Drop Curtain – Page 10 – Drypigment.net

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 512 – Victor Higgins and the Taos Society of Artists

Part 512: Victor Higgins and the Taos Society of Artists

In 1914, Carter H. Harrison funded a second artistic trip for Victor Higgins and Walter Ufer; a year-long trip to Taos in exchange for eight paintings! Higgins and Ufer were two alums from the Chicago Institute of Art who had previously studied in Europe together. The meat-packing tycoon Oscar Mayer, also contributed financially on Ufer’s behalf for this trip. Higgins stayed in Taos, as the Taos Society of Artists was formed in 1915. Higgins became president of the Society and remained a member until the society’s dissolution in 1927.

Although Higgins spent much of his time in the southwest, he continued to return to Chicago for Sosman & Landis. A picture published in “Scene Painting and Bulletin Art” during 1916, depicted Higgins painting a drop curtain at the Sosman & Landis studio in Chicago.

Victor Higgins painting a drop curtain at the Sosman & Landis studio. published in “Scene Painting and Bulletin Art,” 1916.

While living in Taos, Higgins focused on painting the Pueblo people and landscapes, writing “This strong primitive appeal calls out the side of art that is not derivative; it urges the painter to get his subjects, his coloring, his tone from the real life about him, not from the wisdom of the studios.” Art historians note that around this time Higgins abandoned many of the traditional approaches to fine art that he had learned in Europe, specifically incorporating the vibrant colors of the landscape and painted his subjects as realistically as possible. This same infusion of color, however, also occurred in the world of scenic art as the shadow colors increase in vibrancy. Some drops painted this time begin to be dominated by ultramarine blue. By the 1920s, this would become more prevalent, but I wonder if Higgins may have been the leading force in the movement at the scenic studio.

Painting by Victor Higgins. Notice the blue of the shadow colors.

Painted detail of Sosman & Landis scene created for the Scottish Rite in Grand Forks, North Dakota, during 1914.

Theatrical scene consisting of leg drops, cut drop and backdrop. Sosman & Landis scene created for the Scottish Rite in Grand Forks, North Dakota, during 1914.

As Higgins periodically returned to Chicago, he exhibited his southwestern artworks at the Palette and Chisel Club and the Art Institute of Chicago, dominating the juried exhibitions. He also exhibited works in Indianapolis and New York, with the occasional show in Europe.

By 1921, Higgins convinced four wealthy collectors to fund two years of travel to paint. These would become two of the most productive and experimental years in his career, allowing him to expand on his paint atmospherics with brilliant colors. Looking at Higgins’ economy of brush stroke, one could parallel these techniques with his scenic art for the stage. Historical backdrops produced by the Sosman & Landis studio reflected the hand of their creator. Because the same compositions were being replicated over and over again, it is possible to trace the work of individual artists. The brush work for foliage, marble work, and draperies, are like a signature.

In 1926, Higgins said, “The transcription of a natural scene to paint on canvas is analogous to handwriting. It is to be presumed that an artist knows the mechanics of his art; knows how to handle his tools, just as an author is assumed to have mastered the mechanical task of writing. In both cases, the art of the thing is beyond that. The artist does not merely depict the scene; he digests it; he expresses an emotional reaction. He does not try to compete for accuracy with a colored photograph. The whole modern movement is back to three-dimensional form. Impressionism was a scientific investigation of light. Esthetically we have discovered that while impressionism moved art out-of-doors and gave us cognizance of new factors, the really vital thing is form, rather than light” (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 16 Jan. 1926, page 38).

The “Honolulu Star-Bulletin” reported that in Hawaii, Higgins commented, “diffused light, which is more than direct light, modifies forms, [and] is somewhat similar here to that in desert country, to which it takes a newcoming painter perhaps two to three tears to become accustomed” (16 Jan. 1926, page 38). It was the diffused light and the distant mountains that appealed to Higgins, Thomas G. Moses and many other scenic artists, as they developed landscapes for the stage.

Higgins was further quoted, “I consider that the mountain country – in New Mexico, in Hawaii, anywhere – is a reservoir of strength. Whether they know it or not, the mountain people are building up a spiritual force that will be valuable to the country. In every crisis, the man or the idea has appeared, and for these crises the mountains are building the reserve of power.” The article explained that this idea was expanded upon in Higgins’ painting “The Valley of Waiting Souls,” – “a scene in which the height and distance of mountains interpret a certain ‘waiting’ attitude in these geological formations, and the idea is carried further by groups of human figures: ‘The mountains wait, and the people wait with them.’”

Victor Higgins, “The Valley of the Waiting Souls.”

In 1929 Higgins was invited to participate at the Museum of Modern Art’s second exhibit. That same year, Moses mentions Higgins stopping by to visit him in California on February 14th. Higgins and his wife were in town to settle the estate of their nephew, Theodore Roberts, a famous movie star. In regard to Higgins’ personal life, he was briefly married to Sara Parsons, the daughter of Sheldon Parsons. The union resulted in one child – Joan Higgins. Later, he married Marion Kooglen McNay of San Antonio (1937-1940). McNay was the wealthy daughter of an oil baron with multiple marriages behind her. An artist in her own right, McNay had been trained at the Art Institute of Chicago and also worked as an art instructor. Little is said of these his relationships.

Victor Higgins painting his “Little Gems.”

As many artists, Higgins suffered financially in his final years and began painting small scenes on boards that he called “Little Gems.” He would drive his car to a picturesque area, open his trunk and paint scenes for passersby. It is noted that he worked in a shirt and tie or full three-piece suit. I was not surprised by this description when looking at images of scenic artists who worked at studio paint frames in business attire. After all, they were the top professionals at the studio and dressed the part. It was the paint boys who wore overalls. Smoking a cigar with a paint box on his lap, Higgins sold these small artworks for approximately $250.00.

Higgins continued to paint until his death on Aug. 23, 1949. His painter’s box, easel, palette and stool, now hang in a replica of Higgins’ studio inside the Eiteljorg Museum. Here is the link for the museum: https://www.eiteljorg.org/

Victor Higgins’ easel, paint box and palette. Replica of Higgins’ studio inside the Eiteljorg Museum.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 507: Henry C. Tryon and the Scenery for Frazer’s Hall, 1870

Part 507: Henry C. Tryon and the Scenery for Frazer’s Hall, 1870

Frazer’s Hall in Lawrence, Kansas, had a stage with stock scenery on the third floor.

