Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
Summer and fall were quite busy this year, hence the great pause in my blog posts. I juggled several historic scenery projects, including two at Scottish Rite theaters in California – Long Beach and Oakland.
Behind the scenes at the Long Beach Scottish Rite in October, 2025.Stage setting at the Long Beach Scottish Rite in October 2025.
The next several posts will examine these culturally significant collections, the scenic studios that contracted the work, and the individual artists who painted the drops. By now, I have written hundreds of pages that trace the artistic provenance for scenic art at both the Long Beach and Oakland Scottish Rite Theaters. In addition to compiling condition reports and replacements appraisals, I discussed unique strategies for collections care management.
Cut drops, flats, and a cyclorama at the Oakland Scottish Rite. November 2025.
There are many reading this post who may be unfamiliar with Scottish Rite Theaters and Masonic Scenery. Every couple of years, I provide additional context in a blog post, explaining how Freemasonry intersects with both American theatre and popular entertainment. Today is the day to revisit this topic.
On stage at the Oakland Scottish Rite, November 2025.
Understanding the basic structure of Freemasonry is imperative in exploring the evolution of Scottish Rite theatre spaces and degree productions. Freemasonry is divided by degrees. Think of a series of educational steps, or grades, in primary and secondary schools. The first three degrees – Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason – are completed in a Blue Lodge, also referred to as the Symbolic Lodge. Having completed the third degree, a Master Mason can join variety of Masonic orders and appendant bodies. The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is one way for a Master Mason to continue his education, from the 4th to 32nd degrees.
Masonic chart published by the Masonic Service Association.
Scottish Rite degrees expand on a subject introduced in the Blue Lodge – the narrative surrounding the construction of King Solomon’s Temple and the assassination of his Master Architect. There are four Scottish Rite Bodies that have control over the twenty-nine degrees.
Scottish Rite Freemasons began to theatrically interpret their degree work by the mid-nineteenth century. From the beginning, degree productions were intended as an educational tool. Only five degrees are considered indispensable, meaning that they should be fully conferred, or theatrically staged with appropriate costumes and paraphernalia. These Indispensable degrees, also referred to as Obligatory Degrees, include the 4th, 14th, 18th, 30th and 32nd degrees. In 2003, I presented a paper entitled “Theatrical Interpretations of the Indispensable Degrees” at the Scottish Rite Research Society’s Membership Meeting, House of the Temple, Washington, D. C. It was later republished in “Heredom” (2004).
By the early twentieth century Scottish Rite theater spaces rivaled many major metropolitan theaters. Scottish Rite building associations spent thousands of dollars to outfit their stages with state-of-the art lighting systems and effects. Painted illusion created for Masonic productions mirrored that used in professional performance venues and by national touring companies across the United States.
Much of the earliest degree work occurred in the northern states. In the early nineteenth-century, the Scottish Rite was divided into two independently governed jurisdictions. They are known as the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction and the Southern Jurisdiction. An 1827 territorial agreement created two Scottish Rite jurisdictions divided along geographical demarcations. The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction included the area east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River, including Delaware. The Southern Jurisdiction controlled the rest of the United States and its territories, including Minnesota. Although geographically diminutive, the Northern Jurisdiction initially contained many affluent members and industrialized cities. It also contained most of North America’s theatrical centers (Boston, New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia). The early agreement between the two jurisdictions provided the northern states with the greatest potential for gain through the established intellectual, social and financial networks necessary to propagate the Scottish Rite.
Propagation of the Scottish Rite through two distinct and geographically defined authorities also allowed a greater potential for diversity in degree work as the absence of written ritual permitted the degree work to assume a multitude of regional discrepancies. American ritual revisionists and itinerant lecturers further invented variants through their own regional creations, as did fraternal supply companies. The jurisdictional division resulted in competition between lodges, members and degree work. Masonic agents and lecturers facilitated this competition as lodges were organized, and ritual was distributed across the country. Each jurisdiction attempted to standardize degree work and re-assert their authoritative power. The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction was the first to introduce theatrical interpretations of degree work, marketing it as a superior ritual experience. At the time, two rival Supreme Councils battled for control of the Northern Jurisdiction, whereas the Southern Jurisdiction remained unified under the leadership of Grand Commander Albert Pike.
Albert Pike (1809-1891).
Prior to leading the Southern Jurisdiction, Pike had revised the Scottish Rite ritual as part of a revision committee; self-publishing and personally distributing the first one hundred copies of his Magnum Opus, or Great Work. His text not only unified the degree system but also had a transformative effect on all future degree work in the United States. Pike provided detailed information for various degree settings, labeling them as “apartments,” inadvertently laying the groundwork for future degree productions. The Northern Jurisdiction soon revised their own ritual, mirroring the format and content of Pike’s work. Charles T. McClenachan added illustrations to his own publication.
Illustration in Charles T. McClenachan’s publication, 1867.
With this visual reference, scenic artists had direction and resources for Scottish Rite scenery.
Painted detail from a drop that is now at the Yankton Scottish Rite. It was originally designed and painted for the Wichita Scottish Rite by Sosman & Landis in 1898.
Northern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite Valleys began to stage elaborate productions, some including moving panoramas with fantastic sea voyages past Malta, Rhodes, Cyprus, and Joppa. Initially, degree productions used a standard drop-and-wing format associated with nineteenth-century American theatre. Situated in the east of the lodge room, roll drops suggested the appropriate scene, while wings masked the side areas of the stage. Scottish Rite stages began to construct fly lofts so that the drops could be raised instead of rolled. Painted illusion for late-nineteenth century Scottish Rite stages now included back drops cut drops and leg drops, each element raised and lowered with operating lines accessible from the fly floor. As the scenes were permanently installed on dedicated line sets, the counterweights were perfectly balanced, so there was no need for rope locks.
Scottish Rite stage machinery designed by Sosman & Landis. Notice the lack of any locking mechanism.
Pike controlled Southern Jurisdiction degree work from 1859 until his passing in 1891. He was adamantly opposed the theatrical interpretation of Scottish Rite degrees, stating the following in his 1882 Allocution:
The Rite in this Jurisdiction is a Rite of instruction, and not of scenic pomp and stage-show. I cannot conceive of a more useless occupation than the arranging and performing of degrees, neither the effect nor the purpose of which is to make men wiser or better, but which are acted as melodramas, to gratify an aesthetic taste and please the imagination, like the pageantry of cardinals and orioles.
During Pike’s administration very few Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite Bodies experimented with the theatrical staging of degree work. It was not until after Pike’s passing that Scottish Rite Valleys throughout the Southern Jurisdiction raced to construct proper theaters in their buildings. The earliest scenery collection delivered to a Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite stage was in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1896. As membership continued to increase, not only were stages enlarged, but entire buildings were replaced with massive structures boasting state-of-the-art theaters. Used scenery collections were re-sold to other Scottish Rite Valleys. For example, scenery and stage machinery from the Little Rock Scottish Rite was refurbished and divided between Pasadena, California, and Miami, Florida. The Little Rock scenery is still in use at the Pasadena Scottish Rite.
The stage of the Pasadena Scottish Rite with original stage machinery and scenery from the Little Rock Scottish Rite.
The history surrounding the theatrical interpretation of Scottish Rite degrees was the topic of my doctoral dissertation: Scenic Shifts Upon the Scottish Rite Stage: Designing for Masonic Theatre, 1859-1929 (Wendy Waszut-Barrett, PhD diss., University of Minnesota, 2009).
Here is the abstract so you have a little more to go on:
Nineteenth-century secret societies often shared a similar ceremonial format yet offered distinct themes and subject matter – frequently revising their ritual to attract potential candidates. This dissertation proposes that the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry captivated members and offered a unique fraternal experience when they completely and successfully staged their fraternal ceremonies, moving portions of their ritual from the lodge room floor to the elevated stage. Exploring Scottish Rite degree productions as fraternal imitations of mass-produced optical entertainments, this study argues that American Victorian theatre and nineteenth-century spectacle provided the vehicle that catapulted the Scottish Rite to the forefront of the American fraternal movement. The extant scenery collections currently housed in many Scottish Rite theatres depict an aesthetic shift in the field of scenic art from an itinerant to a studio style, providing a primary source for both theatre scholars and practitioners to explore historical painting techniques and color palettes otherwise unavailable. The commercial theatre typically discarded or repainted scenic backdrops at a production’s close, leaving only secondary source material in the form of playbills and theatre reviews to illustrate theatre aesthetics. Through the analysis of extant fraternal backdrop collections, historical scene designs, Scottish Rite ritual, Masonic legislative proceedings, fraternal supply catalogs, personal manuscripts, and archival documents, this dissertation examines the multifaceted fraternal, theatrical, social and economic ideologies facilitating the theatrical interpretation of Scottish Rite degrees between 1859 and 1929. The significance of this study lies in the present availability of complete backdrops collections and their perilous condition. Furthermore, it recognizes the imperative need to preserve our theatrical and fraternal heritage through documenting the origin and importance of Scottish Rite scenery, understanding the availability of historical scenic art, and preventing the further deterioration of this primary resource.
My passion for this topic has never diminished; if anything, it has intensified over the years with each new discovery. Research that began in libraries and rare book rooms shifted to online searches and digital databases. I began collecting both fraternal and theatrical memorabilia to illustrate this history, even acquiring an entire Scottish Rite scenery collection. Other artifacts in my personal collection include studio designs, source materials, business records, and a wide range of supplemental materials. All the while, I documented, appraised, repaired, and replicated historic distemper scenery at venues across the country.
Looking up at the Pasadena Scottish Rite, 2018. Seeing bottom sandwich battens (right) and the fly floor with wood arbors and operating lines (left)
Unless you have stepped onto a Scottish Rite stage and looked up at the dozens of historic backdrops, you have no idea about the scope of painted illusion for the stage; the thousands of scenes that were painted in scenic studios and shipped across the country. In many cases, Scottish Rite stages are time capsules, complete with original stage machinery and lighting systems. However, in the blink of an eye these remarkable stagehouses can become irreparably altered, gutted, or razed. I don’t know how many will survive the next five years, let alone a decade. The anticipated sale of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite in 2014 was what prompted visual artist , Jo Whaley to start photographing the historic stage scenery. In the summer of 2016, Jo and I photographed the treasure chamber scene.
Photoshoot on August 1, 2016. Photographer Jo Whaley (left) and model Andrew Barrett (right).
Jo and I functioned as both co-editors and contributors. I was one of three contributing authors, working with Rick Hendricks and Khristaan Villela. Jo handled all the visual imagery. We included a portfolio section that featured each scene as it would have appeared in 1912, complete with historic costumes and properties.
One of the plates from the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (2018, Museum of New Mexico Press). Photograph by Jo Whaley. John Adams as King Solomon model.
I wrote the descriptions for each degree, describing in two or three sentences what was happening on stage. Instead of documenting each scene as still image, Jo activated the space, suggesting motion even though the figures were trapped in time. We wanted to capture the essence of production that transformed thousands of Masons for more than a century. The book was well received and we received the Ralph Emerson Twitchell Award from the Historical Society of New Mexico in 2019.
The very nature of theatre scenery is ephemeral, never intending to last beyond the production or a season. Touring productions and stock scenery collections were the exception, but even those installations were not intended to last more than a decade. In 1894, Sosman & Landis guaranteed that their scenery would last for twelve years. A little more than a decade, and yet examples of their work remain, despite some being almost 150 years old. Remnants of historic scenery collections are scattered all over the country, tucked away in opera houses, social halls and other performance venues.
Sosman and Landis shutter delivered to the opera house in Fort Recovery, Ohio, c. 1883. The venue is now know as the Morvilius Opera House. The scenery was removed from the stage and will not return.
Scottish Rite Theatres are different, they remain suspended in the same theatre in which they were installed, some even hanging from original operating lines. One can step upon a Scottish Rite stage and share the same space that performers and stagehands experienced over a century ago. Everything is locked in time yet still used for contemporary performances.
From the late-nineteenth- to mid-twentieth century, theatrical suppliers marketed Masonic scenery as unique, yet most scenic designs depicted common subject matter already utilized by many theaters. Standard stock scenes, such as woodlands, landscapes, ocean shores, babbling brooks, ancient ruins, palatial courtyards, Gothic interiors and Egyptian tombs graced both private and public stages alike. Only a few of the scenes designed for fraternal stages include objects and emblems inserted into scenic backdrops, set pieces and properties. This means that a variety of shows can still be staged in a Scottish Rite Theatre. Aida, Pirates of Penzance, Into the Woods, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, are just a few examples that have used Scottish Rite scenery collections over the years.
Chapel setting with backdrop, leg drops, and altar flats. Oakland Scottish Rite, 1927. scenic design and art by Thomas G. Moses. Photograph from Nov. 7, 2025.
When architects, historical societies, investors, and other stakeholders examine historic theaters for renovation, they carefully research layout, color palettes, and painted details. Their focus becomes locked on building facades, plasterwork, entrances, lobbies, and auditoriums. Stagehouses are often ignored. Instead of exploring the historical and cultural significance of backstage areas, stage systems and distemper stage scenes are deemed out-of-date and/or replaceable. Far too frequently, the stage of a restored theatre is gutted and replaced with new systems and technology, removing all evidence of an industry that shaped the American experience for generations. Even extant stage scenery, painted by significant local, regional, and nationally-recognized artists, are perceived as replaceable or disposable. In many cases, these large-scale distemper artworks cannot survive the removal and transportation to a new location.
Sosman & Landis, of Chicago produced the largest number of Scottish Rite scenery collections in North America. The firm’s first employee and final president, Thomas G. Moses was personally responsible for the design and delivery of Masonic scenery for 55 Scottish Rite Theatre, 7 Shrine Auditoriums, 14 Commanderies (York Rite) and 9 Grottos (Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm).
Thomas G. Moses pictured in “The Oakland Tribune” 12 Dec 1927. He was 71 years old.
Moses was repeatedly called back to repaint stage settings for numerous Masonic Temples, even after a period of twenty-five years. These Masonic venues included Little Rock, Arkansas, Fort Scott, Kansas, McAlester, Oklahoma, and Salt Lake City, Utah. Moses brokered and refurbished used Masonic scenery collections across the country, a practice implemented by Sosman & Landis under Moses’ leadership during the early twentieth century. Sosman & Landis scenery is in jeopardy at Scottish Rite theaters across the country. A few weeks ago, I created a 7-min. video that tries to convey what Joe Sosman & Perry Landis were able to accomplish and the state of many historic scenery collections. Now is the time to get out your camera and ask to see the scenery. Click HERE to watch the video. I recognize that not everything can be saved, but it can be documented.
In 2014, I encountered the name Jack Ballard & Son, stenciled on the back of some scenery at a Czech Hall in Cuba, Kansas.
Amazingly, he was mentioned in the article “Dramatic Expression: Czech Theatre Curtains in Nebraska,” written by David Murphy and published in Nebraska History (1993). Ballard was credited with the painting scenery for the Sokol Hall in Crete, Nebraska.
On my drive home, I stopped by Crete and viewed shreds of scenery above a dilapidated Sokol stage. There was no way I could get close enough to see much of anything, yet I stood in awe. There was a full fly loft! However, I had a sense of dread, as I immediately recognized that this stage would not stand the sense of time, plus the chance of my return was slim.
Boarded-up Sokol Hall in Crete, Nebraska. Photograph from July 25, 2025.
Surprisingly, Jack Ballard’s name popped up in my FB feed in 2021 when Fred Kolo mentioned that he was related to Jack Ballard – the scenic artist who painted scenery for Czech Halls in Eastern Nebraska. He was responding to “recent discoveries at the Tabor Opera House”; likely a New York Times article about my work at the Tabor Opera House, published that same month.
The New York Times article about the Tabor Opera House, published August 2021.
Kolo posted a few polaroid pictures of scenic models by Jack Ballard. He shared the following: After I was firmly on my way to being a set designer over rather strong parental opposition, my father one day told me that he had an uncle who would travel around Eastern Nebraska with a wagon full of paint and canvas and try to sell new items to the local theatres (they seem to all have been called opera houses) on hiring him to paint some new backdrops for them. Dad told me that he always helped his uncle mix the paints. (That was jaw-dropping to me at the time.) The surname was Ballard, and that branch of the family pretty much ended up in Los Angeles and worked in various crafts in the film industry. I was not much in touch with them, but they still had the stage and set models that he used to promote his wares. Long ago I got sent polaroids of a number of them.
