Rigging – Page 3 – Drypigment.net

TABOR OPERA HOUSE, LEADVILLE, COLORADO: Scenery for Von Suppe’s FATINIZA, ca. 1889-1895

In 1889, the Bostonians extended their tour to visit the Pacific states, including some remote mountain towns west of Denver. Previously known as the Boston Ideal Opera Company, the company traveled under the management of three principals, Karl, MacDonald and Barnabee.

*“Fatinitza” was performed the Bostonians at the Tabor Opera House in 1889.*

The Bostonians visited the Tabor Opera House in Leadville in July 1899, performing “Fatinitza” for a filled house. On July 8, 1889, the “Carbonate Chronicle” announced, “The great operatic event of the year in Leadville will be the appearance of the famous Bostonians. The success of the company has indeed been flattering – it is an American organization of which Americans may just feel proud.”

*Scene from Act I of “Fatinitza.” A Russian Outpost on the Danube River.*

*A shutter depicting a winter scene and a “Fatinitza” set piece labeled for act one of the opera.*

*Label on the door to the shack, showing this was used in “Fatinitza” at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.*

On June 24, 1889, the “Leadville Daily Chronicle” described how the extension of the Bostonian tour, expand their territory to Leadville. The article reported, “During their last engagement in Chicago a proposition to tour the leading cities of the Pacific slope was made to them by Will J. Davis, manager of the Haymarket theater in that city, acting for himself and Al Hayman, the manager of Baldwin’s theater and the New California theater of San Francisco. Terms were agreed upon, after some deliberation, for it was something unusual for this company to prolong its season so far into the summer as this tour is completed. However, all objections were surmounted, and Messrs. Hayman and Davis secured the celebrated singers by paying them a good round certainty for ten weeks. The speculative managers assumed the entire risk. The Bostonians left Chicago Sunday, April 28, for Los Angeles, where they sang the week of May 6. Then followed the tremendous four weeks success in San Francisco which has but recently closed. The company opens to-morrow night in Denver, following with engagements at Pueblo, Leadville, Colorado Springs, Lincoln, Nebraska, Omaha, and Sioux City. The company numbers some seventy-odd people, and includes all the principal artists, chorus singers and members of their own orchestra. They travel by special train and in very good style, it being the intention of Karl, Barnabee, and MacDonald, the proprietors, to furnish sleeping car accommodations for the entire company at their own expense. Costumes, personal baggage and special scenery help make the size of the special quite as large as most regular trains. The personnel of this company, anyway considered, is not approached by any similar organization in the country. It is almost wholly Bostonian, the exception being credited to Chicago, in the case of the three principals, while Cincinnati and Baltimore are credited with one each. There is a distinct New England flavor to the chorus and orchestra. The independent airs of the Boston girl are plainly present in the pretty young ladies in the chorus, while the young men might pass for Harvard students.”

*In 1889 the Bostonians transcontinental tour also stopped at the Grand Opera House in Salt Lake City, Utah.*

The “Leadville Daily Chronicle” rejoiced, “At last! After countless visits to Colorado by that greatest of all operatic organization, the Bostonians, Leadville will see them. While in the city last Thursday, Manager Peter McCourt of the Tabor Grand, Denver completed the arrangements whereby the great company will visit Leadville, the dates having been fixed on Monday and Tuesday, July 1 and 2” (June 24, 1889). However, the best laid plans don’t always work, and the troupe rearranged a section of the tour as Emma Abbot had already performed in “Bohemian Girl.”

On July 1, 1889, Leadville’s “Carbonate Chronicle” announced, “The ‘Bostonians’ Will Come Next Week and Give Us Two Treat.” The article continued, “The final arrangements were completed yesterday and the great organization with its many superb singers will give two performances at the Tabor Opera House. It was first decided, when Mr. Dailey, representing the company, was in Leadville, to play here on Monday and Tuesday, giving “Bohemian Girl” and “Fatiniza.” Learning that the former opera had been played here by the Abbott company, it was thought best to change that and also the dates, playing Pueblo and Colorado Springs before Leadville and also give Aspen a chance to see this really wonderful company. The state-tour, therefore, will be as follows: Monday, Colorado Springs; Tuesday and Wednesday, Pueblo; Thursday and Friday, Leadville; Saturday, Aspen. The “Musketeers” and “Fatinitza” will be played in the Cloud City, in the order named. The selection is a splendid one and could not have been bettered, The Bostonians will tour the state in their special train. The mounting and costuming of the opera’s will be one of the features at the Tabor. Among the principals appearing in the “Musketeers” will be Juliette Corden, Louise Bianchi, Carlotta Maconda, Josephine Bartlett, Gertrude Colby, W. H. McDonald, Edward Hoff, H. C. Barnabee and Fred Dixon. Marie Stoue and Jessie Bartlett Davis will be among the principals in “Fatinitza.”

*Poster from an 1879 production of “Fatinitza.”*

In 1889, the Bostonians toured with five rail cars: two Pullman buffet and sleeping cars, a day coach and two baggage cars (Sioux City Journal, 14 July 1889, page 9). Besides the principal artists there were thirty singers in the grand chorus, thirteen orchestral performers, and baggage, scene and property masters; seventy people toured with the company (Los Angeles Herald, 5 May 1889, page 3). The company toured with settings for six operas, but this did not mean that they were limited to those productions. In Leadville, “The Three Musketeers” replaced the anticipated “Bohemian Girl.” Also, not all communities or venues could support six full-scale productions. For example, the Bostonians performed only two operas in Leadville, while the advertised for six at Salt Lake City’s Grand Opera. This mean that the company toured with a significant amount of special scenery, and multiple shows necessitated careful labeling of each piece; individual pieces would be labeled for immediate identification. This is not to say that the Bostonians did not supplement their special scenery with stock scenery from the various venues, but they would have also used clearly labeled scenery. “Fatinitza,” required only three settings for the three-act opera; a Russian Outpost on the Danube; Izzet Pasha’s Harem; and Count Kantchukoff’s Palace.

*Before the “Fatinitza” door was cleaned and documented. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado.*

*After the “Fatinitza” door was cleaned and documented. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado.*

There is a door piece at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville that is clearly labeled “Fatinitza, Act 1st in 1, LH.” The extant door was for the Russian outpost on the Danube. Interestingly, the set piece does not stylistically match any of the other scenic items at the venue.

However, there remains one lone shutter that depicts half of a winter scene. Is it possible that a touring production left a scenic piece as they quickly packed up for their next stop? None of the other attic scenery was specifically marked for a show. The only common markings were on wings for groove set positions, such as L1 and R1. This would indicate stage left, first position and stage right, first position; down stage grooves.

