Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

THEATRE LAMP

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1970

Materials

METAL, GLASS, CLOTH

No. Pieces

1

Length

131

Width

28

Description

SILVER THEATER LAMP WITH BLUE METAL C-CLAMP AND BOLT FIXED TO METAL HANDLE; C-CLAMP HAS EMBOSSED TEXT “STRAND ELECTRIC”. LAMP IS ROUNDED WITH GLASS COVER OVER INSIDE LIGHT AND THREE SILVER SLIDES AROUND FRONT FOR HOLDING SCREENS AND COVERS. BOTTOM OF LAMP HAS EMBOSSED TEXT “MADE IN ENGLAND” ABOVE BLACK AND SILVER PLATE NAILED ON “THE STRAND ELECTRIC & ENG CO LTD, LONDON, PATT. NO. 23/LS, VOLTS 120, MAX. WATTS 500”. BOTTOM HAS METAL COVER OVER BOLT AND BLACK CHIPPED HANDLE FOR TURNING BOLT; BOTTOM HAS WHITE CLOTH POWER CORD EMERGING; CORD HAS SILVER PLUG END WITH NGRAVED TEXT “HUBBEL, TWIST LOCK, TURN & PULL, COVER GROUNDED, 20A_250V., 10A. 00V. A.C., 2920304, PAT. 2815495”. BACK OF LAMP HAS CUT-OUTS IN METAL TO SHOW INSIDE; CENTER OF BACK HAS ENGRAVED TEXT “STRAND ELECTRIC”. TOP OF LAMP HAS SILVER BUTTON PRESSED INTO METAL TO OPEN COVER; INSIDE OF LAMP HAS SILVER ROUND REFLECTOR AND GLASS BULB SET IN WHITE PLASTIC FITTING. TOP HAS BROWN AND SILVER PLATE NAILED ON “SUPPLIED BY STRAND ELECTRIC, TORONTO”. LAMP HAS PINK PAINT SPOTS ON TOP AND SIDES; CORD IS DISCOLOURED AND STAINED WITH BLACK; BLUE C-CLAMP ON HANDLE IS RUSTED AND IS CHIPPED; RIGHT SIDE OF LAMP HAS BROWN ADHESIVE RESIDUE. OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

