Scenery Restoration – Page 7

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 37.

Water, Water Everywhere

Water damage is always the antagonist in historic scenery stories.

Water damage in Winona, Minnesota, in the Scottish Rite theatre.

Scenery painted with dry pigment and diluted hide glue, or “size,” is water-based and non-permanent. The colors reactivate with the introduction of water, being displaced upon the surface as the water carries pigments elsewhere on the fabric. Highly concentrated areas of color are re-deposited along the edges of water damage and are difficult to conceal. They need to be sealed and then touched up. In some cases all of the color is removed, reverting sections of the composition to raw fabric.

Dark areas along water damage is where the pigment has settled in concentrated areas.

Water damage that removed all pigment and reverted to raw muslin.

The Fort Scott collection was in amazing condition when we placed it into storage on November 23, 2015, at the age of 91 yrs. old! The date when Moses finished the last drop for the collection was November 17, 1924. The scenery was in much better shape than any other historical collection I had come across to date. Part of the reason for the minimal deterioration was the lack of water damage. You have to understand that it is almost unheard of for a Scottish Rite scenery collection to not have some type of water damage; either from pipes that burst or a roof that leaks. Fortunately for us, there were no pipes above the scenery in Fort Scott and no detectable roof leaks!

Winona, Minnesota, Scottish Rite theatre. After removing all of the drops form the lines, water damage to the wooden grid and sky were visible from the stage floor.

Water can also damage drops when it sneaks in through the smoke doors high above the stage and slowly drips down onto the painted scenes. Smoke doors above the stage have a straightforward purpose, allowing the smoke and fire gasses to escape through the stage area and not into the auditorium. These vents above the stage which, when open during a fire, will draw smoke out of the auditorium and up out of the roof, enabling a safer evacuation of the audience. The vents are often attached to compressed springs, so that when activated, they will stay open. Various requirements are determined by the size and the height of the stage. Unfortunately, over time smoke doors can leak.

The reason for the smoke doors is clear – audience safety. In 1903, the Iroquois theatre fire in Chicago killed approximately 600 individuals, many children, during an afternoon matinee. Piles of bodies were discovered lined up in the aisles trying to exit through the locked theatre doors. After this tragedy and the many others that had preceded it, there was an increased effort toward both audience safety and fire prevention. Many fire codes were put in place and included exits, fire barriers, and smoke doors.

Interestingly, the Fort Scott smoke doors were placed above the stage left side. Any leaking that might have occurred happened away from the painted scenes in the off-stage area. I had made a mental note at the time that I would have to keep an eye out for this building anomaly in the future. Was it really an anomaly, or were the architects who worked closely with theatre professionals at that time aware of the potential damage to the scenery and lighting fixtures? If it was taken into consideration for one Scottish Rite theatre, there could be other examples elsewhere.

And then I encountered the issue of smoke doors at the MMHC theatre during the spring of 2016. I was sitting at a construction meeting when I realized that the MMHC smoke doors were centered above the stage and would automatically open when a fire alarm was pulled. I immediately expressed a concern that if the doors popped open during a rainstorm, the contents of the historic scenery would be completely destroyed. Had no one thought of this?

I then continued stating that the collection had a replacement value of over $1,000,000.00 and the majority of it could be destroyed in an instant. Everyone at the meeting looked toward the CEO for clarification and direction. The room was silent. Then I realized that this was a moot point for the CEO he moved on to the previous topic – the need for some safety mechanism to prevent workers from falling through the opening if the doors sprung open.

I kept wondering, “Why did they really want any historic drops in the space if they didn’t care what happened to them after the installation?” After all, what was the point of replicating an historic theatre space to accommodate an entire Scottish Rite scenery collection?

To be continued…

Yankton, South Dakota. Minimal water damage running down drop. In cases like this, it is barely detectable from twenty feet away and I do not recommend any paint-touch up.

Austin, Texas. Luckily the damage occurred on the far stage left and stage right sides. Masking legs for this scene conceal much of the water damage.

Salina, Kansas. Water damage almost falls dead center. However the water damage was brief and the majority of pigment remained on the fabric.

Winona, Minnesota. This collection has scenes with extensive water damage. In some cases the water damage occurs in three areas: stage right, center stage, and stage left. Continued water damage over long period of time have caused areas of raw fabric to remain visible.

If water damage is constant, black mold will appear, as well as rust rings around tack marks.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 36.

The Proposal

The CEO proposed that I hang the unrestored drops in the MMHC theatre, later remove the unrestored drops for restoration, restore the drops off site, and then hang the restored drops. This was simply ludicrous. I explained that this proposal would take it’s toll on each painting, as well as double the amount of necessary labor for restoration. His primary motivation was that the three scenery storage units that housed the Fort Scott collection were costing over $14,000 each year. His proposal was part of our continued discussion surrounding the query, “Why can’t we just hang the drops unrestored?”

