Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Richmond Scottish Rite Theatre Scenery Collection

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett

Scenery by Toomey & Volland scenic studio of St. Louis, Missouri, for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Richmond, Virginia. In October 2020, I visited the Richmond Scottish Rite with Michael Powers and Richard Finkelstein to document the historic scenery collection, dating from 1900-1920. For more scenes from Richmond, keyword search “Richmond Scottish Rite.”

Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite
Painted detail. Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite
Painted detail. Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite
Painted detail. Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite
Painted detail. Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite
Painted detail. Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite
Painted detail. Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite
Painted detail. Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite
Painted detail. Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite
Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite
Painted detail. Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite
Painted detail. Scenery by Toomey & Volland for the Richmond Scottish Rite

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.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *