Gates and Morange designs

ca. 1894-1953

The Gates and Morange Studio was founded by Frank E. Gates and Edward A. Morange and was located in New York City. Gates was born in Chicago and Morange was born in Bronxville, New York. Both men studied at the School of Fine Arts in St. Louis, Missouri. Although Gates and Morange had worked together since 1894, the partnership's first Broadway credit was Straight from the heart by Sutton Vane and Arthur Shirley (1897). The studio designed scenery for more than 50 productions over four decades, additionally painting and supplying countless others. Clients included Liebler Co., Florenz Ziegfeld and George C. Tyler. Designers included Thomas Benrimo, William E. Castle, Richard Gates (brother of Frank), Charles Graham, Alexander Grainger, Arne Lundborg, Orestes Raineiri, and Edward Morange. Edward Morange died on May 20, 1955 in Torrington, Connecticut after a long illness at the age of 90. Original set designs, curtain designs, drops, and olio designs, mostly color, produced by the Gates and Morange studio over four decades for theatrical productions and for businesses, trade shows, and several exhibitions. Although most of the designs are undated, the bulk of the collection appears to date from the 1920s. Among the more than 75 productions included are The daughter of heaven by Pierre Loti (ca. 1912); Dolce Napoli (ca. 1913); Earl Carroll vanities (1923); For valor by Martha Hedman and H.A. House (1935); Gridiron Club productions (1935); An international marriage by George Broadhurst (ca. 1909); The lady of the lamp by Earl Carroll (1920); Music in the air (musical), music by Jerome Kern, with designs by Joseph Urban (1932); Nancy Brown (musical), music by Henry K. Hadley (ca. 1903); Song of the flame (musical), music by Herbert Stothart and George Gershwin, with designs by Joseph Urban (1926), and a number of Ziegfeld productions. Of particular note is Rose-Marie (musical) by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II (1924), which includes 3 photographs, showing the development from an initial photograph to the scenery in place on the stage (1924). There are also a few studio plans and research materials in the collection.