Polaroid depicting Jack Ballard’s scenic design for a drop curtain. Posted by Fred Kolo to the Studio and Forum of Scenic Arts, 12 Aug 2021.Polaroid depicting Jack Ballard’s scenic design. Posted by Fred Kolo to the Studio and Forum of Scenic Arts, 12 Aug 2021.Scenic art by Jack Ballard for the Sokol Hall in Crete, Nebraska. Image included in David Murphy’s article “Dramatic Expression: Czech Theatre Curtains in Nebraska” (1993).
Fast forward to July 2025. I returned to Cuba, Kansas, to repair Ballard’s drop curtain depicting Wenceslaus Square in Prague. While on site, the same reporter (Deb Hadachek) drops by for a quick interview. We reminisce about my 2014 visit and struggle to remember a few things about the history of the Czech Hall; after all, it has been 11 years! That evening I decided to complete another online search for Ballard’s work in the region.
Every day, historic records and newspaper article continue to be uploaded into online databases. After a delightful romp through the past, I knew that Czech halls and Ballard would be the subject of my next few posts. That evening, I also identified a few sites that I wanted to visit on my way home, including Ballard’s grave in Crete, Nebraska.
Jack Ballard’s grave at Riverside Cemetery in Crete, Nebraska. Photograph from July 25, 2025.Jack Ballard’s gravestone in the Kolarik Family plot at Riverside Cemetery in Crete, Nebraska, Photograph from July 25, 2025.
My return trip photographs, combined with a week of research, resulted in a story about three Nebraska scenic artists: Jack Ballard (birth name Byrl E. Ballard), Allen A. Ballard (Jack’s older brother), and Donald Ballard (Jack’s son). Jack followed his older brother into the painting profession. Jack’s son, Don Ballard, also became a scenic artist.
Jack Ballard portrait posted to the Crutchfield-Serdinsky Family tree at www.ancestry.com
Tracking down the lives and careers of these three individuals was quite a challenge, but an absolute delight. I uncovered information that I never expected to find, tracing the Ballard family roots back to sixteenth-century England. Ballard family descendants trace their roots back to Phillip Henry Thomas Ballard (1575-1642) and Elizabeth Townsend (1577-1637) of Nottinghamshire, England), posting the family tree to ancestry.com. Phillip and Elizabeth Ballard were Jack’s 8th-great grandparents! The Ballard family emigrated to America in the early-seventeenth century, settling at Middle Plantation in the Virginia Colony; an unincorporated town established in 1632. In 1699, this settlement in was renamed Williamsburg, in honor of England’s King William III. Thomas Ballard I and II (Jack’s 6th and 5th great grandfathers) are listed in Landship Owner Patterns and Early Development in Middle Plantation: Report of Archival Research by Martha W. McCartney in 2000. Thomas Ballard I was a landowner and politician in the Colony of Virginia. He served in serval roles at James City in the 1660s to 1680s, including justice of the peace, sheriff, and burgess. He was named to the Governor’s Council (1670-1679) and was Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses1(680-1682). The Ballard family’s activities in Colonial America are extensive and quite fascinating, including the 330-acre tract sold by Thomas Ballard II after his father’s death to help form the College of William and Mary.
The Ballard family remained in Virginia until the early-nineteenth century, when they headed west. Jack’s father, Alexander Ballard was born in Virginia but headed west with his family in 1830. The birth of each sibling traces Alexander Ballard’s journey to Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa.
The journey from Hillsboro, Virginia, to Knoxville, Iowa. 2025 Google map data.
As a young man, Alexander continued west from Knoxville, Iowa, to Diller, Nebraska. I am going to include a complete transcription of his obituary, published in the Diller Record on Sept 28, 1916. It sets the stage for Jack’s home”
Alexander Ballard was born near Hillsboro, Grayson County, Virginia, Oct. 10, 1928, and passed on to his reward at Fairbury, Nebraska, September 25th, 916, aged 87 years, 11 months and 15 days. In early childhood he came with his parents. Here he spent his youth. In 1847 the family moved to Marion County, Iowa. In 1853 he returned to Indiana and married Rebecca Sumner. In 1856 he and his wife removed to Marion County, Iowa. In 1857 they made a prospecting trip up into Minnesota in what was then known as a “Prairie schooner” (And this reminds the writer that the first trip of the family from Indiana to Iowa was made in a wagon drawn by oxen.” Not finding anything more satisfactory in Minnesota than the home already chosen in Iowa, they returned to Knoxville, Iowa. Here he lived until 1880, During this time, Mr. Ballard engaged in the vocation of blacksmith. In 1880 he started west again. He came by railroad as far as Washington, Kansas. There he took the wagon route again and came north to Steele City, then on to the present site of Diller. He was among the very first residents of that place. He built the first blacksmith shop in the place and hauled lumber for some of the first houses that were erected in the village. About two years later, he brought his family to the newly established home and once more became a pioneer in the real sense of the word. He made his home in Diller ever since until last winter, where he came to Fairbury to live with his daughter, There is a rather striking coincidence in the deaths of him and his wife. Both died on the 25th day of September, and at the very same hour of the day, 2:30 in the afternoon. Mrs. Ballard died three years ago. A daughter, Wilma, died in Knoxville, Iowa, September 29, 1881. He leaves behind the following immediate relatives: One brother, Clerka Ballard, of Frankfort, Indiana; four daughters: Miss Olive, of Diller; Mrs. Etoile McClay and Miss Bert, of Fairbury; and Mrs. Ida McEllewee, of Lincoln. And also, four sons: William of Indianapolis, Indiana; Allen of Beatrice, Nebraska; Bort, of Escondido, California; and Byrl, of Fairbury, and fourteen grandchildren, with one great grandchild. All of the children were present at the funeral except two sons, William and Bort. Mr. Ballard was originally a member of the Dunkard Church. Mrs. Ballard had become a member of the Christian Church while a girl in Indiana. It was her privilege to listen to Alexander Campbell several times in ger girlhood, When they came to Diller there was for a number of years no Christian Church established there. The Methodists organized a church, and for several years they both worshipped with the Methodists. Later, when the Christian Church was established, Mrs. Ballard desired to enter the church of her choice, and Mr. Ballard joined her in entering the Christian Church. Of that church he has been a member ever since.
This section of Alexander Ballard’s obituary was published throughout the region. However, the Diller Record added the following information about Ballard’s association with Iowa’s Underground Railroad:
Mr. Ballard enlisted for service in the Civil War, But he was unable to stand the physical examination. He got as far as Keokuk. From there the recruiting officers sent him home. He came back to Marion County, Iowa, and served the cause by becoming a station on the “Underground Railroad.” Many a black refugee received aid and sympathy at his hands. He was a true pioneer. He was one of the souls who, present civilization owes more than it can ever pay. He blazed trails, laid foundations and built structures. We are entered into the inheritance left by such as he and his noble wife. He was entered into his reward. His body has served its day and purpose. We have laid it away. But Mr. Ballard still lives. His work still speaks though his tongue be silent. Reverently we uncover our heads and do honor to the hero of pioneer days.
We often think of the Underground Railroad as transporting people from south to north. However, a substantial amount of activity took place in Iowa, helping enslaved people in Missouri and neighboring Southern Slave States reach the Mississippi River and Illinois. The Iowa Freedom Trail Project, sponsored by the State Historical Society of Iowa, is a wonderful site to explore the Underground Railroad in the Midwest.
In regard to Ballard’s Civil War records…I have only located one military record for Alexander Ballard, dating from 1863. At that time, he was 34 yrs. old and living in Union Township, Marion County, Iowa. The 1860 US Federal Census also listed Union Township at the Ballard residence: Alexander and Rebecca living with their three daughters, Lucy Olive, Mary E. and Ida. By 1870, the Ballard family was living in Knoxville, Iowa. The household now included seven children, ranging in age from five months old to sixteen years.
When Byrl E. “Jack” Ballard was born in 1878, he was the youngest of nine children. His four eldest sisters were all school teachers, ranging in age from 19-24 yrs. old. Jack was two years old when his father headed west to build a new home. Alexander Ballard initially settled in Steele City, Nebraska, where he was counted in the 1880 US Federal Census. Steel City was organized in 1879, having been first founded in 1873 when the St. Joseph and Western Railroad arrived in the area. By 1883, Alexander Ballard had built a new home a few miles to the northeast. The Ballard family was reunited in Diller, Nebraska. The 1885 Nebraska State Census listed the Ballard household containing Alex (58 yrs, blacksmith), Rebecca (57 yrs., keeps house), Olive (31 yrs., milliner), William (21 yrs., teacher), Allen (18 yrs., painter), Bort (13 yrs., at home), and Byrl (6 yrs., at home). Interestingly, another young painter boarded next door to the Ballard home – 24 yrs. old Ed J. Berry.
Entering Diller, Nebraska, from the west. Photograph from July 25, 2025.
I stopped by Diller on my way home. The town consists of only a few buildings and a population of 240. As my dad used to say, “Don’t blink or you’ll miss it.” Interestingly, a large opera house dominates the small town. Built in 1912, the large building dominates Diller’s skyline.
Opera House in Diller, Nebraska, built in 1912. Diller has a population of 240.
The Diller Record shared many Ballard family activities, including Jack’s journey to Lincoln, Nebraska, with his sister Etoile in 1888. He was only ten years old at the time, but he was already venturing sixty miles from home. On April 10, 1891, the Diller Record announced, “Master Byrle has gone to Western [Nebraska] to learn the printers trade in the Wave Offices.” By now, Jack was twelve years old and ready to enter an apprenticeship. His older brother Bort has also entered the printing business in Nebraska, before moving to California.
Jack Ballard’s adventure’s made local news. Fishing trips, family visits, oratorial contest recitations and other performances sporadically appear throughout the 1890s. In 1897, however, he agrees to play music in a circus band. On April 30, 1897, The Diller Record reported, “Henry Henrichs and Byrl Ballard left this morning for Fairbury having engaged to play in the band with Campbell Bro.’s Circus.” Diller was one of the stops on the Campbell Bros. Circus stop. I was surprised to find several pictures of the Campbell Bros. Circus at the Fairbury City Museum, including a photograph of when the Cambell Bros. Circus visited Diller, Nebraska, in 1894, and their winter grounds in 1898.
In 1898, the circus established winter grounds in Fairbury, Nebraska. Two year later, Ballard was again working with them, but this time as a painter.
Winter quarters in Fairbury, Nebraska, for the Campbell Bros. Circus in 1898.
On 17 Nov 1900, The Fairbury Gazette announced, “Mr. Ballard has the contract for repainting Campbell Bros. show cars.” Over the course of a few years, he entered the painting trade, following in his brother Allen’s footsteps as a carriage painter.
In 1896, Allen A. Ballard was working as a carriage painter in Kansas City, Missouri. The next year, his younger brother joined him in the trade. On Sept. 10, 1897, The Diller Record announced, “Byrl Ballard went Tuesday to Kansas City where he has a job of painting in a carriage factory with his brother, A. A. Ballard.” The two were working for Russell & Son at 810 E. 11th Street. Advertisements for the firm stated, “Manufacturers of carriages and buggies, business and delivery wagons, fire department apparatus; repairing a specialty.”
By the spring of 1898, Allen had established his own carriage painting business in Crete, Nebraska. His firm, Ballard & Cramer, operated in Crete from 1898 to 1902. His younger brother soon followed. On May 13, 1898, The Diller Record reported, “Byrl Ballard came down from Hardy’s the fore part of the week and after spending two or three days visiting relatives and friends in Diller left yesterday for Crete where he expects to work for his brother Al. Ballard, at carriage painting.” Over the years the brothers would sporadically work together, before partnering with other painters. By 1900, Byrl E. Ballard increasingly went by his nickname “Jack.” This name change coincided with his marriage to Emma Kolarik.
On June 28, 1899, The Crete Herald reported:
Miss Emma Kolarik of this city and Burril Ballard of Beatrice were married Wednesday at Wilbur by County Judge Hendee. Miss Kolarik has for years been employed at the Cosmopolitan hotel and has many friends here who wish her much joy. Mr. Ballard, better known as “Jack,” was until last winter engaged with his brother in the painting business. The newly wedded pair went to Beatrice Wednesday evening, where they will reside.
The 1900 US Federal Census listed the couple living in Beatrice with their newborn daughter Lorraine. By that fall, they moved to Fairbury, where Jack again secured a contract with the Campbell Brothers Circus. On Nov. 17, 1900, The Fairbury Gazette announced, ““Byrl Ballard, wife and baby, who are moving from Beatrice to Fairbury, where Mr. Ballard has the contract for repainting Campbell Bros. show cars, visited in Diller over Sunday. –Diller Record.”
By 1901, Ballard was working in Omaha as a carriage painter but soon transitioned to sign painting. In 1902, he moved his family to Plattsmouth, Nebraska, where he completed a variety of projects throughout the region, including gold lettering on plate glass, window ornamentation, business signs, and railroad cars. He eventually became associated with the Burlington Railroad. On July 3, 1903, the Hardy Herald of Hardy, Nebraska, announced, “Byrl Ballard, wife and child, are here from Plattsmouth, Nebr., for a week with his brother. He is in the employ of the Burlington route.” He was still associated with Burlington’s car shops until 1908, a year after he celebrated the arrival of his son and future business partner, Donald K. Ballard (1907-1956).
Image of Burlington RR caboose parked in Beatrice, Nebraska. Phorograph from July 25, 2025.
Of Ballard’s private life, he was a member if the Modern Woodmen of America, Camp No, 322. He was noted as playing a stringed instrument, although article failed to specify if it was a violin, viola, cello or bass. His musical activities included the Hardy band and entertainment for the Modern Woodmen of America.
On March 12, 1908, The Plattsmouth Journal reported, “Will move to Crete. Byrl Ballard, wife and baby returned from a week’s visit with Mr. Ballard’s parents at Crete. During their stay there Mr. Ballard entered into partnership with Geo. Cramer in a carriage shop at that place, and with his family will shortly move to Crete where they will make their future home. They have lived in Plattsmouth for the past six years, during which time Mr. Ballard has been employed in Burlington coach shops. They have friends here who regret to see them leave. We wish them prosperity in their new home.”
Today’s journey from Plattsmouth to Crete, Nebraska, by car.
Cramer had previously partnered with Allen Ballard, Jack’s older brother. By 1909, he had moved to Beatrice, Nebraska. Jack and Allen Ballard were again painting together, but this time as scenic artists. On May 10, 1909, The Beatrice Daily Express Credited the new scenery at the Star Theatre to “A. A. and B. E. Ballard, both of this city” noting that the stock scenery collection “reflects much credit upon their ability as artists.” That summer, the brothers headed to Crete for several residential projects. Jack Ballard did not remain in Beatrice for long, soon moving to Fairbury. This would become his standard mode of operation, hopping from one town to the next, staying as long as the project lasted. Ballard’s work would take him to Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and California over the years.
Jack did not partner with his brother for long, soon relocating to Fairbury. On Nov. 12, 1909, The Fairbury Journal-News announced, “B. E. Ballard has moved his family from Beatrice to Fairbury into the house on Sixth street…Mr. Ballard is employed by G. W. Bartlett as a decorator.” His house in Fairbury is still standing, although a bit worse for wear. I was able to document it on July 25, 2025.
The Ballard’s one-time home in Fairbury, Nebraska, is still standing. Photograph from July 25, 2025.
When the US Federal Census was taken in 1910, the Ballards were living 219 South 17th Street in Lincoln, Nebraska. His occupation was listed as “theatrical scene painter” in the advertising industry. Meanwhile, his brother Allen remained in Beatrice, continuing work as a scenic artist and sign painter. I am going to add another name to the Beatrice mix. Scenic artist Fitch Fulton also grew up in this bustling, Nebraska town. I have already written a full biography for Fulton as he once worked for Sosman & Landis Scenic Studio in Chicago.
