Foils

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The St. Louis Scottish Rite, March 19, 2023

On November 30, 2022, I received a FB message from Robert Van Dillen, a St. Louis-based scenic artist. He asked if I would consider being guest speaker for an upcoming scenic art event in St. Louis, tentatively scheduled for the beginning of 2023. Van Dillen explained that there was a group of local scenic artists who wanted to see the St. Louis Scottish Rite scenery collection before the building was sold. Unfortunately, the tentative date coincided with my trip to the Galveston Scottish Rite. We looked at a couple of possibilities, and then scheduled the event to coincide with my March trip to USITT.

My last visit to the St. Louis Scottish Rite theatre also coincided with USITT in 2017. This is a remarkable scenery collection delivered by Toomey & Volland, of St. Louis. I spent much of the conference documenting the scenery, stage machinery, and building.

*Tomoey & Volland Studio stencil on the back of a Scottish Rite backdrop.*

Just prior to the conference, I documented the gridiron with Rick Boychuk and Richard Nix.

*High* above the St. Louis Scottish Rite stage with Rick Boychuk and Richard Nix in 2017.

For the remainder of my stay in 2017, I painstakingly photographed one drop after another, trying to capture as many painted details as possible. I am afraid that I spent very little time at the conference that year. In hindsight, however, it was a good thing, as I may never have the time again. Here is one of the posts about my 2017 visit to the St. Louis Scottish Rite: https://drypigment.net/2017/05/17/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-acquiring-the-fort-scott-scenery-for-the-minnesota-masonic-heritage-center-part-88/

*One of many photos from my trip to the St. Louis Scottish Rite Theatre in 2017.*

On this trip, I arrived at the St. Louis Scottish Rite by 9AM on Sunday morning, March 19, 2023. I was accompanied by my close friend and colleague, Jenny Knott. Alessia Carpoca, Mike Monsos, and Martha (University of Montana – Missoula) soon joined us, as they had an early flight to catch; one that prevented them from staying for the entire presentation. From 9-10:30 a.m., we shifted furniture, set up the power point, and double checked the lines. I wanted to make sure that everything was in working order for my presentation. This also provided Mike, Alessia, and Martha, with the opportunity to see some of the drops before their early departure. I am very grateful to Mike for handling the operating lines during this time!

At 10:30 a.m., I gave a quick power-point presentation to provide some context, placing what we were going to see within the context of American scenic art and theatre history. By “quick” I mean thirty minutes! Then we brought in one scene after another for the next three hours. By 2 p.m. I called it quits, due my impending flight and grumbling stomach. We grabbed a quick bit to eat and then I was on my way to the airport.

The St. Louis Scottish Rite Theatre is a sight to behold. It is a three-thousand-seat auditorium that boasts a 90’-0” wide proscenium opening.

*The St. Louis Scottish Rite auditorium.*

*Looking up into the flies at the St. Louis Scottish Rite*. *Scenery by Toomey & Volland Studios, c. 1923.*

The size and scope of this Masonic scenery collection is almost unparalleled, with the McAlester Scottish Rite from 1929 being a major contender. There are 147 line sets, with stage machinery and scenery produced by the Toomey & Volland studio in 1923. There are a few drops that pre-date the building, a couple more that were delivered in later years.

*The Scenic Studio where the St. Louis Scottish Rite scenery was painted in 1923.*

Sadly, this may be the last time I get to visit and examine this remarkable scenery collection. Like many massive Masonic buildings, it is up for sale. Rumors of a sale had already begun in 2017. This is not surprising, considering a series of obstacles faced by many fraternal organizations; challenges that range from declining membership and insufficient funds to high utility bills and a long-term practice of deferred maintenance. My only hope is that when the building is sold, the scenery is somehow preserved for future generations. This collection really needs to be professionally documented, complete with lights and props, before it disappears.

Many thanks to Rob for organizing this event. I also want to thank his wonderful colleagues who so warmly welcomed me to St. Louis. I am grateful that we were able to share this experience together.

Here are a few pictures from our day at the St. Louis Scottish Rite.