As I was contemplating the possibility of the Bostonians, or another touring company, leaving a scenic piece at the Tabor Opera House, I came across an article in the “Los Angeles Daily Herald” from 1889. On May 5, an article about the Bostonians 1889 Transcontinental tour reported, “Nothing ever used in any of the many operas they present has been left behind. Scene, property, costume, and in fact every accessory to a perfectly finished performance of each opera was brought along” (page 3). Los Angeles was their first stop on the tour. I have to wonder if this was still the case as the tour neared an end in Leadville, and the elevation took its toll on both performers and stagehands.

“Fatinitza” returned to the Tabor Opera House in Leadville four years later. On April 20, 1893, the “Leadville Daily Chronicle” advertised three upcoming operas performed by a much smaller company, the Calhoun Opera Co. Their line up included “Fatinitza,” “Said Pasha” and “Boccaccio.” The shows were produced on a much smaller scale than the Bostonians in 1889. Instead of the Bostonian’s seventy-member company, the Calhoun Opera company toured with only forty people. Of these forty individuals, five of them constituted the orchestra. Reviews for the Calhoun Opera Co. shows were mediocre. Leadville’s “Herald Democrat” announced “an evenly balanced company.” The article continued, “One of the striking features of the Calhoun Opera Company is the nice equilibrium of the principles in producing artistic effects. They have been very intelligently selected, and the proprietor and chief manager, Mr. Shunk of Chicago, is to be congratulated on having organized a company that is compact and even well equipped to gain popular favor.”

Regardless of which touring company left the outpost hut for “Fatinitza,” the construction dates are approximately, 1885 to 1895.

*Detail of the “Fatinitza” hut at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.*

*Only one half of a winter scene remains. A shutter that was stored in the Tabor Opera House attic for over a century. Leadville, Colorado.*

*Painted detail of a winter scene shutter at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.*

Flat sheaves were placed at the bottom of the winter scene shutter, allowing it to effortlessly roll on and off stage during scene changes.

To be continued…

TABOR OPERA HOUSE, LEADVILLE, COLORADO: Horizon Setting, ca. 1888.

*The Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.*

From September 21-27, 2020, I led a group of local volunteers to document historic stage settings in the attic of the Tabor Opera House (Leadville, Colorado). Below are two horizon shutters and corresponding side wings. There were three sets of wings to accompany each set of shutters.

*Two horizon shutters and three side wings at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.*

When the Tabor Opera House stage was renovated at the beginning of the twentieth century, new scenery was purchased from the Kansas City Scenic Co. The Kansas City Scenic Co. subcontracted some of the project to Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio in Chicago.

The older scenery, especially that painted by T. Frank Cox and associates in 1888, was stored in the Tabor Opera House attic. The old scenery sat for over a century, until last month when we lowered most pieces to the stage floor. Each piece was lowered thru a small opening high above the proscenium wall, stage right side.

*Door to the stage floor, approximately 40′-0″ below.*

*View of pin rail and attic door from the stage floor.*

*Cut-down wings attached to an attic wall at the Tabor Opera House.*

Unfortunately, when some of the wings were placed in storage the height was reduced so that they could be tacked up to an attic wall. Each piece was cut down from 16′-0″ to 10′-0″. Of the original six wings, two had their bottoms cut off and three had their tops cut off. One wing had both the top and bottom trimmed.

*Horizon wing with 6′-0″ cut off at the top.*

*Horizon wing with 6′-0″ cut off from the bottom.*

These pieces are a delightful look at American theatre history. Shutters created backings for nineteenth and early-twentieth-century stage pictures. Serving the same function as a backdrop, they slid together. Flat sheaves were attached to the bottom of the shutters to help them effortlessly roll together. Once joined, the centre seam was barely noticeable from the audience. Scenes were easily shifted, and often double-painted. The back of each shutter and wing holds another composition.

*Flat sheaves attached to the bottom of shutters and wings allowed each piece to easily roll on and off stage during scene changes.*

Shutters and side wings were a perfect solution for theaters that did not have enough fly space to raise backdrops out of sight. Shutters masked the upstage area and wings masked the side stage area, while each supported painted illusion on the stage.

Wings and Shutters were standard stage settings for many American nineteenth and early-twentieth century stages. The Tabor Opera House shutter scenes are painted on linen fabric and tacked to pine frames. The scenic paint was a mixture of pure color (dry pigment) and diluted animal hide glue.

For more information about the historic scenery collections at the Tabor Opera House, visit www.drypigment.net and keyword search “Tabor Opera House.”

*Painted detail of sky and water on shutter.*

Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado: European Street Scene Shutters, ca. 1888.

From September 21-27, 2020, I led a group of local volunteers to document historic stage settings in the attic of the Tabor Opera House (Leadville, Colorado). Below are two shutters, dating from 1888. Shutters created backings for stage picture when rolled together, forming a perfect solution for theaters that did not have room to raise backdrops out of sight. Shutters paired with side wings to mask the off stage areas. Wings and shutters slid on and off the stage in grooves to form scenic illusion on nineteenth and twentieth century stages across the United States.

The scenes are painted on linen fabric and tacked to pine frames. Pure color (dry pigment) was mixed with a binder of diluted hide glue and applied to the linen.

Two shutters that form a European Street Scene at the Tabor Opera House.

Painted detail on shutter at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.

The shutter was stored in the Tabor Opera House attic when the stage was renovated from 1901-1902. In 2020, the shutter was documented and lowered to the stage floor.

Lowering a shutter from the attic to the stage floor.

Flat sheaves were attached to the bottoms of wings and shutter, allowing them to effortlessy roll on and off stage.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Part 1093 – Stage Machinery, 1877

While doing some last-minute research on scenic artist Henry C. Tryon in the “New York Clipper,” the heading “Stage Machinery” caught my eye. Eureka! What makes this discovery so exciting that the 1877 stage was referred to as “an engine of motion.” The article suggests that the stage resembles “those great engine-houses which have iron galleries and flying bridges all round.”

Below is one of the most detailed descriptions of nineteenth century stage machinery that I have read to date, identifying the shift from wings, shutters and roll drops to fly scenery.

The article was published in the “New York Clipper” on January 6, 1877. It provides a wonderful perspective during a time when fly drops began replacing shutters and roll drops. Here is the article in its entirety:

“STAGE MACHINERY .

