Tag: historic scenery

Copyright © 2022 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

My recent scenery restoration project at the Louisville Scottish Rite Theater began three years ago in 2019. These projects are often years in the making, and it really takes the right person to set the ball in motion.  I have watched scenery collections crumble from both indecision and poor stewardship. Time is often of the essence when historic scenes start to fail.  Scenery that survived decades against an upstage wall can rapidly deteriorate over the course of a few years if the conditions are right.

My initial visit to the Louisville Scottish Rite was a side trip while attending USITT (United States Institute of Theatre Technology). Whenever I attend the annual conference, I try and schedule a visit to a nearby Scottish Rite theatre or historic opera house. These side trips provide me with an opportunity to learn and document “just one more” scenery collection.

The only day that I could photograph Masonic scenery while attending USITT in 2019 was on Wednesday, March 20. Preparations for the Scottish Rite reunion were scheduled to start the next day. I had from 9AM to 3PM to document as much as possible and make my way back to the convention center for a meeting.

I must have made an impression, as the Louisville Scottish Rite hired me that fall to assess the collection. I was contracted to compile condition reports, historic analyses, and replacement appraisals for each drop in the collection. My documents that December were so well-received that I was asked to visit Louisville and present my findings at a special event.

On March 7, 2020, I was the guest speaker for Family night at the Louisville Scottish Rite.  I gave a presentation about their historic scenery collection, tracing the history of Masonic scenery in the United States and placing the Louisville Scottish Rite scenery collection withing the context of American theater. At the time I was also asked to work as an historical consultant for upcoming interior renovations throughout the building. After speaking at the Scottish Rite in Louisville in March 2020, the pandemic put everything on hold.

March 2020 – May 2022

Eventually, I lost touch with the Louisville Scottish Rite and moved onto other projects, yet the Louisville Scottish Rite scenery collection continued to lurk in the back of my mind. Surprisingly, Randolph Starks, Secretary of the Louisville Scottish Rite, reached out again last spring.  On May 2, 2022, I received the following text: “Hi Wendy. It has been a very long time since we spoke, but I have enjoyed seeing your Facebook posts, the reports of your travels, and the images of your beautiful artwork. I would like to renew our conversation about you providing advice and guidance on some renovation and painting of our Scottish Rite temple. Let me know when you would be available to schedule a phone call to discuss this.”  I received this on the same day that my mother went into the ER, so our conversation was again placed on hold for a few more months.

Stark contacted me again on June 29, 2022, but for another reason.

I received a series of pictures of the Egyptian cut drop, with the text message, “Hi Wendy. We just discovered this damage to this scenery drop today. I don’t know how it happened. I would like to know if it would be possible to repair and restore it.”

My response was, “Yes. You will need to take the drop down, or damage will continue- I am mid-project, but can chat tomorrow afternoon.” Realistically, I was in no position to take on another project and knew that I would have to mostly advise from afar. Starks gathered a team to lower the drop, and I then directed its preparation for short-term storage, until I could travel to Louisville that fall. We tentatively scheduled my visit for November. I would not only repair the scene, but also advise on some upcoming interior renovations. I was also scheduled to again speak about the history of the Louisville Scottish Rite scenery (another Masonic event on Nov. 10, 2022).

Repairing the Egyptian Cut Drop

Unfortunately, there were a series of obstacles to overcome before rolling and storing the cut drop to await my future repairs. The first obstacle was removing wood from the backside, as several “stiffeners” were glued to the cut edge.  Many cut drop openings without netting for support curl over time. As a preventative measure, some scenic studios attached wood stiffeners upon installation.  These stiffeners were frequently thin strips of pine that were secured to the drop with a strip of glued muslin.  Removing an original stiffener is often simple, as the fabric and wood easily peel off of the fabric.

Over the decades, Masonic stage crews tried to replicate this technique. Unfortunately, instead of using thin strips of light-weight pine, they improvised, using a variety of hard woods and solvent-based or inappropriate adhesives.  Over the years I have encountered oak strips attached with contact cement (Wichita, KS), lathe attached with wood glue (Fort Scott, KS), yard sticks attached with plaster of paris (Fargo, ND), just to name a few. 

In Louisville, however, an enterprising Mason opted for a black substance that looks like coal-tar pitch; this was a new one to me.

In addition to the stiffeners, ¼”-thick black flexible foam was secured to all of the cut edges with spray adhesive. Sadly, I have encountered this before too, at the Scottish Rite in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Although it works in the short term, it wreaks havoc when repairs need to occur. In Louisville, a solvent-based spray adhesive was used, partially melting the foam and permanently affixing it to the backside of the drop.  

