A preliminary architectural sketch of the asbestos curtain inside Grauman's Chinese Theatre, 1925

Details

Raymond M. Kennedy (1891-1976)
A preliminary architectural sketch of the asbestos curtain inside Grauman's Chinese Theatre, 1925
with inscription 'Chinese Theatre curtain Meyer & Holler Inc. Los Angeles Calif.' and with further Chinese characters (lower left)
bodycolour on board
28 x 38½ in. (71 x 98 cm.)

Special notice

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Lot Essay

The asbestos curtain, also known as a safety or fire curtain, sits at the rear of the stage or screen of a theatre and acts as a fire barrier. Originally these curtains were made of asbestos cloth, before the dangers of the material were realised. The asbestos curtain would often be seen in the intermission and was designed to blend in with the Chinoiserie theme of the theatre.

This rare and unique sketch is one of the few known surviving preliminary sketches of the theatre. It is also unusual in that it shows the interior of the theatre as it would have been in the early 1920's.

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