Paint Frame – Drypigment.net

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Gaiety Theatre, Isle of Man, Sept. 17-18, 2023.

Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk and I hopped a plane on the morning of Sept. 17, 2023. Our final destination was the Gaiety Theatre and Opera House in Douglas on the Isle of Man.

Our descent to the Isle of Man on Sept. 17, 2023.

A view of the countryside between Douglas and the airport. When the sun comes out, it is paradise.

For quite some time, this theater has been on my bucket list.

Why?

Because of the drop curtain, painted by William T. Hemsley (1850-1918). It is absolutely exquisite, and one of the best examples of historic scenic art out there.

Drop curtain at the Gaiety Theatre.

For years, I have searched for detail images of Hemsley’s painting technique in online photos. My next post will look at the painted composition in detail. This post is about everything else.

Our tour guide was Alex Davidson, Light and Sound Technician at Villa Marina and Gaiety Theatre. Both are located along the promenade in Douglas.

Mike Hume, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Alex Davidson and Rick Boychuk, in front of the Gaiety Theatre, Douglas, Isle of Man, Sept. 18, 2023.

For geographical context, here is a map with the location of the theater.

The theater is right near the red box that says ” You are Here.”

The garden across from the theatre, alongside the Promenade.

As the tide comes in later that day.

Another view of the Promenade later that day when the tide is in again.

A view of the theatre from the beach at low tide on the morning of Sept. 18, 2023.

Yes, we saw our share of rain. Especially when Mike and I went to visit the Laxey waterwheel on the morning of our second day in Douglas. By the way, Lady Isabella is the largest waterwheel in the world. Here are a few photos from our side trip.

The waterwheel in Laxey, Lady Isabella.

Another view of the water wheel.

Information about the water wheel.

Mechanical information.

But the sun came out by the afternoon. Back to the Gaiety Theatre…

Gaiety Theatre, Douglas, Isle of Man.

Designed by architect Frank Matcham, the Gaiety Theatre opened on July 16, 1900. It was constructed on the same site of a previous venue; an entertainment pavilion. Matcham’s design utilized many parts of the original structure, including the roof.

The Pavilion Theatre, Douglas, Isle of Man.

Interior of the Pavilion Theatre, Douglas, Isle of Man.

A portion of the Pavilion Theatre’s ceiling still remains in the gallery section of the auditorium.

Our visit to both the grid and dome above the auditorium ceiling gave us an opportunity to examine the original structure.

The original Pavilion Theatre roof and the Gaiety Theatre grid, with Rick Boychuk for scale.

Alex Davidson on the Gaiety Theatre gridiron.

Mike Hume next to the drum for the paint frame.

Drum for the paint frame below.

Above the auditorium dome, designed by Frank Matcham for the Gaiety Theatre. It was placed well below the original Pavilion Theatre roof.

Ornamental iron work remains above the current auditorium doom.

The original Pavilion ceiling was incorporated into Matcham’s design for the ceiling above the gallery.

Part of an original Pavilion Theatre arch was preserved in the stairwell.

Here are some photographs of the auditorium.

Grand drape at the Gaiety Theatre.

The ceiling of the auditorium.

Ceiling detail.

Auditorium boxes, house left.

Auditorium boxes, house right.

View from the house left box.

Another view of house right box and drop curtain.

View from the house right box.

Statuary near house right box.

More architectural details.

More architectural details.

Entrance to the Gaiety Theatre.

Behind the Main Drape.

Movable grooves, so that the wings can be angled.

Movable grooves, so that the wings can be angled.

Upstage. Notice the underside of the paint room and bridge.

Doorway to the paint room.

Paint room at the Gaiety Theatre.

Another view of the paint room.

Skylights for paint room. Alex pulled one of the shades. The angle of the light is perfect so that no shadows are cast on the frame when one is painting.

Movable paint frame.

Paint frame detail.

Paint room sink.

Windlass for the paint frame.

Another view of the windlass.

Under-stage machinery at the Gaiety Theatre.

Here are some images of the machinery below the stage.

Under-stage machinery at the Gaiety Theatre.

Under-stage machinery at the Gaiety Theatre.

The Corsican Trap at the Gaiety Theatre.

A working model of the Coriscan Trap.

A working model of the Corsican Trap. The model researched and constructed by Robert Stafford. The model was designed and painted by John Romayne.

The paperwork for the Corsican Trap Model with history and other information.

Under-stage machinery at the Gaiety Theatre.

Here is a link to see an 8-minute YouTube video of the Gaiety Theatre Traps in action, including the Corsican Model and Corsican Trap: https://youtu.be/-TyNJKbB88g?si=F7p7fEf_3Ah-K-Zh

If you are interested in learning more about this exquisite venue, please consider purchasing “A Full Circle, 100 Years of the Gaiety Theatre and Opera House” by Roy McMillan.

