Month: June 2017

There are some things that are not considered “picture worthy.” I think it simply depends on who is taking the photo. A close friend of mine took a picture of the boiler in the basement of a Scottish Rite and it is a haunting image. She captured the rust and decay that had settled in over the decades and the image is a work of art.

I took a photograph of the old elevator at the Fort Scott Scottish Rite. It might not be considered art, but it to recorded a detail from this deceased Scottish Rite facility. The new building owners might not save this aged machine as current safety regulations could prohibit its continued use. I both loved and feared that elevator, becoming intimately familiar with it as I transported supplies up to the second floor theatre. The entire crew knew exactly how fast it could ascend to the second floor. After pushing the button, we could race up the thirty-seven-step curved staircase and arrive before the doors would even open. It was extremely slow and every trip became a gamble. Every time the door closed I wondered if we would get stuck between floors. As in McAlester, the metal gate had to be completely shut before the contraption would move and inch. Regardless of my fears, there was something nostalgic about that elevator. I was transported back in time whenever the door shut and the motor began to whirr, jarring the elevator into motion.

The entire building was a treasure trove of memories, filled with forgotten bits and pieces from the past. When I arrived on site during November 2015, the stage area was quite unkempt. The building had been vacant for over a year and there were piles of unwanted items scattered throughout the building.

These were all remnants from the previous year’s auction that liquidated almost all of the building’s contents. However, this rubbish did not detract from the former beauty of the stage and shadows of its former glory were still apparent. I could look beyond the grime, imagining the space with new wooden arbors and the shiny cable.

As I glanced at old stage equipment, it was difficult not to imagine standing under brand new scenery and border lights; the smell of fresh mortar, the scent of cut wood, and the acrid tang from new metal filling the space. An historic stage fills me with a yearning to experience the era of its creation.

As the weights were pulled from each arbor to remove a drop from the corresponding line, I was reminded of skeletal remains in a crypt. This rigging system had once been something quite special; effortlessly raising or lowering painted settings at a moments notice. The stage machinery had transformed the stage and once transported generations of men to far away lands. Now that the scenery was gone, leaving the counterweight system useless and out of date. It would eventually become disposed of as scrap metal.

Perhaps that is why both Rick Boychuk and I salvaged complete rigging sets from the Fort Scott theater. Not as simple souvenirs or personal mementos, but to save a theatrical landmark in the evolution of stage design and machinery. The intricacy of an arbor could provoke a conversation so this technology could be remembered in the future.

It is now difficult for me to separate the painted scenery from the rigging as they are both so entwined in my mind, two halves of a whole. For me, the landscape above the stage is almost as exciting as those painted scenes below.

To be continued…

Here is a link to Rick Boychuk’s work http://www.counterweightrigging.com/

There was a service staircase in Fort Scott that ascended to the space above the auditorium ceiling. We accessed it through a door at the end of the arbor rail that led to a steep metal staircase.

Before ascending the steps, I looked up to my left and marveled at the square plates of alabaster stained glass. These were some of the decorative elements on the sidewalls of the auditorium. When illuminated, they provided a warm glow to an otherwise dark room.

Climbing up the narrow staircase, we first explored the areas high above the proscenium arch and ceiling medallions. Our first trip was to identify possible access points to the wooden grid above the stage. Our last trip was attempting to access the neighboring Western Insurance Company roof as we had noticed a tree growing up there. Every day during our break, we had marveled the young sapling and wanted to see how it had taken root.

Typically, the spaces above an auditorium and stage hold a plethora of interesting artifacts left behind by the original workmen. You never know what is hidden beneath layers of dust and chunks of plaster. In addition to abandoned artifacts left during construction, maintenance men, stage crews, and office staff also stashed many unwanted items in these storage areas. For me, the discoveries found high above the theater often rival those from the stage floor.

We explored a room directly above the proscenium that held the organs pipes and other musical innards that were noted as a “patented universal air chest system” by Austin Organ Company. In the auditorium, there was a traditional style organ console with roll top. The Valley of Fort Scott had purchased this organ with three manuals and thirty-six ranks for $15,000 in 1924.

By 2007, a newspaper article estimated the current value at two million dollars. I was amazed by its pristine condition and beautiful woodwork.

