Drop Curtain – Page 4 – Drypigment.net

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1023 – Pittsburgh’s Alvin Theatre, 1919

In 1919, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “A large curtain for the Alvin Theatre, Pittsburg, gave me a good opportunity to display my knowledge of deep woods again.” Moses delivered the original stock scenery collection for the same venue in 1891.

The Alvin Theatre after Benjamin Keith purchased the building in 1900 and rented to Harry Davis.

An interior view of the Alvin Theatre in 1905.

In early September of 1891, Moses and Ed Loitz left Sosman & Landis’s main studio in Chicago, bound for Pittsburg. Their goal was to furnish all of the new scenery Alvin Theatre in the next two months. They completed the project on November 10, 1891.

The Alvin Theatre was owned by the actor named Charles L. Davis. Davis had made his fortune as a character actor, playing a New England rural farmer named “Alvin Joslin.” He originated in the 1860s and became quite popular.

Charles Lindsay Davis was born in 1848. At the time, his parents were touring with a theatre production. Davis entered the theatrical profession by the age of five and continued performing until 1889, when he retired to build the Alvin Theatre. After spending $225,000 on the endeavor, the Alvin Theatre was considered one of the finest theatrical house in America at the time. Moses described Davis in his memoirs: “He carried a band furnished with the best and most expensive instruments. He wore some fine diamonds. His vest buttons had diamonds in them. A $7000.00 watch was a novelty. He had a body-guard who was close to seven feet tall, while he was only five feet there. On day in Cincinnati while dining, his body guard approached him, begged his pardon for being late, and counted out to Davis thirty $1000.00 bills, and apologized for not being able to get the balance. The table was filled with traveling men and as they opened their eyes at $30,000.00, Davis coolly put it in his vest pocket. As soon as the meal was over, he slipped the money back to his bodyguard who got it back to the bank where he had borrowed it for an hour. Of course, on good security. Just a little advertising. Everyone talked about it. He had many little stunts like that.”

Davis passed away in 1900 at the relatively young age of 52 from complications that arose after a suffering from a severe attack of pneumonia. The “Pittsburgh Post-Gazette” announced “Charles L. Davis will be sadly missed and not alone at his home, for he was known all over the country and had hosts of warn friends. Pittsburghers have every reason to remember him with gratitude. He was instrumental in adding to the city’s attraction a place of amusement, and which remains an appropriate monument to his memory” (2 March 1900, page 4). The Alvin Theater was purchased in 1900 by Benjamin Keith. Keith rented the space to who began renting to Harry Davis. By 1905, the two expanded their partnership to include Pittsburgh’s Grand Opera House.

Little is known of the scenery delivered to the Alvin Theatre either in1891 or 1919. The technical information for the stage, however, was included in numerous Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guides, beginning in 1896. The theater was located on the first floor and the proscenium measured 36 feet wide by 45 feet high, a sizable opening. It was 48 feet from the footlights to the back wall and 78 feet between the side walls. The distance between the fly girders was 50 feet, with 63 feet from the stage to the rigging loft. There were grooves for painted wings that could be taken up flush with the fly gallery and six traps in the stage floor. By 1901, the stage area appears to have been enlarged from 78 feet to 90 feet between sidewalls. All other technical specifications remain constant.

When Moses delivered the woods scene to the Alvin Theatre in 1919, he must have been flooded with memories from his first trip to the space. In 1891, his career was in the midst of shooting upwards. Business was booming and there was a long line of projects on the horizon. By 1919, it was almost thirty years after Moses first visited the Alvin Theatre. The world of theater was changing and there was no longer an endless demand of painted scenery. Although Moses noted the project offered an opportunity to display his knowledge of the deep woods again, it was a bittersweet moment.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1020 – Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine in Pittsburgh and Denver, 1919

In 1919 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “A large drop curtain for Pittsburg Shrine took up a lot of my time, it being over 70’ long and 26’ high. I did the picturesque city of Tiberius, and it made a good picture. A heavy gold frame gave it a very Oriental feeling.”

Previously, Moses closed an $8575.00 contract for Pittsburgh’s 3,700-seat Syria Shrine Mosque theater (see past post 906, https://drypigment.net2020/01/19/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-part-906-the-pittsburgh-shrine-1915/). In 1915, he wrote “May 15^th, I went to Pittsburg with my big models for the Shrine and closed for $8,575.00.” A year later Moses wrote, “The Syria Temple of Pittsburg is still jogging along. If they don’t get it under roof pretty soon, we will have the scenery finished long before they are ready for it.” On October 27, 1916, the “Record-Argus” reported, “Syria Mosque Dedicated by Shriners.” The article continued, “Syria Temple, the new $1,000,000 mosque of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of Pittsburgh, was formally dedicated Thursday afternoon…. Following the dedicatory exercises a banquet, attended by 5,000 Shriners was served in the dining hall of the temple…Nearly 700 prospective Shriners were also dined and occupied positions as guests with out-of-town visitors. Thursday night the largest class of candidates was initiated. The number ran close to 700 and is probably the largest to be accepted at one time in the history of the Shrine…Initiation took place in the auditorium, the officers in the charge wearing new costumes. During both ceremonies the elaborate lighting system was demonstrated. Rays from two search light machines, made soft, played in the stage throughout.” (Greenville, Pennsylvania, page 1). This provides context in regard to the scale of Shrine initiations in 1919, as that year Moses also designed and painted scenery for Denver’s El Jebel Shrine ceremonies.

