Acquisition: 1984. Donated by William R. Brown, a past president of the Twin City Scenic Company.

Access: Open for research. The University of Minnesota Libraries - ManuscriptsDivision, contained in the Performing Arts Archives. They are located on the second floor of Elmer L. Anderson Library, 222 - 21^st Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455. To contact an archivist, please email mssref@tc.umn.edu or telephone 612-625-3550.

The largest component of the collection is the materials representative of the Twin City Scenic Company. The Twin City Scenic Company collection materials were salvaged from a 1980 fire and tracked down through former Twin City Scenic employees by C. Lance Brockman, professor of the University of Minnesota's Theatre and Dance Department. Operating from 1895-1979, this scenic studio created theatrical products for a variety of theatre productions, opera houses, fraternal organizations, educational auditoriums, civic events, and other commercial venues.

The Company was originally located in the Bijou Opera House in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Three principle employees of the then-popular Bijou Opera House opened the Studio around 1896. Theodore Hays, manager of the Bijou and president of Twin City Scenic, generated much of the Company's early business. His wide commercial, professional, and theatrical connections helped the new enterprise compete with the already successful eastern studios. The other two principle partners, William P. Davis and William Knox Brown, supervised respectively the scenic art and stage mechanics departments.

As the company expanded, they also utilized the backstage space at The Grand Opera House in St. Paul. By 1905, the Twin City Scenic Studio was incorporated and renamed the Twin City Scenic Company and the business moved from their two backstage spaces into their own facility at 2819-21 Nicollet in Minneapolis. By this time, the Company was producing large quantities of scenery for the opera houses of developing western communities for the many touring shows. The public's appetite for vaudeville stimulated the expansion of the product line to include picture sheets (early movie screens), rigging and draperies. The Company produced scenery for many of the nation's top vaudeville circuits. From 1910 to 1930, demand for scenery exceeded the Studio's capacity, so it opened branch offices in several cities. The company acquired five full-time salesmen to work various geographical territories. The company continued to expand and opened regional offices in Detroit, Michigan (1918-1937); Syracuse, New York (1931-1937); Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1929-1932); Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Fort Worth, Texas (1933-1934).

The company grew and it was no longer feasible to send original sketches out with the salesman. Hand-tinted photographs bound in leather booklets with information about the company often accompanied any sales representative. As in the beginning with the hand-painted originals, the salesman would telegraph or phone in a theatre's order so that the sets could be constructed, painted and shipped out on the next train leaving town. The shift in product parallels the shift in popular entertainment as painterly drop curtains are gradually replaced with auditorium draperies and cinema picture sheets.

After the stock market crash in 1929, vaudeville's popularity faded as that of the movies rose, and the demands for scenery changed. While Twin City Scenic continued to produce some painted scenery, its major business was supplying stage curtains for the many newly built movie theatres and high school auditoriums. By the late 1930's the emergence of new regional studios eroded the Company's national theatrical scenery business further, forcing the closure of many of the branch offices. The last full-time "specialty" artist left the Company in 1941 to paint backdrops in Hollywood, and by the end of the decade, the demand for painted scenery was almost non-existent.

The painting techniques and wing-and-drop forms of traditional scenery were easily adapted to the visual needs of a variety of non-theatrical events - historic pageants, exhibits, and industrial shows. Twin City Scenic created many such scenes, and the Company's ability to supplement income this way helped it survive the devastating effects of the Depression.

In June of 1925, the national celebration of the 100^th anniversary of Norwegian immigration to the United States was held in the Twin Cities. Related events included church services, historical pageants, and meetings of regional immigrant societies (Bydelags). Twin City Scenic produced paintings of Viking Ships and other appropriate symbols to add color and interest to the scenes and celebrations.

