Part 730: Drop Curtains in Philadelphia, 1894 – William M. Voegtlin, the Standard and Lyceum Theatres
Two sections in the article “Well-known Drop Curtains in Philadelphia Theatres” focused on William M. Voegtlin’s scenic art at the Standard Theatre and Lyceum Theatre. The article was published in “The Philadelphia Inquirer on Dec. 18, 1894, page 45.
“Another very pretty curtain is the asbestos drop at the Standard Theatre, the classic design and artistic finish of which is equal to the more pretentious curtains in the other playhouses. It was painted in 1890 by William M. Voegtlin, who died last year. The subject of the scene is called “Cupid in Captivity,” and represents two beautiful women in classic attire standing by a fence in a meadow rich with flowers and surrounded by a number of winged cupids. The scene itself, with its exquisite coloring and artistic finish of detail, forms only a small disc in the centre of the curtain. It is a copy form an original painting of that name, copies of which, in the art stores and on calendars have made it famous on two continents. The remainder of the curtain as originally painted, represented a mass of crimson drapery in imitation of satin and silk, but when, two years later, the house was redecorated, the crimson drapery was changed by Daniel F. Crème to yellow and black, to correspond with the other color effects as they now appear.”
Voegtlin also painted a drop curtain for the Lyceum that was later described in the article:
“The very attractive drop curtain at the Lyceum represents a Venetian scene, in which a goodly company of ladies and gentlemen in rich Florentine costumes are standing on a well-shaded terrace overlooking the greenish blue waters of a placid lake. The scene was painted by William M. Voegtlin in 1890, and occupies a small circle in the centre of a curtain about which is painted a richly carved Viennese frame. This curtain has been much admired by many patrons of this most popular theatre.”
The Voegtlins were a famous family of scenic artists. The patriarch, William Voegtlin was born in Basle, Switzerland in 1835. He immigrated to the United States at the age of 15, settling in New Orleans where he began painting first scenery. Voegtlin quickly ascended to the top of his profession. By 1879 he was listed as one of the “very best of living scenic artists,” listed alongside Russell Smith, R. Martin, and W. Seavey (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 15 Nov, 1879, page 5). In the 1892 article “Paint Mimic Scenes, Men Who Have Found Fame in the Wing and Drop Curtains” Voegtlin was remembered for his talent (Dec. 18, 1892). Of Voegtlin, the he article reported, “One of the great giants of the scenic world was William Voegtlin, the greatest deceiver of transformation effects that ever walked the paint bridge. He had a style peculiarly his own and seemed to incorporate the stunning effects of all schools, but was not without artistic weakness and peculiarities. In some respects his drawing had the weakness of Morgan, but his color was wonderfully vivid, and he was a grand master with foil. In this latter respect he was only rivaled by Thomas Noxon of St. Louis, a remarkable artist in spectacle. Voegtlin often ate and slept on the paint frame for weeks at a time during the rush of a great production. Then followed a period of dissipation, when his painting was very “red.”
Of his productivity, Voegtlin was remembered as “an extremely rapid painter.” In 1892, “The Star-Gazette” reported that “when he made the scenery for an elaborate production of Faust, the Brocken scene, the magnificence of which has been extensively advertised, was scarcely more than half finished when the curtain rose for the first act. But it was finished by the time it was wanted, though it was till wet” (Star-Gazette, Elmira, NY, 3 June 1892, page 4).
William Voegtlin married his first wife Berth Fleichman in Peru, Illinois, in 1857. The couple had a total of nine children, but only two survived to adulthood – Emil (b. 1858) and Arthur (b. 1862). They followed their father in the scenic art line. The family settled in New York, where Voegtlin continued to work as a scenic artist. Like many scenic artists, he frequently traveled for work, and later took along his young sons as assistants. After extended absences and twenty-six years of marriage, Bertha ran away with a close family friend, Carl Voegel, of Voegel & Co. At the time, Voegel was also married and it caused quite a scandal.
Although Bertha returned a few times, the couple remained separated, but never officially divorced, causing even greater problems. Voegtlin eventually moved to the West Coast, painting at the Bush-street Theater in San Francisco. Ironically, his first wife was living with Voegel; cohabitating in Oakland. In California, Voegtlin met his second wife, Lizzie M. Ritchie, a dressmaker of Los Angeles. They married during May1884, and his tale of bigamy appeared in newspaper across the country (Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan 1885, page 2).
Ironically, both his first and second wife threatened to cause his arrest for bigamy unless he paid them money. Bertha held his possible imprisonment in San Quentin over his head, unless he paid her the sum of $1,360. Other stories, explained that he was told to turn his entire salary over to Bertha, which he reportedly did for some time until he tired of agreement and his arrest followed. There is quite a bit more to the story, but this is the condensed version. His tale of bigamy appeared in newspapers all across the country and is quite an interesting story (Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan 1885, page 2). When his case went to trial, however, Voegtlin was acquitted of his crimes and returned to work as a successful scenic artist.
Over his forty-year career, Voegtlin painted scenery for almost all of the principal theaters in the country. His projects included the scenery and curtain at Child’s Opera House in Los Angeles, as well as scenery for the Boston’s Grand Opera House, the Globe Theatre in Boston, Booth’s Theater, the Union Square Theatre, and the California Theatre. For a number of years, he was the chief scenic artist under Jarrett & Palmer’s management and was engaged by E. G. Gilmore at Niblo’s Garden Theatre in 1880. At Niblo’s he created scenery based on designs sent by the Kiralfy Brothers for their spectacles too (New York Daily, 13 July 1879, page 6). In 1881, the family was running a prosperous boarding house in New York.
By 1890, Voegtlin was working with two other well-known artists, Ernest Albert and Henry Hoyt, on productions for the Chicago Opera House such as “Cinderella” and “Bluebeard Jr.” In 1892 he and Joseph D. Claire and produced scenery for “Kajanka,” the pantomime (Altoona Evening Telegram, 3 May 1892, page 3). Voegtlin passed away at the age of 57 in 1892, after suffering for years inflammatory rheumatism. He was interred at Forest Hills cemetery (The Boston Globe, 1 June 1892, page 10). His pallbearers included many well-known scenic artists: Henry C. Tryon, Charles Witham, John A. Thompson, William Gill, Victor Lawson, Henry E. Dixey, William Dixon, and Mr. Brooker.
To be continued…
