Artist Walter Richard Fuge, Northumberland Pa

WALTER FUGE A REAL ARTIST 

"One of the outstanding characters of the Strand Theatre is found in Walter Fuge, artist. Few people realize that all the art work for the Strand Theatre is conceived in the Strand workshop by Walter Fuge and his is commended as the best in the circuit. Mr. Fuge produces wonderful color schemes and also designs many different styles of setting which are very rare in art poster work. He is an artist in the truest sense of the word."  - The Daily Item, 1934

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THE NATIVITY SCENE

Fuge's Nativity Scene

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Christmas display in front of the Northumberland County Historical Society.

From their post:

In December of 1940, Sunbury unveiled a new Christmas nativity scene that was created by Walter R. Fuge, the artist who created most of the movie posters for the Strand Theater in Sunbury. The display was placed in River Park and evidently drew large crowds who came to admire the tableau. The following year the artist added the arrival of the wise men and the shepherds with their flocks. Because of the war, the display was not setup for the next several years until it returned in 1945 after the end of the war. According to the December 6, 1945 edition of the Daily Item, “The outstanding feature of the holiday decorations will be the Nativity scene in River Park at the foot of Market Street which attracted thousands of visitors to the City in pre-war years. The central theme of the scene is the Nativity group, with groups of shepherds approaching from the left and the three Wise men approaching from the right.”

This became an integral part of the Christmas experience in Sunbury for many years. Eventually, time moved on and the decorations were donated to the Northumberland County Historical Society. After careful preservation, the decorations are once again available for your holiday viewing pleasure. The Society has them setup in the area surrounding the fort replica with spotlights so you can see them after dark.

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Walter Fuge was born January 19th 1890, the son of Richard & Katherine [Shannon] Fuge

Walter lived at 1328 North Front Street in Northumberland.  a A clarinetist, arranger, and composer, played in the Shamokin Our Band, and was affiliated with the Comerford Amusement Theater.  He managed the Savoy theater in Northumberland for 26 years.

Fuge died September 29th 1950, and is buried beside his wife Marion,  in Northumberland Memorial Park.

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Still looking for a photo:

War Loan Painting , 

Sunbury 1944

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"The climax at the finish of the program on the court house lawn was the unfurling of a large flag, and of an immense War Loan painting, showing a soldier in battle supporting a fallen battle flag. This emblem, finest ever created for a war loan drive, in Sunbury, will be displayed throughout the campaign. It bears the inscription at the top: "16 Sunbury men have given their lives for it." The words "To Have and to Hold" are on the battle scene, and at the bottom are the words: "2,000 Sunbury Men and Women and Fighting f for it." THhe picture itself, 10 feet wide and 12 feet high, is painted with oils on canvass. It is the work of Walter Fuge, Theatre artist and Rialto manager, who is a veteran of the First World War..

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Fuge was the artist for the Strand Theater.

1934