A stage proves to be a very different thing from what the popular eye, gazing from pit or boxes , presumes it to be. A great arch , a sloping floor, pierced here and there with traps ; cellars below, regions above, grooves at each side, in which scenes glide forward or back; rollers stretching across, on which the “cloths” behind are rolled up—such is the popular ideal. But the stage of one of the “grand” houses offers a different spectacle . There is neither floor nor ceiling proper; but above there is a number of light galleries running round in tiers, while, instead of a floor or stage, properly so called , there is a vast expanse of open grating or cage-work, one below the other, the bars of which are parallel with the seats of a pit. The whole, therefore, is not “clear” from top to bottom, resembling one of those great engine-houses which have iron galleries and flying bridges all round. A large stage looks imposing enough from the boxes; but few, perhaps, are aware that below it, in a grand opera-bouse, there is a space of about the same height as the stage, and above more than twice that extent. Thus, the space devoted to performance is really no more than a seventh or eighth of a part of the unseen regions above, below and around it . The stage and the floors below (in a large theatre there are often four) thus appear like a series of gridirons , one beneath the other. This has been found a necessary arrangement, owing to the great scenes, stretching the whole width of the stage, that must ascend or descend, and have a clear passage. As these openings may be required at any part of the stage, the only mode is to make the entire stage an open frame covered with panels , which can be drawn away. A “trap” can thus be opened at any spot, as one of these panels containing the trap and its machinery can be inserted. Few persons are aware of what is the traditional and established engine of motion in all the great theatres , or how it is that in some ambitious transformation scene a huge iron frame, laden with fifty or sixty figures, can be raised aloft . The agency of windlasses and such mechanical powers would entail a vast expenditure of human strength, which, indeed, it would be found impossible to concentrate at a fixed point. The motive power behind the scenes is wonderfully simple, and even scientific, and has been in use without change for more than a century and a half. It consists in a permanent arrangement of great balance-weights always ready mounted, and with which the object to be raised can be readily connected. A child could raise a ton weight to a particular height if the cord passing over a pulley be balanced by another ton weight. Roof and basement, aloft and below, are filled with enormous rollers, each furnished with wheels something like that of a ship’s rudder. To these are attached a series of concentric drums, much like the cone-shaped wheel upon which a watch-chain is wound, for the purpose of allowing cords to be wound upon them. The balance-weights are hung ln grooves next the walls; while the cords attached to run them up to the root pass through pulleys and are then brought down to the drums, to which they are attached. When some slowly evolving transformation is in progress, to be crowned by the ascent of some glorified frame stretching the whole width of the stage, on which a number of ladies are bestowed, its ascent is thus contrived. The weight of the machine and its burden is roughly found; it is then attached to the counterpoises, the ropes in their course being made to pass over the drums of the windlass. The men who lower or raise it have therefore only a few pounds weight to deal with, and hence that smooth, even motion always to be seen in stage changes. In fact , the counterpoises, being slightly heavier, raise the machine itself, and have only to be controlled or checked by the men at the drum. So, too, is the heavy drop-scene made to ascend or descend, and with such motion that it can be made slow or rapid; so figures ascend through trap-doors . Even the great chandelier that lights the hall is thus balanced . —New Quarterly Magazine .

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Day 3 at The Tabor Opera House. September 23, 2020.

Volunteer crew for day 3 of scenery documentation at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, CO.

We all experience those tactile moments that conjure up images from the past, offering an instantaneous connection. It can be as simple as using your grandmother’s mixing bowl or your grandfather’s tools. There are so many ways to reconnect and remember times gone by.

Handling historic scenery offers a special connection to the past, especially if the setting has not been assembled for decades. I often wonder if the original creators are patiently waiting in the wings for their scene to appear once again on stage, occasionally stepping in to guide our fumbling hands.

Today, we set up two historic scenes on the stage of the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado; ones that had been stored in the attic for well over a century. Damaged and dusty, we carefully pieced together two interior sets. I spent a significant amount of time, both last night and this morning, contemplating how I would “put Humpty Dumpty back together again.” Some of the of pieces were intended to work with grooves, effortlessly sliding on an off stage. Others had anchors for stage braces. Some had no indication as to how they were supported. In the end, it just took time, muscle and a crew that trusted my gut instincts.

Stage setting stored in the Tabor Opera House attic for more than a century.

Doors added to setting, but the appropriate plug for the arch is still missing.

The doors and arches were the backside from the first setting. They are double-painted with a composition on each side.

The process was almost as satisfying as the outcome. It is hard to express my emotions as the stage was transformed today.

I first laid eyes on a piece from the setting two years ago. At the time I could only envision how this would look on stage. Seeing it assembled surpassed all of my expectations. Although some of the colors are faded and some of the fabric is torn, there is an insuppressible beauty to the painting. It was absolute magic.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1013 – Robert P. Carsen, Scenic Artist, Stage Mechanic and Studio Founder

Robert P. Carsen was a scenic artist, stage mechanic and studio founder. He was the one who many scenic studios contacted when they needed to subcontract a carpenter. Over the years Carsen was associated with Buhler, Peltz & Carsen Studio, Peltz & Carsen Studio and the Robt. P. Carsen Scenic Studio. He worked as over hire at many places too, including J. C. Becker & Bro. In the 1920s and 1930s, Robt. P. Carsen’s studio letterheads included, “constructors and painters of theatrical scenery.” His studios address was the same previously cited by Peltz & Carsen, 1507 North Clark Street, Chicago. Peltz passed away in 1919, but his son was also a stage carpenter that worked at Peltz & Carsen.

1923 Advertisement for Peltz & Carsen in a Chicago Directory.

Robert Peter Carlsen was born on May 27, 1876, in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. Like some other artists, he changed his last name to Carsen by the turn of the twentieth century. He was the son of two immigrants, Emelia Olsen (b. 1855) from Norway and Peter Carlsen (b. 1840) from Denmark. Robert was one of five children born to the couple after their marriage in 1875; two boys and three girls. His sisters were Hilda (b. 1883), Roze (b. 1886) and Helen (b. 1880), with an only brother was named Lewis O. (b. 1878). Lewis went by “Louie.” Both Robert and Louis worked in theatre.

In 1880, the Carlsen family resided at 157 Ivering Street in Faribault, Minnesota. By 1900, each of the boys was listed as a theatre “stage man” in the US Federal Census. At the time, the Carlsen family was living at 276 Goodhue, St. Paul.

The 1910 US Census reported Carsen in Chicago, living with his future wife and her son at 1364 Sedgwick St. Robert was lodging with Herman M. Peltz, Alice McGinnis, and her son Frank McGinnis, Jr. Alice’s maiden name was Bernstein, she was divorced from actor Frank McGinnis. Alice and Frank were married on Aug. 4, 1898.

