Category: North American Collections

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In America, many nineteenth-century opera houses repeatedly purchased stage scenery, updating and expanding their existing stock. Scenic artists and their stage work drew crowds, just like popular stage personalities. The names of scenic artists were prominently displayed in many advertisements. Articles described their work and the scenic art process in detail, placing their contribution to a production on par with the leading performers.

Last February, I led a group of volunteers to document all of the scenery on stage at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.  It was the first phase of the project, with the second phase occurring in September. The second phase focused on a much older scenery collection stored in the attic, placed there after the stage was renovated by the Elks in 1902. There were several pieces painted by Tignal Frank Cox in both locations. The first piece that we discovered was a tree profile, constructed of roughhewn lumber and coarse cotton fabric. On the backside of the tree was a charcoal sketch; a cartoon depicting a scenic artist in coveralls. Above the scenic artist was the caption: “Frank Cox, Scenic Artist Jan. 30 ‘88.” Cox also painted his initials on the front of the tree. They appear to be carved into the trunk, alongside other initials.

Keep in mind that it is extremely rare to find a piece of stock scene signed and dated by the artist. Some pieces carried a studio mark, but seldom an individual artist’s name. Occasionally, individual artists and studios marked the corner of the central composition on a drop curtain (painted front curtain). Until my trip to Leadville, I had not encountered a signed and dated piece of nineteenth-century stock scenery.

Beginning in 1881, the Tabor Opera House was managed by J. H. Cragg. Cragg secured the painting services of Cox near the end of 1887. Cox completed his work for Cragg at the end of January 1888, and then headed to DeRemer’s Opera House in Pueblo. Cox painted a forest scene for both DeRemer’s Opera House and the Tabor Opera House. 

To date, I have identified three extant settings painted by Cox for the Tabor Opera House. This “Cox Scenery Collection” includes a forest scene, a street scene and a Rocky Pass. The forest setting consists of two full shutters, two cut shutters and a tree profile. Both the street scene and the Rocky Pass scene are composed of only two shutters.

Cox’s painting project for the Tabor was part of a much larger vision that involved the 1888 establishment of the Silver Circuit. In 1881, J. H. Cragg became manager of the Tabor Opera House in Leadville; the same year that H. A. W. Tabor built the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver.  By 1884, Peter McCourt (Baby Doe’s brother) became the manager at the Tabor Grand, and was responsible for booking both the Tabor Grand and Tabor Opera House productions. McCourt soon expanded his bookings to other venues, establishing a Colorado Circuit, also known as the Tabor Circuit.  Stops in the circuit included opera houses throughout Colorado, Utah and southern Wyoming.  By March 1888, McCourt announced the official formation of a “Silver Circuit,” targeting the wealth associated with mining areas. Keep in mind that McCourt announced the establishment of a Silver Circuit only two months after Cragg hired Cox to paint the new scenes. The “official inauguration” of the Silver circuit, however, did not occur until July 1889. In the end, it included thirteen stops: Denver, Leadville, Aspen, Salida, Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Trinidad in Colorado; Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden and Park City in Utah; and Evanston and Rawlins in Wyoming.

On January 14, 1888, the “Leadville Evening Chronicle” reported, “Frank Cox, a New York artist, is engaged painting several new scenes at the opera house. Manager Cragg has engaged him for a short time, and his productions are something unusual in the scene painting line. Mr. Cox painted the scenes that were so much admired in acts III and IV of Ingomar” (page 4). Act III of “Ingomar” was set in a mountain camp, likely using Cox’s recently painted rocky pass shutters. Act IV was set on the edge of a forest that possibly used Cox’s new forest setting. Lillian Olcott was featured in the touring production of  “Ingomar” during 1887 and the beginning of 1888. She and her company performed both “Ingomar” and “Theodora” in Leadville at the beginning of January. The Tabor Opera House was one of her last stops on tour before she passed away in March. Newspapers across the country reported that Olcott grew ill after surviving a blizzard and died in a hotel.

Then, as now, travel throughout the mountains in winter was unpredictable and often treacherous, but this did not prevent people from completing a theatrical tour or traveling to nearby venues. Cox completed his work at the Table Opera House by the end of January. On February 1, 1888, the “Leadville Evening Chronicle” announced, “A handsome new ‘set’ house and a new wood ‘flat’ has been added to the scenic properties of the Tabor, this city. Both were painted by Mr. Frank Cox, of New York, and are excellent examples of the scenic art” (page 4).

