All That Glitters Isn’t Gold
There is something magical about metallic colors on painted scenery. Metallic gold shifts from a deep bronze in the shadows to a brilliant gold under light. Catching a glimpse of Dutch metal or foil strips from different angles makes a backdrop come to life. It can add life to the painted stage picture. However, the application of metallic accents must be sparse and effectively lit for it to work. Seldom have I encountered a metallic paint or a glitter glaze on Scottish Rite scenery; on my travels I have primarily encountered the use of foils. Early twentieth century Masonic scenery incorporated foil strips that suggested fiery blazes of the underworld or brilliant rays emanating from heaven above.
It was not until the 1920s that metallic paint began to replace the foil strips and Dutch metals, a popular effect throughout the nineteenth century for fairy scenes and sparkling underwater caverns. Many degree settings for Scottish Rite productions used foil strips to outline demonic figures and rocky outcrops. It was a scenic illusion suggesting the fiery pits of the underworld. As the drop moved, the foil strips reflected stage lights, creating a sparkle that suggested firelight. It was an extremely labor intensive process; especially when considering the amount of time already spent attaching netting if it was a cut drop. Hell scenes were incredibly expensive to create in a scenic studio.
Paper-backed foils are very visible from the audience, much more so than metallic paint or glitter. The crinkles on each foil strip allow reflective highlights to appear natural. Both Scottish Rite scenery collections in Joplin, Missouri, and Moline, Illinois, have areas accentuated with metallic paint and glitter, not foils. Both collections date from the 1920s. During this decade, many studio techniques became less labor-intensive and streamlined. The new techniques were not always an improvement, but cost effective as the new processes saved the studio time and money. Unfortunately, decades would reveal that many of the new studio techniques would prove problematic. One example is the replacement of individually gluing knotted intersections on netted cut drop with large swaths of glue along the perimeter. It was a faster process, but over time, these large areas of glue became brittle and puckered the painted surface. Those with dots of glue on knotted intersections remained flexible and undetectable from the audience.
In addition to the introduction of timesaving techniques, there were other factors to consider. The increased use of electric lights occasionally caused painted compositions to appear flat, necessitation the additional of metallic paint to palatial interiors, garden scenes, and treasure chambers to give it a little life and movement. The increased intensity of electric light diminished the depth of painted scenery. Furthermore, a new generation of scenic artists lacked some the fine art experience acquired by their predecessors, thus incorporating new painting techniques that departed from a more traditional stage aesthetic. The increased use of draperies and dimensional scenery further shifted scenic art techniques and use of alternative materials.
I was delighted to encounter the metallic paint and glaze with glitter on some of the Scottish Rite scenery in Joplin, Missouri, on the final day of our trip. The fiery scene from the underworld was a lovely composition where demonic eyes were accentuated with a glitter glaze. Metallic paint was also applied to the gold bases of palatial columns for ornamental detail and highlight. This was an attempt to accentuate the metallic quality of the columns base, yet remained barely visible from the first row. I wonder if this was more for the Masonic client as they inspected it up close instead of for the actual Scottish Rite audience during a degree production. The painted metallic accents in Joplin and Moline are far less spectacular than those foil strips applied to Scottish Rite scenes for Cheyenne, WY; St. Paul, MN; Grand Forks, ND, Wichita, KS; Winona, MN; Fort Scott, KS; Tucson, AZ; an many other Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite Valleys. The quick dabs of metallic paint may have taken far less time for scenic artists to apply than foils, but they failed to deliver the same visual punch.
To be continued…
