Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 185 – Thomas G. Moses and A. J. Rupert

In 1883 Thomas G. Moses wrote that he attended the Chicago Art Institute and “painted from life at Rupert’s Studio every Sunday.”

Adam John Rupert was born in Ft. Plain, New York, during 1854. At the age of eighteen he moved to Chicago, Illinois. Two years later, he was working for P. M. Almini as a fresco painter and met Moses for the first time. Rupert studied at fine art studios and traveled abroad from 1876 to 1880. He was a student at the Royal Academy in Munich and also the Academy of Design in Chicago.

Moses initially reconnected with his old friend on his return in 1880. By 1882 Rupert was hired to teach for the Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago every afternoon during winter term. He established a fine art studio that Moses visited every Sunday. Moses greatly revered Rupert and even named his second son after him.

He bought one of Rupert’s paintings in 1885 titled “My Studio.” It measured 34” x 54.” That same year, Rupert exhibited artworks at the inaugural reception and exhibition for the Western Art Association. They held their show at the Chicago Art Institute on the corner of Michigan Ave and Van Buren Street where a lot of collectors participated in the event. For this show, Rupert had exhibited three pieces “The Violinist,” “The Tramp” and “Discouraged Vestal” (Chicago’s “Inter Ocean” on Jan. 23 1885, page 5). Rupert also participated in the 1888 Chicago Art League Exhibition at Art Institute of Chicago. By 1889 he opened a studio at No. 59 Honore Block in Chicago and soon exhibited at the Chicago Society of Artists. In 1891 his artwork was featured next to those of Walter Burridge, Herbert E, Butler, L.S.G. Parker, Frederick Freer, and Joseph Jefferson (the actor). Other exhibitions for Rupert at the Art Institute Chicago were held in 1898, 1900, 1906, 1915, 1917 and 1919.

In 1892, Rupert, Moses, Harry Vincent and Frank Peyraud worked together to create the settings for William Haworth’s (1860-1920) production called the “A Flag of Truce.” William was Joe Haworth’s younger brother. From the very beginning Joe shared his success as an actor with his family, sending a generous portion of his pay back to them in Cleveland. This money enabled William Haworth to stay in school and attend Annapolis as a naval cadet. However the theatre also called to William. In 1882, it was John McCullough (Virginius lead mentioned in installment 181) that gave him his first professional opportunity.

By 1886, William was acting at the Union Square theatre in support of Helene Modjeska. He eventually left New York and after two years of touring, returned with a completed play, “Ferncliff.” The play was set in Providence, Rhode Island, during the Civil War with ten characters. It opened at the Union Square Theatre in 1889, the same time as Bronson Howard’s “Shenandoah.” It was unlike “Shenandoah,” however, as it lacked the spectacular reenactments of battles and was much more of a domestic drama with comic elements. Here is a great link for further information about the “Ferncliff” production: http://www.josephhaworth.com/union_square_theatre.htm

Haworth reworked “Ferncliff” to become a companion piece to “The Ensign,” a plot set in Havana and involved the ploy of two British officers provoking Capt. Charles Wilkes into a quarrel to delay his interception of the “Trent.” Based partially on factual events from1861, Capt. Wilkes seized two Confederate emissaries to the British government on the vessel “Trent” while on the sea. The incident nearly caused Britain to declare was on the North. In the play, Wilkes eventually escapes the firing squad by the personal intervention of President Lincoln. The production was reported to be an exceptional spectacle.

The “Flag of Truth” opened in New York at the Fourteenth Street Theatre during 1893, the show toured to Plainfield, New Jersey, and then played in Trenton. It now included a thrilling rescue in a quarry that involved a real derrick onstage. Throughout the next decade, Haworth’s Civil War plays were almost constantly performed, often in repertory. For more information about William Haworth and his brother Joseph, here is a good link: http://www.josephhaworth.com/his_brother_William.htm
By 1904 Rupert was part of another spectacle. He worked on an amusement for the St. Louis World’s Fair by Henry Roltair called “Creation.” Rupert and George Schreiber were the assistants to Frank Peyraud for this project. Advertised in the Chicago Sunday Tribune (May 29, page 20) it commented, “the scheme is a deep secret. A great dome covers transformation scenes representing the creation of the world with dioramas showing what man has created in the world.” Taking two hours, a boat trip travelled around the big blue dome that illustrated the works of God during the six days of creation. Other side trips in boats included the scenic vistas of the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Alaska that allowed visitors to travel back into prehistoric time to primitive man. Another boat ride entered a labyrinth that depicted ancient countries and cities, including Egypt, Assyria, Greece, Rome, China, Japan, Spain, France, and England. The cost for this adventure was $0.50 for adults and $0.25 for children. I could not help but think of Spaceship Earth in Walt Disney World’s Epcot. But the twentieth century ride paled in comparison to what was offered to 1904 visitors at Roltair’s “Creation.”

On the fraternal front, Rupert was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Maccabees.

To be continued…

Author: waszut_barrett@me.com

Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera. View all posts by waszut_barrett@me.com