This wing was discovered in the attic of the TaborOpera House; one of several wings that had been cut down and tacked to a wall in the attic.
Front side. A double-painted wing that was once nailed to an attic wall. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado.Back side. A double-painted wing that was once nailed to an attic wall. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado.
The original height of the wing was 16′-0″. During June 2018, I first visited the Tabor Opera House attic and uncovered some of the wings and shutters in a dusty pile.
Tabor Opera House attic, Leadville, Colorado, June 2018.Wings revealed behind the pile of dusty scene. Tabor Opera House attic, Leadville, Colorado, September 2020.
This was one of many pieces hidden under a vast pile of beautiful artwork. I returned to Leadville earlier this year (February 2020) to document the historic scenery contained on the stage of the Tabor Opera House. During a second trip to Leadville (Sept. 21-27, 2020) I led a group of local volunteers to document the attic scenery. The attic pieces received a preliminary cleaning before being lowered to the stage floor 40 feet below.
Double-painted wing after it was lowered to the stage floor.Double-painted wing after it was lowered to the stage floor.
This double painted wing is the only example that remains, depicting an exterior garden and rocky pass.
From September 21-27, 2020, Dr. Wendy Waszut-Barrett led a group of local volunteers to document historic stage settings in the attic of the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado. These stage artifacts should be considered much more than “old scenery.”
Much of the historic scenery collection is comprised of large-scale artworks painted by nationally recognized artists.
Below are two shutters painted by scenic artist and theatre architect Tignal Frank Cox for the Tabor Opera House in 1888. These shutters formed a backing for the stage picture. Rolled together, shutters were a perfect solution for theaters that did not have room to raise backdrops out of sight. Wings and shutters slid on and off the stage in grooves to form scenic illusion on nineteenth and twentieth century stages across the United States.
Two shutters by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888.Painted detail. Shutter by T. Frank Cox, 1888. Notice the two flat sheaves at the bottom that allow the unit to effortlessly roll.Flat sheaves allowed shutters and wings to roll.
Here are two double-painted flats created for the Tabor Opera House. One side depicts a rocky mine setting (with diamond dust for silver veins) and the other side depicts a garden setting.
The rocky mine setting included three pieces; one was double-painted with clouds and the other two double-painted with a garden scene.
All three pieces were created between 1879-1890.When the Leadville Elks (BPOE) purchased the building and renovated the stage and auditorium (1901-1902), the original scenery was replaced with new; the older collection tucked away in the attic.
Garden side of the first flat.Rocky mine side of the first flat.Garden side of the second flat.Rocky mine side of the second flat.Painted detail of foliage.Painted detail of foliage.
In September 2020, I led a group of volunteers to document the attic scenery and lower many pieces to the stage floor. I have yet to identify the scenic artist for this particular piece, or exact date. For more information about historic scenery collections at Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, or the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, use the keyword search function at www.drypigment.net
Here is a double-painted flat from the nineteenth century; one side depicts a rocky mine setting (with diamond dust for silver veins) and the other side depicts a cloud setting (with gold paint outlining the clouds).
Double-painted flat, ca. 1879-1890. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado. Scenic artist currently unknown.Double-painted flat, ca. 1879-1890. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado. Scenic artist currently unknown.
The rocky mine setting included three pieces, but only one was double painted with clouds. The other two flats were back painted with a garden scene and will be posted tomorrow. All of these pieces were created for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, ca. 1879-1890.When the Leadville Elks (BPOE) purchased the building and renovated the stage and auditorium (1901-1902), the original scenery was replaced with new; the older collection tucked away in the attic. In September 2020, I led a group of volunteers to document the attic scenery and lower many pieces to the stage floor. I have yet to identify the scenic artist for this particular piece.
Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.Metallic gold outlines each cloud, causing the scene to sparkle under stage lights.
For more information about historic scenery collections at Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, or the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, use the keyword search function and type in “Tabor.”
From September 20-28, 2020, I visited Leadville, Colorado. My mission was to document the historic scenery in the Tabor Opera House attic. This was the second phase of a project began last February. Six months ago, I examined all of the scenery stored on the Tabor Opera House’s stage. Last month I returned to document the scenery placed in the attic after the Tabor Opera House was renovated, 1901-1902.