And there was one more thing…

The original netting in the cut opening was replaced with plastic netting that was hot glued on.   

Although I feel like a broken record, constantly repeating myself, here goes…NEVER use hot melt glue on historic stage scenery. Hot melt glue has no place in historic preservation, as it severely damages fragile fabric, embedding itself in the fabric’s fibers. Often the hot melt glue is even visible from the front, marring a once beautifully painted composition. Attaching anything to historic scenery with hot-melt glue makes the repair irreversible and flammable. It is especially unfortunate if the new netting is plastic or poorly positioned in the cut opening. Both were the cases with the Egyptian cut drop at the Louisville Scottish Rite. When conducting the initial examination of the scenery, I recognized that the plastic netting would have to remain, as there was so much hot melt glue applied to the fabric that it is now permanently affixed to the cut drop.

The stiffeners, foam, and plastic netting prohibited any expedient storage of the scene last summer until my fall arrival. Fortunately, one diligent Masonic volunteer, Jordan Morgan, spent over thirty-hours removing both foam and wood. Despite his diligence, some areas were left for me to deal with once on site. As I expected, removing the foam and stiffeners could not occur without damage to the painting and fabric.  Some of the foam remains firmly adhered to the cut drop.

My trip to repair the scenery was slotted for November. During my stay, I would not only fix the damage to the cut drop, but again speak as a guest lecturer and continued to function as a historical consultant for a few anticipated interior renovations.

On the afternoon of Nov 8, 2022, my plane touched down and I was off to the races. This was well after casting my vote at 7AM; it was election day, and I was thankful that the Minnesota polls open so early. After renting a car, checking into my hotel, changing into work clothes, and driving to the Scottish Rite, I began the slow process of setting up the workspace. Once everything was set, I carefully unrolled the damaged cut drop and assessed the damage, simultaneously planning my attack. Despite the dozens of pictures that were sent, nothing replaces examining the damage in person.  I went to bed that night, weighing the pros and cons of various approaches to the damage.

Arriving at the Scottish Rite the next morning, I met my onsite assistant, Jordan, and we began the painstaking process of cleaning both the cut drop. This is necessary before any fabric repair.

I focused on the biggest damage, before tackling the dozens of small punctures. By midmorning, I realized that the project would go far beyond patching visible damage. I had to do some preventative care – placing vertical reinforcement strips on every seam and weak area. The culprit of the anticipated damage? Flame retardant.

A repeated application of flame retardant often causes the greatest damage to historic scenery; it is like giving the drop cancer.  Applying different flame retardants over the decades creates a toxic environment for the fabric and the very fibers begin to break down. Therefore, I need to help support the fabric so that the weight of the fabric will not cause stress that results in tears.

Now, I was dealing with a few different problems. The central portion of the drop is much older than the top and the bottom; the oldest portion dating from the previous building, c. 1910. Toomey & Volland Scenic Studio records indicate that scenery was delivered to the Louisville Scottish Rite in 1910.  

These drops were later refurbished, enlarged, and installed in the current building during 1923.  Over the years, there have been several alterations made to the collection. Initially, the top sandwich batten was removed and replaced with jute webbing and ties lines.  This likely occurred when the 1910 scenery was refurbished and moved into the new building. The first-generation bottom sandwich battens were replaced with pipe pockets at this time too.

However, over time, as the pipe pockets failed, ripping off, second-generation pipe pockets were added, the latest being thick, clear plastic that was glued to the back.

Additional scenery was purchased from Volland Studios between 1951 and 1952, then again in 1968.

Additional repairs, fabric reinforcements and attempts to consolidate loose pigment occurred continuously over the decades. For example, olive green edging (similar to a coarse bias tape) was sewn onto the offstage edges. This was an early attempt to prevent tearing from contact. Although this has prevented some damage and deterioration, the actual sewing greatly damaged the painted surface and has weakened the fabric over time. Other drops have large pieces of mesh glued to the entire back, possibly an attempt to prevent rips. However, the added weight is now jeopardizing the top of each scene.

Over the course of three days we cleaned, patched, and reinforced the fabric of the Egyptian cut drop. Paint touch-up of visible patches will occur on my return. I only transport my distemper palette by ground, and therefore will drive on my next trip.

On the morning of Nov. 12 (my fourth day), I supervised the hanging of the repaired cut drop. Everything looked perfect!

I then assessed the remainder of the collection and began planning for the complete preservation of the entire collection.

By the afternoon I was on my way home, only 96 hours after my arrival. It was an action-packed trip that I have yet to recover from.

