Panorama Ray
Ray Herbert II (April 19, 1945 – January 7, 1997), better known by his professional name Panorama Ray, was an American panoramic photographer and folk-art painter based in Atlanta, Georgia. Recognized for his distinctive use of a 1908 Eastman Kodak #10 Circuit Camera, Herbert became a prominent figure in Atlanta’s art scene during the late 20th century.[citation needed] His large-scale panoramic images and vivid folk-art paintings contributed significantly to the city’s cultural landscape.[citation needed]
Early life
Ray Herbert II was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Raymond Frances Herbert and Alice Ruth Herbert. The eldest of five children, Herbert left high school early and went on to build a series of independent careers, achieving and losing financial success on more than one occasion.
Career
At age seventeen, Herbert began working at a souvenir shop on Starnes Pier in Atlantic City, where he photographed tourists by the Miss Atlantic City ship. He later worked as a press photographer for the Atlantic City Convention Center, where he covered the Miss America pageants and was the only photographer permitted to photograph a helicopter flown inside the center. During this period, Herbert also photographed celebrities and entertainers at the 500 Club, owned by Paul “Skinny” D’Amato, where he documented both prominent performers such as Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., and organized crime figures associated with the venue.
Work with Fred Hess and early photography studios
At nineteen, Herbert began working for panoramic convention photographer Fred Hess. His background as a press photographer secured him the position, and he initially assisted Hess with transporting and operating the large, heavy panoramic camera. Hess had previously used the same model camera to photograph Miss America pageants and Atlantic City events in the 1920s and 1930s.
In 1967, Herbert opened his first printing studio in Chelfonte Alley, Atlantic City. He continued to work as a convention photographer in Atlantic City and Atlanta, documenting major political gatherings, including Democratic and Republican conventions. He was present inside the Washington Hilton Hotel on the day President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, and once photographed President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House.
Acquisition of the panoramic cameras
In the late 1970s, Herbert purchased two Eastman Kodak #10 Circuit Cameras and the original negatives from Hess’s sons, who were preparing to melt the negatives for silver. He commissioned a complete restoration of one camera, which was polished, gold-plated, and fitted with new red bellows. Herbert later motorized the device to rotate a full 360 degrees, creating the foundation for his signature panoramic work.
Life and work in Atlanta
Herbert relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, on January 25, 1974. He invested in property near the future site of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Center, a venture that eventually proved profitable. He developed a friendship with President Carter, who praised one of Herbert’s panoramic photographs of the Oval Office, joking that Herbert was “the only one who could straighten out the Oval Office.”
In Atlanta, Herbert purchased one of Kodak’s first color processors for 8×10-inch images, though he frequently processed his oversized panoramic prints by hand, often using his bathtub. Many of his black-and-white images were later hand-colored.
Herbert developed an experimental panoramic technique he called “Movin’ Stills,” directing subjects to move during exposure to create multiple ghost-like impressions within a single frame. Settling in Atlanta’s Cabbagetown neighborhood, he became a well-known local figure and informal community leader. Many of his subjects were residents of Cabbagetown, whom he affectionately referred to as “the Cabbage Heads.” His works frequently depicted these characters, both in his photography and in his folk-art paintings.
Herbert was known for his generosity within the community, often feeding neighborhood children and paying them small sums for odd jobs. His Cabbagetown photographs captured the lives of working-class and Appalachian-descendant families connected to the area’s historic textile mill.
During the late 20th century, Herbert became a prominent chronicler of Atlanta’s underground art scene. His “Whispering Garden” studio on Carroll Street served as a gathering place for artists, musicians, and performers. Among his subjects were the vocalist Benjamin Smoke and his band Smoke, actor Mick O’Dowd, performance artist Mitch Cherry (as “So Fly”), the Natabari dance troupe, and numerous costumed figures such as “the Snow Queen,” “the Devil,” and “the Fairies.” Herbert also documented major Atlanta landmarks and events, including the 1996 Olympic Games, the Clermont Lounge, and the Atlanta Braves Stadium.
His photographic archive includes panoramic images of major U.S. and international cities, natural landmarks such as the pyramids of Giza, and portraits of public figures including B.B. King, Diane Keaton, Mick Jagger, and Ted Turner. His collection is estimated to contain approximately 5,000 negatives, including the Fred Hess originals.
Folk art and later work
Beyond photography, Herbert produced hundreds of folk-art paintings, often featuring narratives about the “Cabbage Heads” and imaginative stories involving aliens and Atlanta landmarks. He contributed articles and artwork to the local art magazine Highpoint, where he combined storytelling with photography and painting.
References
- ↑ Waterhouse, Jon (2016-08-08). "Exhibit at Eyedrum celebrates Cabbagetown's 'Panorama Ray'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ↑ Hall, Christopher (2016-08-29). "Remembering Panorama Ray & Cabbagetown at Eyedrum". Burnaway. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ↑ "A History Of Cabbagetown". Cabbagetown, Atlanta. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
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