Author: waszut_barrett@me.com

Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Ralph I. Terwilliger was a scene painter who worked for Thomas G. Moses in the late 1880s. Although their working relationship may have been short, the two remained close friends until Terwilliger’s passing in 1917.  Terwilliger worked briefly at Sosman & Landis, but set his sights far beyond laborious theatrical work.

I was surprised to encounter Ralph Terwilliger’s name while researching another Sosman & Landis employee, Leroy R. Close (1846-1901); employee #34 in this series. Close worked at Sosman & Landis from 1895 to 1901. Prior to working for the Chicago-based firm, he ran the L. R. Close & Co. in Kansas City, Missouri, from approximately 1883 until 1894. In 1894, Close relocated north and began working as a scenic artist and traveling salesman for the Chicago-based firm. Here is the link to his tale: https://drypigment.net2021/07/03/sosman-landis-shaping-the-landscape-of-american-theatre-employee-no-34-l-r-close/

Close’s story intersects with Terwilliger’s story in 1902. After Close’s passing in 1901, Miranda W. Close was appointed administratrix of the Close estate, along with Ralph Irving Terwilliger and Sarah Elizabeth Terwilliger. It was at this time that Terwilliger transitioned from the insurance business to estate management. In the end, Terwilliger really made a name for himself as a Chicago banking and real estate magnate.

A picture of Terwilliger in Moses’ scrapbook is captioned, “R. I. Terwilliger, Founder and First President of the North-West Side Commercial Association.” Nearby, Moses wrote, “Paint boy for Burridge-Moses and Louderback during the years of 1887 and 1888.” In 1910 Moses wrote, “Mr. Ralph Terwilliger was at Fox Lake – I hardly knew him.  He was President of a city bank.  He was with Burridge, Moses and Louderback as a paint boy for $4.00 per week.  He had prospered.  With his wife and two daughters he enjoys a cottage near our camp.” Fox Lake was where Palette & Chisel Club members kept a summer camp.

The Terwilliger family is an interesting bunch who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Ralph Terwilliger was born in New York on October 18, 1865. He was the son of Peter Terwilliger (1836-1926) and Sarah E. Mead (1840-1916). The family moved west after the Civil War, soon settling in Chicago. Over the course of the next few decades the Terwilligers became extremely well-known and well-respected throughout the region. Ralph’s parents were even featured in the 1894 publication, “Industrial Chicago, Vol. III” (Goodspeed Publishing Co., pages 74-75). I am including their entry here as it sets the stage for Ralph’s success in Chicago.

“Peter Terwilliger was born in New York, June 4, 1836, and after reaching man-
hood came to Illinois, locating first at Aurora, where he remained for five years, then coming to Chicago. He early learned the trade of a carpenter. He chose for his wife Miss Sarah Mead, of Orange County, N. Y., in 1865, and they have one son, Ralph, who is now a member of the firm of Terwilliger & Cox, engaged in the fire insurance business. [Notice that Ralph left a career in the theatre with Moses to establish a fire insurance company].
Peter Terwilliger’s parents were James I. and Prudence (Knight) Terwilliger. The former was born in New York State in 1808, and died in Orange County, N. Y., in 1875. The latter was born in Sullivan County, N. Y., in 1817, and is yet living at Huguenot, Orange County, N. Y. Her ancestors, representatives of the English family of Knight, settled in Orange County, at an early day. The family of Terwilliger is of Holland Dutch extraction, and the first settlement of one of its members in this country was quite early in the colonial period of our history. Peter Terwilliger was reared and educated in Orange County, and was graduated from the Fort Edward Academy in 1855. His father was identified with the Delaware & Hudson canal, almost from its inception until nearly the end of his life, latterly a section superintendent. With this great inland improvement Peter Terwilliger was also connected for some years. In September, 1861, he enlisted in the Twentieth New York battery as first sergeant, and, after three years’ service with that organization, helped to organize the One-Hundred-and-Sixty-eighth New York infantry, and was second lieutenant of Company G, in that regiment. He served gallantly until discharged in 1865, and, from first to last, took part in many hotly-contested engagements.
He removed to Illinois in 1867, and from that time until the fall of 1871, was in the grocery trade at Aurora. In the spring of 1872 he came to Chicago, where he has since lived. He is an influential Republican and has been active in politics in Chicago since 1875.”

Growing up, Ralph watched his father transition from a grocer to salesman in the 1870s. It was during this time that he became associated with William McGregor & Co. The first mention of Ralph in the city directory is in 1887. That year he was employed as a clerk, but still living with his parents. The family home was located at 348 Hermitage Avenue in Chicago. His father Peter worked as a secretary at W. McGregor & Co.; a firm located on 55 S. Clinton Street. Something happened between 1887 and 1888 that detoured Ralph from following in his father’s footsteps.  A spark, maybe even a rebellious one, was lit and Ralph entered the scenic art profession. He moved out of his parents’ home and started a new career. This was such an exciting time in Chicago for scenic artists as work was plentiful and wages fare; a drastic departure from clerking to be sure.

By 1888, Ralph was listed in the Chicago directory as a scenic artist, now boarding at 290 W. Madison. This coincides with Moses’ mention of Ralph working for him at the studio. Moses had left Sosman & Landis to form another scenic studio with Walter W. Burridge and well-known art dealer J. D. Louderback. It had all the promise of success, but infighting between Burridge and Louderback split the firm. By the beginning of 1888, Burridge left Moses, Burridge & Louderback, reducing the name to just Moses & Louderback. Regardless of the name change, the firm’s offices remained at 214 Lake in Chicago.  Burridge returned to his former position at the Grand Opera House, leaving Moses to handle an extraordinary amount of work. The firm soon closed, and Moses returned to his old position at Sosman & Landis, likely taking Terwilliger with him for a short time. Terwilliger’s career as a scenic artist was very short-lived and by 1889, he returned home and became a bookkeeper for his father at W. McGregor & Co.

By the early 1890s Terwilliger opened a fire insurance company, Terwilliger & Cox. On August 9, 1892, Ralph married Louisa Salomon (1868-1945) and the couple celebrated the birth of two children: Louise E. (1894-1990) and Irene Beatrice (1895-1981).

In 1900 the Terwilligers were living at 232 W. Division St., with Ralph still working as an insurance agent. However, he soon added a new role as administrator of estates, hence his involvement with the L. R. Close probate case in 1902. Terwilliger’s next step was banking. On May 3, 1903, the “Chicago Tribune” announced the opening of a New State Bank. The auditor of public accounts issued a permit to organize the Mechanics Trust and Savings Bank at Chicago. The organizers were Ralph I. Terwilliger, Iver L. Quales, James Davis, Max Klee, William J. New and William A. Wiebolt, with a  capital of $200,000. Their new establishment was located on Milwaukee Ave near Paulina Street. Terwilliger’s career began to soar at this point.

On March 18, 1908, the “Chicago Tribune” mentioned Terwilliger’s involvement with the West Side Association, reporting, “20,000 Join Tax Cut Move. Landlords all over city will aid west side association. May Mean Fight in Court. Property Owners Threaten to Organize for Political Campaign. West Side Landlord’s Protective Association was joined yesterday by the Chicago Landlord’s Protective Association, an organization embracing more than 20,000 members in all parts of the city with headquarters at 232 West Division Street [232 West Division was Terwilliger’s home address]. West Side Association, which was incorporated on Monday and is made up of more than 100 Bohemian property owners in the “Pilsen” district is determined, if necessary, to carry the fight for reduced taxes into the County court. “We are glad to join any movement that will help reduce the present high taxes,” said Ralph I. Terwilliger, secretary of the Chicago Landlords’ Protective association” (page 9)

Terwilliger continued to expand his interests, and in 1911 organized the Home Bank and Trust Company with a capital of $300,000. Located at 1225 N. Ashland Ave, it was just north of Division Street. 

Neither his personal life nor health paralleled his business success. His wife passed away in 1916, with Terwilliger following the next year. He was only 52 years old at the time. Terwilliger passed away at the Biltmore Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina on August 22, 1917. Pernicious anaemia was listed as the cause of death. This condition means that body cannot absorb enough vitamin B-12 and make enough red blood cells. The condition is often classed as an autoimmune disease and symptoms may include fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, jaundice or pallor, tingling and numbness of hands and feet, unsteadiness, bleeding gums, impaired sense of smell, and confusion. Severe or long-lasting pernicious anemia can damage the heart, brain and other organs in the body, causing problems such as nerve damage, neurological problems and digestive tract issues.

Terwilliger’s obituary in the “Chicago Examiner” reported, “Ralph I. Terwilliger, founder of the Home Bank & Trust company, Milwaukee and Ashland avenues, first president of the Northwest Side Commercial association, widely known in Chicago real estate circles, died yesterday at Biltmore, N. C., according to word received in Chicago. The Terwilliger residence is at 3104 Logan boulevard. The body will arrive tonight (Vol. 15, no. 210, page 15).

To be continued…

Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

George F. Snell (1873-1891) was a scenic artist at Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio.  Snell’s artistic career was a short one, ending tragically on November 19, 1891 after suffering severe injuries from a cable car accident. He was barely nineteen-years old.

Snell grew up in Chicago, one of four children born to Frederick B. Snell (1847- 1898) and Catherine “Kate” Kearne (b. 1846-1892). Although his grandfather worked as a Chicago blacksmith, George’s father and uncles entered the painting profession.  His parents met and married in Chicago in 1868. By 1869, Frederick was listed as a painter in the Chicago Directory, living with his wife, widowed mother, and older brother Julian. The Snell family was living at 121 ½ Superior Street. In 1870, the couple celebrated the birth of their first son, Richard L. Snell.  George was born three years later in 1873, with a sister following in 1878. It does not appear that his sister was named, or lived long after birth. George’s youngest brother, William J. Snell, arrived a decade later in 1882.

It was George’s father, Frederick B. Snell, who first entered the Chicago painting scene, well before any other member of the family. However, it remains unclear if he was working as a scenic artist, decorative painter, or both, at the time. George’s uncle, Julian Otis Snell, followed his younger brother into the painting profession after attempting an early career as a fish monger. Trading the scent of fish for animal hide glue must have been a delightful perk for the entire family. In time, George’s older brother Richard L. Snell, and Richard’s son, George, also entered the painting profession. Like his namesake, the second George F. Snell became a scenic artist.

The Snell family’s association with Sosman & Landis first came onto my radar in a random search a few years back. I was exploring various Sosman & Landis projects during the early 1890s. The tragic nature of the story prompted me to jot down the citation, noting “another S&L employee.” Here is the story of George F. Snell, as reported in newspaper accounts at the time.

On November 20, 1891, the “Chicago Tribune” reported:

“Cable Collision in Tunnel. One Man Loses a Leg and Another a Thumb – Fatal Accidents. The grip of a Lincoln avenue train broke in the La Salle street tunnel when traffic was heavy Thursday night and collided with a Clybourne avenue train. George Snell, living at 115 Locust street, who was standing on the coupling bar, was jammed between the dash boards and had his right leg crushed. His limb was amputated at the Alexian Brothers’ hospital. He is a scenic artist employed by Sosman & Landis, 236 South Clinton street. Fifteen minutes after the accident, a thumb was found in the tunnel. It belonged to Ernest Braumer of 17 East Division street, who was knocked down by another train” (page 3). The incident made regional news and was republished in the “Muscatine News-Tribune” in Iowa, “The Times Herald” of Port Huron, Michigan and “The Waukesha Daily Freeman” in Wisconsin.

A few days later on November 23, 1891, the “Chicago Tribune” reported “George Snell Dies from His Hurts.” The article continued, “Fatal Result of a Cable-Train Collision in LaSalle Street Tunnel. George Snell, No. 115 Locust street, who was badly crushed in a cable-train collision in LaSalle street tunnel Thursday night, dies at the Alexian Brothers’ Hospital Saturday night. At the time of the accident, he was standing on the coupler of a Clybourn avenue trailer, when a Lincoln avenue grip broke loose, and rushing down the incline, crashed into a trailer and crushed Mr. Snell’s right leg. He was removed to the hospital, where his leg was amputated.”

The ensuing investigation by the coroner kept this tragedy in the headlines for weeks. On November 25, 1891, the “Inter Ocean” announcing, “Progressing Slowly, but little is shed on the LaSalle Street Tunnel.”  Detailed information pertaining to those involved with the accident was brought to light: “John M. Roach, Superintendent of the North Side Cable line, William B. Keep, attorney for the road, and his assistant, John R. Elley, were witnesses yesterday before the Coroner’s jury which is inquiring into the death of George Snell. Mr. Roach testified that in the wreck, in which young Snell met his death, were the cars, conductors, and gripmen here named: Lincoln avenue grip car No. 409, H. Slack, conductor and M. Galvin gripman; car No. 281, P. D. Probert, conductor; grip car No. 771, James McCurdy, conductor and D. Myers, gripman; car No. 471, E. E. Leach, conductor, and H. Menze, gripman; car No. 211, J. O’Hearn, conductor, and car No. 192, E. L. Houghton, conductor. He said that he thought that car No. 281 was smashed in the wreck. Messrs. Keep and Elley refused to testify. They alleged that all they knew of the cases had been told to them by their clients, whom they could not betray. Mr. Keep also intimated that the jury had its verdict already before the witness had to be examined. There being no other witnesses before the jury, an adjournment was taken until 9 o’clock this morning to give time to subpoena the witnesses named by Superintendent Roach” (page 5).

On November 26, 1891, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “After two full hours deliberation over the evidence, the Coroner’s jury in the Snell inquest returned the following verdict late yesterday afternoon.”

The article headline announced:

“WHERE BLAME LIES.

Verdict of the Coroner’s Jury in the Snell Case.

CENSURE FOR THE ROAD.

North Side Cable Company Held to Be Responsible.

SUGGESTIONS FOR ALDERMEN.

Many Recommendations Made to the City Council.

EVIDENCE HEARD AT THE INQUEST.“

Summarizing the Coroner’s Jury outcome, the article reported, “The deceased came to his death at the Alexian Brother’s Hospital Nov. 21 from shock and hemorrhage caused by injuries received by being run over by grip-car No. 409, belonging to the North Chicago Street railway company, in the LaSalle street tunnel Nov. 21, 1891.

We, the jury, find the evidence that deceased was knocked over the dashboard of trailer car No. 281, said trailer-car being attached to grip No. 409. The cause of deceased being knocked over the dashboard was due to the brakes and grips of some of the cars ahead of grip-car No. 409 being out of order and not in good working condition and not fit to run on the incline of LaSalle street tunnel, where said cars could not be held stationary on the incline, and they rolled back and crashed into the train upon which deceased was a passenger.

And in view of the above facts, we cannot too severely censure the said company for gross negligence, and we hold it responsible for deceased death.

And we recommend that the City Council take immediate action and pass a stringent ordinance compelling street railway companies to better protect the lives of passengers by the following method – to wit:

That grip cars shall be closed on both sides, leaving a small entrance, so that it would prevent people from standing on the side-steps of cars; and that dashboards be made higher, and that men be compelled to be at brakes while running through the tunnels; that each car be provided with a block to stop cars on the inclines, in case the brakes fail to work, and that it be made a penal offense to allow any person to stand on platforms of cars.

After witnesses.

Deputy Coroner Monaghan yesterday resumed the inquest upon the remains of George Snell, the victim of the tunnel accident of Thursday night. He had spent many hours endeavoring to find witnesses, trainmen and railway employees who knew anything about the accident except by published rep[orts. His quest had been all but vain, and that in the face of the promise of Supt. Roach to do everything in his power to assist in finding important witnesses.

“The company’s assistance was all a farce, “ he remarked to Attorney Foster as he surveyed the half dozen witnesses, he had been able to get together. “Instead of assisting me, the company has done everything under the sun to make my work impossible.”