We finished the attic scenery documentation today, cleaning and measuring the last nine borders by noon. The 28’-0” wide borders had holes for only two operating lines, much different that the current ones designed for use with three operating lines. The nineteenth-century borders depict blue sky, treetops and a fancy pink interior ceiling. These were intended to accompany the wing and shutter sets for the 1879 stage; the borders measuring just 2’-4” in height. This narrow strip of painted fabric would have been just enough to conceal the gas jets above the stage. No sandwich battens at the top of the borders either, just a 4” board and double rows of tacks. I have encountered this technique several times. It is astounding that these tattered border curtains managed to survive in the attic for over a century without irreparable damage, but it is a testament to a long succession of stewards.
Carl, Mary Ann and Greg placing a wood border for documentationWrapping a border that was documented.Border for interior setting.Border for exterior setting.Border for exterior setting.
The most recent scenery collection
stewards for the Tabor Opera House include Mary Ann Graham-Best, Carl Schaefer,
Tammy Taber, as well as many, many other volunteers. Those who I have worked during
this month and last February Mary Ann, Carl, Tammy, Kan, Theresa, Ruth, Curt,
Janel, Greg, Allie, Derrick, Jen, Mike, Scott, Eric, Theresa “T”, Robin and
Donna. My apologies if I missed anyone.
Volunteers for Day 7 at the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Co. (Left to right) Ziska, Mary Ann, Wendy, Tammy, Donna and Carl; we were holding out breath, so don’t panic.
This trip, Michael Powers also traveled with me to volunteer; his work in the attic with Carl helped make lowering the scenery from attic to stage floor safe and secure. Without their support, much of the scenery may be still sitting under a layer of dust, undocumented. The scenery has managed to survive despite a massive renovation (1901-1902), the Great Depression and a series of other financial obstacles. The survival of a historic venue is dependent upon strong leadership leader and community support. A small band of theatre people is not enough, you need the support from those outside of our industry too.
Evelyn E. Livingston Furman was one of
the great leaders and scenic stewards for the Tabor Opera House. She also wrote
“The Tabor Opera House: A Captivating History.” In the publication, Furman includes
some details of the early scenery. Her words leave a legacy.
There are a few things to keep in
mind as we explore the nineteenth century scenery delivered to the Tabor Opera
House…In 1879 Horace A. W. Tabor purchased wing and shutter scenery for the
Tabor Opera House. Some of the earliest scenes included a mountain setting (Royal Gorge), forest, garden, palace, plain
chamber with balcony, and a prison. We know that more scenery was delivered in
1888, and included a horizon (seascape), European street setting, rustic
country setting, rocky pass, and Eastern street scene. This is the same time
when some of the original stock scenery were repainted and a few new scenes
were added to the original wings, shutters and roll drops. Only eight shutters
that remain, some double painted. The six surviving settings include a rocky
pass, rustic country landscape, cut woods, European street scene, Eastern
street scene, and winter scene. These all have flat sheaves that make the settings
glide across the stage floor on wheels. In 1890, a series of eight jungle wings
were also added to the stock, built by William J. Moon and painted by H. E.
Burpey.
The technical specifications for the
Tabor Opera House stage paints a pretty picture, including a 6” rake. The 1884
issue of “Harry Miner’s Dramatic Directory” noted that the Leadville’s Tabor
Opera House had a seating capacity of 800. H. A. W. Tabor’s second theater, the
Tabor Grand of Denver, boasted a seating capacity almost twice that – 1,500. Tabor’s
second theater was much larger than that in Leadville. The proscenium opening
in Leadville was 23 feet wide by 17 feet
high , whereas the proscenium opening in Denver was 34 feet wide by 33 high.
The size of the Tabor Opera House
stage in Leadville measured 34-feet deep
by 60-feet wide. The Tabor Grand Opera House stage in Denver measured 45-feet
deep by 75-feet wide. The grooves (for wings) measured 16 feet in height at the
Tabor Opera House in Leadville and 20 feet in height at the Tabor Grand in
Denver.
“Harry Miner’s Dramatic Directory” also listed
that Leadville’s Tabor Opera House boasted 12 sets of scenery, whereas the Tabor
Grand had much more, 50 sets of scenery. The two venues were drastically
different when examining the types of stage scenery and machinery. In Leadville,
the Tabor Opera House used wings, shutters, and roll drops, there was only 19
feet from stage to rigging loft. In Denver, there was a grid 66 feet above the
stage floor, accommodating a series of leg drops, cut drops and backdrops., in addition
to grand interior setting.
At the current Tabor Opera House,
there is a significant amount of used scenery produced for an earlier, and
larger, venue. These pieces likely
belonged to the Tabor Grand, and the scenes include borders, interiors settings
and at least one set piece (step unit). There also pieces left on site from
touring shows.
In short, there is a treasure trove
of scenic art and stagecraft, depicting the delightful
transition from Nineteenth-century itinerant artists painting stock scenery on site to early twentieth-century studio artists painting scenery at a distant location.