In the summer of 1919, Moses wrote, “In August I made a number of Shrine models for Denver and we received a contract.” “The Indian Journal” of Eufaula, Oklahoma described the El Jebel Temple was “one of Denver’s most beautiful and imposing buildings” (23 Oct. 1919, page 1). It may have been a lovely theater, but it was not grand enough for a massive gathering of Shriners on Nov. 21, 1919.

The El Jebel Shrine theater was too small for the ceremonial production in 1919, causing the Shriners to rent the Denver Auditorium.

For the event, Shriners staged the Shrine ceremonial at the Denver Auditorium, complete with special scenery. Moses recorded that the scenery shipped from Chicago on November 1, 1919; plenty of time for transportation, inspection and installation at the Denver Auditorium. The event was a multi-state Shrine initiation. On Nov. 28, 1919, the “Western Kansas News” announced, “Initiation at Denver was biggest Masonic affair ever held in the West.” The article continued, “The initiation was the greatest every attempted by any Shrine in the west. The cost of the scenery and other essentials represented an expenditure of over $11,000. The large and beautiful Shrine Temple in Denver was entirely too small for the event which resulted in securing the Denver Auditorium for the ceremonial. The large auditorium which seats many thousand people was crowded to its doors by Shriners from Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and New Mexico. This was a big production for Moses and by the end of the year he reflected, “While we have been very busy the whole year, we have not done any very notable productions, excepting the Coliseum shows and Denver.” The demand for painted scenery was down everywhere, except for Masonic productions. The fraternity was alive and thriving.

The massive interior of the Denver Auditorium provided ample room for a large Shrine event.

The Denver Auditorium was the location for a massive Shrine initiation in 1919.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1009 – Henry J. Buhler, Scenic Artist of Little Rock and Memphis

Yesterday’s post explored the life of Harry J. Buhler. There was another scenic artist listed in nineteenth century newspapers with the last name of Buhler – Henry J. Buhler. Both a “Henry” J. Buhler and a “Harry” J. Buhler worked in Memphis, Tennessee; they were likely one and the same. 1870 US Federal Census listed Henry J. Buhler (18 yrs. old) living in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was living in a boarding house with several other people, including two fellow painters, Geo. W. Barry (32 yrs. old) and Arthur W. Drewry (20 yrs. old). He gained a reputation in Little Rock, as his work there was mentioned two years later in a Memphis newspaper.

In 1870, H. J. Buhler entered a painting for the country fair, entitled “The Stag at Bay” (Daily Arkansas Gazette, 12 Oct. 1870, page 4). The following year, the “Daily Arkansas Gazette” credited H. J. Buhler with painting the truck for the fire department in Little Rock(26 May 1871, page 4); Buhler was a member of Torrent Fire Co. 4 at this time (Daily Arkansas Gazette, 14 Jan 1871, page 4). Other painting projects for Buhler at this time included a city project, numbering houses (Daily Arkansas Gazette, 26 Sept. 1871, page 4). As with most artists at this time, Buhler supplemented any sporadic theater work with a combination of decorative and fine art projects. The first scenic art project by Buhler was an ad drop in Little Rock. Scenic artists Buhler and Akin placed an advertisement selling squares in an ad drop. The advertisement read, “MERCHANTS TAKE NOTICE – That there are only a few card spaces left on the curtain painted for the theatre hall. All wishing a card should apply, signed Buhler & Akin” (Arkansas Daily Gazette, 4 Nov 1870, page 4). Occasionally the local newspaper made note of his painting projects, such as “Mr. H. J. Buhler presents some fine specimens of painting. One article is a specimen of painting on silk – very pretty” (Arkansas Daily Gazette, 5 Oct 1871, page 1).

Buhler moved to Memphis, Tennessee, by the fall of 1872. The “Public Ledger” announced that the new scenery for the Olympic Theatre was “the product of the artistic labors of Mr. H. J. Buhler, the talented scenic artist of Little Rock” (Public Ledger, Memphis, Tennessee, 19 Sept 1872, page 2). The article continued, “It is unnecessary to say anything of the genius of Mr. Buhler as an artist. A glance at his work will establish his claims in that respect.” Buhler became associated with the venue as the “Public Ledge” later noted, “H. J. Buhler, Esq., the scenic artist of this establishment: (Public Ledger, 14 Oct 1872, page 3). Other production s with scenery by Buhler at the Olympic Theatre included “The Black Crook.” The “Public Ledger” reported, “the grotto and transformation scenes are especially brilliant and add much to the success of the Black Crook” (Public Ledger, 17 Oct 1872, page 2). In 1873, Buhler was listed as the scenic artist for the Memphis Theatre (Public Ledger, 18 Dec 1873, page 3).

