Monel Panels
“Modern woman has her place, here, also in the handsome black and gold silhouettes on shiny, silver Monel in the niches on the sides. One of the silhouettes is a modern American girl. Another depicts Africa, as represented by an Egyptian maiden. Each represents the ultimate of her day. The others are East Indian, Latin, Greek and Chinese figures.”
-1928 Opening Day Program
Designed by artist Alfred Tulk in 1928, the auditorium’s 6 Monel metal panels of women and 4 Monel metal panels of cacti and birds were hidden during the 1953 Cinerama remodel, uncovered in 2005 after we told the owner, and retrieved in 2015 by the current owner before demolition. The women had been entombed in plaster except for the two closer to the stage, which were painted over. The modern American woman is still overpainted, but the Chinese woman was restored in 2006 by national paint restorer John Canning as part of the auditorium’s Paint Mock Up where a section was restored to its original 1928 glamour. Most Monel panels need restoration.
Most photos by Rob Bender. All photos copyright: Friends of the Boyd, Inc.
When done admiring the Monels, enjoy the rest of the Auditorium.
Click one or two times on each photo to enlarge it.
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- Watercolor Painting before the Boyd was built. Depictions of women in lower right.
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- Chinese, Egypt, Greek (Right of stage)
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- Chinese
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- Chinese close-up
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- Egyptian
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- Egyptian close-up
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- Greek
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- Greek, close-up
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- Latin, Burma, overpainted American (left of stage)
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- Latin, Burma (Left of stage)
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- Latin
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- Latin close-up
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- Burma
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- Burma, with snake
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- Panel, stork & cactus
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- Stork
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- Parrot
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- 2nd Parrot
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- Owl
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- Cactus