddeford, and the remaining quarter, Christiana’s story, is on display at the Saco Museum at 371 Main St. in Saco.

When walking into the expansive mill room, one is struck by how vast the display is, at eight feet tall, featuring vivid paintings in distemper paint on muslin.

The Pilgrim’s Progress panorama is one of the few remaining moving panoramas. The artform was among the most popular form of entertainment in the world from 1850s to 1880s, according to information from the museum.

The Saco Museum has hired Anna Kelley as panorama fellow, a temporary appointment through the end of the exhibit. She is responsible for the presentation and interpretation of the panorama in the Biddeford location. Kelley said she read the story of Pilgrim’s Progress in college, and is excited to be working with “such a rare and beautiful piece of art” that was created by famous artists of the time.

The restoration project cost about $170,000. Funding came from a $52,000 Save America’s Treasures grant and other sources. The restoration includes a film, which will debut June 29 and be displayed in the museum as well as online, and a replica.

The restored panorama is too delicate to be scrolled, so the replica, which debuted this past weekend, was created to be used for public performances.

For more information on the panorama and related public programs, go to www.sacomuseum.org.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.