When the Memphis Theatre was renovated in 1873, Buhler was listed as the scenic artist responsible for touching up the existing drop curtain. As with many articles of the time, the description of the newly renovated theater was described in detail. The “Memphis Daily Appeal” announced that the Memphis Theatre and the Greenlaw Opera House had “grand improvements at Immense Cost” (3 Sept. 1873, page 4). Henry Buhler provided painted the drop curtain. I am including the mention of the new lighting system too, as it is quite informative:

“Among the other improvements may be mentioned the addition of fifty gas-jets for the amphitheater, and a large chandelier, of twelve globes, which is at the entrance hall. The chandelier cost one-hundred and fifty dollars, and is also another evidence of the taste the lessees display in every feature pertaining to the beautifying and adornment of the Memphis Theatre, The gaslight will be increased by these addition to forty per cent, and now number one hundred and fifty glob burners, the footlights, numbering one hundred and thirteen, are hidden by means of a permanent reflector, extending in front of the stage edge from the view of the audience. The light given will be regular at all times, while lighting up the stage will not cause any unpleasantness to those in the pit and dress-circle, while witnessing the acting of looking upon the drop-curtain, which is one of the most superb ever hung in any theater. This curtain is one of the celebrated productions of the well-remembered Guilies, whose master brush gave living beauty to the canvas. The picture represents the ‘Voyage of Life,’ and is that one the four where ‘Youth’ is sailing in his proud boat down the stream of time. The freshness of the picture was faded by lapse of years, but Mr. Henry Buhler has revived the dimming beauty and repainted it in a most artistic style, and now it is a most beautiful picture in all that appeals to the aesthetics. In the wake of the gliding boat the silver-crested wavelets swell out upon the surface of the green-shaded waters, and on the flower-spread bank an angel is beckoning to ‘Youth,’ who looks afar down the stream, toward the palace beyond the distant summits. And the artist’s hand has given these a sad, calm beauty and moral quietude to the foliage, deep, still water and shadowy forests. And in the far-away scope, how grandly rise the dimly-lit mountain-heights even to the clouds. But we are moralizing too much; suffice to say, the original freshness and ideal beauty of Giulick’s work are fully restored by Buhler’s brush. And if, for a moment, the admirer of art forget the actual in the contemplation of the soft dreamful distance of the landscape, momentarily he is assured almost of the real presence of life, when beholding the two angels that peer so naturally from the base of the picture to the facing, with its inscription: “Voyage of Life and Youth,” repainted by Buhler. The old false curtain from the archway has been taken away, and the top of the drop-curtain is adorned with drapery of a very bright character. Two scenic artists, Mr. Buhler and Mr. Adam Walthew, the latter of New York, have been engaged for the season. The first gentleman is the head artist and Mr. Buhler assists.”

Buhler painted a new drop curtain for the Memphis Theatre in 1879. It was installed for a new production of “H. M. S. Pinafore.” The “Memphis Evening Herald” reported, “New and elegant drop-curtain by Buhler. Magnificent new scenery and appointments, properties, flags, etc., etc., painted expressly for this opera by Buhler (18 April 1879, page 4). Other productions with scenery by Buhler that year, included the John McCullough production of “Othello” (Memphis Evening Herald 10 March 1879, page 4).

On July 12, 1879, “The Memphis Herald” announced that a marriage license was issued to A. C. Garrett and Henry J. Buhler page 4). Harry J. Buhler was married to Carrie A. Garrett.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 971: St. Edmund’s Parochial School, 1918

In 1918, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The new St. Edmond’s Parochial School within two blocks of our home needed scenery, so I got a little line from one of the Parishioners. Met Father Code and he was willing to spend $600.00, but wanted a figure curtain. I had a fine wood cut of “The Landing of Columbus” which he selected, and we were very successful in getting a very good curtain. He was well pleased with it.” Moses was referring to Rev. Msgr. John J. Code of St. Edmund, the first Catholic Parish in Oak Park, Illinois. St. Edmund’s Catholic School opened in the fall of 1917 and operated until 2016.

Code was appointed by Archbishop James Quigley to organize the Oak Park church, serving from June 1907 until October 1956. Father Code made plans to construct a school on the corner of Oak Park Avenue and Pleasant Street in Oak Park and selected architect Henry J. Schlaks. Schlaks designed the new school after the Palace of Justice in Rouen, France.

The cornerstone for St. Edmund’s school was laid on May 20, 1917, with dedication ceremonies on October 14 of that year. The original structure had five classrooms, one of which housed the nuns; the Dominican Sisters from Adrian, Michigan were the instructors. A convent was later purchased for the nuns on the southwest corner of Euclid and Pleasant Street. Over time the school expanded to 17 classrooms. An annex to the school was completed in 1948, with four new classrooms, a music hall and library. In 1959 and a modern two-story addition was added on the south. Unfortunately enrollment declined for a variety of reasons by the twenty-first century.

On Jan. 13, 2016, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “The Chicago Archdiocese has announced that one more school will close at the end of the academic year, just one year short of celebrating its centennial. St. Edmund Catholic School in west suburban Oak Park could not overcome years of declining enrollment and financial difficulties, the archdiocese said. There are three other Catholic schools in Oak Park: Ascension, Sr. Giles and St. Catherine Siena-St. Lucy.”

Here is the current website for the church: http://www.stedmund.org/

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 968 – The Olympia Theatre in Olympia, Washington, 1917

On May 11, 1917, “The Washington Standard” reported. “Olympia theater is now provided with two drop curtains, one painted by Sosman & Landis, Chicago, entitled “The Water Place,” and the historic painting of Olympia by Mr. Lange, which was used at the Spokane Fair during the canvass for state capital” (Olympia, Washington, page 7). This is another one of the many jobs by Sosman & Landis not mentioned in Thomas G. Moses’ memoirs. This is a single article with no follow-up information, so I am left with very little to go on.