Allen Ballard established a new scenic art firm with J. L. Ashenfelter in 1910, Ballard & Ashenfelter, scenic artists; sometimes identified as Ashenfelter & Ballard. In 1910 their firm delivered scenery to stages in Abilene, Kansas (the Seelye and Lyric Theatres), Lexington, Nebraska (Priel Opera House), and Harvard, Nebraska (Opera House). In 1912 the two established the Mid-West Scenic Co. in Beatrice. Allen continued to work as both a scenic artist and sign painter over the years until his passing in 1931. One of Allen’s last scenic art projects was for the Lyric Theatre in Wymore, Nebraska.
In 1910, the same year that Ballard & Ashenfelter began work, B. E. Ballard Scenic Co. was established in Fairbury, Nebraska.
Fairbury, Nebraska, in relation to Beatrice, Crete, Lincoln and Grand Island. Seward, Nebraska, was also the birthplace of scenic artist Don Carlos DuBois.
Between the summers of 1910 and 1912, the firm painted scenery for seven Nebraska stages in Atkinson (Opera House), Long Pine (Theatre), Jansen (Town Hall) and Beatrice (Star Airdome Theatre and the Lyric Theatre), Fairbury (Majestic Theatre), and Geneva. Ballard was no linger working by himself, or with a single partner. While working at the Majestic Theatre in 1914, The Fairbury Journal-News reported, “B. E. Ballard and his force of painters and decorators have been hard at work all this week and every foot of the interior has been newly painted and decorated. New color schemes have been introduced throughout, and the result is that the Majestic patrons will be agreeably surprised and pleased with the new Majestic.”
Ballard continued to paint under his own name for the next decade, moving to Omaha by 1918. In 1918, his WWI Draft registration listed his occupation as a sign painter, working for the Abbott Advertising Co. in Omaha. Ballard’s physical appearance was described as medium height, medium build, gray eyes, gray hair, and slightly balding.
In 1922 he was listed as a sign painter for the Inter-State Sign Co., Omaha. For the most part, Ballard continued to shift from scenic art, to sign painting, interior ornamentation and back again. Between 1913 and 1923, Ballard was credited with painting scenery for stages in Fairbury (Majestic Theatre and Opera House), Crete (Lyric Theatre, Sokol Hall, and St. James Hall), Omaha (Brandeis Theatre). Many of the venues were repeat customers, continuing to order scenery every few years. In Crete, Ballard continued to paint scenery every few years for the Sokol Hall, starting in 1915. On Sept. 27, 1921, The Crete News reported, “New Sokol Theatre Curtain. Jack Ballard, a scenic painter of Omaha, is repainting the front curtain and drops at Sokol theater, even the advertisements. The scene on the front curtain will be a river view taken at Prague, Bohemia, and will be finished for the opening show of the season, tomorrow (Friday) night, which is advertised in the News. Mr. Ballard formerly lived at Crete and Mrs. Ballard is the daughter of Mrs. Anna Kolarik of this city.” His nickname “Jack” became increasing used by in newspaper articles during this time.
In 1924, Ballard accepted was listed as the in-house scenic artist for the Brandeis Theatre in Omaha. When he painted scenery for St, Mary’s Church Auditorium (Luxemburg) and a Community Theatre (David City), he was listed as “Jack Ballard, scenic artist of the Brandeis Theatre, Omaha.” The following year, his son Don joined him as a scenic artist at the Brandeis. Jack Ballard & Son was still credited as scenic artists, Brandeis Theatre, Omaha. Between 1925 and 1928 Jack Ballard & Son were credited with painting scenery at the following Nebraska Theatres: Brandeis Theatre (Omaha), Gem Theatre (Trenton), Oliver Theatre (Palisade), the new school theatre (Palisade), Orpheum Theatre (Straten), Electric Theatre (Curtis), New Opera House (Deshler), Empress Theatre (Central City), Theatre (Dorchester), New Sokol Auditorium (Omaha), Sun Theatre (Gothenburg), the Lyric Theatre (Arapahoe), and Orpheum (Scottsbluff). Their painting for the Gem Theatre in Trenton was described in The Hitchcock County News 30 Jan 1925: “A new drop curtain was hung in the Gem Theater, close of the week. It was purchased from Jack Ballard, who with his son, does all of the scenery painting in the Brandeis Theater in Omaha. They sold advertising spaces on the curtain and fifteen of Trenton’s business firms are represented. It is a neat and artistic piece of work, and the new curtain will be enjoyed by the patrons of the Gem. The old one did duty for more than eight years and it’s time of service was almost too long.”
There are so many newspaper articles that describe the scenic art of Ballard & Son in detail. They were delivering drop curtains, advertising curtain, painted stock scenes and draperies. On Oct. 25, 1928, The Holbrook Observer of Holbrook Nebraska published an article entitled “New Decorations at Ritz Theatre.” The article reported: “A curtain bearing the advertisement of a number of business firms of Holbrook, has just been placed in the Ritz Theater. The work was done by Jack Ballard and son, of Crete, Nebraska. It is a very artistic piece of work. Mr. Ballard also decorated the side walls of the building with scenes most pleasing to the eye. The pictures represent the South Cheyenne Canyon, Bay of Monterey, Seal Rocks, Autumn in Connecticut, Big Thompson Canyon, and a Virginia Meadow. Mr. Ballard is a real artist. The family left Tuesday afternoon for Crete, Nebr.” Similarly, a western theme was also the subject of another advertising curtain in Cambridge, Nebraska. On Dec. 20, 1928, the Cambridge Clarion described, “in the center of the curtain is a beautiful reproduction of the gates of the Yosemite Valley of California, surrounded by attractive ads of merchants of Cambridge. The work is being done by Jack Ballard and Son of Denver, who are artists in their line of work.”
Jack Ballard & Son not only began to incorporate more western imagery into their work but also began to travel father west. The painted scenery for the new Municipal Auditorium in Denver, Colorado. In Hollister, California, they listed themselves as “scenic artists of Denver when painting scenery for the Legion Building Hall. Between 1928 and 1931, Jack Ballard & Son, scenic artists was followed with: “of Denver” (CO), “of Omaha” (NE), “of Imperial” (NE), “of McCook” (NE), “of Cuba” (KS), “of Lincoln” (NE), “of Crete” (NE) and “of California.” They were itinerant artists, traveling from town to town with a wagon full of supplies. Scenery painted during this time was for a variety of locations, including the following Nebraska stages: Ritz Theatre (Holbrook), Fair Theatre (Cambridge), Opera House (Clarkston), ZCBJ Opera House (Howells), Sokol Hall (Cuba), St. James Hall (Crete), Sun Theatre (Gothenburg), Sokol Hall (Crete), Open Air Show House (Tuxedo Park), Waly Thompson Auditorium (Dorchester), and the Janacek Theatre (Schuyler). They also delivered scenery to a theatre in Wray, Colorado.
On Oct. 1, 1931, The Crete News published an article about a new theatrical innovation by Ballard in an article entitled “Improvements at Sokol Theatre.” The article reported, “The Crete Sokols are to be congratulated on the beautiful draw curtains that have just been completed by Jack Ballard and son. The front draw is a beautiful soft curtain of royal purple with silver tinsel in fancy scroll around the local merchants’ display, which gives the effect of being diamond studded. The local theatre is the second in the United States to have a split draw curtain with merchants; displays on the soft cloth of this type; the baffling problem having been to secure a cloth on which the paint would not crack with the folding of the cloth. The Gothenburg Sun was the first to have this type of curtain. Jack Ballard and Son are also the creators of the curtains in the theatre. The second curtain in the Sokol theaters here, is wine colored and also split in the center for a draw or if the occasion demands, may be hoisted. The merchants whose names appear on the front curtains and several other pieces of stage settings. Mr. Ballard, whose home is in Crete, has painted a new curtain for the Sokols every third year since the erection of the new hall in 1915. The artist’s next stop is Wray, Colo., where they will install a duplicate of his Crete work.”
I am going to pause for a moment and add some historical and familial context. There was a sharp decline in prices on the New York Stock exchange on October 29, 1929. Now known as the Great Crash, it marked the beginning of the worldwide Great Depression that lasted for a decade. When the US Federal Census was taken in 1930, Jack, Emma and Donald Ballard were living at 1022, Gm Street in Geneva City, Nebraska. Both Jack and Donald were listed a scenic artists. In the midst of this sharp economic downturn, Jack Ballard lost three of his brothers. His sister Lucy Olive Ballard had already passed on Nov. 30, 1930, in Fairbury, Nebraska. On January 1, 1931, Bowater Boot Ballard passed away in Fresno County, California. Four months later, Allen A. Ballard passed away in Beatrice, Nebraska. On Sept. 10, 1932, William Sumner Ballard passed away in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the end of an era. Lucy had been the oldest of the Ballard siblings. As reported in her obituary, “She came with her parents to Iowa when about two years old [1856] where she grew to womanhood, was educated and engaged in school teaching. Again, she came with them to Diller, Nebr., in n1884, where she conducted a millinery, dressmaking and notion store for forty-four years, When she was taken sick last April, she was taken to the home of her sister Miss Bert Ballard, in Fairbury, where she lived until her death.” At the time of her passing in 1928, seven Ballard siblings remained. By 1932, only three were still living: Byrl “Jack” Ballard, Etoile “Etta” McClay, and Ida McElwee.
By 1933, the Great Depression was in full force. Unemployment had reached 25%. Millions were taking pay cuts and working reduced hours. There was widespread poverty, homelessness, and hunger. Businesses vanished overnight. The services of many tradesmen were no longer needed, especially scenic artists, sign writers, and decorative painters. Of this time, Chicago scenic artist John Hanny wrote: “After the Depression of 1929, which lasted about five years, conditions were extremely bad. Studios disappeared; many artists had to find other kinds of jobs.” Such was the case with Jack Ballard and his son Don when to the Midwest, settling again in Crete.
They diversified their services, replacing theatre projects with a series of smaller commercial and residential projects. Family connections and word of mouth were key. Ballard & Son decorated the Dr. Kolouch Hospital in Schuyler; Kolouch was Jack Ballard’s brother-in-law. Other non-theatrical projects included decorating the State Bank (Alexandria), the Crete News Building entrance, Riverside Cemetery’s Legion Memorial (Crete), decorating Sacred Heart Church (Crete), painting a firetruck (Crete), and producing a few parade floats for the Union Pacific Premiere in Omaha. Ballard & Son painted even painted a few signs for the City of Crete. City Council reports list that they painted restroom signs for Crete. Despite the economic downturn, Ballard & Son still painted scenery for the Rialto Theatre (Cozad), Opera House (Alexandria), and the New School Auditorium (Alexandria). They also painted scenery for the Ak-Sar-Ben Den show in Crete.
Life continued to move on despite economic hardships. In 1937, Son Don was married to Florence A. Hier, of Peoria, Illinois. Their marriage announcement was published in The Crete News on Sept. 2, 1937:
Miss Florence Hier of Peoria, Ill., daughter of Ben Hier of Crete and Don Ballard, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Balaard of Crete, were married at 10 p. m., Wednesday, Aug. 25, at St. Peters Rectory at Council Bluffs, Iowa, by Father Stein, in the presence of Miss Jean Norton and George Van Buskirk, of Omaha. The bride wore an ensemble of black and white with black accessories, and a shoulder corsage of gardenias to complete the costume. Miss Norton wore a black frock. Her corsage was pink pompoms. Mrs. Ballard is a graduate of St. Elizabeth Academy of St. Louis, Mo., and of the Lincoln School of Commerce. The past year, she has been employed by the Fleming Potter Cp. Of Peoria, Ill. Mr. Ballard is a graduate of Central High school of Omaha. He is associated with his father in the sign painting business. At the present time, Mr. and Mrs. Ballard are residing in Crete. Friday, Dr. and Mrs. Fred Kolouch of Schuyler entertained the newlyweds and his parents at dinner.”
Until now, Don had been living with his parents. The 1940 US Federal Census listed Don, his wife and newborn son, living with his father-in-law, Ben Hier, at 525 East 13th St., Crete. They were next door to Elizabeth Kolarik, Don’s maternal aunt (Emma Kolarik’s sister-in-law).
Elizabeth Kolarik’s grave is in the same plot as Jack Ballard. Riverside Cemetery, Crete, Nebraska. Photograph from July 25, 2025.
Don’s parents were living at 37 Linden Ave.in Crete. Ballard & Son began to decline and terminate with a year. 1941 is the last year that I was able to identify a project by Jack Ballard & Son. That fall, they worked on floats for a parade in Cozad, and Christmas decorations for Crete. In 1942, Don’s WWII draft card provides some insight into his physical appearance at 35 yrs. old: 5’-11 ½”, 190 lbs., blue eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion.
His mother, Emma Kolarik Ballard, passed away on June 4, 1942.
Emma Kolarik Ballard’s grave in Riverside Cemetery, Crete, Nebraska. Photograph from July 25, 2025.
That year Jack Ballard was listed as a sign painter, working for the Omaha Advertising Co. In 1950, he worked for the Neon Sign Company as a commercial artist. By 1950, Don had moved to California with his family and was working as a railroad electrician, maintaining railroad cars in Richmond, Contra Coast, California.
Ballard passed away in Evanston, Cook County, Illinois. His obituary was published in The Lincoln Star on July 27, 1952:
Byrl Ballard is Dead Rites Set for Crete. Funeral services for Byrl Jack Ballard, 73, former Crete and Lincoln resident, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete, He died in Chicago. For several years he was employed in Lincoln by the Bruce Neon Company. Surviving are his daughter, Mrs. Lorain Gustafson of Chicago; a son, Donald of Richmond, Calif.; two grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Other obituaries noted that his last fifteen years were spent in Crete, but “a number of preceding years were spent in Lincoln, Omaha, Fairbury, Beatrice and a number of towns in western Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and California.” I have yet to identify any scenic art attributed to Ballard in Wyoming. Don’s wife Florence did not pass away until 2004 at the age of 92 yrs. old. She is buried next to her husband at Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery in San Pablo, California.
The grave of Don and Florence Ballard at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. San Pablo, California.
This is my second post about a scenery preservation process in Cuba, Kansas. A roll drop at the Czech Community Hall suffered extensive damage after an individual fell into it while decorating for a wedding. When the guilty party asked what he should do, the response was, “You better leave town real quick.”
A section of the split seam. Drop curtain in Cuba, Kansas. Photograph from July 24, 2025.
Sadly, this is not an unusual occurrence. Last year I returned to the Sokol Hall stage in St. Paul, Minnesota, to repair punctures in book flats. They had been damaged during another rental event. Each organization had invested heavily into the preservation of their historic scenery collection, hiring me to clean, repair, and consolidate dusting paint. Despite their best efforts, the scenery was still damaged. Over the years, I have repeatedly repaired historic scenery damaged during social events and sponsored activities.
Why does this continue to happen?
It all comes down to knowledge and respect. You must understand the historical, cultural, and replacement value of an item in order care for it. Those renting a stage packed with historic scenery fail to understand the fragility of the collection. How could they, unless they were told of its significance. Most rental contracts, even those that include damage deposits, do not specify the proper handling nor significance of the large-scale artworks.
Damage to historic scenery collections especially occurs when the stage is used as a storage area. In St. Paul, balance beams and other gym equipment are packed into the stage after each practice. There is not enough space to protect their scenery collection. Damage will continue to occur unless there is a change in protocol.
Gymnastic equipment that is stored on the stage of the Sokol Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photograph from Feb. 2024.Gymnastic equipment stored on the stage a the Sokol Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photograph from Feb. 2024.
Constant contact with people and objects jeopardizes the longevity of the scenery, accelerating its deterioration. Until an organization is faced with the expense of a repair, no one really takes notice of the painted scenes. Even after the damage and subsequent repair, it is hard to fix the problem if the guilty party doesn’t pick up the tab. There is no incentive to be careful at all. These large-scale artworks are not only costly to repair, but also irreplaceable.
At what point do stage settings become large-scale artworks, unable to withstand contemporary handling techniques or extended periods of display? How can a venue safeguard its scenery while displaying it?
It all comes down to education and marketing. Each historic theatre needs to share the significance of their collection. Furthermore, local citizens need to take part in its preservation and care. This is why I so often work with volunteers on site, even if it is to only help me unload my supplies and set up the workspace. If I show them that I, an outsider, treasure their history and artifacts. They immediately begin to form a new appreciation for their stage. They look at their painted scenes in a new light.
I always try to place each painted scene within a local, regional, national, and, when possible, international context. Establishing artistic provenance is imperative before the condition of a collection is assessed. Condition reports carry more weight when the object is valued by the local community. Artistic provenance ultimately directs the development of preservation plans, as well as the care and management of a collection. It helps all stakeholders plan for their future.
My project in Cuba, Kansas, was quite short: I drove down on Wednesday, July 23; completed the project on Thursday, July 24; and headed for home July 25, after hanging and rigging the roll drop.
I am going to walk you through the project timeline and preservation process, before exploring the life and career of scenic artist who painted scenery for the Czech Community Hall. Byrl E. “Jack” Ballard is the subject of my third, and final, post.
It is approximately 550 miles to drive from my home in Minnesota to Cuba, Kansas. This is at least an 8 ½ hrs. trip without stops…and I always stop for research along the way.
The location of Cuba, Kansas, in the Midwestern United States of America.
On my way down, I stopped in Seward, Kansas, birthplace of scenic artist, Maj. Don Carlos DuBois.
A stop along the way. Town Square in Seward, Nebraska, the hometown of Maj. Don Carlos DuBois.
DuBois worked in Kansas City before establishing the Atlanta Scenic Co. in Georgia. Later in life, he returned to Kansas City, painting Masonic scenery for the Great Western Stage Equipment Co. This was the first scene design collection that I processed for the University of Minnesota Performing Arts archives. At the time, I was an undergraduate, my work was funded by an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) grant.
Wood scene painted by Maj. Don Carlos DuBois for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Galveston, Texas.
My hotel was located in Belleville, Kansas, approximately 10 west of Cuba. I arrived in town early enough to unload my supplies (too hot to keep in the car overnight) and stop by the Republic County Historical Society Museum. I got to meet the new curator! It was unbearably hot and I discovered that the corn fields contributed to the overall humidity. It was the first time I heard the term “Corn sweat.” The term refers to the amount of moisture, the humidity that the plant takes from the soil to cool off.
View from my hotel room in Belleville, Kansas.
On Thursday, July 24, I started work in Cuba at 8:30AM. After unloading my supplies and placing the roll drop on plastic, I quickly assessed the extent of the damage. As usual, I put on some (Minnesota Public Radio Classical) and began to envision each step.
Occasionally, the universe gives you a sign, some kind of celestial nod that affirms that you are on the right path. That morning, I began listening to MPR Classical (Minnesota Public Radio) as I examined the damage. The first song to play was Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 in D. Major, also known as the “Prague Symphony.” When I heard the song’s title announced, I immediately thought, “That’s my sign!” And as if to agree with my sentiment, the next musical selection was Bedrich Smetana’s “Má Vlast” (My Country). The station then returned to Strauss’ “The Artist’s Life”; one of my absolute favorite waltzes. By the end of the song, I was ready to proceed with my project, thoroughly in my happy place! This project was certainly not easy, but extremely satisfying. I love fixing broken things. It makes me feel like I am able to solve one small problem in a world that is spiraling out of control.
The split seam on the Prague drop curtain in Cuba, Kansas. Photograph from July 24, 2025.
The seam had split, but other seams were also showing deterioration. This meant that they would all need to be reinforced. That secondary project would sporadically take place when the main repair was drying. Reinforcing split seams is a preventative measure that can only be done before the fabric panels separate.
Adding a series of fabric reinforcements is not always an option with roll drops; the added thickness can cause damage to the painted composition. For this project, I applied glue to two selvages, adhering them to one another together. I made sure to only cover the inner seam and not the surrounding fabric.
Glue went between the two selvage edges to reinforce the fabric.
For the main repair, my first task was to stabilize one of the selvages, carefully gluing it to the drop. This is a painstakingly slow process, and the area must be cleaned and weighted down to prevent the fabric from shifting. I also had to be careful concerning the amount of glue that was brushed onto the fabric, as it could seep through the thin cotton sheeting.
The brush used to apply glue to the selvage edge.
Once that step was completed and the area fully dry, I prepared and attached a long patch to the other selvage.
Preparing to place the fabric patch along one side of the seam.Patch attached to the selvage edge. The other selvage edge was glued flat.
By now it was lunch time. After an hour, I returned to my project, flipping the roll drop face side up. It helps immensely to see the painted composition when you are joining the split seam together. Now, all the project needed was dry time – all night long.
Preparing to glue the seam while the drop was painted-side up.
We met the next morning at 6:30AM to hang and rig the roll drop, making sure that no wrinkles were introduced during the process. Wrinkles will destroy the painted surface; huge cracks will form and paint will flake off of the fabric.
Hanging the drop so that the top batten is parallel to the stage floor. The next step was rigging the roll.Part of my morning crew: (from left to right) Deb, Merl, Ken, Cope, and Lynette. We celebrated the repaired drop with egg bake, tortillas, and milk (provided by Lynette).
I was packed up and on the road by 8:00AM. It was a long drive back, but I was determined to document a few historic sites along the way. My first stop was Diller, Nebraska, the hometown of Jack Ballard. As noted above, Ballard was the scenic artist who painted the Prague roll drop. He is the topic of my next post.
Cornfields near Cuba, Kansas. Photograph from July 24, 2025.
This is the first of three posts about scenic art for Czech Halls.
Damaged backdrop prior to preservation work at the Czech Community Hall in Cuba, Kansas. Photograph taken the morning of July 24, 2025
This first post focuses on the history of the Czech Community Hall in Cuba, Kansas, detailing my first visit in 2014. The second post will examine the use, and abuse, of extant scenery at historic venues. My third, and final, post will explore the life and career of Jack Ballard (1878-1952), the Nebraska scenic artist credited with painting the scenery.
On May 3, 2025, I was contacted by Lynnette, a representative of the Cuba Booster Club. Their only roll drop had suffered extensive damage during a recent wedding at the hall. While decorating the stage, an individual had fallen into the painted composition, causing a seam to fail. Fortunately, my previous fabric reinforcements along the edge had prevented the entire drop from ripping in two.
Split seam on roll drop at the Czech Community Hall in Cuba, Kansas. Photograph taken the morning of July 24, 2025.
I was extremely familiar with this drop, having preserved the entire scenery collection in 2014.
The history of the Czech Community Hall in Cuba, Kansas, is fascinating. The current building replaced an earlier opera house constructed by three Bohemian Lodges, c. 1907-8. After fire razed the building in 1928, a second structure was erected in 1930. The facade of the hall prominently states, “Česka Narodni Sin” (Czech National Hall). Over the years, the hall hosted a variety of events besides live theatre and musical concerts. Meetings, basketball games, roller skating, weddings, family reunions, and other social events drew families to town. The hall remains a vital community hub. Despite a vibrant beginning, membership in the sponsoring lodges declined over the years. The City acquired the building in 1950 and completed a few renovations that included closing off the original balcony and lowering the ceiling.
My first adventure in Cuba was detailed in an article entitled “Czech-American Theatre as Scenic Art Depositories” published in the USITT Northern Boundary Section newsletter (May 2014 issue). I am including a bit of my original text from the article, as well some new information. It will provide much-needed context for my most recent trip to Cuba, Kansas.
Czech-American theatre scenery collections represent one enduring aspect of the Czech culture and a primary resource for cultural historians and theatre practitioners in the Midwest. They depict an aesthetic shift in stage design and scenic art during the late-nineteenth through mid-twentieth centuries. Whereas Scottish Rite theaters contain massive collections in state-of-the-art facilities that showcase dozens of Masonic scenes, Czech-American theaters contain much smaller collections that showcase both their European and American homelands.
Drop curtain at the Sokol Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The front curtain for a Czech-American stage often depicts the city of Prague, beckoning Czech immigrants to remember their homeland and the importance of the Prague National Theatre. As with many immigrants, their is an innate desire to safeguard their homeland’s heritage. After the formation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867, a mass migration of Czech immigrants flooded into the United States. Major Czech settlements were established in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, and Texas.
By the 1880s many of these Czech-American communities founded chapters of Czech cultural organizations, such as Cesko-Slovansky Podporujici Spolek (CSPS), Zapadnf Cesko-Bratrska Jednota (ZCBJ), and the SOKOL, often immediately constructing public meeting facilities with designated performance areas. These ethnic halls often incorporated elevated theatre stages into their design, complete with roll-drop scenery collections for Czech dramatic productions and other community activities. In some larger communities, Sokol halls included a fly loft with a full set of stock scenery for professional theatre troupes to utilize when on tour.
Taken from the Slavic word for falcon, the Sokol movement was a social, cultural, and gymnastics organization founded in Prague during 1862. My first encounter with Czech scenery was in a CSPS-SOKOL Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. Located at 383 Michigan Street. The hall is the longest-serving Czech-Slovak cultural center in the United States, and the oldest in the State of Minnesota. Three decades ago, I had the privilege of preserving their historic scenery collection, consisting of a front curtain, two European street scenes, two American street scenes, a landscape scene, and a woods scene. In addition to these roll drops there were several painted flats that included wood tormentors, residential tormentors, a double-painted fancy/rustic interior box set, a standard interior box set, and a rustic cottage flat unit. The scenery was painted by Victor Hubal (1888-1972), a local Sokol member. As a scenic artist, Hubal worked for a variety of notable studios, including Chicago’s Sosman & Landis in the early-twentieth century.
My second encounter with Sokol scenery took place in Cuba, Kansas, over a decade ago. The Prague roll drop in Cuba, Kansas, depicts a street scene from Wenceslaus Square in Prague. By the way, St. Wenceslaus is the patron saint of Bohemia. During the fall of 2013, residents Fred and Karen Baxa contacted me concerning the restoration of their purportedly “only” painted scene – a roll drop originally created for the Cuba Sokol in the 1920s.
Painted detail from the drop curtain at the Czech Community Hall in Cuba, Kansas.
The Baxas had attended a dinner with representatives of the Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia, Kansas; another of my historic scenery preservation projects. The Brown Grand passed along my contact information.
The Baxas hoped to have the roll drop restored before Cuba’s annual Rock-A-Thon. This is an annual fundraiser where people rock (in rocking chairs) around the clock for a whole week each spring. For a city of only 156 people, this fundraiser generated approximately $35,000.00 each year. During the week-long event, the hall hosted a variety of activities, including Polka dancing, Czech artifacts, Czech food, and lectures on Prague.
The city of Cuba was founded in 1868 by American southerners traveling westward after the Civil War. Receiving its name from a settler who had once lived on the island of Cuba, it did not accurately depict the later demographic of the small town. Many of the early settlers were Czech immigrants from Bohemia, bringing their cultural heritage and food to Kansas. Citizens soon founded a local Sokol chapter to preserve their language and traditions. The spouses of Cuba’s Czech community proclaimed themselves to be “Czech-mates.”
In March 2014, I pulled up in front of the local café on Cuba’s main street. We broke bread – or kolaches – before unloading my restoration studio supplies into the theatre. In addition to a rather battered backdrop, there were several painted flats depicting interiors and woodland scenes that the locals immediately pulled out in addition to the Prague roll drop. Residents explained that much of the damage occurred during wild Czech dances that were held each Saturday night. These massive events often ended in a full-fledged brawl that spilled out on Main Street. In addition to dances, roller-skating, basketball games, and high school plays, were all performed in the Czech Hall. However, all the events were so “rowdy” that many of the teenagers from neighboring French, German, and Swedish towns were prohibited from attending activities with the Czechs.
Czech Community Hall in Cuba, Kansas, 2025.
Residents also explained that the construction of the current (and larger) Czech Community Hall building in 1930 had an equally exciting history. According to residents, the original hall was destroyed by arson in February 1928 as a result of a “love triangle.” A banker’s wife from the neighboring town of Belleville, Kansas, fell in love with a local Czech resident and Sokol member. She was the Czech Hall’s pianist for many of the city’s events. After her husband discovered the amorous liaison, he set fire to the wooden structure. Fortunately, Cuba’s residents were able to rescue the Prague curtain from the burning building and install it after rebuilding their new theatre. There might be some truth to this tale as there were scorch marks on the top stage-right side of the roll-drop that I uncovered during cleaning. After the fire was extinguished, the banker was immediately apprehended and brought to the Belleville jail. Here, he was temporarily released to fill necessary medical prescriptions at the pharmacy across the street. The banker left the jail, entered the pharmacy, purchased some cyanide, and committed suicide in the nearby alley.
The colorful tale was one of many that I heard during my week in Cuba. One story included Laurence Welk’s performance at the Czech Hall and his unintentional stay with a local family when the1936 blizzard prevented his departure. Other tales described various theories surrounding local mafia connections, Al Capone’s possible burial site, and the distribution of alcohol dropped by airplane into haystacks during Prohibition. These stories were my entertainment throughout the duration of the restoration project. Dozens of locals passed through the doors every hour to watch the restoration process and share their local history. This is one of many reasons that I enjoy completing restoration projects on site and working with local volunteers.
Studio stencil on the back of scenery a the Czech Community Hall in Cuba, Kansas.
Regarding the historical significance of Cuba’s painted scenery, Jack Ballard & Son delivered stock scenery to theaters in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, and California. Their theatrical contributions will be in a separate post.
The entire scenery collection was produced with distemper paint (dry pigment paste mixed with diluted hide glue, also known as size water). As with any preservation process, a series of curve balls were thrown my way. The drop was initially primed with a combination of whiting and diluted hide glue (the binder). Unfortunately the binder was mixed too weak, contributing to the overall deterioration of the prime coat. This caused the whiting to shed off of the fabric over time. As the whiting flaked off, layers of distemper paint also fell to the floor, revealing patches of raw fabric. Furthermore, not all of the pigment paste had been properly prepared prior to its mixing with size water. For example, the original sky color incorporated a small amount of Dutch Pink. Some of the Dutch Pink granules never fully dissolved in the sky color mixture. This meant that the consolidation of loose pigment was quite tricky to complete.
In addition to the poor preparation of glue and binder, the roll drop exhibited deterioration from excessive use and constant contact. Much of the original paint was missing from the sides. This type of damage frequently occurs when people repeatedly brush past a roll drop, catching their clothing or costume on the edge of the fabric.
Damage caused by repeated contact at the Czech Community Hall in Cuba, Kansas. Photograph from 2014.
Fortunately, there was enough information left on the roll drop to recreate the entire painted composition.
Roll drop painted by Jack Ballard for the Czech Community Hall in Cuba, Kansas. Photograph after preservation work was completed by Dr. Waszut-Barrett in 2014.
We all have ways to deal with stress; mine is painting. Not for work, not commissions, not as gifts, but painting just for me. In 2020, I battled depression by painting a scene each day for 56 days straight – called Quarantine Travels. This series was followed by Colors of Colorado and then Mountains of Rock. I also focussed on family favorites in 2022, with western landscapes and our cabin. I have now painted hundreds of acrylic paintings that range in size from 4×6 to 24×36.
I again find myself struggling to hang on to hope. Most days it feels like swimming with a boulder in my arms; no matter how hard you tread water, you continue to sink .
In January, I started a series of small paintings that chronicled my drive with Mike Hume and Grit Eckert through the Yorkshire Dales and Brecon Beacons. Our drive from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Settle was absolutely stunning. Narrow and winding roads bordered by stone walls. Sunlit hills dotted with sheep in the afternoon sun was absolutely magical. Here are my first twenty paintings created between January 9 and March 30, 2025. None of them took more than a few hours to paint. I often worked on multiples. I am now painting on 16″x20″ canvases, capturing scenes from the Brecon Beacons and elsewhere in the UK. More paintings will be added to this post as I progress in the series.
I snuck in time to paint at home…finding a few minutes here and there between designing, scenic art, opening a show, caregiving, ER/hospital/TCU visits, conferences, workshops, writing, my husband’s studio class, planning our son’s Eagle Scout Ceremony, and celebrating our son’s first performance in a high school musical. I look back and wonder how we managed to juggle everything these past few months. I can say that life was never dull, tears were shed, and painting provided me with a brief respite and opportunity to re-center myself.
My personal artworks are seldom about the end product; it is solely about the process. I get to escape for a few minutes, or few hours, to relive a moment where I was incredibly happy, studying small details that I may have missed at the time. For me, painting is a way to not only remember but also to savor a particular moment in time.
