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This grand drape with its imaginative view of Lake Champlain was painted by Vermont artist Charles Andrus for the Bakersfield Town Hall. The curtain is now in the collection of the Vermont Historical Society.
Charles Andrus (1852-1924) lived primarily in Richford and Enosburg Falls, where he had a studio, taught art, designed engraved advertisements and worked in gold leaf. In addition to theater curtains, he painted sporting art, a 150 ft-long panorama with 11 Civil War Scenes and an enormous painting of Sheridan's Ride, which is now on display at the Vermont Militia Museum.
The Vermont Painted Theater Curtain conservation project began in 1996 with a survey to find and assess the condition of Vermont's collection of historic painted scenery. The total number of historic painted curtains in Vermont stands at 185, including two owned privately. We believe we have found them all. Conservation work began in November, 2002, and as of September, 2009, 160 pieces have been cleaned, mended, and judiciously in-painted. Of these, 119 have been installed for use or public appreciation on their home stages in town halls, grange halls, community theaters, and opera houses. About 8 are ready to be installed when the stage is ready for them and another 25 have been put into "deep" storage because they are too fragile to be displayed. Vermont is the first state to pay attention to these reminders of a time when even the smallest village halls held local variety shows or school performances and many towns were visited by traveling troupes of players, opera companies, vaudeville singers, and itinerant musicians.