The label for the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Connecticut was especially intriguing as it placed a lute and compass in a similar arrangement as a Masonic square and compass. A banner over this image included the company’s motto, “Scientia, Artem, Adjuvat,” or “Science Aids Art.” Was Austin a Mason? Various articles note that this motto was not just a clever marketing scheme, but a way of life for the founder and his employees. Many of the machines that manufactured organ parts were kept on site so that the production, maintenance, and repair of every model could happen immediately. One example is the famous “seven-headed monster” kept in a front room of the manufacturing plant that produced pedal and stop-action blocks.

The story of the company and John T. Austin, is quite remarkable. As a new immigrant to America, Austin had worked for a variety of organ manufacturers and rapidly worked his way up their ranks with his skill and ingenuity. He actually developed a new type of windchest (he called it an air chest) where you could simply walk right into it and service the complete mechanism. This is what we found in Fort Scott as each of us went inside to examine the organ’s components. Inside the air chest was the motor for the bellows and an electric generator. By the mid-1920s, the Austin Organ company was producing over eighty new pipe organs annually. In 1924, one of these eighty organs became destined for Fort Scott.

The company’s high level of productivity continued until the crash of 1929 when it was hit hard by the economic downturn. By 1937 Austin Organ Co. underwent reorganization and moved to a new facility. Interestingly, their largest on most elaborate model, the Opus 558, would be the company’s first five-manual instrument specifically designed for another Masonic Theater – the Medinah Temple in Chicago.

Company records list that 72 organs were installed in Masonic Lodges across the country. An additional 113 organs were installed in theaters and the list goes on from there. Their client venues included open-air theaters, auditoriums, churches, hotel, stores residence, insurance buildings. I don’t know what category included Scottish Rite performance spaces – auditorium, theater or Masonic Temple? Here is a lovely link for those interested in the history of the Austin Organ Company: https://www.thediapason.com/cover-feature-austin-organs-mil…

A major aspect of many Scottish Rite degree productions is organ music with choral accompaniment. First-class organs were installed in most Scottish Rite theaters and Masonic lodge rooms across the country. Many of these instruments are still revered by national music organizations that plan concerts in these performance venues. Like churches, Scottish Rite auditoriums host organ concerts that draw people in from all over the world.

The Organ Historical Society lists 58 pipe organs at Scottish Rite theaters in its pipe organ database. It also lists 466 pipe organs in Masonic Lodges across the country. Obviously, not every organ in a Masonic building has been included in their database. Unfortunately, there are very few pictures to accompany the database’s technical specifications. If you are a Mason and have a pipe organ in your building, you might want to consider uploading a picture into their database. Here is the link: http://www.organsociety.org/

Behind the organ pipe room at Fort Scott was a partial floor. Standing on ceiling beam, one could see thru the ceiling medallions and down to the auditorium floor.

Nearby was a heavy metal door that was barred shut. Why was it barred? Curious minds needed to know, so my crew muscled it open. Standing high above the stage floor we had a picturesque view of the top wooden battens on drops suspended high above the stage. One of my crew determined that this was where the organ installers brought up the pipes and air chest from the stage floor. This was also how the organ could be removed and transported to another location.

To be continued…

Well-known photographers occasionally capture Scottish Rite spaces. In the case of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Cathedral, Jesse Nusbaum documented both the interior and exterior of this Moorish Revival style complex in 1912. Nusbaum was also an archeologist and three-time superintendent of the Mesa Verde park from 1921-1946. Many of his photographs are now located in the Palace of the Governors Photo Archives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their collection includes an estimated 1,000,000 items, such as photo postcards, panoramas, stereographs, photographs, glass plate negatives, film negatives, lantern slides and many other materials. It is a site well worth investigating. Here is the link: http://www.palaceofthegovernors.org/photoarchives.html

In addition to the images of well-known photographers, Masonic journals and other fraternal publications recorded the extravagant interiors of new Scottish Rite buildings when they were first completed. A 1904 article from “New Age Magazine” details the interior of the new Albert Pike Consistory in Little Rock, Arkansas, including a full-page layout of their new theater with a Sosman & Landis scenery collection.

