Fox Theater: Details

Using historic photographs, written accounts, paint chip analysis and other methods, restoration experts labored to return the Fox Theater to its original splendor.

Section:Gallery

Thu., Oct. 26, 2017

The interior of the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 1, 2007.

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The interior of the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 1, 2007.

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The interior of the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 1, 2007.

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The interior of the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 1, 2007.

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The seats in the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 1, 2007.

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The interior of the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 1, 2007.

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The murals in the lobby are unique to the Fox. They start on the main floor with underwater images, then move onto land at the mezzanine level.

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Anthony Heinsbergen designed the Fox Theater interior in 1931. Heinsbergen “took nature and exaggerated it”, said Annie Matlow.

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The starburst light on the lobby ceiling was refurbished byu a team led by Susan Kim of Relections Stained Glass. Out of about 120 individual pieces of glass, 30 had to be replicated with a combination of techniques. Mush of the metal framing had to be resoted and the original glass scrubbed to remove oily residue. The fixture uses zinc for a reflectice look consistant wit the art deco motif.

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Glass star details dot the ceiling of the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 30, 2007.

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The original details on the stairway glass panels were preserved during the Fox Theater renovation project, shown in October 2007.

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The Founders Gallery at the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 30, 2007.

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The original fire curtain was preserved at the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 30, 2007.

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The end stands on the new seats in the Fox Theater were recreated to match the original. Photographed in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 30, 2007.

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The foliated art deco design in the auditorium was used in other Heinsbergen theaters, including the Warner Grand in San Pedro, Calif. Also in the auditorium, nine chandeliers over the balcony were missing. Revival Lighting replicated the fixtures from photographs. The company also replicated and refurbished lights throughout the theater.

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The ceiling in the Founders Gallery at the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 30, 2007.

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The Fox Theater, Nov. 13, 2007, in downtown Spokane, WA.

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The freeze-thaw cycle had caused some deterioration of the theater’s exterior. Workers removed the weathered cement, then built it back up, using forms to recreate texture. The building ws then repainted to replicate its original look.

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Etched glass and sculpted plaster make up the 60-foot blazing sunburst that dominated the auditorium ceiling at the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 18, 2007.

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The refurbished ceiling in the main auditorium at the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 18, 2007.

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The refurbished ceiling in the main auditorium at the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 18, 2007.

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The Fox Theater is reconditioned and as good as new, Nov. 1, 2007, in downtown Spokane.

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The men’s lounge of the mezzanine level was a mystery before the restoration started. Newspaper articles from the time of the opening referred to a sports theme, but there were no pictures. Specialists uncovered silhouettes of athletes, probably finished in painted felt. The figures were damaged to the point where they could not be restored. Instead, workers traced the outlines and made stencils to replicate the figures with paint at the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 30, 2007.

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A view from the seats of the refurbished starburst at the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 30, 2007.

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A view from the seats of the refurbished starburst at the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 30, 2007.

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A view from the main stage of the refurbished starburst at the Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 30, 2007.

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The prominent star-like light fixture in the Fox Theater lobby in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 30, 2007.

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The lobby carpet was recreated using a black and white photo. Designers used the exact pattern from the photo but had to guess at the colors based on written descriptions, tones in photo and paint colors. The process of choosing those colors took about six months. The new carpet is registered custom design by Brintons, the company that manufactued it for the Fox, and will bo be duplicated.

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The Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 1, 2007.

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The Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 1, 2007.

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A light fixture in the recently renovated Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 30, 2007.

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The Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 1, 2007.

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The Fox Theater in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 1, 2007.

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