Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
On September 9, 2020, I published an article entitled “Maintaining and Restoring Historic Drops: How to Plan and What Not To Do.” This article was the result of several requests to share my restoration techniques with various scenic art groups.
It is time to share a revised version of the post as part of a my new series – Historic Stage Scenery Restoration 101. These articles will examine a variety of preservation methods for historic scenery. It will also highlight inappropriate materials and techniques; processes that can ultimately destroy culturally significant stage artifacts.
I am frequently asked about historic scenery maintenance and restoration techniques, with many suggesting I publish some form of manual. Unfortunately, there is no standard way to restore all historic backdrops, cut drops, leg drops, roll drops, borders, wings or shutters. Each one is different, demanding a custom approach based upon a unique set of criteria identified during the preliminary research phase.
Artistic provenance is key in determining a preservation strategy.
Extensive research must be completed prior to proposing a plan for the handling, cleaning, and repair of any large-scale artwork for the stage. Certain questions must be answered in advance: who manufactured the scenery, when was the scenery manufactured, and where was the scenery manufactured? It is also important to identify the original client and use. The answers to these questions are critical in determining the preservation strategy for individual drops or entire collections. These answers also prompt a subsequent series of questions regarding appropriate materials, techniques, processes, timelines, future display and overall use. Is this historic scene intended for display in a theater, or will it simply hang on a wall? How often will the scenery be used, if at all? The answers to these basic questions help formulate a plan.
In addition to understanding an artifact’s artistic provenance, all stakeholders must understand that certain materials and techniques will destroy historic stage scenery. I will explain what not to do, based on examples of poor repairs that I have encountered in the past. There are specific materials and techniques that should never be used on historic scenery or fragile fabrics, as they cause irreparable harm and can destroy a significant piece of theatre history.
It is very important to understand that contemporary scene painting is a dramatic departure from historic scene painting, specifically in terms of fabrics, painting products and artistic techniques. So much has changed over the past century. Historic scenic art is foreign ground for many contemporary scene painters, especially as certain types of training and materials have vanished from most college curricula and theatre apprenticeships. Just because one is a scenic artist does not make them qualified to restore historic paintings; the two are worlds apart. In other words, an ability to paint historic scenes doesn’t mean you should repair historic stage scenery. Similarly, a fine art conservator is not necessarily qualified to assess and propose the preservation or acceptable display of historic stage scenery. It is a fine line to walk, and there is not always a straight path from point A to point B.
The perception of historic scenery must always consider its original purpose. Everything becomes complicated when historic stage settings are solely perceived as fine artworks. For many art historians and conservators, stage scenery is simply considered a large-scale painting. Yet it is radically different from artworks that hang on a gallery wall. A stationary painting in a museum is viewed under fixed lighting. Such is not the case with historic scenery for the stage; it is part of a whole. Few individuals outside of the theatre industry understand the true metamorphic quality of scenic art, specifically how it partners with stage lighting systems. Scenic art, regardless its age, remains part of an interactive art form intended to withstand the handling of many. Scenic shifts are necessary in many productions. This means that standard conservation techniques do not always work for historic stage scenery, as they cannot withhold the demands of a scene change.
When stage scenery is identified as fine art, many methods selected for repair and preservation are based on traditional methods employed in art conservation, not those familiar with theatre history or stage technology. Therefore, the conservation of each drop follows strict conservation guidelines without considering the function. Accepted conservation practices are not always appropriate for the stage. Many art conservation materials are solvent based, posing fire threats as accelerants.
The first step in any scenery restoration project starts with research. You need to establish the artistic provenance of a stage artifact or scenery collection, and here are the questions that you need to ask, and why you need to ask them
1. ESTABLISHING ARTISTIC PROVENANCE
WHO made it? Is it a backdrop painted on cotton sheeting by a student for a class play in the 1920s, or is it a drop curtain constructed of Russian linen and painted by an internationally recognized artist in the 1890s? The manufacturer of a scenic piece matters, as it is integrally tied to the painting process and materials.
Many nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century American scenic artists attended art institutes, at home and abroad. In many cases, fine art studies were completed in addition to a lengthy apprenticeship at a professional scenic studio before striking out on one’s own. American scenic artists at this time were members of fine art organizations across the country, and much of their work continues to be treasured in the fine art world. For example, some scenic artists in the east belonged to the Salmagundi Club and/or Rochester Art Club. In the midwestern states, scenic artists studied at the Chicago Institute of Art, joining unique groups, such as the Palette & Chisel Club. In the west, scenic artists belonged to a variety of fine art organizations established in the Pacific North West, California, New Mexico and elsewhere. Theatrical scenery created by scenic artists should not be considered any less significant than their smaller fine art pieces. Large scale works provided generations of artists with opportunities to explore color theory, painting techniques, compositional lay outs and lighting conditions. Theatre scenery offered artists and opportunity to create a unique installation that was interactive. That being said, there were many amateur artists producing scenery; their work is easily identifiable, yet remains culturally significant too.
Regardless of skill level and/or final product, the terms “old backdrops,” “old backings for the stage,” and “old scenery” devalues stage art. Instead, refer to historic scenery as “large-scale artworks for the stage” painted by local, regional, national, or internationally recognized fine artists. Public perception is crucial when preserving theatrical heritage. Your terminology could save a piece of American theatre history, or world history.