LIGHTING DEVICE

Historical Association

FURNISHINGS

INDUSTRY

History

THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT DONATED OBJECTS FROM THE YATES THEATRE IN LETHBRIDGE UPON RENOVATIONS TO THE YATES THEATRE IN SEPTEMBER 2017. THE OBJECTS DONATED WERE USED IN THE YATES AFTER ITS CONSTRUCTION IN THE 1960S. ON DECEMBER 18, 2017, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED ED AND LINDA BAYLY REGARDING THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH AND MEMORIES OF THE YATES THEATRE. ED AND LINDA BAYLY IDENTIFIED THE OBJECTS DONATED FROM THE YATES AND RECALLED THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES WITH THE OBJECTS. ON THE “STRAND” THEATRE LAMP, ED BAYLY ELABORATED, “THOSE WERE THE LAMPS THAT WE USED TO FILL IN THE AREAS WHERE THE PROFILE LIGHTS DIDN’T LIGHT UP. BECAUSE THEY WERE 500 WATTS WE COULD UTILIZE MORE OF THEM. YOU COULD ONLY GET SO MANY LIGHTS ON ONE CIRCUIT AND THESE WERE VERY HANDY LIGHTS. PUSH THAT BUTTON THERE AND THE FRONT OPENS UP AND YOU CAN CHANGE THE BULB. THEY DIDN’T GET OVERLY HOT WHICH MEANT THEY’D LAST LONGER.” “I BOUGHT THE LIGHTS [FOR THE THEATRE]. IT WAS THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT WE WERE BUYING THE LIGHTS. IT WAS AN INTEGRAL PART, [THE THEATRE] NEEDED TO HAVE THEM IN ORDER TO UTILIZE THE STAGE PROPERLY. WE STARTED USING THEM FROM DAY ONE…PART OF THE NEW EQUIPMENT OF THE YATES.” “IT WAS GREAT [HAVING THE LIGHTS]. WE FOUND THAT AFTER A WHILE WE BOUGHT SO MANY HIGHER POWERED LIGHTS INITIALLY FOR THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, WHICH MEANS THE OLD BALCONY AREA IN FRONT OF THE STAGE THERE, TO LIGHT UP THE FRONT PART OF THE STAGE [USED] THE MAIN LIGHTING…THESE WERE USED AS AUXILIARY LIGHTING. THESE CAME A LITTLE BIT LATER BECAUSE WE FOUND OUT WHERE WE NEEDED THEM. IT WAS A CONVENIENT WAY OF LIGHTING SYSTEM.” “[THESE WOULD BE SUSPENDED UP IN THE AIR] ABOVE THE STAGE AND ALSO IN FRONT OF THE STAGE OR ON STANDS. [THEY WERE A GOOD LIGHT] THEY WERE EASY TO WORK WITH.” “IT WAS A BIG PART OF WHAT I DID SO IT WAS ENJOYABLE TO ME. YOU CAN MAKE QUITE AN EFFECT WITH LIGHTS, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER YOU COULD SEE THESE…MAKE IT EFFECTIVE. [YOU COULD] CREATE MOODS WITH DIFFERENT COLOURS. THE SLOTS ON THE FRONT [OF THE LAMP] ACCOMMODATED A FRAME. IT HAD GELS WHICH ARE DIFFERENT COLORED CELLOPHANE TRANSPARENCIES. YOU’D LIGHT THE STAGE WITH DIFFERENT COLOURS IF YOU WANTED, TO CREATE THE MOOD THAT YOU WERE ENDEAVORING TO CREATE.” “[THE CITY IN PROVIDING FUNDING FOR EXPENSES WAS] NOT BAD. WE TRIED TO KEEP THE EXPENSE DOWN. THAT WAS PART OF MY JOB TOO, TO TRY TO BE AS ECONOMICAL AS POSSIBLE. IT WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL. [IT WAS] SOMETIMES HARD TO CONVINCE THEM THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR SOME OF THIS STUFF IF THEY WEREN’T FAMILIAR WITH WHAT IT WAS USED FOR.” LINDA BAYLY ADDED, “I REMEMBER [ED] STANDING ON, IT SEEMED LIKE A HUNDRED FOOT LADDER BEFORE [HE] GOT THE SCAFFOLDING IN THERE, HOOKING LIGHTS AND MOVING THEM AND SHIFTING THEM ALONG THE LIGHTING RAILS…[IT] SCARED ME TO DEATH. SO, I STAYED OUT OF THERE.” MACLEAN ADDITIONALLY INTERVIEWED JEFF CARLSON ON NOVEMBER 15, 2017. CARLSON WORKED FULL-TIME IN THE YATES THEATRE PRODUCING, WRITING, AND DIRECTING WITH NEW WEST THEATRE, LETHBRIDGE. CARLSON ELABORATED ON THE THEATRE LAMP, “I COULD TAKE IT APART, CLEAN IT, PUT A GEL IN IT, AND GET [IT] UP AND RUNNING. FOCUS IT. I’M GOING TO GUESS THAT IT WAS PROBABLY STILL ONE OF THE MAIN LAMPS IN USE UNTIL THE MID-EIGHTIES OR LATER IN THE YATES. WHEN THEY ADDED ON THE STERNDALE BENNETT THEATRE, JUST ON THE EAST SIDE, A LOT OF THE LAMPS FROM THE YATES TRAVELED OVER TO THAT THEATRE AND WE REPLACED THEM WITH THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE DAY WHICH ARE NOW THIRTY YEARS OLD. I RECALL THOSE AS WELL. BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS OF NEW WEST, WE DID EVERYTHING. WE WROTE THE SHOWS, CHOREOGRAPHED THE SHOWS, MADE OUR OWN COSTUMES, HUNG OUR OWN LIGHTS, DID ALL OUR OWN TECH WORK SO I’VE PROBABLY HAD MY FINGERS IN THAT LAMP AT SOME POINT IN ITS CAREER.” ED AND LINDA BAYLY RECALLED THEIR YEARS SPENT WORKING WITH THE YATES THEATRE IN LETHBRIDGE, WITH ED BAYLY NOTING, “I WAS MANAGER AT THE YATES FOR 35 YEARS. I WAS INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL DRAMA GROUPS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS BEFORE THAT SO THAT WAS PARTIALLY THE REASON THAT I WAS CHOSEN FOR THE JOB. I HAD THE CONTACTS." “WHAT I REMEMBER MOST OF ALL WAS THE FACT THAT THE CITY PUT THE FUNDING FOR THE YATES UP TO THE PUBLIC IN A PUBLIC PLEBISCITE, AND IT WAS TURNED DOWN TWICE BEFORE THEY WENT AHEAD WITH THE MONEY THAT THEY HAD AND BUILT THE PLACE. PEOPLE WERE SAYING, 'WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT THAT FOR, NO ONE’S EVER GOING TO USE IT.' THEN WE HAD THE OPENING AND FRED WEATHERUP, WHO WAS THE OWNER OF ENERSON MOTORS, BROUGHT IN SOME GO-GO DANCERS AND THEY HAD CARS PARKED OUT IN FRONT OF THE YATES, AND THAT SORT OF BROUGHT IN OTHER PEOPLE THAT WEREN’T REALLY INTERESTED IN THE ARTS AND THEY GOT A CHANCE TO SEE THE PLACE.” “THE REST OF THE PROVINCE GOT THE JUBILEE AUDITORIUMS WHICH WE DIDN’T. THOSE ARE WAY BIGGER OF COURSE AND A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE IN THIS MATTER–WE HAD A BEQUEST FROM THE YATES FAMILY THAT PRETTY WELL PAID FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING. AFTER A VERY FEW YEARS, YOU [STARTED TO] WONDER HOW YOU GOT ALONG WITHOUT IT BECAUSE IT WAS IN CONSTANT USE, AND STILL IS. IT WAS VERY WELL BUILT AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY FOR ANY NUMBER OF YEARS BECAUSE WE’RE IN THE PROCESS OF RENOVATING IT, ADDING ON TO IT.” “I WAS HIRED ON BEFORE THE BUILDING WAS FINISHED SO I WAS THERE DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF IT. I HAD SOME INPUT. IT WAS EXCITING. [THE] JOB WAS DIFFERENT ALL THE TIME. THEY HAD THESE GROUPS COME IN, AND…IT WAS AN EVERYDAY EVENT FOR ME. THEY ALL USED TO SAY, 'HOW COME YOU STAY SO CALM?' AND I WOULD SAY 'WELL, BECAUSE I DO IT EVERY DAY, AND YOU ONLY DO IT ONCE A YEAR.'” LINDA BAYLY SPOKE ABOUT HER OWN EXPERIENCES WITH THE YATES THEATRE, NOTING, “I WAS THE SECRETARY IN THE FRONT OFFICE AND WORKED WITH MAKING BOOKINGS FOR THE BUILDING AND GENERAL SECRETARIAL WORK AT THAT TIME. ED WAS THE TECHNICIAN FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS BEFORE HE BECAME HE MANAGER. HE HAD TO MAKE SURE ALL THESE RULES BACKSTAGE WERE LOOKED AFTER AND ATTENDED TO AND COMPLETED.” JEFF CARLSON ELABORATED ON HIS TIME WITH THE YATES THEATRE, STATING, “I SPENT MY ENTIRE PRETTY MUCH LIFE…IN THE YATES, IN THE GENEVIEVE YATES MEMORIAL THEATRE. I STARTED GOING TO THE YATES PROBABLY IN THE ‘70S WITH THE KIWANIS MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL BAND AND CHOIR EVENTS…BACK IN LAKEVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. AFTER THAT I STARTED ACTING IN THEATRE AND EVENTUALLY PRODUCING AND DIRECTING THEATRE UP UNTIL LESS THAN A YEAR AGO.” “[AT THE TIME] I FIGURED 'NOW THIS IS FUN, I LIKE THIS, I THINK I’M OKAY AT IT' SO I GAVE MYSELF SOME DEADLINES. I SAID, 'I’LL PURSUE THIS UNTIL I’M THIRTY AND IF I HAVEN’T MADE A CAREER IN IT BY THEN, THEN I WILL DO MY FALLBACK EDUCATION OR POLITICAL SCIENCE OR RUSSIAN HISTORY.' I HAD BITTEN OFF A BIT OF IT AT THAT POINT. BUT, BY THE AGE OF THIRTY, I WAS WORKING FULLTIME IN THEATRE, WRITING, DIRECTING, PRODUCING PRODUCTIONS FOR NEW WEST THEATRE AT THE YATES.” “[I WAS] PROFESSIONALLY EMPLOYED AT THE YATES BY [THE] LATE ‘80S, EARLY ‘90S. THERE WAS A MIX THERE BECAUSE WE WERE DOING FULL-TIME THEATRE PRODUCTIONS BY THE LATE ‘80S BUT THEN I TOOK TIME OFF TO TAKE A TOURING COMPANY THROUGH ALBERTA AND B.C., FOR NEW WEST THEATRE. [I] ENDED UP LIKING IT SO MUCH THAT I STAYED IN VANCOUVER FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. [I] CAME BACK FOR A TWO-WEEK VISIT ON MY WAY TO TORONTO TO GO INTO FILM AND TV. AS I WAS HERE FOR TWO WEEKS, THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR QUIT AND THEY SAID, 'PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE – ', AND SO I SAID, 'I’LL DO IT FOR A YEAR.' THAT IS NOW TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. IT WAS JUST CIRCUMSTANCES.” “WE [HAD] REPLACED THE SEATS IN THE YATES AND REPAINTED THE WHOLE THING. IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MISTAKES THAT WAS MADE, IN MY OPINION, WAS THAT BLUE COLOUR WE PUT ON THE WALLS. THEY CHANGED [THE PAINT COLOUR] TO THIS LIGHT BLUE THAT CAUSED THE LIGHTING DESIGNS TO BE SUCH A CHALLENGE.” “WE DID EVERYTHING. WE RAN THE LIGHTS, HUNG THE LIGHTS, FOCUSED THE LIGHTS. THEY MADE ME SEW COSTUMES. I REMEMBER MAKING A POODLE SKIRT FOR A SHOW IN 1986. I’VE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE A POODLE SKIRT. IT WAS TERRIBLE, BUT I LEARNED HOW TO MAKE IT. IN MY DEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE, YOU HAVE TO GET SO MANY, WHAT THEY CALL ‘BACKSTAGE CREDITS’, IN RUNNING BACKSTAGE SHOWS, HANGING THE LIGHTS, DOING WARDROBE. THEY WAIVED THAT REQUIREMENT FOR ME BECAUSE, GROWING UP IN NEW WEST AND DOING EVERYTHING IN NEW WEST, THEY KNEW WE DID EVERYTHING. WE BUILT THE SETS, PAINTED THE SETS, HUNG THE LIGHTS, DID EVERYTHING. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE.” FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTIONS, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20170029001-GA.

Catalogue Number

P20170029002

Acquisition Date

2017-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail