US1022020A - Stage-scenery. - Google Patents

Description

E. G. CRAIG.

2 STAGE SGENBRY.

- APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1910. 7 1,022,020. Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 mull-1A WRAP" 60., WASHINGTON. a. c.

E. G. CRAIG.

STAGE SGENBBY.

APPLICATION nun APR. 27, 1910.

Patented Apr. 3, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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E. G. GRAIG.

STAGE SOENERY.

APPLIUATIOLI FILED APR. 27, 1910. r v

Patented Apr.- 2,1912.

'4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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' B. G. CRAIG.

STAGE SOENBRY. 7 APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1910.

1,022,020. Paten 'mad Apr.2, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

EDWARD GORDON CRAIG, OF FLORENCE, ITALY.

' STAGE-SCENERY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD GoRDoN CRAIG, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of Arena Goldoni, Florence, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stage sentation of poetic drama.

Scenery, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for producing scenic effects on the stage and is particularly adapted for use in the repre- In the representation of such plays the producer has hitherto been obliged to choose between the alternatives of either employing scenery formed and painted so as to produce the illusion of the actual scene intended by the playwright,-or using plain curtains as a background. Many persons have come to the conclusion that the latter -method has certain esthetic advantages and it has the material advantage of cheapness and easy transport.

The object of my invention is to produce a device Which shall present the esthetic advantages of theplain curtain but shall further be capable of a multitude of effects which although not intended to produce an illusion shall nevertheless assist the imagination of the spectator by suggestion.

My device is further intended to combine the artistic variety and mechanical advantages of painted scenery with theportable nature of the curtain.

My invention consists in the use of a series of double jointed folding screens standing on the stage and painted in monochrome.

preferably white or plain yellow. 'The screens may be used as a background and in addition to this use may be so arranged as to project into the foreground at various angles of perspective so as to suggest various physical conditions, such as, for example, the corner of a street, or the interior of a building; by this means suggestion, not representation, is relied upon and nevertheless variety is obtainable.

The device possesses the great advantage that the variety of effect is obtained from a very simple apparatus which may be readily transported from place to place and easily arranged and moved on the stage. M0reover this device is to all intents and purposes self-supporting and, unlike scenery or'curtains, does not require to be suspended from Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application filed April 27, 1910. Serial No. 557,902.

above. 1 The screens may be mounted on any sultable arrangement of casters and provided wit-h struts or other suitable means for retaining the screens in their arranged positions.

3 and 4 are views in elevation showing the supports for retaining the scenery in upright position and also the means for concealing the base rollers or casters. Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but showing a different arrangement, or setting of the scenery. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a variation of the supporting means for the scenery. 'Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views showing the manner of detachably connecting the supports to the scenery. Figs. 10 and ll'are detail views showing the manner of hanging the sections or leaves of the scenery.

A series of folding double jointed screens, indicated by A, B, C,'D as a whole, are arranged as shown diagrammatically in plan Fig. 1 to convey by suggestion to the spectator the representation of the interior of a buildingsee Fig. 2. The screens may be formed with leaves of equal or varying widths as in Figs. 1 and 5, and the end leaves provided with pointed supporting rods E, Figs. 3 and 4, which are slidable in the longitudinally extending guide slots E of the frame E of the leaf to be forced into the boards by means of the thumb or like piece E The thumb pieces E project laterally from the upper ends of the rods E and lie in the enlarged upper openings E of the slots E so that the said rods can be readily manipulated. To hide the casters E which may be of the ball or roller type and the space between the bottom of the leaves and the stage a valance E carried by the lower part of the frame of the leaf may be employed and if desired an additional strut or struts F, Fig. 7, may be used to assist in retaining the screens in their arranged position on the stage. These additional struts F, which may take the form of a leaf and be of the same or less dimensions as the leaves of a screen, may be permanently hinged as at f, Fig. 7, to either end of a leaf or to the outer end of the end leaves, or said struts may be provided as in Fig. 8 with pegs f to take into holes f in the framework E of the screen as in Fig. 9.

The hinges between the leaves of a screen may best be formed in the manner inclicated in Figs. 10 and 11, that is to say, the hinges are formed of strips of webbing inserted between two adjacent leaves and the ends 9 of said strips fastened to the front face 9 of the leaves, while the ends g are fastened to the rear face g Should it be necessary in the course of a play to change the scene suggested in Fig. 2 to an exterior view, then the leaf a of screen A, Fig. 1, is swung around so as to hide leaf a and practically leaf a disclosing leaves 6 b b of screen 13. Screen C is then swung around, covering leaves 0, 0 of said screen C, disclosing leaves cl, d, (Z of screen I) and hiding the leaves Z), I) of screen B, the screens then being in the posit-ion shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5, conveying by suggestion an exterior, as in Fig. 6. If desired the stage may be divided up by lines, or otherwise marked to facilitate the ready positioning of the screens according to a predetermined arrangement or chart.

From the above it will be obvious that by moving more than one leaf in each of the screens and by moving the screens'the-m selves a multitude of suggested effects can be obtained.

After the performance the screens are readily folded, packed flat and transported to their fresh destination, taking up in packing and transport but little room.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A device for producing scenic effects comprising a series of monochromatic foldable' double jointed screens adapted to be relatively projected at different angles to assist the imagination of the spectators of physical conditions, the end screens being provided with longitudinal guide slots having their upper ends provided with openings, supporting rods slidable in said slots and havlng penetrating lower ends and laterally projecting thumb pieces at their upper ends that lie in said openings, base supports for said screens, and means for concealing said base supports and the lower portions of said rods.

2. A device for producing scenic effects comprising a series of portable screens having a double jointed connection, and rods slidable in the end screens for engaging the surface upon which the screens are supported.

3. A device for producing scenic effects comprising a series of monochromatic screens having connect-ions to permit folding and also arrangements atrelative angles, and means carried by the end screens for supporting the same in perpendicular positions.

4. A device for producing scenic effects comprising a series of screens having double jointed connections, supporting casters carried by the lower ends of said screens, means carried by said screens for retaining the same in perpendicular positions, and means carried by said screens for concealing said casters and said means,

In testimony whereof I have afiiXed my signature.

EDWARD GORDON CRAIG.

WVit-nesses LEONIEL LEONIDOF, A. PETROFF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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