1919 Hippodrome Curtain Discovered

Forgotten for over 15 years and hidden high and dry in the 50-foot fly loft, this historic piece of artwork has been revealed. Painted for the Hippodrome Theatre in 1919 by Twin City Scenic Studios, this beautiful piece of artwork quite possibly is one of the oldest and largest canvas paintings in Ohio. At nearly 900 square feet, this highly decorated mural originally served three purposes for the theatre.

A pleasant artistic scene for the theatre patrons to view as they entered the auditorium. The colorful painting not only enhanced the grandeur of the theatre’s interior, but evoked great expectations of what the audience was about to witness upon the Hippodrome’s mammoth stage.

The heavy canvas curtain served as an atmospheric barrier between the stage and the auditorium. With the curtain down, scenery and props along with theatrical trunks could be loaded in and out of the stage’s loading doors without the loss of heat or air conditioning in the auditorium.

The word “Asbestos” is prominently emblazoned on the bottom of the curtain’s design. This was a good thing in the early 1900’s and let theatre patrons know that the Hippodrome took great pride in protecting its guests with the very best in fire safety features. The back side of the curtain is coated with an asbestos fireproof material. In case of fire on the stage, the curtain would be dropped to protect the auditorium and its patrons as they exited the theatre.

The name “fire curtain” was sometimes given to this piece of canvas because of this particular feature. Current plans for this historic treasure are to clean and restore it to its original glory. It will then be encapsulated in a special coating to encase its asbestos fibers.

We hope that this eighty-two year old scenic art curtain can once again become one of Marietta’s most unique tourist attractions.

Late last year, Robert Lodge, an art preservationist with McKay / Lodge and Associates, analyzed the fire curtain for restoration purposes. While Mr. Lodge noted that the mural was in excellent condition for something that was painted in 1919, it was done in a water based paint which will make cleaning it more tedious. Mr. Lodge noted that the asbestos fibers in the curtain are actually woven with copper and are much larger than the more harmful “friable” asbestos particles that generally appear in insulation. The curtain would be cleaned and then encapsulated to ensure its safety. Cleaning the curtain should increase the brilliance of the artwork by 50%.