*A painted scene at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. Scene by Toomey & Volland Studios, c. 1923.*

*Metallic strips that make the foliage sparkle under stage light.*

*My host, Rob Van Dillen behind a section of theatrical gauze.*

*Scenic artists at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.* *Scene by Toomey & Volland Studios, c. 1923.*

*Changing scenes at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.*

*A few of the scenic artists who gathered at the Scottish Rite on March 19, 2023.*

*Scenic Artists at the St. Louis Scottish Rite on March 19, 2023.*

*Painted detail from the carpenter shop scene at the St. Louis Scottish Rite*.

*Landscape backdrop at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.*

*Painted detail from a landscape drop at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.*

*Painted detail from a drop at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.*

*The Camp Scene at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.* *Scene by Toomey & Volland Studios, c. 1923.*

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 730 – Drop Curtains in Philadelphia, 1894 – William M. Voegtlin, the Standard and Lyceum Theatres

Part 730: Drop Curtains in Philadelphia, 1894 – William M. Voegtlin, the Standard and Lyceum Theatres

Two sections in the article “Well-known Drop Curtains in Philadelphia Theatres” focused on William M. Voegtlin’s scenic art at the Standard Theatre and Lyceum Theatre. The article was published in “The Philadelphia Inquirer on Dec. 18, 1894, page 45.

“Another very pretty curtain is the asbestos drop at the Standard Theatre, the classic design and artistic finish of which is equal to the more pretentious curtains in the other playhouses. It was painted in 1890 by William M. Voegtlin, who died last year. The subject of the scene is called “Cupid in Captivity,” and represents two beautiful women in classic attire standing by a fence in a meadow rich with flowers and surrounded by a number of winged cupids. The scene itself, with its exquisite coloring and artistic finish of detail, forms only a small disc in the centre of the curtain. It is a copy form an original painting of that name, copies of which, in the art stores and on calendars have made it famous on two continents. The remainder of the curtain as originally painted, represented a mass of crimson drapery in imitation of satin and silk, but when, two years later, the house was redecorated, the crimson drapery was changed by Daniel F. Crème to yellow and black, to correspond with the other color effects as they now appear.”

Illustration of asbestos curtain painted for the Standard Theatre by William Voegtlin.

Voegtlin also painted a drop curtain for the Lyceum that was later described in the article:

“The very attractive drop curtain at the Lyceum represents a Venetian scene, in which a goodly company of ladies and gentlemen in rich Florentine costumes are standing on a well-shaded terrace overlooking the greenish blue waters of a placid lake. The scene was painted by William M. Voegtlin in 1890, and occupies a small circle in the centre of a curtain about which is painted a richly carved Viennese frame. This curtain has been much admired by many patrons of this most popular theatre.”

Illustration of asbestos curtain painted by William Voegtlin for the Lyceum Theatre

The Voegtlins were a famous family of scenic artists. The patriarch, William Voegtlin was born in Basle, Switzerland in 1835. He immigrated to the United States at the age of 15, settling in New Orleans where he began painting first scenery. Voegtlin quickly ascended to the top of his profession. By 1879 he was listed as one of the “very best of living scenic artists,” listed alongside Russell Smith, R. Martin, and W. Seavey (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 15 Nov, 1879, page 5). In the 1892 article “Paint Mimic Scenes, Men Who Have Found Fame in the Wing and Drop Curtains” Voegtlin was remembered for his talent (Dec. 18, 1892). Of Voegtlin, the he article reported, “One of the great giants of the scenic world was William Voegtlin, the greatest deceiver of transformation effects that ever walked the paint bridge. He had a style peculiarly his own and seemed to incorporate the stunning effects of all schools, but was not without artistic weakness and peculiarities. In some respects his drawing had the weakness of Morgan, but his color was wonderfully vivid, and he was a grand master with foil. In this latter respect he was only rivaled by Thomas Noxon of St. Louis, a remarkable artist in spectacle. Voegtlin often ate and slept on the paint frame for weeks at a time during the rush of a great production. Then followed a period of dissipation, when his painting was very “red.”

