Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2005 - 51

The race utilized either a blackout or, in some
cases, a curtain, to allow the audience's view
of the race to begin and end "in progress."
Once the moving background and the horse were combined, the next major innovation in spectacular realism for
hippodrama was the combination of the treadmill and panorama. An examination of relevant patented machinery designed for specific plays illustrates how the development of
treadmill and panorama stage machinery (and some related
designs) facilitated the realistic illusion of forward motion
(sometimes at great speeds) on the American theatrical stage.
The first significant designer of this type of stage machinery was J.W. Knell, better known as Neil Burgess, but also occasionally known as Neilson Burgess. Burgess (who was also
an actor, female impersonator and playwright) tended to write
plays that showcased each of his patented advances in treadmill and panorama stage machinery. The first of his significant
plays was Josiah Allen's Wife. Originally credited to Olivia
Lovell in 1882, the play came to be known as Vim and also as
A Visit to Puffy Farm in 1883, and its authorship was then
credited to Neil Burgess (Recklies 1985, 28).1 It played mainly
as Vim from February 1883 through August 1888 with overall
success. In 1892 it was revived under the new title, Neil Burgess' Circus (Recklies 1985, 28-29). The play, under various
titles and in various stages of development, tells the story of a
country picnic, and concludes with an exciting and visually
spectacular buggy-ride home.
Josiah Allen's Wife utilized a "Buggy ride device" to give
the realistic illusion of the forward movement of an onstage
horse-drawn buggy. U.S. Patent 256,007 (figure 2) was
granted to J. W. Knell (later and better known by his stage name
"Neil Burgess") on 4 April 1882 for the buggy ride device that was
officially termed an "apparatus for producing illusionary dramatic
effects." (Knell 1882, Patent No. 256,007) It is the first of many
significant patents Burgess received for such designs.
The patent provides detailed information on the buggy
ride device, its makeup, and the details of its use. Burgess
clearly states the purpose of his device: "The object of the invention is the production on the theatrical stage of the appearance of a person, animal, or vehicle, any or all of these,
traveling along a road, course, or path of considerable
length." (Knell 1882, Patent No. 256,007, p. 2, lines 11-15)
Later designs, by Burgess and others, which were patented
over approximately the next thirty years, merely built upon this
original idea.
The patent detail includes "a panoramic scene" that
moved "lengthwise" behind the action of the actors. This is
represented at "a" in the illustration. Burgess suggests that it
be painted on canvas and scrolled between two vertical rollers, depicted in the patent's illustration as "b" and "c." An
"endless belt or path" is also described and marked "d" in the
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illustration. The belt hangs in "a suitable frame, e, which rests
upon the stage floor." This is what I refer to as the treadmill,
and it must be strong enough to support the horse, vehicle,
occupants and other contents, and Burgess says so in the
patent specifications. A hidden restraining device, "i" runs
"from the vehicle to the stage [...] to prevent the vehicle from
moving forward when the horse walks."
Burgess summarizes the overall effect desired from this
device: "When the horse is started up he will continue to walk,
and the wheels of the device will continue to revolve, but neither will move forward; both will remain stationary. At the
same time, the panoramic scene is moved along in the direction opposite to that in which the horse is faced, and the whole
will produce a very good appearance of horse, vehicle, and
occupant traveling along past the objects depicted in the canvas." (Knell 1882, Patent No. 256,007)
Burgess improved on his original design and a new apparatus was patented by him, again under the name J. W. Knell,
on 8 May 1883 (Knell 1883, Patent No. 277,137). This was the
first of many subsequent improvements that Burgess designed
and patented. U.S. patent 277,137, added "suitable natural objects" to "guard or screen the ends" of the endless belt/path
which could be arranged either "singly, as at c, or upon an
endless chain or belt, as at d, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the
drawings." Either way, the "objects" serve to conceal the place
where moving and stationary elements meet and this improves
the overall appearance of reality. The effect of motion was further enhanced by "one or more pipes from a blower are led to
suitable concealed positions back of screen b, and currents of
air from the open ends turned upon the figure or person supposed to be progressing across the stage, and the hair or parts
of the dress, as ribbons, are caused to flutter and flap." Finally, at
"e," a large, scrolling "grass mat" was added to cover the otherwise stationary stage floor in front of the treadmill and thus complete the illusion of motion (Knell 1883, Patent No. 277,137).
Using treadmills, horses could move onstage, directly before the audience, with no other special effects needed. Combining this with the panorama and other related elements
made the movement look like realistic forward progression. It
was the addition of the panorama that facilitated the next major innovation in theatrical spectacle involving realistic stage
movement, the onstage horserace.
The Country Fair was written by Charles Barnard for
(and with influence from) Burgess. It included a staged
horserace scene that was accomplished with the combined
use of treadmills and panoramas on stage. In the fall of 1888
The Country Fair opened, most probably premiering in Philadelphia.2 In March 1889 it began a long run in New York City
as the first production at F.F. Proctor's new Twenty-third Street
Theatre.3 The New York Times reviewed the play twice during
its opening week. Both reviews commented positively on the
horse, but neither recommended the play.
The equine performers in Burgess' plays (and others like
them) were much beloved by audiences, and this certainly
contributed to the speedy development of the stage machinery
that was utilized in so many hippodramas.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2005