“A poisonous color is a color that materially changes itself, after a short lapse of time attacks neighboring colors and alters them. When this action takes place it is termed “poison” in artists’ vernacular, and the result is a “false note” in the “poisoned area.” Excerpt from Frank Atkinson’s 1916 book, Scene Painting and Bulletin Art (page 20)
Chrome Green – deep, medium, and light: Very poisonous and not in favor.”
Colored rendering and detail from Twin City Scenic Co. Collection, box 2 (University of Minnesota Libraries – Performing Arts Archives, scenery collections).
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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