Stock Scenery – Page 8 – Drypigment.net

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

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

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

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

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

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

Current Clancy system at the Capitol Theatre

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Painted detail from an extant wing at the Capitol Theatre

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 766 – The Empire Theatre, Syracuse, New York, 1911

In 1911, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Syracuse, N.Y. claimed my personal attention for awhile, and I did my best work for it.” Without the name of a show or a specific theater, it is difficult to know where Moses worked in Syracuse during January of 1911.

Postcard of the Empire Theatre in Syracuse, New York

Syracuse theaters listed in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the 1910-1911 seasons included the Bastable Theatre, the Crescent Theatre, the Grand Opera House, Grand Theatre and the Wieting Opera House. The following year, Syracuse theaters expanded to include the Empire Theatre and Keith’s Theatre. Based on that information, I started to do a little digging and discovered that Sosman & Landis delivered the stock scenery collection to the Empire Theatre in when it opened in 1911. The Onandaga Historical Association includes a collection of photographs taken during February 1911 when finishing touches were being completed in the auditorium.

Image posted at https://rjbuffalo.com/programs-and-things.html

By March 1911, there were regular advertisements placed in the Amusements section of the “Post Standard.” Tickets were on sale for shows at the Onandaga Hotel, with prices ranging from fifty cents to two dollars.

The original drop curtain depicted a picturesque forest scene, divided by a babbling brook – a signature Moses composition.

Located on S. Salina Street, the theater was designed by the local architectural firm Tabor & Baxter. Previously, the firm was responsibly for a series of residential structures. The seating capacity for the Empire Theatre was 1709, including 707 on the lower floor, 452 in the balcony, 486 in the gallery and 64 in the boxes. The proscenium measured 40 feet high by x 50 feet wide. The depth if the stage was 42 feet from the footlights to the back wall, with 72 feet between the side walls and 54 feet between the fly girders. The height of the stage house measured 70 feet from the stage floor to the rigging loft and 30 feet from the stage floor to the fly gallery. The backstage area boasted fifteen dressing rooms, a sizeable number for a large touring production. There was also an orchestra pit that accommodated up to eight musicians.

The Empire Theatre was renamed DeWitt Theater during the 1930s. By 1940, however, the name reverted back to the Empire Theater name while under the management of RKO, primarily featuring movies. At the time, the space was also “modernized,” to give the auditorium a Streamline-Moderne appearance. The ornamental makeover was completed under the direction of architect Michael J. DeAngelis. Part of the renovation included walling over the original opera boxes and decorating the space with Art Deco elements.

The original building still stands and is now known as Empire House. Unfortunately, the rear auditorium was demolished in 1961, and the remainder of the building divided into apartments and offices.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 737 – H. L. Reid and the Columbia Theatre in Boston (1891)

Yesterday, I examined the drop curtain for the Empire Theatre by Hugh Logan Reid. It was described in the article “Well-known Drop Curtain in Philadelphia Theatres” (The Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec. 18, 1894). While looking for information about Reid, I came across another project that I feel compelled to share.

Reid painted the scenery and drop curtain for the Columbia Theatre in Boston. On September 13, 1891, “The Boston Globe” described the new theater in detail. Located at 978 to 986 Washington Street, the building occupied an entire block. Of the architectural style, the article reported, “In design it follows the Moorish style. Its towers, grand in their proportions, rise far above the surrounding buildings. The front is composed of pressed brick and terra cotta, supported by cast iron columns and arches, while a second circle on the fourth floor level is surmounted with the name of the theatre in bas-relief letters. The upper portion of the lower arch is so constructed as to form a magnificent window of cathedral and stained glass. The architect has taken ‘The Alhambra,’ the perfection of Moorish art, as his ideal for the construction of the Columbia, and both exterior and interior have been worked out of the minutest detail.”

The interior of the Columbia Theatre in Philadelphia

Of the drop curtain painted by Reid, the “Boston Globe” described, “It depicts the Conquest of Granada, and shows the surrender of the city by the Moors to the Spaniards in 1492. On the right of the picture is seen the Moorish generals delivering the keys of the city to King Ferdinand, who is accompanied by Queen Isabella and retinue. There are over 60 figures painted on the canvas, most of them being life size. The work is from the brush of Scenic Art H. L. Reid.” This particular description made me think of the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Santa Fe that was also based on the Alhambra, almost two decades later.

There are numerous nineteenth and twentieth century buildings in American that were inspired by the Alhambra, and were considered Moorish-revival style buildings. Many were Masonic, including various Shrine mosques with massive theaters. Another example was the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Cathedral, completed in 1912. However, the mural above the proscenium arch in Santa Fe depicts the same composition as the drop curtain painted by Reid and described above. Above the proscenium arch is a mural painted by J. G. Vysekel depicting the moment when Boabdil (Mohammad XII of Granada), the last Nasrid king of the Emrirate of Granada in Iberia surrendered the city of Granada to the Catholic monarchs. The mural was installed at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite in 1915; three years after the building opened. Vysekel was a commercial artist who worked for Mandel brothers of Chicago.The painting was almost identical to ”La Rendición de Granada” by Francisco Pradilla y Oritz from 1882.

