Stock Scenery – Page 2 – Drypigment.net

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Twin City Scenic Co. and St. Patrick’s Parish Hall. Shieldsville, Minnesota, 2015-2022.

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Twin City Scenic Co. and St. Patrick’s Parish Hall. Shieldsville, Minnesota.

*Painted detail from the Twin City Scenic Co. drop curtain delivered to Shieldsville, Minnesota, c. 1914-1915.*

My relationship with the Church of St. Patrick in Shieldsville, Minnesota, began in 2015. That fall, the office administrator, Tracy Velishek, contacted me about preserving an historic backdrop.

She wrote:

“Wendy,
Attached is our old social hall which will be torn down in December.
The other is the backdrop we would like preserved. I got pictures of
the other backdrop but am not very techy and cannot figure out how to
send it to you from my phone. I will have my son help me later today.
It is our understanding that the building was an opera house in its
early days. We are trying to find out what we can about it. Thank
you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you. I have the
backdrop we want to save in our new social hall rolled up so after
Thursday I will know a timeline as to when we will be doing something
with it.”

*Picture of old St. Patrick’s social hall sent to me in 2015.*

Musicals and dramas were presented in the Church of St. Patrick’s parish hall under the ministry of Father John J. Molloy (1866-1962). He served at the Shieldsville parish for 52 years, from 1909 to 1961. By the way, this was the first Irish Catholic parish in the State of Minnesota, founded in 1856.

*Rev. J. J. Molloy was responsible for purchasing scenery from the Twin City Scenic Co. in 1914.*

Molloy’s service was included in Margaret Hagerty’s 1940 publication “Meet Shieldsville: The Story of St. Patrick’s Parish Shieldsville.”

Hagerty’s entry for Rev. J. J. Molly:

“Rev. John J. Molloy was born in the County Mayo, Ireland, and was educated at St. Patrick’s college in Kildare. He was ordained at Maynooth in 1891 and a few months later came to America. He was assistant pastor at St. Patrick’s in St. Paul from October 1899 to April 1900 and then spent one year at St. Mary’s in St. Paul. The next three years he was assistant pastor at St. Anthony’s in Minneapolis. He then organized St. Joseph parish in Montevideo and was in charge there three years. The next two years were spent at St. George’s parish at Glencoe and then nine years were spent at St. Mary’s, Wilmar. He came to Shieldsville in 1909 and for the last thirty years has made a splendid record. “Father Molloy faced a tremendous task when he arrived in Shieldsville. The place was sadly run down and in need of repairs, so he astounded us all by taking off his coat, rolling up his sleeves and going to work. Up to that time none of us knew that a priest’s coat or a Roman collar were removable, He had the house remodeled, cleaned, and painted. The church too was redecorated, and the landscape worked over and improved. A new fence was built around the cemetery. To keep the young folks near home for entertainment a pavilion as built in the grove, and it proved to be such a success that Father Molloy was encouraged to build St. Patrick’s hall. Much of the work on the hall was donated and every man in the parish was busy. The women raked their brains to think up ways and means to pay for the lumber and furnish the kitchen. It was a delightful change for the ladies of St. Patrick’s parish to have a spacious kitchen to work in and to have a dining room large enough to serve 100 people at a time.”

In 1961, Father Molloy was observed as the oldest priest in the St. Paul Archdiocese and the priest with the longest service, serving under four bishops. He passed away on June 29, 1962, and is buried in St. Patrick Cemetery at the site of the Crucifixion monument, erected in the 1950’s.

Molloy’s dramatic contributions were again remembered in “History of Our Parish,” written by Catherine Spartz in 1971:

“Father Molloy loved people around him and believed in having the social life of his parishoners inherent with their religion. Musicals and dramas were presented in the hall during Father Molloy’s ministry, with the principal performers, members of the parish. St. Patrick’s day in March and the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in August were special times in Shieldsville, Father, who himself had a beautiful speaking and singing voice, organized an outstanding choir.”

The St. Patrick’s Hall stock scenery collection was delivered by the Twin City Scenic Studio, c. 1914-1915, and included a drop curtain, two painted grand tormentors, a garden roll drop, a rocky mountain roll drop, four folding wood wings, a double-painted interior set (center door fancy/rustic interior), and an advertising curtain.

*Painted detail from folding wood wing.*

*Drop curtain detail with Twin City Scenic Co. signature.*

Over time, the stage fell into a state of disrepair and much of the stock scenery found its way to an attic where it was subjected to water damage from roof leaks and stains from bat guano.

*Two interior flats brought to the new social hall while I was working on site in 2017.*

In December 2015, the old social hall was torn down, but the scenery survived. At the time, Tracy’s son (Andy Velishek )was running a local theatre troupe and hoped that the flats could be repaired and used for upcoming productions. Despite the filth that covered the scenery, Velishek rescued the scenery and stored them in a barn.

There, they sat in relative safety for the next two years.

Conversations with the Church of St. Patrick resumed during the spring on 2017 when I was contracted to restore the ad drop and install it in the new social hall.

*The new social hall is pictured on the right side.*

While working on site that summer, Andy Velishek brought over some of the other salvaged scenery, including the two other roll drops, the woods wings, grand tormentors, and some interior flats. Despite the extensive damage, their beauty was unmistakable.

*Before and after restoring the Drop Curtain. 2018. The greatest challenge was identifying the original colors, as so much of the composition had dusted off and was faded.*

*Painted detail showing before and after restoration. 2018.*

Studio stencils and shipping tags clearly indicated the collection’s artistic provenance.

*The backside of stock flat delivered to Shieldsville in 1914.*

*Shipping tag clearly noting Rev. J. J. Molloy as recipient.*

By the beginning of 2018, I restored the three remaining roll drops – drop curtain, garden drop, and rocky mountain pass.