On Oct. 31, 1912, Carsen married Alice L. Bernstein. He was 36 years old and she was 31 years old. Five years later, Carsen’s 1918 WWI draft registration card lists that he was a contractor and owns his own business at 1507 N. Clark St. This would have been Peltz & Carsen. He was described as tall, with a stout build, blue eyes and sandy hair.

In 1923, Carsen placed advertisements in education journals, business directories, and drama publications. For a why, he specialized in rentals and focused on amateur productions. The 1923 December issue of “The Drama Magazine” included a “Robt. P. Carsen Scenic Studios” ad space noted, “Rent everything in Scenery” (page 120). They were taking a new approach, offering an educational department:

“An announcement

SUSAN STUBBS GLOVER

Authority on lighting and settings for the amateur stage. Is director of our Educational Department. Mrs. Glover’s Screen Stage Settings have had editorial recognition from The Theatre, Variety and The Drama Magazine and her advice is sought by Schools, Colleges and Little Theatre. If you have a stage problem write for our questionnaire.”

Advertisement for Robt. P. Carsen Scenic Studios.

In 1924, Carsen delivered scenery for “Two Little Girls in Blue” at the Harlequin Club in Layfette, Indiana (Journal and Courier, 2 May 1924, page 2). Of the settings, the ‘Lafayette Journal and Courier” reported, “Most of the action of the play takes place aboard ship, making it necessary to provide an elaborate ship setting. The settings that will be used are an exact duplicate of the sets used in the original Erlanger production secured through the Robert Carsen scenic studio of Chicago.”

On May 15, 1925, Moline’s “Dispatch” reported, “The scenic investiture of Robin Hood presents a problem to amateur productions from Chicago, where he arranged with the Robert P. Carsen scenic studios to rent the original DeWolf Hopper scenery and properties as used in the Great Northern theater this winter. This scenery, amounting to almost a carload, will be shipped to Moline and patrons of the opera will be assured at least of the authentic period scenes of the well-loved Sherwood and Nottingham environs. In order that the opera may meet the high standard set by its promoters the costuming will be done by the New York Costume company, one of the finest costume houses in America.” (Moline, Illinois, page 20).

In 1927, Robert P. Carsen Scenic studio was credited with the new system at the Kenosha Theatre in Wisconsin. The “Kenosha News” reported, “The designing construction and rigging of the most modern stage equipment through which a theater giving stage presentations such as the Kenosha must hope to operate smoothly is the result of the efforts of the Robert P. Carsen Scenic Studio of 17507 N. Clark street, Chicago. The stage equipment, which has been pronounced by experts to be without fault, is the sum total of decades of experience in outfitting theater stages.

Carsen married for the second time, Katharine L. Slack in Clinton, Iowa, on July 8, 1941. Carsen passed away on March 10, 1958. At the time, he lived in Michianna Shores, Indiana, and was 81 years old. the death certificate listed his “usual occupation” as a manufacturer in the stage equipment industry. Interestingly, his death certificate lists his parents as Peter Carsen (not Carlson) and Emily Forsythe (not Olsen).

Like Herman Peltz, of Peltz & Carsen, the studio outlived him. The name of Carsen morphed into the studio of ACME, CARSEN & PAUSMACK.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Scenic Art Career of Lemuel L. Graham, 1884 to 1914.

Yesterday I examined the early life of Lemuel Laken Graham, a partnership with Thomas G. Moses in 1882, and his return to the Sosman & Landis Studio in 1883. By 1884, Graham left Chicago to start his own studio in Kansas City, Missouri. The 1885 Kansas City Directory lists Graham as a founder of the Kansas City scenic company studio known as Graham & Davis. At the time, Graham was residing at 637 Garfield Ave. His business partner, William Davis, was with the firm for less than only two years, and by 1886 studio was simply listed under Lemuel L. Graham.

In 1887, Graham was again listed in the Kansas City directory as a scenic artist with his studio at 525 Main, rooming at 517 E. Missouri ave. The 1888 Kansas City Directory lists “Lemuel L. Graham” as employer for other scenic artists in the city, such as Benjamin F. Dunn, future president of the Kansas City scenic Co. Two other bits of information in 1888 provide a little context for Graham’s career in Kansas City; the first is that Moses mentions stopping in Kansas City to visit Graham in his memoirs, writing, “He was doing well.” Indeed, Graham was doing very well, with a substantial staff of artists work in his studio. The second mention of Graham and his studio was included in the 1888 publication, “Industries of Kansas City: Historical, Descriptive, and Statistical.”

The section on Graham included the following listing:

L. L. Graham. Scenic Artist, Contractor for Stage Equipment, Theatre Hardware, Frame Work, Canvas, Traps, Bridges and Every Necessary Equipment of First Class Theatres, 525 & 527 Main Street.

There was an entire entry for Graham too:

“Mr. L. L. Graham is a prominent representative of the scenic art in Kansas City, having established this business here four years ago in conjunction with Mr. Davis, who withdrew from the firm some two years since. Mr. Graham is an adept in this line, having followed the business upwards of twenty-five years. His first experience in the school of art was had at McVickers’ Theater, Chicago, Ill. and subsequent training in San Francisco, Cleveland, Memphis and New Orleans. His establishment here is eligibly located at 525-527 Main Street, and consists of a studio and shops fitted up with every essential appliance and convenience for the correct and expeditious execution of the work, which comprises high art stage scenery and equipment, rich and elegant stage curtains, stage properties of every description, theatrical hardware, frame work, canvas, traps, bridges, etc. One special feature of Mr. Graham’s industry is his advertising drop curtain, which is richly draped on the top and sides with royal crimson and heavy bullion fringes and pendants gracefully falling on steps painted at bottom of curtain. In the center is a large and artistically painted picture in stucco frame, which is surrounded by a border of deep Prussian blue, divided into spaces for the insertion of business cards. The cards may be lettered in a becoming and artistic style in bright gold, the whole having a brilliant and pleasing effect. There are usually from eighteen to twenty of these spaces of varying sizes to suit the advertiser as to the amount he desires to pay. Full particulars concerning this feature will be furnished by mail, upon application, to theatre managers, hall proprietors and others interested as well as any other information appertaining to stage equipment and carpentry. Mr. Graham has executed stage work for some fifty or sixty houses in Nebraska, notably at Omaha and Lincoln, etc., and for forty five different houses in Kansas, including Winfield, Wichita and Anthony, and in St. Joe, Hannibal, Springfield and many others in Missouri. As many as thirty-six men in his employ upon an average weekly pay roll of $500.00, Mr. Graham giving his personal attention to every detail of this most intricate work. Contracts were made for Priests of Pallas and trades displays and pageants in Kansas.” Thirty-six men in Graham’s scenic studio is comparable to that of Sosman & Landis in Chicago at the same time. However, Graham did not remain in Kansas, heading east.”

