Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
On May 11, 1917, “The Washington Standard” reported. “Olympia theater is now provided with two drop curtains, one painted by Sosman & Landis, Chicago, entitled “The Water Place,” and the historic painting of Olympia by Mr. Lange, which was used at the Spokane Fair during the canvass for state capital” (Olympia, Washington, page 7). This is another one of the many jobs by Sosman & Landis not mentioned in Thomas G. Moses’ memoirs. This is a single article with no follow-up information, so I am left with very little to go on.
The article notes that a painting created for a country fair was repurposed for a theatre, used as a drop curtain. This is not unusual. In 1893, a 20×30 mural for the California building at the world fair was repurposed as a drop curtain for the Native Sons of the Golden West Hal in San Francisco. I explored this subject a few years back (see post #294). The Reed & Gross Panorama Company created large scale paintings for the California State Building with compositions that included: the harbor of San Francisco and the city, as viewed from Goat Island; Christmas in Pasadena; the Stanford Ranch in northern California; Leland Stanford’s Vineyard; Leland Stanford Jr. University in Palo Alto; New Years at Hotel del Monte in Monterey, Santa Barbara, and Fresno.James D. Phelan, one of the of the World’s Fair Commissioners in 1893 purchased the 20’ x 30’ painting from the California State Building after the fair, intending to use it as the new drop curtain at the Native Sons of the Golden West’s Hall. At the time, the organization was constructing a new building in San Francisco. Phelan was the association’s president and purchased one of the paintings. Unfortunately the painting was irreparably damaged in transit.
On January 10, 1896, “The San Francisco Call” reported, “A Fine Painting Spoiled” (page 8). The original painting by Thaddeus Welch depicting “Golden Gate as Viewed from Goat Island” was sold for $3,000. The article noted, “On Tuesday it was found that the painting had been ruined by the careless persons who packed and shipped it two years ago. Instead of winding the canvas around a roller these bunglers wrapped it around a 4 by 4 inch scantling and every four inches the canvas is cracked so that it is doubtful if it can be used.”
There are a few factors to consider:
The first is that the 1893 world fair painting was likely an oil painting, as it cracked. Even if it had arrived safely, it may have looked horrible under stage lights due to the sheen, characteristic of oil paintings. Those unfamiliar with scenic illusion, for example Phelan, may not have realized this, or that the oil painting would propose a fire threat once on stage. However, I am intrigued with the basic idea that any large painting could be transformed into a drop curtain for the stage.
To be continued…