*Removing bat guano from the garden drop.*

*Matching distemper colors and restoring areas with paint loss in 2018.*

*The restored garden drop and rocky mountain pass in the new Church of St. Patrick Social Hall. 2018.*

*The Social Hall at the Church of* *St. Patrick in Shieldsville, Minnesota, where four of the historic drops are displayed. 2018.*

They were installed in the new social hall attached to the sanctuary at the Church of St. Patrick’s in Shieldsville. When I delivered and hung the drops that spring, I considered my work with the St. Patrick’s Hall scenery collection over.

I was surprised to receive the following text on Nov. 4. 2022:

“Hey there, Wendy. Tracy Velishek here. Don’t know if you remember me but you finished our backdrops at St Patrick in Shieldsville a few years ago. I hope you are doing good and still doing the work you love… Our son Andy still has a bunch of flats that he has to get rid of because he has run out of room…Do you know if anyone who would want them? They have not been cleaned and one or two have some tears…If he doesn’t find someone to take them, he is going to burn them. I would hate to see that and hope you would know of SOMEONE who would want them. I look forward to your reply.”

Burn them…if she had texted anything else, I may have put this project on hold for a few months. I was opening a show that evening and traveling to the Louisville Scottish Rite theatre for a restoration project the next week.

The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Co. “Pirates of Penzance” setting, 2022. Distemper paint (dry pigment paste and diluted hide glue) was used for the entire set (facade, drop curtain, wings, borders, shutters, and painted fabric masking).

After striking Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company’s “Pirates of Penzance” on Nov. 20, I found myself driving south to Lonsdale, Minnesota, where the historic scenery collection was now stored. Half of my rental trailer was occupied with set from “Pirates.” It was a small wing-and-shutter stage.

*A grand tormentor and foliage wing when the were set up in the new social hall at the Church of St. Patrick in Shieldsville, Minnesota. 2018.*

The other half of my rental trailer was reserved for the historic scenery. Amazingly, the St. Patrick’s Hall stock flats would also work in my small Pirates stage.

When I picked up the scenery, Tracy gave me a big hug and handed me a gift bag with four jars of their homemade jelly. Historic scenery and a bag of jelly; who could ask for more?

*My bag of jelly from Tracy when I picked up the scenery.*

The scenery is currently at my studio, awaiting cleaning, repair, and a second life on the stage. I will continue to update this post as each piece is restored and displayed.

*The historic flats, as they are currently stored in my studio.*

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1175 – The Illini Theatre in Sterling, Illinois, 1924

In 1924 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Some small work has filled in very nicely. We secured the contract for my old hometown theatre.” Moses was referring to the Illini Theatre in Sterling, Illinois. The 1,200-seat venue was a combination house, built by George Greenough and W. A. Weeks. Moses & Megan delivered both fabric draperies and painted curtains, each now considered necessary for venues featuring both live entertainment and film. This project was secured and completed while Moses and Fred R. Megan were waiting to purchase the Sosman & Landis name.

From the “Sterling Daily Gazette,” 10 March 1924.

On March 19, 1924, The “Sterling Daily Gazette” described the stage of the new theater. The article reported, “The stage, 28 feet deep and 52 feet wide, an arch opening which is 30 feet wide. The stage is equipped with appropriate drops to harmonize with the color and decorative scheme of the theater. The asbestos curtain is plain but for the letter “L.” Back of that are beautiful tobacco brown velour drapes which operate on tracks so that they may be gathered back in drape effect. Furnishing an outline setting for the silver picture screen is a lavender and gold drape of sateen. An advertising olio curtain, a wood scene and the usual interior and exterior boarders are included in the stage drops. All of the curtains were designed and furnished by Tom Moses of the firm Moses and Megan. Mr. Moses is a former Sterling resident and has many friends among the older citizens.”

From the “Sterling Daly Gazette,” 10 March 1924.

After a brief nod to the scenic elements, the article described the new “beautiful lighting effects” at the Illini Theatre. The article continued, “The lighting effects comprise a tribute to the highest genius of electrical science. It is doubtful if Fairyland with its pale, delicate hues – the pinks and purples, the reds and yawning yellows, balmy blues and gentle greens of the most resplendent imaginative array – could be more adequately illuminated to reveal its hidden charm. An ingenious system of lighting operated by a new type of remote-controlled switchboard and cleverly adjusted dimmers, whose levers may be operated with piano touch, is the source of the subtle brilliance in the reflector boxes under the organ screen on both sides of the proscenium arch and throughout the auditorium. The seven primal colors of the rainbow may be blended and diffused by this artful scheme to suit the whims of the picture upon the screen, with unerring faithfulness to plot suggestion. There can be pink dawns, golden noons and purple twilights, bleak breaks-o’-day, cheerless noontimes and drab sunfalls, sombre nights shot with silvery moonlight; yellow hazes simmering in the summer in the summer sun; mountain blues and grey flecked with snowy whites, the vital greens of meadow and hillside, the pinks of rose and the red glows of pulsating life whichever the theme of the picture suggests.”

From the “Sterling Daily Gazette,” 12 June 1924, page 2.

From the “Sterling Daily Gazette,” 24 May 1924, page 2.

From the “Sterling Daily Gazette,” 10 June 1924, page 2.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1164 – An Illuminated Advertising Curtain by the Hoyland-Lemle Advertising Co., 1923

My past few posts have explored the lives and careers of Charles L. Hoyland and William H. Lemle. Hoyland and Lemle were involved with the Allardt Advertising Co., Hoyland-Lemle Advertising Co., Lemle-Barrett Co., Charles L. Hoyland Co., William Lemle, Inc., and Lemle Studios in the 1920s. While completing preliminary research for each artist and their respective studios, I came across an interesting article about an illuminated curtain, one that the Hoyland-Lemle Advertising Co. delivered to the Majestic Theatre in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is worth mentioning before I return to the life and career of scenic artist Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934)

On May 18, 1923, the Cedar Rapid’s “Gazette” reported, “An illuminated curtain presenting a street scene has been added to the equipment of the Majestic theater. It is one of the latest developments in theatrical accessories and adds much to the effectiveness of the stage scenery. The curtain was installed today by H. L. Winckler of the Hoyland-Lemle company of Chicago, one of the largest curtain advertising companies in the country. The curtain is built so that the manipulation of lights it presents either a night scene or a day scene. An artistic coloring effects effect results when soft lights are turned on back of the curtains so that it appears as a panoramic view of the city at night. Many local business firms have reserved space on the curtain which provides an excellent background for their advertisements. The curtain will be shown for the first time Sunday when the Dixon Players open an engagement here.”