In regard to the history of the Louisville Scottish Rite scenery, my research indicated that Kentucky may have been the earliest state in the Southern Jurisdiction to use stage scenery for their degree work. Here is an excerpt from the document that I submitted in 2019 as it helps frame the significance of the scenery collection and my restoration project.

“The History of Degree Productions at the Louisville Scottish Rite.

Scottish Rite Valley’s bordering the geographical demarcation between the Northern and Southern Jurisdiction were experimenting with stages in Masonic Halls and common lodge room long before the first “official” Scottish Rite theater was constructed in the Southern Jurisdiction, c. 1890s. The earliest Scottish Rite stages frequently referenced in the Southern Jurisdiction are Little Rock, Arkansas and Oakland, California in 1896. Theatrical staging of degree work in Louisville, Kentucky, may have predated these two Valleys, signifying the inclusion of the earliest Masonic stage settings in the Southern Jurisdiction.

The Wilkes-Barre Times of Pennsylvania, the Arizona Daily Star of Tucson, and the Akron Beacon Journal of Ohio all published the following article in 1895:

“BIG SCOTTISH RITE DEDICATION. Louisville, Ky., Oct. 15 – The Scottish Rite Cathedral of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, at Sixth and Walnut street was dedicated today. This dedication surpassed anything ever seen in Masonic ceremonies in this city. It was open to the public, and conducted with all the pomp, which the occasion calls for. The remainder of the inaugural week will be given in reunion, during which all degrees will be conferred. The new cathedral in point of general magnificence is surpassed by only two in the United States, those being cathedrals of the Grand Consistories of Illinois, at Chicago, and of Ohio, at Cincinnati.” Both Chicago and Cincinnati boasted theatrical stages with elaborate scenery collections, but they were in the Northern Jurisdiction.

The article also notes, “All degrees will be conferred,” which translates to “all degree will be dramatically presented” aligning with the staged degree productions in the Chicago and Cincinnati Scottish Rite theaters at the time.

The Grand Consistory, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, was organized in Louisville, August 21, 1852, with meetings being held on the Southwest corner of Fourth and Jefferson Streets. By August 1876, the Louisville Scottish Rite occupied the Courier-Journal Building, located on Jefferson Street, between Third and Fourth Street. In 1894, the Louisville Scottish Rite Bodies purchased the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at Sixth and Walnut Streets. The church has been partially destroyed by fire when they acquired the building, and approximately $41,000 was spent on remodeling the facility. By 1895, it was dedicated as a Scottish Rite Cathedral. This predates what Little Rock and Oakland would do in 1896; remodel an existing space to include a Scottish Rite theatre to fully confer, or stage, the degree work. This Louisville Scottish Rite building was used until 1923, when their new home was constructed at Brook and Gray streets.

In 1910, Toomey & Volland business records note that they delivered a scenery collection to the Louisville Scottish Rite. This scenery would have replaced the original scenery installed in the renovated Episcopal Church space. Churches were perfect buildings to retrofit with theatrical stages for degree productions.

There is not yet a definitive indicator of the scenic artist or studio that first delivered the original scenery in 1895. However, it was not Toomey & Volland, as the firm was not established until 1901.  Toomey and Volland delivered scenery to the Louisville Scottish Rite Cathedral in 1910, with many of their backdrops being refurbished and transported to the new building during 1923. This was a common practice throughout both the Northern and Southern Jurisdiction at the time.  The Guthrie, Oklahoma, Scottish Rite even reused and transported their 1910 scenery collection to the new building during this same time.

The first Scottish Rite Cathedral in Louisville was a remodeled building. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at Sixth and Walnut Streets was renovated for Scottish Rite purposes in 1895. From this moment forward, the Masonic membership in Louisville continued to grow at a rapid rate, as was common with many other Valleys that began producing degree work for the stage. By 1919, Louisville’s Scottish Rite candidate class size numbered 200, and the overall membership began exceeding the building’s capacity.

During the 67^th annual spring reunion in 1919, the president of the “Victory Class “of Scottish Rite candidates introduced a resolution. Dr. T. H. Tuley urged, “the Grand Consistory immediately to make plans for the erection of a [new] Scottish Rite Cathedral in Louisville which will prove a credit to the Rite and to the city.”  The Courier-Journal reported, “the reading of the resolution was greeted with applause, and from the manner in which the proposition was received it seems possible some steps in this direction will be taken” (26 April 1919, page 4).

Previously, the Courier-Journal reported, “Largest Class in History of Consistory Attending Scottish Rite Meeting. 200 At First Dinner” (23 April 1919, page 9). The session opened at 10AM on April 22, with conferring the Lodge of Perfection degrees (4-14). The article noted, “For several months the Scottish Rite has been practically overwhelmed with applications for membership, every Masonic lodge in the State reporting unusually large numbers of initiates.