I continued to detail the damage that would occur due to excessive handling. Every time a drop was handled, it would suffer from some form of deterioration. That was one of the reasons that I always completed restorations onsite. You see, after cleaning and stabilization the drop would still need to be rolled, encapsulated, and transported back to the MMHC theatre if it were restored off site. As previously explained, the fabric was not like a stiff sheet of linoleum when it was rolled for transport, wrinkles would occur during the rolling. If wrinkles were rolled into the tube, the restored painting would crack and show an unsightly flaw once hung.

Also, there were some areas that needed to be reinforced, cut openings that demanded new fabric, and some compositions that would be slightly altered to fit the MMHC proscenium opening. Excessive handling was also another one of the other reasons that I recommend against sewing anything onto historic drops as it rapidly destroyed the painted composition. Everything takes a beating and needs much more touch-up once hung in the space.

Finally, many of the unrestored scenes could not be hung immediately as they were missing the fabric on cut centers. This had been removed due to excessive filth prior to shipping. They simply couldn’t be hung unrestored without new netting or bobbinet, as the drops would sag.

Also, the tops and the bottoms of each drop needed to have a reinforced layer so that the edges of the wooden battens would not “rip” the old fabric over time. The weak spots on every drop are just above the bottom batten and just below the top batten. The edges of the wood can wear through fabric. Even if the fabric appears in excellent condition it will eventually fail.

In restoration, my current operating procedure is to reinforce the back sides of all the battened areas as a form of “preventative care,” adding a few additional decades to the longevity of each painted scene. This procedure also needs to happen if EVER a pipe pocket is attached, or a weakness is introduced into the fabric and that section WILL fail overtime.

As previously discussed, each drop needed to be stabilized to prevent dusting pigment too, thus causing a health hazard. Drops were “stabilized” with a diluted hide glue mixture “made to order” for each drop. I would heat up the granulated hide glue until it turned into thick syrup, with a consistency similar to a corn syrup. Then I added water to this syrup prior to spraying a thin application on the painted surface.

Granulated hide glue. Water is added to this and heated, forming a thick liquid that is diluted for spraying on drops during stabilization or mixed with dry pigment for touch-up.

Spraying diluted hide glue on cleaned drops during restoration.

You want it as thin as possible for the finish to remain matte and the fabric flexible. If, for some reason, the stabilizing spray was too strong – meaning there was too much glue in the mixture – the painted surface would show a slight sheen and reflect stage lights, enhancing any subsequent wrinkles. In this particular scenario with too strong of a stabilization spray, the entire drop also became thicker and much more difficult to handle without damaging.

There were too many chances were being taken if the scenes were restored off site.

In the end, I again explained to the CEO that unless you want to jeopardize the condition of the scenes and double the anticipated workload, all restoration work needed to occur on site. I couldn’t “knowingly or wittingly” do something that would harm the collection. In hindsight, this was the beginning of the end as the CEO saw this as an opportunity to “win” a battle at any cost.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 35.

Alternative Facts

While I was frantically working on the mural, overseeing the processing of the St. Paul Masonic Library with a crew of volunteers, and organizing for the upcoming restoration, the CEO summoned me into his office for a meeting with the general director. During the meeting, the CEO asked a question that he had repeatedly asked, “Why can’t we just hang the drops unrestored?”

Once again, I again explained that we could not hang unrestored scenery for a multitude of reasons; the primary one being that dusting pigments and other surface contaminants presented a health hazard – especially for the old and young. The theatre was connected to an eldercare facility with people who had compromised immune systems. Plus one of the target client’s were to be dance studios for children’s recitals.

Dusting pigment from the Fort Scott Collection.

“But you cleaned them in Fort Scott,” the CEO insisted, “Why clean them again?”

I took a deep breath. “No,” I said quietly, “I only completed some onsite cleaning for handling and shipping as they were so filthy.”

Initial dust extraction to remove some contaminants for onsite handling and shipping. Additional cleaning would be necessary upon arrival that would include using archival sponges.

“Well, why didn’t you do a better job onsite so you only had to do it once?”

“The limited time factor, “ I replied, “It was never part of the original plan as I hoped to lower, roll, and ship the scenery.” He looked perplexed.

“Regardless,” I said,” during the shipping of any historical scenery, the pigment – meaning color – and other surface contaminants would continue to dust off of the fabric. It would remain encapsulated in the scenery roll, becoming airborne when hung on site. Additionally, the “binder” – meaning the stuff that holds the color on the surface of the fabric – is also failing, causing the color to dust off. The painted surface needs to be stabilized prior to hanging any drops in the MMHC theatre.”

An example of pigment dust that accumulates during shipping. Peoria, Illinois, Scottish Rite drops that I rescued and now own.

Using archival putty to remove surface contaminants after dust extraction. Archival putty and sponges target a deeper layer of filth. These are the same products used in museums for a variety of cleaning tasks as they remove soot, but not pencil markings.

We had gone over and over this issue for months since our initial road trip to Fort Scott during August 2015 when he insisted the drops could just be hung upon their arrival. With each attempt to insist that I just hang the scenery, the general director backed him up. I felt like being in an elementary playground again where the bully made a decree and the sidekick added, “Yeah, what he said!”

At this point in our conversation, the CEO took a new tactic and explained that he had contacted a company in the Duluth that explained all pigments, even dusting ones, were inert. This REALLY caught me off guard. He had gone out of his way to “prove” that my health warnings about dusting pigment were incorrect. He had listened to me and then sought others to disprove my warning of a potential danger. Why?

I mentally regrouped and took another deep breath, slowly explaining the following:
“Even if that were the case and historic dry pigments were inert– and they are not- it is the OTHER surface contaminants that are even more dangerous than the actual pigments. Bat guano, pigeon droppings, flash powder residue, soot from coal heat or oil heat, tar dust, mortar dust, and many other environmental contaminants are quite toxic. This scenery is still covered in an oily filth and only a small portion of it was removed in Fort Scott. The remaining contaminants need to be removed prior to restoration or hanging.”

“Believe me,” I said, “I would be thrilled to pass along the scientific proof that all dusting pigments are inert – especially to the safety commission or the scenic artists at the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT). It would be an earth-shattering moment for the theatrical painting industry.”

What was the deal? Why was the CEO trying to prove that I really didn’t know what I was talking about in terms of dry pigment dangers?!?! The public’s safety was at risk. Wasn’t that enough?

To be continued…

There is a wonderful resource from Baylor’s Environmental Heath and Safety page. It goes into detail about the health hazards associated with dry pigments, especially when they become airborne. This is just one of MANY site and agencies that explain the various health hazards surrounding dusting dry pigment. Here is the link: http://www.baylor.edu/ehs/index.php?id=94372

Unlike new pigments, however, we don’t have access to the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for the original colors on the historical scenery. The colors that were used on backdrops and now become airborne during restoration or simply hanging in a theatre are unknown. Some colors used to contain cadmium, arsenic, or lead – just to name a few hidden toxins in historical pigments.

Using archival sponges to remove surface contaminants after dust extraction. This was a pro bono workshop that I gave for Scottish Rite Stage crews in Duluth, MN, at the Scottish Rite. It was part of my attempt to help Scottish Rite Valleys care for their scenery if they had limited funds.

Half dirty, half cleaned with archival sponges as dust extraction cannot get it this clean without the additional step. Using archival sponges to remove surface contaminants after dust extraction.

Cleaning bobbinet with archival sponges as dust extraction cannot get it this clean without the additional step.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 34.

Ch-ch-ch-ch changes (turn and face the strain) ch- ch- changes

As previously noted, on December 2, 2015, I emailed the CEO and general director the anticipated time to clean and stabilize the first 19 drops in 8 weeks, starting by April 1, 2016. Approximately three assistants were needed to assist with handling each drop once it arrived at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center theatre. If there were any major repairs, it might necessitate a few extra days to be added to the standard process.

Once each drop was restored, it would be loosely rolled and set aside to await hanging. The restoration labor for each drop was noted as follows: one day to clean and stabilize a drop (allowing drop to dry over night); one day to square, reinforce, and repair each drop; and one final day to loosely roll the completed drop and unroll another drop. The estimated time to hang all nineteen restored drops and attach bottom wooden battens to the tops and bottoms would be six days.

I was adamant that the lead rigger be either Brandon Fischer (from the Fort Scott, Kansas job) or Paul Sannerud (from the Winona, Minnesota, job). Either Fischer or Sannerud could carry the necessary insurance during the installation and each truly understood historic scenery. I wouldn’t have to explain how the drops were assembled or hung. They would then select their installation crew of either two or three riggers. I had outlined that the entire restoration would consist of several phases, explaining that the netting of cut drops took the greatest amount of time and would be completed well after the backdrops and leg drops.

Cut drops required a total of four to six days to clean, stabilize, square, repair, and attach new netting, instead of the standard three to five days. They would be completed after all of the backdrops were restored. Each time a series of drops were restored, there needed to be a few extra days scheduled, allotting for both selection and transportation of drops and materials, as well as the preparation to set up and clean up of the space. Furthermore, I was the drops needed to be restored on site as transporting restored drops often resulted in excessive wrinkles and cracked paint. If they were restored off site and transported, they would have to be touched-up on site, doubling the labor.