This is a translucent street scene with advertising spaces placed in the composition. The advertisements were incorporated into the architecture of buildings, street signs, walls, marquees, windows, etc. This also means that the ads were visible during the production, an appealing prospect for any merchant. In a way, it’s similar to a brand name product appearing in a television show or movie. Traditionally, advertising curtains were lowered at specific times during a production, coming in between scenes or acts. Ad spaces traditionally created a border around a central composition. They were also incorporated into the ornament of the surround. Over time, the number of ad spaces multiplied, greatly encroaching upon the central picture and reducing its dominance in the overall composition.

The “Gazette” article’s use of “illuminated” indicates translucent sections on the ad drop with backlighting. In other words, street lamps, windows, or stars in night sky would glow for the nighttime depiction. The street scene was a success.On June 2, 1923, the Gazette reported, “Last night was the first time the boys had seen the new illuminated curtain at the Majestic and when it was shown, they burst into a round of applause” (page 15).

I am attaching a few examples of similar deigns from the Twin City Scenic Co. collection at the University of Minnesota’s Performing Arts Archives. Each design could have incorporated translucent sections into the design, thus appearing illuminated.

Example of similar design by the Twin City Scenic Co. Twin City Scenic Co. Collection, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries. Here is a link to the scenery collection database: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/search?facet_field=collection_name_s&facets%5Bcollection_name_s%5D%5B%5D=Scenic+Collections

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Brown Grand Theatre, Concordia, Kansas.

Wood backdrop by the Twin City Scenic Co. 1907. This is part of a collection that I restored in 2002.

*The Brown Grand Theatre, Concordia, Kansas.*

Here is a link for more information about the the history of the theater: http://www.browngrand.org/support

Travels of Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Winter Scene Shutter at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.

I am ending 2020 with a winter scene. It seems appropriate for the winter solstice tonight, despite the fact that there is no snow on the ground, and I live in Minnesota! I will resume posting after the upcoming presidential inauguration, allowing myself a day or two of celebratory recovery.

On site, there was one lone shutter that depicted a snowy landscape. It was all that remained of a pair, with a winter scene painted on the back of an original wood shutter constructed for the 1879 stage. When the shutters were repainted in 1888, the fabric was replaced on the second shutter, possibly the result of irreparable damage. This is when the winter scene lost its mate.

The pine frame was originally covered with standard cotton sheeting manufactured at Boott Mills in Lowell, Massachusetts. When the frame was recovered, the new fabric was standard drillings from Stark Mills in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! See you in 2021!

Painted detail. *Winter scene shutter at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado*

*Flat sheaves were attached to the bottoms of shutters to help them move on stage*

*Lowering the shutter form the attic to the stage*

*The shutter on the Tabor Opera House stage. First time in over a century*

*The double-painted shutter has a wood scene on the front*

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado. Pink Interior Setting by T. Frank Cox, 1888.

In September 2020, I led a group of volunteers at the Tabor Opera House to document nineteenth-century wings, shutters, borders and set pieces in the attic. After my visit, I began examining each piece in detail, creating condition reports, historical analyses, replacement appraisals, and a collections care management document. There are at least twelve theatre collections, with scenic artifacts divided by artist and/or period.
This project is similar to receiving a big bag of puzzle pieces, containing an unknown number of puzzles with no other information. There are no box tops that show you the completed picture, but you need to somehow assemble each of the puzzles. By the way, not all of the pieces are original, and some may have been altered over the years.

There are so many moving parts, creators and timelines, that some days the projects is a bit overwhelming and I have to step away; allowing the information to process. When I return a few hours later, something becomes a little more clear.

*Double-painted wing with palace interior on the reverse side.*

*Painted detail, showing where stencils line up*

Such was the case with pieces from the pink interior setting. Of the set, I catalogued only two wings and a remnant this fall. The construction of the two wings is on par with other pieces built from 1879-1881. The painting, however, appears to be the work of T. Frank Cox, dating from 1887-1888. Each wing is also double-sided, with a palace interior on the reverse. The palace composition was painted in the 1890s, combining several wings from a variety of settings. However, a fabric remnant shows that the backside of the original fabric was a prison setting, now hidden between the two layers of fabric. The pink setting fabric is rough cotton sheeting from Boott Mills, whereas the second layer of fabric on the reverse side is standard drillings from Stark Mills.

*Loft above the attic in the Tabor Opera House*

*Pile of scenery in the loft above the attic in the Tabor Opera House*

*View from below the loft. Pile of scenery in the loft above the attic in the Tabor Opera House*

However, high above the attic floor there are two more pieces, currently inaccessible and stored in a makeshift loft. They were placed there before additional joists and wiring went in, so we could not remove them this fall due to a limited amount of time. The two additional wings are leaning against the same wall that is above the proscenium arch in the attic. This wall divides the attic from a space that was once hotel rooms and the gridiron and stage machinery above the stage. I climbed the ladder to the grid and we assembled a makeshift walkway over the open joists to reach the pile. I could only take a of few photos of the piles, as nothing could be shifted at the time. Too much dirt would have floated down upon the project below, and we really needed to construct a temporary floor. There were two pieces from the pink interior setting visible in the pile; one being a door wing. Other pieces included shutters, rollers, windows, and other set pieces.
As I compiled the various condition reports about the pink setting yesterday, I noticed a slight pattern in the pink; it was an underlying composition. Altering the detail and contrast of the image once it was in grayscale, helped me identify what was painted below, and then I added a few lines to help others identify the painted panels.

