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Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Restoring the Brown Grand Theatre Drop Curtain, Day 7.

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

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

*Roller to help shift drop curing hanging.*

*Test run to make sure that roller would easily roll,*

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

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

*Attaching the back part of the batten.*

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

*New top batten on drop curtain and matching grand border curtain.*

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

***View of matching grand border curtain and new trop of drop curtain.***

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

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Day 7 at The Tabor Opera House. September 27, 2020.

We finished the attic scenery documentation today, cleaning and measuring the last nine borders by noon. The 28’-0” wide borders had holes for only two operating lines, much different that the current ones designed for use with three operating lines. The nineteenth-century borders depict blue sky, treetops and a fancy pink interior ceiling. These were intended to accompany the wing and shutter sets for the 1879 stage; the borders measuring just 2’-4” in height. This narrow strip of painted fabric would have been just enough to conceal the gas jets above the stage. No sandwich battens at the top of the borders either, just a 4” board and double rows of tacks. I have encountered this technique several times. It is astounding that these tattered border curtains managed to survive in the attic for over a century without irreparable damage, but it is a testament to a long succession of stewards.

Carl, Mary Ann and Greg placing a wood border for documentation

The most recent scenery collection stewards for the Tabor Opera House include Mary Ann Graham-Best, Carl Schaefer, Tammy Taber, as well as many, many other volunteers. Those who I have worked during this month and last February Mary Ann, Carl, Tammy, Kan, Theresa, Ruth, Curt, Janel, Greg, Allie, Derrick, Jen, Mike, Scott, Eric, Theresa “T”, Robin and Donna. My apologies if I missed anyone.

Volunteers for Day 7 at the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Co. (Left to right) Ziska, Mary Ann, Wendy, Tammy, Donna and Carl; we were holding out breath, so don’t panic.

This trip, Michael Powers also traveled with me to volunteer; his work in the attic with Carl helped make lowering the scenery from attic to stage floor safe and secure. Without their support, much of the scenery may be still sitting under a layer of dust, undocumented. The scenery has managed to survive despite a massive renovation (1901-1902), the Great Depression and a series of other financial obstacles. The survival of a historic venue is dependent upon strong leadership leader and community support. A small band of theatre people is not enough, you need the support from those outside of our industry too.

Evelyn E. Livingston Furman was one of the great leaders and scenic stewards for the Tabor Opera House. She also wrote “The Tabor Opera House: A Captivating History.” In the publication, Furman includes some details of the early scenery. Her words leave a legacy.

There are a few things to keep in mind as we explore the nineteenth century scenery delivered to the Tabor Opera House…In 1879 Horace A. W. Tabor purchased wing and shutter scenery for the Tabor Opera House. Some of the earliest scenes included a mountain setting (Royal Gorge), forest, garden, palace, plain chamber with balcony, and a prison. We know that more scenery was delivered in 1888, and included a horizon (seascape), European street setting, rustic country setting, rocky pass, and Eastern street scene. This is the same time when some of the original stock scenery were repainted and a few new scenes were added to the original wings, shutters and roll drops. Only eight shutters that remain, some double painted. The six surviving settings include a rocky pass, rustic country landscape, cut woods, European street scene, Eastern street scene, and winter scene. These all have flat sheaves that make the settings glide across the stage floor on wheels. In 1890, a series of eight jungle wings were also added to the stock, built by William J. Moon and painted by H. E. Burpey.

The technical specifications for the Tabor Opera House stage paints a pretty picture, including a 6” rake. The 1884 issue of “Harry Miner’s Dramatic Directory” noted that the Leadville’s Tabor Opera House had a seating capacity of 800. H. A. W. Tabor’s second theater, the Tabor Grand of Denver, boasted a seating capacity almost twice that – 1,500. Tabor’s second theater was much larger than that in Leadville. The proscenium opening in Leadville was 23 feet wide by 17 feet high , whereas the proscenium opening in Denver was 34 feet wide by 33 high.

The size of the Tabor Opera House stage in Leadville measured 34-feet deep by 60-feet wide. The Tabor Grand Opera House stage in Denver measured 45-feet deep by 75-feet wide. The grooves (for wings) measured 16 feet in height at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville and 20 feet in height at the Tabor Grand in Denver.

“Harry Miner’s Dramatic Directory” also listed that Leadville’s Tabor Opera House boasted 12 sets of scenery, whereas the Tabor Grand had much more, 50 sets of scenery. The two venues were drastically different when examining the types of stage scenery and machinery. In Leadville, the Tabor Opera House used wings, shutters, and roll drops, there was only 19 feet from stage to rigging loft. In Denver, there was a grid 66 feet above the stage floor, accommodating a series of leg drops, cut drops and backdrops., in addition to grand interior setting.

At the current Tabor Opera House, there is a significant amount of used scenery produced for an earlier, and larger, venue. These pieces likely belonged to the Tabor Grand, and the scenes include borders, interiors settings and at least one set piece (step unit). There also pieces left on site from touring shows.

In short, there is a treasure trove of scenic art and stagecraft, depicting the delightful transition from Nineteenth-century itinerant artists painting stock scenery on site to early twentieth-century studio artists painting scenery at a distant location.