Of his productivity, Voegtlin was remembered as “an extremely rapid painter.” In 1892, “The Star-Gazette” reported that “when he made the scenery for an elaborate production of Faust, the Brocken scene, the magnificence of which has been extensively advertised, was scarcely more than half finished when the curtain rose for the first act. But it was finished by the time it was wanted, though it was till wet” (Star-Gazette, Elmira, NY, 3 June 1892, page 4).

William Voegtlin married his first wife Berth Fleichman in Peru, Illinois, in 1857. The couple had a total of nine children, but only two survived to adulthood – Emil (b. 1858) and Arthur (b. 1862). They followed their father in the scenic art line. The family settled in New York, where Voegtlin continued to work as a scenic artist. Like many scenic artists, he frequently traveled for work, and later took along his young sons as assistants. After extended absences and twenty-six years of marriage, Bertha ran away with a close family friend, Carl Voegel, of Voegel & Co. At the time, Voegel was also married and it caused quite a scandal.

Although Bertha returned a few times, the couple remained separated, but never officially divorced, causing even greater problems. Voegtlin eventually moved to the West Coast, painting at the Bush-street Theater in San Francisco. Ironically, his first wife was living with Voegel; cohabitating in Oakland. In California, Voegtlin met his second wife, Lizzie M. Ritchie, a dressmaker of Los Angeles. They married during May1884, and his tale of bigamy appeared in newspaper across the country (Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan 1885, page 2).

Ironically, both his first and second wife threatened to cause his arrest for bigamy unless he paid them money. Bertha held his possible imprisonment in San Quentin over his head, unless he paid her the sum of $1,360. Other stories, explained that he was told to turn his entire salary over to Bertha, which he reportedly did for some time until he tired of agreement and his arrest followed. There is quite a bit more to the story, but this is the condensed version. His tale of bigamy appeared in newspapers all across the country and is quite an interesting story (Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan 1885, page 2). When his case went to trial, however, Voegtlin was acquitted of his crimes and returned to work as a successful scenic artist.

Over his forty-year career, Voegtlin painted scenery for almost all of the principal theaters in the country. His projects included the scenery and curtain at Child’s Opera House in Los Angeles, as well as scenery for the Boston’s Grand Opera House, the Globe Theatre in Boston, Booth’s Theater, the Union Square Theatre, and the California Theatre. For a number of years, he was the chief scenic artist under Jarrett & Palmer’s management and was engaged by E. G. Gilmore at Niblo’s Garden Theatre in 1880. At Niblo’s he created scenery based on designs sent by the Kiralfy Brothers for their spectacles too (New York Daily, 13 July 1879, page 6). In 1881, the family was running a prosperous boarding house in New York.

By 1890, Voegtlin was working with two other well-known artists, Ernest Albert and Henry Hoyt, on productions for the Chicago Opera House such as “Cinderella” and “Bluebeard Jr.” In 1892 he and Joseph D. Claire and produced scenery for “Kajanka,” the pantomime (Altoona Evening Telegram, 3 May 1892, page 3). Voegtlin passed away at the age of 57 in 1892, after suffering for years inflammatory rheumatism. He was interred at Forest Hills cemetery (The Boston Globe, 1 June 1892, page 10). His pallbearers included many well-known scenic artists: Henry C. Tryon, Charles Witham, John A. Thompson, William Gill, Victor Lawson, Henry E. Dixey, William Dixon, and Mr. Brooker.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: All That Glitters Isn’t Gold

All That Glitters Isn’t Gold

Detail fo foil strips in New Jerusalem scene at Scottish Rite in Quincy, Illinois.

There is something magical about metallic colors on painted scenery. Metallic gold shifts from a deep bronze in the shadows to a brilliant gold under light. Catching a glimpse of Dutch metal or foil strips from different angles makes a backdrop come to life. It can add life to the painted stage picture. However, the application of metallic accents must be sparse and effectively lit for it to work. Seldom have I encountered a metallic paint or a glitter glaze on Scottish Rite scenery; on my travels I have primarily encountered the use of foils. Early twentieth century Masonic scenery incorporated foil strips that suggested fiery blazes of the underworld or brilliant rays emanating from heaven above.

Hell scene detail from Sosman & Landis backdrop created for the Winona Scottish Rite.

Detail on hell cut drop produced for the Winona Scottish Rite.