I have about four
weeks of work in front of me once I return this week. It will take a while to
decipher the information collected on site, compiling historical analyses, conditions
reports, appraisals and a collections care and management program. Although I
have written about 700 pages pertaining to the 1902 collection delivered by Kansas
City Scenic Co. and Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio, there is much
more to go. I am taking three days off to return home and then will resume “Tales
of a Scenic Artist and Scholar,” about the life and times of Thomas Gibbs Moses
(1856-1934)
Saturday was our last big day to
lower scenery from the attic at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. It
was the sixth of seven workdays in a row. We did manage to hit our goal of
lowering all remaining shutter scenes, plus a few other pieces, to the stage
floor. The attic looks positively bare. Only eight borders remain for me to
document today. That being said, some scenic pieces still remain in the loft
above the attic and on platforms high above stage right and stage left. Documenting
the final shutters, wings and borders will have to wait until next time. The amount and the scope of the scenery at
the Tabor Opera House is staggering.
Two rocky pass shutters pieced together on the stage of the Tabor Opera House after spending a century in the attic. The shutters were painted by Frank Cox in 1888.The backside of the rocky pass shutters. This scene was also painted by Frank Cox in 1888.Two shutters forming a European street scene. The Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.Two horizon shutters and three wings. There are five remaining wings, but all have been cut down; one is missing.
The biggest surprise this week was
discovering a marked piece of scenery from the Tabor Grand Opera in Denver. This
was Tabor’s second theater. There are some interior set pieces and borders obviously
created for another, and much larger.
There are also a few pieces from touring productions that never left the
Tabor during the nineteenth century. It will be fun to track down more
information in the upcoming weeks.
The majority of the work this week
was completed by volunteers without any background in theater. Their careers
varied from nursing and teaching to law and public service. Some were born in
Leadville and others not; all were passionate about the project.
Volunteer crew on day 6 at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.Painted border, likely created for another venue due to size. This border matches the palace interior setting that we assembled earlier this week.
Painted scenery produced for the
stage a century ago continues to have a
broad appeal to the general public. Well painted scenes still cause people to gasp,
as did much of the scenery at the Tabor Opera House. It is just magical.
Painted detail from the rocky pass shutters. Note the seam between the to shutters.
For the next few weeks, I will continue
to post images from this week’s documentation, focusing on individual scenes
and painting techniques. More tonight.
I feel wonderfully exhausted after
today’s activities. There have been too many long days spent at the theatre,
and too many short nights spent at home deciphering the day’s information.
I was asked tonight by Colorado
Public tonight what it felt like to uncover scenic treasures at the Tabor Opera
House in Leadville Colorado. It took me
a minute to respond, as “magical” is too simple a response; the experience is much
more than that for me.
Removing the layers of dust from an historic
stage setting is like stepping back in time and embracing old friends. Seldom
am I overwhelmed with emotion when a scene is lowered to the stage. In most cases,
it is like the comfort of a warm banket on a cold day. Today, I teared when the first two shutters were
joined, creating a rustic country scene. We sat in the audience admiring the painted shutters
by Frank Cox from 1888. It had taken more
than a century for this onstage reunion and we reveled in the moment.
Two shutters by T. Frank Cox for the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, 1888.Painted detail. A shutter by T. Frank Cox for the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, 1888.Painted detail. A shutter by T. Frank Cox for the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, 1888.Painted detail. A shutter by T. Frank Cox for the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, 1888.Lowering a shutter by T. Frank Cox for the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, 1888.Lowering a shutter by T. Frank Cox for the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, 1888.Two cut shutters by T. Frank Cox for the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, 1888.
Some of us feel we were born into
the wrong era, embracing the aesthetic of another time and place our entire lives;
I am one of those people. Today, I would have given anything to stand in the
wings and help position these freshly painted new shutters into place for the
next scene.
Volunteer crew at the Tabor Opera House, day four of the attic scenery documentation.
There is more scenery at the Tabor
Opera House in Leadville, Colorado than I expected – go figure. In addition to the
attic scenery and that in the attic loft, historic scenery was spotted in two
other locations – the fly gallery and the corresponding stage left platform. This
is on top of that already documented on the stage. I had to check the finds
out.
The first thing that I did this morning was to climb up a wooden ladder to the stage-left platform. This was about twenty-five feet above the stage floor; one of those wooden original wooden ladders that always make me a little nervous.
Top of the ladder near more historic scenery.A side view of a ground row depicting water, stored high above the stage at the Tabor Opera House.Some of the dust encrusted scenery high above stage left.