            The result has been that for the first time in many years it has been necessary to hold two spring Scottish Rite classes, the first one having completed work only about ten days ago.” Capt. John H. Cowles, sovereign grand inspector general of the Supreme Council of the Rite, was interviewed by the Courier-Times. The newspaper reported, “He says unusually large classes are being accepted into the rite in all consistories of the southern jurisdiction. He was highly pleased with the showing made by the Louisville lodge, especially in view of the fact that he received his degrees here and is a native of Kentucky, having lived for many years in Louisville.” In 1919, the Louisville Scottish Rite premiered a four-page publication for attendees titled “The Reunion News.” It was published every day during the Scottish Rite reunion. Interestingly, the Scottish Rite once met in the same building as the local newspaper, the Courier-Journal.

Scottish Rite membership was explosive during the 1920s, and the influential power of the Freemasons was substantial.  This is a moment in time when the Rite, especially the Louisville Scottish Rite, was very vocal about their activities and positions on both political and social issues. From the late-nineteenth century to early twentieth century, it was not unusual to find detailed information pertaining to daily activities at Scottish Rite reunions, a list of members, the history of the organization and their stance on public and political topics. For example, the views of the Rite regarding public education were published in the local newspapers for all to read. When a potential candidate thought about joining a particular Scottish Rite, there was no question in his mind about what the organization stood for and could determine in advance if it was a good fit. This may be why the Scottish Rite continued to gain ground and dominate the fraternal landscape of America during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.

In regard to the construction of their new home, on May 11, 1923, the Courier-Journal published, “Scottish Rite Masons will begin a three-day campaign May 23, to raise the $300,000 necessary to complete their building fund for the proposed $750,000 cathedral at the southwest corner of Fourth and Breckinridge Streets. Ground for this structure will be broken in September, it was said. The cathedral will have four stories and basement, with an auditorium seating 1,350 persons. Solicitation will be from the 2,286 members in the State of which 1,200 are in Louisville, The campaign will be in charge if Benjamin S. Washer, Richard Priest Dietzman, Edward F. Metzner, Harvey White and Dr. E. L. Henderson” (page 18).

On June 27, 1923, the old Scottish Rite was sold, becoming the new R. E. Jones Temple, Methodist Episcopal Church. On September 9, 1923, the Courier-Journal announced, “The contract for the construction at Fourth and Breckinridge Streets will be awarded shortly after bids are opened about October 15” (page 34). The building was sold to the Methodist Episcopal Church, becoming the R. E. Jones Temple. Rev. Dr. Robert Elijah Jones (1872-1960), namesake for the new church, was also a 33^rd degree Scottish Rite Mason. Within a year, however, tragedy struck the old Scottish Rite building. On May 27, 1924, the Courier-Journal reported “Five Firemen and a negro preacher were overcome by smoke last night when flames of undetermined origin ignited debris in the basement of the R. E. Jones Temple, formerly the Scottish Rite Cathedral at Sixth and Walnut Streets” (page 5).

There is one thing to consider about the original Scottish Rite stage and scenery when the Louisville Scottish Rite Cathedral changed ownership. When the building became the R. E. Jones Temple, it is highly unlikely that any fraternal artifacts or decorations were left behind. This means that the old scenery, stage machinery and other stage equipment was either returned to scenic studio (for credit on the purchase of a new collection), it was enlarged for their new stage, or it was sold to another Scottish Rite. To all indications, there remains a significant amount of scenery used by the Louisville Scottish Rite that predates the current building, c. 1910. 

In 1910, the Louisville Scottish Rite purchased scenery from Toomey & Volland.  Interestingly, Toomey and Volland advertisements from 1912 do not list Louisville alongside fifteen other Scottish Rite Cathedral installations by that time, suggesting that they may have only been adding to a previous purchase. Toomey & Volland could have simply expanded an earlier collection, possibly the one delivered in 1895. There is a distinct possibility that scenery was delivered by the precursor to Toomey & Volland – the scenic studio of Noxon & Toomey. 

Thomas C. Noxon was a Freemason, and extremely active in the Shrine.  Also, in 1895, Noxon & Toomey delivered stock scenery to Louisville’s Amphitheatre Auditorium. This may have been the crucial connection, a preliminary link with Louisville Masons and the scenic studio of Toomey & Volland. It would not be surprising to learn that Noxon visited the Scottish Rite while installing scenery for another theatrical venue; a common practice among scenic studio owners at the time.

It remains uncertain as to whether the major Scottish Rite scenery supplier to the Southern Jurisdiction at the time, E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co., delivered any scenery to the Louisville Scottish Rite Cathedral.  Scottish Rite minutes may point to a specific vendor. If the theater work was contracted to E. A. Armstrong, Sosman & Landis were the preferred subcontractors in the mid-1890s, the scenic studio who manufactured and installed the scenery for this fraternal supplier. However, the Louisville Scottish Rite is not listed in a 1902 E. A. Armstrong advertisement that notes all the Consistories they had equipped since 1897. Keep in mind that was after the potential 1895 date of delivery. If it was manufactured at the Sosman & Landis studio, David A. Strong would have been the Masonic designer and primary scenic artist for the earliest Louisville collection due to his early Masonic affiliation. Strong was instrumental in producing much of Chicago’s Scottish Rite scenery for stages starting in 1873; this was the other Masonic theater that Louisville was compared with in 1895.

There are two other possibilities in regard to regional artists who may have created the original 1895 scenery collection Louisville Scottish Rite Cathedral –scenic artists E. T. Harvey or Henry C. Tryon.

Harvey was the scenic artist who designed, painted, and installed Scottish Rite scenery collections for Cincinnati in 1886 and Cleveland in 1901. In 1886, Harvey delivered eighteen sets of scenery to the Cleveland Scottish Rite Cathedral’s stage.  Keep in mind that Louisville’s 1895 Scottish Rite Cathedral was compared with the Cincinnati Scottish Rite Cathedral in the newspaper article; “The new cathedral in point of general magnificence is surpassed by only two in the United States, those being cathedrals of the Grand Consistories of Illinois, at Chicago, and of Ohio, at Cincinnati.”

Tryon was the scenic artist credited with scenery and stage machinery at the Indianapolis Scottish Rite a few years earlier in 1883. Both Harvey and Tryon were close friends with Thomas G. Moses, who was in charge of the design, painting, construction, and installation of all Scottish Rite scenery at Sosman & Landis (Chicago) after 1904.”

There is so much more that I could write about this project and the collection as a whole, but I need to pause here. For more posts about this collection, keyword search “Louisville Scottish Rite.”

To be continued…

My involvement with the Okanogan Murals began earlier this year. On January 28, 2022, I received the following email and a link from my Canadian colleague John Madill.

He wrote, “In case you hadn’t seen this (nice tranquil images and palette). Cheers,  J”

The article reported, “A couple renovating a 115-year-old building discovered two 60-foot-long hidden murals.” The accompanying photograph pictured a lovely landscape painting above piles of construction debris.

Madill was just the first of many friends and colleagues who day shared this story with me on January 28, urging me to contact the young couple. I didn’t have to think about it for long, as Lisa Timm contacted me the next day.

On January 29, 2002, I received the following FB message:

“Hi, Wendy! My husband and I recently uncovered a 60ft mural from 1915 and are hoping to conserve it. I was wondering if you could offer any advice or expertise as it looks like a theatre backdrop. There are videos and pictures on our Facebook group (mural restoration at the historic Timm building). Thanks so much.”

I had already delayed several out-of-state business trips, as familial obligations were pressing. I was trying to stick close to home. However, that did not stop me from finding Okanogan on a map. Amazingly, it was an hour north of Chelan, Washington. I was working with a theater owner in that town.

My Chelan client was Ruby Theatre owner, Larry Hibbard. In fact, I had just received half of the main drape for the Ruby Theatre with a request to bid out replicating curtain, complete with hand-painted border.  I would soon find out that J. M. Deeds Scenic Studio had not only decorated Okanogan’s Hub Theatre, but also Chelan’s Ruby Theatre.  This was my sign to quickly document the Okanogan murals and visit the Ruby Theatre.

The Ruby Theatre Curtain.

Originally constructed as a commercial building in 1907, the structure in Okanogan initially housed the Okanogan Commercial Club, a precursor of the Chamber of Commerce. By 1915, the building was transformed into the Hub theatre. The theatre renovation included the installation of two 60’-0” long large murals on the north and south side walls. On Dec. 7, 1915, the “Okanogan Independent” announced, “Improvements at Hub’s.”  The article reported, “Hub Carlton has contracted with J. M. Deeds of Wenatchee for interior decorations, new screen and new curtain for the Hub Theatre that will greatly improve the inside appearance of this popular playhouse. Mr. Deeds came up from Wenatchee last week and is now supervising the work, which is being done by W. J. McConnon, and experienced decorator who has been in Mr. Deeds employ for some time. Mr. Deeds has just completed decorations for the Wenatchee theater, which is said to be one of the finest in this part of the state, and also is the man who did the decorating for the Ruby Theatre of Chelan, known far and near as one of the most attractive playhouses in the country. The new improvements at the Hub include 120 feet of panoramic landscape scenery in light tans. The picture screen will be 11×13 feet in size and have frame effects of moulding. There will also be a pretty drop advertising curtain with an overhead roll, noiseless I operation and will be controlled from the operator’s booth. Mr. Carlton is sparing no means to improve his place of business and is making additions to his equipment as rapidly as business will warrant.”

