Here is a double-painted flat from the nineteenth century; one side depicts a rocky mine setting (with diamond dust for silver veins) and the other side depicts a cloud setting (with gold paint outlining the clouds).
Double-painted flat, ca. 1879-1890. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado. Scenic artist currently unknown.Double-painted flat, ca. 1879-1890. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado. Scenic artist currently unknown.
The rocky mine setting included three pieces, but only one was double painted with clouds. The other two flats were back painted with a garden scene and will be posted tomorrow. All of these pieces were created for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, ca. 1879-1890.When the Leadville Elks (BPOE) purchased the building and renovated the stage and auditorium (1901-1902), the original scenery was replaced with new; the older collection tucked away in the attic. In September 2020, I led a group of volunteers to document the attic scenery and lower many pieces to the stage floor. I have yet to identify the scenic artist for this particular piece.
Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.
For more information about historic scenery collections at Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, or the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, use the keyword search function and type in “Tabor.”
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.
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.
There is something magical about the glitter of gold on a flat surface. Metallic gold will shift from a deep unreflective bronze in the shadows to a brilliant sparkling gold in the light. Looking at a gold highlight from different angles makes the overall surface come to life. It adds a little magic, or life, into the painted scene. The use of metallic glazing on theatre scenery, however, is not as effective as one has to be very select in the placement. The application must be sparse and effectively lit for the areas of the scene to glisten. The painting or the audience needs to also move for it to become visible. Imagine the hell scene and the metallic paper strips previously discussed. They only work very well if the backdrop slightly moves.
As a side note, one needs to understand the difference between a flat color and metallic color. Over the years I have repeatedly explained the difference between the opaque color gold and the metallic color gold. An example is my suggestion to use of gold metallic paint for the stars on the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center Lodge room ceiling. Early discussions included my painting metallic accents on each gold colored star. These samples were used to explain that gold metallic will reflect and move, the flat opaque color gold would not. Metallic stars on curved ceilings give the room movement– especially during Masonic ceremonials. In low lighting situations, the painted metallic stars would twinkle without the need for LED or other lights placed within each star. Unfortunately, the celestial skies ended up including white stars as the CEO could not comprehend the reflective quality and movement of a metallic paint.
Seldom have I encountered a lot of metallic glazing in Scottish Rite scenery. Typical metallic additions include metallic paper strips that are glued onto the painted surface to simulate the fiery blazes of hell or the rays from heaven. Most metallic paint appears after the 1920s. Here is my theory: prior to that time the scenic artist successfully painted golden treasure with flat colors, allowing sections of the composition to sparkle without the use of any metallic paint. During the 1920s, some of the scenic artists create compositions that were less dimensional – more flat. This means that the painted perspective was less effective. It is possible that the application of metallic paint was an attempt by 1920s scenic artists (and those generations after) to reintroduce life and dimension into a relatively flat painting.
There are two scenes in the Moline scenery collection that have an abundance of metallic glazing, almost too much to make it effective. In each scene, the composition takes on the 1920s characteristic of a foreground that appears much larger than life. These two scenes are reminiscent of the previously discussed tree trunks in St. Louis and the ruins in Fort Scott. In Moline, we again see massive columns in the foreground of each scene. There is an excessive amount of metallic glazing applied throughout the composition, from foreground to background. The excessive use destroys some of the painted perspective and illusory effect.
Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1930. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.
Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral,1930. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.
Note the large scale of the column bases compared to the standing individual. Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1930. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.
This application of gold paint is very visual within a few feet. The effect would have worked well up close upon initial inspection by a client. I have to wonder if that was the primary purpose – to impress representatives from the Valley of Moline. It really doesn’t read well from the auditorium as there is too much metallic painting within an overly complex composition. Metallic stars in the ceiling of lodges are sparse in deep blue settings. That is something entirely different – and effective. The metallic stars visually “pop” from the deep blue. In Moline, the metallic accents occur on lighter backgrounds and therefore compete with the surrounding composition, reading simply as dark gold.
Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1930. Gold accent on column. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.
Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1930. Gold accent on column. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.
Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1930. Gold accent on Egyptian column. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.
Note that entire wall uses metallic gold, yet primarily remains invisible from the audience. Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1930. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.
This is why metallic foil paper works better than metallic paint in the dark areas of the hell scene. The dimensionality of the metallic strips – the crinkles – selectively placed along the edges of figures or rocky outcrops add a little magic. The crinkles of the metallic paper allow the highlight to appear “natural.” It is similar to painting a broken line instead of a solid line in any composition. The broken line is more effective as the viewer’s eye fills in the line and it appears more natural. Furthermore, there needs to be a deep color from where the gold glistens – catching the light in a darkened chamber.
Metallic paper strips glued onto hell scenes. The placement is often in dark areas. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
I have also encountered backdrops where Masonic stagehands added a metallic sparkle decades after the fact. This was the case with the Fort Scott scenery. Some well-meaning individual decided to add metallic puff paint to Jacque DeMolay’s tomb. The dimension of the puff paint actually worked quite well, like the metallic paper strips due to the dimensional quality. When I first encountered the painted tomb during November 2015, I laughed out loud. Puff paint to spruce up a Knight Templar Tomb? But the dimensional paint was against a dark surface and selectively placed.
I have also come across sequins, metallic wrapping paper, and other shiny objects glued onto backdrops, especially on metal vessels in treasure scenes. If not lit properly, the painted golden vessels on a treasure chamber backdrop will appear flat. This causes stagehands to glue on shiny items to catch the light and allow the artifacts to glitter. Good idea? It’s debatable, but often hard to detect. Most of the lights need to be turned off, darkening the entire painted composition and allowing the metal objects to appear.
