RESERVE COPY

Nº 1771

A.D. 1910

Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1910

Complete Specification Left, 15th Apr., 1910—Accepted, 1st Sept., 1910

PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.

Improvements in Stage Scenery.

I, EDWARD GORDON CRAIG, of Arena Goldoni, Florence, Italy, Stage-manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—

My invention relates to apparatus for producing scenic effects on the stage and is particularly adapted for use in the representation of poetic drama.

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 an 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 æsthetic advantages and it has the material advantage of cheapness and easy transport.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which shall present the æsthetic advantages of the plain 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 the portable 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 pale yellow. The screens may be used as 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 on and nevertheless variety is obtainable. The device possesses the great advantage that the variety in 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. Moreover this device is self-supporting and unlike scenery or curtains, does not require to be suspended from above.

The screens may be mounted on castors and provided with struts if desired.

Dated this 24th day of January, 1910.

EDWARD GORDON CRAIG.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.

I, EDWARD GORDON CRAIG, Stage Manager, of Arena Goldoni, Florence, Italy, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—

My invention relates to apparatus for producing scenic effects on the stage and is particularly adapted for use in the representation of "poetic drama."

[Price 8d.]
PRICE 1/-]