A Brief History of the Radio City Music Hall Collectibles
By Karma Martell
 
Radio City Music Hall was founded in 1932 by impresario Samuel Lionel Rothafel. Known as "Roxy," he was considered to be the leading expert in theater design. Though Roxy Rothafel actually held a contest in 1932 to find the best interior designer for his visionary Radio City, he had his own creative ideas about the appearance and ambiance for the inside of the theater.
 
A Vision on the Water
 
Roxy's inspiration came while on a transatlantic voyage, returning from an uninspiring research trip to Europe. As he saw the sun set over the majestic Atlantic, he knew in a flash how the theater should look. He pictured the grand hall in the tones of a sun setting (rococo goldleaf) into an "ocean" of red velvet (those famous Donald Desky chairs!).
 
About the Curtain
 
The radio city curtain cloaks a stage that measures 661/2 feet deep and 144 feet wide - a full city block long. We don't know the origins of the original fabric. The curtain sewn by Bernard Block and used for our exclusive pillows is a gold silk damask from Japan. And, like all the material associated with the music hall interior, it is luxurious.
 
The current restoration will be a splendid new rendition, but thanks to Bernard Block we have some treasured mementos of the great Radio City Music Hall's original art deco splendor.
 

Stories: An Interview with Bernard Block: The Tale of the Golden Curtain and the Ruby Chairs