The article notes that a painting created for a country fair was repurposed for a theatre, used as a drop curtain. This is not unusual. In 1893, a 20×30 mural for the California building at the world fair was repurposed as a drop curtain for the Native Sons of the Golden West Hal in San Francisco. I explored this subject a few years back (see post #294). The Reed & Gross Panorama Company created large scale paintings for the California State Building with compositions that included: the harbor of San Francisco and the city, as viewed from Goat Island; Christmas in Pasadena; the Stanford Ranch in northern California; Leland Stanford’s Vineyard; Leland Stanford Jr. University in Palo Alto; New Years at Hotel del Monte in Monterey, Santa Barbara, and Fresno.James D. Phelan, one of the of the World’s Fair Commissioners in 1893 purchased the 20’ x 30’ painting from the California State Building after the fair, intending to use it as the new drop curtain at the Native Sons of the Golden West’s Hall. At the time, the organization was constructing a new building in San Francisco. Phelan was the association’s president and purchased one of the paintings. Unfortunately the painting was irreparably damaged in transit.

On January 10, 1896, “The San Francisco Call” reported, “A Fine Painting Spoiled” (page 8). The original painting by Thaddeus Welch depicting “Golden Gate as Viewed from Goat Island” was sold for $3,000. The article noted, “On Tuesday it was found that the painting had been ruined by the careless persons who packed and shipped it two years ago. Instead of winding the canvas around a roller these bunglers wrapped it around a 4 by 4 inch scantling and every four inches the canvas is cracked so that it is doubtful if it can be used.”

There are a few factors to consider:

The first is that the 1893 world fair painting was likely an oil painting, as it cracked. Even if it had arrived safely, it may have looked horrible under stage lights due to the sheen, characteristic of oil paintings. Those unfamiliar with scenic illusion, for example Phelan, may not have realized this, or that the oil painting would propose a fire threat once on stage. However, I am intrigued with the basic idea that any large painting could be transformed into a drop curtain for the stage.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 938 – The Rome Opera House in Georgia, 1916

A view of Rome, Georgia, posted to RoadRunner.

In 1916, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “I did a drop curtain for Rome, Georgia, and several exteriors.”

On February 8, 1916, the “Atlanta Constitution” reported, “ROME OPERA HOUSE BEING REMODELED.

“Rome, Ga. February 7 – (Special)- The Rome Opera House, which is currently owned by the McClure Ten-Cent company of Atlanta, is being remodeled, and will be opened under the management of H. P. Diggs, a well-known theatrical man, formerly associated with local moving pictures” (page 9).

Unfortunately, the business venture did not succeed. By November 25, 1916, the “Atlanta Constitution” reported,

“Neglected Bank Roll in Attempt to Start Vaudeville in Rome.

“Rome, Ga., November 24. – (Special) – Ross Conkling, an Atlanta theatrical man, who endeavored to open the Rome Opera House as a vaudeville and motion picture theater here, neglected one important detail necessary to such operation, to-wit, a bank roll. He was given credit by actors, film operators, stagehands, print shops, newspapers, and the like, but the box receipts on the opening night were attached by Mrs. Amanda Gray, one of the vaudeville actors, who declares that he is without funds. An orchestra of seven pieces and five members of a vaudeville company are stranded here” (page 4).

“Rome Opera House” is above the arch. Rome, Georgia.

“Nevin Opera House” is above the arch. Rome, ,Georgia.

Rome Opera House was later renamed the Nevin Opera House. Located at 321 Broad Street, the original structure was built by M. A. Nevin at a cost of $21,000, opening on October 1, 1888. With a seating capacity of 800-1,000, it hosted a variety of performances until 1915. “Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide” provides a little more information about the technical specifications in 1908. The proscenium measured 26 feet wide, but no height was provided. However, the stage to the gridiron was 55 feet, suggesting full travel for the drops. The stage to the fly gallery was 25 feet and the distance from the curtain line to back wall was 32 feet.

The building was destroyed by fire in December 31, 1919.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 921 – Katherine Maxey, 1916

While exploring the Triangle Club’s 1916 show “Safety First,” I came across the name of a female scenic artist – Katherine Maxey. I was fascinated that women did not perform in the play, yet one provided a stylized drop curtain for the prologue.

Of the scenery for the production, “The Brooklyn Citizen” described, “One innovation is in scenery. Instead of one set for the play there are three distinct scenes, with a special drop curtain for the prologue” (3 Dec, 1916, page 10). The design for the show was attributed to Bakst and the drop curtain Maxey painted in the “Bakst style.”

Thomas G. Moses’ commented the scenery was “very odd.” Moses was on site to supervise the scenery installation, suggesting that Sosman & Landis delivered much of the scenery for the production. A few newspaper reviews suggested the Princeton students produced the entire show, yet Maxey was specifically named and not a student at Princeton.

Katherine U. Maxey was born on September 13, 1887, meaning she was 28 years old when she painted the drop curtain.

