Lighting – Page 6 – Drypigment.net

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Ample Opportunities, July 17

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Ample Opportunities, July 17

One of our Austin adventures included another trip to the Scottish Rite. We wanted to further explore the effects of electric lighting on the backdrops and brought a few people along. It is delightful to watch people see the magical transformation of light on painted scenery for the first time.

The appearance of light on dry pigment backdrops (also known as distemper painting) is partially created with the specific combination of colors selected by the scenic artist. A blue seascape was not created with pure blue paint from a can, or it would appear flat. A purple shadow was not created with purple paint from a can, or it will appear unnatural. Each backdrop color was a combination of both warm and cool pigments. In college, I was taught to “knock down” the brilliancy of a pure color from the can, adding a complimentary color. Part of this reasoning is to make the painting appear more natural, and not too vibrant as when it comes straight out of the can. Another reason is that both the warm and cool colors uniquely reflect light – it is all about optics.

When making a lovely purple shadow that defines a nineteenth-century forest composition, or some architectural detail, the historical combination of complimentary colors may be ultramarine blue and French mineral orange. This is just one example. There is both a warmth and coolness represented in this color combination throughout the composition.

During two conversations with historic theater owners, I was able to watch their complete comprehension of a historical aesthetic; the facial expressions said everything as they processed the information. That being said, not all people understand color. Not all people understand the variables in painting techniques throughout the 19^th and 20^th century. I encountered two people today who understood both – this is remarkable

Both understood exactly what I was talking about in terms of color palette as we watched the drop’s magical transition under different lighting effects. It was some of the most exciting exchange of information that I have ever had with a potential client. I recorded the scenic illusions in both still photography and videography, capturing the effects of various lighting effects on historical drops. These images were shared with many colleagues at the conference, as well as theatre owners. All were astounded at how the stage composition shifted in appearance and overall composition. At one point, he exclaimed, “I can’t believe how it looks like an entirely different setting now. It’s the lights!” It IS a big deal to present the possibilities to a historic theater owner. This is one of the reasons that early 20^th century scenic studios used electrified models to display the scenery; you have to see it to believe it. There are so many possibilities for the stage, with minimal investment.

After our Scottish Rite adventure, we accompanied our friend Frank Cortez to the Long Center. Cortez runs the backstage area at the Long center as well as taking care of the aging counterweight system at the Austin Scottish Rite. He is an amazing and very talented professional. It is wonderful to see a space through the eyes of someone who has worked in a performance venue for years; there is both the presentation of the flaws and advantages of the venue. What a lovely space. I absorbed much information about the current counterweight system like a sponge; I love the mechanics of the entire system and wish that I had studied the intricacies of theatrical rigging just a tad more while in college. After a long day, we returned to our lodging and later met with a dear friend, Karen Maness. We exchanged stories about scenic art, the Press, and the future of our industry.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Austin Scottish Rite, a theatre within a theatre

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Austin Scottish Rite, a theatre within a theatre

Rick Boychuk and I met at the Austin Airport on Friday, June 13, 2018, for the League of Historic American Theatres national conference that would begin on Sunday, July 15. By that evening, Boychuk was streaming live on Facebook from the flies of the Austin Scottish Rite theater. He was accompanied by FB friend and local IATSE stagehand, another history buff who occasionally works for the Austin Scottish Rite – Frank Cortez. Braving excessive heat, the two navigated three galleries above the stage, two of which date from 1871. Fortunately, I wore completely inappropriate footwear and had to stay on stage level, conversing with the director of the space and looking for hidden treasures.

Frank Cortez and Rick Boychuk at the Austin Scottish Rite theatre

The Austin Scottish Rite was originally constructed in 1871 and opened in 1872 as a Turner Hall for the German social organization Turn Verein (pronounced toorn –fair – ine). This group was similar to the SOKOL halls in America for the Czech-Slovaks; each organization provided a home for immigrants to socialize and celebrate old world traditions. The Turner Hall members congregated to study the German language, celebrate exercise and carry on a variety of revered German customs that included musical performances and theatrical productions.

The Scottish Rite in Austin has a very convoluted history that is intermingled with the Ben Hur Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; too complex to discuss at this time. What is significant about the Austin Scottish Rite theater is that in 1914 the Masons retrofitted the 1871 Turner Hall for their degrees productions. This was a common practice for Scottish Rite Masons throughout the late nineteenth century as the renovated cathedrals, synagogues, and even a previous pork slaughter house, included theatrical stages, auditoriums, dressing rooms, properties areas and other performance spaces to produce Masonic degree work. This historical practice of the Fraternity is covered in many of my past installments.