”La Rendición de Granada” by Francisco Pradilla y Oritz, 1882.

The mural above the proscenium arch at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Cathedral by J. G. Vysekel. Photograph by Jo Whaley

The drop curtain by Sosman & Landis studio of Chicago for the Santa Fe Scottish Rite. Photograph by Jo Whaley

The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Cathedral auditorium

In regard to the Columbia Theatre’s stage, “The Boston Globe,” reported, “A visit behind the curtain reveals one of the largest, best arranged and most perfectly appointed stages in the United States measuring 75 feet from the floor of the stage to the gridiron. On either side, far above the stage, are two fly galleries, used for working all the overhead rigging, such as border lights, grooves, borders, drop scenes, etc. To the left are the prompter’s quarters, which are indeed worthy of more than casual notice. The gas table for all the gas lighting in the house controls about 800 burners. The gas table is supplied with all the necessary valves and by-passes, and contains the most modern and improved appliances.

Close at hand is the electric switchboard with its elaborate and handsomely finished switches and appurtences for working the 1378 electric lights required to illuminate the theatre. The curtain or proscenium arch is 36 feet in height by 38 feet in width.

The depth of the stage is 50 feet; width from wall to wall, 71 feet; the first fly gallery is 30 feet; the second fly gallery, 71 feet; and the gridiron is 75 feet above the stage.

In fact the stage is large enough to set any production that may be desired. The trap cellar is of unusual size, with an extra pit for trick scenes. A full set of working traps, bridges, etc., are all available when required…

The curtains, drops, scenes, etc., are of the most complete character. First there is the asbestos fireproof curtain, an absolute preventative of fire communicating with the auditorium from the stage, notably so in this theatre, as at either side the curtain runs through a slot in the brick wall, and is held in place by a strong cable.

The act drop, as well as the drop curtain, is a marvel of beauty. A full set of borders and one of the largest scene lists ever put into a new theatre are to be placed in this house as fast as they can be prepared. This important work has been entrusted to the hands of Mr. H. L. Reid, one of the most noted scenic artists in the country. The stage furniture consists of a set in white and god, upholstered in brocatelles of different colors; a set covered in Wilton rugs with mohair plush trimmings; a set of English oak with tapestry coverings, and asset of gothic design. There is the usual inventory of stage cloths, carpets, rugs, etc.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 724 – The Temple Theatre in Rochester, 1909

Part 724: The Temple Theatre in Rochester, 1909

Sosman & Landis delivered stock scenery, an asbestos curtain and a drop curtain to the Temple Theatre in Rochester, New York, in 1909. The Temple Theater was located just across the street from the popular Lyceum Theatre on Clinton Street. This was the same year that they also delivered Masonic scenery to Scottish Rite theaters in Winona, Minnesota, Kansas City, Kansas, Dallas, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and Memphis, Tennessee.

Postcard of the Temple Theatre in Rochester, New York.

The Temple Theatre across from the Lyceum Theatre in Rochester, New York.

On September 22, 1909, and advertisement for the Cook Opera House was placed in the “Rochester Democrat and Chronicle,” noting that it was “to be succeeded in November by the Temple Theatre as Rochester’s Home of International Vaudeville” (page 16). As the Cook Theatre, it was the present home of “J. H. Moore Vaudeville” (Democrat and Chronical, 14 March 1909, page 24).

There were venues known as “Temple Theatres” across the country, many managed by the Knights of Pythias. There were many other Temple Theatres in 1909, including those in Alton, Illinois, Youngstown, Ohio, New Orleans, Louisiana, Palestine, Texas, and Detroit, Michigan, to name a few.

In regard to the new Temple Theatre in Rochester, he “Democrat and Chronicle” reported, “[the Temple Theatre] will have the most complete vaudeville house on the American continent” (25 October 1909, page 10). Architect Leon H. Lempert drew the plans and supervised the construction of the theater. Of the installation, the article continued,

“The stage scenery is from the studios of Sosman & Landis of Chicago, and a carload of scenery will arrive in the city next week, several other cars of scenery following rapidly. The asbestos, or fire curtain, will be the first to be placed so as to avoid wrinkling and the beautiful drop curtain will be the last thing.

This drop curtain will be a picture of Marie Antoinette receiving Louis XVI at Versailles. The scenic equipment itself is perhaps the most elaborately ever placed in a vaudeville theater in the world, and the subjects as well as the designs of the interior scenes were carefully selected at a conference of the artists, the owners and the architect. J. H. Moore gave carte blanche for this work. And the cost of the decorations and scenery alone is more than the cost of the average theatre.”

Of the other elaborate decorations in the new Temple Theater in Rochester included fresco work was completed by Charles S. Allen of New York. The article noted that he worked on the ceiling with “a dozen Italian artists” who were brought to this country to decorate the home of Charles M. Schwab, the steel magnate. Furthermore. The mural paintings on the soundboard above he proscenium arch were painted by Raphael Beck, an artist from Buffalo, New York. Beck had exhibited his work at the Pan-American Exposition.”

Program for the Temple Theatre in Rochester, New York.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 536 – W. H. Clifton, Yore’s Opera House, and Bell’s Opera House in Benton Harbor, Michigan

Part 536: W. H. Clifton, Yore’s Opera House, and Bell’s Opera House in Benton Harbor, Michigan

This is the second post installment about Sosman & Landis employee W. H. Clifton. In 1889, the “News-Palladium” reported on the completion of Yore’s Opera House in Benton Harbor, Michigan (Benton Harbor, Michigan, 14 June 1889, page 3). Clifton was mentioned as the Sosman & Landis stage machinist sent to superintend the installation.

The News-Palladium article noted, “Messrs. Sosman & Landis of Chicago, furnished the scenery and stage fixtures – Will H. Clifton, stage machinist, having been sent here by the firm to superintend the work some four weeks ago. He has just finished up this task of fitting the stage carpets – one green and the other red.

“The stage is admirably appointed. There are seven compete sets of scenery, namely, Parlor, Kitchen, Open Wood, Garden, Prison, Water View and Street, and all accompanying wings, borders, box scenes, etc., necessary to a first class theatre. All the doors and windows in scenery are “practicable: instead of being blind, as is usual in small theatres. There are also a number of “set” pieces – set rocks, set water, balustrades, a set house, a pair of garden vases, etc. The drop curtain is a handsome work of art and is unsurpassed in Michigan outside of Detroit and Grand Rapids, the scene being “The Hudson River from West Point.” Size of curtain 42×30 feet.

“Three traps, stage braces, stage screws and other stage paraphernalia complete Sosman & Landis’ branch of the work, which has been done in first-class shape. The proscenium opening is 36x24feet; depth of stage, 30 feet; 75 feet wide and 33 feet in length, with full set of grooves; flats 18×26; depth beneath stage, a little over 7 feet; sets of grooves, four; two roomy fly galleries. There is a special scenery entrance in the rear and also a private stage entrance. The stage will be brilliantly lighted by two rows of border lights, the footlights and numerous other side lights – electric” (Benton Harbor, Michigan, 14 June 1889, page 3). The seating capacity for the opera house was 1,027.

The fate of the Yore’s Opera House. From the “Herald Palladium,” St. Joseph 19 Jan 1994, page 44

In 1896, the first Yore Opera House caught fire, sometime after manager J. J. Simon closed the theater around 11 p.m. This immense blaze threatened the entire town of Benton Harbor and calls of distress were sent to fire department of St. Joseph (The Herald-Palladium, 19 June 1992, page 44). Eleven firefighters lost their lives battling the flames when a theatre wall collapsed; a twelfth firefighter died from complications a few days later. The Yore opera house became an example in the dangers of firefighting in the area. However, like many theaters destroyed by fire during the late-nineteenth century, another was constructed in its place and the community soon anticipated the completion of their “new, modern, first-class playhouse” (News-Palladium, 15 August 1899, page 4).

In regard to the necessity of an opera house in Benton Harbor, the “News-Palladium” reported, “An opera house? Of course we need one. No city of any enterprise or importance but can boast of a large auditorium where meetings, conventions, and entertainments of whatever nature, political, religious or educational, can be held with comfort and convenience. One of the most forcible illustrations of our need of a large auditorium was the funeral of the brave boys who dies to save the Yore’s opera house. There was no room in the city that could hold the Congregations” (5 Sept. 1899, page 1). Several plans for a new building were proposed, but all failed, until Dr. John Bell and George A, Mills entered the picture.

On the August 14, 1899, a franchise was granted “for the construction of an electric road to connect various resorts about the city, and as soon as it was given the promoters of the road surprised the alderman by showing plans of a $25,000 opera house that they have arranged to build” (Owosso Times, 18 August 1899, page 3).

Proposed opera house in Benton Harbor, Michigan, from the “News-Palladium,” 2 Sept 1899, page 1

John Bell and George A Mills, from the “News-Palladium,” 10 May 1900, page 1

On November 11, 1899, the “News-Palladium” reported “The new auditorium, which is being constructed by Dr. John Bell and Geo. A Mills, was obtained in a novel way. The promoters of the opera house desired to know whether of not the citizens really wanted the play house and in order to see what encouragement they would receive, Dr. Bell and Mr. Mills offered to erect a modern building if the business men would buy 1000 tickets for the opening performances at $5 each. The citizens responded generously and in a few days the tickets were sold” (News Palladium, 11 Nov. 1899, page 3). The article also reported, “Representatives of Sosman & Landis a scenery firm of Chicago, are here today making estimates for the scenery and scenic supplies.” But the contract was not awarded to Sosman & Landis, instead the work went to Armbruster of Columbus, Ohio; accidentally published as “Ambrewster & Company on opening night.” By that fall, the cornerstone of the new Bell Opera House was laid and fraternal orders planned a grand celebration for the occasion. On Wednesday, May 9, 1900, the Bell Opera House was dedicated.