I have about four weeks of work in front of me once I return this week. It will take a while to decipher the information collected on site, compiling historical analyses, conditions reports, appraisals and a collections care and management program. Although I have written about 700 pages pertaining to the 1902 collection delivered by Kansas City Scenic Co. and Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio, there is much more to go. I am taking three days off to return home and then will resume “Tales of a Scenic Artist and Scholar,” about the life and times of Thomas Gibbs Moses (1856-1934)

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Part 775 – Thomas G. Moses and the Cheyenne Scottish Rite, 1911

I return to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses. In 1911, Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis received “a small contract at Cheyenne of Masonic work.”

Sosman & Landis were well known in Cheyenne, having delivered stock scenery to the Grand Opera House in 1882. Sosman & Landis artists paired up to complete many projects on site, traveling from one theater to another and crisscrossing the country. From 1881-1882, Moses and studio founder, Joseph S. Sosman were a team, completing one project after another as salesman Abraham “Perry” Landis secured each contract.

The Scottish Rite Theatre is located in the Masonic Temple, home to multiple Masonic orders. Located at 1820 Capitol Avenue in Cheyenne, construction commenced on a three-story structure in 1901, costing local Masons $45,000. Unfortunately, in 1903 the building was gutted by fire. The “Natrona County Tribune” reported, “The fire originated by defective electric light wiring over the stage at the south end of the building. The loss was estimated at $50,000; insurance $33,500, $30,00 of which was on the building and $3,500 on paraphernalia. The elegant paraphernalia of the Scottish Rite Masons, costing at least $6,000 was entirely destroyed, and besides this many suits belonging to the members of the order were lost. Only a few rugs and several pieces of furniture were saved. The structure will be rebuilt at once. The structure will be rebuilt at once. The Scottish Rite Masons had just finished holding a reunion in the building, at which forty-one new members were admitted on the night before the building was destroyed, this being the first reunion held in the building since its completion” (5 March 1903, page 8). After receiving their insurance settlement, the Cheyenne Scottish Rite Bodies reconstructed the damaged stage and interior.

Sosman & Landis delivered an initial collection of scenery to this Masonic Hall in 1911, and membership numbers began to skyrocket.

On January 25, 1911, the “Natrona County Tribune” reported, “Cheyenne. – The semi-annual reunion of Wyoming Consistory No. 1 here met Jan. 4, and is attended by Masons from all sections of the state. A class of twenty-six candidates for the Scottish Rite degree has been selected” (Caspar, Wyoming, page 6). By that fall, there were fifty candidates at the Scottish Rite reunion in Cheyenne (Natrona County Tribune, 20 Dec. 1911, page 6). Over a year later, there were forty-six candidates (Natrona County Tribune, 26 Dec. 1912, page 2).

A new Scottish Rite Cathedral was planned in 1920 as membership rapidly outgrew its current quarters. The “Casper Star-Tribune” reported, “Tentative plans for the cathedral which Wyoming Consistory No. 1, A.A.S.R., is to erect at Capitol Avenue and Twentieth Street, have been approved. They call for a structure of Grecian architecture, with a frontage of 132 feet on Capitol Avenue, which will cost approximately $500,000. Aside from the fact that it will be the largest and finest fraternal society building in Wyoming architecture. Work on the building, it is planned and will begin next fall” (29 May 1920, page 9).

The Scottish Rite stage in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

I visited the Cheyenne Scottish Rite last year on June 18, 2018. It was father’s day when I documented the Cheyenne Scottish Rite scenery collection, with my husband and son working as stagehands that day. Our guide, Ron, explained that the building was expanded during the 1920s, an addition that included a new theater. Toomey & Volland studio records list a delivery of scenery to the Cheyenne Scottish Rite at that time. I identified three distinct scenery collections when examining the stencil placement. Two are consistent with Sosman & Landis and the third is likely from the studio of Toomey & Volland in St. Louis.

Some of the scenery includes the shipping label “Scottish Rite Bodies. Masonic Hall. Cheyenne, Wyoming.” This information is stenciled on the back and front of some bottom sandwich battens. Additional stenciling on the back of some drops also confirms the destination of Cheyenne, characteristic of standard Sosman & Landis Studio labeling during the first decade of the twentieth century. Keep in mind that it was common for Scottish Rite Valley’s to retain their original scenery when the initially expanded and increased and existing stage. Enlarging the original scenery delivered to the Masonic Hall in 1903 and 1911 for the 1920s stage was not unusual, even if a competing studio painted it.

The three collections at the Cheyenne Scottish Rite are not of any particular, or standard, size. It is obvious that many of the drops were hung at another venue prior to being installed above the current Scottish Rite stage. Charcoal markings denoting previous line sets are just one indicator of a previous life elsewhere.

In regard to painted aesthetics, the design and scenic art for some of the collection is consistent with other Sosman & Landis scenery delivered to Santa Fe (1912), St. Paul (1910), Winona (1909), Tucson (1914), Asheville (1914), and Grand Forks (1914). The painted flats accompanying many of the painted scenes, however, are not identified with stencils, nor characteristic of Sosman & Landis flats manufactured before 1908. The profile pieces in Cheyenne only include a few pencil markings. The design and construction of these pieces are not characteristic with Sosman & Landis set pieces, as they are also much brighter in color than the remainder of the collection, suggesting their delivery by Toomey & Volland aesthetic.

