A treasured educational display from the 1893 World’s Fair will be restored, thanks to a $2 million gift.
Dyche’s Panorama, formally called the “Exhibit of Large North American Mammals,” was originally displayed inside the Kansas State Building at the Columbian Exposition before finding a permanent home at the University of Kansas.
Professor Lewis Lindsay Dyche created the panorama to showcase University’s natural history and taxidermy collection and to “awaken a more general interest and teach valuable lessons on the natural history of North American mammals.” The exhibit of 121 specimens of large North American mammals displayed in the north side of the Kansas State Building “from the very first day of the fair attracted large crowds of enthusiastic admirers,” reported World’s Columbian Exposition Illustrated in September 1893.
On March 11, 2025, the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum announced a $2 million gift from KU alumni toward restoring and preserving the historic display.