WHEN was the artifact manufactured? The year, decade, and/or century that the theatrical scene was produced helps identify the type of fabric, paint, and painting process. Knowing the age of a scene helps identify various materials, especially the fabric and basic construction techniques. Fabric seams, whether vertical or horizontal, can also identify a particular era and studio. How the drop is suspended and operated also matters. Are there sandwich battens, rollers, jute webbing, or something else at the top and bottom of the scene? Is there a counterweight system with arbors or a pin rail with sandbags? Keep in mind that the overall suspension affects the deterioration of both the fabric and painted composition. Understanding the original materials and display are crucial in identifying and locating appropriate and compatible materials for any repair.
WHERE was the artifact manufactured? Location can help identify a specific construction and painting process. Certain regions adopted unique approaches to scenic art, often based upon the influx of immigrants. Scenic art in the United States began as a large melting pot of languages, traditions and techniques, with two dominant approaches emerging between 1850 and 1900. At this time American scenic artists primarily worked with opaque washes, thin glazes, and later a combination of the two. These artistic influences are still recognizable today across the country. For more information, read my article, “American Scenic Art: The Immigrant Contribution,” in TheatreInitiative Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand #110. It is available for online at https://archive.org/details/itheam_d4w-010_202009. Here is the a link to the pdf: https://issuu.com/itheam/docs/itheam_d4w-010.
Throughout the twentieth century American scenic art continued to change, incorporating new products and methods over the years. As an industry, many American scenic artists shifted from painting on vertical frames to the continental method (painting on the floor). A backdrop painted in 1920 and another painted in 1940 may seem light years apart when examining construction, materials, and painting techniques. When planning scenic repairs or complete restorations, one must intimately understand the entire scope of painting methodologies, traditional materials and historical techniques, as well as contemporary products to avoid.
Restoration is for the long term. Unlike the ephemeral nature of contemporary scenery for a short-run show, certain materials and techniques to repair historic scenery should be avoided. Use common sense and think of the big picture; one beyond a quick repair. The results from this project should outlive you and almost always remain reversible. That being said, stage settings are not fine art, created for a stationary place on a gallery wall. Your ultimate goal is to not permanently alter the artifact, but preserve it for continued use. Contemporary methods to patch and repair modern drops are seldom an option for historic ones. Likewise, contemporary methods for fine art conservation are not always appropriate for the theatrical stage. Let’s start with inappropriate fabric repairs.
Below is a list of specific materials and techniques that should never be used on historic scenery.
Metal: Sheet metal is never an option to patch fabric. The weight and sharp edges pose a threat and the rivets puncture the fabric.
Plaster: Plaster on fabric adds too much weight and the painted composition will stretch an irreparable amount.
Hot Melt Glue: This product embeds itself in the fibers and is irreversible, while adding unnecessary weight to the area. Hot melt glue should never be considered when repairing fragile fabrics or historic scenery. It is also an accelerant, posing a fire hazard.
Wood Glue: This product is too brittle to use on soft goods. It was also never intended for fabric; it’s for wood.
Wood Putty: This product was never intended for use on fabric. Again, it is for wood and too rigid for repairs.
Masonite: The weight of any wood or composite material glued to the back of drop or flat causes stress and will irreparably stretch the surrounding area.
Contact Cement: This is an irreversible and a solvent-based product that should not be used on historic scenery. It poses a fire hazard.
Flexible Foam: This product should not be glued to historic scenery at all.
BEVA 371: This conservation adhesive, sold as either a liquid or clear film, is extremely flammable. Although the product is recommended for the repair of fine art paintings, it should never be considered an option for stage scenery. This product is a fire accelerant and will be presented in detail at a later time.
Plastic: Plastic should never pair with historic or fragile fabric for many reasons. In regard to plastic netting, the rigidity will harm the fabric. Look for all-natural cotton fabrics and nettings.
There is another type of repair frequently suggested for historic scenery collections -replacing traditional sandwich battens with pipe pockets on the bottom and jute webbing on the top. What appears to be a reasonable solution introduces a weakness to the historic fabric and it will fail. Over time the stitching will act like a perforated page, eventually tearing off. This topic will also be discussed in detail at a later time.
It is extremely important to understand painted illusion for the historic stage, whether eighteenth-century, nineteenth-century or twentieth-century. The necessary skill set for successful scenery restoration is more than a combination of product knowledge and artistic experience. You must understand not only the traditional methods and materials, but also all of the historical processes and how each artifact was a product of a specific time period. In other words, it is a complex combination of historical research and innate talent. Painted illusion was used in a variety of venues, including theaters, opera houses, cinemas, music academies, city halls, schools, lodge rooms, armories, coliseums, and hippodromes. None of it was intended to be viewed up close, or on a museum wall under fixed lighting.
Many extant backdrops were produced as part of a set, a combination of backdrops, cut drop, and leg drops, or shutters, roll drops, wings and borders. Flat profile pieces were added for painted dimension in each case. Furthermore, painted grand teasers and tormentors were often permanently positioned within the proscenium opening to frame these painted settings. The level of detail for each stage artifact also shifted as the scenes ranged from upstage to downstage positions.
Before you decide to formulate a maintenance plan or the restoration of any historic scenery collection, you must identify its placement with in theater history or popular entertainment; past materials, techniques, stage systems and venues inform any future repairs. Choosing the appropriate path is akin to the saying, “measure twice, cut once.”
In almost every case you have only one opportunity to do this right.