In 1918, another building renovation transformed the building into the Paramount, a movie house. It was at this time that the two three-years-old murals were encapsulated between the original wood walls and the new plaster walls.  

An article from May 14, 1918, described the new Paramount Theatre recently completed by C. P. Scates, reporting, “When Mr. Scates first went into the theatre business in this city, he expected to erect a new building. He secured a location and had architects submit plans for an up-to-date theatre, but soon discovered that war prices on labor and material made it absolutely impractical to build at the present time. He then set about to remodel the old building, which has been accomplished under mechanical guidance of Geo. W. Colyar, and expert in his line, as an inspection of the Paramount will convince anyone.

“There is very little left of the old building. The entire front had been torn out and replaced with concrete and metal construction. A thirty-foot brick addition has been built on the rear. The front of the new theatre is as handsome as the interior, finished in white cement and artistically decorated with ornamental plaster in the shape of cornice, cartouches, and flower boxes. The lobby is entirely done in white and presents a particularly fine appearance from the street. The interior is a work of art. The general color scheme is old rose and silver, gray, and the ceiling is heavily beamed and panels. A heavy proscenium arch forms a handsome frame for the screen.”

Despite changes in the use of the building over the years, the murals lay hidden plaster and lathe. The Timms purchased the building during late 2021. During their extensive renovation in early in January 2022, their crew broke through a section of plaster wall, just to see what was behind the wall.  To their surprise, the hole revealed a section of a painting. No one could have anticipated that the two paintings delivered by Deeds Scenic Studio were hidden behind the walls installed during Scate’s opening of the Paramount Theatre.

Despite bright colors, the murals were extremely damaged. There were hundreds of punctures from nails for furring strips and lathe, sporadic pockets of plaster that had oozed between lathe strips, cut openings for windows, and water stains from seasonal leaks, the paintings remained exceedingly vibrant and appeared in remarkably good shape.

Although I was swamped with work and had no intention of taking any out-of-state work , I began to contemplate the feasibility of a very, very, quick trip west to document the paintings before their removal. I immediately began to act as a resource for the young couple; they were being inundated with opinions regarding removal and restoration.

Over the course of the next two weeks, the Timms sent very detailed pictures of the two murals, and we began a series of discussions about possible options for removal, storage, and preservation.  I did my best to educate them about the painting process and various options for removal, storage, repair, and restoration. We scheduled virtual meeting where they walked me through the space, closely examining how the attached to the wall.  We were in luck, as the mural was glued to a few layers of wallpaper, meaning that it may easily pop off of the wall.

Various decorative layers tacked and pasted to the original wooden walls of the building offered a a walk thru time as the space was transferred from one owner to another. Initially, cotton sheeting was tacked onto the wooden walls, the only barrier to the outdoor elements.

A Delta Mills fine sheeting(right) stamp was discovered on this first layer of fabric. Only a layer of thin wallpaper covered the first layer of Delta sheeting (left).

This was likely to provide an air-barrier and uniform surface for the first layer of wallpaper. This first layer of wallpaper was off white with metallic edging.

 A decorative border was pasted to the top of each section, somewhat ornate with metallic scrollwork paper atop a creamy background. A few years later, a new color scheme was introduced to the space, one that was much darker. A second layer of wallpaper and border paper were dark green with metallic accents in jeweled colors. The border paper was especially lovely and quite thick.  When the building was renovated for a third time in 1915, the green wallpaper was primed white, and the fabric mural pasted on top.

In 1918 the venue changed hands, the building was renovated, and the theatre was renamed the Paramount. During the renovation plaster walls encapsulated the murals, effectively concealing them for over the next century. In the dark they patiently waited for another renovation; one that may possibly reveal the work of Deeds scenic artist W. C. Connell. would not happen until early January 2022.

I flew into Spokane, Washington, and examined the murals for the first time on February 16, 2022. The old Hub Theater in Okanogan is easy to miss. There is no a fly tower, no ornate façade; nothing to announce that it was once featured live theater or movies. The building looks more like an old hardware store than any temple of entertainment. If the Timms had not been standing outside, shouting, and waving their hands, I would have missed it entirely.