Another noted effort of the Company was the decoration and design of the acclaimed Minnesota building for the 1933 Chicago Century of Progress Exposition. This extensive project, led by scenic artist, Jack Westrom, required over a year of preparation and research. The work was made up of two panoramas. According to a report in the Minnesota Historical Society Archives, one of the panoramas gave the onlooker a view of the "whole state of Minnesota compressed onto a canvas 20 feet high and 120 feet long. [It] was designed to give the visitor something that he might see if he were actually flying in an aeroplane from south to North the length of the entire state." The other panorama presented a visual history of the state, beginning with Father Hennepin's arrival in the territory in 1680 and ending with a depiction of the "modern" cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

In addition to these special events, the Company provided scenery and backgrounds for the Ringling Brother's Circus, the 1925 Shrine National Convention, and various local pageants. A look at the scenery the Company produced for these and other non-theatrical events provides a fascinating view of early twentieth-century American popular culture.

Throughout the duration of the Company's 85-year history, a vast amount of scenery equipped many Masonic Temples. Twin City Scenic's founder, W.K. Brown was a 32º Mason, and that connection undoubtedly accounts for the tremendous amount of scenery created by the Company for fraternal orders around the country. Masonic installations required complete theatrical settings; a central backdrop, framed by a series of painted side wings and cut drops. This theatrical configuration emulated the nineteenth-century-accepted presentation of a realistic illusion.

In 1979, former president W.R. Brown and another artist painted the Studio's last piece of scenery - a drop curtain for the restored Brown Grand Opera House (Concordia, Kansas). A destructive fire closed the Company in 1980, ending a theatrical institution that had survived for 85 years. Select pieces from this collection were presented from April 5 through June 14, 1987, in an exhibit titled "The Twin City Scenic Collection, Popular Entertainment, 1895-1929," at the University of Minnesota Art Museum. An exhibition catalogue accompanied this exhibit ("The Twin City Scenic Collection, Popular Entertainment, 1895-1929." Minneapolis: U Press, 1987).

The Twin City Scenic Company collection provides a unique glimpse into the early-Twentieth-century categorization of theatrical imagery and source material within a successful scenic studio. The completeness of this collection allows examination of documented changes in the entire stage scene industry and changes within the theatre format. Stylistic changes in scene design and painting techniques are exemplified throughout numerous sketches and renderings. Original source materials also indicate a shift from "high art" duplication to ornamental decoration and modern abstraction.

The Twin City Scenic Company Collection is composed of original rough drafts, pencil sketches, colored renderings, miniature stage models, sales catalogues, photographs of theatrical installations and secondary sources utilized throughout the design process. Containing over three thousand items, the completeness of this particular collection allows one to examine the earliest changes upon the stage and within the technical theatre industry. Stylistic changes in scene design and painting techniques are exemplified throughout numerous sketches and renderings as well as popular theatre décor. Original source material also traces the design process from conceptual rough draft to photographs of full-scale painted backdrops.

The entirety of this collection reflects the drawing and rendering techniques of a variety of skilled artisans. The major sketch artists of the collection are John Z. Wood, representing the traditional style from the 1890's, and Eugene Gilboe, representing the modern influence of the 1920's. Often their works are signed or stamped with the United Scenic Artists seal. Additional sketch artists include Victor J. Hubal, Calvin R. Brown, John E. Westrom, Frank Stengel, Andrew Geis, David Stone, Albert Tompkins, Arthur R. Hurtt and Fred J. Gibson. Each rendering has a series of information recorded upon the back to aid a variety of studio employees. The top of each sketch or colored rendering often includes the name of the salesman, the stage term of that particular piece, an identification "local" number within the category, and if hand-tinted photographs of this particular piece were available to salesman. In addition to this method of organization, specific design and paint notes were also recorded on the back of each piece. These notations allow the researcher to examine the design process within the studio system, and how it shifted throughout the early twentieth century.

Box List

Box 1 -(A) Ad drops, (ASB) Asbestos curtains, (C) Conservatories, (CYC) Cycloramas, (D) Drops

