Thomas G. Moses was painting at two theaters in Altoona, Pennsylvania, during 1890. I have been looking at the possible venues where he might have been employed during that year; his typed manuscript does not specify the project.
In the big context, Altoona was home to many fraternal orders, including the Freemasons, Odd Fellows, Elks, Knights of Pythias, Improved Order of Red Men, Independent Order of Foresters, Maccabees, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Patriotic Order Sons of America, Moose, Order of Owls, Loyal Orange Institute, Ancient Order Knights of the Mystic Chain, Knights of Columbus, Improved Order of Heptasophs, Ancient Order of Hiberians, and the list goes on and on. Oh my. Some organizations were new to even me! Each group owned homes, with some were the finest buildings in the city. “In Altoona the lodge takes the place of the social club found in other cities and the spirit of fraternity, nurtured by the various organizations, is strong among the people of the city.” (Jesse C. Sell, “Twentieth Century History of Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania, and Representative Citizens,” 1911, page 355). Sell’s statement says a lot.
The Altoona Masonic Temple was erected between 1889 and 1890. It is possible that there were two theaters in the building, as was the case in Indianapolis when the “Pork House” was retrofitted to include two theaters for the Scottish Rite. In 1890, the Altoona Masonic Temple was home to many organizations and the building’s dedication included a number of impressive ceremonies throughout the latter part of the 1890.
I then thought back to the Temple Opera House in Duluth and many others built before 1890. The Indianapolis Scottish Rite had two theaters, both strictly for Masonic purposes. The Cincinnati Masonic Building also had two Masonic theaters, one large theatre for the Scottish Rite and one small theatre for the York Rite. But there was also a third theatre in Cincinnati connected to the building. It was a commercial theatre for the general public. Detroit was also later set up with a Scottish Rite stage and a commercial stage.
This was a brilliant business plan to pay the bills. It would be similar to the formula where retail stores occupied and paid rent on a main floor for fraternal spaces on the upper floors. Incorporating an entertainment venue in a Masonic building instead of retail rental was a successful option.
Before I move onto Thomas G. Moses in the year 1891, I will be taking a break as I head to Hawaii to acquire several paintings. My family and I are going to visit Moses’ great grandson. During our two-week stay, I will repost the initial two weeks of this blog as many of you are late comers and may want to see what prompted my writing.
To be continued…