Contemporary images of some Masonic theaters are also available online, the bi-product of wedding ceremonies, dance recitals, and other community or rental events. Today’s amateur photographers capture the ornate interiors while visiting Scottish Rite facilities all across the country. Luckily, the internet has preserved many of these details that might otherwise fade from public record. I frequently do image searches just to see if anything new has popped in terms of painted scenery collections in Masonic theaters that I have yet to record. While searching for vintage images of the Fort Scott Scottish Rite auditorium, I recently located a Class picture . This image depicts a contemporary group of candidates seated in front of the stage with the grand drape. This might be one of the last images of this dry rotted curtain with the Scottish Rite eagle.

What isn’t documented and available online from Fort Scott and most other historical theaters are the off-stage areas and hidden recesses in the building. These images were often never recorded. They are not located in public archives as the result of professional or amateur photographers. However, there are some in private collections. Luckily, theatre historians and practitioners have documented many “Behind the Scenes” photographs. Stagehands and theatre technicians from touring shows take pictures of lighting consoles, rigging systems, and other stage equipment that they have found fascinating while working at a Scottish Rite theater. The Archiving Technical Theatre History Facebook Group is one of many forums where historical images and information are exchanged by theatre professionals and academics. It is an immediate way to share information and preserve moments from the past. Some of us understand that we cannot wait for either funding or grants to disseminate information. Not everyone has the time or ability to share new discoveries. Action needs to be taken now.

I started www.drypigmet.net for just this reason. After years of collecting information and documenting painted details of scenery, I realized that only a few select individuals had seen my work. I wanted to leave a digital trail and share the information that I had gathered over the years to ensure its survival before being donated to a public archive. It also gave me an incentive every day for some much needed “R & R” – my own term for “research and reflection.” I am the perpetual student, always seeking knowledge and trying to learn something that I did not know the day before. I rejoice in sharing my findings as I decode theatrical heritage and scenic art techniques. Posting various images of buildings, catalogues, lights, counterweight systems, painted curtains and costumes, often leads to other discoveries and future finds. When we do not share our knowledge, many discoveries die with us in a state of isolation. I look at John Rothgeb’s paper at the University of Texas and realize that I simply replicated much of the information he had already uncovered when I wrote my dissertation. He just hadn’t shared much of his research.

Had I just spent one month of graduate school at the Harry Ransom Center, my studies might have advanced to a different level. Yes, it is extremely satisfying having my own conclusions verified by another before I even started thinking about them. Ironically, the missing holes in much of Rothgeb’s research were filled by my discoveries and vice versa. Valleys where Rothgeb added question marks were areas that I evaluated and conducted extensive research. It is extremely frustrating to realize that we just missed each other by a few short years. He was passing out of the picture as I was just entering it.

To be continued…

The Scottish Rite building in Fort Scott was a testimony to the rapid expansion of Freemasonry during the early twentieth century. Kansas was once home to seven Scottish Rite Valleys that included Salina, Wichita, Kansas City, Fort Scott, Fort Leavenworth, Topeka and Lawrence. Each Valley had a Scottish Rite theater that included a Sosman & Landis scenery collection, originating from 1901 to 1924. The state was extremely active in the staging of degree productions and innovative settings for degree work.

When the Fort Scott scenery collection left the state in 2015 for Minnesota, it was not the first Masonic scenery collection to leave its home and it certainly won’t be the last. The Fraternity in Kansas has been hit hard as their membership continues in a downward spiral. Thomas Frank’s 2004 book “What’s the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America” places Kansas at the forefront of many National movements over the past century. Activities in this particular state often signaled a shift in social or public policy for the rest of the country. If we look at the track record, Kansas may be leading the collapse of the Fraternity and liquidation of all Scottish Rite facilities.

When I was on site for three weeks during November of 2015 it was my home. I became familiar with every nook and cranny in the building, noticing memories from a grand past. It is worth revisiting some interior photographs that depict the beauty of the space that once held one of the most premiere Scottish Rite scenery collections in the United States. I wish that with the closing of each Scottish Rite theater, the interior decoration would be carefully documented for future study.

I think of the general lack of information about the interiors of many earlier eighteenth and nineteenth century lodge rooms. There are precious few photographs or illustrations as little is left beyond written records. I wonder if history is repeating itself as Masons begin to walk away from their century old investments without a backwards glance. As Masonic lodges close their doors, or move to a new facility, the members often fail to record the details. Departing Masons fail to document the unique construction, architectural styles or decorative ornamentation of buildings that have been their fraternal haven for decades.