Frazer’s Hall in Lawrence, Kansas, had a stage with stock scenery created by Chicago-based scenic artist, Henry C. Tryon in 1870

Tyron was associated with Allen’s Globe Theatre in Chicago during 1870. That same year, he was contracted to produce the the drop curtain and scenery for Frazer’s Hall in Lawrence, Kansas (The Daily Kansas Tribune, 28 Dec, 1870).

Frazer’s Hall stage was located on the third floor of a business building. Located at 59 Massachusetts Street, it was next door to the famous Eldridge Hotel. The hotel occupied the southwest corner of Massachusetts and Seventh (now Winthrop) streets.

The first Eldridge House, built in in 1858, was burned by Quantrill’s Raiders on August 21, 1863. This group consisted of pro-Confederate partisan guerillas, also called bushwhackers, who fought in the American Civil War. Missouri and Kansas were subject to Confederate bushwhackers and anti-slavery Jayhawkers who competed for control in the region. The town of Lawrence was a center of ant-slavery sentiment.

The grand opening ball at the Eldridge House in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1858.

In the summer of 1863 Quantrill’s Raiders, numbering approximately 400 men, brutally descended on the town of Lawrence in the early morning, looting and burning the town of 3,000. By the end of their raid, they had killed approximately 180 men and boys, leaving the town in a sad state of smoldering ruins. However, the proud City of Lawrence quickly rebuilt and adopted the motto “from ashes to immortality.”

During the reconstruction, Col. Eldridge used an original cornerstone from the burned Eldridge House for his new hotel. By the next month, a three-story building was under construction. In November, the roof was put on and by the next month the first floor was completed and ready for occupation. The new hotel was complete with five storerooms for lease on the first floor. The Eldridge House re-opened with a reception of guests on September 27, 1864. The next evening the proprietors celebrated the opening by giving a ball at Frazer’s hall. Renters in the new building included Merchant Tailoring, H. H. Ludington’s saloon, a Bazaar store, Drake & Crew’s bookstore, and B. W. Woodward’s drug store. For the next few decades, the Eldridge Hotel was known as one of the best hotels west of the Mississippi; this benefited the small performance venue known as Frazer’s Hall next door.

Massachusetts Avenue with Frazer’s Hall on right side of street, second building down. The Eldridge Hotel is the first building on the corner (right).

The Eldridge Hotel was three stories high with a frontage of one hundred feet on Massachusetts Street and one hundred and seventeen feet on Seventh Street. The first floor was used principally for stores with the hotel office and the main entrance on Massachusetts street and the kitchen in the rear. The sixty-four rooms in the upper stories included sleeping rooms and parlors. The rooms were reported to be large, airy and well lighted; everything was tastefully furnished with high ceilings.

In 1866, the Eldridge Hotel was sold to George W. Deitzler for approximately $50,000, with Deitzler retaining the “Eldridge House” name. Deitzler renovated the building and soon leased i to E. A. Smith and E. C. Stevens. Stevens had worked at the Planter’s Hotel in Leavenworth, Kansas, for several years and had the experience for this new endeavor.

Postcard of Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, Kansas. Frazer’s Hall is on the right, second block down.

It is in 1866, that the first advertisements for Frazer’s Hall appear in the “Daily Kansas Tribune.” On April 29, 1866, “A Grand Concert of Vocal and Instrumental” was advertised at at Frazer’s Hall (page 1). We learn that the venue’s manager is N. C. Pope (May 1866). Frazer’s Hall advertised, “Magnificent and Genteel Comedy Performance By Experienced and Excellent Actors” (Daily Kansas Tribune, May 18, 1866, page 1).

The Leavenworth Theatre played in Frazer Hall, March 18-24, 1867, presenting “Honey Moon, ” “The Lady of Lyons,” “Ten Nights in a Bar Room,” “Richard III,” “Ingomar,” and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” The Lord Dramatic Company played the hall December, 1869, and by January 1870, the New York Theater Company performed “Daughter of the Regiment.” It was after the production of “Daughters of the Regiment” that Henry C. Tryon was contracted to paint a new drop curtain and stock scenery for the venue.

The new scenery by Tryon for Frazer’s Hall consisted of a painted front draperies, tormentors, and seven sets of scenery representing a garden, palace, landscape, kitchen, prison, parlor, plain chamber, street, and a complete set of wings and borders; a standard collection for the times.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 506 – Henry C. Tryon, Scenic Artist for Allen’s Globe Theatre in Chicago, 1870

Part 506: Henry C. Tryon, Scenic Artist for Allen’s Globe Theatre in Chicago, 1870

I have been exploring the scenic art career of Henry C. Tryon for the past few posts. He worked in Chicago and throughout the western United States during the 1870s and 1880s, including the Salt Lake City Theater and the Tabor Opera House in Denver. Tryon was a friend of Thomas G. Moses and fellow Sosman & Landis employee. Although he worked all over the country, he continually returned to Chicago during the late 19^th century.

Advertisement for Allen’s Globe Theatre from “The Chicago Tribune,” 2 Feb 1871, Page 4

In 1870, Tryon was listed as the scenic artist for Allen’s Globe Theater in Chicago, a venue with D. R. Allen & Co. as the proprietors. During the 1860s, Allen had operated a touring company – Allen’s Celebrated Tableau Company (The Burlington Free Press, 17 May 1862, page 3). He performed with his wife in the company, acting in productions such as “May Martin,” “Slasher and Crasher,” “The Story of Camille,” and “The Maid of Munster.” In 1868, the couple was working in Chicago, with Mrs. D. R. Allen performing in “A Bold Stroke for Her Husband” at Col. Wood’s Museum (Chicago Tribune, 20 Dec. 868, page 4).

Allen’s Globe Theatre was also advertised as “Globe Theatre,” from “The Chicago Tribune,” 15 Feb 1871, Page 4

Chicagology (www.chicagology.com) reports that Allen’s Theatre was the only one to survive the 1871 Chicago Fire; that is no small feat. The Manager of Allen’s Globe Theater was D. R. Allen, with Geo. H. Griffiths as the stage manager. “The Chicago Tribune” published that Allen’s new theater was a “West Side Theatre” (16 Oct. 1870, page 3). D. R. Allen’s Globe Theatre company would continue to perform in a variety of other venues during 1871, including at Chicago’s Crosby Opera House (Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 1871, page 4).

Located on Desplaines street, between Washington and Madison, it was rapidly approaching completion by October of 1870. The newspaper article reported, “It will probably be finished and ready for opening early in the ensuing month. The roof is about done, and the work on the stage is now in active progress. Present appearances indicate that it will be one of the best arranged theatres in the city. Mr. Allen is now busy organizing his company, and expects to open about the 7^th with a well-selected dramatic corps. There is every reason to anticipate for the new theatre a successful career.”

The prices of admission for Allen’s Globe Theatre were: Parquette and Dress Circles was 75 cents, with the Family circle at 50 cents, the Balcony at 75 cents and the Gallery at 30 cents. Matinees were 50 cents. The doors opened at 7:15 p.m. daily with an 8 p.m. curtain.

In the Amusement section of the Chicago Tribune, and article announced that one of the first performances at Allen’s Globe Theatre would include Jenny Lind, on November 26, 1870, Allen’s Globe Theatre. The venue was showing Bryon’s “£100,000. Splendid Acting. Chaste Appointments. To conclude with Jenny Lind, with all the original music” (Chicago Tribune 26 Nov, 1870, page 4).

Allen’s Globe Theatre where Henry C. Tryon was the scenic artist in 1870, from “The Chicago Tribune,” 26 Nov 1870, Page 4

By 14 January 1871, “The Chicago Tribune” was listing Allen’s new theater as Chicago’s “Globe Theatre” with productions including “His Last Legs” and “Turn Him Out” (page 4). The venue survived the Chicago fire, but also became known simply as Allen’s Theatre. (Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 1872, page 11).

In 1873, the Chicago Tribune reported that “The Globe Theatre” had reopened with D. R. Allen continuing his former position of Manager after a change of program (Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 1871, page 3). That same year, the baseball clubs of McVicker’s and Allen’s Theatre played a game at the corner of Laflin and Van Buren Streets (Chicago Tribune 31 May 1873, page 5). Theaters with baseball teams – what fun.

Tyron was associated with Allen’s Theatre while he was painting the drop curtain and all of the scenery for Frazer’s Hall in Lawrence, Kansas during 1870 (The Daily Kansas Tribune, 28 Dec, 1870). The scenery, consisting of tormentor wings, front draperies and seven sets of scenery that represented a garden, palace, landscape, kitchen, prison, parlor, plain chamber, street, complete with wings and borders.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 505 – Replacing Henry C. Tryon’s “The Return of the Victorious Fleet” Drop Curtain

Part 505: Replacing Henry C. Tryon’s “The Return of the Victorious Fleet” Drop Curtain

*Henry C. Tryon’s front curtain was included in Geo. D. Pyper’s 1937 publication, “The Romance of an Old Playhouse”.*

*Print depicting William Linton’s painting that Henry C. Tryon used for his drop curtain at the Salt Lake Theater, “Return of the Victorious Fleet.”*

Yesterday’s post concerned the 1882 drop curtain for the Salt Lake Theater, painted by Henry C. Tryon. In 1910, “The Salt Lake City Herald-Republican” reported that there were plans for a new drop curtain for the Salt Lake Theater (18 Sept. 1910, page 26):

“After thirty years of almost continuous service, the drop curtain at the Salt Lake theatre is to be replaced by a new one which manager George D. Pyper expects to have in place in time for the engagement of Henry Miller, beginning September 29. The subject of the new curtain will be Salt Lake Valley in the days of the pioneers, and it will be copied from a painting by William M. Minor, scenic artist at the theatre.

It will be difficult to exceed the beauty of the old curtain, whose artistic coloring and good drawing have made it a favorite for years. “The Return of the Victorious Fleet” was painted by Henry C. Tryon, one of the best artists in his line who ever came to Salt Lake. Those who have studied the stately ships coming into harbor may have wondered at the absence of life in the picture. The original, which is in the possession of Mr. Pyper, contained a crowd of people on the steps of the buildings, but Mr. Tryon was not a figure painter, and rather than mar his painting by inferior work, left the out altogether.

Except for the short intervals, “The Return of the Victorious Fleet” has hung in the theatre nearly thirty years. Some years ago an attempt was made to replace it by a picture of the chariot race in “Ben Hur.” The artist made the horses of heroic size, and so near the edge of the curtain that they seemed to menace the spectators who sat close. One critic of the day said that a certain scene in a play created a strong effect until “Pyper’s horses came clattering down.”

*“Be-Hur” drop curtain that temporarily replaced Henry C. Tryon’s “Return of the Victorious Fleet” at the Salt Lake Theater.*

The artist attempted to remedy the defect by drawing them smaller, when Le Grand Young, a regular patron of the theatre, objected to sitting in front of the theatre, objected to sitting in front of a horse with a dislocated shoulder out of joint. That finished the curtain, and the same artist painted a second, an evening scene in Venice, which was hung for about a year. Another curtain which will be remembered was a field of carnations. This was secured from the Tremont theatre in Boston, but, did not prove to be popular. “The Return of the Victorius Fleet” was rehung, and has continued in place until now. With the closing performance of “The Spendthrift,” it was rung down forever.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 504 – Henry C. Tryon’s “The Return of the Victorious Fleet” Drop Curtain

*Henry C. Tryon’s drop curtain, “The Return of the Victorious Fleet was included in George D. Pyper’s “The Romance of an Old Playhouse,” 1937.*

Part 504: Henry C. Tryon’s “The Return of the Victorious Fleet” Drop Curtain

Yesterday I explored the scenic career of Henry C. Tryon, a pupil of Thomas Moran. Thomas G. Moses commented that Tryon followed Moran’s style of work even into his scene painting. Moses also replicated prints of Moran for scenic art compositions. There was another landscape artist whose paintings were replicated as subjects for drop curtains – William Linton. It was noted in a newspaper article about Tryon’s work for the Salt Lake Theater. Images remain of both Tryon’s work, and Linton’s famous historical painting ““A City of Greece – Return of the Glorious Armament.”

William Linton’s 1825 painting ““A City of Ancient Greece – Return of the Glorious Armament.”

“A City of Ancient Greece – Return of the Glorious Armament,” was recently listed online as sold during an auction on October 27, 2015. Here is the link: https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/A-CITY-OF-ANCIENT-GREECE/D5D556A8E53500D8

In 1883, “The Salt Lake City Herald” described the new drop curtain for the Salt Lake Theater painted by Henry C. Tryon (2 Sept 1883, page 4). This provides insight into this contemporary of Thomas G. Moses.

