In Spokane Falls, Thomas G. Moses, Howard Tuttle and Ed Loitz likely painted for the newly constructed Auditorium Theatre. Construction of the building began in 1889, just prior to the great fire that left the downtown area in ruins. It was left relatively unscathed. The theatre was designed by Herman Preusse, a German immigrant who had settled in Spokane just the year before. Preusse’s extensive work incorporated a number of styles from medieval to Romanesque and Renaissance Revival.
John Browne and Anthony Cannon funded the construction of the seven-story red brick building with seating for 1,750 people. The Theatre boasted an impressive exterior, oversized stage, three balconies and deluxe loge seating. Located on the ground floor of the building, the theatre’s proscenium opening was 34 ft. wide by 33 ft. high. The depth from the footlights to the back wall was 40 ft., with the distance between the footlights and front curtain at 3 ft. The stage to rigging loft was 68 ft. and there were four grooves. The height from grooves to the stage was 20 ft., but they could be taken up if necessary. The depth under the stage was 11 ft. with three traps (located prompt, center and off prompt). There were also two bridge and a scene room. Electric lights illuminated the auditorium and stage. (Information taken from Julius Cahn’s Theatrical Guide, 1897).
Businessmen Browne and Cannon initially arrived in Spokane during 1878. They were looking for possible investment opportunities. The two opened banks and developed land. They focused on the creation of new offices for the various businesses that continued to appear in the small town. Browne and Cannon quickly became two of the area’s first millionaires. Then they set their sites on an impressive performance venue that would surpass all other theatres in the country. Prior to their theater’s construction, Browne and Cannon visited Chicago’s auditorium and instructed their builders to go “one foot wider and one foot higher” (http://spokanehistorical.org/items/show/625).
From 1890 until 1914, Spokane’s Auditorium was the largest theatre in America until the Hippodrome was built in New York. I was surprised that with this title, there is nothing available online or in newspapers that depicts the theater’s interior, stage or auditorium. There are only a few exterior pictures too. This was perplexing as I am often able to locate interior images of small venues in unknown town. Here was a large venue that rivaled Chicago’s Auditorium and the interior remains unknown. I wonder if there are any remaining plans that Rick Boychuk could examine as he is now extremely familiar Chicago’s Auditorium and its innovative rigging system.
An article by Tara Justine, “The World’s Largest Stage,” examines the planning and construction of this massive endeavor in Spokane. Justine wrote, “No expense was spared in the construction. Granite was taken from the base of Mt. Spokane to complete the foundation. Inside, were 17 dressing rooms and a “box office vestibule (lit) by stained glass windows.” Atop the building stood a large gold-plated statue of Thalia, Goddess of Music.
The Salt Lake Tribune published that the Carleton Opera Company staged the first production at to the Auditorium’s grand opening on Tuesday, September 16 (September 21, 1890 (page 6). Moses, Tuttle and Loitz had worked in Spokane Falls until April 16, 1890
Justine wrote, “The Auditorium drew acts from all over the world. Sarah Bernhardt, Alma Gluck, Anna Held and Al Jolson, performed on the stage. Jolson appeared in 1917 while a young Bing Crosby watched from his seat” (http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/may/14/then-and-now-auditorium/#/0). In fact, Bing had landed a part-time job in the props department at Spokane’s Auditorium Theatre in his early teens. An article from Oct. 16, 1977, in the “Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY, page 3) published that Spokane’s Auditorium Theatre was “a grease paint Mecca on the great American vaudeville circuit which brought to town such giants of the day as Gallagher and Shean, Eddie Cantor and Al Jolson, as well as traveling shows from Broadway such as George White’s Scandals.” Sadly, the theater was demolished in 1934.
When Moses left Portland to secure the contract for the Auditorium, he would have had a leg up on the competition. He was from Chicago and working for the largest scenic studio in the city. A studio with ties to Chicago’s Auditorium. Moses’ nationwide reputation and following would have been a notable asset to the two businessmen; they were looking for the best.
After this theater job was completed, the three scenic artists disbanded once more. Tuttle and Moses went East while Loitz offered to stay in Spokane and finish one more painting project for the theatre. Loitz agreed to paint the asbestos curtain that had not been part of the original contract. Moses noted that Loitz was happy to take on the additional work.
To be continued…