*Helping identify the underlying composition*

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1131 – Thomas G. Moses in Tacoma, Washington, 1921-1922

In 1921 Thomas G. Moses landed the scenery contract for the Tacoma Scottish Rite. Of the project, he wrote, “It took some work to close the Tacoma job at $6,400.00. Will come back to do the work myself.” He was to start the Tacoma Scottish Rite project at the beginning of December 1921, but he had to put out a few fires before leaving Chicago that winter. Moses wrote, “I should have been back in Tacoma December 1^st. I have written them on the cause of my delay.”

He had a very short period of time to accomplish a lot of tasks in the main studio before leaving town, and there were stops to make along the way. Too much to do in too little time; a theme that I am certainly familiar with these days. Moses and his wife did not leave Chicago until Dec. 13, spending a full day in Kansas City before continuing onto Los Angeles. Then there was another stop in San Francisco, where Moses took the boat across the bay and headed east to Stockton. He hoped to close another contract, but had no such luck.

Of his side trip to Stockton, Moses wrote, “Took the boat back again and left for the north the same day. We had a very pleasant trip. Found a lot of snow in the north on our arrival in Tacoma. We found our apartment all ready for us and it is very cozy.” He was in town to paint scenery for the Scottish Rite Theatre, but also planned on doing a little oil painting in his spare time. Moses, continued, “I found we needed another room for a studio, which I got, and it is going to be a good asset to my picture painting. The most glorious view of the mountain at sunrise, noon, sunset and an hour after sunset. I have finally got to work and while it is going to be a long job, I will enjoy doing it, and incidentally getting some good sketches of the mountain.”

His stay in Tacoma with Ella must have been a wonderful break from both travel and responsibilities associated Sosman & Landis. It was a new project, a new year, and he was surrounded by beautiful scenery. One of his favorite compositions to paint was the nearby Mount Rainier. In 1889, he recorded his first glimpse of the mountain, also known as Mount Shasta, writing, “My first view of Mt. Shasta I shall never forget. It was sunset and all the foreground and middle distance was in shadow. Made a rapid pencil sketch and have since painted it in watercolor and oil, with some success.”

At the onset of 1922, Moses wrote, “January 1^st found the Madam and I enjoying ourselves in Tacoma, Washington. I had the Scottish Rite Temple work pretty well started, went back to the old theatre to work. I was there and painted one of my famous drop curtains.” Moses was referring to the Tacoma Theatre. Moses and Ed Loitz painted the stock scenery for the venue in 1889-1890. Here is the link to my past post about this project: https://drypigment.net2017/09/28/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-acquiring-the-fort-scott-scenery-collection-for-the-minnesota-masonic-heritage-center-part-222-thomas-g-moses-and-the-tacoma-theatre/

Of his drop curtain from 1889, Moses wrote, “As I look at it now, it is hard to realize that I painted it 33 years ago. The scene is in Rome, “Temple of Minerva.” It has a richness of color that we are not able to get now on account of the inferiority quality of the colors. I found my old palette, which gave me a rather uncanny chill, to think that after so many years, it should be waiting for my return.”

*Temple of Minerva Drop Curtain for the Tacoma Theatre, 1889-1890*

The Temple of Minerva was a popular subject for nineteenth-century scene painters. In 1881, an article in “Building News and Engineering Journal,” listed the Temple of Minerva as one of the many compositions painted by scenic artists, showing their versatility of subject matter. The journal’s article was entitled, “Art on The Stage,” and it appeared in the issue on July 29, 1881. Here is an excerpt with the Temple of Minerva mention:

“Scene Painting is an art by itself. There is no other branch of painting just like it, either in the variety of subjects embraced or in the methods employed. The thorough scenic artist must be equally at home in landscape or marine work, architectural or fresco. He is not permitted to cultivate any particular branch of his art, nor any favorite style. He must be able to produce, at any time, the wild mountainous passes of Switzerland or the flat meadows of Holland; the green lanes of homelike England, or the winding valleys of romantic Spain. In his architectural work he cannot devote himself to the Gothic or the Romanesque, but must be equally master of the Moorish, the Greek, and the Oriental. He may to-day be called upon to paint the Temple of Minerva, and to-morrow the Mosque of Omar; this week the Windsor Hotel, and next week the Palace of Versailles. His art knows no boundaries, and his scope is confined by no limits. The universe must be at his command, and things unseen must live in his imagination. The methods by which he works and many of the materials he employs are altogether different from those employed by the ordinary oil or water-colour painter. They approach more nearly to those of the latter, yet even here certain qualities of the colours used by the scene-painter constitute a sharp dividing line.”

Moses’ Temple of Minerva Drop Curtain for the Tacoma Theater was also featured on the front page of “The Palette & Chisel” Club newsletter in 1917. It accompanied and article entitle, “Thomas G. Moses, All Round Scene Painter. His Work is Known from Coast to Coast.”

Here is the introductory paragraph that says so much about his scene painting work:

“Now this article is about an artist whose work has been viewed by more people that ever entered the Art Institute and the Metropolitan Museum since their doors were first opened….probably. And those people paid good round sums to get in where the artist’s work was displayed. You don’t believe that, now do you? Well, then, when I also tell you that this artist painted stage settings for Booth and Barrett, Thomas Keene, McCullough and all that ranting crew of Shakespearian heavies, you will get the pint, of course. And of course, you will think this is just another one of those anniversary obituaries dedicated to some duck that passed out about the time everyone was singing…well, whatever they were singing when real fur bearing men wore flannel night shirts.