Here is a link to the venue’s website:https://www.villagaiety.com/hire-us/gaiety-theatre/

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Citizen’s Theatre, Glasgow, Sept. 16, 2023

A scene from our walk to the Citizen’s Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland, on Sept. 16, 2023.

A scene from our walk to the Citizen’s Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland, on Sept. 16, 2023.

The sun was out in Glasgow as Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, Megumi, Alan Butland, and I walked to the Citizen’s Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street. Here is a link for the history of the building, also known as “The Citz”: https://www.citz.co.uk/about/citizens-theatre/history-the-building

The Citizen’s Theatre on Sept. 16, 2023.

Mike Hume had arranged a tour with Graham Sutherland, head of production and client representative of the Redevelopment Project. In 2019, the Citizen’s Theatre broke ground on a £21.5 million project to enlarge and modernize the building. The reopening is currently anticipated for 2024.

Our visit necessitated that an architect to be on site, as the building is in the midst of a massive project; a big ask.

Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Megumi, and Alan Butland.

The complex is magnificent and I am especially intrigued with the history of the building. I can only hope to visit once the project is complete.

On Dec. 28, 1878, the venue opened as Her Majesty’s Theatre and Royal Opera House. Less than a year later, the building went under new management, was renovated, and rechristened the Royal Princess’s Theatre. On Oct. 24, 1879, the Glasgow Herald reported, “A lease of the theatre has, as we learn, been taken by Mr. Cecil Beryl, who will be favorably remembered by many playgoers, and arrangements have been made for the commencement of the season on the 22d of December with the production of Merrit’s drama ‘New Babylon,’ which has reached something like the 250^th night of performances at the Duke’s Theatre, London” (page 4).

On Dec. 19, 1879, the Glasgow Herald announced, “Our south-Side playhouse, rechristened the Royal Princess’s Theatre, is to be opened under the management of Mr. H. Cecil Beryl tom-morrow evening. During the time the establishment has been closed it has undergone considerable alteration and redecoration…a new act-drop painted by Mr. W. W. Small, and representing a scene on the Bosphorus, has been hung, while much of the scenery is fresh” (page 4). This was William Wilson Small (1830-1890), the resident artist who lived nearby. He is quite an interesting character, and now on my list of scenic artists to track down.

Small also painted scenery for the opening show that winter. An advertisement in the Glasgow Daily Mail on Dec. 27, 1879, credited Mr. H. Emden and Mr. Wm. W. Small as the scenic artists for New Babylon at the Royal Princess’s Theatre (page 1). They likely worked on paint bridges and frames high above the stage floor.

For visual reference of a paint bridge, here is an illustration by scenic artist Charles Graham for Harper’s Weekly Magazine in 1878.

Harper’s Weekly Magazine, Nov. 30, 1878.

It was not until 1894 that the Citizen’s Theatre backstage area was expanded to include a paint room with two vertical frames. Amazingly, the paint frames and machinery are still functional and intact. The distemper paint palette that scenic artists used for decades is also still in the space!

Here are a few photographs of the paint room from our tour.

Paint room with two frames at the Citizen’s Theatre.

Paint room at the Citizen’s Theatre. Notice the distemper paint palette on the right.

Graham explained that they were analyzing the paint on the walls to see what colors were used.

Paint-spattered walls and frame.

Looking up at the skylights.

Paint frame counterweight.

Winches in the paint room.

I will be curious to see what colors they identify, and if they are from the standard color palette promoted in Victorian scene painting manuals, such as F. Lloyds “Practical Guide to Scene Painting and Painting in Distemper.”

One of many scene painting guides published in the 19th-century.

Color chips were included in F. Lloyds’ book.

More color chips from F. Lloyds’ book.

It was not until Sept. 11, 1945, the theatre opened as The Citizen’s Theatre. Hume has written a lovely history about the venue and photographed the entire building before the current redevelopment project. Here is a link to his page: https://www.historictheatrephotos.com/Theatre/Citizens-Glasgow.aspx

Here are a few photographs of architectural details from our tour on Sept. 16, 2023.

Ceiling of the auditorium.

Ceiling detail.

Statuary detail.

Column detail.

Balcony detail.

For more information about the theater’s history, you can also visit: http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Glasgow/Citizens.htm

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Sept. 16, 2023

Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I visited Glasgow after attending the Tyne Opera House & Theatre conference last month. The stop not only offered an opportunity to visit historic theaters, but also an opportunity to visit our good friend Megumi, now scenic art tutor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. I first met Megumi in 2018 at a CITT (Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology) scene painting workshop in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada.