I previously visited the Austin Scottish Rite during the fall of 2016, after the photo shoot for the Santa Fe book. My desire to have Boychuk look at this particular venue was due to the artistic provenance and my understanding of used stage scenery in Masonic theaters. My research suggested that a portion of the Austin scenery collection, and possibly the accompanying stage machinery, was purchased used from Guthrie, Oklahoma, and installed in Austin during 1914 or 1915. However, early communications between a theatrical manufacturer and two Austin Scottish Rite Bodies commenced in 1912. So, lets look at some of the facts that surround the transformation of a German social space into a Masonic performance space.

In 1910, the Guthrie Scottish Rite bodies began enlarging their Scottish Rite stage in the original building. This is not the massive complex that is a popular travel destination today. The enlargement of an existing stage occurred in a variety of Southern Jurisdiction Valleys, including Little Rock, Arkansas; Wichita, Kansas; and McAlester, Oklahoma. The original 15’ x 30’ scenery for the Guthrie Scottish Rite was replaced with new scenery measuring 19’ x 36’ in 1911.

Although enlarging scenery was a commonplace practice for growing Scottish Rite Valleys, the regalia and paraphernalia supplier (M. C. Lilley) did not recommend an alteration of the original scenery due to the amount of fabric and labor needed to enlarge the entire collection. This was solely a sales tactic to sell new merchandise, as I own a Scottish Rite collection that was enlarged from 14’ x 28’ to 20’ x 40’; it was certainly possible to do without making it noticeable from the audience.

Going back to the Austin Scottish Rite story. The Guthrie Bodies acquired their 1900 Scottish Rite scenery collection for approximately $7,500. This same scenery was returned in 1910 to the same company that sold it to them – M. C. Lilley – for a $1,400 credit on their purchase of new scenery. Around this same time, negotiations with the Austin Scottish Rite began, even thought the final purchase of used Scottish Rite scenery would not occur for a few years. This is the same year that the Santa Fe Scottish Rite was being completed. Both projects were contracted by M. C. Lilley & Co. of Columbus, Ohio, and all scenery and stage machinery subcontracted to Sosman & Landis. This was a very solid partnership with the western sales representative for M. C. Lilley, Bestor G. Brown, and the president of Sosman & Landis, Joseph S. Sosman, being well-known Scottish Rite Masons.

Many of the technical specifications for the new Santa Fe Scottish Rite lighting system were recommended for the Austin Scottish Rite, carefully described in a series of letters exchanged between the Valley of Austin and M. C. Lilley. Tensions were high as the Valley of Austin did not understand the complexity or the skill required to produce and install a Scottish Rite scenery collection, complete with an entire counterweight rigging system. The negotiations for the used scenery and the communications with the architects could be a book in itself – or a fabulous doctoral dissertation.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Reflections about Scottish Rite Scenery, Spatter and Lighting

Reflections about Scottish Rite Scenery, Spatter and Lighting

For some artists, the use of spatter is always the final step in painting every backdrop. Shaking a brush to scatter little dots of warm and cool colors throughout the painting completes the composition. This was not a common technique before the 1920s.

Spatter is used for a variety reasons. It can break up solid areas in a setting and provide texture. It can help shape and define objects such as tree trunks, interior walls, draperies, meadows and the exterior of buildings. It may suggest atmospheric conditions, such as rays of light emanating from clouds overhead or a hazy landscape.

Spatter used to enhance the distance of the landscape. Detail of Scottish Rite drop in Joplin, Missouri.

Spatter used to create texture for painted drapery. Scene from the Joplin Scottish Rite.

Spatter used to create texture on tree trunk. Scene from the Scottish Rite in Joplin, Missouri

Cool spatter used to reflect the cool lighting conditions in a crypt scene. Scene fromt the Joplin Scottish Rite.

Orange and blue spatter used in forest scene at the Scottish Rite in Hastings, Nebraska.

Sometimes, it is intended to help the composition, anticipating the possibility of a poor lighting design. As many of us know, certain light colors can “kill” portions of a painted scene, sapping the life out of the color. Spatter is a way to resuscitate a scene when poorly lit with an inappropriate color choice. Some individuals in charge of lighting a historic scene may not be familiar with the demands of two-dimensional settings and let one color dominate their palette – green for forests, red for hades. Proper lighting that mixes a few colors can make backdrops appear as magical and transformative. Uninformed choices in regard to color and intensity will make a backdrop static and lifeless. I have walked into many Scottish Rite buildings where the lighting fails to show the potential of what is possible on stage; the backdrops are lit with whatever color is predominant in the scene. Lighting is an important aspect of Scottish Rite degree productions as the scenes were designed with specific scenic illusions in mind and specific lighting. Often the border lights are red, blue and white. When more colors have been added in contemporary systems, they are seldom balanced to enhance the painted settings.