Detail of paperbacked foils for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite hell scene.

It was not until the 1920s that metallic paint began to replace the foil strips and Dutch metals, a popular effect throughout the nineteenth century for fairy scenes and sparkling underwater caverns. Many degree settings for Scottish Rite productions used foil strips to outline demonic figures and rocky outcrops. It was a scenic illusion suggesting the fiery pits of the underworld. As the drop moved, the foil strips reflected stage lights, creating a sparkle that suggested firelight. It was an extremely labor intensive process; especially when considering the amount of time already spent attaching netting if it was a cut drop. Hell scenes were incredibly expensive to create in a scenic studio.

Paper-backed foils are very visible from the audience, much more so than metallic paint or glitter. The crinkles on each foil strip allow reflective highlights to appear natural. Both Scottish Rite scenery collections in Joplin, Missouri, and Moline, Illinois, have areas accentuated with metallic paint and glitter, not foils. Both collections date from the 1920s. During this decade, many studio techniques became less labor-intensive and streamlined. The new techniques were not always an improvement, but cost effective as the new processes saved the studio time and money. Unfortunately, decades would reveal that many of the new studio techniques would prove problematic. One example is the replacement of individually gluing knotted intersections on netted cut drop with large swaths of glue along the perimeter. It was a faster process, but over time, these large areas of glue became brittle and puckered the painted surface. Those with dots of glue on knotted intersections remained flexible and undetectable from the audience.

Moline Scottish Rite. This technique replace the gluing of each knotted intersection, saving time to attach. This is also a refurbished drop that was reinstalled at a second Scottish Rite venue, so you can see the previous netting and dots.

Milwaukee Scottish Rite. A netted section with individual glue dots on knotted intersections.

In addition to the introduction of timesaving techniques, there were other factors to consider. The increased use of electric lights occasionally caused painted compositions to appear flat, necessitation the additional of metallic paint to palatial interiors, garden scenes, and treasure chambers to give it a little life and movement. The increased intensity of electric light diminished the depth of painted scenery. Furthermore, a new generation of scenic artists lacked some the fine art experience acquired by their predecessors, thus incorporating new painting techniques that departed from a more traditional stage aesthetic. The increased use of draperies and dimensional scenery further shifted scenic art techniques and use of alternative materials.

Detail of glitter used for demonic eye in the hell cut drop at the Joplin Scottish Rite.

Another example of glitter being used on a cut drop at the Joplln Scottish Rite

Glitter used to accentuate serpents in the hell scene at the Moline Scottish Rite.

Metallic gold detail on columns at the Moline Scottish Rite

Metallic ornament on columns for palace leg drops and backdrop at the Moline Scottish Rite

I was delighted to encounter the metallic paint and glaze with glitter on some of the Scottish Rite scenery in Joplin, Missouri, on the final day of our trip. The fiery scene from the underworld was a lovely composition where demonic eyes were accentuated with a glitter glaze. Metallic paint was also applied to the gold bases of palatial columns for ornamental detail and highlight. This was an attempt to accentuate the metallic quality of the columns base, yet remained barely visible from the first row. I wonder if this was more for the Masonic client as they inspected it up close instead of for the actual Scottish Rite audience during a degree production. The painted metallic accents in Joplin and Moline are far less spectacular than those foil strips applied to Scottish Rite scenes for Cheyenne, WY; St. Paul, MN; Grand Forks, ND, Wichita, KS; Winona, MN; Fort Scott, KS; Tucson, AZ; an many other Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite Valleys. The quick dabs of metallic paint may have taken far less time for scenic artists to apply than foils, but they failed to deliver the same visual punch.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 410 – “Art on the Stage” 1881, Other Materials Used

Part 410: “Art on the Stage” 1881, Other Materials Used

“The Building News and Engineering Journal” published an article on the art of scene painting in 1881. Here is the third, and final, part.