Megumi in front of Wallace Studios, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Megumi and Alan Butler joined Mike, Rick, and I on the morning and early afternoon of Sept. 16, 2023. We toured the Theatre Royal Glasgow, King’s Theatre, Tron Theatre, and the Citizen’s Theatre (the Citz). We then took Glasgow’s tiny subway, the “Clockwork Orange” to visit Megumi’s paint shop.

Glasgow’s tiny subway, now dubbed “Clockwork Orange.”

When it opened in 1896, it was only the third underground in the world; London had opened in 1863. For more information, here is a link to a “Glasgow Times” article about the subway: https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/13229439.one-penny-adventure-115-years-of-the-glasgow-subway-day-1-of-a-three-part-look-back-at-the-clockwork-oranges-history/

We took the subway across town to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Wallace Studios building. Megumi wanted to show us the motorized paint bridge in her paint shop and the two theater spaces.

Motorized bridge and paint frame at Wallace Studios, Royal Conservatoire, Scotland.

This was the first time that I have ever encountered a motorized bridge, where the paint frame is stationary and the painter moves up and down. This is opposite to what I use at home: a paint frame that moves while I remain stationary. I considered the pros and cons while I watched the bridge in action. The “con” of a motorized bridge is that you can’t quickly step back to see the entire composition, or rush to get something. It also requires a bit more planning when you shut the gate and operate the lift; no rushing to the sink. I can see that this system could slightly prolong the painting process in the long run. The “pro” is that retrieving dropped tools is far easier.

Motorized paint bridge at Wallace Studios.

Another view of the motorized paint bridge.

Controls for the motorized paint bridge.

When the paint bridge is “up.”

Caution sign on paint bridge gate.

Looking below the bridge when it is in the “up” position.

There is a second vertical paint frame in the nearby Royal Conservatoire of Scotland building that houses the New Athenaeum Theatre and Chandler Studio space.

The second paint frame at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland building that houses the New Athenaeum Theatre and Chandler Studio.

After touring the Wallace Studios, we headed to the Royal Conservatoire’s New Athenaeum Theatre and Chandler Studio. For geographical context, these two theaters are across the street from the Theatre Royal Glasgow (the site of our first theatre tour that day).

The Theatre Royal across the street from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Here are a few pictures from our tour of the studio building and theaters at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. For more information about the school, visit: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/

The New Athenaeum Theatre entrance.

The New Athenaeum Theatre auditorium.

The New Athenaeum stage and auditorium.

The New Athenaeum Theatre stage.

The New Athenaeum Theatre counterweight system.

The Chandler Studio entrance.

The Chandler Studio.

The Chandler Studio.

Map depicting out location at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Sept. 16, 2023.

Mike, Rick, Megumi, and I walked from the Theatre Royal Glasgow to the King’s Theatre on the morning of Sept. 16. There we met Alan Butland, who had journeyed up from Newcastle upon Tyne to spend the day with us.

Our visit to King’s Theatre had been facilitated by Gary Painter, of the UK’s Cinema Theatre Association, who had arranged for us to tag along with a public tour.

Mike Hume, Megumi, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Rick Boychuk and Alan Butland at the King’s Theatre. Glasgow.

The King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland

Auditorium at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow.

Detail of ornamental decor at King’s Theatre, Glasgow.

Entrance of the King’s Theatre, Glasgow.

Architectural details above the King’s Theatre entrance.

The waiting area before entering the auditorium, known as the Wedgewood Room. We tagged along with a public tour.

Ornamental details that caused this waiting area outside of the main auditorium to be named the Wedgewood Room.

Ornamental details that caused this waiting area outside of the main auditorium to be named the Wedgewood Room.

View from center stage.

Proscenium and opera boxes.

Another view of the boxes.

The ceiling at King’s Theatre.

Designed by well-known English architect Frank Matcham (1854-1920), the King’s Theatre opened on Sept. 12, 1904. The stage house still boasts a paint frame at the back. The shuttered windows (top right in picture below) illuminated the scenic artists’ paint studio.

Paint frame at the back of King’s Theatre, Scotland.

Another view of the paint frame and studio space.

Another view of the paint frame from the fly floor.

Looking up at the paint bridge (paint studio was to the immediate right of the bridge.

Rick Boychuk on the fly floor at King’s Theatre, Glasgow (stage right).

The grid at King’s Theatre.

Looking up at the grid.

Hemp lines on the fly floor.

Here are two links for more information about King’s Theatre Glasgow: http://kingstheatreglasgow.net/

https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre-glasgow/

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Sept. 10-11, 2023

On Sept. 10, 2023, Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, Grit Eckert, and I visited the Drury Lane Theatre.