The stage machinery also predates the 1920s. It is an example of Brown’s Special System, also delivered to Santa Fe (1912), St. Paul (1910), Winona (1909), Tucson (1914), Ashville (1914), and Grand Forks (1914).

Counterweight system on the stage right side. The Scottish Rite stage in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Brown’s Special System installed at the Cheyenne Scottish Rite

The fly rail at the Cheyenne Scottish Rite. This is where Masonic stage hands stood when they raised and lowered backdrops.

Counterweights in a wooden arbor cage were part of Brown’s Special System. The Scottish Rite stage in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Finally, our host explained that additional drops that went unused for decades. They were rolled up and placed in an offstage area. Sadly, they were disposed of a few years ago without anyone documenting was thrown away, so we have no idea if this were an earlier collection, and adopted collection, or simply unused scenes. There is one dead hung drop curtain against the upstage wall. It appears to be a drop curtain, as I was able to see some painted fringe and draperies, suggesting that this piece may have been the drop curtain from the previous stage at the Masonic Hall; the front curtain would have been not wide enough for the current proscenium opening. I would love to see what the composition is, as I was unable to see more than the bottom two feet of the drop.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 622 – Leftover Lights for Lawrence, Kansas

Part 622: Leftover Lights for Lawrence, Kansas

In 1909, the Scottish Rite Masons in Lawrence, Kansas, were planning for the construction of a new home. By 1911, their Egyptian-Revival style building included a stage with 55 backdrops produced by Sosman & Landis studio in Chicago, Illinois. Between the initial planning stages and final dedication ceremony, several things were in play in regard to stage, scenery and lighting. Let’s start with lighting.

Letterhead for M. C. Lilley & Co. with Bestor G. Brown as manager in Kansas City, ca. 1910.

In 1910, the Scottish Rite in Lawrence was mentioned in a letter from Bestor G. Brown, western sales representative for M. C. Lilley & Co., to Frank A. Derr, secretary of the Oklahoma Consistory, in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Guthrie was enlarging the stage of their building, requiring all new scenery and stage machinery.

The home for Scottish Rite Masons in Guthrie, Oklahoma, 1901.

The building in Guthrie, Oklahoma, after the addition. This building included the new stage with scenery by Sosman & Landis of Chicago.

The used scenery was returned for credit on the new scenery. The Guthrie bodies were upgrading all of their equipment, including the border lights. On July 26, 1910, Brown wrote, “I shall probably go to Lawrence some time within the next few days and if I can dispose of your electrical equipment, I will be very glad to do so. It is old and will not pass inspection. The borders have a wooden strip on the top and that disqualifies them under the present regulations. If the Lawrence people want to buy them with the full knowledge of the facts, I shall be very glad indeed to see them get them.” In other words, “these could catch on fire, but if they know that we’re all good.”

Brown continued in his letter, “The battens on the scenery could be left there if you want to use new battens for your job. In that event, however, the people at Lawrence would have to pay us more than we allowed you for your scenery because you will remember we were to retain the battens at Guthrie and use them in your new scenery. It is impossible to get lumber that is the equal of the lumber in your own battens. I do not think you will have a great deal of trouble with the new lumber, but at the same time, the old battens will curl less in Guthrie than the new battens would curl in Lawrence on account of the difference in climate.” This is the first mention that I have ever encountered about warping battens. The lumber that was always specified noted white pine. This meant old growth, first cut pine.

The original stage lighting for Guthrie was listed in a contract between the Guthrie Scottish Rite and E. A. Armstrong Mfg. Company of Chicago, dated April 28, 1900. The Armstrong company was located at 300-302-304 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, and listed as “Manufacturers of Secret Society, Military and Band Supplies.” The lighting, scenery and stage work for the new Guthrie stage was provided by through M. C. Lilley and Co. The companies western sales manager, well-known Mason Bestor G. Brown, subcontracted the new work to Sosman & Landis.

E. A. Armstrong <fg. Company letterhead, 1900

The original stage lighting order from Armstrong for Guthrie included:

“Four (4) Borders, each 24 feet long, each containing 60 lights wired for three colors; sockets and wiring complete but no lamps-

Four (4) portable ground rows, each 10 feet long, each containing 15 lights, wired for three colors, sockets and wiring complete – but no lamps

Two (2) Strip rows, each 16 feet long, each containing 24 lights, wired for three colors; sockets and wiring complete but no lamps

Two (2) eight light, porcelain lined, swing head, iron stand bunch lights; complete with extension cord and plug, but no lamps-

Six (6) Cast iron floor pockets

Twenty-four (24) Slate receptacles

Fourteen (14) Plugs for receptacles, three attached to each of the ground rows and one each to bunch lights

Four (4) 40 Ampere dimmers, German silver wire wound

Three (3) Ampere dimmers, German silver wire wound

One (1) Slate switch board, full fused, containing 1 main 3 service and 32 subordinate double contact knife switches – 36 switches in all; connections on board all made

$620.00 (Today’s equivalent in approximately $18,200 – pretty good deal).

A portion of 1900 contract between the Guthrie Scottish Rite and E. A. Armstrong Mfg. Company that includes some of the lights.