Far from that howsumever, the gallant lad immortalized in this rhetorical garland is cheerfully employed just now in packing his sketching trunk for a paint spree in Zion National Park. And incidentally, going and coming he intends to put on the old corduroys with a brace of big theatrical contracts in Salt Lake City and Oakland, California. That is, this venerable old relic will paint the sets himself, and with Uncle Tom that means about ten hours a day on the paint bridge, and ninety days to each job. Isn’t it sad how fragile and inefficient these old timers are becoming! Tom says it bothers him a right smart now to paint a 45×50 drop in one day. What? Hell, no….FEET!”

When the article was written, Moses was sixty-one years old. Four years later in 1921, he was still working at a breakneck speed and tackling entire stock scenery projects.

To be continued…

Travels of A Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Tabor Opera House and J. C. Alexander (1843-1908)

One of the projects that I am working on right now is establishing artist provenance for each piece of scenery at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. This means creating a biography for scenic artists and stage mechanics who manufactured scenery and stage machinery for the Tabor Opera House and Tabor Grand Opera House. When possible, I link a specific creator with an extant artifact. This week, the focus of my search was J. C. Alexander, a well-known stage carpenter in Colorado from 1883-1908. The story of his life and career took shape as I read dozens of articles about his projects in relation to the Tabor Grand Opera House and the Colorado Circuit.

I doubt that H. A. W. Tabor understood much about theatre stages when Tabor Opera House was built in 1879. The architects and contractors failed to include experienced theatre professionals in the early planning; always a crucial and costly mistake. Although Tabor hired a very skilled fresco artist (J. E. Lamphere) and a capable carpenter (Mr. Barber), their stage arrangements failed upon repeated use. This did not mean that Lamphere of Barber were unskilled, they simply did not specialize in scenic illusion, stage machinery and stage transformations.

By 1882, the Tabor Opera House auditorium and stage underwent a pretty substantial rebuild. The roof was lifted up for acoustics and the stage appointments completely redone. Of the stage work, the “Leadville Daily Herald” reported, “there will be a change for the better in regard to scenery, scene shifting and drop curtains. Those ridiculous hitches in scene shifting that have heretofore occurred on one or two occasions will no longer take place. An experienced stage man has been secured in the person of Mr. H. C. Sprague, who has had extensive experience in the east” (August 23, 1882). H. C. Sprague became the stage carpenter for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, and J. C. Alexander became the stage carpenter for the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver. Of the two, Alexander became integral in helping mechanically prepare venues for inclusion in the Colorado Circuit.

At some point between 1879 and 1882, Tabor realized that the key to securing touring shows was the backstage appointments. A specific set of stage accommodations attracted touring shows; you can’t put on a successful production without the necessary equipment. Regardless of the extravagance spent on front of house accommodations, it was the backstage area that mattered and attributed to securing popular productions.

Getting class acts to Denver, let alone to Leadville, was expensive. The only way to increase profits was to have the same production tour several venues in the area, or stop on their way to another location. This meant that the traveling costs were divided among the various theaters, reducing the overall expense for each house. Ultimately, western theatrical circuits saved money by sheer volume of venues. Simply offering multiple stops on a tour, however, was not enough to engage a touring company. The stage accommodations had to technically support each show.

For example, when the Grand Central theatre opened in Leadville only a month after the Tabor Opera House, it became quickly apparent that the Grand Central had a far superior stage. The only way for the Tabor Opera House to overcome this deficiency was to connect with a larger metropolitan venue and become part of a circuit – the Tabor circuit. When Denver’s Tabor Grand Opera House opened in 1881, it became the life blood for Tabor’s much smaller venue in Leadville. Without the connection to the Tabor Grand, I doubt that the Tabor opera house would have weathered any of its Leadville competition. Even with featuring the same touring productions as the Tabor Grand, the Tabor opera house had to improve their scenic appointments, hence, the 1882 renovation. The improvements necessitated the involvement of a stage carpenter and scenic artist intimately familiar with the demands of touring companies. Enter Henry E. Burcky, J. C. Alexander and H. C. Sprague. Keep in mind that “stage carpenter” is interchangeable with stage mechanic and stage manager at this time.

After the 1882 renovation of Leadville’s Tabor Opera House, the Tabor Grand Opera House began to hire out the services of their stage carpenter and scenic artist (Burkey and Alexander). This was an attempt to improve regional stages, thus establishing appropriate stops on a western circuit – the Colorado Circuit. In 1885, Alexander and Burcky transformed DeRemer’s rink into the new DeRemer Opera House. One article published in the “Colorado Weekly Chieftain” on Dec. 29, 1885, interviewed Alexander about a possible stage renovation.

The renovation would allow Pueblo to host the same touring shows featured at the Tabor Grand Opera House. There was incentive for both of Tabor’s theaters, as well as the Pueblo community. Here is the 1885 article in its entirety:

“On Sunday, Mr. J. C. Alexander, the stage manager and master mechanic of the Tabor Grand opera house, Denver arrived in the city for the purpose of taking a look at DeRemer’s rink and giving an unbiased opinion as to what could be done towards converting it into an opera house. Mr. Alexander was astonished and greatly pleased at the building, it was so much superior in every way to what he expected to see. The building is both longer and wider than the Tabor Grand, and all it lacks to make room equal to the Tabor Grand auditorium in every way is height. Desiring to get Mr. Alexander’s unbiased opinion regarding the proposed scheme, a Chieftan reporter tackled him yesterday afternoon. We inquired if he thought the rink could be converted into a first class opera house.