The Masonic stage crew often does not realize that there are transparent and translucent sections in painted compositions, intended for surprise revelations or the magical appearance of a hidden object or message. In some instances beautiful woodland scenes have the ability to depict brilliant sunsets, and this scenic effect has been forgotten over the decades. Stained glass windows in cathedrals will glow, enhancing the setting for a degree. Many Scottish Rite stage crews no longer realize the potential for each painted setting as a lot of the backdrops are no longer used during a reunion. Declining membership, shrinking stage crews, and the loss of backstage “memory” are all factors that now conceal these popular visual effects.

As Scottish Rite theaters continue to upgrade their lighting systems, some theatre consultants and system installers fail to understand that potential of historical backdrops and their lighting needs for degree productions; borders lights are replaced with a few individual lighting instruments. Clients are promised that the actors will be more visible with modern lighting, yet the painted illusion becomes collateral damage. Some of the new lighting systems for Scottish Rite stages have destroyed the historical aesthetic of the venue when the primary focus is redirected to the sole illumination of the actor – not the stage picture. Instead of placing an character within a scene as part of a unified whole, the performer is now placed in the midst of unevenly lit stage pictures that appear flat and unrealistic. The magic is disappearing.

The Hastings Scottish Rite was one just example of how a new lighting system was designed and installed for a historic venue without taking into an account that the purpose of the stage and that majority of performances would use painted drops. Sadly, all of the painted scenery now shows a series of “hot spots” across the top, accentuating wrinkles and other flaws on the painted surface. The previous border lights that provided a general wash over the painted surface were replaced with instruments that were not intended to illuminate large-scale paintings.

Border lights at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite. The system originally included blue, red and white lights. When a new system was installed in the 1930s, the new lamp colors were red, green and white, making nighttime scenes difficult to stage. The lights now hav an haphazard mix of red, green, blue and white lights.

Traditional border lights above a Scottish Rite stage in Madison, Wisconsin. These were the standard way to light painted scenery, providing a general wash over the painted backdrops. Sometimes, there were also strip lights placed along the bottom of each scene too.

The new lighting system for the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska, that replaced the original border lights.

The new lighting system at the Scottish Rite in Hastings, Nebraska, does not light painted scenery without throwing “hot spots” on the composition. They have seventy lines and over forty historic backdrops.

Strip lights at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite. these were placed on the floor behind leg drops to illuminate the lower portion of painted backdrops upstage.

In terms of modern lighting systems in Scottish Rite theaters -the Scottish Rite scenes from the 1920s that incorporated spatter into the painting process do better than those without. However, there is only so much the scenic artist can do to protect a composition from poor lighting conditions.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: A Visit to the Hastings Scottish Rite on June 16, 2018

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: A Visit to the Hastings Scottish Rite on June 16, 2018

During the summer of 1930, “The Nebraska State Journal” reported that the new $400,000 Hastings Masonic Center building was nearing completion (24 August 1930, page 39).

Postcard of the Masonic Center in Hasting’s Nebraska. We visited the Scottish Rite theater in the building on June 16, 2018.

We left our hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska, at 6:30am yesterday and headed to Hastings. At 8:30am we were scheduled to meet Phil and some volunteers to look at the scenery. There were two volunteers to help with the scenery, John and Jim.

Lines at the Scottish Rite in Hastings, facing the stage from the stage right side.

Lines and old Frank Adam lighting board at the Scottish Rite in Hastings, Nebraska

The old light board for the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

The layout of the stage was intriguing. The drop lines were handled at stage level and caged off in the stage right area. There were 70 line sets, but not necessarily placed in numerical order, suggesting that a few lines had moved over the decades. The shape of the stage was bizarre; not a rectangle, but the shape of the letter “D” with the curve upstage. The back of the stage was angled and much smaller than the proscenium opening, almost as if it were the corner of the building. However, this area was perfect for storing musical instruments, as not drops could be hung from above. The original Frank Adam lighting board was still present, just no longer in use. It was located up a small flight of stairs, stage right.

My records indicated that the drops were produced by Volland Studios during 1929 and installed in 1930. Interestingly, it appears as if not all the drops were constructed for this particular stage at the same time, or for this particular venue. Some were much too wide – folded back at the sides to fit on the pipes. The backdrops were originally constructed with jute webbing and tie lines on top and pipes pockets on the bottom.