During January and February construction meetings in 2016, I stipulated my needs in the MMHC theatre space, specifically the access to the stage by the last week in March. This week would be spent prepping for an April 1, 2016, restoration start. At first my request was granted, but A&P Construction noted that there could be a slight delay if some of the projects were changed or fell a little behind. As the mural was being delayed due to constant changes, I didn’t sweat it much. If we were unable to get into the space, it just meant fewer than 19 drops for the opening – but there would still be something there for the public to see.

Then the entire scope of restoration changed – again. Instead of simply restoring the backdrops and featuring them as large-scale artworks, the CEO decided that he wanted to hang complete scenes for the opening on June 24, 2016. This changed everything. All of my previous estimates and planning were no longer applicable and had to be redone. My first thought was that this would be more expensive and time-consuming as we were now attempting to re-net cut drops with much larger restoration crews.

Most Fort Scott scenes were composed of a leg drop, cut drop, and backdrop – providing depth to the stage picture. Cut drops composed the middle ground for each scene and required much more time to restore than a simple backdrop. They were backdrops with cut centers, supported with either 1” cotton netting or open weave netting (like tutu material) in the opening.

Fort Scott scene consisting of one leg drop and two cut drops. The painted cyclorama completes the scene as a backing instead of the traditional backdrop.

When new netting was attached to a historic backdrop, each knotted intersection received a dot of glue. This procedure allowed the drop to maintain its flexibility over the decades, but it was EXTREMELY time consuming. From past restoration projects I knew exactly how many people were required and how many hours each cut drop would take to net this way.

Either hide glue or a contemporary theatrical glue are used during netting. In most cases I use FlexBond to glue each knotted intersection as there is a consistency to the product and does not cause the painted surface to dimple.

These continued delays for the mural and restoration might all have been for the best. My lower back was still bothering me after I initially injured it when unloading the scenery rolls. It didn’t seem to be getting any better and it had happened almost two months ago. Little did I know at the time, but my lifting and shoving the 100 pound scenery rolls repeatedly had caused annular fissures, or tears, to occur on multiple discs in my back. During the strain of lifting the tubes, the disc fluid had been pushed against the elastic outer layer and formed small rips.

Throughout 2016, I would have constant back pain, doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, chiropractic treatments, and acupuncture appointments, all navigated within the maze of a workman’s compensation claim. However, I just kept plugging along, constantly shifting my position, and completing my work at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. But this injury did make me ask for a painting assistant for the mural as I had both lifting and movement restrictions.

And then I thought of the lyrics for David Bowie’s song “Changes:”

“Still don’t know what I was waiting for
and my time was running wild,
a million dead end streets

Every time I thought I’d got it made
it seemed the taste was not so sweet”

To be continued…

Laying out new netting on a cut drop. Blue tape temporarily secures it to the drop, yet allows it to shift. If the netting is not perfectly taut or placed square to the parameter of the drop’s edges, the cut drop will have wrinkles, sag, and hang crooked.

My father, Ray Waszut, helping me out with one more project in McAlester, Oklahoma during 2009.

A combination of wide blue tape and thin detailing tape is needed to make sure that each knotted intersection comes in contact with the fabric prior to gluing. Old drops do not lay flat and have to be both weighted down and taped.

In Fort Scott, all of the cut drops had been netted and then toilet paper was applied to each area. My guess is that the glue mixture was still tacky.

Toilet paper on top of glue dots after I removed much of the netting in Fort Scott. This needs to be removed prior to attaching new netting.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 31.

Art for Art’s Sake

On December 2, 2015, I sent out two separate emails, detailing estimates for labor, materials, and production timelines for both the 14’ x 20’ mural project and the 19-drop restoration project. I was very clear that as the mural project happened first, any delay would influence the restoration project.

The timeline for mural project included specific target dates to stay on track:

1.) Finalize design and create renderings for King Solomon’s Temple mural (December 15, 2015-January 15, 2016).

2.) Secure painting space/construct paint frame by January 15, 2016.

3.) Prep space and drop off mural supplies (January 15, 2016 to February 1, 2016).

4.) Paint Temple Mural (February 1-February 26, 2016).

5.) Possibly paint side murals (February 29, 2016 to March 31, 2016). The total number of side murals, if any, will depend upon the complexity of composition and completion date of Temple mural.

6.) Completed mural will be rolled, encapsulated in plastic, and stored onsite.”

The timeline for the restoration also included very specific target dates to ensure the completion of 19 drops:

1.) Remove and transport all necessary battens to MMHC stage on April 1,

2016. This required a rental truck and labor to transport approximately 1,710

linear feet of pine boards, weighing approximately 1500 lbs. I would supervise four individuals to complete this task.

2.) Remove 19 drops from storage April 2, 2015, and move to MMHC stage, necessitating a rental truck and four individuals to move the drops.

3.) Scenery restoration of 19 drops from April 4, 2016 to June 3, 2015.

4.) Hanging of the 19 drops from June 6 to June 11, 2016. An additional week would be reserved on the stage as a contingency for extenuating circumstances or delays.

For the restoration project, we would solely focus on the backdrops at first. Besides, they would be the most impressive for the opening, giving the public a sense of the collection. The drops would be presented as “Artwork by Thomas G. Moses” and not general historic scenery. Each backdrop would be a stand-alone painting, depicting a portion of a scene that still remained to be restored. This would also facilitate their promotion as a large-scale artworks created by a nationally recognized artist.

I estimated that it would take 38 days to clean and stabilize 19 drops, not including transportation to the theatre or set up. The 19 backdrops for the opening would include the

Cathedral (used for multiple degrees),

Woods (used for multiple degrees),

Cave (9th degree),

Treasure Chamber (15th degree),

Classical Interior (31st degree),

Egyptian Interior (31st degree),

Jacques de Molay Mausoleum (30th degree),

the INRI landscape (18th degree),

Darius’ Festival Palace (16th degree),

Camp Tent and backing (32nd degree),

Secret Vault (14th degree),

Grand Encampment (32nd degree),

Hiram’s Tomb (5th degree),

Catacombs (30th degree),

Gothic Interior/Dungeon (27th -29th degrees),

Hades (18th degree),

Constellation scene (Faith, Hope and Charity for the 18th degree),

and the Volcano landscape (17th degree)

I was shocked on January 13, 2016, when the CEO asked for all of this information again as all of the specifics had all been submitted a month prior and discussed multiple times. My uneasiness grew as I began to think that my employer had no comprehension of how much work was involved in the projects. I had never had this difficulty with anyone and started to wonder if this was a result of his skimming email content. I started to have a very bad feeling about the entire endeavor. Would all this money go to waste in the end?

It was at this point that the general director called me into his office, proposing that he really needed to help me and explained that I had extremely poor communication skills. He had worked with the CEO for years in other venues and suggested that he could provide a friendly barrier for me with the CEO. My only job was to request that general director be my immediate supervisor instead of the CEO.

Right now, we were on equal footing at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. Each of our positions reported directed to the CEO. He was the General Director, responsible for the running of the facility. I was the Curatorial Director, responsible for all acquisitions, content, and presentation of materials to the public.

I smiled politely, thanked him for the advice, and explained that I had always been capable of speaking for myself.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 28.

Take it to Warp Speed

Wooden battens warp over time and people often want to replace the “old” pieces of pine with new lumber. I have only attempted this with one drop and it failed miserably, warping far worse than the original battens as it was young lumber. You have to understand that historic battens were first-cut and old-growth timber, meaning the graining is tighter than modern pine and contains very few flaws and knots. The wood that was used for the stage scenery is a far better quality than what I can find today. It is easy to un-warp old boards by swapping the battens and reshaping each piece.

Unfortunately, there are many individuals who do not fully understand the critical purpose of the battens in historical scenery collections. Again, these are the battens placed at the top and bottoms of each painted drop. Wooden battens stretch the top and bottom of the painted scene perfectly.

Original tacks that stretched and attached bottom of drop to a wooden batten. Another board was placed over this and the two boards were screwed together, thus allowing compression to hold and stretch the painted scene

Some people even recommend that all of the wood must be removed and replaced with pipe pockets and jute webbing. What is their reasoning? Pipes will stay straight and jute won’t warp like wooden battens. Pipes can remain straight, but only if they have a big enough diameter and it is thick enough not to bend. The large size also means that there is a great strain on the pipe pocket seams due to the increased weight. If the pipes are light enough to not stress the seam, they also are subject to bending.

Furthermore, jute webbing and pipe pockets often create massive wrinkles throughout a historic composition once the drop is hanging. When using battens, the fabric is stretched and tacked to prevent the “bunching up” of fabric along the bottom. The only reason that causes massive wrinkles with wooden battens is if the pick points that support the drop fall out of level. This simply necessitates trimming each line to make sure that it remains parallel to the floor. With pipe pockets, entire sections of fabric at the bottom of each drop can “bunch up,” forming entire sections of wrinkles that appear like ripples across a water’s surface. Trying to pull out these wrinkles once it is hanging will often cause the aged fabric to rip. Similarly, jute webbing can also cause some wrinkles as the tie lines do not always keep the fabric taut, allowing some sections to sag.

Wrinkles resulting from fabric bunching up along pipe pocket. This does not happen with wooden battens.

