# It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown!



## derekleffew (Apr 22, 2011)

Arbor Day is usually designated as the last Friday in April, so only one week away! How do you plan to celebrate? Perhaps paint pipe weights a distinct color? Check for missing/broken parts? Lines properly terminated?

As always, students-only, for one week:
In what year was the counterweight fly system arbor, as we know it today, introduced?


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## LXPlot (Apr 22, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> Arbor Day is usually designated as the last Friday in April, so only one week away! How do you plan to celebrate? Perhaps paint pipe weights a distinct color? Check for missing/broken parts? Lines properly terminated?
> 
> As always, students-only, for one week:
> In what year was the counterweight fly system arbor, as we know it today, introduced?


 
I don't know how we'll celebrate, but I'm thinking of going through and making sure everything is weighted correctly. 

I don't know exactly when counterweight fly systems where invented, but I have a feeling it was in the 1950s-1970s era, when the larger musicals of the time necessitated more complicated lights and sets.


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## DuckJordan (Apr 22, 2011)

The arbor was introduced in 1905 by j.r.clancy 

 see what a little research does? 

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk


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## derekleffew (Apr 22, 2011)

Is that your final answer?


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## DuckJordan (Apr 23, 2011)

that's what my research brought up, So yes its my final answer.


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## MarshallPope (Apr 23, 2011)

I believe that date is when the first JR Clancy-brand counterweight arbor was introduced, but not necessarily when it was invented. It looks to me like the actual date could be 1895?
Source


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## derekleffew (Apr 24, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> In what year was the counterweight fly system arbor, as we know it today, introduced?


Note particularly the "as we know it today" portion of the question.


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## MPowers (May 3, 2011)

This one is a real quandary. I would really like to know the real answer, but it id difficult to pin it down. We've had counterweights in theater at least as far back as 500 BC and the Greek's Deus ex machina. But to pin a date on "as we know it today" becomes a bit more difficult. Counterweight rigging can be specifically traced to 1895 but I can't determine if it is the two rod type of arbor we use today or not. 

An interesting side note. Clancy listed a "Counterweight Holder" in it's 1890 catalog. Clearly not the counterweight arbor we know and "love" today, but a start. 

Another interesting note, is the sheet metal walled arbor Clancy offered in 1905. It obviously did not sell but now in 2011, the Thern Brickhouse system Thern Stage Equipment | Counterweight Systems 
is reintroducing the concept. The Thern version solves the problems with the early Clancy product with the cam-over locking rod and such and the ergonomics of no-tilt front loading arbors without the need of spreader plates is a major improvement. What's old is new again!

The research I have available shows the two rod arbor was in place in 1921, but as we know, things don't just pop into existence. How long before the catalog evidence did the product actually get installed and used for the very first time? I don't really know, but if anyone comes up with better answers, I'd love to know.


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## erosing (May 20, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> Note particularly the "as we know it today" portion of the question.



By "as we know it today" do you mean wire guide, the addition of T-bar rails and/or J-bar rails, general single/double purchase, or is there something else you are specifically looking for to denote the 'as we know it today" portion?


MPowers said:


> The research I have available shows the two rod arbor was in place in 1921, but as we know, things don't just pop into existence. How long before the catalog evidence did the product actually get installed and used for the very first time? I don't really know, but if anyone comes up with better answers, I'd love to know.



My quick research concurs but not that specifically, best I can find is first quarter of the twentieth century.

I am also curious to learn the answer.


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## derekleffew (May 20, 2011)

I had forgotten about this thread. By "as we know it today," I meant the double rod arbor. "first quarter of the twentieth century." is a pretty good answer, as I was looking for 1921. See Hug a Arbor, It’s Arbor Day! | iSquint.net .


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