Here is the article in its entirety, as it is the most beautiful description of a drop curtain that I have come across to date. There is something to be said about the reverence, detailed description and insight of the author in regard to Tryon’s composition. It is an incredibly long article to describe a single drop curtain!

“Henry C. Tryon, artist of the Salt Lake Theatre, has finished the drop curtain on which he has been engaged for some time past. To those who have been acquainted with the artist’s condition during his work on this picture, the result will be a profound surprise. He has had scarcely one day on it in which he had the strength necessary to the labor, to say nothing of the unfortunate condition of mind that naturally results from physical incapacity and sickness. The picture is from a painting by W. Linton, called “A City of Ancient Greece, with the Return of a Victorious Fleet,” but the lines of the composition have been materially altered, and it must be admitted, with happy results. Instead of making the city of primary interest, Mr. Tryon has made the “Return of the Victorious Fleet” the subject of his story, using the city as a necessary detail to the perfection of the tale. The hour is just before sunset, the sky soft, warm, and tender – just such a sky as any lover of nature might have noticed here repeatedly about a week ago when our warm Indian summer evenings began; and one of who had watched the progress of the picture must have felt forcibly on many occasions during the past two weeks what a powerful effect our summer evenings have had on the artist’s mind and with what trust and feeling he has expressed the sentiment they awakened in him.

1825 painting by William Linton that Henry C. Tryon replicated for a drop curtain in 1882

Detail of ship in William Linton’s Painting

Detail of same ship from William Linton’s 1825 painting as later replicated in Henry C. Tryon’s drop curtain for the Salt Lake Theater (1882).

The scene opens in a broad harbor. Showing the grand architectural structures of the period and nationality in the rear, gradating into the distance with a few hazy mountains, as an accessory background, the outlines of which are made apparent by a remarkable atmosphere and soft clouds tinged and iris-hued by the rays of the fast sinking sun, the existence of which, while not visible, is none the less strongly felt. On the right, and very prominent, are marble supports and marble steps leading down to the water’s edge; opposite to the left there is a distinct intimation of the same architecture, only hidden by a profusion of foliage and the sails and banners and pennants of the incoming vessels. A viaduct beneath which a stream of water flows fringes the centre of the harbor in the rear, and here again the foliage golden tipped by the sun, grows in glorious profusion and saves the eye from that sense of weariness which architecture, bare and unrelieved, however magnificent, however fascinating for the time being, invariably produces upon a longer acquaintance. With the genuine landscape artist’s feeling, which does not exist where it does not reach after trees and water generally, foliage freaks out from unexpected yet natural points, and while doing service by relieving the monotony of architecture, introduces a feeling which, even though unobserved, gives a sense of satisfaction which is experienced and enjoyed without passing through the judgment for approval.

Detail of William Linton’s 1825 painting replicated by Henry C. Tryon for the Salt Lake Theater in 1882-1883.

Detail of Henry C. Tryon’s drop curtain painting, replicating William Linton’s 1825 painting

The story of the picture is told in its title – “The Return of the Victorious Fleet.” There need be no title for the picture explains itself. The vessels filled with warriors enter at the left, pass up the harbor, then turn to the right where they group together, where wives, children and friends rush out of the grand marble structures and are massed between the marble columns, and receive the dear ones who have come home safely and victoriously out of the contest with a powerful foe. Everything is glowing, warm and cheerful, the expression being free and happy, while the bright colors, the brilliant banners, streamers and pennants, the colors commingling and toned down by the intervening atmosphere, give to the principal chapter of the story a gala-day appearance, and inspire a sentiment of pleasure in the bosom of the spectator. There is enough omitted detail to give the imagination ample sway, hence it is that the story continues to the right outside the picture, leading to the belief that the scene which the eye beholds is continually indefinitely, and that the same happy and joyful sentiment prevails at other colossal structures which do not appear in the picture. The story is made the richer by the happy idea of coloring which the artist has employed – that is, the line of light follows the interest of the story, which begins at the left, spreads bout two-thirds over the picture, and culminates at the extreme right hand. So the shadows are deepened at the left (the bright colors of the sails just entering the harbor relieving it of a dismal air) the light gradually dawning towards the middle of the picture where it breaks in a glorious flood just at that point where the interest of the story culminates, and then modulates and tones down to the right, leaving the impression that away in the distance the story is concluded, leaving also to the imagination just as much as is essential to the perfection of a charming sketch. One objection that might naturally be interposed to the detail of the story is the fact that on the front marble steps there are no figures such as can be seen in the rear, and which as a matter of fact ought really to be visible at the point referred to. But there are weighty reasons why these were omitted. In the first place, Mr. Tryon is essentially a landscape painter, and confesses his inability to paint respectable figures. This being true, he could add nothing to the effect. But even were he capable of painting figures, for the truth of the story they are better omitted in this picture. To paint them well, or even indifferently, would be to arrest the eye, and in the degree in which this result was produced, just in that degree would the interest of the story be interrupted and the idea of the artist be disadvantageously affected. It is a principle in all art that too much detail ruins the finest paintings, as in all stories, those details only are to be tolerated which are essential to the solution of the plot, that moment it is an injury. Therefore, for the reason that he was incompetent for good figure-painting, and because such a detail would arrest the eye at a point where the injurious, Mr. Tryon wisely deemed it best to leave out the figures, and made the architecture as simple as possible, relieving it only by the water at its edge, and the prows of the two vessels just turning one of the columns.

Foreground figures in William Linton’s painting that were omitted in Henry C. Tryon’s drop curtain for the Salt Lake Theater.

Foreground figures in William Linton’s painting were omitted in Henry C. Tryon’s drop curtain for the Salt Lake Theater.