The Bell Opera House in Benton Harbor, Michigan

Architect C. A. Brehmer of South Bend, Indiana, planned Bell’s Opera House after the famous Harrigan’s of New York City. In speaking of the opera house, Mr. Brehmer said, “There are two points which no play in the entire country can excel – its points for egress in case of fire or other necessity and the superior arrangement of the seats” (News-Palladium, 10 May 1900, page 1). On opening day, the “News-Palladium” provided detailed descriptions of the new building (0 May 1900, page 1):

“The auditorium is lighted by 450 incandescent lights and the beautiful blue tinted dome is brilliantly illuminated with 99 electric lights. The system of lighting was planned by James W. Pearl and the wiring done by the English brothers under the supervision of Henry Mason. The switch board for the main part of the building is located on the stage and is so arranged that any number of lights may be turned on or off as the occasion demands. The switch board for the lights in the halls and ticket office is in the box office, Both boards are of the latest pattern. The stage is 9 feet longer and 2 feet wider that the stage of the burned Yore auditorium and the height of this part of the building is 60 feet from the stage to gridiron, giving accommodation for any spectacular performances played in the larger cities. The theatre is fully equipped with its own scenery of the latest patterns, including slide drop curtains, side scenes, flies, and other stage setting. The scenery was painted and manufactured by Armbruster & Company, or Columbus, Ohio. The stage has fourteen dressing rooms with all improvements and conveniences.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 520 – Palette & Chisel, October 1927 – Creating Stock Scenery

Part 520: Palette & Chisel, October 1927 – Creating Stock Scenery

Thomas G. Moses was a member of the Palette and Chisel Club in Chicago and contributed a variety of articles to their monthly newsletter during the late 1920s. His series “Stage Scenery” began during September 1927, however, it was originally written during the spring of 1918.

Here is the third part of Moses’ “Stage Scenery” in the Palette & Chisel newsletter during October 1927:

“The material used to paint on is a fine grade Russian linen and a heavy grade of cotton cloth. Linen is used for all scenery on frames; the cotton is used for drops and borders, usually called “hangers.” The lumber is a fine grade of clear, white pine, without knots or sap. It has to be very clear and straight grained so it will stand upright without too much bracing.

After the canvas has been carefully prepared with a priming coat of whiting and glue is thoroughly dried, the artist draws his design with charcoal, which must be carefully done. In many cases the model must be laid off in squares and the same is carried up on the drop or set pieces. This enables the artist to produce the model exactly as part of the paint frame is below the bridge most of the time so the artist cannot see all of the drop. After the scene is drawn in it is traced with ink, which enables the artist to lay in the main local colors without destroying the drawing. The drawing out of an interior is very laborious. The work has to be done very accurately and pounces and stencils made, as there are many pieces to be covered.

In case of a landscape, they sky is laid in first, distance follows, then the middle distance, and there are many pieces to be covered.

In case of a landscape, the sky is laid in first, distance follows, then the middle distance, and the foreground last. The trees are run up when the sky is dry, which takes a short time. After all the broad “masses” of the “lay in” are dry and a clean palette has been arranged by the “paint boy” and the pots and pails holding the “lay in” are placed under the palette, “(a clear space is required for the many tints that are mixed on the palette, several small cups of dark purple and a strong rich color is used to emphasize the darks in the foreground) comes the careful work of finishing a landscape; strong shadows and half tones in foliage up to the strongest flickering of sunlight. We now take a little more time for our work. The “lay in” had to be done very quickly as it is very essential that the colors be kept will blend, which, in turn, makes the “cut up” easier. A drop representing a landscape 24×36 feet in size can be “laid in” with a lot of rough detail inside of two or three hours and retain wet edges.

As the distemper colors dry out several shades lighter t causes many anxious moments to a novice. There was no trouble with color fading or changing before fireproofing; it eats all the blue (especially Cobalt) out of purple, leaving a bad color, neither a blue nor red, which makes trouble for the artist.

Showing difference between wet and dry pigment colors during the painting process

In most cases, in painting a landscape, the artist endeavors to obtain his dark colors in the “lay in” so that when the “cut up” comes it will be all light colors. Most of the artists start to finish the drops from the foreground, getting the strength of the foreground first. Big, broad strokes are what count. It may look rather coarse close by, but when the completed scene is properly lighted you will find a surprise awaiting you. We know how to light a scene, but often some of our best effects are purely accidental. We follow these accidents up, develop them, and find soft, atmospheric color, all to be done with electricity.