I have come to realize that pipe pockets don’t last over time, even when they are part of the original installation. The sewing for pipe pockets introduces weakness into the original fabric; these weak areas, where the needle pierced the original fabric, fail over time. After several decades, it is like a perforated page and the pipes will fall to the stage. Depending on the type of fabric used to construct the pipe pocket, the actual fabric may fail also start to fail if the pipe rusts. In humid environments, the pipes not only rust, but also adheres to the fabric.

In Hastings, the fabric used for the pipe pockets was incredibly thin. It was almost like a lightweight dressmaking muslin, just black. All of the pipe pockets have started to fail and my Scottish Rite representatives realized that this was becoming a liability. We talked about a variety of options for the future – options that could be done immediately by the Masons for safety precautions. In one case we removed a pipe, and as we did, the fabric had to be pealed off of the pipe as rust had bonded the two together in areas.

Detail from the treasure scene at the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

As far as the drop construction, there were several features characteristic of the late 1920s. Typical to Scottish Rite scenery dating from this era includes an abundance of spatter throughout the composition. Also, characteristic of the time, the sides of the drop were finished prior to the painting, with the original tack marks to secure the fabric placed 2 ½ to 3 inches apart. This meant that there was no scalloping along the edges.

Scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

Treasure scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

Egyptian scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

King Solomon’s apartments scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

Painted details from King Solomon’s apartments scene at the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

The painting is beautiful, but the new lighting system is not. A lot of money was spent for a system that does not work well for painted scenery, or is easily used by its members. The area lights are not even on the stage floor, and there are hot spots all over the scenery. Not for the first time, a Scottish Rite was talked into something that doesn’t work for a historic venue; this is always frustrating to encounter.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 439 – Thomas G. Moses and “Winchester“

Part 439: Thomas G. Moses and “Winchester“

Thomas G. Moses recorded creating scenery for Edward McWade’s play “Winchester.” McWade was the author of this early Civil War drama. The five-act play premiered in 1897 and was an immediate success. The Buffalo Courier advertised “Winchester “ as the “best of all war plays” with “beautiful and realistic scenes” (22 Dec. 1901, page 22).

The play was about a romance, set in Winchester, Virginia during 1863. Virginia Randolph nurses a wounded Northern officer, Major Frank Kearney, back to health in her home. While there, Frank teaches Virginia telegraphy, unintentionally teaching her to intercept Union messages and send them to her brother, a Confederate captain. Although discovered, Franks’ romantic rival, Col. Dayton, and a Northern spy, Phillip Allen, accuse Kearney of treachery. Frank is court-martialed and scheduled to be executed at dawn. Virginia confesses her guilt to the commanding general, and then mounts her horse and rides down the moonlit roads with Frank’s reprieve in hand. This scene was popularized as “the race for life.” Advertisements for the show included a quote from the New York Morning Telegraph, “The second scene of the fifth act of “Winchester” would carry it; the heroine is shown in a wild ride with a reprieve for her lover, who is to be shot.” Virginia is pursued by the villainous Allen, whom she is forced to shoot from his horse during her dangerous ride. She reaches the firing squad just in the nick of time!

Advertisement of “Winchester,” from the Buffalo Courier, 22 Dec. 1901, page 21.

The show toured with treadmills for the horses and a moving panorama for this exciting scene. “Winchester” is also a significant production when examining the earliest uses of the moving pictures for stage-and-screen hybrid presentations. For a few productions, instead of using a moving panorama, a moving projection appeared in the upstage area to simulate the moving panorama. The consistent use of this scenic effect remains unclear, nor its overall success. There must have been the novelty of a new media incorporated into the stage, but could it really meet audience expectations for a moving panorama and onstage horse race? There would be a simple lack of color and atmosphere; a stage aesthetic that an early black and white film could never convey.

In 1901 McWade organized a new and ambitious production in New York at the American Theatre, hiring Margaret May Fish, a western actress and his future wife, to appear with her jumping horse Mazeppa. The show was to again use the racing machines popularized in earlier productions, such as “The County Fair.” This was the production that Moses worked on while living in New York. The new “Winchester” was to include 100 men and 25 horses for a full run of the show (The Saint Paul Globe, 28 Jan. 1902, page 6). Advertisements of the new touring production promised, “The same powerful cast, the same complete scenic equipment, the same thoroughbred racehorses, the same calcium lights exactly as used during the New York run. Guaranteed to be the best war play ever seen” (The Public Ledger, 16 February 1903, page 3).