My plan was to only take pictures of the murals and leave with only memories. Upon entering the building my heart sank and I knew that there was very little time to save these murals. The relentless drip of water accentuated the dampness of the space.  The drips both hit and missed a series of buckets lined up on the floor between the two murals. In previous conversations, the Timms had mentioned their concern of snow melt and a leaking roof. I had no idea it was this bad.  I knew that it was just a matter of weeks before the distemper paintings were entirely destroyed.

That was when I began to game plan about their immediate removal. The preservation could happen slowly in phases, but there was minimal time to remove the murals from a leaking building.

I could not extend my stay, but I could return in a week. During my brief absence, the Timms frantically prepared the space for the upcoming mural removal. They cleared debris, removed walls, redirected water leaks, and ordered all of the necessary supplies. 

On February 28, 2022, I returned to Okanogan and started work the next day. The first mural came down in two hours, the second in less than an hour.  As I anticipated, the thick wallpaper backing was key to the murals’ quick release from the wall. Nick, Lisa, and their crew of four helped stabilize the painting as I carefully separated the wallpaper-backed mural from first layer of cotton sheeting that was tacked to the wooden substrate.

After the murals were removed from the wall, each received a preliminary cleaning, and then was rolled, encapsulated, and transferred to a climate-controlled storage room.

The last sections of each mural were completely unsalvageable. This reducing the overall length of each mural to 50-feet. However, many of the unsalvageable scraps were carefully packed in my luggage.

For the next four months, I began the laborious task of identifying the best method to remove layers of wallpaper from the fragile fabric without damaging the distemper painting. In the end, I was able to lightly mist the paper backing, wait twenty-minutes, and carefully peel the paper off, without damaging the paint.

The first phase of the Okanogan Mural Preservation included wallpaper removal, cleaning, fabric repair, fabric reinforcement, paint consolidation, and preparation for hanging. The work was planned for the first two weeks of August. We ordered materials, located a workspace, and identified local assistants. As the project neared, I watched temperatures soar to 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius). This is an area where many homes do not have any type of air-cooling systems. Despite the newly purchased swamp cooler for the Arts and Crafts Building on the fairgrounds, interior temperatures could not reach an acceptable level for art preservation.

We delayed the project until the beginning of October, hoping that the temperatures would drop to an acceptable level in fall. Yet as the project neared, I noticed that temperatures were still in the mid-80s. Crossing my fingers, I hoped for the best. Little did I know that we would have to buy heaters for the end of the project.

On October 7, 2022, I journeyed from Minneapolis to Okanogan. Flying into Spokane, I rented a car and drove the three hours west to the eastern slope of the Cascades

It is a lovely drive in the fall.  This time I passed endless miles of harvested fields before entering the Okanogan Valley with acres of apple trees. 

I arrived in Okanogan as sunset approached and soon settled into my new abode. My lodging was at the Timm’s estate, in a separate house once owned by Nick’s late father.  With many of the windows facing east, the view was quite stunning with fall colors just starting to peak.

On Saturday, October 8, Nick Timm and I began to set up my workspace in the Arts and Crafts Building of the Okanogan Fair Grounds.  This was not an unfamiliar space, as I had approved the location during my February visit. It was a massive building, with two sets of sinks, counter tops, fantastic lighting, ample electrical outlets, and nearby restrooms.  Little did we know that by October the Okanogan fairgrounds would be in the midst of water and sewage troubles.  The greatest challenge on Day 1 was access to the building and running water. The fairground’s entrance gates and bathrooms were locked as it was a weekend. This meant crawling over a 4-ft. gate to get into the grounds. Fortunately for me, there were two satellite bathrooms near the railroad tracks and a potable sink to wash my hands.

Less than ideal, it was the lack of running water that concerned me the most.

The building had housed arts and crafts projects during the county fair in September. This mean that there was dirt, flower pollen, and bits of trash all over the place.  I needed a clean environment to ensure that dust and debris would not become airborne when I later turned on the box fans. By the end of the day, most of the supplies were unpacked and the murals were ready for the work to begin.

On October 9, I began the slow and arduous process of wallpaper removal from the back of each mural. It had taken me most of the spring and early summer to come up with a process to remove the paper without damaging the distemper painting. Keep in mind that distemper paint reactivates with water; it is just dry pigment paste mixed with diluted hide glue.  I came up with a technique where I misted the paper with distilled water to soften the wallpaper adhesive, effectively releasing it from the painting. In Minnesota, it took a minimum of twenty minutes for the water to penetrate the adhesive, releasing it from the fabric.

