The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-20
ELECTRIC SCENIC
THEATRE IN VOGUE
First Brought Out at the Chi
cago Worlds Fair
IS AN ARTISTIC CREATION
Care and Skill Necessary to Reproduce
Scenes Chosen for Exhibit, AS
1t Is More Than Moving
Picture Show.
IS AN ARTISTIC CREATION
D. Baker. in the Billboard.

c. d. Baker. in the Billboard
The first electric scenic theatres were
brought out in this country at the Worlds
Columbian exposition held in Chicago in
1898, and were known as A Day in the
Aips-there were two.
One was placed on the Midway Plais-
ance, being built In Germany, and was
beautiful conception and deserved better
fate than oblivion, but it was never used
after the fair.
The other was placed in the Electrical
building, and was considerably larger than
the one on the Midway and much finer.
both from an electrical and artistic point
of view. and was strictly American.
1t was built for an exhibit to illustrate
what could be done with electricity as an
Illuminating agent combined with the best
of art and practice of stage scenery and
painting, and was the combined efforts
OF two great flrms-the electrical portion
being furnished by the Western Electrical
company Of Chicago and the scenery from
the great studio of sosman & Lands,
Chicago.
The history of this first production is
soon told. After the close of the Column
ban exposition it was taken to the Call
fornia Mid Winter fair at San Francisco,
in the winter of 1891. when 1t was again
a success as in Chicago Since then all
trace of this one is lost.
A Revival.
During the winter of 1904 another seen
ic theatre, using A Day in the Alps as
subject, was built by Sosman & Lands,
and painted by the same artist Thomas
c. Moses, who made the original sketch
and model which is in existence today
and in his possession.
This was taken to Philadelphia in con-
nection with the first great worlds fair
midway shows then to Madison Square
Garden, New York, and Boston, where it
was again a success at each place.
This closed its season until the fall,
when 1t was the feature at the great St.
Louis Indoor exposition in Entertainment
hall
In the spring of 1891. the Masonic
Temple Roof Garden. in Chicago. was
opened. The features here were two
scenic theatres. a new edition of a Day
in the Alps. smaller than the ore used
at st. Louis. but finer in every par
ticular. and a reproduction of the cele-
brated Court of Honor at the Columbian
exposition.
The Court of Honor, after a successful
season at lne / enlple, WIS ldAtu u At
lantic City for two seasons, then to
Asbury Park, and finally to Denver COL
where it Is lost. but the records of its
success are pleasant history
Then follows A Day in the Alps at
the Cotton State exposition. Atlanta,
Ga. in 1895. when the management of the
exposition took the entertainment from
the Midway and place 1t in addition
they built to the Electrical building for
| its accommodation and at their own ex-
pense in order to have it where 1t be-
! longed. Then to the Texas State fair,
| the Tennessee Centennial at Nashville,
| in 1897, the Milwaukee exposition. in 1898,
and the Pttsburg exposition, in 1900-1.
YOUNGSTOWN Flood Produced.
Nothing new was brought out until the
| Pan-American exposition at Buffalo, when
! the Johnstown Flood by Austin, proved
| the greatest attraction of this fair, in
! spite of the fact that everybody pre-
| dicted its failure Its subsequent career
| at Coney Island Is we'll known.
! Then comes Mt. Pelee, the great vol
| cano show
| Charleston saw nothing new. but the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition at st.
| Louis in 1901, saw the birth of two new
! scenic theatres, In the Galveston Flood
| and New York to the North Pole both
| BY Austin. and very good, especially New
| York to the North Pole. The tendency has