Sockets all of Edison pattern

MISCELLANEOUS LIGHTING APPARATUS

One (1) Lamp and chaser 32.00

One (1) 4,000 c/p focusing lamp and reflector, stand and rheostat included 42.50

Large and small carbons – no charge

One (1) Lighting box, Complimentary

Note – Goods packed and shipped by American Reflector and Lighting Co. Charges collect, but to be paid and applied on bill.”

Keep in mind that Abraham Perry Landis, of Sosman & Landis, was one of the founders for the American Reflector and Lighting Co. Joseph S. Sosman was also an investor in the company.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: A Visit to the Cheyenne Scottish Rite on June 17, 2018

A Visit to the Cheyenne Scottish Rite on June 17, 2018

The Scottish Rite Theatre is in the Cheyenne Masonic Temple, located at 1820 Capitol Avenue. This three-story building was initially constructed in 1901 at a cost of $45,000. In 1903, the building was gutted by fire. After receiving $35,000 from the insurance company, the interior was reconstructed. Our guide, Ron, explained that an addition to the building occurred during the 1920s and included the theater.

1901 Masonic Temple in Cheyenne, Wyoming before the 1903 fire.

1903 Masonic Temple in Cheyenne, Wyoming, that was rebuilt after the fire.

In 1921, “The Billings Gazette” reported that Wyoming had 1906 thirty-second degree Masons, an increase of 245 members in twelve months. Furthermore, the secretary of Wyoming Consistory No. 1 in Cheyenne reported, “the total resources of all four bodies of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite amount to $189,958.88” (17 Sept 1921, page 8). There were 2,090 members in the Rocky Mountain Lodge of Perfection; 1,961 members in the Albert Pike Chapter of the Knights of Rose Croix; and 1,961 members in the Cheyenne Council of Kadosh No. 1. At the time of the article, a new Scottish Rite Cathedral was being built in Cheyenne. Plans for this new Consistory building had been in the works since 1920, when the “Casper Star-Tribune” reported, “Tentative plans for the cathedral which Wyoming Consistory No. 1, A.A.S.R., is to erect at Capitol Avenue and Twentieth Street, have been approved. They call for a structure of Grecian architecture, with a frontage of 132 feet on Capitol Avenue, which will cost approximately $500,000. Aside from the fact that it will be the largest and finest fraternal society building in Wyoming architecture. Work on the building, it is planned and will begin next fall” (29 May 1920, page 9).

End view of sandwich batten on Scottish Rite scenery in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Some of the scenery that is currently on the stage is identified as being delivered to “Scottish Rite Bodies. Masonic Hall. Cheyenne, Wyoming.” This information is stenciled on the back and front of some bottom sandwich battens. The stenciling on the back of some drops confirms the destination of Cheyenne, and is characteristic of standard Sosman & Landis Studio labeling during the first decade of the twentieth century.

Stencil on back of a Scottish Rite drop in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

That being said, there are three distinct collections when examining the stencil placement, yet two are consistent with Sosman & Landis. The three collections also are not a standard size, as some are much taller and some are much wider. Furthermore, many of the drops were obviously hung in another venue prior to their transport to the current stage. This is confirmed by charcoal markings indicating previous line numbers for another space. Finally, the painted surface of the collection is primarily consistent with the Sosman & Landis installations for current collections in Santa Fe, St. Paul, Winona, Tucson, Ashville, and Grand Forks. What is not consistent with Sosman & Landis labeling in Cheyenne is that for their painted profile pieces, meaning the painted flats accompanying many of the painted scenes are not identified with stencils. The ones in Cheyenne are not labeled at all beyond a few pencil markings. The design and construction is also not characteristic of standard Sosman & Landis profile pieces. They are also much brighter in color than the remainder of the collection too.

A profile piece, likely produced by Volland Studio of St. Louis in 1924.

Finally, the stage machinery also predates the 1920s addition and is characteristic of those installed by Sosman & Landis during the first decade of the twentieth century.

Now, here is where it gets interesting. Thomas G. Moses records that he supervised the painting of the Scottish Rite scenery for Cheyenne in 1911. Why did they know about Sosman & Landis in Cheyenne? Well in 1881-1882 Sosman & Landis also provided the stock scenery for the Grand Opera House in Cheyenne. They had a foothold in the community already. This helps confirm the majority of scenes that are distinctly Sosman & Landis designs with their standard stencils. However, Volland Studio records also indicate that they delivered Scottish Rite scenery in 1924, about the same time that the Scottish Rite held reunions in their new theater in Cheyenne. The painted profile pieces and the few scenes that are inconsistent with Sosman & Landis Masonic compositions and may be attributed to Volland Studio.

Detail from one of the drops likely attributed to Volland Studio due to the bright coloration and painting technique. This is more characteristics of the 1920s.

Backdrop is likely by Volland studio artists in 1924. The cut drops are consistent with those created by Sosman & Landis Studio of Chicago during the first decade of the twentieth century.

What I have not had time to do is categorize the drops based on stencil placement, charcoal markings, composition, and other consistent characteristics that helps divide up the entire collection. Finally, there were even more drops stored at the Cheyenne Masonic Temple that had sat for decades, rolled up in an offstage area. Unfortunately they were disposed of a few years ago.

