# I have an over 100 year old curtain track. WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH IT???



## HempHouseTD (Jun 2, 2020)

While working on some renovations to our stage we discovered what we believe to be original curtain track from the vaudeville days. most likely from 1910 when our fly system was last renovated I don't know what to do with it it will either need to hit the trash or find a home. Is this special enough that some museums might want it? any advice would be great! although i have no pland to use it it still functions? It feels like a crime to just throw it away!


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## StradivariusBone (Jun 2, 2020)

Interesting hardware on there. Could maybe be partially dismantled and restored (a small piece anyway) for a lobby display?


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## BillConnerFASTC (Jun 2, 2020)

They are very cool. I was a part of a renovation and felt bad the Clancy tracks - with still glossy shellac and nice complete Clancy decal - was trashed.


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## HempHouseTD (Jun 2, 2020)

StradivariusBone said:


> Interesting hardware on there. Could maybe be partially dismantled and restored (a small piece anyway) for a lobby display?



I will look into that, Thanks.
It would still be cool to keep them in one piece.


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## StradivariusBone (Jun 2, 2020)

HempHouseTD said:


> It would still be cool to keep them in one piece.



No doubt!


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## BillConnerFASTC (Jun 2, 2020)

I hope you can keep the sandbag in the photo around too.

Wonder what the board withteh hooks was for.


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## HempHouseTD (Jun 2, 2020)

That's how they used to hang painted drops


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## HempHouseTD (Jun 3, 2020)

BillConnerFASTC said:


> I hope you can keep the sandbag in the photo around too.
> 
> Wonder what the board withteh hooks was for.



We still run a full hemp system (with synthetic rope) that sandbag is waiting on a repair


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## RonHebbard (Jun 3, 2020)

HempHouseTD said:


> We still run a full hemp system (with synthetic rope) that sandbag is waiting on a repair


* @HempHouseTD* You're taking me back to a Control Booth Question Of The Day I suggested three or four years ago: 

Short Short. 
Short. 
Short Centre. 
Centre. 
Long Centre. 
Long. 
Long Long. 

My query was: What is the query referring to? 

The QOTD was restricted to beginners for a week then opened up for all comers. 
Several weeks elapsed before someone eventually stumbled over the correct answer in an older copy of the Stage Hand's Reference Handbook. 
Long gone are phrases such as "Gentlemen, Feet On!" and "Genflemen, Feet Off!"
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## BillConnerFASTC (Jun 3, 2020)

People don't know what that referred to?


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## TimMc (Jun 3, 2020)

Hemp for Victory! (for when your rope supply from Manila is cut off by a pesky world war).

I'm presuming those are the lift lines, from closest to the pin rail and going across stage to the furthest. I've not worked the rail in a hemp house but this seems logical.. and according to The Rules of Theatre, is therefore probably wrong...


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## RonHebbard (Jun 3, 2020)

TimMc said:


> Hemp for Victory! (for when your rope supply from Manila is cut off by a pesky world war).
> 
> I'm presuming those are the lift lines, from closest to the pin rail and going across stage to the furthest. I've not worked the rail in a hemp house but this seems logical.. and according to The Rules of Theatre, is therefore probably wrong...


Correct (as usual) and "Gentlemen, feet On!" was called by the deck carpenter when he wanted all present to put weight on a pipe lying on the deck to hold it securely in place while the fly-man took out slack and possibly secured his first bag and bag line. 
"Gentlemen, feet Off!" was called by the deck carpenter when the fly-man was ready to raise the pipe to waist level to add a drop, border, et al. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## Van (Jun 5, 2020)

We've seen them and left them in place before. we've seen them and had to trash them. 
Make some art with them. They'll probably outlast the steel and nylon tracks you replace them with.


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## StradivariusBone (Jun 6, 2020)

If nothing else try and find a local wood butcher that would make good use out of re-purposing the lumber. That looks like some choice hardwood.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Jun 7, 2020)

Its probably a clear and very fine grained southern yellow pine which is almost as dense as hardwood. No doubt good stuff.


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## Robert (Jun 7, 2020)

Are the carriers round balls with the hook through the middle? Seen something like that before in an ancient community theatre.


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## What Rigger? (Jun 9, 2020)

Robert Dean, founder/owner of ZFX Flying has a collection of antique gear he's restored. Maybe he wants this for The Dojo?


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## RickBoychuk (Jun 10, 2020)

HempHouseTD said:


> While working on some renovations to our stage we discovered what we believe to be original curtain track from the vaudeville days. most likely from 1910 when our fly system was last renovated I don't know what to do with it it will either need to hit the trash or find a home. Is this special enough that some museums might want it? any advice would be great! although i have no pland to use it it still functions? It feels like a crime to just throw it away!View attachment 20201View attachment 20202


Document it before you do anything else. Take 200 images. Nothing is too small to be documented. Then post them on FB or which ever. Then try to get it into a location that will preserve it. I'd take it, but getting it from Muncie to Toronto would be a challenge. Good luck.


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## Ted jones (Jun 10, 2020)

RonHebbard said:


> Correct (as usual) and "Gentlemen, feet On!" was called by the deck carpenter when he wanted all present to put weight on a pipe lying on the deck to hold it securely in place while the fly-man took out slack and possibly secured his first bag and bag line.
> "Gentlemen, feet Off!" was called by the deck carpenter when the fly-man was ready to raise the pipe to waist level to add a drop, border, et al.
> Toodleoo!
> Ron Hebbard



When I was little younger, OK 45 years ago, I worked in a theater where the "feet on" and "feet off" technique was used.

Our installers and I still use the long, long-short, center-long, center verbiage to specify what block is the problem child. Like stage directions, its specific and efficient. Saying that its the 5th line from the head block doesn't seem to work as well.

BTW- That wooden curtain track is very flammable. Be careful with it. It was much quieter than most anything we have today, but still a fire hazzard.

T


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## ship (Jun 19, 2020)

Clancy obviously. If nothing else, contact RoseBrand and ADC amongst other suppliers, perhaps even ETC though not really a collector of this type of thing so far. Might have to wait until things get normalized, in storage until they would want to pay for the shipping... but clearly offer up and preserve.


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## ship (Jun 20, 2020)

I have a bunch of Channon wooden carriages (yea, most broke in removal) and various blocks from 1924. Yet to work on them. Thinking of dipping the various pulley's and assemblies into the solvent drums the trucking dpt. uses for cleaning parts. Thoughts in that a good or bad idea in not wanting to take apart. Museum look, not functioning.


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