Peter Stromberg, the boss of the wrecking crew, was first put on the stand. His story was, in effect, that a Lincoln-Wells train struck at the mouth of the tunnel on account of a broken grip. He endeavored to pull it out with a train, but failed; so, telling the conductor to uncouple the trailer, he made another effort to get the grip up the grade. For some reason the trailer brakes did not work, and the car started down the incline. It collided with a Clybourn avenue grip and both ran down the incline. Halfway up the slope there was a Lincoln and Clark train. The Clybourn train crashed into this one and bore down to the foot of the tunnel where it collided with another train. There must have been trouble with the brakes, he said, for they did not control the cars. The witness had heard the gripman of the Clybourn avenue car say that a bolt was loose in his cable shoe and that he could not hold the rope. Stromberg was altogether innocent of any information about Snell.

Stories of Other Witnesses.

John Larson, a member of the wrecking crew, had forgotten all he ever knew about the accident. Ole Bartels confessed on the stand that he had supposed he was subpoenaed to testify about the murder of A. J. Snell and professed ignorance of the matter in point. E. L. Crawford, assistant barn boss at the limits barn, admitted that the report of the accident passed through his hands, but he did not read it.

Michael Garvin, gripman of car No. 409, said he saw the conductor lift Snell from under the wheels, but knew nothing of the manner in which he received his injuries. W. H. Slack, the conductor of car No. 409, testified that took Snell from under the wheels but did not see him fall.

Ernest Broms, who lost a thumb in the collision. Was placed on the stand, but his knowledge of the affair was rather cloudy.

In the afternoon John T. Finn, and East Chicago policeman, gave the substance of Snell’s ante-mortem statement, which was made in the presence of doctors and others at the hospital. It was in substance that Snell was standing on the front platform of a Lincoln avenue trailer and that the collision threw him over the dash-board under the wheels. Deputy Monaghan at this point informed the jury that he would secure other witnesses if it was deemed necessary, but the jury, after consultation, announced that it was satisfied that deliberation upon the testimony already given would enable it to formulate a verdict and the case rested” (page 1).

The Coroner and the Snell family continued to fight the railway company. On Dec, 6, 1891, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “Coroner Hertz sent a communication to State’s-Attorney Longenecker yesterday which may result in getting President Yerkes into trouble. It was in regard to the George Snell case.  The Coroner told the State’s-Attorney that he respectfully submitted for his consideration the verdict of the Coroner’s Jury in the Snell case. “In part,” he wrote, “the jury said: ‘We cannot too severely censure the North Chicago Street railway company for gross negligence and hold the company responsible for the death pf the deceased.’”

“Did you send the letter for the purpose of having the State’s-Attorney bring the case before the grand jury?”

“I simply wanted the State’s-Attorney to know what the Coroner’s jury thought of the case and the company’s responsibility for the death of Snell. It would not be becoming to remind a public officer of his duty. I think the State’s-Attorney knows what his duty his duty is and will perform it in this case.”

The Coroner thinks that Mr. Yerkes can be tried criminally for the death of George Snell and bases his opinion on Sec. 48 of the Criminal Code entitled, “Criminal Carelessness.” This section in effect says that whoever has control or management of a public conveyance used for the common carriages of persons and is guilty of gross carelessness or neglect whereby the safety of any person shall be endangered shall be imprisoned not longer than three years, or be fined not more than $5,000 or both. [$5,000 in 1891 is equivalent in purchasing power to $150,719.78 in 2021].

State’s-Attorney Longenecker said he received the Coroner Hertz’ communication and that if upon investigation he found grounds for an indictment he would place the matter in the hands of the grand jury. “However,” he continued, “the Coroner does not lay the blame upon anyone. If it is as the jury states that there was gross negligence it should have been found out by the person or persons were – whether Mr. Yerkes or some of his employees – and held them to the grand jury. Then it would have been imperative for the grand jury to take action. But, as I said, I will look over the evidence and if there is ground for an indictment the matter will be taken up by the grand jury.”

Two days later on Dec. 8, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “State’s-Attorney Longenecker sent to Coroner Hertz yesterday for the evidence in the case of George Snell, who was killed in the LaSalle street tunnel a few weeks ago. Mr. Longenecker says that someone is undoubtedly responsible for the death of Snell, and he wants to find out who it is if possible” (page 7).

Meanwhile, the estate of George Snell entered probate. On December 17, 1891, Snell’s parents, Frederick B. and Kate Snell, were listed in probate records with the State of Illinois. George’s uncle, Julian O. Snell, was appointed the administrator of his nephew’s estate. The entire extended Snell family was still living and mourning together under one roof.

On January 5, 1892, an announcement appeared under “Court Notes”: “Julian O. Snell, as administrator of the estate of George E. Snell, sued the North Chicago Railway Company for $5,000” (page 12). That same day, the “Chicago Tribune” announced, “Julian C. Snell as administrator of the estate of George E. Snell sued the North Chicago railway company for $5,000 damages. George Snell was the man who was killed in the La Salle street tunnel and in learning the circumstances of whose death the Coroner had so much trouble with the street railway officers” (page 10).

On Dec. 16, 1894, the “Chicago Tribune” announced the judgement in the Superior and Circuits Courts Sections: “JUDGE FREEMAN – 2,752 – Julian O. Snell, admr. estate of George F. Snell vs. North Chicago St. R. R. Co.; on ver., $3,500; appld.” [$3,500 in 1892 is the equivalent purchasing power to about $105,503.85 in 2021].

I have yet to locate any other information pertaining to the George Snell case, or if the family ever received anything from the railway company. Regardless, the Snell family continued in the painting business. By 1910, Julian was listed as a decorator, running his own business, and now living with his nephew’s family on Locust street in Chicago. His nephew, Richard L. Snell was also listed as a painter and running his own business. Richard’s youngest son, George F. (George F. Snell’s namesake), was working as a scenic artist in the theatre industry.  