Scottish Rite scene in Cheyenne, Wyoming, by Sosman & Landis Studio

In short, I can confirm that the Scottish Rite Masons were using Sosman & Landis scenery in 1911 that was delivered to the Cheyenne Masonic Hall. And then there is the dead hung drop curtain against the back wall.

A peak at the dead hung drop curtain at the Scottish Rite in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

I was able to identify that it was a drop curtain due to the painted fringe and draperies. It also has identical bottom battens to the oldest scenery that is currently hanging. Yet, the front curtain would have been not wide enough for the current proscenium opening. Maybe it was kept for sentimental reasons. I would love to see what the composition is, as we were unable to see beyond the bottom two feet of the drop.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring The Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 11.

While Wendy Waszut-Barrett is traveling for research and art acquisitions (October 14-29, 2017) she is reposting the first fifteen installments from “Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar Acquiring: The Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center.” Here is her eleventh post from February 25, 2017.

Part 11: Wooden Battens

Most drops in Scottish Rite facilities have wooden sandwich battens at the tops and bottoms of each drop. This means that the fabric is “sandwiched” between two pine boards. The battens at the top were typically 1×4 boards, whereas the battens at the bottom were 1 x 3 boards.

End view of bottom sandwich batten from the Fort Scott Scottish Rite scenery collection. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

View of top sandwich batten on Fort Scott Scottish Rite scene while still hanging on site. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Drops were rolled in the studio without the battens and attached onsite during installation. Lumber for battens was ordered from companies specializing in theatrical lumber and shipped separately in linear feet, not pre-cut to shipment. Typically, the Scottish Rite Valley and the name of the recipient were stenciled onto the battens for shipping. I have frequently encountered these markings. Two examples that stick out are William Hayes Laird for the Winona Scottish Rite, and Charles Rosenbaum for the Little Rock scenery (moved to the Pasadena Scottish Rite in 1924). In the case of Fort Scott, Dr. Chas. Van K was the recipient.

Shipping label on wooden sandwich batten from Fort Scott scenery collection. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Once the drops and the lumber arrived on site, the lumber for the top batten was laid in a straight line on the stage floor. This would become the backside of the top batten. It was secured to the stage floor with clout nails to prevent shifting while the top of the fabric backdrop was attached to it. The top edge of the drop was tacked down every four inches.

Tacks that secured the painted drops to the wooden battens for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite scenery collection. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Once the fabric was secured, a second batten was placed on top to “sandwich” the drop. At this point slotted screws secured these two battens together. The entire batten was pried from the stage floor and the clout nails were hammered over into the wood. Half-inch holes were then drilled into the top batten for the pick points. A similar process happened to the bottom of the drop, but without the holes for pick points.

Bottom battens were especially important as the weight stretched out apparent wrinkles while hanging. Eventually wooden batten were replaced with pipe pockets. Usually the bottom battens were rounded, allowing them to easily pass by each other and not catch during raising or lowering of scenes. The shapes of wooden battens were anywhere from perfect ovals to angled edges. In Fort Scott, both the top and bottom battens were beveled at forty-five degree angles.

To transport or restore a scene, the battens are removed from the fabric. This is a slow process due to the initial assembly.

Preliminary order of scenes found on the inside of a Fort Scott Scottish Rite wooden batten. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Another depicted how a counterweight rigging system worked to raise and lower the drops.

Drawing of counterweight system on the inside of a Fort Scott scenery collection wooden batten. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Mathematical formulas were written and corrected everywhere. Even the onsite paint frame was disassembled and became part of the top wooden battens.

I was meticulous in documenting every hand written detail because I would later need this information to analyze the collection in its entirety. Clues were everywhere, and I had little time to catch them all. As the crew stripped the battens and hardware from the drops, they would shout out “Scribbles!” and I would come running with one of three cameras to make sure that a picture wouldn’t be blurred or lost.

The majority of the writing was that of Thomas Moses. I knew this as I was familiar with his writing. In most cases he was carefully explaining installation details to his crew

You can imagine the panic that I felt while sitting in the audience at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center concert February 2017 when I noticed that all of the wooden battens were missing. I immediately realized that those who “restored” the Fort Scott scenes had replaced the wooden battens with pipe pockets. My mind was reeling as I kept thinking, “All of that history is now lost.” I desperately hoped that the unused wooden battens were safely sitting in a storage unit somewhere, preserving the history for someone.

There is also the physics involved in sewing canvas pipe pockets onto old and fragile fabric. Often the pipes selected are not heavy enough to pull out the wrinkles. When the pipes are heavy enough, the stitching works like a perforated page and the pipe eventually falls to the floor.

Wooden battens were removed and replaced with pipe pockets at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. Almost all have failed. This is a common occurrence as the seam that attaches a new pipe pocket to the aged fabric will fail. It is like creating a perforated page. The weight of a pipe acts like someone tearing out a sheet of paper from a notebook.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 153 – Theatrical Mechanics

While supervising the removal of the 1924 Fort Scott Scottish Rite scenery collection, I stumbled across a variety of notes written on the inside the wooden sandwich battens. These battens were attached to both the tops and bottoms of each drop. Mathematical calculations, random notes, and small cartoons were jotted down in pencil during 1924. One batten even listed the organization of drops on line sets for the Fort Scott counterweight system. It was remarkable! My favorite discovery, however, was the pencil illustration of a counterweight rigging system that I immediately photographed and sent to Rick Boychuk. I recognized the familiar penmanship of Thomas G. Moses with its scrawling slant. His writing had been beautifully preserved for over ninety years, hidden in the center of the sandwich battens.