This publication included an interesting commentary about scenic studios at the time: “Such industries as the one under special notice [L. L. Graham], are among the necessary concomitants of a rapidly developing metropolitan community, indicating that spirit of enterprise that caters to refined taste and social enjoyment.”

By 1896, Graham was listed as doing business with another scenic artist L. J. Couch (1838 – 1909). Little is known of their exact relationship or business, but it was an unsuccessful venture and makes me ponder Moses’ comment, “a good fellow and a hard worker, but altogether too close to please me.” Graham and Couch were listed in the “Boston Globe” under the heading “Business Troubles.” Of their scenic studio, the newspaper announced, “L. J. Couch and Lemuel L. Graham, doing business at 384 West 1st St, South Boston, under the firm of Levi Couch & Co., scenic painters, have been petitioned into insolvency by Edmund G. Pond, creditor” (The Boston Globe, 9 Jan. 1896, page 7). This is Graham’s third failed business venture in twelve years.

Couch was a scenic artist and inventor, specializing in stage hardware. Born in Milford, Connecticut, he was also a stage mechanic, with an extensive background as a general carpenter. This should have been the winning combination for Graham and Couch – both scenic artists, with one being a knowledgeable stage mechanic. Couch even applied for two patents that involved the operation of stage scenery. One was for a “wire rope clamp” (US Patent 756,158) and other for a “curtain block, drop” (US Patent 756,157). Here are the links to Couch’s two patents:

https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=00756157&IDKey=38593B643681%0D%0A&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D0756157.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F0756157%2526RS%3DPN%2F0756157

and

https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=00756158&IDKey=835F3B6405D6%0D%0A&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D0756158.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F0756158%2526RS%3DPN%2F0756158

Couch advertised his wire clamp in the “New England Business Directory and Gazetteer” (No. XXI, 1904).

Advertisement from the “New England Business Directory and Gazetteer,” No. XXI, 1904.

Couch’s background I fascinating, especially before he partnered with Graham. In 1890, Couch was working at the Bijou Theater in Boston, listed as stage carpenter in the city directory. He soon founded L. J. Couch & Co. and initially partnered with fellow scenic artist, David Richards from 1893-1895. As with Graham’s firm in Kansas City, L. J. Couch & Co. offered a wide range of theatrical goods ranging from painter scenery and theatrical hardware to general stage appliances.

After L. J. Couch & Company, Graham partnered with P. Todd Ackerman, another scenic artist. Their studio was initially located at the Broadway Theater in Brooklyn, New York. On Aug. 13, 1902, the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” reported that Graham and P. D. Ackerman took a mortgage with John C. Sceneck at Bushwick Ave. for $3900 (Conveyances, page 14). In 1903, “The Standard Union” listed: BUSHWICK AVE, s w s 100 n w Eastern Parkway Extension, 50×29.5x-x56.3; Lemuel L. Graham to Philip D. Ackerman; ½ pt; all liens….nom” (22 July 1903, page 10). There Studio Building 1576 to 1580 Bushwick Ave, New York.

Graham later set up his own studio on Crosby Avenue in Brooklyn, calling it L. L. Graham and Son. This must have been Revard Graham. In 1905, the US Census lists Graham and his wife living in Manhattan with their three children: Rachel Elizabeth, Ethel, and Revard Parker, ages 21, 13 and 10. Graham would remain in Brooklyn, New York, until his passing in 1914, yet listed “Graham & Son,” now working with Revard Graham. There remains one drop credited to L. L. Graham & son at the Grange Hall in Denmark, Maine.

Drop curtain for the Grange Hall in Denmark, Maine, credited to L.L. Graham & Son, Brooklyn, NY.

Signature of “L. L. Graham & Son.” Drop curtain for the Grange Hall in Denmark, Maine, credited to L.L. Graham & Son, Brooklyn, NY.

Painted detail. Drop curtain for the Grange Hall in Denmark, Maine, credited to L.L. Graham & Son, Brooklyn, NY.

Graham passed away after a brief illness on Sunday, Dec. 27, 1914, at the age of only 68. He died at his home, 3 Miller Ave, and was still working as a scenic artist (“The Standard Union,” 29 Dec. 1914, page 3). The Brooklyn Daily Eagle described Graham as “one of the best-known scenic artists of this country.” The article summarized, “[Graham] was known from coast to coast among theatrical men and had traveled through every State in the Union in his time, and his work was known in all of the principal cities.”

Here is Graham’s obituary in its entirety:

“L.L. Graham Artist, Dead.
Painted Many Scene and Curtains for Theatres. Had Studio Here. Curtain at Broadway Theatre His Creation. Lemuel Laken Graham, one of the country, died Sunday from heart failure after a long illness at his home. 3 Miller avenue, on the border line of Queens Borough, near Highland Park. Mr. Graham had a studio building on Crosby avenue, near his home, or ten years, funeral services will be held to-night with internment in Evergreens cemetery.

Mr. Graham was known from coast to coast among theatrical men and had traveled in every State in the Union in his time. His work was known in most of the principal cities. He was born in Ann Harbor, Mich., July 4, sixty-eight years ago, the son of the Rev. Daniel McBride Graham, a Baptiste clergyman and the president of Hillsdale College, Mich., and Ursula Graham. His father apprenticed him to the scene painting business in his youth and he early achieved fame in his chose calling.

He was associated with Sasman [sic.] and Landis of Chicago, for some years and painted the curtain for the Chicago Auditorium. Later he was a partner of L. J. Couch, of Boston, and in his studio there turned out some of the best known to stageland, While at Kansas City for a number of years, Mr. Graham was in charge of the great annual event there, the priest of Pallas parade, and created all of the floats and scenes used in the carnival. Mr. Graham and P. Todd [sic.] Ackerman did the decorations for the Broadway Theatre here, and he painted several curtains and numerous elaborate settings for Manhattan theatres.

Mr. Graham taught scene painting for years and some of the most skillful scenic artists in the country were his pupils. Of late years he confined his work to the creation of smaller scenes and he had a reputation for clever organizations. He leaves his wife, Elizabeth West Graham; a son Revard Parker Graham, a scenic artist, and a daughter, Mrs. Fermin Ferrer, of Laurelton, L. I.” (The Brooklyn Times, 29 Dec, 1914, age 12).

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Opening of the Tabor Opera House.