Attaching pipe pockets and jute webbing to a historical painted scene is a very different beast than sewing on jute and pipe pockets to new drops. There are numerous factors that must be taken into consideration prior to making this decision, especially the condition of the fabric.

The biggest problem is that sewing ANYTHING onto an historical drop necessitates perforating the old fabric, thus causing a weakness in the structural integrity – even with double seaming. Over time, the old fabric WILL fail and the pipe pocket will detach from the original fabric, allowing the pipe to plummet to the stage.

Pipe detaching from pocket due to weight.

Similarly at the top, sewing on jute webbing with grommets also causes a weakness in the structural integrity of the fabric. The weight of the pipe will target the weakness along the stitched edge and rip. ANY trained theatre professional will immediately understand why pipe pockets and jute webbing should not be sewn onto historic fabric and weighted. It may hold for a while, but it will eventually fail.

Failing pipe pocket cause entire vertical seam to release from the drop due to weight – hence the open space!

Pipe pocket that has failed and fabric separated form pipe.

Failed pipe pocket on cut drop with detached onstage edge in cut opening. The wooden supports now catch on neighboring lines.

I just viewed a perfect example of the problems that result from replacing wooden battens with pipe pockets and jute webbing at the Scottish Rite in Saint Louis, Missouri. All of the wooden battens were removed on each painted scene. On the top, jute webbing with grommets and tie lines were sewn along the top edge of the thin and old fabric. On the bottom, the fabric was initially folded to create a pipe pocket. Many of the pipe pockets from the first alteration failed, so a second pre-constructed pipe pocket was sewn above the damage. Unfortunately, that failed too. Why? Because the fabric was perforated, created a weak area and caused the fabric to rip.

With pipes, there is the potential for damage at multiple points across the bottom of a drop, but especially at the ends and the connections. The sharp edges, or threaded areas will rip the fabric. Also, the connections will come apart as the pipe shifts over time – unless they are soldered. Now, pipe pockets began to appear in the 1920s as the price of steel was affordable and this was a cost-effective alternative to wood. Unfortunately, over time the seams are more at risk than the wooden battens as the wooden battens compress the fabric. If not the fabric ripping, the thread will fail as it the cause at the Scottish Rite in Moline, Illinois (ca. 1929). Battens just work better if you are attempting to hang historic drops for several decades.

1929 pipe pocket where stitching has failed due to dry rotted thread.

For years, I have warned against simply sewing pipe pockets onto historic drops, yet individuals have continued to sew pipe pockets onto historical scenery. I receive calls from those who did not head my advice.

If the pipe is too light, it will not pull out the wrinkles. Furthermore, if the pipe has too narrow of a diameter, it will bend. For example, if a skinny pipe on a cut drop is used and the cut open gets damaged – the pipe will bend and the bottom of the drop will look like it is smiling at the audience.

At some point, the collection is dangerous for all those below it and each production is a game of Russian roulette. Who will be standing below the pipe when it lets go and will they die? Is the theatre owner willing to take that particular risk?

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 27.

Batten Down the Hatches

I estimated the replacement value for this historic scenery collection at approximately 1.5 million dollars, excluding all of the other accessories that we had brought back from Fort Scott. The Ready Labor crew was treating the rolls like cardboard tubes and not artworks. I couldn’t help but think, “This might be one of the reasons that museums don’t hire Ready Labor to handle historic artifacts.”

Bloomington, MN. Note that the spacing of those carrying the tub is not even. This means that the tube is not supported on the end, causing the object to be more difficult to handle when loading into the storage unit.

As the three Ready Labor hires and the general director shoved the tubes into the storage unit, they repeatedly smashed the ends against the central supports. The crew was not being careful nor observant. Although, I had repeatedly explained the unloading and loading process, no one seemed to remember it. I supervised this exact same task the previous year when the Winona Scottish Rite scenery was placed into a similar storage unit and hadn’t had any problems.

Winona Scottish Rite Storage Units from 2014

The tubes needed to be slowly and gently inserted into each slot, carefully being lifted and guided over each central support as to not scrape the fabric. This meant that as the tube was inserted, the lead individual at the front of the tube had to get into the unit and gently guide each tube over the numerous horizontal supports. I could clearly see that this was not happening and no amount of verbal direction from me would alter their actions, especially while I was working in the truck.

Ty, the owner of BellaTex, LLC, immediately identified my dilemma and jumped into help. He understood that no one was listening to me and started to give direction from within the storage unit. Unfortunately, his presence only helped a little bit. At one point, Ty’s hand was badly smashed when he tried to guide the tube over the supports and the crew did not listen – they just kept shoving forward. Bruised and bleeding, Ty continued to guide each tube through the slots while trying to minimize the overall damage. He was the only person attempting to gently handle these historic artworks and it was painful to watch. I heaved a sigh of relief as we completed the scenery rolls.