Fort Scott Scottish Rite batten with drops for degree productions listed. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett in 2015.

Fort Scott Scottish Rite batten with drawing of counterweight rigging system. Location of artifact currently unknown as the battens were not reattached to the scenery once hung in the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. This onsite photograph was taken by Wendy Waszut-Barrett in 2015 during the scenery removal and transportation from Kansas to Minnesota.

I am intrigued with the men who not only painted scenery for the stage, but also designed the stage machinery. The saying “necessity is the mother of invention” always comes to mind when I think of those who were able to engineer and paint transformation scenes. For me, the combined position of artist-engineer makes complete sense and provided much less of an opportunity for possible miscommunication! In any case, the stage mechanic must have understood how the painted product will appear. Similarly, the scenic artist must also have understood how the stage machinery would work. David A. Strong was one example of a theatrical artist and theatrical mechanic. He was not only recognized as a superb scenic artist, but also member of the Theatrical Mechanics Association.

Yesterday, I mentioned the value of hands-on experience for both theatre practitioners and scholars. The University of Minnesota Centennial Showboat provided training for not only design and scenic art techniques, but also stage machinery and construction skills. Today I start looking at those who simultaneously functioned as scenic artists and stage carpenters. I think back to the nineteenth-century production that used multiple scenery designers for a single show. This has always intrigued me when I read the lists of those credited with the production of individual acts and am curious about the visual unity of the entire show. In some cases, when an individual and wasn’t identified as producing the stage machinery, I can only believe that those credited with “scenery” were also engineering and constructing their own stage effects.

Roles noted in theatre programs became more delineated by the end of the nineteenth century. Technical theatre positions appear to be introduced and defined with job specific titles and duties occur. It is possible that the appearance of scenic studios contributed to the further division of roles in the theatrical labor pool.

Enter Rick Boychuk and his continued research concerning Charles S. King and the appearance of the counterweight system in North American theaters. For the past year, I have occasionally searched for information concerning King, a stage mechanic who worked at Sosman and Landis during the late nineteenth century. Usually I come up empty handed. Boychuk first introduced to me to King and his role as stage carpenter for the Crump Theatre in Columbus, Ohio. As a side note, Thomas G. Moses was credited with painting the drop curtain for the Crump, so they worked together. Both Moses and King were employees of Sosman & Landis at the same time.

Last month, I stumbled across mention of King as a scenic artist and immediately thought of David A. Strong, also an employee of Sosman & Landis Studio! In 1887, C. S. King was noted as the professional stage machinist who came from Chicago “to build and paint the scenery, rigging and traps for the stage” at the Opera House in El Paso, Texas.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 90 – Adding Pipe Pockets to Historic Scenery is a Bad Idea

Over time, the St. Louis Scottish Rite collection was altered to solve the problem of warping boards that were rubbing. This was the same approach used by the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center as they made the argument in the May 5 online article, “After a great deal of deliberation, the rigging experts and the team decided to hang the historic drops using a modern webbing and pipe pocket configuration instead of the wooden battens. The approach would also allow for less stress to the drops, as the lightweight conduit in the pipe pockets would not weigh as heavily on their aging muslin.”

If the pipe is too light, it will not pull out the wrinkles and the scenery looks a fright.

Fort Scott scene forest leg drop irreparably altered by Kim Lawler and Mia Schillace-Nelson for Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. Original wooden batten was replaced with a pipe pocket, resulting in unsightly sags and bunching of the fabric.

Wooden battens remain the perfect solution as the weight remains evenly distributed along the bottom edge as the battens “clamp” the fabric and not pierce it. It is never a good decision to replace the wooden battens with pipe pockets. Warping boards are a common situation that is easily remedied; the order of the boards is swapped.

The Valley of St. Louis also encountered warping battens and selected to install pipe pockets during the 1970s. The pipe pockets that replaced the wooden battens failed, causing pipes to plummet to the stage floor. New pipe pockets were sewn onto the bottom and they also failed. The St. Louis Scottish Rite collection is one example and proof that attaching jute webbing and pipe pockets to historic scenery doesn’t work at all. Similarly to the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, the Valley of St. Louis used thin conduit and reinforced the seams. Both failed. This has happened across the country as the battens are viewed as a liability and not an integral part of the original system, necessary for the longevity of each piece.

At the St. Louis Scottish Rite, approximately twenty-five percent of all the scenery was compromised and unable to be lowered to the stage floor. As the pipes were removed from ripping pockets, the loose curtains caught on neighboring lines being raised and lowered. Fortunately for me, there were a variety of rigging experts on hand during the USITT convention to offer advice and a helping hand.

Paul Sannerud untangling drops at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. Note how the pipe pocket (that replaced the original wooden batten) ripped off of the bottom of the drop. The loose fabric now catches on neighboring scenes.

