Who painted the city backgrounds on Classic Sesame Street

[mupcollector1]

I'm just curious because there has been some really nice backgrounds on some of the sketches. And I'm really fascinated on how they are really well done.

From what I've noticed, the paintings in the background seem to be painted on some sort of fabric. I think it's also a Technic that was used even in old black and white films since the early motion pictures were filmed in studio and rarely filmed outside.

I sort of have a heart for classic urban culture and still to this day, some of the architecture reminds me of Sesame Street moments like these and even Broadway.

Anyway, I think the background paintings are really wonderfully done and I'm just curious who are the artists that made them. Also how did they do the grass. It must be some sort of fabric but it doesn't look like fur, it really looks like grass. And I'm sure the plants (fake or not) are on some sort of tall prop. It's really amazing how the original Muppet crew figured stuff out like this. it truly looks really great on camera. I'm still not sure how they figured out how to have Little Jerry and the Monotones shaking side to side in the Telephone booth in Telephone Rock. It's really fascinating.

 

[JLG]

I wondered the same thing about those city backdrops, since many of them are clearly the work of the same person. (My only quibble is that the "down the street" view that used to be past Big Bird's nest was a little bit off in terms of how the perspective lined up with the set. Regardless, the fact of what used to be depicted there is made all the more strange today by the big brick building that is shown to be there now. A big brick building built smack dab in the middle of what was once an intersection. In real life this would pretty much mean that the NYC government split Sesame Street into two, turning it into a cul-de-sac. And apparently the poor businesses around the corner like the Furry Arms and Finders Keepers were razed----possible victims of eminent domain.)

 

[mupcollector1]

I remember refferences where made like how Mr. Roger's Neighborhood was only a few miles away. Though my favorite is the bad parts exiting Sesame Street is called "Avenue Q". lol I love that play, I've seen it on Broadway.

Yeah it gives the show more realism. I've lived in the suburbs most of my life and in small towns but was always fascinated with cities, especially watching Sesame Street. I remember in 1993 my Grandmother brought me to New York on a train and seeing central park reminded me of something I've seen on Sesame Street.

If anyone knows information on who painted the backgrounds, I'd like to know. Those backgrounds are so amazing. It really makes the set look realistic. Even the fake grass and all.

 

[minor muppetz]

I think it's also a Technic that was used even in old black and white films since the early motion pictures were filmed in studio and rarely filmed outside.

I don't know if this is true or not*, but recently I saw the beginning of an episode of Dragnet where Joe Friday said that the earliest movies were filmed entirely outdoors, even scenes taking place indoors, because they couldn't get the right lighting indoors.

*I mean I don't know if the fact mentioned in the episode is true. It is true that I saw the beginning of that episode.

 

[D'Snowth]

I wondered the same thing about those city backdrops, since many of them are clearly the work of the same person. (My only quibble is that the "down the street" view that used to be past Big Bird's nest was a little bit off in terms of how the perspective lined up with the set.

It only looks that way because from the camera's perspective, we always saw it at an angle, which did throw off the perspective... however, I'm sure if we were actually standing there in front of 123 or whatever, looking in that direction, we would see that it would look a lot more natural and realistic, since that particular flat was looking straight down a long street.

Regardless, the fact of what used to be depicted there is made all the more strange today by the big brick building that is shown to be there now. A big brick building built smack dab in the middle of what was once an intersection.

YES! YES! This is what I've been saying all this time, the placement of that brick wall (it's actually a combination of the sidewalls from Furry Arms and Finder's Keepers joined to form one large facade, upon observation) makes no sense! It looks as if instead of an intersection being there, that the space between 123 and that wall (including Big Bird's nest area) is now supposed to be like a dead-end alley... okay, that can possibly make sense... but, the thing of it is, jutting out from that brick wall is a long wooden fence that extends out into the middle of the street itself... now, what sense does that make? In fact, since Season 39 or so, that wooden fence has been replaced with what looks that like partial little brick wall that you see the Muppets moving behind in their various little inserts. Either way, it still makes no sense, and it begs the question: with all that there, is the Subway the only way one can even get to or get off Sesame Street now? As you said, it's clearly a cul-de-sac now. Pre-Season 30, both ends of the street had flats that depicted continuations of a longer street, but since then, one end is blocked off by the brick wall you mentioned, and the other end by the Subway (and since Season 38, a library and a flower shop now sit neck to the subway).

 

[fuzzygobo]

While not a city background, the backdrop they created for country scenes was very nice:
The City Mouse and the Country Mouse
City and Country Song
First version of "Me"
And the first skit with the Yip-Yip Martians, where they make friends with a telephone.

The backdrop was pretty much divided in half. The left side showed a crop of wheat bordered by a wooden fence, the right side showed a plowed field. Reminds me of the view from behind my house when I was little.