So much for mechanical thought and labor. But who can explain in words the sentiment, the tone, the poetic idealism the artist intended and has expressed? It is in these mainy that his genius is manifest; and every eye that rests upon the glowing canvass will behold beauties peculiar to itself; in every mind it will awaken thoughts that may occur to none other, and the impression and sentiment that it may arouse will be individualized in each bosom. Imagine, a warm, rich, summer day, the haze of an Indian summer’s eve lingering lovingly and tenderly over all, toning down features that might be harsh and making indistinct and indefinite points that seem to fade away into atmosphere so delicate, so mild, so feeling, so tender! Here and there a flood of warm light develops a particular feature in order that the contrast may heighten the effect, as for instance in the foliage under the viaduct, or as a single point in the architecture; as a cloud catches a single ray of the warm sun as ot appears on the ripples on the waves. The beauty of the water in the harbor must strike every artist and art lover as a thing of surpassing loveliness, in that it is true to nature and nature is beauty. The reflection of the brilliant colors from the prows of the bright colored boats, mingling in the waves, produces a combination of brilliant colors, which is rendered beautiful from the very indistinguishable profusion of the hues and the brilliance of the effect, rendering the transparency of the water so realistic that the deception is perfect. But who can describe a painting in words, however beautiful, however poor? It may be pronounced good, bad, or indifferent, particularly points favored and others condemned; it may awaken thoughts that otherwise would remain dormant, and may call to view things of beauty which would otherwise have blossomed and blushed unseen, but to the artist alone is given to produce anything approaching an imitation of the evanescent beauty, the supreme grandeur of nature. The critic cane merely direct public attention, and that is all we dare attempt with regard to Mr. Tryon’s picture.

The drop curtain just finished, establishes, or will establish a fact that has always been claimed by the HERALD, that a successful scene painter is every inch an artist. Only view “The Return of Victorious Fleet” by Mr. Tryon, and be convinced.”

The “Salt Lake City Herald’s” article’s author noted that Henry C. Tryon replicated a painting by William Linton (1791-1876), “A City of Ancient Greece, with the Return of a Victorious Fleet” for the Salt Lake Theater. The actual title of the painting was “A City of Ancient Greece – Return of the Glorious Armament,” and was painted by Linton in 1825. By 1840, the composition was engraved by J. W. Appleton and published by the Royal Gallery of British Art in 1840 with the title “A City of Ancient Greece.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 503 – Thomas G. Moses and Henry C. Tryon

Part 503: Thomas G. Moses and Henry C. Tryon

In 1905, Thomas G. Moses recorded that he painted a Grand Canyon curtain for Duluth and used a print of Thomas Moran for the source. Although the Santa Fe Railroad had offered transportation to the Grand Canyon to complete sketches on site, Moses did not have the time to spare.

As I have previously discussed, it was the works of Thomas Moran and some of his contemporaries who influenced the painted aesthetic for popular entertainment on the stage and scenic illusion, if not by their own artworks, then by the works of their students. Moses’ connection to Moran was not simply through his reverence for the artist, but also Henry C. Tryon, a student of Moran’s and fellow scenic artist. Tryon was another Sosman & Landis artist who worked alongside Moses and went on sketching trips with him during the 1880s. Tryon was brought on at Sosman & Landis as Lem Graham’s replacement, after Graham left for Kansas City to start his own scenic studio – Kanas City Scenic Co. Moses wrote: “[Tryon] enthused Young and I more than anyone ever had. He was a pupil of Thos. Moran and James and William Hart and was very clever, but awfully eccentric.”

Moses wrote about his sketching trip to West Virginia in 1885 with Tryon, publishing a series of articles for the Palette & Chisel newsletter where Moses described his journey and traveling companions, especially the “eccentric” Henry C. Tryon. In one section, he described how Tryon became the student of Thomas Moran (1837-1926). In 1885, Moses wrote, “I certainly enjoyed talking on any subject with Tryon. He was very strong on politics, which did not particularly interest me. He was very interesting when it came to anything on art. He had been a pupil of Thomas Moran. Tryon told this story: He had bothered Moran for some time trying to induce Moran to take him on as a pupil. Moran was too much of a gentleman to throw Tryon out of his studio, so he finally took an old canvas, slapped on a lot of color with a palette knife, handed it to Tryon and said: “Take that home, make a picture out of the accidentals and bring it back in a week.” Moran felt that Tryon would throw the canvas away and not come back. The week-end found Tryon back and Moran was so well pleased with the result that he took Tryon on as a pupil, which was very beneficial to Tryon who followed Moran’s style of work even into his scenic painting, as well as his oil. He enjoyed telling this story; he surely must have made a good picture of Moran’s accidentals.” Tryon also worked as a scenic artist at McVicker’s Theatre in Chicago, painting alongside Lou Malmsha, one of the great scenic artists of Chicago during the late-nineteenth century.

As I was looking for information pertaining to the drop curtain that Moses’ painted in Duluth, I encountered the Grand Canyon drop curtain that Walter W. Burridge painted for the Grand Opera House in Chicago during 1902. I also encountered another reference to Henry C. Tryon and a description of his character in a book that was recently written by Donna L. Poulton. In “Reuben Kirkham, Pioneer Artist” Poulton writes about Kirkham’s work with Alfred Lambourne (1850-1926). They painted stage scenery in Salt Lake City at the Lehi Music Hall in 1871. In Lambourne’s reminiscences about the theater, he mentions Henry C. Tryon as his final mentor. Poulton includes Lambourne’s description of Henry C. Tryon, “that erratic genius, that Bohemian of Bohemians.” Lambourne recorded, “…I worked with Tryon about seven weeks. Not on the paint gallery of the Salt Lake theatre, but in one of our southern towns, where we had taken a contract, jointly, for furnishing a set of stock scenery. Those seven weeks were among the most exciting, and from the art standpoint, most profitable of my life. Tryon arrived in Salt Lake City, after a long and successful season of scene-painting in Chicago, and at the Tabor Grand, in Denver. Who, that knew the man, could ever forget that walk, that shock of unkempt red hair, that shrewd ingratiating smile and fun, the enthusiasm, or flash of anger in those steel gray Irish eyes. How distinctly I remember the low suppressed tones of his voice and the sparkle in the same eyes, as he once confronted me and uttered these words: “I have never yet met a man whose combativeness I could not overcome with my own.” However that may have been, we became fast friends and without surrender on either side.”