Looking up at a collection of backdrops and seeing the bottom battens

Stock scenery for small halls and opera houses and for large vaudeville theatres has grown to be quite a business. Scenic studios have sprung up like mushrooms all over the country. To get the very best facilities for handling all sizes of scenery, the studio has to have a height of at least 54 feet, allowing a drop 30 feet high to be painted from a stationary floor, 24 feet from the basement floor. The width of the studio should be at least 50 feet and 150 feet in length. A building of these dimensions will accommodate fifteen paint frames, giving work for fifteen artists, five paint boys, four helpers to handle the scenery on and off the frames, two sewing women and six carpenters to build and prepare the frames for the scenes. This would constitute a first class studio and turn put a lot of work.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 517 – Palette & Chisel, September 1927

Part 517: Palette & Chisel, September 1927

*Palette and Chisel* newsletter, Sept. 1927.

Thomas G. Moses was a member of the Palette and Chisel Club in Chicago and contributed a variety of articles to their monthly newsletter during the late 1920s. There were many scenic artists who were members of this art club. However, “Uncle Tom” was the leader of the group and the last president of the largest scenery firm in Chicago by 1915. I have included his articles about sketching trips from the 1880s that were printed in the newsletter, but here is his series of articles about the artistic process of painting stage scenery. His series for “Stage Scenery” started during September 1927. At the time, Moses was 71 years old.

The editor of the newsletter introduces Moses and his series of articles:

“Stage Scenery How it is Painted. Tom Moses Tells the Tricks of the Trade.

This is the first article of a group by Thomas G. Moses to be printed serially in the Palette and Chisel. For over a half century Tom Moses has designed and painted stage settings for productions that were famous in their time. He was associated with the famous scenic firm of Sosman and Landis which eventually became just Tom Moses though the old firm name still flies at the mast head. In this first offering, Mr. Moses tells about the mimic world in which he works; he tells of the “sets”, how and why they are made, while analyzing some o their production from the managerial and technical standpoint. This article (continued) will acquaint the reader with everyday work and problems of the scenic artist. Later Mr. Moses will tell of the sketching trips in search of new material, made to out of the way places. The first trip is dated 1884.”

Here is Moses’ first installment to the Palette and Chisel newsletter:

“Stage Scenery 1918

The first movable scenery was invented and painted by an Italian artist by the name of Peruzzi and used in a play called “La Calandra”, which was presented before Pope Leo X in 1508, and the further developments of his inventions, which were thoroughly in accordance with the spirit of the age, led to the necessity of a recessed stage with a frame, like a picture.

Shakespeare used placards naming the different scenes, as “This is a street,” “This is a forest,” etc. A few of Shaekespeare’s disciples attempted to do this even to this advanced age, but with very little success, for it leaves too much for the imagination.

Scenery in connection with the legitimate drama or Grand Opera must be very authentic in design and truthful in color. In a “Spectacle,” “Light Opera,” “Musical Comedy,” “Burlesque,” or “Vaudeville” acts, a scenic artist can go the limit on design and give the public a riot of color, and in return for this they will howl with delight.

Thirty years ago most of the scenery was painted in the theatre, a room or paint bridge being arranged on the stage of adjoining room for that purpose. Each theatre furnished the necessary sets for the traveling company, which was headed by some big star. In the larger cities, the theatre employed a scenic artist and an assistant to keep regular stock scenery in good condition and to supply and special scene needed. While the regular stock scenery in each theatre was nearly complete there was always a call for some scene not to be found in stock. As the scene plot was sent ahead and turned over to the scenic artist, the required scene was built and painted. Often the scene was painted on an old drop, or over old framed wings.

The big spectacles, similar to the Kiralfy’s immense production, or the well-known Black Crook, had to carry all of their scenery, several car-loads, for it would cost a fortune to paint anything for these shows. At the present time nearly everyone carries scenery, and, as a rule, a lot of it.

In the early days of scene painting in America, the majority of the artists were of English descent; many of them had a weakness for the flowing bowl, and many tales have been told of several artists and what beautiful scenes they would paint while in their cups. As a rule an artist has to be in a very normal condition to paint any kind of a scene and then he will often fall down on the job.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 508 – Henry C. Tryon, Scenic Artist for the Salt Lake Theatre, 1882-1883

Part 508: Henry C. Tryon, Scenic Artist for the Salt Lake Theatre, 1882-1883

In 1883 Henry C. Tryon was in Salt Lake City, producing scenery for the newly renovated Salt Lake Theater. The “Salt Lake Daily” published, “The improvements which have been in progress at the Salt Lake Theatre during the past nine or ten months, under the direction of Henry C. Tryon, the noted scenic artist, have attracted a great deal of attention from theatrical men generally” (July 22, 1883, Vol. XIV, No. 41). Harry Miner’s Dramatic Directory listed Henry C. Tryon at the scenic artist who produced the 25 sets of scenery for the newly renovated Salt Lake Theatre.