“Certainly, sir,” said Mr. Alexander, “It can be converted into an opera house second only to the Tabor Grand in Colorado. I have studied this hall thoroughly that last few hours, and I can tell you it can be made into a splendid theater – a theater where any company visiting Colorado can play and show all of their scenery. “Here,” said he, “you will see we have a working stage of 40×76 feet between walls, with the same width of proscenium opening as the Denver stage. It can be and will be furnished with five sets of working grooves, same as the Tabor, to fold back the fly galleries and give a clear working space in width of 48 feet. We also have a clear working height to the rigging loft of 26 feet, five sets of border lights and the footlights complete the same as we have at the Tabor. To start in with Mr. DeRemer proposes to put in eleven sets of complete scenery, besides a beautiful drop curtain. The eleven sets of scenery, as the house progresses towards completeness, can be painted on the reverse side, thus giving twenty-two sets of beautiful scenery. Here also we will have ample space for scene room, property room and eight dressing rooms. With these improvements any special bit of scenery painted for the production of a special play at the Tabor Grand, will be sent over the Colorado circuit, the completion of this improvement making it possible to set the Tabor scenes at Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Leadville, but Pueblo to the greater advantage that elsewhere on the circuit, because here you will have the largest and best appointed theater on the circuit, and be possessed of every facility to produce attractions as they should be produced. The people of Pueblo will never have such an opportunity to get a good opera house again. I will tell you why. They are only asked to make a temporary loan of $3,000 towards making all these improvements. Now the fact is the improvements contemplated will cost nearer $6,000 than $3,000, yet I understood Mr. DeRemer to say that if the people put up the $3,000 asked for the improvements will be made as contemplated regardless of the extra cost. He further tells me that he will expend every dollar of surplus earnings of the house in making improvements in the building. The fact is that people ought to advance $6,000 at once instead of $3,000.

“How many people can be seated in this building as now planned.” Asked the reporter.

“About 900,” replied Mr. Alexander, “or nearly 200 more than can be seated on the first floor of the Tabor Opera House. The seats will all be elevated and nicely arranged provided the project can be carried out, and there will not be a bad seat in the house. The height of the stage will be three feet ten inches from the floor and everything will be permanent about the stage, it can be dug out underneath after it is started and the pit and traps put in. In the same way the roof can be raised at any time, and these things I am assured will be done as fast as possible. If this scheme goes through the Tabor Grand has agreed to play all its attractions here permanently. That is why I am here and taking such an active interest in the way the work of improvement is to be done.

“Could a building about 130×52 feet be converted into a first class or even possibly good opera house, Mr. Alexander,” inquired the reporter.

“No, sir,” said Mr. Alexander; “it could not, and for the very obvious reason that such a building would lack one of the great things which a theater mush have – and width, What kind of a stage you put within fifty-two feet? What kind of scenery could you put up? Such a structure would be an abortion, so far as using it for theatrical purposes is concerned. The only way to convert a building fifty feet wide into a theater would be to tear down the structure, rebuild it and add about thirty feet more to its width.

Leaving Mr. Alexander the reporter hunted up Mr. J. R. DeRemer and Mr. George M. Haight, to find out what truth, if any, there was in the statement that the improvements to be made in the rink would cost $6,000.

“Yes,” said Mr. Haight, “Mr. Alexander thinks the improvement will cost much but if the people put up the three thousand dollars asked we will make the improvements at once.

“Yes,” said Mr. DeRemer, “and you can just tell the people that whatever Mr. George M. Haight says about this matter goes. He represents me in this matter fully and I will carry out whatever he agrees to do. It is estimated these improvements will cost $6,000, but we have only asked for $3,000, and as soon as that sum is subscribed we will commence this work with a vim. I will say further that every surplus cent of earnings of this house will be used to improve and beautify the structure until Pueblo has a first class opera house. I don’t think I can say any more, It now remains to be seen whether the people want an opera house. The people, however, are asked for but $3,000, as a temporary loan. The only feasible plan to secure an opera house is to make up this $3,000 fund at once. All other propositions are chimerical and impossible. If we can’t raise the sum asked by DeRemer we can’t raise anything for an opera house, but we believe this sum can be raised, and we hope to announce it has been subscribed before the week is out, Of the sum asked there only remains $1,000 to be raised. Now don’t refuse to put your name down when called upon. We can all afford to help this project along liberally and it is our duty as good citizens, with the prosperity of the town in view, to do so cheerfully and promptly.”

On January 7, 1886, the “Colorado Daily Chieftain” announced. “If the people of Pueblo want a first class opera house, let them wait on Mr. J. R. DeRemer or Mr. George M. Haight to-day and subscribe a loan of $525 towards the DeRemer opera house project, and our word for it, work will be commenced tomorrow. It this is not done very few of the Tabor Grand attractions will visit Pueblo in the future.” That almost sounded like a threat, but the money was soon raised and on February 3, 1886, DeRemer’s Opera House opened to the public. The “Colorado Daily Chieftain” reported, “During the past few weeks many people, of course, have visited what was formerly known as the finest skating rink in the west and watched the transformation in progress, but for all that there were few people present at the opening last night who were not surprised and astonished at the beautiful appearance of the interior of the new theaters…the stage is the largest in the state beside the Tabor Grand at Denver. It is furnished with all the scenery paraphernalia required in all first class opera houses. This work has all been done under the personal supervision of Mr. Maynard, assistant stage manager at the Tabor Grand…Pueblo is now accredited with the best equipped and largest opera house outside of Denver and in the state…Pueblo ought to be proud of DeRemer’s opera house; it is a first class place of amusement now, and in time we feel certain it will be excelled by few in style and finish.”

There were many more changes to go, including the raising of the roof to make it three stories high, but the house was open. Once the roof was raised, the seating would be divided into a parquet, dress circle, balcony and gallery.

Tomorrow, I will continue to explore the life and career of John C. Alexander.

To be continued…

Travels of A Scenic Artist and Scholar: H. A. W. Tabor’s Portrait at the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, 1879

On Dec. 24, 1879, an article in the “Chicago Tribune” described the mining town of Leadville, Colorado, and the newly constructed Tabor Opera House. The opera house was described in detail under the heading, “The Legitimate Theatre” and mentioned a portrait of H. A. W. Tabor painted over the drop curtain. Here is a section from the article:

“It had often been asserted that only 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 your 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 indorsed the enterprise. The auditorium, without having the florid gildings of many Easter 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” (page 9).