Uncle Julian lived until 1930. At the time of his passing, his occupation was listed as a stage manager. On January 23, 1930, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “SNELL – Julian O. Jan 21. 1930, of 3736 Clifton ave., uncle of Richard L. Snell. Funeral services at chapel, 2701 N. Clark St. Thursday at 3 p.m. Interment Graceland” (page 14).

To be continued…

Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Sunday was my final day of work at the Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia, Kansas. Over the course of seven days cleaned, repaired, consolidated loose paint, in painted, reinforced the seams, and replaced the entire top of the drop curtain with new fabric and batten. I also cleaned, consolidated loose painted, and repaired the matching grand border. Initially, this project was a pretty straightforward repair and touch-up job that was going to take five full days. However, it morphed into a “replace the entire top of the drop curtain and reinforce the seams.”  It tacked on an extra two days to the project, so was my last chance to finish everything last night before I left town today. Concordia is a nine-hour drive from my home in Minnesota.

Constructed a PVC roller for the bottom of the drop; this will solely to help reposition the piece for hanging.  An extremely thick layer of original primer and paint makes the composition extremely fragile and subject to cracking. All that was available was available for a quick roller was ten-foot sections of 4” PVC. We purchased four sections and five connectors. The last two connectors were added to the ends,  as it lifts the tubes up, and the fabric is able to adjust during the rolling, preventing wrinkles that sometimes occur.

I positioned the assembled roller and did a dry run to make sure it would work. I wanted to verify that the paint didn’t crack when being wrapped around the diameter.  Rolling would occur Monday morning, as it has been extremely humid and I wanted to make sure that everything was really dry.

My next task was to attach the new top batten, made by local theatre volunteer Royce.  The battens were beautiful. As the drop is out of square, I referenced painted detail (bottom of the frame).  Just as they used to attach battens: I started out with nailing the back of the batten to the stage floor. This keeps the boards straight and in position as I attached fabric. I was also able to work out a few warps this way too. Then I attached the top of the fabric to the back batten, stapling every six inches; no, there were no tacks available.  I placed the front batten, sandwiching the fabric, with screws every foot, staggered. After everything was all set, I pried up the top batten and hammered over the nails. Voila! It was all set to go. The holes for suspension will be drilled when it is hung next Friday.

I then returned to both in-painting and paint consolidation on the drop curtain. I worked on the drop until there were too many wet areas and then shifted to the grand border – about 2PM. After cleaning the piece, I patched and replaced a missing grommet at the top. Then I was able to focus my attention on both the green drapes for the drop curtain and grand border.

I finished up at 7PM and headed back to my hotel for the Board Meeting via. Zoom. I created a power point to show details of the work that occurred over the week and answered questions.  The daily posts of this project were primarily for the Board of Directors to follow the progress, without stopping by during the day.

This morning after checking out of my hotel, I stop by the theater, roll the drop, load up my supplies and head home.  On my way home, I am stopping by the Blair Theatre in Bellville, Kansas to see their 1928 theater; Belleville is due north of Concordia.

Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

The three horizontal seams on the Napoleon Drop Curtain at the Brown Grand Theatre were separating; the thread completely failing, leaving gaping holes in the painted composition.  Each needed to be reinforced prior to hanging.

Although this is not a common occurrence, I have encountered it before on historic scenery at Scottish Rite theaters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Pasadena, California.

In each case, the historic scenery was treated at least twice with flame retardants, possibly more. I have noticed that when some historic drops are re-treated with a secondary type of flame retardant, a chemical reaction occurs, causing the fabric to become stained and brittle.  Not only will the fabric deteriorate, but the paint will actually begin to flake off. Such is the case with the Napoleon Drop Curtain.

We know for certain that the Napoleon Drop Curtain was treated with a flame retardant as the back clearly states “Flame Proofed”– twice. It is possible that an overly strong solution was applied to begin with, or that a secondary application was added over the years. Some fire marshals will demand that historic scenery be treated ever few years; they have no idea that this will destroy historic scenes.

In regard to the failing seams on the Napoleon Drop Curtain, the only remedy is to reinforce them, thus preventing the further separation of the fabric panels. I reinforced one seam earlier this week as a test sample. This was to make sure that I could manipulate the drop, as well as verifying the strength of the glue and width of the necessary patch. Today I realized that all of the seams were different widths.

There are two factors accelerating the overall deterioration of the painted surface on the Napoleon Drop Curtain: flame retardant and primer. The primary issue is that the pigment has begun to separate from the primer. Saturating areas with an extremely diluted hide glue has helped some. However, I have been hesitant to treat any areas that were not dusting. My hesitation stems from the overall thickness of the combined primer and paint layers. I have actually never encountered such a thick layer of dry pigment paint on an entire drop before, and the added weight to the fabric is quite something.

The weight makes the drop difficult to shift. This drop is incredibly heavy, and it has nothing to do with the actual fabric. The weight comes from the paint. This excess weight is also taking a toll on the fragile fabric. Typically, I am able to easily move a drop once it is on the stage floor. Keep in mind that the drop is on plastic, so it should easily slide in any direction that I want it to go; I just have to get a little air under the drop and it should readily move. The easiest way I can describe this process is playing with a parachute in gym class. Giving a little flip to the edge gets air under the fabric, lifts it up, and helps move the entire drop. When it is airborne, you guide the direction of where the drop will land. Usually, I can do this by myself with very little effort, but not the Napoleon drop curtain.  It took two of use today to shift the drop.

