PORTLAND — A new statewide search for historic painted scenery is now underway in Maine. These local treasures were created between 1890 and about 1940, the heyday of vaudeville, and are still to be found in town halls, Grange halls, opera houses and community theaters.

They often contain richly painted drapery, countryside or street scenes. They are usually “roll drops” on wooden or metal rollers and they often feature advertisements for local businesses.

With the arrival of movies and television, the use of town halls and Grange halls as cultural centers declined, and after World War II, the tradition of creating painted roll drops disappeared. However, much of the historic scenery remains either on stage or in storage, sometimes in good condition but more often neglected, torn and very dirty.

In Maine, more than a dozen historic scenes have been stabilized by Curtains Without Borders, a team of conservators. The search is a joint project of Curtains Without Borders and Maine Preservation, which supports local efforts to preserve and revive the buildings that house historic scenery.

Funding has been provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Maine Community Foundation. Another partner in the effort to locate and document Maine’s historic scenery is the Maine State Grange. For more information and to contribute any information, call Christine Hadsel at 802-598-5867 or e-mail [email protected].

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