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Show Silver Wheel's Ancient Architectural Heritage by Pat Smith : V irt; j T I i 1 I At j; s .- -fy---1-j I I 1 ,kMk tftfi-rcrrTiT-iti-.iTTrniiTY--lW;iiiBiTg' " 4 -. re t? s - S fvt atp & 4 lighted at night for mystical effect. Entering the auditorium, built to represent a temple court, the dim lit domed ceiling, lit with tiny electric lights to simulate the heavens is capable of producing pro-ducing the effects of night, golden sunsets, the silver light of dawn or moonlight. As the show begins, large stone gods on either side of the stage spew colored lighted steam. A cloud machine, mounted in place of a central threatre seat, sends clouds wisping across the heavens hea-vens as the music begins. The original Wurlizer Hope-Jones Hope-Jones pipe organ was an integral in-tegral part of the production. A ten rank organ with two consoles, con-soles, it contained percussion . "effects such as harps, chimes, xylophones, glock enspeils, vibrating vi-brating bells, sleigh bells, drums and the music of a full . symphony orchestra. These special effects would follow the mood of an organ song such as "I've Been Wait ing for the Sunrise" as the sky would progress through an etherial display of colored sunrise sun-rise spectical. While the Park City Eyptian theatre may not have been as elaborate as the Peery Theatre, it contained many of the same elements. In the Egyptian Revival Re-vival architecture, the light was not merely the power of illumination, illumin-ation, it was the divine emanation emana-tion of the sun god. This precious pre-cious force was the object of the entire attention of the architect who took care that it penetrated to the gods the best possible way, ensuring the correct balance bal-ance of the light of life and the shadow of mystery. Both Egyptian theatres repre-, repre-, sent a unique period architec-turally architec-turally and both are nominated for listing on the National Register Regis-ter of Historic Places. ' ' Thank you for information from the Utah State Historical Society, Bruce Berstrom, and Marcus Whitten, American Architecture since 1780. around 1930. Popular briefly all over American, few styles if any are easier to identify every Egyptian Revival building has one or more of the following fea-, fea-, tures: (1) battered walls (with a receeding upward slope) (2) the gorge and roll cornice (3) window win-dow enframements that narrow upward (4) columns that resemble resem-ble bundles of stalks tied together to-gether with horizontal bands (5) the vulture-and-sun-disk symbol. sym-bol. The Egyptian architecture, while characterized by beauty, harmony and simplicity to the highest degree, presents probably prob-ably more opportunity for deep study then any other type known. Almost every line, each curve, each carved stone carries a deep significance. Imagine a visit to Perry's Egyptian theatre in the late '30's. An evening at the silent . movies. Upon arrival outside the theatre you are presented with a massive, ornately decorated and lighted facade featuring large sculptured Egyptian ornamentations ornamenta-tions including two massive sculptured figures representing kinds and dieties which were worshipped by the people of early Pharohs. Each giant "stone" god cradles a bowl in crossed legs. From these bowls wisped clouds of lighted steam, Editor's note: a proposal to renovate the Silver Wheel Theatre The-atre was presented to the planning commission Wednesday. Wednes-day. This article by Pat Smith discusses the theatre's Egyptian Egyp-tian heritage. Rich in the ancient secrets of design, color and interpretations interpreta-tions of traditions of a race of people whose architecture was their supreme art, Egyptian Theaters are rare and Utah has two of them. The earliest in the Perry Egyptian Theatre in Ogden (1923-24) and the second is the more modest but magnificent Egyptian Revival Theatre the most unique architectural treasures trea-sures in Park City. Now called the Silver Wheel theatre, this structure was built in 1926 by Mr. Ruger in the most mystical and exotic Egyptian Revival . Style which peaked in American .; j I i i i j . ; --", f r - I 1 1 ' JB0Ll'mih I lj 5 rdil "-r. " : n 'i ! . ;; V- i 1 r i ; J!! .-f"-v ! 1 . . - - " 1949 photo by Ken Webb |