Henry C. Tryon wrote a tribute to his good friend and fellow scenic artist, Louis Malmsha (1863-1882). Tryon worked with Malmsha at Wood’s Theatre in Cincinnati and later with him at McVicker’s Theatre in Chicago. In 1882, Tryon published a tribute to Malmsha heralding him as “the greatest scenic painter in the world.” It appeared in the “Salt Lake City Herald” on October 22, 1882. (see past installment #123). Of Malmsha, he wrote, “As an humble follower, ardent admirer, friend, and confrere of this dead artist I felt it my duty to render tribute and homage to his transcendent genius. He was “the best in the profession.” Every artist who has seen his work has without qualification given him this position as a matter of simple fact. I have seen samples from the hands of the best scenic artists in England, France, and Italy, and from what I have seen and learned. I am convinced that Mr. Malmsha was the greatest scenic painter in the world.” This allows us to trace a scenic art lineage of respect and admiration.

Tryon was born in Chicago in 1847. At the age of seventeen, he enlisted in the army in a regiment attached to the Second Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, serving until the close of the Civil War. He later became a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Design, intending to become a landscape painter, studying with both Thomas Moran (1837-1926) and William M. Hart (1823-1894). Tryon worked with Malmsha at Wood’s Theatre in Cincinnati and later with him at McVicker’s Theatre in Chicago. In the early 1880s. Tryon had moved to Salt Lake City where he became active as a scenic artist, well known for his drop curtain at the Salt Lake Theatre entitled, “The Return of a Victorius Fleet.” He also produced 25 sets of scenery for the Salt Lake Theatre.

In 1883, the “Salt Lake Daily” published, “The improvements which have been in progress at the Salt Lake Theatre during the past nine or ten months, under the direction of Henry C. Tryon, the noted scenic artist, have attracted a great deal of attention from theatrical men generally” (July 22, 1883, Vol. XIV, No. 41). The author of the article then asked Mr. Mayer, “By the way, what do you think of Tryon as an artist?” Mayer’s response, “Tryon? We he has a national reputation. The fact that he is engaged to paint the scenes is a guarantee that the scenes outfit will be on par with any theatre in the United States. He is none of your fellows who depend on village theatre for a livelihood; his services are in demand all the time and the only thing that beats my penetration is that so expensive an artist could be obtained to come to Salt Lake. The scenes already painted are the equal of anything in stock in the country.”

And yes, Tryon was a Scottish Rite Mason too. For his Masonic affiliation, see past installments #199-201.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 502 – Thomas G. Moses and the Grand Canyon Drop Curtain for Duluth, 1905

Part 502: Thomas G. Moses and the Grand Canyon Drop Curtain for Duluth, 1905

In 1905, Thomas G. Moses recorded that he painted a Grand Canyon curtain for Duluth. This was not an unusual subject for the stage, as Moses’ one-time business partner and good friend Walter W. Burridge painted a Grand Canyon drop curtain for the Grand Opera House of Chicago in 1901. “The World Review” commented on Walter Burridge’s rendition, pubishing, “Probably the most unusual and effective drop-curtain in America is the one that was recently given a place in the Grand Opera House of Chicago. It is the work of Mr. Walter Burridge, who is known throughout the country as a scene-painter of remarkable versatility and artistic sense. He has spent six weeks in the painting of the present curtain, which pictures the Grand Canyon of Colorado. Part of that time Mr. Burridge spent in the canyon itself, and he has succeeded beyond expectation in giving depth of perspective. Largeness of effect, and the marvelous atmospheric clearness that is characteristic of the region. Such painting must take its place in the realm of true art” (4 Jan. 1902, Vol. 2, page 500)

Of the Grand Canyon scene for Duluth, Moses wrote, “This was in many ways a very successful curtain. The Santa Fe Railroad offered to send me to the Canyon to make the sketch that we couldn’t afford to accept – that is the time to go and come and make sketches.” Instead of a sketching trip to gather source material, Moses wrote, “I was satisfied with one of Moran’s famous reproductions.”

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone by Thomas Moran

I would love to know how many Moran paintings were reproduced for the stage. His paintings, with their atmospheric action and romantic landscapes were perfect for the stage. It is unclear which Moran print Moses used for the Duluth drop curtain, but there are other examples that Twin City Scenic Co. artists used for other projects.

Thomas Moran print used by scenic artists as a source when painting backdrops, from the Twin City Scenic Co. collection at the University of Minnesota Libraries, Performing Arts Archives.

There are examples of Moran prints used as sources by scenic artists in the Twin City Scenic Co. collection at the University of Minnesota Libraries Performing Arts Archives. Many of the prints still had paint spatter from the artists who had them near while painting. One 11”x 17” included notes for the scenic artists on the back of the print, “Reverse and use right half of picture only. No figures. For West.” One Thomas Moran print was replicated by John Z. Wood for one design at the Twin City Scenic Co without any alterations; it was titled “Sunset in Old Mexico.”

Drop curtain by John Z. Wood from a Thomas Moran print in the Twin City Scenic Co. collection at the University of Minnesota Libraries, Performing Arts Archives. Here is the link to search the scenery collection database: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch

Thomas Moran print in the Twin City Scenic Co. collection at the University of Minnesota Libraries, Performing Arts Archives.

Of the drop curtain in Duluth, Moses wrote, “After painting, I could lower the drop down the cut, until the horizon line was perfect. We lowered the bridge so we could look down over 15 feet, and the effect was truly wonderful, very easy to paint a large panorama and get the same effect.”

The drop curtain was so successful that the theater manager in Duluth sent Moses a box of cigars as a token of his appreciation. Moses recorded, “The manager sent me a box of cigars by express. This was evidently smoked by the express agent, as it never reached me, but the second box came alright and I enjoyed them.”

Moses was well known in Duluth, Minnesota, as he had painted scenery for other stages, at least twice before 1905. He worked on both on commercial theatre and fraternal theatre projects there. In 1891, Thomas G. Moses and Perry Landis went to Duluth where they closed an $8.954.00 contract with A. M. Miller, owner of the Lyceum Theater. Moses worked in the Minnesota town from March 1891 until the end of April. In 1904. He was also responsible for supervising the painting and installation of the Scottish Rite scenery in Duluth, Minnesota.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 469 – Myer’s Opera House

Part 469: Myer’s Opera House

While researching Noxon & Strauss (later Noxon & Toomey), I came across mention about a drop curtain they painted for Hooley’s Theatre during 1872. Two theaters were mentioned in the article titled “Rebuilding and Real Estate” (Inter Ocean, Chicago, Illinois, 14 Sept. 1872, page 4). The article described the construction of Hooley’s and Myer’s. Interestingly, Noxon’s next business partner, Halley, would be painting the scenery for Myer’s while Noxon painted the scenery with Strauss for Hooley’s. At the time, Halley was partnered with Lou Malmsha. Malmsha became the scenic artist for McVicker’s and was well-known across the country (see past installments 123, 124, 165 and 198 for more information about Malmsha). Thomas G. Moses started his theater career as an assistant to Malmsha in 1874, just two years after this article was written. It provides a little insight into the fitting up of a theater during the 1870s.