The Public Ledger reported, “A carload of special scenery, properties and electrical effects are utilized scenically and mechanically, and two thoroughbred race horses are carried to vividly portray the thrilling ride” (17 February 1903, page 1).

Edward McWade (1865-1945) was an actor and writer who transitioned from the stage to film. He appeared in more than 132 films. His father and brother were also notable stage personalities, Robert McWade, Sr. (1835-1913) and Robert McWade, Jr. (1872-1938). Both McWade brothers went from Broadway to Hollywood, continuing successful acting careers. Edward McWade and his wife Margaret May performed in a number of stage and film productions together.

Margaret McWade and Louis Calhern in “The Blot” from 1921.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 418 – Thomas G. Moses’ Design for “Around the World in Eighty Days” – 1901

Part 418: Thomas G. Moses’ Design for “Around the World in Eighty Days” – 1901

In 1900, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Moses and Hamilton’s business kept increasing. Prices were good; also our collections.”

In addition to “Floradora,” Moses & Hamilton secured the contract for Henry Greenwall’s Stock Company productions. Of this work, he wrote, “We had some heavy shows, ‘Around the World in Eighty Days,’ ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ ‘Hazel Kirke,’ ‘Prodigal Daughter,’ forty shows in all. I had to make ground plans and models. I found I had my hands full.” “The Prodigal Daughter” opened the Greenwall Stock Company’s season on September 16, 1901.

Henry Greenwall (1832-1913) was a theatrical manager who fought the Theatre Syndicate at the end of the nineteenth century. A German immigrant, Greenwall grew to adulthood in New Orleans. He started out in a New Orleans brokerage firm, and soon moved to Galveston, Texas where he organized his own brokerage firm with his brother Morris. When a successful actress became financially indebted to the Greenwall brothers, they took over her management and began a new business venture in theatrical management.

Henry Greewall developed a circuit of theaters throughout Texas, in Galveston, Houston, Fort Worth, and Waco.

The Greenwall Theatre in New Orleans, from the “Picayune” (December 22, 1903, page 3).

He then expanded his holdings to include theatres in New Orleans, Atlanta, Memphis, Nashville, Savannah and even New York. Greenwall established the American Theatrical Exchange in New York, in opposition to the Theatrical Syndicate; the Syndicate was attempting to monopolize theatre in America. It was during Greenwall’s time in New York that he hired Moses.

By 1900, Greenwall spent most of the summer in New York forming stock companies to perform at his independent theatres (“Daily Picayune, 29 July 1900). By mid-August, the New York Clipper reported, “The Greenwall Theatrical Circuit Company, the new managers of the American Theatre, have taken possession of the house, and artists are now at work redecorating the lobbies and offices, and when the theatre is reopened on Saturday, September 1, it will present a decidedly attractive appearance” (11 August 1900).

An advertisement for Greenwall’s Stock Company, from the “Picayune” (6 Nov 1898, Page 7).

The Greenwall Stock Company at the American Theatre in New York was under the management of J. J. Coleman. This venture was so successful that Henry Greenwall soon expanded his holdings to add the Columbia Theatre in Brooklyn for the 1901-1902 season. Greenwall hired Moses & Hamilton to produce scenery for his touring stock shows, including “Around the World in Eighty Days.”

The New York Times reported, “The Christmas attraction at the American Theatre will be the revival of “Around the World in Eighty Days.” This spectacle was last seen in new York at the Bowery Theatre – now the Thalia – some six or eight years ago, and was produced a number of years ago at Niblo’s Garden” (22 Dec. 1901, page 28). The article was referencing the 1877 spectacle by the Kiralfy Bros at Niblo’s.

The 1877 production of “Around the World in 80 Days” by the Kiralfy Bros. at Niblo’s Garden.

The article continued, “Many improvements in stage devices, and especially in electrical effects, have been made since then, and these, it is said, will be taken advantage of in adding brilliancy to the present production” (“The New York Times” 24 Dec 1901, page 7).

The show toured to the Columbia Theatre next where the it did not receive rave reviews. The Brooklyn Eagle reported, “The large audience last night was inclined to show displeasure at the unexpected departure from the recent presentation of successful plays to Jules Verne’s well known and oft repeated spectacle, but it was soon won over by the clever acting of John Daly Murpy as Passe Partout, Frank E. Camp as Phineas Fogg, Asa Willard as John Archibald, E. L. Snader as John Fix and Valerie Bergere and Lillian Kemble as Ouda and Ayesha. They saved the presentation from failure, as one of two of the lesser lights had to be prompted, and several of the realistic features worked badly. The good ship Henrietta in the sixth act refused to explode as scheduled, the passenger coach in the famous trip over the Rockies in the fifth act tried hard to get ahead of the engine and partially succeeded, and one or two other similar incidents marred the performance. The redeeming features, however, outnumbered these partial mishaps, for the scenery at times was really splendid and the indications are that the play will run more smoothly as the week progresses” (The Brooklyn Eagle, 31 Dec 1901, page 6).