The drop curtain was flipped face side down to reinforce the two remaining seams.  This was not an easy task. When we flipped the drop face up again, I just about burst into tears. There were entirely new areas of damage to the painted composition. This time the damage was in vertical lines running down one area of the drop. I could not believe my eyes.For the life of me, I could not figure out why there was vertical damage, and not horizontal.

There is that moment of stunned silence when I find myself at a loss. Then my brain goes into overtime, trying to process what has happened and what this means for the rest of the restoration and hanging process.  I thought of all of the obstacles that will occur when it is hung from the pipe and raised.  I needed to come up with a process to minimize any further damage during handling and hanging.

When I was patching four horizontal tears on the the backside of the drop, I noticed a vertical crease running though an entire fabric panel. At the time, I could not imagine was caused it. This flaw was original to the creation of the drop and not recent. It is now contributing to the paint separation, as are other areas with fabric flaws.

Here is my plan for today:

When the paint restoration is completed it will need to dry overnight. Despite the air conditioning, an abundance of rain this week has not helped lower humidity levels or dry time. Early Monday morning, I will roll the drop onto a tube. Due to limited time and supplies, I am forced to use fabric-wrapped PVC tubes. This in itself is incredibly tricky, as old drops seldom easily roll without creases. The new top batten will already be attached and ready to go. The idea is that the drop will be slowly unrolled as it is lifted; a time-consuming process, as it will need many hands gently unrolling the drop. Once suspended, and the lines leveled (hemp system), the bottom batten will be added.  Attaching the bottom batten is pretty straight forward as the original lines are still visible. This is an original batten, by the way. The problem is that I will not be there for the actual hanging, scheduled next Friday.

How the drop responded during handling does not bode well for the overall longevity of this piece. 

I was recently asked how long the restored drop could last. Considering the deteriorated fabric and flaking, I explained that it could possibly last for another forty, or even fifty, years. However, at some point it will need a backing piece, one that covers and supports everything.  That is always a last resort and should be delayed as long as possible. The repairs to the back will cause a huge problem during the backing process.  The added thickness and weight will also become problematic. After seeing the vertical lines today, I don’t know if it will last more than a few decades now, especially when I start factoring in the humidity and heat in Kansas. Temperatures on the stage greatly vary.

I have been restoring historic scenery for quite some time. There are always wildcards that you can’t anticipate, but this one is really unique. For a drop painted in 1978, this should be in much better shape. There is just so much paint on the fabric. The seams will hold, but it is impossible to determine when the actual fabric will give way.  I say this, having handled drops three times the age of this one, with absolute confidence that they had several decades left in them. 

The thickness of a paint layer ultimately determines the lifetime of a backdrop.  The seaming matters too. Over time, I have noticed that vertical seams support the weight of bottom battens better than horizontal seams.

To be continued…

On September 17, 2021, I was interviewed by Tony at KNCK Radio. He asked a variety of questions my current scenery restoration project at the Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia, Kansas. Here is the link to the interview:

https://www.ncktoday.com/local/restoring-brown-grand-theatre-drop-curtain?fbclid=IwAR0bRDrO10dzvP4-HTC8bdCkbwS9hCcsToBrZQJAmX900Jmk8BceBKCsUkg#.YUSaa5N0-O0.facebook

Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

I have never encountered random patching on a historic backdrop. Patches are usually placed with a purpose; to repair some sort of damage to the fabric. The Napoleon drop curtain at the Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia, Kansas, has dozens of patches that range from approximately 1” x 1” to 3” x 8”. Only a handful of these patches cover damaged fabric. The placement of the rest remain a mystery.

Initially, I surmised that an enthusiastic individual came up with a solution to prevent light spill, covering thin areas with a patch, but now I am beginning to wonder. Today, I had to remove a few of those patches along a horizontal seam for reinforcement. There was nothing odd about the fabric beneath the patch.

As I removed each patch, I was surprised to find no thinning fabric or apparent damage beneath.  This was very perplexing, and I started to take a closer look at the actual patches, the glue, and placement. Here is an example of another patch that I removed to prepare the area of a reinforcement strip.

It was apparent that the patches were placed while hanging, just based on glue drips alone.  Glue saturated the drop, and a variety of muslin patches were pressed into place. Not all patches were well cut or placed.  This haphazard process not only cracked the paint, but also left some staining on the front when the glue seeped through.

Here are my observations:

Multiple hands cut the patches.  Some had perfectly frayed edges, with all of the thread removed.  Others had wadded up bunches of thread in the corners. A few patches were even cut with pinking shears. I could not help but think of the individual who was was actively working to prevent frayed edges.

Multiple individuals slathered glue on the area to be patched. Some used an abundance of glue to the point that there is more glue on the surrounding fabric than under the patch. In some cases, so much glue was added that it dripped down like tree sap.

Quality greatly varies in placement. There are so many examples where one can say “not like this.”

Here are a few examples of what not to do when patching a drop:

1. The glue goes on the patch first, not the drop; it never goes on both. The reason for this is to prevent the glue from seeping through to the painted surface.

2. Do not place one patch over another; it’s pointless.

3. Fray the edges of each patch, do not use pinking shears. This helps secure the edge of the patch.

4. Smooth down the frayed edges of each patch. This helps secure the edge of the patch.

5. Smooth down each patch and don’t forget to remove wadded up threads attached to the patch. This helps secure the edge of the patch.

