The Columbian Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Columbian Theatre is a richly historic music hall
from the turn of the 20th century located in Wamego, Kansas
.
was built in 1893 by J. C. Rogers, a Wamego banker. He had been amazed by the scope and beauty of the exhibits at 1893 World's Columbian Exposition
, which celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus
’ discovery of America
, The New World
. The Exposition, more commonly known today as the Chicago World's Fair, was a “White City,” covering 633 acres (2.6 km²) with 200 buildings. It was open for six months and had attendance which ranked as high as nearly one half for the entire population of the United States at that time.
This same fantasy land was Frank Baum
’s inspiration a few years later when he described his Emerald City
. So it is easy to understand Rogers’ fascination with the vision and his desire to recreate a music hall in that image in his own town. He purchased actual art and decor from the World’s Fair once it had closed and this was used to create the plans for the Columbian Theatre.
and vaudville. The Columbian Theatre was no exception to this and the hall became a center of entertainment activity or the local community.
, while more significantly, many of the paintings were created using distempera
(which is a typically Northern European form of tempera which is oil or animal-glue-based paint). There are a total of twenty original Columbian Exposition paintings still in the collection.
The original six paintings that hung in the theatre were of a set of eight that was commissioned by the Federal Government. They are 11 feet (3.4 m) by 16 feet (4.9 m) in size. An article in Scientific American
, Spring, 1894, listed J.C. Rogers as buying the eight paintings from the rotunda of the Government building. (The whereabouts of the remaining two are unknown.) They were likely painted by Ernest Theodore Behr (1861–1922).
Today’s Columbian Theatre Museum and Arts Center is an active member of the Manhattan Area Arts and Humanities Coalition http://www.maahc.com/members/columtheatre.html.
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
from the turn of the 20th century located in Wamego, Kansas
Wamego, Kansas
Wamego is a city in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, United States. The population was 4,246 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Manhattan, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wamego is located at...
.
Early history
This music hallMusic hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
was built in 1893 by J. C. Rogers, a Wamego banker. He had been amazed by the scope and beauty of the exhibits at 1893 World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
, which celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
’ discovery of America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, The New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
. The Exposition, more commonly known today as the Chicago World's Fair, was a “White City,” covering 633 acres (2.6 km²) with 200 buildings. It was open for six months and had attendance which ranked as high as nearly one half for the entire population of the United States at that time.
This same fantasy land was Frank Baum
Frank Baum
Frank Baum may refer to:* L. Frank Baum , American author of children's books, notably The Wonderful Wizard of Oz* Frank Joslyn Baum , American lawyer, soldier, writer, and film producer; son of the author L. Frank Baum...
’s inspiration a few years later when he described his Emerald City
Emerald City
The Emerald City is the fictional capital city of the Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
. So it is easy to understand Rogers’ fascination with the vision and his desire to recreate a music hall in that image in his own town. He purchased actual art and decor from the World’s Fair once it had closed and this was used to create the plans for the Columbian Theatre.
As a Music Hall
In the late 1890s and early 1900s, the events at music halls consisted of a combination of community events, concerts, plays, masque ballsMasquerade ball
A masquerade ball is an event which the participants attend in costume wearing a mask. - History :...
and vaudville. The Columbian Theatre was no exception to this and the hall became a center of entertainment activity or the local community.
Original 1893 Artwork
As part of Rogers purchases from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition owners, he obtained a significant collection of artwork. Some of the paintings were done in oilOil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
, while more significantly, many of the paintings were created using distempera
Tempera
Tempera, also known as egg tempera, is a permanent fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder medium . Tempera also refers to the paintings done in this medium. Tempera paintings are very long lasting, and examples from the 1st centuries AD still exist...
(which is a typically Northern European form of tempera which is oil or animal-glue-based paint). There are a total of twenty original Columbian Exposition paintings still in the collection.
The original six paintings that hung in the theatre were of a set of eight that was commissioned by the Federal Government. They are 11 feet (3.4 m) by 16 feet (4.9 m) in size. An article in Scientific American
Scientific American
Scientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
, Spring, 1894, listed J.C. Rogers as buying the eight paintings from the rotunda of the Government building. (The whereabouts of the remaining two are unknown.) They were likely painted by Ernest Theodore Behr (1861–1922).
Current Activity
The Columbian Theatre is currently a local venue for theatre arts, such as plays and musicals. The concept which is in vogue is that of a “dinner theatre,” where patrons can come just for the performance or to make a whole evening with a dinner and performance. These productions take place in the beautifully decorated Peddicord Playhouse, which is a 288-seat theatre with proscenium stage and as was typical in 1890 music halls, a flat floor.Today’s Columbian Theatre Museum and Arts Center is an active member of the Manhattan Area Arts and Humanities Coalition http://www.maahc.com/members/columtheatre.html.