The theater had already undergone one renovation in 1873. This project included adding a large parquet with four ascending parquet circles and two boxes flanking the proscenium opening. The dress circle curved in a semicircle that allowed the placement of a movable floor over the parquet seats. The false floor was level with the stage, creating a large hall for a various activities. Once positioned, the flooring permitted everything from grand balls to benefit dances for city firemen. The theater also included several dressing rooms and storage areas.

1884 the renovated stage was described in Harry Miner’s Dramatic Directory. The seating capacity was enlarged once again to accommodate 1,850 people. The renovated stage included a proscenium measuring 28 feet wide by 32 feet high. The venue used hard wings in grooves that measured 18 feet in height. The stage area was 65 feet deep by 70 feet wide. The height from the stage to the fly loft was 52 feet, with a depth under the stage of 11 feet.

The Salt Lake Theatre was enlarged again in the 1890s when the proscenium opening was expanded. Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for 1896 reported that the proscenium opening now measured 32 feet wide by 40 feet high. There were six pairs of grooves, each measuring 18 feet in height. The grooves could now be taken up flush with the fly gallery. The stage had 5 traps included a vampire trap in front.

The Salt Lake Theatre was built in 1861. Located on the northwest corner of State Street and First South Street, the structure measured 80 feet by 144 feet. The seating capacity for the venue was originally 1,500 individuals. The theater served many functions over its lifespan and was host to a variety of social and political activities. When the theater was conceived, Salt Lake City had a population of 12,000 inhabitants. It was still considered a frontier outpost with a telegraph service, but little else.

The Salt Lake Theatre when it was under construction.

The Mormon leader Brigham Young announced the plan to construct a theater and was integral in its overall planning and construction. Since the Mormons’ time in Nauvoo, the community had both enjoyed and promoted theatrical activities, including performances at H. E. Bowring’s makeshift playhouse or other entertainments at their social hall. Young made the decision to build the Salt Lake Theatre there in 1858. Part of his decision was due to the popularity of the amusement hall at nearby Camp Floyd. Camp Floyd’s hall maintained a tenuous existence and was not big enough for elaborate productions. When the Civil War began, Gen. Johnston was called back east, leaving a vacant hall at Camp Floyd. The amusement hall’s theatrical properties and scenery were procured by Nicholas Groesbeck for Springville, Utah. It was in Springville where Henry C. Tryon first worked in the region, painting $1000 worth of scenery for the venue.

The Salt Lake Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah

The principals participants in the construction of the Salt Lake Theater included William Folsom as the main architect; Hiram B. Clawson as the general supervisor; E. L.T. Harrison as the interior designer; Alexander Gillespie, Henry Grow, Joseph Schofield, and Joseph A. Young as the foremen; and George M. Ottinger, Henry Maiben, and William Morris as the original scenic artists. Alfred Lambourne succeeded Ottinger as the scenic artist for the Salt Lake Theater. It was Lambourne who studied with Tryon when he was in the region.

“Scenic Notes” published in “The Salt Lake Daily Herald” described the scenery painted by Henry C. Tryon for the Salt Lake Theater” in 1882 (25 Nov 1882, page 8).

“Last evening a few of the new scenes painted by Mr. Henry C. Tryon were lighted up for the delectation of a small circle of friends who were present in the Theatre. A snow scene, beyond all comparison ahead of anything yet placed on the stage, was the theme of much favorable comment on account of its artistic naturalness. The effect of light and shade on the newly fallen snow, and the superb delineation of chill winter, was never more effectively shown, no matter what pains taken of the class of surroundings. The sky effect was faultless, and showed most exquisite taste in harmony of color, and in the delicate handling of the transparent vapors of a winter atmosphere. The whole scene is charming, and so true to nature, that an effort of the will seemed necessary to retain normal temperature.

We had a slight glimpse of the woods scene, now in process of development, and it indicated grand results on completion. A street scene was also run out to the front, and we do not hesitate to say that such a perfect representation of buildings has never been seen in this section, and never excelled elsewhere. The bricks, stone and mortar were to the eye as solid and real as the genuine article, and a more perfect counterfeit presentment could not be desired. It astonished as to find that Mr. Tryon, who excels in free-hand work, should display such ability in the hard mechanical effects of architectural painting. A prison, painted as effectively as was the building in this scene, would hold a hardened convict under the impression that it was built with solid rock.

The management are displaying excellent taste and good judgment in securing the artistic talent of Mr. Tryon, who is working wonders in the scenic department of this popular temple of the drama.” (The Springville Herald, 26 March 1936, page 4).

Mormon church president Heber J. Grant announced his intention to close the building during the 1920s. Until its demolition in 1928, this decision was protested by many from the community, including the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. Various suggestions at the time included renovating the space or transforming it into a museum, but neither local nor state authorities were willing to preserve it. At the time the theater was razed, it was nationally recognized as one of the top historic stages in the country.