Sure, we can find postcards or a few photos depicting some Masonic interiors on eBay, but it is not the same. Let’s look at some of the history and architectural details that were treasured by Masons in Fort Scott. In 1900, the Scottish Rite Masons of Fort Scott purchased the old Huntington House hotel from J. D. Hill. Like many other Valleys, this building was extensively renovated and dedicated on April 28, 1904. M. C. Lilley outfitted the theatre, subcontracting all of the painted scenery production to Sosman and Landis of Chicago.

By 1920, the Fort Scott Scottish Rite membership expanded to 2,500 and plans were proposed for a new structure on the same site. They entered into a negotiation with the Western Insurance Company where the north half of the building would be reserved for the insurance company. The Western agreed to buy bonds to finance the two structures and later rent the ground floor offices. The southern section (Scottish Rite) was constructed first during the spring of 1923 and it was not until 1929 that the northern half of the building would be completed.

Designed in the Spanish Revival Style at a cost of $500,000, the concrete building was decorated with brick veneer on the sidewalls and stone/terra cotta on the east and north facades. In the mid-1940s, the Scottish Rite encountered financial difficulties, forcing the Western to foreclose on the bonds. At this time, the Scottish Rite retained title to the southern building and the Western acquired the northern building. By 1947, the Western completely remodeled their section and moved the main entrance. The theater on the second floor of the Scottish Rite remained unchanged – a lovely time capsule.

The fate of the Fort Scott Scottish Rite has yet to be announced. The fate of the Western Insurance Company is in the hands of Flint Hills Holdings Co. This management, development, and investment group with offices in Kansas City, Dallas, and Lawrence, Kansas, transformed the old Western space into “35 luxury affordable units for seniors 55 years of age or older.” The company purchased the building at a tax sale for $1 and asked the City of Fort Scott to provide $1 million in financial assistance to help fund the environmental abatement, as well as the demolition of the non-historic building located directly to the west. In 2015, the estimated cost for the 2016 opening was estimated at $5 Million dollars. There are still some units available if anyone plans on moving to Kansas.

To be continued…

At the end of every scenery evaluation, I always try to document the building and other items of interest. I may never return to that space again and it can provide context for later discussions about Freemasonry in that region. It is also helpful to place a Scottish Rite theater within a physical context when discussing a particular set of backdrops. The other rooms in a Masonic facility also provide a lot of information about that particular Valley and membership. What did the Scottish Rite Bodies perceive as valuable? In what areas did they invest substantial funds?

My favorite things to look for in a Scottish Rite building are the signs left by the “management” for the “cast” and “crew.”

These reminders point to problematic areas and issues encountered during general use and Scottish Rite Reunions. Some signs are simply attempts to stop common practices when safety codes changed, such as smoking regulations. Recent “No Smoking” signs are located throughout many Masonic buildings, especially backstage areas and dressing rooms.

Occasionally, these signs are placed directly above ashtrays still in use. During many scenery evaluations, I have often encountered the pungent smell of cigars or cigarettes wafting down from the arbor rail. A typical shout will accompany the first cloud of smoke: “Don’t worry! Nothing’s on fire! It’s just me.” Other forms of vice can be found in the backstage areas. In Fort Scott, we uncovered the empty whiskey bottles, shot glasses, and a few spittoons tucked away under the last shelf in a stage left storage area and along the arbor rail.

There are also the personal decorations of backstage areas with murals, cartoons, newspaper clippings, and photos. In McAlester, Oklahoma, a series of Egyptian hieroglyphs decorate the halls leading from the house right area, past the degree director’s office, and into the paint and supply room.

In Fort Scott, a theatre sign denoted theater occupancy and included a point within a circle for the “o” in auditorium. How clever, the sign painter decided to make something Masonic without the majority of the general public ever realizing it.

There were always the standard signs stating, “no food or drink in the auditorium” and “exit.” It made me think of contemporary parallels when entering performance spaces and current requests of “Please silence cell phones.” What will future generations think of us? The signs point to the times and activities. Even temporal signs will leave clues as to the building’s occupants. In Santa Fe, the door leading from the dressing room to the stage held two bright yellow sheets of paper that read, “No Loose Glitter! Hair ornament. Shoes tidy. Look Perfect! Smile! Have Fun! Be Radiant! Be a Star!”