Henry Greenwall’s initial success in New York, however, was not meant to last. When the 1903-1904 season opened, the New York Clipper reported that the American Theatre was under new management – “Klaw and Erlanger and Weis” (15 September 1902). Similarly, Greenwall’s Columbia Theatre in Brooklyn was said to have transferred to the management of Albert Weis and Company and Jake Weeks (New York Clipper, 5 September 1903). By this time, Greenwall was 72 years old, and his focus was narrowing down to his first holdings in the Texas Circuit.

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…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 405 – “Scenery and Scene-Painters” 1871, fourth section

Part 405: “Scenery and Scene-Painters” 1871, fourth section

E. L. Blanchard wrote the article “Scenery and Scene-Painters” in 1871 for “The Era Almanack.” Here is the fourth of five sections.

“John Richards, the old Secretary of the Royal Academy, painted many years for the stage. His rural scenery for The Maid of the Mill is perpetuated in two line engravings, which are in the portfolios of all our old-fashioned collectors of English prints.

The first scene of “The Maid of the Mill,” designed by John Inigo Richards. Painting by John Inigo Richards (1731-1810)

Image: The first scene of “The Maid of the Mill,” designed by John Inigo Richards. Richards was a noted scenic artist, machinist and theatre designer. Engraving by William Woollett (1735-1785) after the painting by John Inigo Richards (1731-1810). 1768. Here is the link to the image: https://www.lubranomusic.com/pages/books/29668/samuel-arnold/the-first-scene-of-the-maid-of-the-mill-as-designed-by-mr-richards-fine-large-engraving-by-william

De Loutherbourg, who for some time delighted and astonished the town by his interesting dioramic exhibition, which he called “The Eidophusikon,” was the first to increase the effect of scenery by lighting from above the proscenium, and using colored glasses for the lamps.

De Loutherbourg’s “Eidophusikon.” Image from http://picturegoing.com/?p=4354

The key to De Loutherbourg’s “Eidophusikon, or Moving Diorama of Venice” from https://www.rc.umd.edu/gallery/key-eidophusikon-or-moving-diorama-venice

Philip-Jacques de Loutherbourg, R.A. (1740 – 1812), became known for his large naval works, scenic designs, and mechanical theatre called the “Eidophusikon.”

“An Avalanche in the Alps,” 1803, Philip James De Loutherbourg (1740-1812). Presented by the Friends of the Tate Gallery, 1965. Image at http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/philip-james-de-loutherbourg-145

Many ingenious devices, now familiar, in their effects at least, to a playgoing public, owe their adoption to the dashing, vigorous Flemish battle-painter, whose appearance was as martial as his pictures, and who Jack Bannister nicknamed “Field-Marshal Leatherbags.”

Another distinguished artist of the period was Mr. Greenwood, the grandfather of Mr. T. L. Greenwood, so long associated with the management of Sadler’s Wells Theatre. For many years the scenery of the Royal Circus (now the Surrey Theatre) was painted by Mr. Greenwood, who invested the ballets and serious musical spectacles brought out there by Mr. J. C. Cross with remarkable scenic attractions, and, when the artist was transferred to Drury Lane, he became even more prominent. Byron, in his “English Bards and Scottish Reviewers,” speaks of “Greenwood’s gay designs” as being then the chief support of the Drama of that period.

When John Kemble became Manager of Covent Garden Theatre, the accuracy of scenery and costume became more studied. One of the most eminent scene-painters of this period was William Capon, who died in September, 1827. He was born in 1757, and studied under Novosielski, the architect of the Italian Opera House, during which time he designed the Theatre and other buildings at Ranelagh Gardens, and painted several scenes for the Opera.

