The Curtain of the New Casino

Source: The Decorator and Furnisher, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Oct., 1882), p. 27

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O(,',O13:R. 1 882.1 THE DECORATOR AND FURNISHER. 27
THE CURTAIN OF THE NEW CASINO.
AMONG( tihe
recent addlitioIs t t tle 1ar1chlite(
tural beauties of the mletrl)polis,
is the new Casino
at the corner of Thirty-eight Street and 3roa(dwa\\y.
This place
of amullseentll in both its exterior
and interior finish is altogether different from any
of its many companions. Although the date of its
opening
has
been twice announced,
it is not yet
completed,
land
\\ill not be entirely finished for
nearly
a
m1ionth
to colime. The DECORATOR AND
FURNISHER is IIot able, therefore, to
give ac de
tailed description
of its interior in this
nulmbler,
but we are enabled, through .the courtesy of Mr.
Aronson, and the gentle
men mentioned below, to
lay before our readers a
de
scription of the beautiful and
exceptional
curtain which is
now
nearly
finished. It will,
when hung, doubtlesss be
considered the handsollest
in
any
theatre in the city.
It will have cost several
thousand dollars, and occu
plied many months in maKi
ing.
Sixteen
persons have
been
constantly engaged
on
it, and now, even
though
it
be
incomplete,
it
presents
a
most
pleasing appearance,
and will doubtless
produce
a
sensation on tlhe
opening
night.
It mlay not be out
of
place
to
say
that the
general effect of the theatre
itself will l)e
quite light.
The
upholstering
and finish
being
in light blue
plush
and
gold.
On the other
hand the
general
effect of
the curtain will be
quite
dark,
so that the contrast
will be most distinct and
marked.
The curtain
proper
will
be
thirty-nine
feet high by
thirty-three broad,
and will
be divided into two equal
sections,
each the counter
part of the other. It will
roll
up diagonally
from the
centre lower corners towards
the left and right
upper
corners. It will be under
stood that the
following
description
will be of one
half the
curtain,
as both
portions are
exactly
alike.
The centre is a
panel
eight feet
square, the
ground
work of which is dark green
satin framed in wide
plush
of a little darker shade. The
panel will be studded with
countless
jewels, large
and
small. Worked in with these
will be
gold, silver and steel
cloth, gold adll silver braid
ilig
and different colored
cords. Interslersed most
pro
fusely
are (c( ois a
1i sparingles.
This center
piece
is a marvel
of beautiful
design, and is
mnade entirely by hand.
Surrounding this framed
panel is a wide Iband of
plush
in ecru shade,
joined
at the
corners
by
four square
pieces
of blue
plush,
in the centre
of each there being set a
jewel. Next to this is a large
blue cord about two inches
in
diameter, in which a
g(~old
band is imiserted. Meeting
this are four
panels
of
green
satin, about two shades
lighter than the
centre;
these are braided with
grold
braid in a
very
pretty design. More of the same
blue cord, already described, connects these
lpalels
with a
plain
band of olive
green
satii. at the
botton of the curtain.
Surrounding this on the
top, anld left ald
lriglit
sides will be a wide band of dark blue
plush
il two
parts, the outside being arcade work. and1 the in
ner
piece being
scroll work irn gold aind silver. Sur
mounting this will be (louble
lambllrequills w\li( h,
next to the centre
panel,
will }e thle halndsomlest
part of the curtain. These will be in the
sllape
ot
an
arch, the under
lamnlrequinll beillg
of a
l)roIlze
color, trimmlled with chenille fringe, tle over or
upper lallbrequinl being of a very
deep peacock
bllue
pluslisl.
'Tlie )ase( of the clirtaini will l)e an ark
Ilue
fringe with )be.ltifill gol(d alild silver trilmmlling.
This will lbe about. tw-o feet wide adl(l withl hleavy
tassels
onl-y
a few
inchMes apl)art.
The lili will
be
separated
fromi the curtain inii such al manner
that the
bright
litllt at t tlie back will shine through,
giv-ing-
a very rich effect to the
slatrkling jewels,
the
gold
and silver
braidiiig, the beautiful fringe,
and the
lamblrequins
at the sides and
top.