Here are my 8×10 paintings, all done in Golden Liquid Acrylics. Titles will be added when the series is compeleted.
8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett. Best angle I could get for this one.8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett8×10 Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-BarrettThe start of my next 16×20 painting from our drive through the Brecon Beacons, Wales. Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
I spent four days in Columbus, Ohio, last week. The trip was sandwiched in between load-in and tech week for the Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Co. production of Patience. The trip also fell between the opening and closing of my son’s first high school musical as a performer. Aaron was cast in the role of Nigel Bottom for Armstrong Highschool’s production of Something’s Rotten.
My journey to Ohio was for three specific projects:
1.) Documenting an 1883 historic scenery collection in Fort Recovery.
2.) Teaching a paint lab class at USITT (United States Institute of Theatre Technology) in Columbus.
3.) Photographing the birthplace of Joseph Sosman in Chillicothe.
It is hard to pinpoint the highlight of my trip, but documenting the Sosman & Landis scenery is certainly close to the top.
Two Sosman & Landis shutters delivered to the Morvilius Opera House in 1883, Fort Recovery, Ohio. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinLorri Kaup in front of the Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery, Ohio. The stage is located on the second floor of the building. The front windows are on the upstage wall. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett on March 4, 2025.Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinMorvilius Opera House before the wings and shutters were removed from the stage.The ceiling of the Morvilius Opera House before the ceiling was repaired and repainted. Sadly, not all of the original ornamental painting was preserved or replicated.
Prior departing for Ohio, I recognized that my journey would be fueled by coffee and chaos. I took a very early flight to Columbus and immediately headed west to Fort Recovery. Morvilius Opera House steward, Lorri Kaup, picked me up from the airport and we began our two-hours drive.
Our drive passed though farmland, a picturesque rural route reminiscent of any midwestern drive. Fields are mostly dormant now, but dotted with both wildlife and live stock. We were extremely fortunate that the weather cooperated throughout most of our drive. However, a series of incoming storms on March 5 provided me with ample resources for future painting projects. Here are a few scenes from our trip back to Columbus.
Farmland near Fort Recovery, Ohio. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett on March 5, 2025.Farmland near Fort Recovery, Ohio. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett on March 5, 2025.Cemetery near Fort Recovery, Ohio. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett on March 5, 2025. Cemetery near Fort Recovery, Ohio. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett on March 5, 2025.Cemetery near Fort Recovery, Ohio. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett on March 5, 2025.
My Fort Recovery project was to document the scenery collection and stage of the Adams Opera House (now known as the Morvilius Opera House), as well as lecture about the cultural and historical significance of the venue. That evening, I was scheduled to give a presentation to members from the opera house board, placing the original scenery, stage machinery (grooves), and lighting system (gas) within the context of local, regional, and national histories.
1883 with upper grooves for wings and shutters. Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinFlat sheaves on the shutters at the Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery, Ohio. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, March 4, 2025.Electric and gas footlights. Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard Finkelstein
Kaup and I had worked together for over a year. Last summer, she even attended my scenery preservation workshop at the Theatre Museum of Repertoire Americana in Mount Pleasant, Iowa – http://thetheatremuseum.com/.
Lorri Kaup and Grace Swank-Davis cleaning a historic drop at the Theatre Museum of Repertoire Americana in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. June 2024.Theatre Museum of Repertoire Americana in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, June 2024.
In Iowa, I instructed students in the cleaning and minor repair of painted settings. Richard Finkelstein was also on site at the time, documenting my process and artifacts throughout the museum. He later created a virtual tour of the Theatre Museum of Repertoire Americana.
Richard Finkelstein and Jenny Knott joined me in Fort Recovery on March 4. We met at the opera house, then headed to document scenery in an off-site storage facility. Jenny was on her way to USITT where we were scheduled to teach the Paint Lab class “Foliage and Flowers: A Lesson in Color and Speed.”
Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Jenny Knott and Richard Finkelstein. March 4, 2025.
In Fort Recovery, Jenny and I photographed details and painting techniques, while Richard focused on the larger compositions (working his photographic “magic” once back home).
Wendy Waszut-Barrett and Jenny Knott documenting painting techniques in Fort Recovery, Ohio. March 4, 2025.
Much of the Morvilius scenery is currently stored at the Kaup’s warehouse where Lorri is not only cleaning the painted compositions, but also repairing some of the damaged fabric. Once the wings and shutters are cleaned and stabilized, I will be back to address paint preservation and other conservation tasks.
Here are a series of photographs from our site visit. Unless noted, all the images below were taken by Richard Finkelstein. Please credit his work if you use any of the images.
Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinProscenium arch detail, Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinPainted detail from proscenium mural. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, March 4, 2025.House left side wall, Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio. These murals were done at a later date (and by a different artist), but intended to match the proscenium mural. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinSL wings. The Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinWendy Waszut-Barrett and Lorri Kaup moving a profile piece, in the SR wings. The Morviliius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinRoller for a drop curtain on the stage of the Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio. Windows are all along the upstage wall, facing the street. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinSosman & Landis shutter painted for the Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio, c. 1883. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinSosman & Landis shutters painted for the Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio, c. 1883. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinSosman & Landis shutter painted for the Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio, c. 1883. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard FinkelsteinTwo Sosman & Landis shutters painted for the Morvilius Opera House in Fort Recovery Ohio, c. 1883. Site Survey by Richard Finkelstein during the early days of its restoration. Site visit was on March 4, 2025. This photo is by Richard Finkelstein.Scenery collection from the Morvilius Opera House, currently stored off site in Fort Recovery, Ohio. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, March 4, 2025.
A painting that was part of my “Colors of Colorado” series. 11″ x 14″ Acrylic painting , 2020.
On April 28, 2020, I decided to take a few hours to paint. We were in the midst of “sheltering in place” and I needed to do something that truly made me happy. Little did I know that I was embarking on an artistic journey. It had been years since I painted anything for myself; just myself, and something that wasn’t commissioned or part of a production.
What started out as one painting, became one painting every day between April 28 and June 19, 2020. This first series was entitled “Quarantine Travels.” and consisted of 55 painting of scenes from my favorite trips. One painting a day, and a composition that typically took 2-4 hours to paint.
All of my paintings were done in Golden liquid acrylics and ranged in size from 5″ x 7″ to 16″ x 20″. Two more series followed between 2020 and 2021:
There were many more paintings that I completed beyond these three series, but I didn’t publicly share them to this blog of FB. I continued to work in Golden Acrylics, as I really liked the medium. Previously, I favored watercolors, gouache, and pastels. Oil painting had come and gone, as I can no longer handle the smell (chemical poisoning)
What I most liked about acrylics was how fast everything dried. The transparent nature of many colors also helped me develop a series of glazing techniques that helped with atmospheric effects. Now I tend to work on multiples, usually 4-5 paintings at a time. When I begin to feel frustrated with anything, a set the painting down and start working on another. It also helps with mixing colors, as I can share the same color from one painting to the next.
In the end, I fell in love with the entire process. Although I was pleased with the results, the greatest joy came from revisiting some of my favorite places. I would turn on classical music and start reminiscing. For a few hours I would live in the past, recalling time spent with family and friends.
I also began to realize that alternating my painting with my research/writing improved the quality of both. Switching back and forth between right-brain and left-brain activities really works for me.
Up through 2021, I not only posted individual paintings to FB, but also the entire process from start to finish. Sometimes, I created time-lapse videos of my process. I was doing the same thing for some of my large-scale projects, such as scenic art for the Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company’s “Pirates of Penzance” (3 min. 46s) and “The Sorcerer” (5 min. 40s).
When life accelerates to a frantic pace and I start to feel like I am drowning, I take an hour to paint for myself. The process pulls me out of the proverbial black hole. It evens lowers my anxiety (and blood pressure) when I feel that a panic attack is building. I have an inkling that the next four years may be the most prolific period of my career.
I recently started a series from my most recent trip to the UK, one that includes the Yorkshire Dales and Brecon Beacons.
Painting that is part of my current series. This one is from my drive through the Yorkshire Dales in August 2024.
In addition to finding joy with revisiting some of my favorite locations at home and abroad, I also share my paintings with friends and family – a rotating gallery.
In 2022, I took the opportunity to create a series of 10×20 to encircle my parent’s dining room and decorate a family room wall.
Dubois, Wyoming, 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Our Cabin. Sylvan Lake, Pillager Township, Minnesota. 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Canary Springs. Yellowstone National Park. 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Lower Falls Overlook. Yellowstone National Park. 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Grand Teton National Park. 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.The Cathedral Group. Grand Teton National Park. 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.View from Artist Point, Yellowstone National Park. 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.The Yellowstone River. Yellowstone National Park. 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.North Long Lake, Brainerd, Minnesota. 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Lower Sylvan Lake, Pillager Township, Minnesota. 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Istebna Village, Poland (my Grandpa Waszut’s birthplace). 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Istebna Village, Poland (my Grandpa Waszut’s birthplace). 10”x 20” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.
And then I continued to decorate my parent’s home with several other paintings.
Istebna Village, Poland (my Grandpa Waszut’s birthplace). 8”x 10” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park. 24”x 30” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Bison on the Wildlife Loop. Custer State Park, Black Hills, South Dakota. 8”x10” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Bison on the Wildlife Loop. Custer State Park, Black Hills, South Dakota. 8”x10” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Signal Mountain Overlook. Grand Teton National Park. 8”x10” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Horsethief Lake Campground, Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota. 8”x10” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Torrey Creek, Dubois, Wyoming. 8”x10” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Lower Sylvan Lake. Pillager Township, Minnesota. 8”x10” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.The Pair – for Isa and Anna. Lower Sylvan Lake. Pillager Township, Minnesota. 8”x10” Acrylic Paintings by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Lower Sylvan Lake. Pillager Township, Minnesota. 8”x10” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Lower Sylvan Lake. Pillager Township, Minnesota. 8”x10” Acrylic Painting by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Completion of a Triptych. Petroglyphs at Tsankawi prehistoric site. Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. 5” x 7” Acrylic Paintings by Wendy Waszut-Barrett to accompany 2020 painting from Quarantine travels series.From Quarantine Travels – May 14, 2020. Petroglyphs at Tsankawi prehistoric site. Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. 8” x 10” acrylic painting by Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett.
I also did three commissions in 2022. The following were for the Haymarket Opera Company (Chicago, Illinois) to use for their upcoming season.
Three paintings for the Haymarket Opera Company, 2022. 16″ x 20″ Acrylic paintings by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.
In 2022, Gilbert & Sullivan Austin (Texas) reimagined The Mikado to create The McAdo. Promotional materials explained, “The Mikado has been moved to the highlands of Scotland and becomes The McAdo. Gilbert’s librettos and Sullivan’s score will be kept virtually intact, while scenery and costumes will reflect the Scottish moors. It is a farcical tale of a wond’ring minstrel, a cowardly executioner, and iron-fisted ruler, and some of the greatest songs in musical theatre!”
Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Company (Minneapolis, Minnesota) produced their own version of The McAdo, or The Town of Ballydew this fall. I was again asked to be the scenic designer/artist. This became a “family endeavor” last year; my son plays with the GSVLOC orchestra (cello), and my husband fills in as a stage carpenter.
Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Co. The McAd, Nov. 2024. The show was double-cast, with Sam Vinitsky playing Coco (pictured above) with the Gilbert cast. Brant Roberts played Coco with the Sullivan cast.A view of The McAdo stage under work lights during tech week.
Established in 1979, the Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company performs at the Howard Conn Fine Arts Center, Plymouth Congregational Church , Minneapolis, Minnesota. This stage is a very challenging space, as there is no fly loft or viable wing space… just a series of 12’-0”h (semi-permanent) wings, and a rather odd-shaped apron.
To complicate matters, the orchestra is situated SR in a double-decker shop space (see images below).
View of the SR wing where the 30+ person orchestra is situated. The double-decker Gilbert & Sullivan orchestra, directed by Dr. Randy Buikema, 2024.Another view of the GSVLOC orchestra and Dr. Randy Buikema, 2024.
The McAdo ran from Nov. 1-24, 2024, and was directed by long-term company member, Joe Andrews, who added his own layer of whimsy to the Scottish interpretation.
GSVLOC Musical Director Dr. Randy Buikema (left) and Director Joe Andrews (right) shaking hands on opening night of The McAdo, 2024.
To add context, he developed a 12-min. digital pre-show. It began with multiple streaming choices, including “Rapture Plus,” a Gilbert & Sullivan network.
A few of the screens developed by Joe Andrews for his version of The McAdo, Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Co. (Minneapolis, MN), 2024.
This was not a video clip, but controlled by Stage Manager Kate Bender each night from the lighting booth.
Screen saver for The McAdo pre-show. This is before the streaming service options pop up on the screen.
A variety of Mikado options were listed in the “pre-show streaming service” – such as Hot Mikado (the 1985 retelling of the 1939 All-African American reimagining of the classic), Cool Mikado (reset in a contemporary 1960s comic gangster story), Il Ducato (The San Francisco Lamplighters re-setting of the G&S classic in Renaissance Italy), Eric Idle Mikado (1987 ensemble set in an English country hotel during the 1920s), and GSVLOC’s choice – The McAdo.
Parental warnings of racism, exoticism, and cultural appropriation were also attached to the original Mikado listing, with a secondary side note stating that this version was “only availability in Florida, Kansas and Arizona.”
Another streaming setting during pre-show – “to optimize” viewing pleasure – included a Language and Accents option, specifically “Midwestern English”, “Mid-Atlantic English (with a wee Scottish Lilt)”, or “Scottish Shetland Brogue”. The Audio settings included BuikemaAudio, after the musical director Randy Buikema, and described “as if a 30-person orchestra and full chorus were mere feet away.” Finally, there were two other settings – Anachronisms and Video Settings. “G&S Virtual Reality” is the final selection before the overture opens the show.
My scenic design was completed and approved before the introduction of the “Rapture Plus”pre-show.
Original scenic design for GSVLOC’s The McAdo, by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2024.Original scenic design for GSVLOC’s The McAdo, by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2024.
Some of the painted elements downstage of the projection screen were cut. The others that remained had to “disappear” during the pre-show and “appear” instantaneously during the overture.
It was Coco who would make the side-stage art and stage-apron art magically appear. Black masking suggested for the reveal, but I was concerned about quickly whisking away large pieces of fabric on a small stage filled with forty performers. We then tried small roll drops, but they were too sluggish; the action had to take place in about two seconds.
After watching a few failed attempts during tech, it became clear that our only option was LIGHT.
Fortunately, I have a wonderful LD – Carl Schoenberg. In the end, it worked extremely well! When the projection screen was raised for the overture, the stage was bathed in cool light – working well for the “G&S virtual performance” saspect.
During Coco’s magical reveal (about halfway through the overture), the set was blasted with warm light, making the scenery appear vibrantly lush. Schoenberg did an excellent job of pulling out various colors in the foliage painting throughout the show to change location. The attached images fail to capture the actual color, but I was extremely well pleased with how everything looked.
Here are a few scenes from our show that received extremely positive reviews.
GSVLOC production of The McAdo, 2024.GSVLOC production of The McAdo, 2024.
For those curious about my painting logistics:
I purchased 126”-wide muslin, as that is the width works perfectly with my paint frame. Tacking up to two 50’-wide pieces, I painted the entire show over the course of a few short days; working on multiple scenic art compositions makes everything go at lightning speed. I never have to wait for something to dry and can continue to plug along at a quick pace.
Stage settings for GSVLOC’s production of The McAdo on the paint frame at Hamline University, 2024.This photograph shows the stone painting process – very, very fast technique.Painted detail of completed stone section (for stone facade and stage apron) while still on the paint frame.Detail of The McAdo backdrop on the paint frame (only an 8′ x 10′ section).Here shows the base coat for the foliage wings. Painted detail of foliage for The McAdowings.
Now factor in that I am solely working with distemper paint (pigment paste and diluted hide glue), and the overall material cost is again reduced. I seldom use more than three cups of pigment paste and one pound of hide glue per show. Any leftover pigment paste is scraped into a container and saved for the next show. The shelf life is phenomenal.
This whole process is extremely green with virtually no waste. Vertical paint frames and distemper paint were made for each other. Everything dries fast and everything can become a transparency! In the end, each piece can be folded for easy storage until its next use.