For additional installments, go to www.drypigment.net

The opening of the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, made news across the country. Even in Camden, New Jersey, the “Morning Post” reported, “Two years ago [Leadville] contained a half dozen log cabins, and to-day it is the second city in the State, with a population of 30,000, and doing an immense mercantile business, having finely laid out streets, and some very large buildings, the finest of which, just completes, is the Tabor Opera House, costing $30,000, besides four other theatres, all doing a good business. There are five first class hotels.” (24 Nov. 1879, page 1). With five theaters in town, even if there was only one “legitimate” one, each stage still needed some type of scenery or backing.

The Tabor Opera House in Leadville became part of the Silver Circuit. This advertisement was published in the premiere issue of Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide, 1896.

The earliest mention of the Tabor Opera House in any American theatrical guide appears in 1882, “Jno. B. Jeffery’s Guide and Directory.” Less than five years old, the Tabor Opera House was listed in the guide as one of three theaters in Leadville, alongside the Academy of Music and the Grand Central Theatre. The Academy of Music opened on March 28, 1881 and listed a seating capacity of 859 and “full stock of scenery.” There were no specifics given about the Tabor Opera House other than a seating capacity of 1,000 (page 12). By 1889, the entry was altered to note that the Tabor Grand Opera House “seats 750. A. H. Andrews’ opera chairs.” Jeffery’s Guide only provided limited information, so I checked out the other theatrical guides.

Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory for the Season of 1884-1885 gave a little more information about the Tabor Opera House. This listing was published only five years after the venue was built, noting that the size of the stage was 34’ x 60 feet and the proscenium opening was 17’-0” high by 23’-0” wide. The height from the stage to grooves was 16’-0” and the height from stage to rigging loft was 19’-0.” There were twelve sets of scenery credited the scenic artist “Burkey, of the Tabor Grand, Denver.” It was actually Henry E. Burcky, the scenic artist who created scenery for Tabor’s second theater – the Tabor Grand Opera in Denver, Colorado. Burcky did not live in Colorado, he was simply an itinerant artist with permanent residence was in Chicago.

By 1896 the Tabor Opera House had changed hands and was known as the Weston Opera House. It was listed in Julius Cahn’s Theatrical Guide for the 1896 season, noting a seating capacity of 900, but no mention of a scenic artist. The width of the proscenium was listed as 20’-0 wide, with 57’-0” between side walls and 47’-0” between girders. The grooves were still listed as a height of 16’-0”, with stage to rigging loft at 19’-6”; not much had changed beyond cramming more people into the auditorium. The listing noted five grooves for the stage. These measurements would remain constant until the opera house was renovated in 1901.

When the Leadville Elks purchased and renovated the building in 1901, the stage house was dramatically enlarged. Now known as the Elks Opera House, the proscenium width greatly increased from 20’-0” wide to 30’-0” wide. The height increased from 16’-0” to 24’-0”. The original height of 19’-0” to the rigging loft increased to 50’-0” and a fly gallery was added at 22’-0.” This necessitated the replacement of original scenery, consisting of wings, shutters, and roll drops, with fly scenery. Theatrical directories after 1902 specified “no grooves.”

Over the years, there were at least three scenery collections delivered to the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado: 1879, 1888, and 1902. I am going to try and examine the various scenery installations and theatrical manufacturers over the next few posts.

When the Tabor Opera House opened in 1879, the “Chicago Tribune” included an article about Leadville, Colorado (24 Dec, 1879, page). In the section titled “ Legitimate Drama,” the article reported, “It has often been asserted that in Leadville only the low variety shows could flourish, and that a first-class theatre could not be supported. Lieut. Gov. Tabor, W. H. Bush, and others of our leading citizens, having a better faith, accepted the challenge, erected a substantial and ornate building, supplied it with all the required fixtures and appliances, seated it with the latest improved opera chairs from the shops of you’re a. H. Andrews & Co., and finally engaged a first-class company, marshaled by Colorado’s favorite actor, J. S. Langrishe, and, with the genial Lou C. Leonard as treasurer, they opened it several weeks ago. Full houses have ever since greeted the players, and endorsed the enterprise. The auditorium, without having the florid gildings of many Eastern cities, is neat, graceful, and complete, – the only defacement being a picture of Gov. Tabor over the drop curtain, which is rather a caricature than a portrait.”

Evelyn E. Livingston Furman describes the 1879 scenery and drop curtain in her book, “The Tabor Opera House.” Furman moved to Leadville in 1932 and took a great interest in the history of the theater and Tabor family. However, she was not a scenic artist nor theatre professional. She may not have accurately dated all of the scenery while documenting it. Furman describes the composition of the 1879 front curtain as a “glorious” mountain scene with castle on a hill, stream at the mountain base and a road winding away to a distant canyon. This was a common composition for the time. The only missing elements not described my be an ornate frame around the central composition, painted draperies and center medallion of some sort to identify the location, or a cameo. She further described that at the top the scene was a life-sized portrait of Horace Tabor, which correlates to the “Chicago Tribune” article’s mention of his portrait.

Now this is where I begin to disagree with the published history. Furman credits J. B. Lamphere, as the creator of the piece and comments that he was a prominent New York and Philadelphia artist, and “one of the most prominent artists in the west.” I have not been able to uncover any mention of a well-known scenic artist named Lamphere to validate any of her statements. In fact, Lamphere is the first scenic artist that I have been unable to track down at all. I have not located him in theatrical guides or newspaper articles, which is extremely odd. In the 1870s and 1880s, scenic artists made top billing in newspapers and programmes. If Lamphere enjoyed any notoriety, especially in the major East Coast cities, there would be some mention of him. Who I did find connected with the manufacture of scenery for the Tabor was Henry E. Burcky. More on him tomorrow.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 806 – New York Studios and David H. Hunt, 1912

In 1912, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Sosman left for the south on a vacation. My work doubles. We are doing a lot of work for the New York Studios – not much profit in it for us, as Hunt seems to think we should be satisfied with a small profit. I have made a number of designs for him which I am pleased to do as long as we get the work.”

David H. Hunt pictured in the “Detroit Free Press,” 21 May 1903, page 12.

Hunt was a long-term employee at Sosman & Landis, founder of the theatrical management firm Sosman, Landis & Hunt (est. 1894), and founder of New York Studios (est. 1910). New York Studios was considered an eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis. In 1905, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Went to Baraboo to see Ringling Bros. Hunt went with me. I don’t know why, as I had to do all the talking and make the sketching for ‘The Field of the Cloth of Gold.’ We got the contract for $3,500.00.” Moses did not get along well with David H. Hunt of New Yorks Studios and periodically mentions the discord in his diary.