The
effect thus
produced
will not only be
rich,
but
novel. The
prosceniumll surrounding the curtain will
b}e entirely of metal, oxidized
silver,
and dlallaskeiled
steel. It w-ill be finished with Oriental scenes alnd
quaint
designs. a(nd giving'
a
very beautiful l)lend
ing witli the
adjoiining
blue. The entire curtain
Iw
1 4
11
I Ii
00
X? SlS ai
/a I r\
D;:.1 ,
~ ('.-Fo~ )1- ~A''.
will have an
arabesque
effect,
anrd will be an
illi
tation of an Aral)ian banner. On either side will
lie tell boxes,
upholstered
an(ld finished to mlatcl(
the
lambrequins.
The
(drop
curtain lias not yet been made. Iand
the llanagelmleint are not able to say what it will
b)e. The
curtlili itself mIust be seen to be
appre
ciated. as no
description
canl do it
justice.
It will,
uIlldoubtedlyv, I)e very
severely criticized, as it will
at first strike the observer as lbold il its
designlls
oftentimes severe in its shades and
colors,
and
purely
origillal
ill
its
entirety. Thle
desigllner
is Mr.
Wisedell. the arcllitect of the
casino,
lwho lias been
assisted by Mr.
Stieperich.
It lias been entirely
n1111er thle
spllervision
of these two Oenltlellen. ;al(l
the
lproductionl
of
Su( 1 aI11
elegant piec
e of work
Illust reflect great credit on1 the tastes and efforts
of these artists. Whether the result of their under
taking
e adlllired or condemned
tley will,
never
theless,
feel assured that they have given to the
mllusic loving audiences of New York a wonderful
example
of the effects of bllending of
colors,
aL
(olmllination of
fancy
and a noble work. making in
its
perfected
state a most beautiful
piece
of arit.
TAPESTRIES AND TEXTILES.
Ti']i, woven stuffs to which we now apIpl the
name of
textiles,
have had
origins more or less remote
from
civilization;
they have
grown apparently from an
inferior character of
work,
and whilst it is natural
that succeeding
ages should
ilplrove upon
the arts of
their
ancestors,
it is not
usual to make such a rad
ical change in the prin
ciples even of an
art,
as
has been shown in tile weav
ing
of cloth. From the for
mation of a cloth by m'ash
ing."
or
pressing together
many particles
or
pieces
of
bark, wool,
fibrous
vegetable
matter and
hides,
the idea
of a loom was
evolved, and
the interweaving of indi
vidual threads
replaced
the
aialgamalting process.
In the first (Iays of this
new
process
the threads
were
plaited,
and
specimens
of this work are
frequently
discovered. The
spindle land
the distaff soon made their
appearance,
and
spinsters
drew
silvery threads from
the Ilmass of wool.
Flax was little
used,
in
fact it is doubtful whether
its merits or
possibilities
were known to early peo
ples,
and silk was reckoned
amongst tlle treasures of
kings, so rare and
expensive
was it.
Egyptian handicraft made
the finest linens that the
world has
known,
and ex
humied mummies are often
wrapped
in this
expensive
material. Historians have
told us of this
production
of
Egypt,
and Herodotus refers
to a linell corslet
given by
King Amasis to the Mine\rva
of
Lindus,
and Rev. Mr.
Rock
quotes
Sir Gardiner
Wilkinson as an authority
for the statement that
Egyp
tianl linen has been found to
have "
140 threads in all
inch in the
warp and about
(;4 in the woof."
With a
people
so fond
of elaboration and einbelish
merts,
with tastes so refined
?and
rich as
tie Egyptians.
it is natural that
gold
and
other metals should have
been
incorporated with the
linen, in the lmeshes of their
cloth.
Dyes
of
unparalled
abrillialcy were employed,
and the scareely less costly
purple rivaled the
precious
ore inl its attractiveness anlld
effect. Kings were clothedl
in costumes from such ma
terials. and queens displayed
.a marnificen(e that w\i.s
equalled only Iby the
products
of Asia.
This eastern
country,
from
D)amlascus to
Persia,
was a busy scene of
spineirs
alld weavers. and the
textiles froli their loonis have never
beer excelle(l
in
workmanship and durability.
'The tasteful character of the
people
of the
A\siatic
a(ll
MAeditelrranean countries,
prolnlted
hanging's
for eltralnces ill place
of any
substantial
means of
keeling
out air. light
anlld intruders, and
sole of the lhan(lsomlest dlesigils have beeii niade
for
purposes
such as this. ,and the early ancestors
of the pictured
tapestries
that clothe the walls at
Versailles were wortlly of their successors.
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