Here is a double-painted flat from the nineteenth century; one side depicts a rocky mine setting (with diamond dust for silver veins) and the other side depicts a cloud setting (with gold paint outlining the clouds).
Double-painted flat, ca. 1879-1890. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado. Scenic artist currently unknown.Double-painted flat, ca. 1879-1890. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado. Scenic artist currently unknown.
The rocky mine setting included three pieces, but only one was double painted with clouds. The other two flats were back painted with a garden scene and will be posted tomorrow. All of these pieces were created for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, ca. 1879-1890.When the Leadville Elks (BPOE) purchased the building and renovated the stage and auditorium (1901-1902), the original scenery was replaced with new; the older collection tucked away in the attic. In September 2020, I led a group of volunteers to document the attic scenery and lower many pieces to the stage floor. I have yet to identify the scenic artist for this particular piece.
Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.
For more information about historic scenery collections at Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, or the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, use the keyword search function and type in “Tabor.”
Author: waszut_barrett@me.com
Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
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