View from far end of storage unit in Bloomington, Minnesota, looking toward outer door.

We next focused on unloading the wooden battens. Removing 13,000 linear feet of pine boards is an intimidating task, especially when one is running behind schedule. In Fort Scott, I had carefully labeled each batten bundle, separating the tops from the bottoms to facilitate the installation of each scene. As I had already injured my back that morning and Ty had also injured his hand, I decided that we would identify and distribute the battens to the crew from inside the trailer. We would quickly spot each batten label and direct the handlers to the appropriate storage unit (they were several yards apart). Eventually, Ty told Amanda to supervise the far unit as it became obvious that battens were being randomly placed.

Battens from Fort Scott transported in trailer.

After watching this circus for about ten minutes, my husband stepped in to supervise the second unit and also carry some bundles. He knew that this would be a big mess to unpack if the battens were paired with the wrong tubes. In the trailer I whispered to him, ”You were told not to help.” He responded, “This is ridiculous and you will never finish if I don’t help.”

However, even with Andrew’s help, this portion of the project was a going extremely slow. The Ready Labor men were getting tired and their pace rapidly diminished. They now slowly ambled back to get each bundle.

It was at this same time that Ty pointed to the general manager, now covered in dirt and sweating a little as he carried a bundle of battens to the far storage unit. Ty grinned and slowly drawled,” Right about now, I bet he’s regrettin’ not havin’ called Ready Labor earlier.” This made me burst out laughing and I agreed. Ty’s timing was perfect as I desperately needed to smile about something.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 26.

Unloading the Truck

We first unloaded the trailer; packing the first storage unit with several large-scale flats, boxes of hand props, five-gallon buckets of whiting, folded floor cloths, the painted cyclorama, a large wooden track for the five small vision drops, stage weights, and a variety of other theatrical artifacts. These items all had to be unloaded in order to reach the wooden battens as they needed to get paired up with the appropriate rolled drops. Due to the late start, it soon became lunchtime.

At lunch, I again discussed the necessary process with the general director. Again, I explained that we really needed a four people to unload the battens and tubes, as I needed to supervise where each item would be placed within the storage units. The general director explained that he would step in and be the fourth individual as it was apparent that no one else from Ready Labor was available. It was going to be difficult task to unload both trucks and I once again wondered why they hadn’t asked a crew of Masons to show up.

We had been planned for this to be a big public relations event; one more thing that would keep the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center on the public’s radar as they anticipated the opening. The Masonic Charities’ Director of Communications and our advertising firm were adamant that this opportunity was crucial to draw positive attention. Our next opportunity would be the unrolling of drops on the stage and beginning the restoration. Yet there was no one there and I wondered whether it was because of the individuals from Ready Labor.

During lunch, I called my husband, explaining that it would be a long day to arrange for childcare that evening. I still suggested that he come down to meet Ty and Amanda from BellaTex, LLC, as I had spoke so highly of them and their company during the past three weeks.

In Fort Scott, I had carefully organized and packed the truck based on the order of future restoration. The last drops to be pulled for restoration were placed in the center of each unit. This allowed us to pull out those on each side, slowly working our way toward the center. As each tube was loaded into the storage unit, two of the four people carrying the unit would break off and go within each unit to help convey the tub along its path.

Unfortunately, during lunch the general director explained that we would be restoring the cathedral scene first as a member was planning a September wedding. This meant that my order of unloading the tubes wouldn’t work and I had to scramble. Initially, the cathedral scene was going to be restored in the second phase of the work and was currently slotted closer to the center of the storage unit. I quickly drew a diagram, labeling each storage unit row with a letter and number – creating a grid so that my crew would know where to place each tube as I shouted out the location. I would shout “A1” or “B5” and each rolled drop would be placed that space.

We returned to the storage unit after lunch and started the slow process of unloading the tubes. Getting the tubes out was difficult at best and I realized that the drops were going to be damaged if this type of handling continued throughout the afternoon. Someone had to get in the truck and I looked at my options.

No one was going to hop up into the truck due to their size. The one worker who was physically able to do this task was also the only one who had the strength to pull to tub, so I climbed into the truck. My task would be to lift each tube and shove it out the pack, just enough for the one man to grab. He would pull and as the tube slid out of the truck, I would refer to my list and shout out the number. So much for me just supervising…

My husband showed up as we were just getting the second tube out of the truck; it was close to 1:30PM. When he saw me in the truck, his expression confirmed what I already knew –this was going to take awhile. “Can I switch out with you and help?” he asked me. But before I could respond, the general director said,” No, Andrew, you’re not covered by insurance. The Ready Labor guys come with insurance.”

So my only replacement went over to visit with Ty and Amanda while we unloaded the drops.

