Jackson Historical Society

Jackson's Grand Theater Curtain, circa 1897, Conserved!

Thanks to a grant from the N.H. State Council on the Arts conservators from Curtains Without Borders, a non-profit from Vermont, worked to restore a theater curtain that is 124 years old. The restoration work on the 19½-by-8½-foot, muslin curtain was done from June 19 through June 21 in the main room of the Jackson Historical Society (JHS) by director Christine Hadsel of Burlington, Vermont., conservator Carolyn Frisa of Bellows Falls, Vermont., and assistant Mary Richardson of Maidstone, Vermont from Curtains Without Borders.

It is now on display on the first floor of the JHS but in October it will be moved upstairs to the Museum of the White Mountains at JHS. The curtain had been the backdrop for town meetings until meetings were moved to the Whitney Community Center in 2009. It was also used for school productions by the Jackson Grammar School prior to the construction of the Whitney Center.

The painted drapery depicts a man and a woman standing by an ornamental lake dressed in 18th century costumes with a wrought iron fence behind them. A trompe l’oeil proscenium drape is painted on either side of the imposing piece. Hadsel noted that the painted curtains, many of which she said desperately need intervention are commonly found in town halls, grange halls, theaters and opera houses. In New England, most of them were created between 1890 and 1940, although on rare occasions, pieces were painted both earlier and later.

Hadsel said of the curtain, “This grand drape is different from all other curtains we have seen anywhere. It is not signed, but it is definitely by someone who was trained as a scenic artist, rather than a local painter.” She added that the materials are identical to curtains produced in Boston, New York, Chicago and many other cities where there were studios with a stable of painters. She said that other than being very dirty and marred by former roof leaks, it is in excellent condition. The damage from the roof leaks has been much reduced, and the whole image is considerably brighter. Along with water stains, the conservators also removed “many years of dirt and layers of smoke.

They used dry sponges on the dirt and smoke, then pencils and paint to match the colors. They also mended tears, including one 12-inch hole, and did several minor patches.

“There are still stains, but the idea is to make the viewer look at the restored images past those stains,” said Hadsel, who added they decided to cut the top two-foot part that was damaged by the years of exposure to the water leak and smoke. It had been folded under and was not visible.

She and her crew are set to return in the fall to oversee moving the curtain to the second floor, with the Jackson Volunteer Fire Department agreeing to use their equipment to hoist it. The giant curtain is on a temporary base for now but will be moved onto a more permanent roller come fall. It can then be rolled up and dropped down for display. They also plan to present a program and talk on their work

--From The Conway Daily Sun Thursday, June 27 Link to article Note: This article may be behind a paywall.

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