Box 2 -(D) Drops, (DC) Drop curtains

Box 3 -(DC) Drop curtains

Box 4 -(G) Garden drops

Box 5 -(G) Garden drops, (H) Horizons, (I) Interiors

Box 6 -(I) Interiors

Box 7 -(I) Interiors

Box 8 -(I) Interiors, (IM) Interior models

Box 9 -(IM) Interior models. (IMP) Interior model pieces

Box 10 -(L) Landscape drops, (M) Masonic drops

Box 11 -(M) Masonic drops

Box 12 -(MM) Masonic models, (MP) Model pieces

Box 13 -(MT) Mountain drops, (O) Olio drops

Box 14 -(O) Olio drops

Box 15 -(O) Olio drops

Box 16 -(P) Palace drops, (PS) Picture screens, (RP) Rocky pass drops

Box 17 -(S) Street drops

Box 18 -(SI) Sample interiors, (SK) Sketches

Box 19 -(SK) Sketches

Box 20 -(T) Tormentors

Box 21 -(W) Woods, (WD) Wood drops

Box 22 -(W) Woods, (WD) Wood drops

Box 23 -(W) Woods, (WD) Wood drops

Box 24 -(WMP) Wood model pieces

Box 25 -Models

Supp. Box 1 -Resource materials

Supp. Box 2 -Resource materials

Supp. Box 3 -Resource materials

Supp. Box A -Studio photos of renderings in folders A, C, D1/2, G1/2, H

Supp. Box B -Studio photos of renderings in folders I1/2/3, K, L, O1/2/3/4, P

Supp. Box C -Studio photos of renderings in folders S1/2, T, PS, RP. Installation and morgue photos.

Supp. Box D -Blue prints of Twin City Scenic Company studio space and theatre programs.

Supp. Box E -Source materials compiled of loose German catalogue imagery.

Morgue book 1

Morgue book 2

Morgue book 3

Morgue book 4

Supplemental materials compiled by C. Lance Brockman and stored with reference catalogue:

Arrangement of the collection:

The renderings and sketches are arranged in the archives as the studio organized its extensive repertoire of drop types. The studio coded the drop type on the back of each sketch, first with a letter which indicated the drop category and then a number in the order that the pieces were added to the inventory. The collection encompasses a complete inventory of stock scenery used by the numerous opera houses spread out around the country as well as vaudeville and variety performers, and educational institutions. The types of drops represented is extensive and includes: (A) Advertising drops, (ASB) Asbestos curtains, (C) Conservatories, (CYC) Cycloramas, (D) Drops, (DC) Drop curtains, (G) Garden drops, (H) Horizons, (I) Interiors, (IM) Interior models, (IMP) Interior model pieces, (L) Landscape drops, (M) Masonic drops, (MM) Masonic models, (MP) Model pieces, (MT) Mountain drops, (O) Olio drops, (P) Palace drops, (PS) Picture screens, (RP) Rocky pass drops, (S) Street drops, (SI) Sample interiors, (SK) Sketches, (T) Tormentors, (W) Woods, (WD) Wood drops, and (WMP) Wood model pieces. There are also installation pieces that include work done for local department stores, civic organizations, and parade floats. Most of the sketches have some type of written instructions and information on the back including: the artist's signature; union stamps; design directions or scenic art notations; company labels or stamps; and sales representative signatures.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "A." A romantic or idyllic scene that was surrounded by a painted ornate frame and swagged curtains, reminiscent of the painted drop curtain. The pictorial frame, or architectural surround incorporated local product and service advertisements. The cost of drop was often paid for by the business community. Sometimes these advertising spaces would be re-sold for another theatre season, requiring re-painting or a partial "touch-up" to occur.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "ASB." A backdrop constructed of asbestos that would function as a fire curtain. The composition is often reminiscent of that depicted within a drop curtain. The label "asbestos" often functioned as a title block below a pictorial representation and would reassure the theatre patrons of there safety in the event of a fire.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "C." An elaborate glass-enclosed room with an abundance of tropical vegetation. Fountains and statues often complete this lush appearance. This subject also includes an interior composition that depicts a palatial interior, or veranda, that overlooks a garden.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "CYC." Initially a variety of entertainment that surrounded the audience with painted scenery. This term ultimately referred to a large drop that was used to surround the stage, often representing a blue sky. Within the Twin City Scenic Collection, this term also applies to interior setting entirely created from draperies.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "D," or "DC." The most elaborate piece painted by the scenic artist that traditionally hung at the front of the stage. Compositionally, the drop curtain contained a romantic or idyllic scene that was surrounded by a painted ornate frame and swagged curtains. This scenic element harmonized with the interior decoration of the opera house or theatre.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "D," or "DC." Actual fabric, or an ornately painted version of swagged draperies that hung at the front of the stage. These renderings do not include a pictorial scene at the center of the composition.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "D," or "DC." The portrayal of a pictorial scene that was surrounded by a picture frame, another form of architectural ornamentation, or draperies.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "G." A backdrop setting of a garden scene. Walkways, fountains, statues, peristyle and other garden structures are common features incorporated into this type of composition.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "H." A backdrop setting that incorporates a strong horizon line within the composition. Often the subject incorporates some sort of seascape.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "I." A backdrop scene also referred to as a "center door fancy."