University of Utah doctoral student Aaron Ward Tracy compiled articles from various publications printed about the Salt Lake Theatre from 1864 to 1913. His research is now in the Special Collections of the J. Willard Marriott Library. The collection contains an extensive list of published materials about the Salt Lake Theatre, including plays, reviews, actors and actresses, venues, celebrations, and exhibits. Tracy researched the material in anticipation of his doctoral dissertation, which was never completed. Here is the link to the collection: http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv55145

There his research sits, waiting for another scholar to continue the work.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 507: Henry C. Tryon and the Scenery for Frazer’s Hall, 1870

Part 507: Henry C. Tryon and the Scenery for Frazer’s Hall, 1870

Frazer’s Hall in Lawrence, Kansas, had a stage with stock scenery on the third floor.

Frazer’s Hall in Lawrence, Kansas, had a stage with stock scenery created by Chicago-based scenic artist, Henry C. Tryon in 1870

Tyron was associated with Allen’s Globe Theatre in Chicago during 1870. That same year, he was contracted to produce the the drop curtain and scenery for Frazer’s Hall in Lawrence, Kansas (The Daily Kansas Tribune, 28 Dec, 1870).

Frazer’s Hall stage was located on the third floor of a business building. Located at 59 Massachusetts Street, it was next door to the famous Eldridge Hotel. The hotel occupied the southwest corner of Massachusetts and Seventh (now Winthrop) streets.

The first Eldridge House, built in in 1858, was burned by Quantrill’s Raiders on August 21, 1863. This group consisted of pro-Confederate partisan guerillas, also called bushwhackers, who fought in the American Civil War. Missouri and Kansas were subject to Confederate bushwhackers and anti-slavery Jayhawkers who competed for control in the region. The town of Lawrence was a center of ant-slavery sentiment.

The grand opening ball at the Eldridge House in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1858.

In the summer of 1863 Quantrill’s Raiders, numbering approximately 400 men, brutally descended on the town of Lawrence in the early morning, looting and burning the town of 3,000. By the end of their raid, they had killed approximately 180 men and boys, leaving the town in a sad state of smoldering ruins. However, the proud City of Lawrence quickly rebuilt and adopted the motto “from ashes to immortality.”

During the reconstruction, Col. Eldridge used an original cornerstone from the burned Eldridge House for his new hotel. By the next month, a three-story building was under construction. In November, the roof was put on and by the next month the first floor was completed and ready for occupation. The new hotel was complete with five storerooms for lease on the first floor. The Eldridge House re-opened with a reception of guests on September 27, 1864. The next evening the proprietors celebrated the opening by giving a ball at Frazer’s hall. Renters in the new building included Merchant Tailoring, H. H. Ludington’s saloon, a Bazaar store, Drake & Crew’s bookstore, and B. W. Woodward’s drug store. For the next few decades, the Eldridge Hotel was known as one of the best hotels west of the Mississippi; this benefited the small performance venue known as Frazer’s Hall next door.

Massachusetts Avenue with Frazer’s Hall on right side of street, second building down. The Eldridge Hotel is the first building on the corner (right).

The Eldridge Hotel was three stories high with a frontage of one hundred feet on Massachusetts Street and one hundred and seventeen feet on Seventh Street. The first floor was used principally for stores with the hotel office and the main entrance on Massachusetts street and the kitchen in the rear. The sixty-four rooms in the upper stories included sleeping rooms and parlors. The rooms were reported to be large, airy and well lighted; everything was tastefully furnished with high ceilings.

In 1866, the Eldridge Hotel was sold to George W. Deitzler for approximately $50,000, with Deitzler retaining the “Eldridge House” name. Deitzler renovated the building and soon leased i to E. A. Smith and E. C. Stevens. Stevens had worked at the Planter’s Hotel in Leavenworth, Kansas, for several years and had the experience for this new endeavor.

Postcard of Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, Kansas. Frazer’s Hall is on the right, second block down.

It is in 1866, that the first advertisements for Frazer’s Hall appear in the “Daily Kansas Tribune.” On April 29, 1866, “A Grand Concert of Vocal and Instrumental” was advertised at at Frazer’s Hall (page 1). We learn that the venue’s manager is N. C. Pope (May 1866). Frazer’s Hall advertised, “Magnificent and Genteel Comedy Performance By Experienced and Excellent Actors” (Daily Kansas Tribune, May 18, 1866, page 1).

The Leavenworth Theatre played in Frazer Hall, March 18-24, 1867, presenting “Honey Moon, ” “The Lady of Lyons,” “Ten Nights in a Bar Room,” “Richard III,” “Ingomar,” and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” The Lord Dramatic Company played the hall December, 1869, and by January 1870, the New York Theater Company performed “Daughter of the Regiment.” It was after the production of “Daughters of the Regiment” that Henry C. Tryon was contracted to paint a new drop curtain and stock scenery for the venue.

