ANTHONY T. HEINSBERGEN
Biographical Information
A Dutch immigrant who came to the United States at age 13, Heinsbergen (c. 1894-1981) became an apprentice for an interior decorator the day after his arrival in Los Angeles. At age 20, while working for another decorator in Seattle, his boss died, leaving him the company and 22 uncompleted major projects around the country. Among the jobs he and his artist crew of 185 worked on in those early years were the Department of Commerce Building in Washington, D.C., and the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco. His reputation was solidly established in 1924, when Alexander Pantages selected him to do the interiors for his chain of 22 theaters. During his long career Heinsbergen decorated the interiors of 757 theaters throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico (probably close to 200 survive). The company he founded is still in business, run by his son in the same miniature castle on Beverly Boulevard in West Hollywood that his father had built in 1927 using the bricks from the old Los Angeles City Hall. The company now specializes in both interior decoration and restoration work. It is frequently called upon to restore the walls and ceiling decorations originally painted by the elder Heinsbergen more than 50 years ago.
Mural Credits
Alex Theatre Mural (Untitled)
Belasco Theatre Mural (Untitled)
Classical Greek Figures (Untitled)
Clouds and Angels (Untitled)
Los Angeles Theatre Mural (Untitled)
Palace Theatre Mural (Untitled)
Signs of the Zodiac (Untitled)
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