On the completion of New Drury, in 1794, Kemble engaged Capon for the scenic department, by which means the Manager was greatly assisted in his reformation of the stage. The artist had a private painting room, to which Kemble used to invite his friends to witness the progress of this scenic reform. Among these specimens were a Chapel of the pointed style of architecture, which occupied the whole stage, and was used for the performance of oratorios; six chamber wings of the same order, for general use on our old English plays, and very elaborately studio from actual remains; a View of New Palace Yard, Westminster, as it was in 1793, forty-one feet wide, with corresponding wings; the Ancient Palace of Westminster, as it was three hundred years back, carefully painted from authorities, and forty-two feet wide and thirty-four feet to the top of the scene; six wings representing ancient English streets; the Tower of London, restored to its earlier state for the play of Richard the Third; and for Jane Shore was painted the Council Chamber of Crosby House. All these scenes were spoken as the time as historical curiosities. Capon painted for John Kemble two magnificent interior views of Drury Lane and Covent Garden, for which he received about two hundred guineas. Unfortunately all his scenes were destroyed by the fire at Drury Lane in 1809, but he afterwards painted many scenes for Covent Garden which for several years must have completely satisfied the more critical eye of even a later generation, for several needed only a little re-touching to serve the Managements which preceded that of Mr. Macready.

In Elliston’s time Marinari and Stanton painted a beautiful drop scene for Drury Lane which was substituted for the green curtain. It was a fine composition of Grecian ruins, and figures within a splendidly-wrought frame, heightened with gold ornamentation. The figures were by Stanton, and the cost of the scene was nearly 700L.

In 1828 the principal scene-painters of Drury Lane were Stanfield, Andrews, and Marinari. Stanfield’s panoramas, at this period introduced into each successive pantomime, were triumphs of pictoral art. The two drop scenes then used between the acts were much admired. One, including the Coliseum, with other remains of classic architecture, was painted by Stanton; the other, from a picture by Claude, was from Stanfield’s pencil. The weight of each of these drops, with the roller and necessary adjuncts, was about 800lbs. In marine scenery Clarkston Stanfield had never been surpassed. Born at Sunderland in 1798, he had commenced life as a sailor, and he had well profited by his early experience of the lights and shadows of the seas. For many years Stanfield taught the pit and gallery to admire landscape art, and the occupants of the boxes to become connoisseurs. He decorated Drury Lane Theatre with works so beautiful that the public annually regretted the frail material of which they were composed, and the necessity for “new and gorgeous effects,” which caused this fine artist’s work to be successively obliterated. He create, and afterwards painted out with his own brush, more scenic masterpieces than any man, and in his time Clown and Pantaloon tumbled over and belabored one another in front of the most beautifully dazzling pictures which were ever presented to the eye of the playgoer.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 370 – The Machinery of the Grand Opera, 1897 (third section)

Part 370: The Machinery of the Grand Opera, 1897 (third section)

Here is the last of three posts concerning “The Machinery of the Grand Opera” by E. F. Keller:

Scenic artists at work on a paint bridge at the Metropolitan Opera in New York during 1897.

“This work, in any one of the heavy operas produced at the Metropolitan, requires the services of thirty-six stage hands. The entire force of men who work behind the scenes, out of sight of the audience, including property men and electricians and gas men, brings the number up to sixty persons. There are eight rows of border lights – namely, the lights across the stage behind the proscenium arch – and all of these, together with the remaining lights in the entire house, are worked from a single switchboard at the side of the stage.

The switchboard at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, 1897. Published in “Metropolitan Magazine.”

Of “drops” – which are the pieces of canvas upon which the scenes are painted – there are over three hundred in use in this establishment. Of set pieces, such as wings, rocks, pillars, outlined trees, and other examples of profile work, there are probably more than one thousand. When the scenic artists and carpenters began to make these pieces they were numbered and indexed systematically. But after the total reached six hundred or more the numbering process was abandoned, so that there is no definite knowledge at present on that score.

Photograph of the carpenter’s shop at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, from “The Machinery of the Grand Opera” by E. F. Keller, published in Metropolitan Magazine, 1897.

Photograph accompanying “The Machinery of the Grand Opera” by E. F. Keller, published in Metropolitan Magazine, 1897.

The regular day force of carpenters employed as the Opera House numbers fifteen men, whose work consists of building new scenes and repairing old ones. In case there is a big production on hand, requiring entirely new scenery, this force of men is materially enlarged and often doubled.

Another exceedingly vital department is that which involves the manipulation of the light effects. This does not merely require a knowledge o the part of the operator as to whether the illumination in the auditorium or on the stage is at a proper height, but it also demands an intimate knowledge of the shades and colorings necessary to the production of atmospheric effects.”

Tomorrow we will continues with the life and times of Thomas Moses as he makes the decision to accept work in New York.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 365 – “How Theatrical Scenery is Made,” 1898 (scale models, part 2)

Part 365: “How Theatrical Scenery is Made,” 1898 (scale models, part 2)

Below is an article depicting Joseph A. Physioc’s studio in New York, published in “The World” during 1898 (March 6, page 43). It provides great insight into the scenic art profession and design process at the end of the nineteenth century. Here is the second of four installments:

“The average person who goes to the theatre and is delighted and amazed with the beauties of the settings has the most shadowy idea of how they are brought about. He cannot grasp the enormous amount of work involved.