By 1910, tensions were high between Moses and Hunt, escalating when Joseph S. Sosman leaves on a 15-week European tour. At the time, both Moses and Hunt were left in charge of the studio, with shops in both Chicago and New York. Hunt was the company secretary and treasure, whereas Moses was responsible for the design, construction and installation of all projects. Of this time, Moses wrote, “Mr. Hunt was secretary and treasurer, and expected to run the business, but I wouldn’t allow it. Mr. Hunt kept on the road most of the time.” After Sosman returned and assessed the studio’s state of affairs, Moses wrote, “I heard some reports as to what Hunt had reported to Sosman about my treatment towards him. I got mad and wanted to quit. Sosman wouldn’t listen to me. I finally got cooled… I arrived June 25th. Sosman had his doubts as to my coming back.” It was around this time that Hunt officially established New York Studios. Smart move, as it was beginning to appear that Chicago was not big enough for both Moses and Hunt.

The establishment of New York Studios is the beginning to the eventual demise of Sosman & Landis. Sosman steps out of the daily running of the company, leaving it to others, while investing in new business ventures such as New York Studios, managed by friend and past employee Hunt. Keep in mind that Sosman was a scenic artist; Hunt was not. Hunt was also working on many other business endeavors that distracted him from solely focusing on any one company, whether it was Sosman & Landis, Sosman, Landis & Hunt, or New York Studios projects. Based on Moses’ description of Hunt and newspaper articles. Hunt reminds me a bit of a salesman selling any pyramid scheme, hoping for maximum returns with minimal investments; it is all based on the underlings beneath him doing the work.

Over the years, Hunt had remained a thorn in Moses’ side for many reasons, including his poor treatment of good artists; prompting many to leave the studio. The exodus of scenic artists from Sosman & Landis included Moses’ good friend, John H. Young. Young went on to dominate the Broadway scene as a well-known designer.

Hunt had started with Sosman & Landis during the early 1890s, quickly worming his way into both Sosman & Landis’ confidence. Although I have yet to find an official start date for Hunt, I estimate that his initial hiring was connected with many Columbian Exposition projects. By 1894, Hunt convinced Sosman & Landis to establish, the theatrical management firm of Sosman, Landis & Hunt. This was a secondary business venture; a company that leased theaters and founded touring companies in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Detroit. The firm kept Hunt busy as the primary manager for the endeavor, yet the Sosman & Landis studio staff from Chicago completed much of the necessary work. Moses’ diaries suggest that Hunt did not treat the artistic staff working for Sosman, Landis & Hunt well; scenic artists were swapped and directed to various projects like pawns on a chessboard, ready to be sacrificed at any point. Throughout this period Hunt had remained on the administrative end of the studio, always finding the public spotlight to share his great wisdom on a subject.

By 1910, Hunt also talked Sosman into investing in a new business venture – New York Studios. That year, Moses wrote, “Hunt had started a New York studio in New York City and he expected us to do a great deal of work, as he had Sosman invest a small amount.” New York Studios listed Adelaide A. Hunt as the President, Edward A. Morange as the vice president, and David H. Hunt, as the Treasurer. The company’s starting capital was $40,000, and listed the following directors: Edward A. Morange, Adelaide A. and David H. Hunt, with offices located at 325 W 29^thStreet, New York. Business listings noted that theatrical equipment was the primary product produced by the company. Now there were two scenic studios to consider, and only one Moses. In the 1919 Adelaide A. Hunt was still listed as president of New York Studios, with Edward Morange as Vice-President and David H. Hunt as treasurer, still supplying theatrical goods. Office locations varied from 29^th to 39^th to 95^th Streets. Many scenic artists worked for New York Studios including John H. Young, William F. Hamilton, Victor Higgins, William Smart, Art Rider, and Al Dutheridge to name a few.

1927 New York Studios advertisement in the publication, “Scenic Artist.”

New Yorks Studios was listed as the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis, whereas Sosman & Landis were listed at the western offices of New York Studios. Studio stamps on the back of some designs at the University of Minnesota’s Performing Arts scenery collection list the New York Studios “Home Office” at 328 West 39^th St. N.Y. There are other New York Studio designs that link designs to their “Chicago Office.” The Chicago Office for New York Studios was located at 1022 Consumers Building, separate from the main offices of Sosman & Landis on Clinton St.

Sosman & Landis Studio and New York Studios were two very separate entities. Although they shared work and scenic artists, Moses hints that New York Studios always got more out of the relationship than Sosman & Landis, always taking advantage of the situation.

Studio stamp on the back of a design, now part of the Holak Collection in the University of Minnesota Performing Arts Archives.

New York Studios design, now part of the Holak Collection in the University of Minnesota Performing Arts Archives.

New York Studios stencil on the back of a folding wood wing purchased by Thalian Hall, Wilmington, NC.

Between 1910 and 1912, Hunt and New York Studios were repeatedly mentioned in several newspaper articles across the country. One particular article concerned an electrical apparatus that enabled one man to handle sixty-five drops. Hunt was part of a group interviewed about the innovation; again his being in the right place at the right time. Hunt was chumming around with Martin Beck (manager of the Orpheum Theatre), A. C. Carson (manager of the Denver Orpheum), and Fred W. Vincent (New York booking offices). Regardless of Moses’ complaints, Hunt was a genius at social networking and always falling in with the right crowd.

In regard to Hunt keeping company with Beck, Carson and Vincent in 1910, I am including a section of the group interview with a “Lincoln Star” reporter. On Dec. 18, 1910, the “Lincoln Star” quoted Beck, “‘I have just inspected the invention of Seth Bailey, stage manager of the Orpheum in Denver,’ said Mr. Beck. ‘He has devised an electrical appliance which makes it possible for one man to handle sixty-five drops. It operates everything from the stage curtain to the back, gives absolute fire protection and does the work of an average of twenty stagehands. One man can operate it. It looks good to me, and if further tests prove it as successful as the indications are here we will install in all the Orpheum Theatres. ‘The apparatus for handling drops, consisting of ropes and counterweights, has been the same for 200 years,’ said A. C. Carson, manager of the Denver Orpheum house. ‘Mr. Bailey has perfected, the first invention, bringing the stage mechanism up to date. It has been a field neglected by inventors.’

By 1911, newspapers reported, “Theatrical men and others in Denver have organized a $500,000 corporation to manufacture a mechanical device, which, it claimed, will reduce the number of stage hands needed in a theatre by three-fourths, at least. The new corporation is called the Bailey Fly Rail Machine Company. It is incorporated under the laws of Colorado. Seth Bailey, stage carpenter at the Denver Orpheum, is the inventor of the device. He worked on it several years before he announced that it was successful. About two months ago Martin Beck, M. Meyerfeld Jr., John W. Considine and other vaudeville managers, met in Denver and saw a demonstration of the apparatus. They appeared to be highly pleased with it. The names of A. C. Carson, manager of the Denver Orpheum; Fred W. Feldwich and Frank Bancroft appear at the prime movers in the matter of incorporation. Mr. Bancroft is an attorney. The device is operated by electricity (“Wilkes-Barre Times Leader,” 18 Feb 1911, page 11). Other than patents, the stage carpenter and company seem to have vanished into thin air, as did Hunt’s association with the endeavor.