Here is how to place a reinforcement patch on a seam:

Back to the project…Reinforcing a seam is a pain. Ideally, I use one long strip. However, this could not be the case with this project, as the original seams were very poorly done. Typically, I press open up the seam, and place prepared patch. Keep in mind that the patch is to prevent the seam from pulling apart; evenly supporting the weight. I reinforce seams when the thread begins to fail. A thread that fails is often the subject of flame retardant. In some areas, the seam on the Napoleon Drop Curtain would not lay flat, as it was uneven. That meant slowly making my way across the drop with 3’-0” lengths.

In addition to reinforcing one of the three horizontal seams, I finished securing the painted patch at the top. I still have a little paint touch up, but it seems good to go for the new top batten. There is just a little more painting to go.

The next two days are going to be pretty intense.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

The wild card of my project at the Brown Grand Theatre is replacing the top of the drop curtain. It is a long process, that requires several steps and several days of dry time.

This portion of the project all stemmed from a horizontal rip that began along the top batten years ago.

What should have happened when this damage was initially identified, was a simple patch. In other words, remove the top batten, repair the fabric, replace the top batten, and rehang; problem solved. Instead, the old four-inch pine batten was replaced and a new six-inch oak batten, placed well below the original damage. The excess fabric was then wrapped around the backside of the batten. Even this repair may have been reversible, except the excess fabric was glued to the batten.

Furthermore, the new top batten was not adequately prepared prior to use. Specifically, the sharp edges were not rounded, shaved, or sanded, so another rip began to appear in the same location as the previous one. On top of everything else, the glue used to secure the excess fabric was solvent-based, so it continued to off-gas after the new oak batten was attached. A chemical reaction occurred that rapidly deteriorated the fibers and irreparably damaged the top of the drop. This meant that the top twelve excess inches wrapped around the oak batten became damaged beyond repair; they could no longer support the weight of the drop. A simple reinforcement strip along the top was no longer an option.  The damaged excess fabric needed to be removed and the new top edge would be “sandwiched” between two reinforcement strips for adequate support.

Although this seems like a complex repair, the biggest problem is dry time.  Each step requires a good day for the glue to dry.  The drying goes slow because the patch needs to be compressed for a secure seal. This is not like the application of a normal patch to a puncture where you lightly press and walk away. I am using hide glue for this repair.

Three days ago, I glued the fabric extension to the backside, creating the back patch. While this dried, I prepared a painted front patch. By yesterday afternoon, I had managed to secure the painted front patch to the edge of the top, as I could not glue the entire patch at once due to size. Today, I will continue to attach the remainder of the front patch.

In addition to the top patch, I will also need to reinforce all of the seams. This will be the most difficult repair in the entire project. It is time-consuming and tricky. There were four panels of fabric sewn together when the drop was constructed. The three horizontal seams have begun to fail, so this will require a reinforcement strip that runs the entire length of each seam.

While all of this is happening, I continue to work on consolidating loose paint and addressing areas with paint loss during dry time.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

I am currently in Concordia, Kansas, working on a scenery restoration project at the Brown Grand Theatre.

I returned to the theater yesterday morning to discover bat guano scattered across my clean drop. This was something that I did not anticipate and added a layer of annoyance. It would not be a one-time issue.

My recent encounter with bats makes me leery of them now.  I am sharing this story, as it taints my view of bats at the Brown Grand. My first “residential bat” experience occurred last month. It was when Jenny Knott visited my studio and helped document my restoration process.  Keep in mind that my studio is in the woods and for the past eighteen years bats have never been a problem. That being said, I had never been in close proximately to a bat in any house.  There is nothing quite like waking up to a bat that is repeatedly slamming itself into your screen window and then erratically flying around the room.

I did not run screaming from the room, but immediately panicked and hid under the covers. I would have stayed there until the morning if it hadn’t been ungodly hot at the time.  Jenny and I dealt with it, eventually directing the winged critter into another bedroom at 2am in the morning. I had always thought that I would handle a bat encounter better, with calm determination as I vanquished the unwelcome invader from my home. I was wrong. I think the majority of my fear stems from the unpredictability of their flight pattern. 

Anyway, after cleaning the droppings from the drop, I proceeded with my plan for the day. By the way, don’t worry, I am fully masked and gloved for this project anyway. I continued addressing the minimal cracks and paint loss throughout the painted composition.  As I scooted along on a piece a plastic, I explored the varieties of the painted surface and actual colors.  First of all, the drop had been touched up by a well-meaning individual at some point, but there was also a slight sheen to some of the original colors. I surmised that the reflective quality was result of two different things: the strength of original size (glue) in the paint and a later sealant added to some areas.

The main colors affected were all greens. Most of the painted green draperies will not reactivate with water. I have never encountered this problem with a strictly dry pigment and diluted hide glue (size water) mixture. This suggest that a premix paint was added to the dry pigment/size water medium. This means that an additional binder is added to the mix, and the paint will remain fixed.

Also, the malachite green (in the shadow areas of the drape) is the most reflective of the colors, but these dark colors are definitely composed of dry pigment and will reactivate. Some dark dry pigments are notorious for dusting, even upon initial application.  They require a stronger size water than normal. However, you have to make sure that there is not too much glue in the size water or it dries shiny. That is possibly what happened here.

The light greens are also a problem, as they do not reactivate with water at all; suggesting that premixed paint was added to the mixture upon application. I suspect that it was the same white paint used to prime the drop. The white primer does not reactivate when water is introduced either. This is problematic and contributes to the overall flaking and dusting of colors. The dry pigment paint mixture never fulled bonded to the primer.

