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Perry Watkins - Pinocchio: The Bottom of the Sea Act III Scene 1

Pinocchio: The Bottom of the Sea Act III Scene 1 (1934-1943)

Perry Watkins (American, 1907-1974 )
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License: All public domain files can be freely used for personal and commercial projects.
Why is this image in the public domain?
This work was commissioned by the United States federal government as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) program. It is not subject to copyright protection.

Perry Watkins was the first African American set designer on Broadway. He was also a stage painter, makeup and costume artist, producer, and film art director.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island on April 13, 1907, Watkins attended Hope High School where he and a friend hand wrote and decorated a daily newspaper called “The Foolscape.” Awarded a scholarship to study art at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1926, he studied figure drawing under Vincent Bernasconi and still life under Asa G. Randall, the school’s most prominent artists.

Despite having his paintings displayed at the Springfield (Massachusetts) Museum and the Providence Art Club, he struggled financially and worked as a waiter, chauffeur, insurance salesman, reporter, draftsmen, and commercial illustrator. By 1936, unemployed and broke, he applied to the Federal Theatre Project with a sample production, and was quickly employed.

Starting as a stagehand and becoming assistant technical director at Lafayette Theatre in New York City, he began a flurry of work, painting drops, dying costumes, and operating the lighting for several shows.

In 1939 Watkins made a breakthrough, becoming the first black Broadway set designer when he was commissioned by Guthrie McClintock for Mamba’s Daughters.

As a result of the show’s incredible success and a recommendation by Robert Edmond Jones, Watkins was permitted to take the drafting and art exam for admission into the Set Designer’s Union. He passed it easily and became the first African American to be admitted. In 1939 he taught in the Rose McClendon Workshop Theatre and the following year designed the set for the revival of The Big White Fog at Lincoln Theatre in Harlem.

Later in life he ventured into film and television, working on art direction and design for films such as Hercules in New York (1969) which debuted Arnold Schwarzenegger, Come Back, Charleston Blue (1972), the critically acclaimed blaxploitation film Across 110th Street (1972), and Gordon’s War (1973).

Perry Robert Watkins passed away August 14, 1974 in New York City at the age of 66.

In Collection: Federal Theatre Project (View all 1212)

Seventh Heaven

Seventh Heaven (1934-1943)

Anonymous
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Emperor’s New Clothes: Maidens green gown with top shaped like leaves (1934-1943)

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Created Equal: Sketch no. 18, Stereopticon Background (Red, White, and Blue)

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Paul Cadorette (American, 20th Century)
Up We Go: Red check dress

Up We Go: Red check dress (1934-1943)

Charles Hawkins (American, 19th/20th century)
Valley Forge: Minuet Dancer

Valley Forge: Minuet Dancer (1934-1943)

Fo Duttorro
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The Taming of the Shrew: Katharina (1934-1943)

Alex Jones (American, 19th/20th century)
Vaudeville: Artist and Nude Model Outlined over Image of Washington Square Park Archway

Vaudeville: Artist and Nude Model Outlined over Image of Washington Square Park Archway (1934-1943)

James Stewart Morcom (American, 1906-2001)
Looking Backward: Russian Girl purple vest over peach blouse

Looking Backward: Russian Girl purple vest over peach blouse (1934-1943)

Alex Jones (American, 19th/20th century)
Up We Go: Doll Dance

Up We Go: Doll Dance (1934-1943)

Charles Hawkins (American, 19th/20th century)
Pinocchio: Orange cap, orange and yellow fin dress

Pinocchio: Orange cap, orange and yellow fin dress (1934-1943)

Paul Cadorette (American, 20th Century)
String Fever(marionette): Violin

String Fever(marionette): Violin (1934-1943)

Irving M. Reizes (American, 19th/20th century)
Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Pink dress with white undershirt, red bandana

Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Pink dress with white undershirt, red bandana (1934-1943)

Peter Crosby
Blood and Thunder: Sketch no. 1 (House Exterior)

Blood and Thunder: Sketch no. 1 (House Exterior) (1934-1943)

Paul Ouzounoff (Russian, ?-1942)
Iolanthe: Strephon flowered coat

Iolanthe: Strephon flowered coat (1934-1943)

Emile Stoner (American, 19th/20th century)
Pirates of Penzance

Pirates of Penzance (1934-1943)

Anonymous
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License: All public domain files can be freely used for personal and commercial projects. .
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