On a secondary note, the mention that Cox’s new scenery was used in “Ingomar” is also of interest, as Olcott’s shows purportedly toured with their own “special scenery.” Advertisements for both “Ingomar” and “Theodora” promised, “all the wealth of scenery and appointments that characterized their production in London and Paris” (The Courier, Lincoln, NE, 20 Dec 1887, page 6).  However, after “Theodora” played at the Tabor Opera House in January, one Leadville critic commented, “The company’s ‘special scenery’ was mainly conspicuous by its absence, but some very good stage settings were arranged, none the less.”

After completing his work in Leadville, Cox secured work in Pueblo, Colorado. In Pueblo, he not only worked as a scenic artist for DeRemer’s Opera House, but also performed as a “Lightning Artist.” Prior to his performance and work for DeRemer’s Cox flooded local newspapers with announcements, advertisements and articles about his art.

On Feb. 12, 1888, the “Colorado Daily Chieftain” included an article entitled “The Tramp Painter.” It read:

“The following has been handed us for publication, which explains itself.

PUEBLO, COLO, February 8, 1888.

Mr. Frank Cox,

Desiring to witness an exhibition of your rapid landscape painting and character sketching in charcoal, accompanied by your famous talk, “The Tramp Painter,” or “The Sketch Artist En Tour,” we respectfully request you to favor Pueblo with an early date most convenient yourself.

Jos. Hitchins, T.G. McCarthy, O. E. Pettis, L. B. Strait, Rev. W. C. Madison, Geo. M. Haight, W. W. Strait, A. B. Patton, and many others.

___

Messrs. Haight, Hitchins and others,

GENTLEMEN – In reply to the above request, I will state that I will be pleased to respond, and will appoint Friday evening, February 17, as the date, and DeRemer opera house as the place of entertainment, at which time I will paint four landscapes in oil 4×6 feet, each in ten minutes besides numerous charcoal sketches of the same size in much less time.

Yours Truly,

Frank Cox.

In addition to this announcement, Cox daily advertised in the “Colorado Daily Chieftain.” From Feb. 14 to Feb. 17 the newspaper included mentions of his act. For example, on Feb. 15, 1888, the “Colorado Daily Chieftain” reported, “Mr. Frank Cox, the lighting landscape painter who will appear at DeRemer’s opera house on the evening of the 17th instant, will amuse and instruct all who attend, and we trust that he will be greeted by a large audience.”

The announcement was accompanied by a nearby advertisement:

Cox also posted short reminders in the “Colorado Daily Chieftain” – “Don’t miss seeing Frank Cox, the artist at DeRemer’s” (“Colorado Daily Chieftain”, Feb 17, 1888, page 4).

The day before his performance, Cox submitted another article entitled “A Fire at Sea.” It described, “The event of the season will be the appearance of Mr. Frank Cox, the lightning artist at DeRemer’s Friday evening, February 17. On this occasion Mr. Cox will paint his wonderful ‘Fire at Sea,’ in which he first paints a moonlight ocean, then a ship, then sets it on fire (with color), then brings another ship to the rescue, which also burns and the picture is left a calm, open sea, with no vessel in sight, and even the smoke is cleared away. You will probably never have an opportunity of witnessing such a grand spectacle and should not fail to attend. Tickets 25 and 50 cents.”

On the day of the performance, Cox was featured in the “Amusements” section. Under the heading “The Tramp Painter,” the article noted:

“To-night is the date of the most extraordinary and wonderful entertainment ever seen in Pueblo, on which occasion Mr. Frank Cox, the lighting artist, delivers his famous talk “The Tramp Painter” at DeRemer, illustrating it as he proceeds with numerus black and white sketches and four large oil paintings, all executed on the stage before your eyes. Fifty sketches will be made during the evening, and a more enjoyable affair has probably never been offered to the people of Pueblo. All lovers of the beautiful in art should attend and witness this performance. The price of admission is 15 and 50 cents, within the reach of all, and we hope to see the DeRemer crowded.”

In addition to performing, Cox also painted scenery for DeRemer’s Opera House. On February 19, the “Colorado Daily Chieftain” announced, “Frank Cox, the artist is at work on a new scene at the DeRemer opera house. It is what is known as a ‘cut wood’ scene, the first one yet made there. It shows large trees, with foliage overhead, while the canvas is cut away from around the trunks of the trees, making a very forest like appearance (page 4). This is exactly what Cox also painted for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville.

After Pueblo, Cox traveled to Trinidad, Colorado. On March 4, 1888, the “Colorado Daily Chieftain” announced, “Frank Cox, the artist, is lecturing at Trinidad” (page 4).

To be continued…