The Washington times., 1894-06-10
THAT LIVING PICTURE FAD
It fingered on the Verge Of Proprietv
and Was Finally Condemned.
TALK or A LOCAL PRODUCTION
Some Information About the Expense Of Stag
ing This Psrformancs-womonW Who Serve
- Mclel5-cheap Imitatcrs May Run the
Rntcrpi Funny scenes in the Wings.

The report, as yet unconHrmed, that local
theatsr IL to Introduce to its patrons during
the Summer a series Of living pictures, such
as are now causing ouch furore in New
York city, has set tongues waSging. 1t IL an
undisputed fact that this new form OF enter
tainment is one OF the most daring departures
in tho ine OF theatrical catering that Amer1-
can managers have ever attempted. The frst
night tina. the pictures were presented to an
audience, and that was after long and dill
gent rehearsal, the managers Of the enterprise
stood behind the wings of the stage In state
OF nervous excitement. expecting at any mo-
ment to have an officer come on the stage and
put an end to the performances, or TO hear
stentorian voice from the audience demand
that the exhibition be brought to q close In
the name of the law.
The popular name given the entertainment
by the initial managers 10 present II will
probably cling, and while the entertainment
is more on the order OF taoleaux than any
thing else, yet it will always be known as
the Living Pictures" There is great dii-
ference OF opinion among those who have
seen the pictures US to the exact status OF the
entertainment viewed from An artistic stand
point. So far those who claim for she per-
formance a wholesome and ennobling i'm
preston have triumphed, and the efforts 20
have the pictures suppressed have proved
futile. The fight is hot over by any means,
and it will be interesting to watch the event.
full result Of the struggle.
The pictures were first presented In New
York city. At first the public had only
vague notion Of what the advertisement In
serted in the daily papers meant. Soon sly
hints began to be circulated as to the racy
performance to be seen where the pictures
were exhibited. The box Office receipts began
to swell with "a rapidity that was, TO say the
least. gratifying 10 the management. One
morning prominent paper came out with
scathing arraignment of the theatrical man
ayers Tor their contemplate conduct in pre-
senting to an unsuspecting public series OF
pictures That would contaminate even
brothei. Other papers were discreetly silent,
and the house was more crowded than ever
The prominence given the entertainment
an the complaints made led to an investiga-
ton by the police. The captain Of the pre-
c;nct in which the pictures were exhibited
visited the house, and after the performance
declared himself of the opinion that the pic
lures were artistic, and only person with an
evil mind would derive any suggestion from
them that was impure in any way. This was
the uitimatum, and cheaper managers who
had been eagerly waiting to see the outcome
and Initiate, If safe to do so, at once jumped
into the iield billed show of similar char
actsr, and at once the pictures became the
talk OF the town, owing to their general
presentation.
To Manager Rice, of the 1892" company,
which played at the Garden theater, is given
all credit for introducing the pictures to New
York. His show had q marvellous success
Turing the past Winter, and he was always on
His latest and greatest acquisition was the
living pictures. Perhaps had the standard as
SCI by Mr.. Rice in the presentation of the pic
lures been adhered to the condemnation
would not have been SO general. The origi-
nal pictures were advertised as the "Kilyani
Living Pictures and the models used in pos
ing the figures were French women, who had
spent most of their lives in posing in the art
studios of France, and who were adopts at
the art and looked on the matter for arts sake.
To the uninitated who witnessed the Kill
yani pictures for the first time the sensation.
TO say the least, Is novel. The pictures are
presented between the acts of the regular per-
Torrance. When the curtain rises the spec
tator gets glimpse of an open recess in the
background of which the heavy folds of plush
curtains hang. On either side OF the open
recess. clutching the curtains, stand two girls
in the costumes OF pages. Upon given sig
nal the curtains are drawn back and the au-
SeLs Tue iESt SituipSo vi tuc plCtufc
The first sensation is one OF delight. almost
artistic intoxication. The eye sees large
gilt frame, such as hang in many Of the large
art galleries. As the eye wanders to the pic
ture one at once almost ipstinctively realizes
that he has seen the picture before. The
management have grouped the figures for
none but the weil-known pictures, which
tends to enhance the appreciation OF the
group. Such pictures as Sappho, the Three
Graces, and ones in which the nude is pre-
dominant are especial favorites. AS the eye
becomes accustomed to the picture gradually
it steals over the senses that the figures are
living, breathing women, and not the creation
OF the brush. Almost involuntarily blush
will spring to the cheek for the absolute
shameiessness of these women who pose in
oil but Il nude condition before a mixed
audience. The view is short. and the specta-
tor is given chance to think over the affair
pictures last about q half hour, and are