The 1910 United States Federal Census lists Maxey as living in Wheaton Ward 3, DuPage County, Illinois. Her occupation is listed as an “illustrator,” working in the art industry. One of six children, she was the eldest of four still living at home in 1910. Maxey’s father was Francis J. Maxey, listed as a meat packer, and her mother Anna C. Regan, listed as a homemaker. At the time, Katherine was 22 years old and her younger siblings were ages 16 (Dorothy), 14 (George R.), 10 (Roberta), and 3 (Paul).

I was surprised to discover that at the age of 19, Maxey was working as an illustrator in Chicago. On Feb. 17, 1907, the “Times Dispatch” reported Katherine Maxey was the artist for the March issue of “The Technical World Magazine” (page 34). She designed the cover art.

Katherine Maxey’s cover art fot the March 1907 issue of “The Technical World Magazine.”

By 1913 Maxey applied for a consular registration certificate to travel to Madrid, Spain. The purpose of her travel was listed as study without any elaboration. As an artist and illustrator, I suspect it was for artistic study.

In 1918, Katherine married Alfred Ray Patton (October 6, 1886-1926) in Evanston, Illinois. Their marriage was announced in “The Paxton Record” on January 31, 1918 (page 4):

“Announce Marriage of Daughter.

The Record received Tuesday morning a card from Mr. and Mrs. Francis Joseph Maxey of Evanston, Ill., announcing the marriage of their daughter, Miss Katherine Wisula, to Mr. Alfred Ray Patton of Clarence, on Saturday, January 20, 1918. They will be at home to their friends after the 15^th of April at their apartments in Wheaton, Ill. The groom, who is the son of Mr. and Mrs. LaFayette Patton of South Button, is well known in Paxton, having attended school here. The bride is a lady of unusual attractions and is in the front rank of society in Wheaton. As an artist she ranks high and has taken many premiums in this country and Europe in mural decorations and designs. Her work adorns many art institutes in Madrid and other cities in Spain. It is with pleasure that the Record unites with their friends in extending congratulations.”

She now signed her art Katherine M. Patton, going by Katherine Maxey Patton.

The next year, Maxey exhibited at the Thirty-First Annual Exhibition of Water Colors, Pastels and Miniatures by American Artists at the Art Institute of Chicago from May 15 to June 15, 1919. Her painting was “The Watertank.” At the time, Maxey’s address 718 Southwest Street, Wheaton, Illinois. The couple soon moved to California.

Her husband was only a year older and seemed to lead a fairly average life. Born in Clarence, Illinois, his WWI Draft Registration Cards lists that he was employed as an attorney with Chicago Title Trust. Described as tall and slender, Patton had grey eyes and light hair. Sadly, the marriage last less than a decade. On Nov. 30, 1926, Patton passed away in Pasadena, California. No cause of death was listed. His obituary noted: “Alfred Ray Patton, husband of Katherine Maxey Patton of Wheaton, Ill. Passed away Tuesday, Nov. 30 at Pasadena, California. Son of Mrs. Ella Patton; brother of Ruth and Harry Patton. Burial from Patton home at Paxton, Ill., early Sunday afternoon, December 5^th” (Chicago Daily Tribune, Dec. 3, 1926, page 37).

By 1930, Maxey divided her time between Pasadena and Chicago, still working as an artist and interior decorator. From May 24 – April 15, 1931, “Katherine Maxey Patton” exhibited at the “Festival of Religious Art: Religious Art by Artists of Chicago and Environs.” That same year, she was also mentioned in an article about the American Association of University Women. On August 18, 1931, the “Kenosha News” reported, “Two very interesting programs have been scheduled to end the year’s work. The first will feature the appearance of Mrs. Katherine M. Patton, National Academy of Art, Chicago, who will speak on ‘Old and New Masters,’ April 19.”

There is little published during the remainder of the decade about Maxey or her work. In 1937 she traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico, a trip that inspired a series of watercolor paintings. One of these paintings has survived and was recently up for sale at auction.

Painting by Katherine Maxey Patton sold in at auction.

By 1940, Maxey had permanently moved to Pasadena, California, listing her occupation as an interior decorator. She still continued to paint murals, watercolors and oil paintings. Her name appeared in the “Decatur Daily” on March 11, 1956, in an article about the décor in Harry Malone’s Bookmead home in Decatur, Alabama. The “Japanese type handcrafter wall paper done by Katherine M. Patton” was a feature of the dining room. Very little else is published about Maxey as she grew older. However, in 1966, Katherine Maxey Patton, along with Dorothy and Jean Maxey were listed as contributing funds for the Pasadena Playhouse, to “Save the Pasadena Playhouse from fiscal ruin” (“Pasadena Independent,” 10 Aug. 1966, page 64).

From the “Decatur Daily” (Decatur, Alabama) March 11, 1956, page 16.

In 1972 the “Star-News” reported, “Our society editor, Ruth Billheimer, advises that a subscriber phoned to report that artist Katherine Maxey Patton, who lives on Rio Grande and is a sister of the late actor, Paul Maxey, heard crows in her pine tree carrying on and making a great ado. Assuming it was a cat in the tree that was behind the raucous, she got out her binoculars. Suddenly, reported the informant, there came a great crashing sound from among the branches – and out flew and EAGLE. (Or condor, fugitive from the Ojai fire?)” (Pasadena, August 28, 1972).