Hume had scheduled a backstage tour with Michael “Biglad” Burgess-Shaw Head of Stage, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The tour was remarkable, both entertaining and informative as we explored the extensive the backstage area.

Rick Boychuk, Grit Eckert, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Biglad, and Mike Hume backstage at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

A view from above the stage.

Although everything was fascinating, my favorite part of the backstage tour was visiting the old paint studio. There is so much history spattered on the paint frames, walls, and floor. I have traced the careers of so many scenic artists who worked here. There is nothing quite like standing in the same spot where so many scenic artists, brush in hand, stood for decades.

The paint shop with four paint frames (two in the center).

Paint frame detail.

Paint frame detail, looking up toward skylights.

Next to the paint shop was the scenery storage area; now the main office. Old drops (from a touring production of Oklahoma) now decorated only one wall, now the sole legacy of a space that once housed so many more.

Photograph by Mike Hume. Extant “Oklahoma” drops on the wall.

Drops from a touring production of “Oklahoma” now decorate one wall.

Biglad, Grit, Rick, Wendy and Mike at Drury Lane.

We returned to the theater on September 11 for a front-of-house tour. Mark Fox showed us the rest of the building. We couldn’t have had a better tour guide. Fox is an amazing theatre historian, archivist and advertising manager for LW Theatres. Fox even wrote the book Theatre Royal Drury.

Wendy Waszut-Barrett. Mark Fox, Rick Boychuk and Mike Hume.

The Auditorium.

The Royal Box.

View from the Royal Box.

View from the balcony.

The tour wonderful! Mark’s passion about the building is evident, and he is full of fascinating information about the theater’s history, renovations, and decor.

Print of the auditorium.

Print of the rotunda and principle staircases.

The rotunda.

Looking across the rotunda.

Section of a main staircases.

Main staircase.

View from the exterior balcony.

View of the same balcony from the street.

Here are a few more pictures of highlights from our visit.

One of my favorite paintings – Fortunes by G. D. Leslie, RA. It was for the Royal Jubilee, 1887 Exposition. It is now on display in room behind the Royal Box.

Painted detail.

Painted detail.

Painted detail.

The second painting in the same room of June (actress, singer, dancer) by Herbert Draper.

Painted detail.

Painted detail.

Painted detail.

Painting by Seymour Lucas, Study of a New Act Curtain, 1911.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 575 – M. Armbruster & Sons Scenic Studio

Part 575: M. Armbruster & Sons Scenic Studio

The 1901-1902 Columbus Directory lists that M. Armbruster & Sons studio was located at 247-253 South Front Street. Matthias, Otto H., Albert E. and Emil G. were all listed as part of the firm in the city directory. Interestingly, Otto H. was working in New York for Moses & Hamilton during this same time. The home address for each of the men was noted as 247 S. Front Street.

The main studio building included offices and a property storage room. Wooden sheds provided extensions that provided additional storage for larger scenic pieces. By 1904, a journalist for the “Columbus Sunday Dispatch” described the interior layout of Armbruster’s studio. The first floor housed the carpenter’s shop, sewing room and storage areas. There was also a paper maché workroom on this level. It was in this room that a variety of set pieces were manufactured, including mantels, statuary, ornaments, and stage food for dining scenes.

Lower level of Armbruster studio (section of the carpenter shop). Armbruster Scenic Studio Collection, The Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute, The Ohio State University.

The second floor of the building afforded the best light for the paint shop. This area was 64 feet long, 62 feet wide, and 58 feet high. The Sunday Dispatch article described, “The canvas is stretched on frames, the largest of which there are two in number, extends almost the entire length of the floor as to permit of their being lowered, to accommodate the artist… A feature of the movable frames is that they are sort of set out from the wall, a sufficient distance to permit working behind. This is necessary in painting stained glass windows, where colors must not be seen until thrown through the canvas form lights behind.” The article continued, “In the center of the room are two large stationary frames, close together, between which is a platform which may be elevated or lowered as desired.” Each large movable paint frame was approximately 40 feet by 50 feet. The standard paint frame used by Armbruster artists was only 30 feet by 50 feet. The gridiron in the studio accommodated two standard frames lashed together, allowing the final size to measured 60 feet in length.

Image of Armbruster paint frame and hand cut stencils. Armbruster Scenic Studio Collection, The Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute, The Ohio State University.

The painting process for the studio was also described in detail, “The palette, for use in mixing the paints, is a table about ten feet long that can be pushed wherever needed. It has a separate compartment for brushes and for a number of pails of paint…The colors are taken from the cans and mixed on the flat surface of the palette or table.”

To be continued…