Yes, there are more treasures up there, including a bridge profile piece, some ground rows depicting water, several platforms and a few crumpled soft goods. I doubt that they will come down this trip. There was also a deteriorated flat on the fly gallery level, once used to block sunlight from a window. It was from the same setting that we set up yesterday; the missing sixth wing. Sever deterioration and faking allowed me to examine the primer and a previous base coat of paint.
We continued to lower attic scenery
to the stage throughout the day, forming neat little piles of flats, divided by
composition. Lowering each piece from the attic door, the scenes were guided by
an individual on the pin rail while a group in hard hats waited below. We are
now all in sync and the process is going beautifully. Regardless, this is a
relatively slow process, and I desperately tried to be in two places at once – both
the attic and stage, while still documenting scenery in various locations. The
surges of adrenaline from each new discovery kept me energized throughout the
day, well into the board meeting this evening.
Preparing to lower a scene from the attic of the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.Allie working guidelines as scenery is lowered to the stage from the attic.One more scene successfully lowered to the floor. This is the backside of a jungle wing painted in 1890.Scenery against the upstage wall at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.
The majority of the scenery (once
stored in the attic) has been removed and is patiently awaiting further instructions
on stage. We have saved many of the larger pieces for tomorrow; reducing the number
of smaller pieces that surrounded the largest ones. Despite the camaraderie and
constant stream of adrenaline, it was another physically exhausting day for
all. The entire crew, including myself,
are volunteers. We each have participated in the documentation process because we
believe in the cultural significance of these artifacts. That being said, I am
being hired to create documents containing a historical analyses, condition
reports, replacement appraisals and collections care managements forms.
I ended by day attending a zoom
meeting with the Board of Directors and the architects. It is so wonderful to
meet with such a group of passionate individuals. We all understand that this
is a crucial moment in the future if the Tabor Opera House. We see the
potential in the building and scenery collections; it extends throughout the
area. Even Ziska Childs drove over from Aspen and volunteered today, cleaning
off some dust from flats before they were sent to the stage floor. It was so wonderful to share the beauty of
these painted shutters with a friend and colleague. Similarly, Bruce Bergner from the University
of Colorado, Colorado Springs, has also been on site for two days. It is so
wonderful to work with him on this project. And I cannot forget to mention that
Michael Powers traveled with me from Des Moines, Iowa, to help on site this
week.
Sharing shutter discovery with friend and colleague, Ziska Childs.Cleaning scenery before it is lowered to the stage floor. Note the contrast on the back of the wing.
The most exciting discovery for
every are the shutters. I have been waiting for over two years to see each
shutter on stage with its mate. Of course, the shutters have been waiting even
longer since they were placed into storage over a century ago. Tomorrow, we will commence with the arduous
task of lowering the shutters to the stage floor. The 12’ x 16’ pieces will be
a challenge as they are lowered floor some 40 feet below.
Volunteer crew for day 3 of scenery documentation at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, CO.
We all experience those tactile moments
that conjure up images from the past, offering an instantaneous connection. It
can be as simple as using your grandmother’s mixing bowl or your grandfather’s
tools. There are so many ways to reconnect and remember times gone by.
Handling historic scenery offers a special connection to the past, especially if the setting has not been assembled for decades. I often wonder if the original creators are patiently waiting in the wings for their scene to appear once again on stage, occasionally stepping in to guide our fumbling hands.
Today, we set up two historic scenes
on the stage of the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado; ones that had
been stored in the attic for well over a century. Damaged and dusty, we
carefully pieced together two interior sets. I spent a significant amount of
time, both last night and this morning, contemplating how I would “put Humpty
Dumpty back together again.” Some of the of pieces were intended to work with grooves,
effortlessly sliding on an off stage. Others had anchors for stage braces. Some
had no indication as to how they were supported. In the end, it just took time,
muscle and a crew that trusted my gut instincts.
Stage setting stored in the Tabor Opera House attic for more than a century.Doors added to setting, but the appropriate plug for the arch is still missing.The doors and arches were the backside from the first setting. They are double-painted with a composition on each side.The doors and arches were the backside from the first setting. They are double-painted with a composition on each side.
The process was almost as satisfying
as the outcome. It is hard to express my emotions as the stage was transformed
today.
I first laid eyes on a piece from the
setting two years ago. At the time I could
only envision how this would look on stage. Seeing it assembled surpassed all of
my expectations. Although some of the colors are faded and some of the fabric
is torn, there is an insuppressible beauty to the painting. It was absolute magic.