The wording of the last sentence is important: “a picture of Gov. Tabor over the drop curtain.” The article does not state his portrait was painted on the drop curtain, but over the drop curtain. This suggests that the portrait was painted on a grand border, sounding board, or mural above the proscenium arch; something permanently positioned above the drop curtain. This also mean that the portrait was visible throughout a performance and at all times, which in many ways closely adheres to the public recognition sought out by Tabor at the time.

*A Portrait of H. A. W. Tabor in 1883. From the Denver Public Library Digital Collection.* Here is the link:
https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll22/id/17428

Years later, tales would tell that Tabor insisted his portrait replace that of Shakespeare before the Tabor Opera House opened to the public, making the scenic artist repaint the central medallion.

Including a portrait of Shakespeare in a nineteenth-century American opera house or theater legitimized the venue; a practice that was still in place until the early twentieth century. Shakespeare was even placed on the sounding board above the proscenium arch at the Matthews Opera House in Spearfish, South Dakota, 1906.

When the Tabor Opera House opened in 1879, there were other examples of Shakespeare portraits placed over a drop curtains across the country. One example includes fresco work about the proscenium at the Academy of Music in Akron, Ohio; it included a portrait of Shakespeare.

For additional context, a grand border curtain frequently included a central medallion featuring something significant. At the Salt Lake Theatre, the border curtain’s central medallion included a beehive. On border curtains for other theaters, Shakespeare’s portrait was painted in the center medallion, visually reinforcing the legitimacy of the venue in producing classical works. Keep in mind that the Tabor Opera House was constructed in 1879 and noted as Leadville’s only legitimate theater that fall. A portrait of Shakespeare on the grand border of the opera house would have been extremely appropriate for the new venue.

There is one other factor to consider when contemplating the placement of Tabor’s portrait on a scenic piece. The border curtain was often permanently fixed, positioned in the upper third of the proscenium opening. It provided the much-needed masking for overhead machinery and border lights. Although the drop curtain greeted the audience as they took their seats, it was raised when a performance commenced; ideally out of sight. Even after the Tabor Opera House was renovated in 1902, the grand border still included a central medallion, just without a portrait. However, between 1879 and 1901 the grand border was repainted before being replaced in 1902 after the stage was renovated.

Newspapers would mention the opening of Tabor’s theatrical investment in Leadville, with the common tag line “finest theatre in the west.” On May 5, 1880, the “Greenville Democrat” reported, “The Tabor Opera House was built by Gov. Tabor, who, a few years ago, worked by day with pick and shovel, right where Leadville now stands; but as Leadvillians say, “he struck it,” and to-day the Governor is worth $7,000,000. The Governor is not extraordinarily smart, and is no in office on that account, but his pocket-book was elected” (page 2). Newspaper would later observe, “Without time of any preparation to grow accustomed to the possession of unlimited wealth (contrasted with his former condition), he has made the mistake of supposing that his money could buy public opinion and recognition favorable to any freak he may see fit to indulge in” (Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, 9 June 1883, page 4).

Tabor increasingly fell outside of societal norms after he left his first wife for local actress Baby Doe. He was able to secure many things with his new wealth, but could not buy the respect of others, especially those who envied his wealth and position. This caused a toxic situation for Tabor, casting a poor light on both Tabor and his projects. He became the recipient of jabs across the country. Almost two decades after the completion of the Tabor Opera House, a story appeared in newspapers across the country about Tabor’s portrait in the original opera house. I believe that this is when the story changed, placing Tabor’s portrait on the drop curtain.

On January 23, 1898, “The Saint Paul Globe” shared the following tale:

“Tabor’s Opera house has long passed out of his hands, and also the Tabor block. His opera house in Leadville is no longer his, and I am not sure his picture is still left on the drop curtain. It was there at a time for any rate, and the way in which it was put there forms the subject of the story I heard yesterday. It was when the building had been completed and the artist was painting the drop curtain that Tabor came in. As he watched the progress of the work, he asked the artist: “Whose picture is that which you are painting in the center of the curtain?”

“Shakespeare,” replied the artist.

“Who is Shakspeer?” asked the future senator.

“Why,” said the artist, “he is a great man who has written the greatest plays – the Bard of Avon, you know.”

“Shakspeer?” said Tabor. “Seems to me I’ve heard the name somewhere. But what in thunder has Shakspeer done for Leadville!”

“Nothing that I know of,” said the artist.

“Then paint that picture out and put me in.” And that is the way Tabor’s picture came to be in the drop curtain.

Also, for the untrained eye, an audience member might not be able to discern between the painted grand border and the drop curtain. The two would complement each other beautifully, and may be considered one complete composition, not two scenic pieces.

Finally, the original drop curtain was described in 1879 when the Tabor Opera House opened, and there was no mention of Tabor’s portrait in the middle of the composition.

On November 15, 1879, the “Leadville Weekly Herald” described, “The drop curtain is a masterpiece from the brush of Mr. Lamphere, and represents a glorious mountain scene, at the base of which is a fine old castle, with a stream running at the foot; alongside of the water is a rugged road, which ends in the winding of canyon” (page 3).

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1114 – Proscenium Border and Proscenium Wings by Henry C. Tryon, 1883

Nineteenth-century “stage trimmings” referred to painted settings that included drops, wings, shutters, and borders. Stage trimmings also included the proscenium border and wings, both painted elements that accompanied most stage settings regardless of their composition. The proscenium border and proscenium wings were later known as the grand teaser and grand tormentors, or grand tormentor wings. Newspaper descriptions of nineteenth-century proscenium drapery frequently credited the skills of a scenic artist, verifying that theses were painted elements. Often permanently positioned immediately upstage of the proscenium opening, they were only removed for larger spectacles that necessitated the entire stage space, such as acrobatic acts, tightrope walkers, and the like. Otherwise, the proscenium side wings and proscenium borders remained in place for most productions.