Maxey passed away in Los Angeles in 1984.

Painting attributed to Katherine Maxey Patton posted at Askart.com

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Colorado Springs Opera House and the Scenic Artists Robert Hopkins, 1881.

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Colorado Springs Opera House and the Scenic Artists Robert Hopkins, 1881.

Front curtain by Robert Hopkins for the Tabor Grand Theatre in Denver, Colorado, 1881.

Yesterday I explored the drop curtain created by Robert Hopkins for the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, Colorado. On Thomas G. Moses, Edward Morange, Hardesty Maratta, and John Young visited the Tabor Opera House in Denver to see the drop curtain by their friend Robert Hopkins in 1884. Moses wrote, “We all attended the theatre, the famous Tabor Grand, and we found it all we had expected it would be, nicely decorated and fine woodwork. The Drop Curtain was very good: an old ruin with some poetical feeling that pleased everyone. It was painted by an old friend of mine, Mr. Robert Hopkins, of Detroit, Michigan. This is a favorite subject of his, he having done a similar one in Detroit” (The palette & Chisel, Vol. 1, No. 3, March 1928).

So who was Robert Hopkins? He was a scenic artist from the Midwest who began his career in Detroit, and later was associated with other large metropolitan areas through his work. Hopkins came from a family with four consecutive generations of Detroit artists named Robert Hopkins. The patriarch of the family specialized in marine scenes and never appears to have left the Detroit area. I believe that it was his son, Robert Hopkins, Jr. who ventured to Chicago and continued to travel west for theatrical opportunities.

Robert Hopkins, Jr. was born in 1856, the same year as Thomas G. Moses. As Moses sporadically worked in Detroit throughout the duration of his career, it is likely that their friendship began with the Hopkins family in Michigan. Unlike Moses who started his artistic career at the age of 17, Hopkins was already actively working and listed as a painter by 15 years old. The 1870 census listed Scottish artist Robert Hopkins Sr., age 37, as an artist and his son Robert Jr. as a painter. Hopkins Sr. was married to Evaline, age 38 at the time, with four children: Sophia (age 17, b. 1854), Robert Jr. (age 15), William G (14), Marshall (8) and George Ruby (17). During this time, the family was listed as living at 664 Detroit Ward 5, E Wayne, Michigan.

In 1875, Moses recorded that he worked on scenery for the “Naiad Queen” under the “celebrated Robert Hopkins.” Hopkins was a close friend of C. Lou Malmsha (1847-1882), another well-known artist whose career soared, but he passed away at the young age of 35. Malmsha seems to half left an indelible mark on all who knew him. Moses worked as both Malmsha’s assistant and under the direction of Hopkins at the in the beginning and this experience certainly shaped his approach to scenic art. Less than a decade later Hopkins was credited as producing the scenery for Detroit Opera House, according to Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory for the 1882-1883.

It remains unclear as to whether Moses worked with the elder or younger Hopkins in Detroit. Although it seems reasonable that it would be the elder Hopkins, fame struck many scenic artists at an incredibly early age in the 19^th century; sometimes it just took one show. I believe Moses was referring to Robert Hopkins Jr. Keep in mind, less than a decade later Moses left Sosman & Landis for the first time to form a new scenic studio with Lemuel L. Graham, future founder of Kansas City Scenic Co. Moses’ ascent to the top of his professional was relatively quick too, he was just a few years behind Hopkins despite their same age.

Like many itinerant artists at the time, the Hopkins traveled from town to town and tried to secure as many painting contracts in an area before departing. What I have noticed is that when a scenic artist came to town to paint scenery for one theater, other venues took advantage of their arrival. This means that a talented artist was immediately approached after arriving in any town or territory. If their name was associated with a popular touring show, the arrival was even more anticipated and people lined up with projects. During 1881, Hopkins seems to have settled in Colorado for a spell, before returning east. Hopkins produced scenery for both Tabor’s Grand Opera House in Denver and the new opera house in Colorado Springs.

The Colorado Springs Opera House opened with scenery by Robert Hopkins. Here is the link to the image: https://
cdm15981.contentdm.oclc.org
/digital/collection/
p15981coll57/id/143/rec/3

Of his 1881 Colorado Springs project, “The Leadville Daily Herald” reported, “Mr. Robert Hopkins, of Chicago, an artist of large experience, has had charge of the scene painting, and it, together with the arrangements for shifting, are equal to that of any stage in the country. There are thirteen sets of scenes, supplied with all the accessories to make each complete” (April 19, 1881, page 1).

Front curtain by Robert Hopkins for the opera house in Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1881.

