Capitol Stage Lighting Company

derekleffew

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So, from this thread https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/name-that-followspot-capitol-1001.21460/ , we learned that Edward Altman (brother of Charles Altman*, who founded Altman Stage Lighting in 1955) owned Capitol in 1937. [USER]ship[/USER] will soon be in possession of this catalog
1937CapitolCat16.jpg
and we're all looking forward to getting it scanned and posted here. Since catalog #16 was in 1937, one might assume catalog #1 was in 1921. Yes/no?

For anyone who knows (this is not a QotD), when did Capitol begin, and when/why did it end? Even though Edward and Charles were brothers*, they were also competitors, so why/how are so many products virtually identical? Oh, yeah, why was it called Capitol, when it's nowhere near DC or Albany?
Capitol.JPG
*Charles Altman was NOT related to the Altman family that owned Capitol, according to Richard Logothetis, founder of Lycian Stage Lighting. Protocol, Summer 2017, "Historic spotlight exhibit to be featured at LDI2017."
 
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I have asked Sonny Sonnenfeld about this, as he is the only nonagenarian technical theatre person I know. I will post his answer here.

ST
 
Very interested in the result of this thread!
 
I have:
Capitol Stage Lighting Company, 626 Tenth Avenue, New York. (Catalogue) c.1929 Listed. Later, 527 West 45th Street, New York 19, New York. 1954 Listed.

Got the 1937 catalogue today and it's mint. TBA when it gets to PDF - the recepionest doing this for me is having a busy week so far. It's company related by way of approved of museum for lighting getting hung.. but where that is and goes is gray area for cost and labor at this point and thus best to keep to where she has time.

These PDF copies of the catalogue do help me at work with the museum in not having to go home for the actual one, much less the ones I borrow for PDF copying and have to send back.

It's a good thing but will take at least another year before I can occupie a certain receptionist's time in making any sort of priority out of her time for use in the museum.

Question, is there a special section to post this PDF to once made? That and the catalogues Drew sent me TBA to PDF, and perhaps more from other say 1979 era catalogues I have? I know I originally posted my 1916 Chicago Stage Lighting catalogue to a post in the lighting section under that topic and one would have to search for it now. The 1928 catalogue I got made to PDF from the Frank Adams Electric Company / Major, I sent directly to Dave and don't know if it got listed somewhere on the forum that is findable like the above now - or posted at all.

Given these catalogues and at this point three useful websites out there (plus Altman has some old stuff listed), The Controlbooth as a fourth website might at this point be the only non-brand source for catalogues and the only one that gets maintaind and updated. Kliegl and Strand websites are mostly inactive now which is a shame especially since much of what's presented on the Kliegl website is old scanning tech and un-readable.

Found more useful info for my Patt #73's in the back of the Bentham autobiography in at it's printing a copy of a 1936 Strand catalogue than on the website. 1929 Fuch's is still the Masterwork on lighting. While the above receptionist isn't feasable to ask to PDF it, I could make available one of my copies for making it available on-line to this website, as with other very important or ancient books. Some of them with their own version of an old lighting catalogue by the standpoint of old fixture photos and descriptions.
 
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This is great! I found a few Capitol fresnels stashed in our storage area and I haven't been able to find any info on them.

HPIM5191.JPGHPIM5190.JPGHPIM5185.JPGHPIM5179.JPG
 
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I can only speculate that Capitol was called such because that was a popular name back then. Kind of like people also call stuff "Empire" in New York or Windy City ... here in Chicago. A lot of companies were called Acme (the highest point of development or achievement), until Road Runner cartoons made the Acme synonymous with incompetence.

No idea about the rest.
 
Well, unfortunately the catalog mentioned above contains little company information, save for this:
Capitol16p2.jpg

The rest of the catalog will be posted, as soon as we can figure an appropriate method for display. EDIT: The complete 3.3Mb PDF can be viewed/downloaded from the wiki entry Capitol Stage Lighting Co.. Amazing stuff.
 
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I have a follow spot that is still in use as of today that was manufactured by capitol. Was wondering if anyone might have an answer on where i could possibly find new replacement glass lenses for it.
 
I have a follow spot that is still in use as of today that was manufactured by capitol. Was wondering if anyone might have an answer on where i could possibly find new replacement glass lenses for it.

You might try Altman. Many of their followspots seem to 'share' the same components that Capitol used. They may have even merged at some point (?).
 
I worked part time at Capitol Stage Lighting in the early 1970s while I was studying lighting design at NYU. I did the drawings and layout for one of their catalogs. I'll have to check on the dates when I get back home. I can scan pages from it if anyone is interested.
 
I worked part time at Capitol Stage Lighting in the early 1970s while I was studying lighting design at NYU. I did the drawings and layout for one of their catalogs. I'll have to check on the dates when I get back home. I can scan pages from it if anyone is interested.

Yes please!!
 
It's still nice to see old pages whether they can be hung on a wall or not haha


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It may already exist and I haven't found it yet, but it would be great to have a wiki collaborative article which rounds up all the old catalogues in one place for easy download.
 

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