That was a long message to a performer prior to making an entrance. Obviously, this was a left-over sign from a past dance recital, but I had to wonder how long it had remained posted and how many men had glanced at that same sign before performing in a degree production. Another Santa Fe favorite is a permanent neon sign on the back wall of the Auditorium. It reads “Louder, Slower, “ signaling amateur actors to either project their lines or slow down their delivery.

Again, this shows the forethought to identify and address a continued problem. Some signs are unique insights to the world of Scottish Rite degree productions.

In the three hours that I was onsite at the Moline Scottish Rite, I took over 1500 photos. Of particular interest was a back stage sign that read, “No Smoking, No Profanity, Silence.”

I chuckled as I conjured up scenarios of the last incident that resulted in the creation of this sign. What was the last straw that broke the camel’s back? After all, it was placed stage left above a full-length mirror, suggesting that an actor was at fault before a stage entrance. Could a lit cigarette have accidentally burned something or someone, subsequently causing a burst of profanity from an individual during a contemplative part of a degree production?

I was also able to take extensive photos of the backstage and wardrobe areas. The Moline dressing room is located two flights down from the auditorium. It was much less impressive than the wardrobe rooms in Santa Fe, NM, or Wichita, KS. In the western region, many Scottish Rite dressing rooms included elaborate spaces with glass-faced cabinets displaying extensive costume collections and costume accessories.

The Moline dressing rooms included a standard space for the men to disrobe and leave their personal belongings, costume cabinets, wig shelves, and makeup tables. The one sign that made me laugh out loud started out as a beautifully hand-lettered: “Keep Wigs Off Until Made Up.” I could see someone trying to pull a costume over a very large wig, thus prompting the need for a sign. Signs were the answer to repeated complaints by the management, cast, and crew. Then the additional writing on any one sign specifies additional problems with on one issue. It was the permanent marker writing on the Moline wig sign that added, “Note! Your Wardrobe Man will put it on for You! Your Wardrobe Man will take it off, also!” I have to wonder if a fraternal actor went out on stage with his wig on backwards. At what point did the costume crew decide the cast should keep their hands off the wigs? My guess is immediately upon receiving the shipment of wigs.

Another Moline wardrobe sign noted “If Costume Needs Repair Report to Degree Captain.” This suggests a fairly advanced hierarchy in the wardrobe department, not always a common occurrence in every Scottish Rite theater.

As with the signs in commercial theaters or other public performance spaces, these are signs of the times.

To be continued…

One subdivision of the Moline Scottish Rite collection was very distinct and possibly the work of a single artist. It was identifiable due to its unique style and predominance of overtly bright colors.

There were several scenes that stood apart from the remainder of the Moline collection, especially those that were refurbished for the new stage. The colorful 1930s additions included the Road to Jerusalem, the Cave, the 13th degree Ruins, a Mountain backdrop, the 16th degree Ruins, the Crucifixion, the Ascension, a City in Chaos, and the Cedars of Lebanon. As previously discussed, the abundance of primary colors could have been the result of the aesthetic shift that occurred on stage in the field of scenic art during the 1920s and into the 1930s. But these drops were all just a bit too bright and the style a bit too loose. As I evaluated the scenes, something seemed “off” and was not consistent with other Becker drops that I had encountered over the years. I wondered if this was a temporary hire at the studio in 1930.

This particular scenic artist’s technique and lining were very rough in appearance. Although the composition read fairly well from the house, the paint application remained extremely unrefined. The pictorial illusion was also slightly shattered due the flat appearance of each shape and oddly colored spatter. I wondered if this was the work of an apprentice or young artist at Becker’s studio if not the work of a temporary employee during a busy time.
As with the other scenes painted in 1930 there was a lot of glazing used to build up each shape. I understand that glazing is the preferred method in some studios and could also be tracked back to a specific regional tendency. However, this was something that I had not encountered with Becker scenery before.

Again, there was an excessive amount of spatter throughout each composition. But the coloration of the spatter made no sense at all. Often warm is spattered on cool areas of the composition. This helps with the scene read well under a variety of lighting effects. Similarly, cool colors are spattered on the warm areas. This helps the painting “glow” regardless of the lighting design. In Moline, there were just oddly colored paints spattered on top of random areas. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason.