Colorado Spring’s “Daily Gazette” reported, “The appointments of the stage will fully equal and in the best metropolitan establishments. The scenery is of the most elaborate and tasteful description and is painted by the well known artist, Mr. Robert Hopkins” (Colorado Springs, 19 April 1881, pages 1-2). Hopkins was mentioned again in the section entitled, “Stage Arrangements,” providing a little my information about the scenic artists and the stage house for the April 9, 1881, opening of the opera house in Colorado Springs:

“The stage is very large considering the size of the theatre, and the finest scenic effects can be produced upon it. The proscenium arch is 24×24 feet, thus giving ample room. The drop curtain is an exceedingly handsome bit of work, representing a Venetian scene. The decoration of the theatre and the painting of the scenes are under the direction of J. B. Sullivan & Bro. of Chicago, The artist in charge of the scene painting is Mr. Robert Hopkins, who is the general designer of the decorations. These designs are entirely original, having no duplicates in any theatre. The scenery and the arrangements for shifting it are equal to that of any stage. The scenes are shifted upon the Breach system, by means of counter-weights. There are thirteen separate sets of scenes, which are supplied with all the accessories to make each compete. Following is a partial synopsis of the scenes: garden scene, set cutwood flats, garden flat, vases, borders, statuettes, set arbor, walls, balustrades, ancient street scene, modern street scene, street arch, cave scene with accompanying wings, kitchen scene, plain chamber, palace scene, interior gothic scene, garret scene, prison castle, open wood, dense wood, rocks, grounds waters, set trees, horizon, numerous landscapes. There are over 200 pieces in all and the scenery will be so arranged that each scene will be complete from wing to wing that there rarely be need of pillar for instance, to enclose a wood scene, the scene being all woodland scenery within the stage borders, it will be a picture in a frame.”

This was a comparable scenery collection to that delivered to Tabor’s Grand Opera House in Denver during 1881. It signifies a standard of excellence for western theaters, as well as significant profits for a scenic artist.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Denver’s Tabor Grand Opera House and Scenic Artists Robert Hopkins, 1881.

Horace Tabor’s second opera house built in 1881, two years after the one in Leadville, Colorado.

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One cannot explore the history of Leadville’s Tabor Opera House without taking into consideration Horace Tabor’s second theater, the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver. It provides additional context for Tabor’s first theatre.

Leadville’s Tabor Opera House opened in November of 1879. By March 1880, Tabor announced that he had purchased land in Denver at Sixteenth and Curtis Street with plans for another opera house. As with many theater owners and architects of the time, they visited other opera houses for inspiration. Known as the Tabor Grand Opera House, to differentiate from the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, the building was designed by Edbrooke and F. P. Burnham of Chicago, with a seating capacity of 1,500. Construction for his second opera house construction began by the summer. Estimates for the new opera house were projected at 750,000 to 850,000, today’s equivalent of over $18,000,000. The theater opened on August 1, 1881, with Emma Abbott and her Grand English Opera Company. Abbott was paid a staggering $20,000, plus railway fares, for a two-week engagement (Topeka Daily Capital, 3 Aug 1881, page 7).

Interior of the Tabor Grand Opera House with stock scenery by Henry E. Burcky.

Of the new theater, the “Times-Picayune” reported, “The stage is constructed and fitted up on a scale that would cause envy in many Eastern theatres. The decorations in the body of the theatre itself are of the most beautiful description, and one can see at a glance that expense was not considered in the least” (New Orleans, 6 Dec. 1881, page 9).

I first learned delved into the history Tabor Grand Opera House after reading an article by Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934) for the Palette & Chisel Club newsletter. In the 1920s, he wrote a series called “Tom’s Travels.” In 1884, Moses was on a sketching trip with three other scenic artists, traveling from Chicago to Breckenridge, Colorado. Their sketching trip was to gather source material for future stage settings and hone their artistic skills. None of the young scenic artists had ever seen mountains before this trip.

Moses mentioned their stopping by the Tabor Theatre in Denver, Colorado, (Tabor Grand Opera) to see the drop curtain produced by his friend and fellow scenic artist, Robert Hopkins. Of his trip to Denver, Moses wrote: “We all fell in love with the city. It is beautifully situated, rather hilly but well laid out; fine buildings, very ornate homes, built by men who had more money than taste. We all attended the theatre, the famous Tabor Grand, and we found it all we had expected it would be, nicely decorated and fine woodwork. The Drop Curtain was very good: an old ruin with some poetical feeling that pleased everyone. It was painted by an old friend of mine, Mr. Robert Hopkins, of Detroit, Michigan. This is a favorite subject of his, he having done a similar one in Detroit” (The palette & Chisel, Vol. 1, No. 3, March 1928).

Photograph of the drop curtain for the Tabor Grand Opera House, 1881. Image from the Denver Public Library online database.

Painted detail. Photograph of the drop curtain for the Tabor Grand Opera House, 1881. Image from the Denver Public Library online database.

A photograph documenting the removal of the drop curtain by Robert Hopkins at the Tabor Grand Opera House shows a detail of the scene’s bottom. Image from the Denver Public Library online database.

While looking for additional information about the Tabor Grand Opera, I discovered a photograph of Hawkins’ drop curtain; it is part of the Denver Public Library’s online collection. Now what is interesting to consider about the Tabor Grand Opera is that Hawkins painted the drop curtain, while Henry E. Burcky is credited with painting stock scenery collection.

At this time, it was not unusual for the drop curtain and stock scenery to be separate contracts. In many instances, the front curtain was considered a project in itself, taking much longer than most other scenery delivered to a theater. Many nineteenth century articles solely focused on those artists who specialized in drop curtains. In 1894, the “Philadelphia Inquirer” included the illustrated article – “Well-Known Drop Curtains in Philadelphia Theatre” (16 Dec, 1894, page 45). The article reported, “The drop curtain is the most expensive piece of furniture in any playhouse. Managers are more solicitous about the care of a handsome curtain that almost any other appointment in their theatres. They are usually painted by artists of wide fame in a particular branch of art which they represent, whose charges for the work range from $1,000 to $3,000.” That amount is today’s equivalent of $29,000 to $89,000 for the front curtain. This also puts the $1,000 Royal Gorge backdrop purchased for the 1879 Tabor Opera House in perspective.