When a scenic artist is engaged to make the settings for a new production. The play itself is first read to him, or he may be permitted to read and study the play for himself. The manager determines how elaborate the scenes are to be.

The scenic artist is supposed to be able to roam over the wide world. He must know how a bungalow looks in India and make himself familiar with the vegetable life and foliage of the country. He must go research back in ancient Egypt of into modern Africa. He must know architecture and the habits and life of the people who appear in the play.

Of course the scenic painter carries these things and a thousand others that he must know in his head. But he must know where to turn for them. Sometimes the research requires months.

Then he must carefully study the action of the play and make all allowances for any business that is of more or less importance. He must preserve the harmonies. For instance, the surroundings of the romantic play like “Under the Red Robe” would be entirely different from a pastoral play, although they might be held in the same place. That which is called the optique de theatre must be preserved.

The scenic artist must so design the scenery that it may be easily handled, and above all, every piece must be so made that it will pass through a door of 9 feet 6 inches. That is the size of doors of baggage cars, and it is expected that every play will “go on the road.”

Physioc is now working upon the scenery for “The Bonnie Brier Bush,” and it serves as an excellent opportunity to illustrate the method of preparing for a big production.

After reading the play, he secured pictures of Drumtochty – actual photographs. He secured photographs of the houses and the furnishings. He read up on the manners of the people and made sure about the tables and chairs and the clocks and all manner of things.

Having gathered his material he prepared to lay out the scenes. First he drew a sketch on a piece of paper – a rough pencil sketch. Some of the minor interior scenes he worked out swiftly enough. The more important scenes were studied over for a long time. A day was spent over the final sketch of the third set scene, which is the most effective of the play.

Then he set about making the model, and this is the most important part of the whole process. It is an exact miniature representation of the scene as it will appear on stage.

It shows the Drumtochty in the background, spanned by bridges. In the middle ground the road apparently sinks into a depression. On the right is a hill, on the left a rye field surrounded by a stone fence.

The first difficult thing is perspective. Stage perspective is absolutely false, according to the rules of art and optics. But it is true to itself. The reason lies in the flat stage. The base line cannot conform to the line of vision. Therefore it is necessary to make an imaginary base line some five feet above the real line.

The color scheme is less important from the first. Your scenic painter must paint one scene to meet all manner of meteorological conditions. In this particular scene the action opens in the morning, late in midsummer. The mist is rising from the river and the mountains. This effect is secured by means of gauze and screens. Then the sun shines in splendor. Everything is bright and brilliant. The rye n the field is waving, the leaves in the trees are rustling. The lights are largely responsible for this effect.

Then a tremendous mountain storm breaks forth in darkness and fury. Again are the lights is to be depended upon, but the scenery must be so painted that the lights can be effective.

The rear drop is made to bear the burden. It is translucent. Throwing a light in front with the back dark makes one effect. A light back of the drop produces another. Wherefore it will be seen that the painting of these drops is a silicate matter. They must be effective, artistic, and have a similitude of truth under wholly different conditions.

Physioc finishes his models very carefully. He makes them to a scale of three-quarters of an inch to a foot. Every tree is in its place and painted carefully. The foliage is cut out exactly, as it is in a finished scene. And this is the only work that the artist does not do himself.

The finished model is firmly supported on a frame. It is about three and a half feet long. Then it is taken to the miniature stage for the final test. It is slipped in place and it only remains to turn on the lights.

In order to carry out the illusion, this little stage has a proscenium arch. It has footlights of different colors and all manner of other lights, including a calcium effect. The lights can be regulated so that any degree of brilliancy may be had. Physioc has established an electric-light plant of his own, simply for his miniature stage.

The switchboard is exactly like that in a theatre. It is much bigger than the stage itself. There are red lights, blue lights, combinations giving the effect of dawn, of early morning, of high noon, of dusk, of night, of storm and moonlight, every possible thing in the way of lighting on a stage is shown with this model. Nothing is left to guess work. It is perfectly demonstrated how a finished scene will look. If there is anything wrong, it can be corrected.

If you ever look at scenery at close range, you will understand what an advantage this miniature is. Physioc has found this device, which is his own invention, of enormous value. Often he has torn a model apart because the test showed that it was not satisfactory.

If the model meets with approval, then the making of the actual scenery begins. Of course the rear drop is the first thing painted, as this dominates the whole setting.”

To be continued…