Dear Mr. Newman,
I am writing for clarification on what media is acceptable and eligible for
this grant. I have been involved with researching the graffiti left on the
backstage and dressing room walls of an 1876 opera house in Avon, NY, which has
recently been placed on the NYS and National Registers of Historic Places.
The four-story block, with the opera house on the top level, is currently owned
by the Town of Avon, NY, and they have been striving to adapt and restore
building as a new Town Hall. Future plans are to eventually restore the opera
house for use as a meeting hall and performance venue, bringing back its
original purpose and place in the community.
We are wondering what the best way to conserve the graffiti, which dates
from the opening of the opera house in 1876 through the 1980's would be. In
addition to graffiti, there are also paper theatrical broadsides and advertising
cards from touring professional theater companies on the wooden walls. It is
the last intact opera house in Livingston County. It also, is the only one I
have seen, after several years of researching this type of theater in
Western New York, which has never been painted backstage to cover up the graffiti
etc. which was traditionally left by both professional and amateur theater
companies and actors. There even is a message crayoned on the wall of the
dressing room stairs to "Ples [sic] do not mark on the walls WEH" written by the
original builder of the structure, William E. Hall. Despite that plea from
the owner, there are close to a thousand items in the "collection" on the
walls, which I have slowly been transcribing, and doing the research on.
Although this would not be a "traditional" sort of collection, I feel that
it fits much of the criteria for inclusion as a candidate for these grants.
Opera houses were found in almost every American town from the close of the
Civil War through the 1930's. They are part of a broad national movement to
provide cultural life to communities across the country, bringing nationally
famous speakers and shows to their audiences. The Avon Opera House is documented
as having Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Josh Billings and Sojourner Truth as
speakers.
What are your thoughts and suggestions? We are interested in finding out the
best way to preserve this historic collection, yet allow the stage to be
used for modern purposes of the community as well. Would the stabilization and
preservation of this unusual glimpse into a town's theatrical past meet the
criteria for the grant?
Regards,
Jane Oakes
3628 Fowlerville Rd.
Caledonia, NY 14423
(585)226-6795
Opera House historian
If you don't know history, you don't know anything.
You're like a leaf that doesn't even know it's part of a tree.
(Michael Crichton)
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