Again, this could be suggestive of the work by a young artist. The artist could know that spatter was part of the current painting process, but not understand what color was appropriate for each scene or area of the drop. I thought back to the third generation of Cincinnati scenery produced by Bob Moody. He recalled his lack of experience and struggle, being told to “just paint the drops” at Volland Studio. He spattered everything – again without any formulaic application.

The thin paint of these select scenes at the Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral also intrigued me. I have encountered examples where the paint is so thin that the entire drop could have been a transparency. I have also evaluated dye drops at Scottish Rite theaters. For commercial touring shows, the extremely thin application of paint, or use of dye, made sense to me. If the drops were constantly shifted or transported to a new venue, the painted compositions would hold up over time. For example, in Madison, Wisconsin, there are more Scottish Rite drops than lines to hang them from. Almost all of their drops are dye drops and the majority are kept off stage in a nearby storage room. Now kept in plastic tubs, each drop is easily accessible to immediately hang for a degree.

I recalled Jesse Cox’s drops on display at the theater museum in Mount Pleasant, Iowa too. His diamond dye process came to mind for tent shows. I even double-checked the Moline drops to verify that it was dry pigment and not dye. Sure enough, the colors were beginning to dust and I could see a thin layer of paint sitting on the surface. Not dye, just thin dry pigment.

The last thing that fascinated me was the predominance of warm pinks and reds throughout the composition of each scene. I wondered if this was the result of poisonous or fugitive colors. These terms mean that the appearance of some colors have altered over time or affected the appearance of neighboring colors. For example, the blue coloration in a purple paint can disappear over time– leaving only a faded bright pink or red area. An easy way to understand this shift is to think of old letters on parchment. A shift in the coloration of ink can occur over time. The original black ink can shift to a faded blue, purple or brown. This also happens with many children’s markers. I have watched black marker drawings turn to red in just a few years. Certain aspects of each color simply disappear over time as they are exposed to various forms of light.

It is possible that this appearance of each Moline drop remained unaltered. However, everything seemed slightly “off” for these few Scottish Rite scenes. So whether it was a young artist’s inexperience or faded coloration of pigments, some of the Moline scenes were stylistically unlike anything that I had ever encountered before. This was just one more mystery that may remain unsolved.

To be continued…

It is exciting to identify the work of individual scenic artists. Looking for specific colors, brush strokes and other identifying marks is similar to a treasure hunt. Charcoal lines, pounce marks, and lining work can all provide clues.

Unlike the Fort Scott collection, most Scottish Rite installations were the work of multiple artists. However, all of the drops still needed to blend together as a unified whole once the collection were assembled on site. This is similar to choral singing when you don’t want any one voice to stand out too much. However, even when a single studio solely produced a collection there could be variations. Sometimes the work of an individual artist will become apparent upon close inspection. Even if the identities of these artists are unknown, we can still identify their artworks in a collective whole.

One discovery at the Moline Scottish Rite would bring my back to my first days as a scenic artistic and scholar while processing the Holak collection for the Performing Arts Archives at he University of Minnesota Libraries. Primary made up of Sosman & Landis designs, the Holak collection was the third of four scenery design collections acquired by Professor Emeritus C. Lance Brockman. Again, here is the link to the scenery collection database: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch. My work at the archives as a student, research assistant, employee, and returning scholar would prove invaluable throughout the course of my career.

In 2000-2001, I assigned every word of metadata for each artifact in the scenery collection database containing the three collections: Twin City Scenic Company, Holak (Sosman & Landis and New York Studios), and the Great Western Stage Equipment Company. My duties involved determining five key words that best identified each of the 3000+ images in the online collection. At the same time, I was also assigning the subject, media, stage term and masonic degree for each image. Crosschecking my entries provided an opportunity to compare and contrast all three collections over and over again. At the time, I also requested the addition of another category that would identify the specific artist, or “creator,” of many designs. Only a few of the artworks were signed or linked to a specific scenic artist. This meant that I had to do a final inspection of all three collections to look for stylistic similarities that could link unsigned works with signed works. Remember, many of the artists worked at multiple studios, so all three collections had to be examined simultaneously.

In 2012, I returned to the archives as a volunteer and did metadata entry for a new acquisition -the Northwestern Studio collection. This work was completed over one term while I taught scene painting class at the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. For me, it was another way to give back to my alma mater, but there was also a personal reason that I wanted to help process this collection; it was to familiarize myself with this new acquisition. There is something to be said about individually handling each artwork or document as you become intimately familiar with not only each artifact, but also the scope of the entire collection.