My return from the UK on August 12 was relatively uneventful – at first. Sadly, four days after my return I became quite sick – a sore throat quickly became a severe respiratory infection. Although I never tested positive for COVID, this particular illness confined to me to bed for over two weeks.
That is the reason why there was a flurry of posts about my UK trip mid-August. Researching a handful of English scenic artists and historic venues prevented me from worrying about all of the projects that needed to be completed by Sept. 12.
The initial delay had started well before my departure to the UK. In June, our basement flooded (water heater burst – destroying the flooring in our master bedroom, laundry room, and my research office). Thankfully, nothing of consequence was damaged. However, this unfortunate event caused a series of delays, each one falling like a Domino.
Despite the ongoing delays and my continued illness, I still had a show to finish in August, an annual family trip (Labor Day weekend), and a 31st wedding anniversary (Sept. 11).
Thank God I paint fast.
I only had one backdrop left for Tamerlano (Haymarket Opera Company, Chicago), but it was a complicated composition with lots of ornamental detail. As my illness dragged on, it became a guessing game of “Can I paint this drop in — days?” In the end, it took me three partial days, and I felt horrible with each brush stroke. The only thing that would have made this worse is if I had been painting in the Continental method. Fortunately, I was using a motorized paint frame. That meant I could minimize my overall movement.
Here is a picture of the finished Tamerlano backdrop (front and back). It was painted with distemper paint (pigment paste and diluted hide glue), and designed to function as a translucency, so it could subtly “glow” upstage.
Front (right) and back (left) of Tamerlano backdrop for Haymarket Opera Company, Chicago.
On Sept. 12, 2024, I drove to Chicago with a carload of scenery for Haymarket Opera Company’s fall production Tamerlano(George Frederic Handel, 1724). The production was scheduled to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the premiere.
A carload of Tamerlano scenery on September 12, 2024.
As noted on their website, Haymarket Opera Company takes its name from both Chicago’s Haymarket Affair of 1886 which gave focus to the world-wide labor movement, and from the King’s Theatre in the Haymarket District of London where Handel produced his Italian operas. Their website states, “Haymarket Opera Company contributes to the diverse and culturally vibrant artistic community of Chicago and the Midwest through the historically informed presentation of opera and oratorio from the 17th and 18th centuries, including many Chicago and U.S. premieres. Since its founding in 2010, Haymarket has offered more than 30 productions using period instruments and historically informed staging conventions, shining a spotlight on many lesser known but quality pieces by a wide diversity of composers, sung and played by a combination of international stars and top regional talent.”
My earliest conversations with Haymarket Opera Company in 2021 discussed the creation of a stock scenery collection. Our intent was to slowly build scenic stock, one show at a time. The scenic design for L’Amant anonyme (June 2022), established our stylistic approach and paint medium.
Painted detail from L’Amant anonyme’s grand border. Haymarket Opera Co., 2022.Painted detail from L’Amant anonyme’s landscape drop. Haymarket Opera Co., 2022.
We agreed that all the shows would be painted with distemper paint (picgment paste and diluted hide glue), as it truly supports the metamorphic nature of painted illusion for the stage.
Tubs of dry pigment paste that were used during the painting of L’Amant anonyme. May 2022.
I have continued to enlarge Haymarket’s stock scenery collection over the past few years with classical settings for Poppea (September 2022) and Egyptian décor for Marc’antonio e cleopatra (June 2023). Tamerlano (September 2024) combines elements from each production, while adding Eastern tapestries and an Eastern courtyard setting to the stock.
Painted drapery panels used for Haymarket Opera Company’s production of Poppea, September 2022.Adding decorative ornament to Poppea drapery panels. They functioned as side masking for Tamerlano.
For example, painted ornament was added to six Poppea wings, functioning as a unifying element between the newly-painted Tamerlano draperies with previously-painted L’Amant anonyme tapestries. New elements for this production include a backdrop, top border, two side wings, two tormentor covers, and four rolling profile pieces.
Painted draperies for Tamerlano to match scenic elements from Poppea and L’Amant anonyme.
Haymarket Opera Company uses the Sasha and Eugene Jarvis Opera Hall at DePaul University. This building was formerly known as the School of Music Concert Hall, located at the south end of the Holtschneider Performance Center. It was recently renovated, reopening during the pandemic in 2020. Bad timing, as stag-house issues really were not identified until well after the install, when pandemic-related restrictions were lifted.
Champagne toast on opening night, Tamerlano, September 19, 2024. Photograph by Elliot Mandel.
The auditorium, however, is perfect. The 160-seat house creates an incredibly intimate space for Baroque opera.
Haymarket Opera Co. Tamerlano, Act I. September 19, 2024. Photograph by Elliot Mandel.Haymarket Opera Company’s Tamerlano, Act I. Sept. 19, 2024. Photograph by Elliot Mandel.
The stagehouse is a very challenging space, and I constantly curse the theatre consultants. Scenery cannot travel out of site, the wings are less than 6’-0” wide, and every line-set is motorized. There are only a few open lines. For substantial set changes, soft goods are rolled and tied to battens, then slowly lowered during intermissions
Assistant Stage Manager, Mary Rose Dixon (left), and Stage Supervisor, Zoe Snead (right), unrolling painted panels for Act II, Tamerlano. Sept. 19, 2024. Photograph by Elliot Mandel.Haymarket Opera Company’s Tamerlano, Act III. September 19, 2024. Photograph by Elliot Mandel.
All difficulties aside, the Jarvis Opera Hall is a stunning venue to visit and watch a production. Tamerlano opened on Thursday, Sept. 19 and closed on Sunday, Sept. 22. A short run, but each performance was sold-out, and the show was recorded.
The cast and creative team taking a final bow. September 19, 2024. Photograph by Elliot Mandel.
As each Haymarket opera loads in easily, and without substantial notes, I have ample time to explore Chicago during the day. My adventures always include a dear friend – Chicago Lyric Opera charge artist, Brian Traynor. In the past we have visited cemeteries, history centers, and historic buildings. Last year, Traynor introduced me to Bernard Loyd and we visited The Forum in Bronzeville (a neighborhood on the south-side of Chicago). On July 18, 2023, Brian Traynor sent me a photograph with the text, “Guess what I’m looking at.” It was a Sosman & Landis signature on the corner of a, 1897 drop curtain.
Sosman & Landis signature on 1897 Forum Hall drop curtain.
I examined the drop curtain in person on Sept. 28. 2023. CLICK HERE for my full post about out visit. Our visit last year was documented by Block Club Chicago journalist, Jamie Nesbitt Golden, and photographer Colin Boyle. CLICK HERE to read her Block Club Chicago article.
This scenery collection was also the topic for my article published in Die Vierte Wand #012, entitled, “A Forum for Progress.” CLICK HERE for the full issue.
Traynor and I returned to The Forum this year on Sept. 19, 2024. I was supervising the proper rolling and storage of the Forum’s scenery collection . This meant removing the hardware and battens, then rolling and encapsulating each scene.
Rolling the landscape drop for temporary storage until preservation. The Forum on Sept. 19, 2024. Photograph by Bernard Loyd.
For the first time, this process was documented by someone other than myself. Asia Taylor brought in her film crew in to document the project. Taylor previously produced and directed a short film that gives insight into the history of Forum Hall. CLICK HERE to watch her short film.
She is also one of the storytellers for Build Bronzeville. Build Bronzeville is comprised of five closely-linked initiatives that merge social, economic, civic, and creative approaches to achieve comprehensive community development. It is using the historic neighborhood’s unique assets to restore commercial activity and revitalize area through entrepreneurship, cuisine, exciting events, and beautification.
Asia Taylor, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, and Brian Traynor examining a group of Black visitors to the Roman Forum. Sept. 19, 2024.Photograph by Bernard Loyd.Moving the rolled street scene for encapsulation. Left to right: Erica Ruggiero, London Hainsworth, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, and Dorian Sylvain. Sept. 19, 2024. Photograph by Bernard Loyd.
Prior to Traynor’s departure, he passed along a gift from his mentor, Jim Maronek – scenic fitches once used by Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934) and a package labeled “Open at your own risk.”
Wendy Waazut-Barrett holding Thomas G. Moses’ scenic fitches – a gift from Jim Maronek.Scenic fitches once used by Thomas G. Moses– a gift from Jim Maronek.Dye and Paint sample books – a gift from Jim Maronek.
My research and career has circled around Jim Maronek for over three decades. It was his stewardship of many Thomas Moses artifacts made so much of my research possible.
Maronek who retrieved several of Moses’ artifacts when the family home in Oak Park sold – including an electric theatre model that is now part of the Sosman & Landis Collection at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas – Austin.
Theatre model (left) and scenic designs (right) in two trunks, once owned by Thomas G. Moses. Donated to the University of Texas – Austin, by Jim Maronek.Label on the Thomas G. Moses trunk, now at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas – Austin.
I have visited the Oak Park home of Thomas and Ella Moses several times. I also make an annual trip to Graceland Cemetery where Sosman & Landis are buried. These moments really help energize my ongoing research.
Sosman & Landis gravestones in Graceland Cemetery, Chicago.
In 2023, Traynor and I stopped by Moses’ Oak Park home to meet to the new owners; they had contacted me when the property changed hands. I first visited the home on July 19, 2019, on a return trip from the East Coast. CLICK HERE for the post about that visit. The new owners are now collecting Moses’ work. Here are two of Moses’ paintings again hanging in the Oak Park Home
Painting by Thomas G. Moses, 1885, that has returned to his Oak Park home.Painting by Thomas G. Moses, 1916, that has returned to his Oak Park home.
There were two other items on my agenda for the Chicago trip – visits to the Newberry Library and the Palette & Chisel Club. It was not until the fall of 2023 that I realized that both were located less than three blocks south of my hotel. While walking to the Newberry to pick up my reader’s card, I passed by the Palette & Chisel Club building. Amazingly the gates were open! A new exhibit with works of was on display.
The Palette & Chisel Club, 1012 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago.
I have written quite a bit about the Palette & Chisel Club over the years. Founded in 1895, the Palette & Chisel Club was an association of artists and craftsmen for the purpose of work and study. The organization’s members were reported to be “all wage-workers, busy during the week with pencil, brush or chisel, doing work to please other people” (Inland Printer, 1896). But on Sunday mornings, they assembled for five hours to paint for themselves.
Many Sosman & Landis scenic artists belonged to the club, including Thomas G. Moses who joined in 1906. That year, Moses wrote, “I joined the Palette and Chisel Club at the Chicago Society of Artists. I don’t know why, as I had so little time to give to pictures, but I live in hopes of doing something someday, that is what I have lived on for years, Hope, and how little we realize from our dreams of hope. As the years roll by, I think one’s whole life is one continuous dream, unless we are wonderfully gifted, and fame drops on us while we sleep.” In 1906 the Palette and Chisel Club, the group consisted of sixty local painters, illustrators, and sculptors. On Jan. 6, 1906, the Chicago Tribune reported, the Palette & Chisel was “primarily a working club, being the oldest organization in the west” (p. 2).
The year before Moses joined the Palette & Chisel, the members purchased a summer retreat near fox lake. Initially, artists and their families camped in tents. In 1907, Moses wrote, “June 1st, I made my first trip to the Palette and Chisel Club camp at Fox Lake, Ill. Helped to put up the tent. A new experience for me, but I enjoyed it. I slept well on a cot. Made a few sketches. A very interesting place. I don’t like the cooking in the tent and there should be a floor in the tent. I saw a great many improvements that could be made in the outfit and I started something very soon.”
The next year, Moses gifted a house to the group. In 1908 he wrote, “I bought the portable house that we built years ago and at that time we received $300.00 for it. I finally got it for $50.00, some bargain. It cost $25.00 to remove it and we will put it up at Fox Lake in the Spring. It has been used in Forest Park all summer to show The Day in the Alps.”
In 1909, Moses painted a view of the new building. It was gifted to my by his great-grandson, Stu Nicholls, in 2017.
Painting by Thomas G. Moses of the summer retreat house, Fox Lake, 1909.
In 1906, the club maintained a permanent exhibition in the clubrooms on the seventh floor of the Athenæum building. The group moved to 1012 N. Dearborn Street in the 1921. In the 1920s Moses submitted several articles to the Palette & Chisel Club newsletter. His series “Stage Scenery” started in September 1927.
Article by Thomas G. Moses, entitled “Stage Scenery How it is Painted” – Palette & Chisel Newsletter.
After entering the building, I wandered about the main floor, recognizing artworks by several familiar names.
Palette & Chisel Club Front room. Sept. 18, 2024.The other front room at the Palette & Chisel Club. Sept. 18, 2024.
Then I followed the signs to the office in the basement. It was time to contact someone and share the information that I have gathered over the years. The basement office had a lovely mural that documents the history of the Club.
Mural in basement office at the Palette & Chisel Club, c. 1930s-1940s.Mural in basement office at the Palette & Chisel Club, c. 1930s-1940s.
By the end of the weekend, I met with the current president, Stuart Fullerton, and applied for membership. The Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts is an amazing resource for both emerging and established artists. The membership benefits, even for those out-of-state like myself, are quite impressive. They are part of Open House Chicago on October 19, 2024 . If you are in the area, I strongly encourage you to stop by.
Upon my return to Minneapolis, I hit the ground running. Yesterday, I finished painting the scenery for my next Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Co. design – The McAdo (a Scottish Take on The Mikado). It opens on Nov. 1. 2024, and runs for four weekends. CLICK HERE to order tickets.
Here is a sneak peak of the scenery.
Painted detail from The McAdo, Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Co., Minneapolis, MN.
I am returning to work on my upcoming book series – Sosman & Landis: Shaping the Landscape of American Theatre.
Street scene roll drop by N. Hinchey, as viewed from the Normansfield Theatre balcony.
My past few posts explored the scenery collection at Normansfield’s historic amusement hall. Built in 1879, scenic artists who painted scenery for the stage included Richard Douglass, John T. Bull, and N. Hinchey.
This post explores the life and career of Nicolas Charles Hinchey (1864-1919), a 19th-century scenic artist who specialized in painted illusion and mechanical effects for scenic spectacles. Hinchey is credited with Normansfield’s extant street scene.
A replica of Hinchey’s work now graces the Normansfield Theatre stage, with Hinchey’s original painting in storage.
I have yet to examine the Hinchey’s street scene roll drop, or his signature on the backside, in person. Therefore, I solely relying on information and images about the roll drop that were published in John Earl’s Dr. Langdon Down’s Normansfield Theatre and a paper by Karen Thompson and Frances Lennard, entitled Normansfield Theatre Scenery: Materials and Construction Revealed Through Conservation.
Thompson and Lennard’s paper, they state, “The scenic painter ‘N. HINCHEY, SOUTH LONDON, PALACE LONDON ROAD, SE’ signed his name and address in his own hand on the back of the ‘Street Scene’ backdrop. His name appears only on this piece. The flats are painted on both sides so cannot definitely be attributed to Hinchey, but it is probable that his firm painted them as similar stylistic features have been used in the buildings. A depiction of a street scene backdrop appears in the earliest published drawing of the theatre when it was first opened, indicating this was possibly one of the theatre’s earliest sets (Earl 2010: 2).” They cite the drawing on page 2 in Dr. Langdon Down’s Normansfield Theatre by John Earl, first published in 1997.
The street scene composition in the 1879 Illustration is different than the one listed in the Normansfield Theatre Scenery Catalogue, featured on the cover of Dr. Langdon Down’s Normansfield Theatre.
I am skeptical that the 1879 illustration for the opening of Normansfield featured the work of a 15-yrs.-old scenic artist assistant. Previously, Normansfield theatrical entertainments credited John T. Bull with scenic contributions. Bull was the extremely well-known and well-respected scenic artist by the 1860s. Hinchey’s name did not make the news until 1882. That year,18-yrs.-old Hinchey assisted Richard Douglass and John Neville. Furthermore, Hinchey was not associated with the South London Palace Theatre until the fall of 1888. Therefore, his signature on the back of the drop indicates that is was produced sometime after the fall of 1888. In fact, in 1893 Hinchey painted scenery for a pantomime at Normansfield.