Untangling drops at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. Note how the backdrop is missing a section as a result of loose fabric that caught on a neighboring line and ripped off.

When drops are narrowly spaced on 2-inch to 4-inch centers, the weight of a wooden batten that is clamped to the top and bottom of each scene is an essential part of the counterweight system. It is the perfect weight to safely pull out the wrinkles and effectively stretch the painted fabric. If wrinkles are visible, as it the case with the Fort Scott collection, the drops are not stretched because the weight at the bottom is too light. Insufficient weight promotes wrinkles and the drops are more likely to catch on neighboring lines.

Jute webbing also increases the likelihood of the fabric catching on a neighboring line as the top wooden batten no longer stretches the fabric taut and straight. On the top, jute webbing with grommets and tie lines were sewn along the edge of the thin old fabric. The May 5 MMHC online article also states “Rather than position them the standard 12 inches apart, grommets are placed six inch apart in the webbing to better distribute the hanging stress across the top.” It is not only about the stress and the placement of grommets. Tie lines running though the grommets and attaching the drop to a pipe have a tendency to shift over time causing the fabric to slightly bunch – like a shower curtain.

This problem was visible during the Singers in Accord Concert at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center during February 2017. Unlike ties lines and jute webbing, top wooden battens prevent any shifting from occurring. With wooden battens on the tops and the bottoms of each drop, it is impossible for the fabric to “bunch” and catch on neighboring lines.

The top wooden battens were replaced with jute webbing at the top of this Fort Scott leg drop by Kim Lawler and Mia Schillace-Nelson for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. Note how the jute webbing allows the fabric to “bunch.” This is a common result and one reason why jute webbing and pipe pockets should not replace wooden battens on historical scenery.

A final point has to do with the bigger picture and the preservation of heritage. When pipe pockets and jute webbing replace the original wooden battens, the heritage is lost and the ability to appropriately display these artworks destroyed. We are no longer looking at a historic artifact. In the long run, it would have been cost-effective to digitally photograph each drop and hang printed replicas on new muslin instead of irreparably damaging the original artifacts. I compare the MMHC decision and the subsequent destruction of the Fort Scott scenery collection to the repurposing of any antique. The difference is that this was not a craft project that took an old book and transformed it into a keepsake box. The painted scenes now only remain as a shadow of history, failing to preserve any heritage.

An example of an old book being repurposed into a keepsake box.

This erasure of history at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center brings to mind the song “Every Day a Little Death” from “A Little Night Music.” As each drop is forever altered and history lost, there is a “little sting” in my heart and in my head.

“Every day a little sting
In the heart and in the head
Every move and every breath
And you hardly feel a thing
Brings a perfect little death”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 28.

Take it to Warp Speed

Wooden battens warp over time and people often want to replace the “old” pieces of pine with new lumber. I have only attempted this with one drop and it failed miserably, warping far worse than the original battens as it was young lumber. You have to understand that historic battens were first-cut and old-growth timber, meaning the graining is tighter than modern pine and contains very few flaws and knots. The wood that was used for the stage scenery is a far better quality than what I can find today. It is easy to un-warp old boards by swapping the battens and reshaping each piece.

Unfortunately, there are many individuals who do not fully understand the critical purpose of the battens in historical scenery collections. Again, these are the battens placed at the top and bottoms of each painted drop. Wooden battens stretch the top and bottom of the painted scene perfectly.

Original tacks that stretched and attached bottom of drop to a wooden batten. Another board was placed over this and the two boards were screwed together, thus allowing compression to hold and stretch the painted scene

Some people even recommend that all of the wood must be removed and replaced with pipe pockets and jute webbing. What is their reasoning? Pipes will stay straight and jute won’t warp like wooden battens. Pipes can remain straight, but only if they have a big enough diameter and it is thick enough not to bend. The large size also means that there is a great strain on the pipe pocket seams due to the increased weight. If the pipes are light enough to not stress the seam, they also are subject to bending.

Furthermore, jute webbing and pipe pockets often create massive wrinkles throughout a historic composition once the drop is hanging. When using battens, the fabric is stretched and tacked to prevent the “bunching up” of fabric along the bottom. The only reason that causes massive wrinkles with wooden battens is if the pick points that support the drop fall out of level. This simply necessitates trimming each line to make sure that it remains parallel to the floor. With pipe pockets, entire sections of fabric at the bottom of each drop can “bunch up,” forming entire sections of wrinkles that appear like ripples across a water’s surface. Trying to pull out these wrinkles once it is hanging will often cause the aged fabric to rip. Similarly, jute webbing can also cause some wrinkles as the tie lines do not always keep the fabric taut, allowing some sections to sag.

Wrinkles resulting from fabric bunching up along pipe pocket. This does not happen with wooden battens.

Attaching pipe pockets and jute webbing to a historical painted scene is a very different beast than sewing on jute and pipe pockets to new drops. There are numerous factors that must be taken into consideration prior to making this decision, especially the condition of the fabric.

The biggest problem is that sewing ANYTHING onto an historical drop necessitates perforating the old fabric, thus causing a weakness in the structural integrity – even with double seaming. Over time, the old fabric WILL fail and the pipe pocket will detach from the original fabric, allowing the pipe to plummet to the stage.