In addition to working with incoming acquisitions, I also completed a series of technical studies over the years to fully understand the compositional layout, color palettes, and painting techniques. Whether as an undergraduate student, graduate student, or professional, it was always a form of practice to improve my own painting skills. It also allowed me an intimate familiarity with some of the works – such as the gates of the city for the 15th degree.

Twenty-eight years after first replicating this small design from the Holak collection, I encountered a similar painting style at the Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral during March 2017. I was photographing various painting techniques and noticed the unique painting of blocks for the Gothic Cathedral setting. The painting technique was almost identical to those rendered by the designer for the city gates. I copied this design as a nineteen-year-old because I was enthralled with the pink stonework.

It was very different from everything else that I had encountered in either the Holak or Great Western Stage Equipment Company collections at the time. Portions of the light base coat remained visible in the final composition, providing a texture for each stone. This base also forms some of the grouting before the addition of sparse lining.

As I photographed the painted details during the Moline evaluation, I finally understood what I had missed when originally replicating the pink stones. My own brush strokes were too formulaic. It made me think of the approach to painting foliage. There needed to be an organic feel when painting each stone – like the placement of leaves on a vine. I tucked this bit of information away for future painting projects. There is always something to learn from these historical collections.

To be continued…

The camp backdrop is a standard setting for the thirty-second degree in many Scottish Rite theaters across the country. This scene uses either a backdrop or a floor cloth, each painted with a nonagon.

The most common design in the Southern Jurisdiction places the nonagon in a valley surrounded by a deciduous landscape. Tents, letters and specific objects are placed throughout the scene in designated locations. Wooden leg drops are often used to accompany the scene and mask the side stages, providing the standard illusion of depth.

Occasionally, Scottish Rite theaters will add corresponding leg drops with camp tents, such was the case for Fort Scott and Winona. This signified that the Valley had the funding to add this particular extravagance.

Interestingly in St. Louis, however, the nonagon appears as a translucent shape in the cloudy sky. This is truly unique and a Volland Studio interpretation. It does double duty for the first and second sections of the stage degree. In the first section, the nonagon remains invisible for the scene. During the second section the nonagon translucency is illuminated at the appropriate moment.

In terms of theatrical interpretation, this staged degree frequently breaks the proscenium line to do the necessary “floor work.” In some cases, the scenic studio painted the nonagon on a floor cloth that was either placed on the stage or on the floor of the auditorium. For this type of theatrical interpretation, practical tents could be positioned along the specific sides. A few Scottish Rite Valleys used both a backdrop and floor cloth, each with a painted nonagon. This is the case in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where there is a detailed backdrop and detailed floor cloth for the thirty-second degree.

The Moline 32nd Degree Camp scene is unique for its design as there is simply a red nonagon without the standard inclusion of painted tents, objects, flags or letters. This scene appears to be unique to John C. Becker & Bro. Studio of Chicago.

For some Valleys, such as St. Louis, Missouri, the foreground of the scene depicts the Commander’s tent, with the military camp in the distance. The use of a practical tent in the foreground is common for the first section of the degree. There is either a cut opening for the Commander’s tent in the backdrop or an actual set piece. Winona, Minnesota, used a reversible set piece for the Commander’s tent. When not used as a military tent, it could be transformed into a rustic hut for the Hermitage setting in the York Rite.

Many of these same camp settings were also used for York Rite degrees. The York Rite staged portions of their degrees too, occasionally constructing theaters within Scottish Rite Cathedrals or Masonic complexes. They often used roll drops placed in the east end of a lodge room. Their theatrical interpretation of degree work was equally successful, but much smaller due to fewer degrees. The shared use of specific scenes for both Scottish and York Rites also explains many of the unique variations for camp designs. Depending on the possibility of shared use by multiple organizations – such as Grotto, Shrine, York or Scottish Rites – the Masonic designs could be slightly altered to accommodate a variety of degree interpretations.