*Folding proscenium wings and proscenium border at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.*

*Folding proscenium wing with practical door at the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado.*

*Painted detail from folding proscenium wing with practical door at the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado.*

Once the drop curtain was raised for a performance, proscenium wings and borders provided the first layer of masking for any scene. These stage elements also provided a visual transition from painted decor and architectural ornamentation in the auditorium to painted illusion on the stage. They unified the auditorium and stage in historic performance venues. Of all the painted pieces delivered by a scenic artist, these elements were the most viewed by any audience member.
Over time, proscenium wings and borders were replaced with ornate or plain fabric versions, forever altering the audience expectations and the framed presentation of painted illusion. Fabric valances, grand borders, drapes and close-in curtains became standard masking for proscenium openings by 1930; their initial popularity beginning over a decade earlier.
From 1881 to 1883, Tryon delivered new stock scenery for the Tabor Grand Opera House and Tivoli Theatre in Denver, Colorado, as well as the Springville Theatre Hall and Salt Lake Theatre in Utah. These were just four examples of the hundreds of theatres stocked with scenery painted by Tryon throughout the duration of his career. The stock scenery collections were produced over time, with each piece being unveiled to the public as part of a setting for a touring show or local production.
On May 21, 1882, the “Colorado Daily Chieftain” credited Tryon with the new scenery for the Tivoli Theatre in Denver. Of the scenic appointments, the article reported, “The stage trimmings will be of the most handsome and costly character. Mr. Henry C. Tryon, scenic artist of the Tabor Grand Opera house, Denver, having charge of the work, which will be finished in good season for the grand opening Monday evening” (page 3). Advertisements promised “Complete set of new scenery! From the brush of Henry C. Tryon, scenic artist of the Tabor Grand” (“Colorado Daily Chieftain,” May 24, 1882). By June 1, 1882, the “Colorado Daily Chieftain” announced, “Henry C. Tryon, the scenic artist, is making constant additions to the Tivoli scenery. The gentleman has few superiors in his line” (page 3).
Immediately after this project, Tryon headed west to paint new scenery for the Salt Lake Theatre and Springville Theatre Hall in Utah. For the Salt Lake Theatre, Tryon painted one scene after another, used by touring troops and the Salt Lake Theatre Dramatic Combination company. His work was featured in “Old Shipmates,” “Not Guilty,” and “Under the Gaslight,” to name a few that fall. For “Under the Gaslight,” “The Salt Lake Herald” reported, “This piece has been thoroughly rehearsed, and the new scenes by Mr. Tryon will be used and assist materially in the effectiveness of the production. The piece will be well given and draw a good house.”
In a review of Tryon’s new ship scene used in “Old Shipmates” that fall, the “Deseret News” also discussed other scenic pieces painted by the popular artist. The article reported, “The new drapery and proscenium wings and borders painted by the same and talented artist, will be exhibited that evening for the first time” (October 24, 1883).
An article entitled “Theatre Improvements” in the “Deseret News” described his new proscenium wings and borders (18 Oct 1882, page 3):“Two heavy white marble columns placed on each side of the proscenium opening, surrounding and partly covered by rich crimson drapery, support a continuation of the same drapery, arched in Pompeian form, and with details carried out in a similar style. Immediately behind the arched opening formed the front drapery border, hangs a simple lambrequin of white satin, with a gold medallion fastened to the center of the principal festoon, in which is graven the beehive of Utah; surrounding the medallion are thistles on one side and roses on the other. The prevailing colors of the arch border are rich crimson and gold, the heaviest lightened up with black. The corners of the arches are weighted down by medallions of gold, varied by reliefs in white marble. The whole combination includes richness contrasted by extreme delicacy, and care has been taken that each, while harmonizing with the other, shall be separated by graceful continuous masses. Masking the top of the leading drapery hangs close to the proscenium another maroon ‘border’ with a medallion and drapery surrounding it, looped closely. The medallion in the centre is placed there as the response to those at the extreme ends of the drapery. This last border is hung in front of the drop curtain. The others about six feet back form the proscenium.”

*Detail of the stage right proscenium wing painted by Henry C. Tryon for the Salt Lake Theatre in 1883*

Each piece of Tryon’s stock scenery was gradually unveiled to the public from the fall of 1882 through the spring of 1883. Tryon initially painted a ship setting and a steamboat setting. His work was congratulated, and newspapers reported, “the new ship scene recently painted by Mr. Henry C. Tryon, of the Tabor Grand Opera House is acknowledged to be one of the most realistic sets ever put upon the stage” (Ogden Standard, 30 Sept, 1882, page 3). On Nov. 25, 1882, the “Salt Lake City Herald” reported that new scenes painted by Tryon included a snow scene, woods scene, street scene, and prison setting (page 8). By the end of May 1883, the “Deseret News” reported “The forest scene, painted by Henry C. Tryon, introduced last night and this afternoon in ‘The Serf,’ is a masterpiece. The foliage borders transform the stage into the appearance of a dense wood with actual timber, over hanging and spreading branches and leaves. It is the nearest approach to nature in the department of scene painting we have ever seen” (May 26, 1883, page 5).

Tryon’s stage trimmings, like those of many scenic artists, made news throughout the second half of the nineteenth century in America. The works of scenic artists were advertised, reviewed and applauded. Painted scenery by well-known artists drew crowds and added to the credibility of each performance. By the onset of the twentieth century, the listing of specific scenic artists in newspaper reviews began to diminish. The detailed descriptions of stage settings were gradually replaced with articles about other technological advancements in stage machinery and lighting. The presence of scenic artists, once celebrated in newspapers, began to fade; their identities hidden backstage at many venues.

To be continued…