This arresting stenciled linen panel was produced in 1927 by the English manufacturer G. P. Baker for the New York upholstery firm of Stroheim & Romann, and the design was aptly called “Large Hispano.” It was intended for use as a theater curtain and is a testament to the original appearance of these important community spaces, whose draperies were central to the character of their decor. Founded in 1910 by Salo Stroheim and Salo Romann, the company was one of the most successful wholesalers of upholstery textiles in New York throughout the following two decades, with distributors in Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. Six panels of the colorful linen with exaggerated palmettes and stylized anthemions would have been necessary to cover the full stage width.
A rendering of this theater curtain by Edward Thorne can be found in Decorative Draperies & Upholstery, first published in 1929 by Thorne and Henry W. Frohne (p. 275, pl. 73; shown above). The authors suggested this “modernistic curtain” for a small auditorium, and recommended setting it off with plaster or terracotta walls accented by multicolored glazed tiles. Two narrow side curtains in the same style, trimmed with fringe and tassels, would have flanked the main drape. Brown seating upholstery and carpeting, they noted, was selected to ensure that the vivid curtain remained the focal point of the decoration.
With special thanks to Dr. Philip Sykas for his expertise.
