Month: January 2017

I encountered an image by Russell Patterson in Andrew Geis’ Source Book. Compelled by the image, I decided to see who this artist was and when he worked. He is one fascinating guy! A contemporary of Geis’ and possible colleague in Chicago. They certainly travelled in the same circles!

I have included an image of the actual location that he was illustrating (Garnier Opera in Paris) – luckily, I took a similar photo in Paris last summer! Almost like I knew that I would need it…

Russell Patterson (1893-1977) was an American cartoonist, illustrator, costume designer, prop builder, scenic designer, and many other things!

Born in Omaha, Nebraska and raised in Montreal, Patterson moved to Chicago during WWI to become a catalogue illustrator. Early work includes department store designs for Carson Pirie Scott & Company and Marshal Field. Side note: Many free lance scenic artists and studios sought these same store designs as part of their business. Patterson also attended the Art Institute of Chicago – as did most scenic artists at the time. His path would have constantly crossed a variety of scenic artists in Chicago! Another business venture that he was engaged in from 1922-1925 was a mail order art instruction course!

His art deco magazine illustrations helped promote the 1920s “flapper” image – known as the Patterson Girl. Similar to the Gibson Girl, his work really defined the 1920s and 30s fun-loving female in fabulous attire.

In 1925, he moved to New York and worked as an illustrator and designer for the theatre – both costumes and sets. On Broadway, Patterson’s productions included The Gang’s All Here” (Costume Design, 1931), “Ballyhoo of 1932” (Costume designer, director, and scenic designer); “Hold Your Horses” (Costume designer, 1933); “Fools Rush In” (Scenic designer, 1934); “Ziegfield Follies of 1934” (Costume designer); “The Illustrator’s Show” (Curtain design, 1936)“and “George White’s Scandals” (Scenic Design, 1936). For more information about these shows, go to the Broadway Database at https://www.ibdb.com/

From the 1920s through 1950s, Patterson continued to draw for a variety of publications, including Sunday newspaper magazine covers and comic strips. “Mamie,” a Sunday page for United Features Syndicate was one such example. Art historians note that he was one of the key artists who brought the “dumb blond” back into vogue in comic strips with her small waist and long legs (Really?!?! I have to wonder when this character was ever absent from our culture or printed history…). Patterson later became the President of the National Cartoonist Society.

His sporadic visits to Hollywood during the 1930s, involved him in a variety of interesting projects, including the creation of life-like dolls that he called, “Personettes.” These props appeared in the film “Artists and Models,” starring Jack Benny. He also designed Shirley Temple’s wardrobe “Baby, Take a Bow” in 1934 and a whole host of other projects for film.

Frequently traveling from one end of the country to the other, Patterson even judged the Miss America Swimsuit Competition in Atlantic City in 1933 with Gladys Glad (Ziegfield Follies Girl)?!?! He obviously enjoyed the female form…

For more information on Patterson, see “Top Hats and Flappers: The Art of Russell Patterson,” (Fantagraphics, 2006).

I am so glad that I followed my curiosity to see who was behind the signature!

Here is another page from Andrew Geis’ source book.

I am back to one of my favorite Masonic scenes – Hell, Hades, Dante, Inferno, or “you name that that favorite underworld scene.”

It is for the 18th degree. Main message for this particular scene– don’t fall prey to temptation or you will suffer great torments. I know it is an extremely simplified version of the degree, but I hate to put up any Masonic image that could possibly make people think “devil worshippers.” They are not.

I have been compiling a North American database of Masonic installations (primarily on Scottish Rite scenery, but also with a smattering of Shrines, Commanderies, Grottos, and Blue Lodge paintings). While cross referencing my list with images that I remember from the U of MN scenery database I stumbled across the following sketches by Twin City Scenic.

I remembered seeing the same composition in Grand Forks. It was rolled up with a shrine cut drop and not in use. Neither of the drops are from the original 1914 Sosman & Landis collection (Chicago, Illinois). They were from the Twin City Scenic Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota

These two renderings are from the Twin City Scenic Company Collection (PA43). Unfortunately, they are not in the same box. M160 is in Box 11 and M161 (one with spatter) is in Box 12.

Again, here is the link for the scenery collection search: http://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch

Here are the sketches:

Here is the drop in Grand Forks:

Last posting of 1864 “Die Baustyle” on Greek and Roman Architecture!

Almost done with posting figures from this book. I just love capitals! They are a great opportunity to study light and shadow with a little brown paper, charcoal and chalk. Only one more post to go from this book!

A few more images from his copy.

Continuing to share the images referred to by Andrew Geis (b. 1887/8-?) for scenic art.

Here are some more source’s from Geis’ Architecture book.

Andrew Geis was a Chicago-based scenic artist during the early twentieth century.  He parents were German immigrants (August and Anna Geis), coming to America in 1880 and 1883, respectively. Andrew had two siblings: Rose and Theodore.  Andrew appears in the 1900 census, 1910 census, 1920 census and the 1927 Scenic Artist Ball program (Chicago).  He has four interior designs (paintings) in the University of Minnesota Libraries Performing Arts Archives.  Geis’ design book and a book on architecture are in the private collection of Wendy Waszut-Barrett.