Part 576: C. B. Harmount’s production of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” with scenery by M. Armbruster & Sons Studio, 1915
Theatre collections are an extremely valuable resource, not only to theatre historians and practitioners, but also to the general public. Whether designs or backdrops, many holdings were associated with public entertainment and popular culture; much is now lost. Today’s installment continues with examining the scenery created by M. Armbruster & Sons scenic studio of Columbus, Ohio. This scenic studio created thousands of settings for touring shows, many painted with aniline dyes. Scenery for one of the touring productions with scenery produced by Armbruster Studio was for C. B. Harmount’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Here are a few:
Twelve extant drops from the Harmount Company’s touring show are now part of the Harmount Collection at the Jermone Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute. It is part of the Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections.
This Harmount collection compliments the Armbruster Scenic Studio Collection, also part of the Jermone Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute. Very little is available online, however, but there is an extremely detailed description of the collection’s contents; each folder is described in detail. Little is available as high-resolution scans. Fortunately, some images from the Harmount and Armbruster collections have been posted to other websites, such as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin & American Culture” (http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/sitemap.html). I stumbled upon this particular site while researching M. Armbruster & Sons Studio. The Harmount collection even included a letter to C. B. Harmount from Emil Armbruster. This site was created by Stephen Railton, and somewhat associated with University of Virginia.
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin & American Culture” site included a page that was labeled “Scenic Drops.” The page included photographs of twelve drops produced by M. Armbruster & Sons for C. B. Harmount’s touring production of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” The date of creation was likely 1915. The post credits the twelve drops as belonging to Ohio State University. There is nothing quite like getting into a collection through the back door.
There were also some images posted of correspondence describing the sale of the Armbruster scenery for “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” One letter described the technical specifications of the show and scenic inventory. It was sent ahead to theatre managers in the towns that C. B. Harmount wanted to play. A letter dated May 3, 1915 notes, “I am carrying a company of 25 people, band and orchestra, colored quartette and drum corps, 22 special drops put up by the Armbruster Co. of Columbus, O., electrical snow and ice scenes, which not other Tom Show carries and which is a very essential feature to the correct production, also beautiful electrical transformation of allegorical scene, big street parade, and the finest pack of dogs with any UNCLE TOM’S CABIN SHOW – my cast is all select.”
Another 1915 letter from Emil Armbruster to C. B. Marmount discusses creating a second scenic outfit for another Uncle Tom’s Cabin production. The price of the first collection was included with the information in the letter; fourteen drops priced at $33.33 per drop. This amount was a “special price” due to the large order of fourteen drops, even though certain scenes were more expensive to produce at the time, ranging from $40 to $50 (July 1, 1915).
The “Uncle Tom’s Cabin & American Culture” website notes that the Armbruster scenic drops “provide a good sense of the look of a touring ‘Tom Show,’ especially the kind of effect aspired to at the conclusion, in what most companies referred to as ‘The Grand Allegorical Transformation Scene,’ during which Tom dies on stage and theater-goers are transported into the realm of the blessed, perhaps with the help of Eva dressed as an angel and suspended on wires from the flies.”
To be continued…
