Hail! Hail! The Gang’s All Here
Thomas Moses was just one of many theatre artists who left memoirs that provide future generations with brief glimpses into the past. Almost two-hundred years surrounding the history of American scenic art can be explored in the writings of three artists: William Thompson Russell Smith (1812-1896), Thomas Gibbs Moses (1856-1934) and John Hanny (1890-1984). The value of their writings and artworks left us with more than than just information pertaining to their painting techniques, artistic materials and various theatre productions. I believe that their greatest contributions were the documentation of personal relationships and shared activities with other artists, whether for business or pleasure. These artists provide us with a view of the bigger picture when examining the evolution of scenic art and design.
It is Moses’ diaries from 1873-1933 that I find the most riveting, especially his descriptions during the period from 1889 to 1917. At this time, scenic artists shared their work, lives and dreams while striving toward a common goal – the painting of beautiful scenery. Unlike earlier generations, it was the various scenic studios throughout the country that inextricably linked these artists. The studio settings fostered friendships as projects were shared during times of plenty. Many artists also made large enough incomes to travel and participate in sketching trips throughout the country, gathering images for later projects.
Whether backdrops for the stage or fine art for residential parlors, these artists heard a similar calling to capture the exotic and the beautiful. This was not uncommon for the previous generations of artists; however, Moses’ generation was unique as there was a new unifying factor – the mass-production of these same painted scenes in a scenic studio setting. Their studio work contributed to their fine art work and vice versa, but as a group effort both in and out of each studio.
The rise of the scenic studio system created a vast network where artists found not only work, but also fellowship. The work was also constant as artists became part of a large studio staff. For the first time, artists like Moses could make their living solely painting in one location for theatrical venues from coast to coast. The generation before Moses created artworks for businesses other than the stage as they traveled to make a living. Early and mid-nineteenth century scenic artists traveled from town to town, and painted much more than theatre curtains while in any one location.
They supplemented their income with jobs as scientific illustrators, engravers, fresco artists, carriage painters, and sign painters, just to name a few. Many from the generation after Moses did something similar as the field of scenic art continued to evolve into film, television, and theme parks. Like their mid-nineteenth century predecessors, mid-twentieth century scenic artists painted for new venues on new substrates with new tools and new techniques. Their work reflected an ever-shifting aesthetic.
Thomas Moses worked as a scenic artist for forty-seven years when he was contracted to paint the Fort Scott scenery in 1924, having started his career in 1877. By this time, he had painted hundreds, if not thousands, of backdrops for theaters, opera houses, fraternal halls, Scottish Rite stages, circus spectacles, and world fair midways. He was a popular and a well-known artist throughout the country, having painted for famous personalities such as Joe Jefferson and Helena Modjeska.
By the time Moses painted the Fort Scott scenery, he was referred to as the”Dean of Scenic Artists.” Like those of his generation, he was a scenic artist and fine artist who sought to capture the beauty of nature with paint. Moses eloquently wrote of his landscape paintings, describing the rippling waters of the woodland stream and the lights that played on a distant mountainside. He shared these discoveries not only in his memoirs, but also in newspaper articles, and with his fellow artists. He belonged to many fine art societies and artistic groups, including New York’s Salmagundi Club, Chicago’s Palette & Chisel Club, and the Laguna Beach Art Association.
He celebrated the artistic accomplishments of his friends, even when their careers soared far beyond his own. He clipped articles of painting assistants from long ago who later became international successes and rejoiced with them. It appears as if they all celebrated each other’s victories as they strived toward a common goal through each individual artwork. His only regrets were not spending enough time painting outside of the studio to hone his own skills. Moses made friends for life and their fondness for him was apparent over the years as they sent postcards, planned outings, and shared dinners. His diary and scrapbook depict those artists whose work he respected and whose company he treasured.
I have mentioned in past posts about the shift in the scenic studio business by the 1920s when a younger generation of entrepreneurs emerged and old alliances ended. “Alliance” may not be the correct word as I believe that there was a genuine respect and appreciation for each other’s work prior to WWI. Studios might bid on the same contract, but there was a jovial competition as work was plentiful. Bidding became more cut-throat in the 1920s and 1930s, especially after work became scarce and a younger generation entered the picture.
The creation of the Fort Scott scenery collection occurs during this period of transition. The ownership of studios, especially those founded by the “old guard,” begins to change hands. This is the case with Sosman and Landis when the Fort Scott scenery collection was created onsite. Although the dry pigment boxes found high above the Fort Scott stage are labeled “Sosman & Landis c/o Scottish Rite Temple Fort Scott, Kansas,” the company had moved to new offices by that time, after residing at Clinton Street for thirty three years. Was the onsite painting of Scottish Rite scenery now necessary since a new company (Chicago Studios) was using the Clinton Street shop? Was the Sosman & Landis Company trying to save overhead expense attributed to staffing a large paint studio in downtown Chicago? The diagrams and writings by Moses on the Fort Scott wooden battens held clues to answer this queries.
It is unfortunate that the wooden battens we so carefully removed, bundled, labeled, and shipped to Minnesota were discarded and replaced with new pipe pockets during installation at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. It was an irreplaceable loss of history for both the theatre and Freemasonry.
To be continued…