I am going to start with the actual design attributed to Hinchey at Normansfield before exploring the life and career of the artist. Many 19th century stock scenery collections contained two types of street scene compositions, termed “Ancient” and “Modern.” “Ancient Street Scenes” depicted the old world, a village square or street that could be the backdrop for plays dating from the time of Shakespeare. “Modern Street Scenes” were used for contemporary dramas and comedies, set in the 19th century.
The street scene pictured in the 1879 illustration reminded me of the street scene delivered to the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, that same year. The only difference is that the Tabor Opera House street composition was painted on two shutters instead of a roll drop.
Street Scene Shutter for the Tabor Opera House (Leadville, Colorado), painted by T. Frank Cox, 1888.
I have pieced together bits of information from historic records and newspaper reports to tell the tale Hinchey’s life and career. This one took a far longer than I expected, hence the delay. Many difficulties stemmed from multiple men with the same name. This always means that I must track a variety of individuals before identifying the correct family and region.
Amazingly, there were three men named Nicholas Hinchey in the same family, all living in London:
Nicholas Hinchey I (1831-1910), father, musician and shoemaker
Nicholas Hinchey II (1864-1919), his son, a scenic artist
Nicholas Hinchey III (1890-?), his grandson, a scenic artist
In newspaper reports and historic records, Hinchey was also misspelled as “Hinchley.” For example, and advertisement for The Indian Mutiny, published in Chatham’s Medway News on Dec. 26, 1891, noted “New scenery and Original Effects by Mr. N. Hinchley and Henry Adolphus Payne” (p. 1). This always makes research a challenge. However, in addition to human error, there are additional problems that I encounter with transcription software. As I have noted in the past, various letters are not always transcribed as such. For example, “h” will become “li.” “S” will become “5.” So, the word “Shy” may be read by the software “5liy.”
When doing any research, I intentionally employ misspellings and a combination pf software errors. While searching for articles about Hinchey, I used “lincliey” [hinchey]. Despite these additional steps, it still beats the alternative of slowly scrolling through old newspapers – page by page. There is no way that I could piece together the lives and careers of scenic artists – especially those working outside of my US State – if I were solely relying on original sources in archives and rare book rooms.
Here is the tale of scenic artist, Nicholas Hinchey….
Born in 1864, Nicolas Charles Hinchey (II) was the son of Nicholas Hinchey (III) and Margaret Catherine Hinchey (1834-1910). He grew up in a whirlwind of music, as he was from a musically-gifted family. Both father and paternal grandfather (Walter William Hinchey, 1803-1870) were musicians, as were his two uncles, William Jr. and Walter Hinchey.
Nicholas (II) was one of five Hinchey children born to Nicholas (I) and Margaret Hinchey: Margaret Kate Hinchey (1862-1946), Catherine “Kate” M. Hinchey (1866-1940), Nicholas Hinchey (1864-1919), Walter Hinchey (1868-1947), and Charles Henry Hinchey (1872-1949).
By1870, the Hinchey family moved to Shoreditch. Here is a map of the three primary locations where scenic artist Nicholas Hinchey (II) lived and worked – Shoreditch, Bethnal Green, Hackney, and Tower Heights.
Map of London showing Shoreditch, Bethnal Green and Tower Hamlets.
The 1871 Census listed Nicholas Hinchey (I) as head of household and a Professor of Music. This was the same year that smallpox plagued the Shoreditch community. Sometime between 1871 and 1881 the Hinchey family moved from Shoreditch to Bethnal Green. This was not a great distance, only a 38-minute walk.
The walk from Shoreditch to Bethnal Green.
In 1881, the Hinchey household was located at 20 St. James Road in Bethnal Green, London. Nicholas Hinchey (I) was listed as a “sole-sewer” in the shoe trade. The Hinchey family was living in a trade neighborhood, home to dozens of shoe and boot manufacturers. Hinchey’s younger brothers, Walter and Charles Henry, also began in the shoe and boot manufacturing trade. However, in 1881, they were simply listed as “scholars,” ages 11 and 8. Interestingly, nothing is listed for Nicholas Hinchey (II) in the 1881 census report.
“N. Hinchey” was already working as a scenic artist in 1881. On Jan. 1, 1882, he was credited with the scenery for a Christmas pantomime, working alongside Richard Douglass and John Neville at the National Standard Theatre, Shoreditch. At the time, he was 18 yrs. old. The fact that Nicholas Hinchey was mentioned by name, alongside two other well-known scenic artists, suggests that he significantly contributed to the scenic portion of the show. If he were merely working as an assistant, the article would have only listed the names of Douglass and Neville, or “Douglass, Neville and assistant.” Based on standard practices of the 19th century scenic art trade, aspiring artists began training between the ages of 12 and 16. Hinchey was likely training as a scenic artist in 1878, possibly at the Standard Theatre in Shoreditch.
On Jan. 1, 1882, The Sunday People credited scenic artists R. Douglas, J. Neville and N. Hinchey with the scenery for Sinbad the Sailor at the Standard Theatre (p. 7). Richard Douglass was the subject of yesterday’s post, as he also painted scenery for the Normansfield Theatre. Richard’s brother, John Douglass, was the author of the pantomime. Of the production, the article reported, “The scene of the pantomime proper opens with a representation of a seaside village, where Sinbad being refused the hand of Polly, resolves to go to sea. The spectator next sees the cabin of the Lively Polly, where the threads of the story are again taken up. Gun drill is gone through and a grand nautical ballet, in which every nationality is represented, is indulged in, to the delight of the audience. The vessel strikes on the Loadstone Rock, and founders; but the hero and his friends are rescued by a steamer in a scene which alone will render this pantomime popular. The vessel not only glides easily and gracefully on to the stage but turns completely round and goes off again. Some capital business and fooling take place on the Tum Tum Islands, where the East-enders will derive some curious information with reference to marriage laws and customs. To this success an interesting panorama, and scenes representing the Valley of Jewels (in which is termed a ‘prismatic ballet’ takes place, the dresses of the dancers creating a fine. Affect), and Eastern slave mart, &c., leading up to the transformation scene, which is termed a Vision of the Intense and Realms of the Utterly Utter, a really splendid scene deserving a better tile. The scenery throughout is all that could be wished…”
Hinchey continued to work in the area and began to make a name for himself at three music halls by the mid-1880s. He became associated with the Parthenon Theatre of Varieties, (Greenwich), the Canterbury Theatre (Lambeth), the Paragon Theatre (Mile End). Charles Crowder and George Adney Payne were the Proprietors of several music halls that included the Paragon Theatre of Varieties and Canterbury Theatre of Varieties (The Era 25 Dec 1886, p. 13).
With relatively stable employment, Hinchey was able to wed. On Dec. 1, 1884, Nicholas Hinchey married Susannah Skaggs Burns (1863-1918) at Holy Trinity, Dalston, Beechwood Road, in Hackney. Hinchey was listed as a scenic artist, living at 192 Victoria Park Road in South Hackney, whereas Burns was living at 63 Holly Street. The couple celebrated the birth of two sons: Nicholas Charles Hinchey (1886) and Horace Arthur Hinchey (1890).
The Paragon Theatre of Varieties opened in May 1885, coinciding with Hinchey’s listing as a resident artist for the venue. Amazingly I located two Paragon Theatre programs that listed Hinchey as the resident scenic artist. This places Hinchey as the scenic artist there from 1885 to 1887.
Mr. Nicholas Hinchey listed as scenic artist for the Paragon Theatre, 30 Nov. 1885.1885 Program recently sold at auction. Mr. Nicholas Hinchey listed as scenic artist for the Paragon Theatre, 28 Feb. 1887.1887 Program for sold by Potter & Potter Auctions.
Here are a few articles that note Hinchey’s association with Crowder and Payne’s two music halls during this time:
Parthenon Theatre of Varieties:
On Sept. 5, 1885, The Era listed N. Hinchey as the scenic artist for The Naughty Dustman at the Parthenon Theatre of Varieties, Stockwell-street, Greenwich. At the time, A. A. Hurley was the sole proprietor and manager, with A. R. Hurley as the acting manager.
Canterbury Theatre of Varieties:
On Nov. 21, 1885, The Era announced that a “new palatial Interior” was painted expressly for the occasion by N. Hinchey” to celebrate the third anniversary of the proprietorship of Messrs. Crowder and Payne at the Canterbury. (p. 10)
In 1886, Hinchey was still painting for The Canterbury. On Jan. 2, 1886, The Era mentioned Hinchey’s scenic art in an entertainment called Twenty Minutes with the Ancients, with twenty classically draped and classically posed ladies “in a beautiful painted scene, ‘Old Roman Ruins,’ which reflects the highest credit on the skill of the artist, Mr. N. Hinchey” (p. 10).
Other Canterbury Theatre of Varieties show with scenery painted by Hinchey in 1886 include The Devil Bird (The Standard, 30 Aug 1886, p. 1) and Across the Pond (The Standard, 20 Oct 1886, p. 1). Across the Pond was advertised as an “Absurdity with Magnificent scenery by Mr. N. Hinchey. The Castle Garden by Moonlight, the Arrival of the Steam Ship Grecian Monarch.”
In 1886, Nicholas and Susannah celebrated the birth of their first son, Nicholas Charles Hinchey (III).
I am going to pause for a moment and look at the 1880s Music Halls where Hinchey was working, especially those managed by Crowder and Payne. They were quite controversial and a target by clergy. A leaflet, entitled This Way to the Pit of Hell, was written by Frederick Nicholas Charrington of the Tower Hamlet and handed out in front of Lusby’s Music Hall in London’s Mile End Road. Charrington’s unwanted activities Payne to throw bucket of red ochre on Charrington. This was likely a pot of distemper paint, mixed by his scenic. The controversy continued over the years, and in 1885, Crowder and Payne brought Charrington to court, alleging that his activities constituted a public nuisance and were slanderous. There is a very interesting article by Bob Davenport, entitled George Adney Payne: Music-hall guv-northat describes the event.
Despite continued controversary at Hinchey’s various places of employment, he continued to gain popularity for his scenic art. 1887 was an especially busy year as he repeatedly painting of scenes for a series of sketches that featured the Leopolds.
Here are a few articles that mention about Hinchey’s work in 1887 and 1888, before he became associated with the South London Palace Theatre:
On Jan. 15, 1887, The Era reported that the Leopolds’ The Terrible Boys sketch included “new scenery by N. Hinchey, Tennyson and O’Gorman” (p. 12). The sketch was still being performed that fall. On Oct.1, 1887, The Era mentioned Hinchey’s scenery at The Paragon in the Leopold Troupe’s The Terrible Boys (p. 10): “The scene in which the wild revels take place is prettily painted by Mr. Hinchey and serves the purpose admirably.”
On Feb. 26, 1887, The Era reported that the Leopolds’ Claud sketch featured “new scenery by N. Hinchey (p. 12).
On March 5, 1887, The Era reported, “The new scenery, which has been supplied by N. Hinchey, says much for the artistic ability if that gentleman” (p. 9).
On April 9, 1887, The Era reported the eccentric sketch of The Magic Flute supported by the pantomime troupe with “new scenery by N. Hinchey” for the Easter Holidays (p. 12).
On Oct. 29, 1887, The Era published an advertisement for the Paragon Theatre of Varieties for “A Nautical Musical Sketch The Seaside Holiday introducing Harry White, Elsie Phyllis &c. New scenery by N. Hinchey” (p. 12).
On Jan. 14, 1888, The Era described Hinchey’s scenic contributions for the Naughty Jack sketch, reporting, “Special praise is due to Mr. N. Hinchey’s capital scenery, Considering the brevity of the sketch, the elaborate and complete mise-en-scène, the artistic execution, and the tasteful and ingenious lighting of the two stage pictures, notably the street scene which is last exhibited, are surprisingly good; and the mechanical change from the interior of the prison works with delightful smoothness” (p. 15).
One of his last productions at the Paragon was during the summer of 1888. On June 28, 1888, an advertisement in The Era for On Guard featured “New Scenery by N. Hinchey” (p. 1). On July 3, 1888, The Standard listed Hinchey’s scenes – Scene 1. England in Danger; “On Guard” before Sebastool. Scene 2, England’s Reward; The Workhouse of Death; Country Churchyard in Winter” (p. 1).
Hinchey established his own painting rooms at Cannon-place, Mile-end-road. This address appeared in The Era advertisements in the fall of 1888. On Sept 15 and 29, 1888, Hinchey published an advertisement in The Era (p. 3). It stated, “Mr. Nicholas Hinchey, Scenic Artist, late of Canterbury and Paragon Theatres, by permission of Mr. William Lusby, is now prepared to accept Contracts, Large or Small, Theatres, Music Halls, and Amateurs, stocked with Scenery of every description. Small. Stages built and fitted with every appliance. Address, Nicholas Hinchey, Royal Foresters’, Cambridge-road, Mile-end, E., London; or Painting Room, Cannon-place, Mile-end-road.”
Nicholas Hinchey advertisement from The Era, Sept. 15, 1888, p. 3.
On Sept. 22, 1888, The Era listed Nicholas Hinchey as “Resident Scenic Artist” at Royal Foresters’ Palace of Varieties, Cambridge-Road, Mile-End, with William Lusby as the proprietor.
Hinchey was also painting scenery for other venues too. For example, on Nov. 5, 1888, The Era reported “Six splendid scenes from the brush of the young and talented N. Hinchey” for the Belmont’s New Sebright Amusement Temple, Hackney-Road” (p. 12). The article about the inaugural opening listed “Mrs. J. J. Poole, South London Music Hall,” as one of the “distinguished patrons.” Hinchey was later credited with scenery for Danger on the Line at the New Sebright Amusement Temple. On Feb. 2, 1889, The Era noted, “special scenery and limelight effects by N. Hinchey, Esq.” (p. 14).
On April 20, 1889, The Era reported, “Belmont’s New Sebright is the brightest Star Show in the whole universe. Each week beaming a Copious Catalogue of New and Novel Acts, with Scenes of Sumptuous Splendor from the brush of N. Hinchey, and Satisfactorily Set and Struck by a very Smart Small-Soda Swallowing Stage Steersman, one Hickman, whose initials are C. D. (not Seedy)” (p. 12).
Hinchey was also associated with the South London Palace of Varieties in Lambeth that fall. On Sept. 8, 1888, The Era reported, “New scenery by N. Hinchey” for a new sketch Danger’s Call at the South London Palace, d-road, S. E. – Proprietress Mrs. J. J. Poole” (p. 12). Mrs. J. J. Poole assumed management of the theatre after her husband’s passing in 1882. Hinchey also painted scenery for Sloperius that summer. He was credited in an article published in The Sunday People on June 16, 1889 (p. 8).
N. Hinchey listed as the scenic artist for Danger’s Call at the South London Palace, The Era 8, Sept. 1888.
In 1888, Hinchey began working with Joseph Soames. The two painted scenery for the Surrey Theatre’s Christmas Pantomime, Dick Whittington and His Cat. On Dec. 28, 1889, The Era reported, “A brief sketch of the spectacular effects of the pantomime must here suffice. The second scene, East Chepe in the Olden Time, is an elaborate and artistic set; and the view from Highgate Hill (scene four) created an undeniable call, which had to be answered by the smiling appearance of Mr. George Conquest. While Dick sleeps, he is supposed to be treated by the fairies to a dream of delight, in which he fancies himself in a pleasurance inhabited by elves representing butterflies and insects and carrying garlands of beautiful flowers. In the London Dock scene, a “practicable” vessel sailed from the quay, the eight scene, representing a tropical forest, reflects as does all the scenery, great credit upon Messrs. J. Soames, N. Hinchey and their assistants” (p. 8). Joseph Soames (1847-1918) was another link between Hinchey and Richard Douglass. In 1886, Soames painted scenery with Douglass, G. Blake and assistants for Jack and the Beanstalk at the Standard Theatre (The Era 21 Dec 1886, p. 4).
Born in Stepney, London, Joseph Soames was already working as a scenic artist in the 1860s. He was listed as such in the 1871 Census report. That year, Soames was credited with the “Magnificent Champion Transformation Scene” for Dick Whittington and His Cat; or, Discord, War, Famine, and Harlequin Peace, Good Humour, and Plenty at the Garrick Theatre, Leman-street, Whitechapel (The Era 1 Jan 1871, p. 12). At the time, his work was featured alongside that of G. A. Baxter, Mr. Burris and W. Campbell (assistant). In 1889, Soames advertised as “the Acme of Scenic Effect” (The Era 28 Sept 1889, p. 12).