Bag of Van Dyke Brown pigment. Photograph by Marc D. Hill. He has some amazing pictures. Here is the link: https://hiveminer.com/Tags/old,powder

Ultramarine blue dry pigment. Photograph by Marc D. Hill. He has some amazing pictures. Here is the link: https://hiveminer.com/Tags/old,powder

Bag of turquoise b pigment. Photograph by Marc D. Hill. He has some amazing pictures. Here is the link: https://hiveminer.com/Tags/old,powder

“Other Materials Used
The scene-painter, however, is not confined to colours in producing his effects. There is a number of other materials of great importance in scene-painting. The gorgeous dashes of blue, crimson, yellow, and purple that make the resplendent fairy grotto are not alone sufficient. The glitter that is seen on the many-coloured stalagmites and stalactites is produced by ordinary gold and silver leaf. Sometimes it becomes necessary to produce upon the scene a smooth, glittering surface which shall be coloured. This is produced by foil papers. They are made of paper with a polished metallic surface, and are very effective in fairy scenes. What are known as bronze powders are made of all shades. They are metallic powders of gold, silver, bronze, steel, blue, red, purple, and other shades. A brush full of glue is drawn across the required surface, and the bronze is spread over it. The consequent appearance is that of a rough metallic surface similar to that frosted silver.

In some scenes it is necessary to represent precious stones. The jewels in the walls of some Eastern despot’s palace cannot be imitated by paint with a sufficient degree of realism to stand the glare of gas and calcium light. Hence, theatrical art resorts to what are called “logies.” These are made of zinc, in the shape of a large jewel, and are set in the canvas. They are made in all colours; and thus, by a very cheap and easy process, the barbaric splendour of Persia or of Turkey may be reproduced in all its original opulence. Sometimes it becomes necessary to represent that changing sheen that is visible upon highly-polished metals when exposed to the rays of the sun. This is done by means of coloured lacquers. The surface of the metal is painted, and a wash of those lacquers, blending from one tint into another, is put over it. The light reflected from these different coloured washes produces the desired effect, and gives a highly realistic representation of a surface of metal.

An ice scene is never complete without some thing to produce glitter and sparkle. This effect is produced by “frostings” of crushed glass, which are made to adhere to the canvas in the same manner as the bronze powders. The elaborate ornamental work of interior scenes is always done by means of stencils cut in pasteboard. There are books published on fresco painting which give large numbers of beautiful designs for panels, ceilings, mouldings, and other ornamental work. Every scene-painter has a collection of these works. The ingenious artist, however, is constantly combining the different designs, and often invents new ones. He is thus enabled to present to the public an ever-changing variety.

The last thing that the scene-painter does before the production of a new play is to have his scenes set upon the stage at night in order that he can arrange the lighting of them. The “gas-man” of a theatre is the artist’s mainstay. It lies in his power to ruin the finest scene that was ever painted. Ground lights turned too high upon a moonlight scene, calciums with glass not properly tinted, or the shadow of a straight edged border-drop thrown across a delicate sky – all these things are ruin to the artist’s most careful work. The proper lighting of a scene is, therefore, a matter that requires the most careful study. The artist sits in the centre of the auditorium and minutely observes every nook and comer of his scene under the glare of gas. Here a light is turned up and there one is lowered until the proper effect is secured. The gas-man takes careful note of his directions, and the stage-manager oversees everything. Long after the audience has left the theatre on the night before the production of a new play, the stage-hands, the artist, and the stage manager are at work, and the public sees only the charming result of their labours when the curtain rises on the next night.

The end.”

To be continued…

An excerpt from the “Practical Guide to Scene Painting and Painting in Distemper” (F. Llyods, 1875)

“Foils – They are used chiefly in fairy scenes, for the purpose of imitating gold, silver, and jewels of every shade and color. They can be purchased at any theatrical wardrobe and ornament maker’s, as well as a few oil and color shops.

White, gold and copper – Colored Dutch metal. This is also sold by the above-mentioned dealers. It is, of course, cheaper, but tarnishes sooner.” (page 15).

The foils that I have encountered on Scottish Rite scenery are 1/4″ -3/8″ crinkled paper strips with a shiny “metal” surface that catches the light. The pictures shown below were taken during scenery evaluations at the following Scottish Rite theaters: Wichita (fairy scene images), Salina (Treasure chamber images), Grand Forks, Winona, and Santa Fe (Hades images).

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