Theater Drop Curtain
April 7, 14, & 21, 1976
by Harriet U. Fish
We may not have a wall on which to hang “IT”, but at least one of the businesses advertised in lively colors on it, and is today, in its 73rd year of business right here in Issaquah.
“IT” tells us a phase of Issaquah’s early business history, and is strictly, local. “IT” is made of canvas ornately decorated with cracked and peeling paint. “IT” is a 60-year old theater drop curtain having 18 advertising units painted within its scroll work and draped effect. The history it imparts to those of us looking on today, is priceless!
The discovery was made in 1972 when our 60-plus-year old theater building was being used for live drama. The curtain’s 1ongness, rolled on a pole, was lying against accumulated theatrical materials at the back wall of the stage. And, the actors were kind to raise it to allow photographs to be taken of “IT”.
The most obvious feature, noticeable to everyone is the sustained brilliance of the pigments themselves. The contrasts are still vivid but there are some worn streaks and unless the curtain is handled carefully, and somehow preserved soon, there will be more blemishes and less color to enjoy.
In the center bottom, a neatly printed logo tells us that the Seattle Sign Co. created IT, and, upon inquiry we learned that this company has been dissolved for many years. Three or four local lads are thought to have done some painting upon it if indeed any changes, were made.
Thirteen Issaquah Businesses are advertised on it as well as one Auburn concern. Three medallions are empty and the center feature is a full color picture of Mr. Rainier advertising beer of the same name.
Here is one factor to help determine the date of this drop screen. The Rainier Brewing Company was careful not to advertise during Prohibition, so the curtain, by this fact, must date from before the onset of this era. This period of our history started in a small way in 1913 and was in total grip of the land by 1919. Several other factors can further date this screen.
The background, in shades of bright blue, is so painted that the whole thing, from a distance, looks like a full, pulled draped curtain, when in actuality it is one flat piece of canvas. The pulled draped part displays the picture of Mr. Rainier in the center and has golden tassels hanging across the top. The 17 medallions have painted backgrounds of contrasting shades of cream, peach, green and blue, each outlined with elaborate scrolled framing, so typical of this late Victorian period-a small touch of elegance to be enjoyed in a purely business medium.
A wide range of services are covered in the advertising medallions.
E.J. Anderson, whose place of business stood on the N.E. Corner of Front and Mill, in the nub of the building now housing The Wooden Spoon, carried building materials, “lumber and mouldings, oils, varnishes, paints and brushes” as well as “flour, hay and feed”. Quite a variety, and the building was much smaller than it is today.
The Neukirchen Brothers, whose phone number was Main 141, had “lumber, wholesale and retail”. This was during the years when they operated several mills and a 4 mile flume traversing the upper valley which moved the cants from the lumber mill to the shingle mill.
Mrs. R.H. Kellogg, owner of the Issaquah-Seattle Stage Company, advertises to “Travel with the U.S. Mail via Lake Washington”, while directly below this round medallion is an oblong one promoting the Issaquah-Seattle Auto Freight Company which gives the ferry schedule of two trips a day. The AM trip took 3 1/2. hours to 911 Post St. in Seattle, and the PM return took 4 hours to return.
Here is another way to date the screen. As early as 1905 the Sternwheeler Mercer plied between Newcastle landing and Leschi carrying people and freight. Neither of these advertisements give a ferry name, but we also know that the Steam ferry ISSAQUAH was on this same run between 1914 and 1918.
Mr. A.M. and Mr. C.A. Johnson offered building and cement workers by the day or by the contract.
At the very bottom on both sides appears appeals “to meet me at the Club Bar”, and “to patronize John Holmes, the Tailor.”
At the top on the right side of the screen, Auburn’s Diamond Spring Water Company indicated their product was helpful to your liver and kidneys, and that their health resort was also enervating.
The Superior Trading Company advertises Hay, Grain and Feed, while Mr. C.R. Berry is listed as the Real Estate Man who “sells homes and investments on terms like rent”.
Probably the most faded and least colorful advertisement is for one of our earliest businesses in Issaquah, The IXL Livery and Garage, which comments “service at all hours”.
If you dialed Main 22, the Issaquah Steam Laundry would “wash everything but the kids and return all but the dirt”. It closed its doors in 1915 or 1916.
Now, the last medallion advertisement is for a business which still sells all of the items listed except perhaps the “miner’s supplies”. It was then the J.J. Lewis Hardware, and today we know it as The Lewis Hardware. It has been in business here since 1903, and at the present location since 1918.
So, we find a fairly accurate date of origin for this screen.