What remains significant in terms of theatre history is that Hunt was there, part of the vaudeville managers who gathered to see Bailey’s invention. He was certainly a mover and shaker. I will continue with David Hunt’s story tomorrow.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Ascher’s Capitol Theatre in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

After returning from the League of Historic Theatres’ national conference, I immediately was on the road again. I ventured east to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where I had the opportunity to visit a lovely theater in the midst of another renovation. Manitowoc has a population of 33,000 people and is located just south of Green Bay, Wisconsin on the shores of lake Michigan.

Originally constructed as Ascher’s Capitol Theatre, the venue opened on June 16, 1921. It was a combination house, featuring both vaudeville and film. Brothers Arthur and John George were responsible for the endeavor, the two well known as owners of a local wholesale grocery store.

On July 17, 1921, the “Herald News” reported, “You will gasp with astonishment at what has been erected for your entertainment.” The article continued, “You will hardly recognize that you are in Manitowoc. It will remind you of big-city stuff. The lighting the effects, the music, the program, all will combine to force the conviction that George Bros. have spared no expense or effort to give Manitowoc and vicinity the most wonderful amusement palace in the entire northwest.”

The theater is now known as the Capitol Civic Theatre, or Capitol Civic Center. I toured the impressive building on August 2, 2019, with the executive director as my guide.

The auditorium is currently undergoing a 3.5 million dollar restoration that includes the complete replacement of all theater seating, slightly reducing the overall capacity to include larger seats. The space is lovely, has a beautiful flow and ample room for patrons during pre-show and intermission times. Renovation on this historic space began in earnest during 1987 after the Capitol Civic Center, Inc. was established in Manitowoc to focus on the old theater. Ron Kaminski spearheaded the endeavor with support from local individuals and groups, such as of members of the Masquers. The renovated space opened on October 30, 1987, complete with a new Clancy rigging system.

Current Clancy system at the Capitol Theatre

In addition to the original theater, there are many other spaces that take up a substantial footprint on the downtown block. The Capitol Civic Center, Inc. complex currently includes total seven individual buildings. The website reports, “The West Auditorium (renovated in 2013 with campaign support from The Manitowoc Company), is enhanced by the Capitol Grand Lobby (the Mertens Family Lobby/Kadow Movie Museum and the Salutz Family Lobby just off the Box Office). The annex houses the administrative offices, the technical department, the green room, and loading dock facilities. Capitol Studios, expansive storage, and a non-operational historic pub and boarding house complete the properties.

Five full-time and five part-time employees, as well as over 170 volunteers staff Capitol Civic Centre, Inc. Now a successful enterprise, the organization received the Chamber Manitowoc County’s Non-Profit of the Year award in both 2007 and 2014. Now noted as an “anchor for activity in the heart of downtown Manitowoc,” approximately 40,000 individuals attend performances each year.

The renovated auditorium and new gathering areas are lovely, each serving as a tribute to the past. So what about the material cultural and history beyond the architecture and renovated spaces? The history of the stage appears sporadically throughout the complex, such as the historic lighting board, now serving as a decorative element in the new lounge and bar area. There area also a couple of historic scenic pieces tucked away in storage areas.

Once used for stage lighting, it is now a decorative element in a lounge at the Capitol Theatre

Until recently, the original painted fire curtain completed the architectural ornamentation of the auditorium. Citing the expense of encapsulation to preserve this painted piece, the historic artifact was disposed of and replaced with a non-descript and modern fire curtain. This was the last painted element hanging above the stage. The executive director shared images of the painting on his computer. Although it was not the most ornate composition that I have encountered, it unified the auditorium space, completing the fourth wall of the theater. I have encountered many similar designs in the Performing Arts archives at the University of Minnesota libraries and elsewhere over the years. 1920s asbestos curtains often continue the auditorium’s color scheme and painted décor. Once this painted ornament is removed from the auditorium, the entire dynamic of the space shifts.

An example of an Asbestos curtain design in the Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota

The executive director could not have been more accommodating during my visit, taking time to share historic images of painted scenes where once a prominent part of the stage house. We wandered into a storage area, so I could examine an extant wing and a tri-fold set piece. The painted wing composition was standard affair for a late 19^th century tormentor, complete with painted drapery, ornate column and pedestal. The other set piece depicted a fancy interior with some lovely gold ornament. I was allowed to to photograph details of the painting techniques. Examples that I will use in the upcoming professional development work shop with Jenny Knott this month. We are again partnering to teach a painting class at CITT/ICTS Rendez-Vous Annual Conference. This is the Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology, similar to USITT. One week from today, I journey to White Horse, a remote town in the Yukon where the conference is being held this year.

Painted detail of an extant set piece stored at the Capitol Theatre

Painted detail from an extant wing at the Capitol Theatre

After looking at the painted flats, I was guided up a long flight of stairs to see a historic drop. In a previous phone conversation, I was told that one rolled-up backdrop had survived and was neatly tucked away in an upper lever. I was not expecting to unroll anything, but wanted to see the wooden battens and quality of fabric, hoping to date the piece. In fact, there were three rolled up scenes, resting on a series of metal bars above a long hallway at the top of the stairs. In many ways, this is an ideal location for access to the drops, even though one would stop traffic if they were removed from the building.

Three drops in storage in a building adjacent to the Capitol Theatre

The wooden battens and fabric of the pieces suggest that all three pre-date the venue and were likely delivered to another theater. It is possible that the scenes were refurbished and sold to the Capitol Theatre in 1921, but more likely the scenes were “adopted” over time, finding their way over from a nearby opera house. Manitowoc was home to several theaters over the years, including the Manitowoc Opera House, located on the 400 block of North Eighth Street.

Unfortunately, I was unable to verify that any of the rolled backdrops were those depicted in the historic photos. It was obvious that one was a foliage composition, either a border or leg drop, as the piece was once netted. In regard to the other two, it is impossible to identify any subject matter.

I would be curious to see the painted compositions and if there are any studio markings to identify origin. However, these historic artifacts remain very low on the theater’s list of priorities and I doubt they will be unrolled anytime soon. At least they are safely tucked away where they may be forgotten, inadvertently preserving this history.

To be continued…