Samuel Myers, formerly connected with McVickers Theatre, opened his opera house on September 23, 1872. It was a venue primarily devoted to minstrelsy. Here is the article:

“Myers Opera House

Work on Myer’s theater is being rapidly brought to a close, and Monday the 23rd. Is announced as the opening night. Located on Monroe street, just west of State, the establishment is easy to access from each of the more densely populated divisions of the city, and bids fair to gain its full share of theatrical patronage. Following is a brief description of the interior as it will appear on opening night:

The entrance from Monroe Street leads through a long hall, thirteen feet wide, finely frescoed and lighted by a number of large chandeliers, to the door of the auditorium. On the left of the hall, and just without the door is the stairway leading to the upper circles. The auditorium consists of a parquetted, dress circle, balcony circle and gallery. The extreme dimensions are 55 by 102 feet. The parquetted, and dress and balcony circles are furnished with black and walnut sofas, elegantly upholstered by Messrs. J. V. Farwell & co., forming an amphitheater. The walls and ceilings are handsomely frescoed in panels on a light buff ground, by Messrs. Schubert & Koenig, the firm that had charge of the decorations in Crosby’s Opera House before the fire. The center of the ceiling over the parquetted rises in a dome, from which hangs and elegant glass chandelier with 125 lights. The seating capacity is about 1,100. Three large doors can be thrown open in case of fire or accident.

The stage opening is 27 feet 4 inches wide, flanked on either side by a proscenium box, ornaments with satin damask curtains corresponding in color with the upholstery of the parquetted and balcony circles. The stage is thirty-five feet in depth and provided with “all modern improvements.” The scenery has been painted by Messrs. Malmasha and Hally, and is so extensive as to forbid more than a partial description here. The drop curtain fills the entire stage opening. At the top a false valance of amber and gold reaches down for several feet, below which hangs the drapery – red lined with white satin, bordered with purple and gold – parted in the center and revealing a medallion landscape; a view of a water mill with mountains in the distance. The drapery falls loosely on a platform with steps approaching the curtain in perspective. The first part set scene is also worthy of mention as something novel. Unlike the ordinary chamber scenes used on such occasions, it is ornamented purple and gold, and displays considerable knowledge of architecture in its design. A large, square opening at the back, looking out on a tropical landscape, will afford an opportunity for the presentation of panoramic views, should it be desired.

Altogether, the theater, while not expensive, is attractive and elegant. Messrs. Tilley & Longhurst claim credit as architects; Mr. Daly Moore as contractor for the brickwork; Messrs. Cowdery & Cleveland as carpenters, and the United States Reflector Company, of New York, and Mr. E. Baggott of this city for gas-fitters. The furnaces are furnished by Messrs. Bangs Bros.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 468 – Noxon & Strauss

Part 468: Noxon & Strauss

Thomas C. Noxon established other scenic art firms before founding Noxon and Toomey. One was a business venture was Noxon & Strauss. I came across two articles during the four-year life of this company; one from 1868 and one from 1872. I have yet to identify Strauss beyond his last name and work as a scenic artist with Thomas Noxon and Charles Witham.

In 1868, Noxon & Strauss painted a setting for “Seven Sisters” at the Olympic Theatre. The New York Clipper reported that one scene for the show represented the Southern Hotel Rotunda, it was “gotten up in grand style and reflects credit on the scenic artists, Messrs. Noxon and Strauss” (25 April 1868, page 6).

In 1872, an “Inter Ocean article” that mentioned Noxon & Strauss verified that they were working in Chicago. Many scenic artists sought work in the city after the great fire of 1871. Theaters were among many of the new buildings proposed or rebuilt during this period. Hooley’s and Myers were two theaters mentioned the article, “Rebuilding and Real Estate” (Inter Ocean, Chicago, Illinois, 14 Sept. 1872, page 4). Noxon & Strauss painted the new scenery at Hooley’s, including the drop curtain. The drop curtain design depicted a scene from Heidelberg surrounded with painted drapery. The picturesque castle and town suggesting European origins was common for the time, as many compositions harkened to the old world. The Inter Ocean reported, “every convenience desirable for the production of the spectacular drama has been provided.”

Hooley’s Theatre was located at 124 W. Randolph Street, between Clark and LaSalle, and was dedicated on October 21, 1872. The building was four stories with lodge-rooms on the upper floors and a basement below the theater. The seating capacity was at a sizable 1,500. “The Chicago Tribune” reported, “They have reached the extreme height of perfection for stage mountings. The drawing-room scene, with its genuine marble mantels, real oil paintings, and rich furniture was a gem of scenic taste and effect. This is the direction in which Hooley’s is sure to become famous” (10 Dec. 1872, page 8).

I am going to post the article about Hooley’s in its entirety, as it provides a lot of information about this well-know venue, including that the fresco work was by another artist who I have examined – Peter M. Almini. Thomas G. Moses worked for Almini when he first ventured to Chicago and began his career as an artist in the mid-1870s.

“Hooley’s Opera House

This place is also approaching completion. Work on the interior has kept pace with the laying of the walls, so that now, although the rook has not been placed in position, the auditorium is far enough along to give a visitor a very correct idea of what it is to be. The front on Randolph Street is four stories (seventy-two feet) high, and built of very heavy Columbia stone, with elaborately carved trimmings. Two very large brackets over the first story will be ornamented with the figures of Comedy and Tragedy. Those who have seen the stonework in the yards of McKeon & Co., where it is being prepared, pronounce it as fine as any in the country. The hall leading to Randolph street to the theater is 20 wide and 70 feet in length, and it will be frescoed in oil by Almini and lighted by a number of large chandeliers. The hall opens into the west end of the auditorium, which is 65×68 feet. The extreme height of the interior, from the floor of the parquetted to the center of the dome, is 66 feet. The parquetted, parquetted circle, balcony and dress circles, are arranged in the form of an amphitheater. The parquetted and parquetted circle will be furnished with iron opera chairs of the Pike Opera House pattern – the same that was used in Hooley’s Clark Street Opera House. Above these, in the balcony circle, black walnut sofas will provide the seating accommodations. The chairs and sofas will be upholstered in first quality crimson plush. The walls and ceilings will be elaborately frescoed in oil by Almini.

