Part 727: Drop Curtains in Philadelphia, 1894
I return to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses after exploring the 1858 drop curtain of Russell Smith for the opera house in Wilmington, North Carolina. The painting of drop curtains continued to draw many theatre patrons well into the twentieth century. Whether originally created for a venue, or replaced with a replica, the painted composition in the proscenium was the pinnacle of the auditorium’s décor, while concealing the magical realm behind the footlights.
Painting a successful drop curtain required extensive skill, as well as a thorough understanding of painting techniques for landscapes, architecture, and draperies. Picturesque compositions in ornate frames surrounded by lush draperies became the popular subject of large-scale artworks created by many nationally recognized artists. The fourth wall of the theatre became a gallery wall for many scenic artists allowing them to fully explore their artistic abilities and shine before nightly patrons.
Many of these stunning scenes were replaced with fabric draperies, movie screens, or a combination thereof during the twentieth century, the original scenes long forgotten by theatre audiences. Instead of raising a painted curtain to reveal the mysteries of Thespis, heavy draperies were drawn apart to show a movie.
While researching information on Russell Smith and his contemporaries, I came across the article “Well-known Drop Curtain in Philadelphia Theatres.” It was published in “The Philadelphia Inquirer” on Dec. 18, 1894 (page 45). Over the next few days, I will post the article in its entirety and then return to the Moses typed manuscript and the year 1909.
“Well-Known Drop Curtains in Philadelphia
Russell Smith’s “Como” in the Academy of Music a Splendid Work of Art.
The Striking Example at the Walnut – Curious Story Connected with the Portrayal on the “Drop” at the Grand Opera House-The Chestnut Street Opera House Owns the Last from the Brush of a Famous Artist.
“The drop curtain is the most expensive piece of furniture in any playhouse. Managers are most solicitous about the care of a handsome drop curtain than almost any other appointment in the theatres. They are usually painted by the artists of wide fame in the peculiar branch of art which they represent, whose charges for the work rang from $1000 to $3000. No better material than a light canvas has yet been discovered for painting the scenery for an artistic drop curtain, and considering the size, they are perforce fragile to a degree. An ugly wrinkle or crease, a scratch or rent is not easily repaired and still harder to conceal from the critical gaze of the public. In addition to the ever-present danger of fire, a drop curtain is liable to be more or less spoiled from several other sources. If left too long rolled up during a closed house, it is apt to look wrinkled when unrolled. Let the curtain hang down too long and it will sag out of shape, owing in large part, to the increased weight, unequally distributed, from the paint used in making the picture.
Sometimes, according to the way of lifting, it will curl most provokingly, making the picture upon the curtain look ridiculous by its distorted proportions. Once let a real hitch occur in the raising or lowering and there is likely to form an ugly crack from side to side, that time, patience, paint and money can only imperfectly repair.
It is claimed by managers that a handsome drop curtain has much to do with the drawing qualities of the house. A charming landscape depicting the greenest of lawns, sparking fountains, rare shrubbery and bright flowers, the dimpled surface of a placid lake, with magnificent hills or rugged mountains in the distance to kiss the brightest fleecy clouds, forms an ensemble well calculated to put the audience in good humor to witness a play. And when let down between the acts it has a tendency to calm the soul after turbulent passages and rouses it to cheerfulness after tearful ones.”
To be continued…