This same pre-mixed white paint was likely added to lighten the green drapery colors.  I have explored the addition of premix to dry pigment mixtures in the past to analyze the final finish.  White dry pigment is a wild card. It can lighten a color an unbelievably amount when only a little bit is added to the mix. This makes mixing light colors extremely tricky and why I always try to lighten color with another color of a lighter value instead of white. A premixed white paint (casein, latex, acrylic) will lighten colors at a different rate and remain more predictable. It is never an option when restoring an historic drop.

In addition to the color issues, there is also a sealant problem. At some point, a sealant was applied a few areas; the brushwork is very identifiable. Overtime, the sealant darkened and remains fixed.  My guess is that the composition was dusting, and someone tried to consolidate the loose colors.

In addition to repairing minor paint damage, I also continued to work on the top of the drop. The entire top section was removed, damaged beyond repair from a solvent-based glue that was applied when the top sandwich batten was replaced.  Yesterday, I prepared, placed, sized and base-coated the top patch. This will be applied to the frontside of the patch placed yesterday.

Finally, the new top battens were delivered by a volunteer, and they look absolutely beautiful!

To be continued…

Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett 

I am currently in Concordia, Kansas, working on a scenery restoration project. With a population of approximately 5,000, this town is located in central Kansas; an area known as the Smoky Hills region of the great plains.

My project is to repair and restore the second drop curtain delivered to the Brown Grand Theatre in 1979; a painted replica based on the original one delivered by the Twin City Scenic Co. in 1907. 

The painted composition is extremely deteriorated, with some of the problems stemming from overly thick layers of primer and dry pigment paint.

In my humble opinion, the key to a painted scene’s longevity is making sure that the painting remains flexible. This applies to any historic setting, whether it was painted with thin glazes (as in the English tradition) or opaque washes (as in the European tradition). The primer and the paint layer can never be too thick, even when a translucent area is back painted. I believe that it is a lot easier to accomplish this objective with dry pigments and diluted hide glue than with premixed paints. Dry pigment colors can maintain their vibrancy even after a ridiculous amount of size water is used, yet still sit on top of the previously applied color, maintaining an opacity unparalleled with premixed paints.

So, why is a thick layer on the surface of a drop curtain a problem? A thick primer and/or paint application means that it is drop becomes subject to cracking, flaking and dusting down the road, especially when handled a lot. 

Normally this would not be a big problem for a permanent installation; such is the case with most drop curtains in historic theaters, as the drops stay on a dedicated line set and are never moved. However, the Brown Grand drop curtain has been handled excessively over the past decade. It has been lowered to the stage floor at least three times since its installation in 1979. The drop was lowered to the stage floor when the top sandwich batten was replaced, swapping the original 4-inch wide pine for 6-inch wide oak. It was lowered when the rigging was recently replaced too. I have to wonder if the rigging crew allowed the drop to accordion to the floor, as with some modern drops.  There are tell-tale horizontal creases that suggest that method. It was lowered a final time just prior to my arrival this week. The lowering and raising process takes a toll on a thickly painted compositions, resulting in an abundance of creasing and abrasions. These weaknesses accelerate the aging of the scene if left untreated and eventually becomes irreparable.

I noticed that many areas of paint loss on the Napoleon drop revealed a white prime coat beneath, and the white paint had a slight sheen to it.  This may be that too much size was added to the whiting during initial application – or that another paint product was used. However, there is not a good bond between the primer and paint. In other areas, the prime coat has completely detached from the fabric, revealing raw fibers below. In addition to cracking, flaking, and dusting pigment, there is a substantial amount of surface contaminants.  Removing the top layer of dirt has been tricky, but I went color by color, determining which colors would need extra attention during consolidation.

After cleaning the drop, I addressed areas with minimal cracking and paint loss. Using a damp brush, loose color can quickly conceal the damage and fill the void.  I say, “easily,” but this is really a tricky process that has taken me quite a few years to fine tune. First of all, not all of colors will work, especially if any pre-mixed paint was added to the dry pigment colors. Secondly, this method only works for small cracks, not large areas of paint loss. It is important to remember that you have one shot to get it right, and a very limited window of time to shift the paint. For this Brown Grand drop curtain, I could successfully shift some yellows, browns, reds, sienna, dark blue and black (yes, there is black on this one, not Van Dyke). The greens are immovable, suggesting that something else is going on and another type of paint may have been applied at the onset.

This whole approach takes a great amount of skill and years of practice. If you do it wrong or overwork an area, you can actually remove the color and further damage the composition.  Light colors are incredibly tricky, including skies, as a tide line will also appear if your brush is too wet.  However, this process does not introduce any new color to the composition. That being said, there will still have to be a significant amount of in-painting for this project.

My second task yesterday was preparing the top of the drop for a fabric reinforcement. Twelve-inches of the top of the scene had to be removed, as off-gassing from a solvent-based glue used while replacing the original top batten had irreparably damaged the fabric. Using hide glue, two long patches were secured to the backside, four inches below the new top. It will remain under weights for twenty-four hours, and then I will continue with that particular project later today. This was not part of the planned project, so we had to scramble for materials. This included a quick shopping trip in Salina, Kansas.

By the way, this is a solo project. I am not using any assistants or volunteers for the restoration.  Much has to do with the increased Delta variant in this region. We just lost a close family friend to COVID in the area a few weeks ago.

If it weren’t for the potential health risks for all involved, this would be a fantastic teaching opportunity. Regardless, I am tried to document my process and share daily updates with all stakeholders. This is the best way to communicate without having people stop by and check in on my progress.

To be continued…