The new scenery by Tryon for Frazer’s Hall consisted of a painted front draperies, tormentors, and seven sets of scenery representing a garden, palace, landscape, kitchen, prison, parlor, plain chamber, street, and a complete set of wings and borders; a standard collection for the times.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Joplin Scottish Rite, July 2

The Joplin Scottish Rite, July 2

I arrived at the Joplin Scottish Rite by 8:15am. We examined all of the backdrops over the next four hours, with Andrew and the Secretary Richard Lowery handling the lines. Richard worked tirelessly with my husband to raise and lower the lines while I catalogued each drop, photographed painted details, and set entire scenes. To show our appreciation, we took Richard out to lunch at a fabulous local restaurant – the Red Onion.

At the Joplin Scottish Rite, I was like a kid in a candy store, as I uncovered a new scenic studio stencil – The Fabric Studio.

*A Fabric Studio of Chicago stencil, placed on the backside of some Scottish Rite backdrops in Joplin, Missouri.*

*Another Fabric Studio of Chicago stencil, placed on the backside of some Scottish Rite backdrops in Joplin, Missouri.*

It will take many more hours to untangle the compilation of various installations, only some attributed to the Fabric Studio, after closely examining the backdrops in context. The majority of scenery contain a studio stamp for Fabric Studio of Chicago, located at 117 N. State, 4^th floor, Chicago, Illinois. However, the drops were not all produced at the same time or for the same venue. One distinguishing characteristic of many backdrops is the horizontal seams on octagonal-shaped sandwich bottom battens. They are a distinct departure from late-nineteenth century oval battens.

The earliest mention of the Fabric Studio that I have located to date is in 1921; the company was advertising for girls to help in the sewing room (Chicago Tribune, 27 August 1921, page 14). From all appearances, this was second generation scenic studio, like many that emerged during the twenties when scenic artists left the employ of the larger, companies to strike it out on their own. They began competing with the older studios and offering a new aesthetic. The Fabric Studio was a competitor to the Kansas City Scenic Co., of Kansas City. In 1922, the Wellington Daily News reported that two scenery salesman were competing for the contract of a new front curtain and the scenery for the new Memorial Auditorium project: E. L. Gossage of Kansas City Scenic Co. and W. S. Mayer of the Fabric Studios of Chicago (Wellington, Kansas, 25 August 1922, page 1). Gossage would later be the salesman for the Great Western Stage Equipment Company of Kansas City.

The Fabric Studio of Chicago is credited with the painted scenery for the 1922 Orpheum Theatre in Wichita, Kansas. The Wichita Eagle (3 September 1922, page 48) reported the Fabric Studio’s work as including the original asbestos curtain depicting a gold gauze curtain with an exterior garden scene, a Spanish market scene; a silk velour for the valance; a grand drapery; a silver gauze tableaux curtain; a picture sheet; “two exterior oleos and drops;” a complete conservatory set; and a complete Gothic set.

*Head artist for the Fabric Studio of Chicago – P. T. Blackburn, published in the “Daily Times” (Davenport 17 May 1922, page 10).*

The chief artist to the Fabric Studios of Chicago was P. T. Blackburn who worked mostly on the fine plushes, satins, and velours, such as the gold gauze front curtain and the silver gauze tableaux curtain for the Orpheum.

*The new Wichita Orpheum, from the “Wichita Beacon” (3 Sept, 1923, page 27)*

*The front gold gauze curtain produced by the Fabric Studio of Chicago for the Orpheum Theater in Wichita, Kansas.*

*A scene produced by the Fabric Studio of Chicago for the Joplin Scottish Rite, with practical opening and painted fabric.*

*Detail of painted fabric. A scene produced by the Fabric Studio of Chicago for the Joplin Scottish Rite, with practical opening and painted fabric.*

*A detail of the painted fabric. A scene produced by the Fabric Studio of Chicago for the Joplin Scottish Rite, with practical opening and painted fabric.*

By 1949, Blackburn would become the head artist for Paramount Studios and a weekend resident of the San Jacinto mountain resort area (The Desert Sun, Palm Springs, California, 17 May 1949, page 4). In addition to scenic art, he and his department also developed new stage equipment and curtain tracks for scenery painted by Paramount artists.

This explains the exceptional hand-painted silk curtains in the practical opening of some Joplin Scottish Rite scenes. Blackburn was the head of the artistic staff for several stock companies over the years, including the Grand Players from Davenport, Iowa.Another artist on staff at the Fabric Studios was Max Schroeder, who specialized in landscapes. The Fabric Studio’s head installation expert was J. A. Bannon, credited as “an old timer in the show business and has installed scenery in theaters in nearly every city in the United States” (Wichita Daily Eagle, 3 September 1922, page 48).

There is more to report about this unique collection and its current condition, but that will be saved for tomorrow.

To be continued…