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "I." An interior composition rendered in a "modern" scenic art style. The majority of these pieces date from the 1915 or later. Eugene Gilboe and Calvin Brown are two artists whose work is indicative of this style.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "I." An interior composition rendered in a "traditional" scenic art style. The majority of these pieces pre-date the 1920's. The work of John Z. Wood is indicative of this historical style.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "IM." A box setting that is constructed from illustraition board and may be manipulated in a variety of ways to remain free standing within a theatre model.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "IMP." An additional scenic elements, such as tormentors, teasers, properties, or other scenery that many accompany interior models.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "L." A backdrop with a composition that depicts rolling hills and a few trees. A trail often leads toward the distnat horizon line.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "M." Scenery designed for a variety of fraternal orders that include: The Ancient and Accespted Scottish Rite Temple of Freemasonry (Scottish and York Rites); the Shrine; the Blue Lodge (first three introductory degrees) of Freemasonry; The Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm (M.O.V.P.E.R.) Grotto; and The Tall Cedars of Lebanon.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "MM." Scenic elements that that included wall murals, set pieces, hand properties, fabric curtains, tormentors, teasers and other theatrical elements besides backdrops.

Scenic elements that were fairly generic and could be utilized for a variety of purposes when displaying a theatre model. These pieces are often inidivudual items that would accompany the colored rendering for a backdrop.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "MT." A backdrop that depicts mountainous regions.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "O." An usual piece of scenery whose origin is unknown. The term olio comes from the Spanish word, olla, meaning wide-mouth jar or stew pot, and, true to its definition, the olio drop provided a background of various subjects or locations for a potpourri of entertainment. It was often utilized for musical segments inserted between theatrical acts or productions.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "P." A backdrop depicting a variety of palatial rooms. These spaces include, grand staircase, entryways, sitting parlours and other ornate living quarters.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "PS." Early movie screens. A backdrop composition dominated by a central white triangle. This element was often framed by architectural or organic structures and drapeies.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "RP." A backdrop that depicts a rugged mountain scene with a distant valley.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "SI." Colored renderings for ceiling panels, architectural ornamentation, theatrical draperies or other decorative ornamentation within the theatre space.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "SK." Pencil sketches for theatrical compositions that were never rendered in color.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "S." A backdrop that depicts commercial or residential street scenes. Traditional compositions are initially based on European cities and sites. Later the composition reflected American depicting of urban communities.

Stock scenery: Generic backgrounds required for both plays and civic events.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "T." The vertical flats flats the form the side elements of the false proscenium. The subject matter includes, trees and other foliage, garden structures, draperies, and other interior architectural structures.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "T." A short horizontal drape used for concealing a theatre's fly system. Synonym for border. The subject matter often includes treetops, clouds and/or draperies.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "W." A backdrop that depicts a woodland scene. Rivers, pathways, bridges and meadows are common scenic elements incorporated in this composition.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "W." A woodland composition rendered in a "modern" scenic art style. The majority of these pieces date from the 1915 or later. Eugene Gilboe and Calvin Brown are two artists whose work is indicative of this style.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "W." A woodland composition rendered in a "traditional" scenic art style. The majority of these pieces pre-date the 1920's.The work of John Z. Wood, as in thumbnail example above, is indicative of this historical style.

Twin City Scenic Company categorization, "WMP." Scenic elements that would accompany a woodland backdrop.

Location of the collection:

Performing Arts Archives located in suite #213 of the Elmer L. Anderson Library. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus, West Bank.

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URL: http://digital.lib.umn.edu/scenery/tcs.htmlLast Revised: April 24, 2001