What I did not anticipate was varying humidity levels in Okanogan. Although, the process remained very successful, it took a bit longer the first day. However, just like my experiments at home, the fabric easily released in big sections, and I was able to complete half of the first mural by the end of the day.  Right on schedule, it would take a full four days to remove the wallpaper before starting the preservation of the fabric.

My second day of wallpaper removal was a bit of surprise. That night, the winds picked up and dried everything out. Temperatures dropped and everything began to dry out. This is the type of air where your lips immediately chap, and your skin begins to feel stretched. My wallpaper removal technique was no longer working; the water began to evaporate from the paper before it had a chance to permeate the adhesive. I began to experiment with a series of techniques, refining my process where the wallpaper could easily lift off. Picking at the paper or attempting to remove it when dry caused the paint to immediately release and dust off of the surface; it was too thin. I was already doing a balancing act, dampening the fabric without releasing the distemper paint. 

On the third day of wallpaper removal, two assistants now helped carefully peel the paper away.  One was my full-time onsite assistant Marty Staggs and the other was mural owner Nick Timm. As Timm observed, it was very similar to skinning an animal hide. The trick was knowing when to move on and not stay if paper was stuck on a dry patch; the paper remained stuck in areas where the water failed to permeate the first layer of glue and white primer. I kept repeating, “If it doesn’t come off easy, move along to another section.”  We finished removing approximately 95% of all wallpaper.

On the final day of my first week, we cleaned the space and flipped the murals (painted side up). This was to assess their condition before continuing with the preservation next week. Each painting had held up beautifully during the wallpaper removal.

A fresh layer of muslin was placed below the murals. After cleaning each painted composition, we again cleaned the room to prevent any environmental dust from becoming airborne for the rest of the restoration.

By the end of the day, we secured the edges of each mural, and I gradually dampened the fabric with distilled water, so that any residual creasing or stiffness from the wallpaper adhesive would release. This would help with the upcoming fabric stabilization and patching.  

The fabric repair began with patching small holes and continued to muslin backing for large cut openings (previous window openings and of access holes). This coincided with the temperature plummeting to 39 degrees Fahrenheit (3.9 degrees Celsius). As the inside the building was only a few degrees warmer, it was too cold to consolidate paint or patch fabric. So, we had to go out and purchase four large heaters. The irony of postposing this work due to heat was not lost on me. The new heaters, combined with warmer air temperatures during the day, meant that the building was finally warm enough to continue with the preservation.

After patching each drop, I attached the top hanging strip and reinforced both the sides and bottoms of each mural.

The final workday, October 21, was the hardest day of all; it was a firm deadline. All of the patching and support strips needed to be done by the end of the day if we were to hang them the next day. Nothing could be glued the next day, as they had to be completely dry prior to rolling and storing. I managed to make the deadline, but my body was a little worse for wear.

Saturday, October 22, was my last day on site. I was assisted by Staggs and the Timms. We spent the morning hanging and photographing details. The afternoon was spent preparing murals for storage again. This meant rolling each mural and encapsulating them in plastic.

I drove back to the Spokane airport on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 23.  The drive was absolutely stunning. It gave me some time to reflect on the project and the next steps. I was also taking photographs; source material for my easel art this winter.

As I flew home to Minneapolis, I could not help but reflect on the rarity of these two murals. I kept thinking back to my own research and post about Deeds. Here is the link to just one of my posts about this intriguing man: https://drypigment.net2022/03/07/travels-of-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-j-m-deeds/

On May 29, 1913, the “Spokane Chronicle” heralded Deed’s scenic enterprise, including a picture of work being done in his studio. The article reported:

“This is the only studio of its kind between Minneapolis and the Coast,” said Mr. Deeds today. “We are prepared to cover the territory completely, including states of Wyoming, Utah, and the western Canadian provinces, and we expect to invade the east. There is no reason why we should not do this since we are prepared to complete with them in workmanship as well as salesmanship.” Mr. Deeds has been engaged in the production of scenery for 10 years and during this time has traveled extensively, visiting the leading studios in the east and middle west.”

The two Okanogan murals may be all that remains of the Deeds Scenic Studio. Theaters were repainted, renovated, and razed. It is not enough that an artifact survives. There must be stewards to take care of it. It is extremely fortunate that the Okanogan murals were found by the Timms and that they acted immediately. The Timms continue to raise funds for the second phase of preservation that will focus on areas of paint loss. If you able to support the preservation of these murals, please visit the Timm’s Go Fund Me site:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/115-year-old-hidden-mural-preservation

Here is the time-lapse video of the project that I posted to YouTube On Nov. 6, 2022.