Joseph Soames’ scenic art for the Surrey, The Era 28 Sept 1889, p. 12
Over the years, he continued his association with the Surrey Theatre, passing along his skills to his youngest son, Alfred James Soames (1884-1920). The 1901 Census listed Alfred as a 16-yrs.-old apprentice to Joseph Soames in Seaford, Sussex.
In 1892, Hinchey was still painting with Soames. On Dec. 31, 1892, The Era credited Hinchey, J. Soames, and C. Williams with scenery for Puss in Boots at the Surrey Theatre, reporting “Messrs. Soames, Hinchey, and Williams have painted some very effective scenes” (p. 8). On Jan 1, 1893, The Era heralded their scenic contributions, especially the transformation scene, entitled The Home of Coralina. The Era article reported, “The scenes representing a mill and village inn, a weird glen, a wood and lake, a prison, the wonderful house built by the Jack introduced into the story, a golden palace, and ogre’s stronghold, and the transformation scene called “The Home of Coralina,” are highly credible to the artists, Messrs. J. Soames, N. Hinchey, and C. Williams, while their attractions are enhanced by the clever property, mechanical, and illuminating effects introduced into them by Messrs. T. and H. Major, F. Gaydon, and W. Dines.” I have yet to track down the scenic art career or C. Williams; more later is I uncover something.
Despite accepting a variety of other projects throughout the region, Hinchey maintained a close association with the South London Palace. Here are a few productions mentioned in newspapers between 1890 and 1895:
Conn, an Irish sketch in four scenes for the Easter Holidays, with “scenery and new effects by N. Hinchey” (Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper April 6, 1890, p. 6)
Balaclava, a “sensational military monologue” with “splendid scenery by N. Hinchey (The Era Aug. 8, 1891, p. 12).
Night Alarm featuring “new scenery by N. Hinchey,” (The Era 5 Sept. 1891 p 12.)
Mepho; or, Faust After Date with “new scenery by N. Hinchey, Lime effects by J. Jarrat; Machinist, A. Kennard” (The Era Oct. 24, 1891, p. 14).
A Terrible Night, Paul Martinetti’s pantomime“with special new scenery and effects by N. Hinchey” (Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper, p. 8).
The Sights of London (Mr. Charles Godfrey in a series of new songs) with special new scenery and special effects by N. Hinchey (The Sunday People 7 Feb 1891 p. 8)
Robert Macaire “with new and beautiful scenery by N. Hinchey” (The Era 20 Feb 1892, p. 14)
The Squire of Haslemere (by Vento, the modern ventriloquist)“with Scenery by N. Hinchey, Esq. (The Era 2 Apr 1892 p 26)
The Harvest of Sin, in five tableaux, with “scenery and special effects by N Hinchey” (The Sunday People 10 Jul 1892 p. 8)
Inkerman (starring Charles Godfrey) with scenery “specially sketched and painted by N. Hinchey for the South London Palace,” representing No. 11 Ward in Chelsea Hospital (The Era 30 Jul 1892 p. 12)
Adventures on a Houseboat with “scenery by N. Hinchey” (Sunday Dispatch 25 Sept 1892 p. 8)
The Tower Bridge (R. Gurney Sketch Company) with “Scenery by N. Hinchey” (The Era 2 March 1895, p. 26)
In 1890, the Hincheys celebrated the birth of another child, Horace Arthur Hinchey. Horace was born in Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, on April 18, 1890. His birth was listed in the Civil Registration Index for the second quarter of that year.
That year, the Hinchey also painted scenery for the Hull Christmas Pantomime. On Dec. 24, 1890, the Hull Daily Mail included an article about Little Red Riding Hood at the Theatre Royal on Boxing Night: “We have reason for stating that the scenery, which has been painted by Messrs. Jules Camus and N. Hinchey, is most elaborate in character” (p. 3); On Jan. 3, 1891, The Era reported, “The tale, which is on the old familiar lines, is depicted in eleven scenes, designed and painted by Jule Camus and N. Hinchey” (p. 18). Hinchey returned to the next year. On Jan 2, 1892, The Era listed Jules Camus and N. Hinchey as the scenic artists for the Christmas pantomime Robinson Crusoe (p. 19).
In 1891, the Census listed Nicholas Hinchey as a scenic artist and sculptor, living with his family at 5 Cannon Place in Whitechapel, London. Members of his household included 28-yrs.-old wife Susannah and two sons, Nicholas C. (5 yrs.) and Horace A. (1 yrs.).
On Oct. 3, 1891, The Era described a new entertainment at The Foresters’, reporting, “Mr. William Lusby’s old-established and well-patronized theatre of varieties in the Cambridge-road, Mile-end… The Yard Arm…“The scenery, for which N. Hinchey is responsible, gave every satisfaction” (p. 16).
A week later, Hinchey’s scenic art was mentioned in a newspaper advertisement that described a new stage effect. On Oct. 8, 1892, The Era published an advertisement for the “Ubiquitous M. George Lupino.” It reported, “Nineteenth week as Leporella, Don Juan’s Servant, Alhambra Theatre. South London Palace as the SEA MONSTER. Come, see, mark, learn, copy. The most Realistic Ship ever produced on any stage in Europe. See how a Practical Picturesque Mechanical Trap scene should be made and used. Modeled and designed by a Pantomimist who understands Geometry, Scale, and Perspective. A Hint to those Great Little People who Talk about Inventing and Designing, and yet cannot sketch at all. Painted by N. Hinchey, Built by R. Wilkinson. I George Lupino, claim the above as original in construction from end to end, and challenge inspection and contradiction. Agent, Warner” (p. 26).
N. Hinchey credited as scenic artist, 1892.
Hinchey’s reputation was continuing to spread throughout the region.
In 1892, Hinchey delivered scenery to the Normansfield Amusement Hall. On Jan. 7, 1893, The Era announced “The Genesta A. D. C. On Thursday evening at Normansfield, Hampton Wick, the members of this amateur dramatic club performed for the first time, an original ‘nautical pantomime,’ entitled Y’lang Y’lang, the Fair Maid of Too-Bloo…The libretto and lyrics were written by Mr. G. Manchester Cohen, the music composed by Mr. John W. Ivimey, and the pantomime arranged and produced by Mr. Peter Davay…This production of a Christmas piece. With its elaborate scenery and costly dresses. Was a bold undertaking for amateurs, and they are to be congratulated upon the undoubted success which attended the performance…The scenery painted by Mr. N. Hinchey, was admirable, and the dresses and properties all that could be wished for” (p. 9). It is possible that this was the same year that Hinchey painted and signed the street scene for the Normansfield Theatre.
Street scene roll drop at the Normansfield Theatre, credited to N. Hinchey. Maker’s mark on the backside of the street scene roll drop, the Normansfield Theatre.
It was about this same time that newspapers start mention the scenic art firm of “N. Hinchey & Co.” A name that appeared for only a year. On Jan. 14, 1893, The Ear published an advertisement for the touring production of The Indian Mutiny, noting “Magnificent scenery for every Act by N. Hinchey and Co.” (p. 4). On Feb 17, 1894, The Era published an advertisement for A Military Blunder with “special scenery and effects by N. Hinchey & Co. (p. 27).
On May 19, 1894, The Era published an advertisement for The Two Hussars featuring Mr. Harry Bruce’s Company, with “Four sets of Magnificent Scenery (by N. Hinchey) carried, portraying Balaclava, Sebastopol, and Environs” (p. 4). On March 26, 1898, The Era reported, “The success of the visit has been through and complete; and the attraction of The Two Hussars seems as strong and steady as ever. Especially stimulating have proved to be the scenes in the second act, including views of the battle plains and the French and Russian camps, the blowing up of the bridge, military quarters in the Crimea, the Valley of Death, and the Charge of the Light Brigade, in which Trooper Holland, No. 1,543, D. Troop, 11th Hussars, one of the actual survivors of the “six hundred” in the celebrated exploit, appears each evening. For these, for the correct view of the town and harbour of Balaclava, and for the whole effects, Mr. N. Hinchey, the scenic artist, deserves warm praise, while the superintendence of Mr. Harry Bruce has given smoothness and completeness to the production” (p. 10).
Nicholas Hinchey credited with scenery for the touring produciton of The Two Hussars. From the Isle of Wight Observer, 3 Feb. 1900, p. 8.
On August 22, 1896, The Era listed that new scenery for The Indian Mutiny was traveling with new scenery “painted from photographs by Nicholas Hinchey, Lionel Hart, and Richard Douglass, and the picture of the Ruined Mosque on the Mountain Pass, with its warm glow and cleverly suggested architectural detail, may be picked out as one of the remarkable examples of stage brush work” (p. 9).
By 1897, public mention of Hinchey as a scenic artist became less frequent.
On Aug 4, 1900, The Era published an advertisement for The Mariners of England; or, the Days of Nelson, reporting, “The Stirring Patriotic Olympic Success, now in the Third Year of Tour. Emphatic Success this week at Southend, New Plant of Scenery being prepared by Mr. Nicholas Hinchey” (p. 20).
I was able to locate only a handful of articles about painting projects for N. Hinchey from this point forward.
On Jan. 22, 1901, Coventry Evening Telegraph published an article about the Pantomime at the Opera House describing Wilfred Cotton and Le Butt’s version of Babes in the Wood, incorporated with incidents from Who Killed Cock Robin? (p. 2), with scenery by Messrs. G. Miller and N. Hinchey. In 1901, Hinchey was visiting at 42 Drewton St, Bradford West, Yorkshire. He was listed as a visitor and theatrical scenic artist. Other “visitors” included actor George Croft, Theatrical Property Manager Ralph Rawle, Theatrical carpenter Frank Smith, and many others. It appears that he was traveling with a company at the time.
On Jan. 11, 1902, the Folkstone Herald mentioned Hinchey’s scenic contributions to the touring production of Beauty and the Beast from the Royal County Theatre, Kingston-on-Thames. The article reported, “The graceful old fairytale is set out with commendable skill and clarity and presented in tableaux of singular charm and beauty by a company remarkable for genuine dramatic ability. The scenery is by such well-known artists as T. Miller, Walter Hann, Nicholas Hinchey, George Miller, etc.” (p. 12).
The first few years of the twentieth century prompted change in the Hinchey home, possibly caused by Susannah Hinchey’s poor health. Something happened, and I have yet to figure out the specifics. However, in 1906, Hinchey’s wife became destitute and was transferred from one poorhouse to another. On a few years earlier, their youngest son, was enrolled in boarding school.
Horace A. Hinchey was admitted into the Olga Street School in Tower Hamlets, Bethnal Green, dated February 24, 1902. Records list that H. A. Hinchey was born on April 18, 1890, and that his father was Nicholas Hinchey (Scenic Artist). Hinchey’s previous school was located on Chrisenhale Rd. Furthermore, Hinchey’s residence was listed as 16 McThurst Rd. Olga Street Board School was established in 1874, with a student body of 649 children (324 boys, 325 girls) and 418 infants. The school was enlarged in 1881 to accommodate approximately 1,500 children, with further improvements made in 1898.
By the summer of 1906, Susannah Hinchey was placed at the poorhouse in Polar. She is listed in London’s Selected Poor Law Removal and Settlement records, dated June 2, 1906. Now, I was unfamiliar with this type of law and settlement. The Poor Law was a system that grouped parishes into unions, each with its own workhouse, to reduce the cost of caring for the poor.
The orders of removal to the Guardians of the Poor of Polar, Poor Law Union, 1906.
Susannah Hinchey’s orders of removal to the Guardians of the Poor of Poplar, Poor Law Union, in the County of London, reported, “That Susannah Hinchey is the wife of Nicholas Hinchey. That prior to August 1900 the said Nicholas Hinchey resided for a term of three years at 59 Venue Street, 29 Nairn Street and Elsewhere in the Parish of Bromely St. Leonard and in the Popular Union, in such a manner, and under such circumstances, in each of such years, as would in accordance with the several statutes in that behalf, render him irremovable therefrom and settled therein.” Her record stated, “Susannah Hinchey, aged 43 years has come to inhabit and is now inhabiting in the said Parish of St, Matthew, Bethnal Green, not having gained a legal Settlement therein, nor produced a Certificate acknowledging a Settlement elsewhere, nor being exempt from removal by any provision of the Law, and that she is now actually chargeable to the said Parish, and is now receiving relief therefrom, and that Parish of Bromeley St. Leonard in the Poplar Poor Law Union in the County of London is the place of her last legal Settlement. I, the said the Magistrate, upon the due proof thereof, as well as by examination of a Witness upon oath and upon due consideration of the premises, do adjudge the complaint to be true, and that such relief is made necessary by the sickness of the said Susannah Hinchey which sickness I am satisfied will produce in her permanent disability; and that the place of last legal Settlement of the said Susannah Hinchey is in the Parish of Bromley St. Leonard which is comprised in your said Union. These are therefore in His Majesty’s name to require and order you, said Guardians of the Poor of the said Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green, or some or one of you, or some proper person of persona to be employed by you, at such time, and in such manner as by law is provided and directed in that behalf, to remove and convey the said Susannah Hinchey from and out of your said Parish to the said Poplar Poor Law Union, and her to deliver, together with this Order, or a duplicate, or a true copy hereof at the Workhouse, or unto the Guardians of the Poor there, or one of them, who are or is hereby required to receive and provide for her according to Law.”
I have yet to locate Susannah’s departure from Poplar, yet the 1911 census listed her residence in Hackney. This was only one year after her father-in-law’s passing.
On Dec. 22, 1910, Nicholas Hinchey (I) passed away and was buried at Chingford Mount Cemetery. Chingford is in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The gravestone states, “Loving Memory of Nicholas Hinchey who passed away December 22nd, 1910, Aged 79 Years. Lord All Pitying, Jesu Blest: Grant Him Thine Eternal Rest.” The grave also contains the remains of his son, Nicholas Hinchey (II), and Daughter Margaret Le Croissette.
The 1911 Census listed Susanna living at 2 Frampton Park Road in Southeast Hackney. Her son, scenic artist Nicholas Charles Hinchey (III), lived with her. This means that by 1911, scenic art projects credited to N. Hinchey may be the work of Nicholas Hinchey (II) and Nicholas Hinchey (III).
In 1914, 28-yrs.-old “scene-painter,” Nicholas Charles Hinchey (III) married 21-yrs.old Annie “Elizabeth” Elizabeth was the daughter of John Charles Willis, who worked as a groom. The couple was married at the Parish Church of at Saint Alban in Streatham Park (Lambeth) in the county of Surrey.
Willis was the daughter of John C. and Mary E. Willis, of Wandsworth. At the time, both listed their residence as 105 Eardley Road (this was very unusual). Their marriage was witnessed by Susannah Hinchey and Charles Phillip Chamberlaine, and registered in Wandsworth, London. Because this event occurred between census reports, I have yet to locate Susannah’s address at this time, or any mention of Nicholas Hinchey (II).
The same year that his son was married, “N. Hinchey” was credited with scenic work at the Palace Theatre in Glasgow. On August 4, 1914, Glasgow’s Daily Record reported that the Palace Theatre was “Redecorated with Entirely New Scenery and Lighting Effects Designed and Painted by Mr. N. Hinchey” (p. 4). I am unsure whether this was the work of father or son.
There were only a few more mentions of scenic art by N. Hinchey during the war years. On May 12, 1918. The Stirling Observer (Stirling, Scotland) reported that N. Hinchey painted scenery for Cheer-O! at the Olympia. On August 28, 1918, The Perthshire Advertiser published an article about the new spectacular spy play, Carryon at Perth Theatre (p. 3). Special scenery was by N. Hinchey.
Nicholas Hinchey (II) passed away on Dec. 18, 1919, at the age of 55 years. He was buried at Chingford Mount Cemetery with his father, Nicholas Hinchey (I) in 1919. He passed away at St. Marks Hospital City Road.
Gravestone for Nicholas Hinchey (I), Nicholas Hinchey (II) and Margaret Le Croissette (daughter and sister to the two above).