So consider the 1879 backdrop at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, and the 1881 drop curtain painted by Robert Hopkins for the Tabor Grand Opera; these were incredibly expensive items for each theater, likely the most expensive appointment in the theater. We known that Tabor did not spare any expense and the painted scenes beyond the curtain line would have been no exception. Painted scenes on the stage transported audience members to other worlds, with the painted front curtain (drop curtain) being the portal. In most cases, the front curtain established set the tone of the painted décor of the space, being the most unifying aspects of all other painted elements. Restoring any theater is incomplete without this original element, and I sometime wonder if todays’ architects are unaware of this aspect.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. James E. Lamphere and Henry E. Burcky, Tabor Opera House Artists

Evelyn E. Livingston Furman credits J. B. Lamphere, as creating the Tabor Opera House drop curtain in 1879. In her publication, “The Tabor Opera House, a Captivating History,” she notes that Lamphere was a prominent New York and Philadelphia artist, writing that he was “one of the most prominent artists in the west.” I have not been able to uncover any mention of a scenic artist named J. B. Lamphere, and Furman did not credit her source. However, there was a James E. Lamphere working as a fresco artist in Denver during 1879. This is probably the same Lamphere mentioned by Furman. Lamphere likely decorated the Tabor Opera House, but I question whether he painted the scenery.

The Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.

The 1879 Denver Directory lists James E. Lamphere as a frescoe painter and grainer. The listing records his working for C. A. Treat, a wallpaper and sign works company located at 306 15^th St. in Denver (Western Magazine, Vol. 4, 1880, page 5). That year, Lamphere was residing at the West Lindell Hotel. All things considered, Lamphere’s connection to Leadville remained strong and he even married a local girl. On January 1, 1881, the “Leadville Daily Herald” reported that a James E. Lamphere married Mary S. Faxon (nee Ainsworth) in 1880; they were listed with all the other couples married that year (1 Jan. 1881, page 5). It is possible that Furman conflagrated Lamphere and Burcky, as both Lamphere and Burcky had Denver and Leadville connections.

In regard to the new Tabor Opera House in Leadville, it is possible that Lamphere solely decorated the auditorium of the Tabor Opera House and Henry E. Burkey painted the scenery for the stage; Burcky was later credited with the Tabor Opera House scenery in Harry Miner’s Directory (1884).

The Tabor Opera House featured both decorative painting and scenic art when it opened in 1879.

Detail of both scenic art and decorative art at the Tabor Opera House when it opened in Leadville during 1879.

Lamphere was a regional decorator and Burcky was a well-known itinerant scenic artist. As theaters popped up across the western plains, scenic artists followed an unending source of income, as these new performance venues always demanded stock scenery. Although Leadville was beyond the reach of any railroad line in 1879, the owner, Horace Tabor, enjoyed ample funding to transport any good or service to this remote mountain theater.

Most stock scenery collections were manufactured on site over the course of weeks in the 1870s, if not a full month. In many cases, the scenic artist was also a stage carpenter or mechanic who designed and installed the stage machinery. A scenic artist could complete the entire project with the help of an assistant, even an enthusiastic and talented local. The first aspect to any project on site was the construction of a paint frame, and then scene after scene was rapidly produced.

I cannot imagine that Horace Tabor would have hired a local fresco painter from Denver and not a professional scenic artist, especially when other Leadville theaters were hiring and crediting new scenes to well known scenic artists. By 1881, a scenic artist named Carter was involved in a deadly attack in Leadville (13 Jan 1881). That same year, scenic artist George Heiman created the stage scenery for Leadville’s Academy of Music; he was also a nationally acclaimed scenic artist. The local paper referred to Heiman in Leadville as “a gem,” adding, “and in fact so are all his designs about the building. He is evidently the man for who Colorado has been waiting for years” (Leadville Daily Herald, 20 March, 1881). Heiman was also credited as being the scenic artist for the Madison Square Theatre in New York (Leadville Daily Herald, 25 March 1881).

Burkey [sic.] was listed as the scenic artist at Leadville’s Tabor Opera House in “Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory” for the 1884-1885 season. He was also noted as the scenic artist for the Tabor Grand Opera in Denver and Denver’s Academy of Music. I am sure that these three listings, despite slight spelling variations are the same artist, Henry E. Burcky. Burcky was not a Leadville local; he was an itinerant scenic artist, well travelled and well known across the country by 1879.

Theatrical guides are tricky, as there is no distinction between a scenic artist that worked at one theater, versus one that was credited with delivering stock scenery to several theaters. If a scenic artist is listed at more than one venue, especially in different states, it is likely that he delivered stock scene to that venue instead of working at the venue. I believe that Burcky painted the roll drops, borders, wings and shutters for the first stage at the Tabor Opera House, and that Lamphere decorated the Tabor Opera House’s auditorium. We learn much by just looking at the 1879 photograph and interior set. Both the skills of a fresco artist and scenic artist are featured in this photo.

To be continued…