From the center of the dome will hang a massive chandelier of 200 lights, of a new pattern, made expressly for Mr. Hooley by the United States Reflector Company of New York.

The proscenium boxes, four in number, will be ornamented in blue and gold, by Mr. Mela, the gentleman who did that’s service for Mr. McVicker.

The stage opening is thirty feet wide by thirty-four feet high. The depth of the stage is forty-five feet. Every convenience desirable for the production of the spectacular drama has been provided.

The drop curtain will fill the entire stage opening, and is being painted by Noxon & Strauss. The design will be the castle and town of Heidelberg, surrounded by drapery.

Four exits, two from the galleries and two from the parquetted circle, will empty the house rapidly as could be wished under any circumstances.

It is almost too early to pronounce upon the general effect of the theatre, but it is safe to say, considering the men who have the work in charge, that it will be no mean rival of the other places of amusement. Mr. Hawks is the architect, Mr. Graham the contractor for woodwork, and Messrs. Agnew & McDermott the builders.

Despite the present unpromising appearance of the place, Mr. Hooley seams perfectly at ease, and confidently assures visitors that “the gas will be turned on and the play commence promptly at 8 o’clock on the evening of the 9^th of October [1872].”

By 1878, Strauss was no longer working with Noxon. He was now painting with Charles Witham as they provided scenery for “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” at the Grand Opera House in San Francisco, California. The new season was inaugurated with a “reconstructed version” of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” “The Clipper” reported, “The scenic effects by Witham and Strauss were beautiful and realistic pictures.” (23 Feb. 1878, Vol. 25, page 383).

After this final mention, the scenic artist “Strauss” disappears from print.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 467- Curtain and Scene Painting

Part 467: Curtain and Scene Painting

Painted drop curtain by the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here is the link to the University fo Minnesota Performing Arts Archives scenery collection database: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch

While researching scenic art projects by Thomas C. Noxon and Patrick J. Toomey, I came across an interesting article about curtain and scene painting from 1884. It was published in the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” (21 Jan. 1884, page 8). Here it is in its entirety as there is a wealth of information about the scenic artists of the time who specialized in drop curtains:

“Curtain and Scene Painting

The Leading Artists of the Country and the Prices Paid for Their Work.

“The return to drapery in drop curtains,” said Mr. Thomas C. Noxon of the art firm of Noxon, Albert and Toomey, employed at the Grand Opera House and Olympic, is a return to the old style. Drapery was very common twenty-five or thirty years ago. Now very few curtains are painting any other way; and while some artists adhere to simple combinations of rich materials, without any suggestion of life in the composition, the most popular and the prettiest curtains are those which present views or figures in which there is a suggestion of animation.

The new curtain at the Grand Opera House which was painted by Messrs. Noxon, Albert & Toomey is an example of the latter work. It is a composition presenting a profusion of rich drapery, warm in color, and minutely perfect in technique, drawn back and looped at the side, so as to reveal a bright Florentine picture with a pair of lovers in the foreground, moving toward the polished marble steps that fill the lower portion of the view. No handsomer curtain hangs in any theater in this country.

“What does a new drop curtain cost?” the Post-Dispatch reporter asked.

“About $500 or $600,” was Mr. Noxon’s reply. [The equivalent purchasing power in 2018 is approximately $12,000-$15,000]

“And how long does it take to paint one?”

“All the way from two to three days to five to six weeks. I painted a drop for Tootle’s Opera House, Sedallia, some years ago, in one-half days and got $500 for it, but an artist now seldom turns out a piece of work of this kind in less than three weeks. He can put that much time on it with a great deal of profit.”

“What will it cost to stock a new theatre with scenery?”

“From $2,000-$3,500.”

“And that will include how many sets?”

“Thirty-five. Enough for putting on any legitimate piece.”

“How long does it take to get up special scenery, say for a play like ‘The Silver King’?”

“That piece could be gotten up in two weeks. A fortnight’s notice is all we require to paint the scenery for any piece requiring sets that the theater has not in stock. In all such cases small models are complete reproductions in miniature of the original scenes.”

“There isn’t much work of this kind required of the artist nowadays?”

“No, not much; because many companies are now carrying their own scenery. Those playing melodrama invariably bring their own scenes with them.”

Mr. Noxon stands in front rank of curtain and scene painters, and for special features like Mardi Gras and Veiled Prophet pageants, is recognized throughout the Mississippi Valley as the most competent man in the profession.

Mr. Ernest Albert is a finished artist in the painting of interiors, and has displayed great originality in designing and executing curtains. He is particularly happy in reproducing draperies with a faultlessness of technique that challenges wonder and admiriation.

The other first-class curtain painters of the country do not number more than half-dozen. All enjoy national reputations, and their services are in demand to the other.

Russell Smith, formerly of the Academy of Music, Philadelphia, makes a specialty of landscapes.

Voegtlin, who went from New York to California where he was recently located, also takes to landscapes, but is an admirable figure painter, and will be at the top of the heap again should there be a revival of this style of curtains.

Phil Goatcher, formerly of Cincinnati, but now in New York, paints very pretty satin drops with medallion centers.

Henry E. Hoyt of Colvill’es, Fourteenth street, New York City, has lately started a boom in the direction of drapery without either figures or landscape views. His last curtain, which was of this character, was painted for the Euclid Avenue Opera House, Cleveland. He finished it is three weeks, and got $600.

Messrs. Noxon, Albert & Toomey painted a beautiful curtain and an entire stock of scenery for the new Park Theatre, in the same city, which was destroyed by fire a few weeks ago.

Last but not least is the prominent curtain and scene painters is Richard H. Halley, who came here at the opening of Pope’s Theater, then went to the Grand, and at the beginning of the present season began work at McKee Rankin’s Third Avenue Theater, New York. His silk curtain at Pope’s obtained instant recognition for its artistic abilities, and his later work, although lacking strength and color, has been marked by unusual merit. The curtain in the new Olympic is from his brush. As a painter of exteriors he holds high rank in the profession, and he is acknowledged to be without a peer in the reproduction of foliage.”

To be continued…