By the fourth tube, I felt the “pop” in my lower spine, that something had just happened to my lower back. The lifting up of each tube and shoving 100 pounds forward was too much for my 5′ 1½” frame. At this point, I felt like flinging myself onto the top of the tubes, curling up in a ball, and crying. Looking at the crew, I realized that the only person who could do my job was my husband- and he had already been told that he couldn’t help.

I had worked so hard to carefully transport the drops, I was damned if I was going to let the general director and his Ready Labor crew damage them now. This was where I made a mistake, I put the handling of the drops ahead of my own safety. I continued to unload the truck, shouting where each tube should go.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 25.

The Final Countdown

My Fort Scott crew loaded all of the drops onto the truck. Each layer of tubes was separated with plastic. My idea was to allow each tube to effortlessly slip into and out if the truck. Each tube weighed about one hundred pounds and need four set of hands to safely carry. Lovingly packed onto the truck, I continued to worry about the unloading process.

Wooden battens loaded before props and set pieces in second truck

In addition to securing a storage unit, the general director of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center was to secure the labor to unload the truck. We were targeting a Sunday morning departure, with us arriving in Bloomington by the evening. Early that Monday morning, we would unload the trucks at the storage facility. My concern was that there would not be enough labor at the site.

On November 14, I emailed the general director:

“We will need four people to unload the 80 rolls and flats at the

Bloomington storage facility. It will just be the BellaTex driver and myself who arrive at the storage facility. I will not be able to help carry as I will be directing where each tube goes. Rolls weigh about 80-100lbs. Each. We are targeting an arrival on Sunday, but I will be able to provide 24-48 hrs. notice as we get closer. We need individuals that can lift, ideally men.”

I repeatedly requested the general director to contract four men to unload the 25’ tubes from the truck, each weighing approximately 100 pounds. I also explained that we were not only unloading the tubes, but also numerous set pieces, properties, and 13,000 linear feet of wooden battens that would arrive in a second truck.

On Nov 18, 2015, at 1:05 PM I received the following email from the general director:“Wendy, I have things lined up to unload Monday morning. I will be present to supervise the temporary workers. Given the four hour minimum we are doubtful of the need for four workers. I am planning to have two workers on hand.”

This was just a bit too much to handle on top of everything else. Why would he insist on only two laborers for four hours when I specified four laborers for eight hours? Maybe he didn’t understand the weight or the length of the tubes? It made no sense that he would ignore my requests.

I responded to him on the same day at 1:37 PM:

“The tubes are too heavy for two people to carry and load into the rack. There must be a minimum of four people. I cannot be one of the people carrying and placing the tubesPlease be aware that it might take a full day to unload the tubes, battens and other scenery pieces. I will need to supervise the placement of the tubes into the rack as there is a specific order.”

When we arrived that Monday morning there were no individuals from Ready Labor. The general director of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center immediately suggested that we start unloading the tubes from the truck regardless. He was sure that the individuals from Ready Labor would appear on site soon. The only people on site beside myself were the general director, the owner of BellaTex, LLC (Ty Prewitt) and the executive vice president of operations at BellaTex, LLC (Amanda Zimmerman).

All of us understood the game that was being played and I responded, “No, we’ll wait just for them to show up. Maybe you should call the agency to see why they are late.”

After a few hours, one Ready Labor worker showed up, but he couldn’t stay for the entire day. So we started to unload the props from the first truck. A little while later a second Ready Labor worker appeared and then a third. This was unbelievable and it became obvious that no one had ever been called prior to that morning.

Most of the morning had been wasted and we were now behind schedule. I had worked 240 hours in the past three weeks and had two days off (150 hours more than I was paid during this time period as a staff). I just want to go home and sleep, but that wouldn’t happen due to scheduled meetings for the remainder of the week.

To be continued…

Wendy Waszut-Barrett was not involved with Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center Scenery Restoration

My husband’s concert last night at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center was a success! He set songs to the scenery I located, suggested for purchase, and supervised the subsequent removal and transportation from Fort Scott, Kansas, to Bloomington, Minnesota. My involvement stopped there!

Everyone I encountered last night who was familiar with my history of restoring Scottish Rite scenery, believed that I was responsible for the restoration. Much of this belief, no doubt, was based on the video shown during Grand Lodge (March 2016) at the Minnesota Masonic Charities breakfast; using my profile and reporting that a nationally recognized expert would restore the entire collection.

For professional reasons, I must distance myself from this project as the scenery has been destroyed with hot melt glue.

It it is a shameful destruction of historical paintings created by the nationally recognized fine artist, Thomas Gibbs Moses (1856-1934). Attached are pictures of the scenery from last night showing the work of someone who has never restored scenery before this project.

For past examples of my own restoration work, visit my website at www.bellascena.com