Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado. Painted Shutters by T. Frank Cox, 1888.
Two shutters by T. Frank Cox, 1888.
From September 21-27, 2020, Dr. Wendy Waszut-Barrett led a group of local volunteers to document historic stage settings in the attic of the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado. These stage artifacts should be considered much more than “old scenery.”
Much of the historic scenery collection is comprised of large-scale artworks painted by nationally recognized artists.
Below are two shutters painted by scenic artist and theatre architect Tignal Frank Cox for the Tabor Opera House in 1888. These shutters formed a backing for the stage picture. Rolled together, shutters were a perfect solution for theaters that did not have room to raise backdrops out of sight. Wings and shutters slid on and off the stage in grooves to form scenic illusion on nineteenth and twentieth century stages across the United States.
Two shutters by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888. Notice the two flat sheaves at the bottom that allow the unit to effortlessly roll.Flat sheaves allowed shutters and wings to roll.
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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