When I evaluated the Milwaukee Scottish Rite Collection, I encountered tags noting that it had been flame proofed and tested in 1995.
There were burn marks on many of the stage right sides of the drops. The holes were about eighteen inches up from the stage floor and the size of a dime.
This has been a continued battle for decades as Scottish Rites become public rental facilities and cannot rove that the scenery was originally flame proofed. In some regions, a Fire Marshall will insist that the historic scenery get sprayed with a flame retardant.
I understand that fire codes exist for a reason. There is the need to implement safety regulations to protect both the audience and performers. However, I have observed that the application of todays flame retardant on dry pigment scenery alters the painted surface. Cracks appear and the color begins to flake off.
This is an area of study that I have been waiting for an opportunity to explore. A series of test really needs to occur before another collection is sprayed and possibly destroyed. The Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center May 5, 2017 online article notes that a solution of fire retardant was applied to the drops. I wondered about the product that was used and if it will interact with the dry pigment over time.
In Fort Scott, the idea of applying a flame proofing formula to this collection greatly concerned me and I knew that it would have to be addressed at some point prior to hanging the collection. As the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center was a new public performance space, the facility would have to follow current fire codes. While on site in Fort Scott, the crew and I decided to do a fire test on remnants that had come off one of the sky borders. We were all curious to see how quickly the fabric would ignite if exposed to flame.
We went to the parking lot across the street from the Fort Scott Scottish Rite. All of us believed that the old and dry fabric would immediately burst into flames. We lit the corner of our sample on fire and it took quite a while before the fabric began to ignite. Then the flame lessened and within seconds died out, leaving only a burnt edge on our sample. We all looked at each other in surprise and then someone said, “Do it again!” We repeatedly lit our small piece of fabric to see if it could stay lit. Each time the flame was extinguished within a few seconds. We could not successfully light this piece of fabric that was over ninety years old! I was thrilled as the test both proved that the scenery had been originally treated with flame retardant and that it was still working.
Now would this hold up to today’s safety standards? Possibly not, unless an argument could be made that the flame retardant would irreparably damage the painted surface of this historical artifact. The fact that the drop didn’t burn certainly says something about the effectiveness and longevity of the traditional techniques. Once again, I was flabbergasted by how well these painted scenes survived the test of time.
To be continued…