Pipe detaching from pocket due to weight.

Similarly at the top, sewing on jute webbing with grommets also causes a weakness in the structural integrity of the fabric. The weight of the pipe will target the weakness along the stitched edge and rip. ANY trained theatre professional will immediately understand why pipe pockets and jute webbing should not be sewn onto historic fabric and weighted. It may hold for a while, but it will eventually fail.

Failing pipe pocket cause entire vertical seam to release from the drop due to weight – hence the open space!

Pipe pocket that has failed and fabric separated form pipe.

Failed pipe pocket on cut drop with detached onstage edge in cut opening. The wooden supports now catch on neighboring lines.

I just viewed a perfect example of the problems that result from replacing wooden battens with pipe pockets and jute webbing at the Scottish Rite in Saint Louis, Missouri. All of the wooden battens were removed on each painted scene. On the top, jute webbing with grommets and tie lines were sewn along the top edge of the thin and old fabric. On the bottom, the fabric was initially folded to create a pipe pocket. Many of the pipe pockets from the first alteration failed, so a second pre-constructed pipe pocket was sewn above the damage. Unfortunately, that failed too. Why? Because the fabric was perforated, created a weak area and caused the fabric to rip.

With pipes, there is the potential for damage at multiple points across the bottom of a drop, but especially at the ends and the connections. The sharp edges, or threaded areas will rip the fabric. Also, the connections will come apart as the pipe shifts over time – unless they are soldered. Now, pipe pockets began to appear in the 1920s as the price of steel was affordable and this was a cost-effective alternative to wood. Unfortunately, over time the seams are more at risk than the wooden battens as the wooden battens compress the fabric. If not the fabric ripping, the thread will fail as it the cause at the Scottish Rite in Moline, Illinois (ca. 1929). Battens just work better if you are attempting to hang historic drops for several decades.

1929 pipe pocket where stitching has failed due to dry rotted thread.

For years, I have warned against simply sewing pipe pockets onto historic drops, yet individuals have continued to sew pipe pockets onto historical scenery. I receive calls from those who did not head my advice.

If the pipe is too light, it will not pull out the wrinkles. Furthermore, if the pipe has too narrow of a diameter, it will bend. For example, if a skinny pipe on a cut drop is used and the cut open gets damaged – the pipe will bend and the bottom of the drop will look like it is smiling at the audience.

At some point, the collection is dangerous for all those below it and each production is a game of Russian roulette. Who will be standing below the pipe when it lets go and will they die? Is the theatre owner willing to take that particular risk?

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 11.

Wooden Battens

Drops were rolled in the studio without the battens and attached onsite during installation. Lumber for battens was ordered from companies specializing in theatrical lumber and shipped separately in linear feet and not cut to order. Typically, the Scottish Rite Valley and the name of the recipient was stenciled onto the battens for shipping. I have frequently encountered these markings. Two examples that stick out are William Hayes Laird for the Winona Scottish Rite, and Charles Rosenbaum for the Little Rock scenery (moved to the Pasadena Scottish Rite in 1924).

Once the drops and the lumber arrived on site, the lumber for the top batten was laid in a straight line on the stage floor. This would become the backside of the top batten. It was secured to the stage floor with clout nails to prevent shifting while the drop was attached to it. The top edge of the drop was then draped on the batten and tacked down every four inches.

Once the fabric was secured, a second batten was placed on top to “sandwich” the fabric. At this point slotted screws secured these two battens together. The entire batten was pried from the stage floor and the clout nails were hammered over into the wood. Half-inch holes were then drilled into the top batten for the pick points. A similar process happened to the bottom of the drop, without the holes.

Bottom battens were especially important as the weight stretched out apparent wrinkles while hanging. Eventually wooden batten were replaced with pipe pockets.

Usually the bottom battens were rounded, allowing the bottom battens to easily slip past each other and not catch during raising or lowering of a drop. Shapes were anywhere from perfect ovals to angled edges. In Fort Scott, both the top and bottom battens were cut at forty-five degree angles.

To transport or restore a scene, the battens are removed from the fabric. This is a slow process due to the initial assembly.

Most people don’t realize that these wooden battens contain a treasure trove of information pertaining to the transportation, installation, client, and artist. Fort Scott was the best example of “hidden text” that I have ever come across in my career. Often I have encountered a shipping stencil or the individual who would receive the lumber on site, but Fort Scott was truly unique. One example scribbled on the inside of these boards was the preliminary ordering of scenes. Another scene depicted how a counterweight rigging system worked to raise and lower a scene. Mathematical formulas were written and corrected everywhere. Even the onsite paint frame was disassembled and became part of the top wooden battens.

The majority of the writing was that of Thomas Moses. In most of the writing, he was carefully explaining installation details to his crew

You can imagine the panic that I felt at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center when I realized those restoring the scenery had replaced the wooden battens with pipe pockets. My mind was reeling as I kept thinking, “All of that history is now lost.” I desperately hoped that they were safely sitting in a storage unit somewhere, preserving the history for someone. There is also the physics involved in sewing canvas pipe pockets onto fragile fabric. Often the pipes selected are not heavy enough to pull out the wrinkles. If they were, the bottom of the drop would work like a perforated page and eventually fall to the floor.

To be continued…