To be continued…

There is something magical about the glitter of gold on a flat surface. Metallic gold will shift from a deep unreflective bronze in the shadows to a brilliant sparkling gold in the light. Looking at a gold highlight from different angles makes the overall surface come to life. It adds a little magic, or life, into the painted scene. The use of metallic glazing on theatre scenery, however, is not as effective as one has to be very select in the placement. The application must be sparse and effectively lit for the areas of the scene to glisten. The painting or the audience needs to also move for it to become visible. Imagine the hell scene and the metallic paper strips previously discussed. They only work very well if the backdrop slightly moves.

As a side note, one needs to understand the difference between a flat color and metallic color. Over the years I have repeatedly explained the difference between the opaque color gold and the metallic color gold. An example is my suggestion to use of gold metallic paint for the stars on the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center Lodge room ceiling. Early discussions included my painting metallic accents on each gold colored star. These samples were used to explain that gold metallic will reflect and move, the flat opaque color gold would not. Metallic stars on curved ceilings give the room movement– especially during Masonic ceremonials. In low lighting situations, the painted metallic stars would twinkle without the need for LED or other lights placed within each star. Unfortunately, the celestial skies ended up including white stars as the CEO could not comprehend the reflective quality and movement of a metallic paint.

Seldom have I encountered a lot of metallic glazing in Scottish Rite scenery. Typical metallic additions include metallic paper strips that are glued onto the painted surface to simulate the fiery blazes of hell or the rays from heaven. Most metallic paint appears after the 1920s. Here is my theory: prior to that time the scenic artist successfully painted golden treasure with flat colors, allowing sections of the composition to sparkle without the use of any metallic paint. During the 1920s, some of the scenic artists create compositions that were less dimensional – more flat. This means that the painted perspective was less effective. It is possible that the application of metallic paint was an attempt by 1920s scenic artists (and those generations after) to reintroduce life and dimension into a relatively flat painting.

There are two scenes in the Moline scenery collection that have an abundance of metallic glazing, almost too much to make it effective. In each scene, the composition takes on the 1920s characteristic of a foreground that appears much larger than life. These two scenes are reminiscent of the previously discussed tree trunks in St. Louis and the ruins in Fort Scott. In Moline, we again see massive columns in the foreground of each scene. There is an excessive amount of metallic glazing applied throughout the composition, from foreground to background. The excessive use destroys some of the painted perspective and illusory effect.

This application of gold paint is very visual within a few feet. The effect would have worked well up close upon initial inspection by a client. I have to wonder if that was the primary purpose – to impress representatives from the Valley of Moline. It really doesn’t read well from the auditorium as there is too much metallic painting within an overly complex composition. Metallic stars in the ceiling of lodges are sparse in deep blue settings. That is something entirely different – and effective. The metallic stars visually “pop” from the deep blue. In Moline, the metallic accents occur on lighter backgrounds and therefore compete with the surrounding composition, reading simply as dark gold.

This is why metallic foil paper works better than metallic paint in the dark areas of the hell scene. The dimensionality of the metallic strips – the crinkles – selectively placed along the edges of figures or rocky outcrops add a little magic. The crinkles of the metallic paper allow the highlight to appear “natural.” It is similar to painting a broken line instead of a solid line in any composition. The broken line is more effective as the viewer’s eye fills in the line and it appears more natural. Furthermore, there needs to be a deep color from where the gold glistens – catching the light in a darkened chamber.

I have also encountered backdrops where Masonic stagehands added a metallic sparkle decades after the fact. This was the case with the Fort Scott scenery. Some well-meaning individual decided to add metallic puff paint to Jacque DeMolay’s tomb. The dimension of the puff paint actually worked quite well, like the metallic paper strips due to the dimensional quality. When I first encountered the painted tomb during November 2015, I laughed out loud. Puff paint to spruce up a Knight Templar Tomb? But the dimensional paint was against a dark surface and selectively placed.

I have also come across sequins, metallic wrapping paper, and other shiny objects glued onto backdrops, especially on metal vessels in treasure scenes. If not lit properly, the painted golden vessels on a treasure chamber backdrop will appear flat. This causes stagehands to glue on shiny items to catch the light and allow the artifacts to glitter. Good idea? It’s debatable, but often hard to detect. Most of the lights need to be turned off, darkening the entire painted composition and allowing the metal objects to appear.

To be continued…

This is a lovely video that shows the traditional method to transform dry pigment into pastels. It is well worth taking the time to explore “The Feel of Color.”