US494068A - Steele mackate - Google Patents

Description

(No-Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 s. MAOKAYE.

v SPEGTATORIUM. N0. 494,068. Patented Mar. 21, 1893.

m\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\D I I IN UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

STEELE MACKAYE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPECTATORIA COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECTATORIUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,068, dated March 21, 1893.

Application filed December 9, 1892. Serial No. 454,596. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEELE MAOKAYE, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buildings, especially designed for the exhibition of scenic effects or other performances, which I term a Spectatorium and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to theaters or build ings used for the exhibition of dramatic or other performances, particularly the exhibition of scenic efliects.

One object of the invention is to provide a building which is specially adapted for the presentation of a new order of entertainment, to which I have given the name spectatorio, and which combines to the best possible advantage advanced realism in scenic art with pantomime and music.

Further objects are to provide a' building in which the auditorium, and the scenic department, which latter I term the scenito- 'rium, are constructed and adapted to secure certain perspective effects and acoustic properties which tend to greatly increase realism in the exhibition of scenic effects or other exercises or performances, and to so arrange the chorus galleries as to afford the greatest facility for the efiective co-operation of the choruses necessary to the properpresentation of a spectatorio.

As a further explanation of terms hereinafter employed itmay be stated that I have given the name spectatorium to the complete structure or building used for the performance, and that 1 call a plurality of spectatoriums, spectatoria. The scenic department or foundation floor upon which are placed the scenic arrangements, property or persons necessary to produce the desired effect, I term the scenitorium.

The invention will first be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and Referring particularly to the drawings by figures and letters of reference, Figure 1, is a diagram illustrating a plan of one-half of the first and top fioors'of a spectatorium con-t structed in accordance with my invention; the first floor being shown at the right of line IIII on Said figure, and the top floor or gallery at the left side of said line; and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional diagram taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow 1 in the latter figure.

The auditorium and the scenic department or scenitorium of an edifice embodying my invention are constructed and arranged so as to secure in a building of this character certain perspective effects and acoustic properties which are indispensible to a proper rendering and exhibition of the spectacular and oral parts of the performance with realistic effects, but the general arrangement of the apartments, the entrances, the exits, the aisles and other parts of the structure maybe varied according to the desires of the architect or builder. The building may also be of any desired dimensions and composed of any suitable material, but it is not deemed necessary herein to give a detailed description of the complete structure, such parts only being shown and described as may be necessary to afford a complete and full disclosure of my invention.

In the preferred arrangement outlined in the accompanying drawings, A, denotes the auditorium, S, the scenitorium, P, the proscenium wall orarch, and 19, the proscenium opening of a spectatorium which is peculiarly adapted for the exhibition of scenic effects and similar performances, but of course the building may be used for various other purposes, and I do not propose to limit the application of my invention to the particular uses mentioned. 4

The scenitorium and auditorium are circular in form, the proscenium wall being preferably struck on the are of a circle the center the circular rows of seats in the auditorium. Preferably the center of the circle describing the scenitorium is coincident with the center of the circle describing the auditorium, but this exact arrangement is not absolutely necessary and the respective arcs may be struck from different centers within certain limits, so long as the circular form of the scenitorium is combined with the opposing arc of the circle occupied by the seats in the auditorium in such manner as to secure the desired perspective effects.

0, denotes a chorus gallery which is located in an elevated position at the rear of the auditorium and above the auditors gallery A, in such position that the occupants thereof will be unobserved by any part of the audience.

O is a second chorus gallery which is located on a lower level than the former at the rear of the scenitorium and behind the scenes so as to be out of the view of the audience, but sufiiciently elevated to prevent obstruction of the sound waves proceeding therefrom by objects or persons on the floor of the scenitorium. These galleries may each be provided with sounding-boards for the reflection or propagation of sound, so as to make distinct and give effect to musical tones or the voices of speakers located in either gallery. The foundation floor of the scenitorium is preferably constructed so as to form a water-tight receptacle or basin adapted to retain Water, as indicated at D, Fig. 2, for the purpose of permitting floating stages, canoes, row-boats or other floating objects to be propelled about the space within the scenitorium, and for other purposes, in producing the desired scenic effect. The arrangement of the various flights of stairs, lobbies, machinery space and water conduits may be upon the general plan outlined in the drawings, or any preferred arrangement may be adopted, but inasmuch as these features of construction are not claimed as a part of my present invention further description thereof is not deemed necessary.

As above stated, my present invention is specially designed for the production and exhibibition of scenic effects.

In a number of patents heretofore issued to me and numbered 490,481; 490,482; 490,483; 490,484; 490,485; 490,486; 490,487; 490,488; 490,489; and 490,490 I have shown and described various apparatuses which I have devised for the purpose of increasing realism in scenic art; the object being to present anew order of entertainment in which various events, occurrences, places and things may be pictured to the audience in such vivid colors as to give the appearance of being the actual place or thing, or a recurrence of the same event, accompanied or not as may be desired by weather and storm effects on either land or water which may be imitated true to nature as nearlyas it is possible to reproduce natures work.

The primary object of my present invention is to secure, in a theater or similar structure adapted for the exhibition of various scenic effects, certain perspective and acoustic advantages which are necessary for the proper presentation of this new order of entertainment, and I have discovered that these advantages may be secured by combinin g a segmental or semi-circular scenitorium for the various scenic arrangements with an auditorium constructed in the form of an opposing arc. The circular form of the scenitorium also economizes space in the folding of telescopic stages such as are shown in one of the aforesaid patents and is, in fact, essential to the proper concealment of such stages from the public view. Moreover, the combination of the circular form of the scenitorium with the usual screens which are placed in the proscenium arch permits the broadest view of the stage efiects with the most complete concealment of the stage machinery. Combined with the scenitorium and auditorium in the form of opposing arcs I have also so located the chorus galleries as to co-act therewith in giving the best attainable effect to the choruses necessary to the proper presentation of a spectatorio or other performance or exercise.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a theater or similar structure adapted for the exhibition of various scenic eflects, a semi-circular scenitorium adapted to support the scenic arrangements, in combination with an auditorium constructed in the form of an opposing are, substantially as described.

2. In a theater or similar edifice, a scenitorium constructed in the form of an arc of a circle, in combination with an auditorium forming an opposing arc, the two arcs being struck from a common center, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a theater or other similar edifice, the scenitorium constructed in the form of a segment of a circle, in combination with the chorus gallery located at the rear thereof cen trally of the are, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a theater or other similar edifice, the scenitorium constructed in the form of a segment of a circle, and the auditorium constructed-in the form of an opposing segment, in combination with the chorus gallery located at the rear of the scenitorium centrally of the curved line describing the exterior limits of the scenic department, and a second chorus gallery located at the rear of the auditorium centrally of the circle describing the exterior limits thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.-

5. A spectatorium comprising essentially a circular scenitorium, an opposing circular auditorium, a chorus gallery located in an elevated position at the rear of the auditorium approximately at the center of a circle ICC describing the exterior limits of said audito- In testimony whereofI affix my signature in rium, and an auxiliary chorus gallery located presence of two witnesses. on a lower level at the rear of the scenitorium centrally of the curved line describing STEELE MAOKAYE. 5 the exterior limits of the said circular sceni- Witnesses:

toriurn, substantially as and for the purpose CLARENCE R. GILLETT,

set forth. H. F. CHURCHILL,

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