I return to the life and work of Thomas G. Moses in 1891. This was more than three decades before Moses would design and paint the Scottish Rite scenery for Fort Scott, Kansas.
In 1891, Thomas G. Moses and Abraham “Perry” Landis went to Duluth, Minnesota. They were in town to close an $8.954.00 contract with A. M. Miller, owner of the Lyceum Theater. Moses commented that this northern Minnesota project was “a very good price and a good sized job.” Today’s equivalent of $8,954.00 is $232,060.70, a substantial contract indeed! On March 24, 1891, Moses arrived in Duluth and commenced his work for this ”very fine” building.
The theater was located at 423-431 West Superior Street and advertised as “the finest place of amusement in the Northwest.” The architectural firm of Traphagen and Fitzpatrick designed this brick and brownstone building with its massive corner towers.
The main entrance included a triple arch with bronze doors and “Lyceum” carved above the entry.
Theatre masques, lions, and floral motifs further decorated the exterior of the building. The seating capacity was 1,664 and electric light illuminated both the stage and auditorium.
Julius Cahn’s Theatrical Guide notes that the Lyceum’s proscenium opening was 39 feet high by 39 feet wide. The depth of the stage from footlights to the back wall was 45 feet, while the distance between the front curtain and footlights was 5 feet. The backstage width between the sidewalls 75 feet. The distance from the stage to the rigging loft was 75 feet with two bridges. The theatre had one set of grooves for painted wing possibilities that accommodated a height up to 20 feet. Furthermore, the grooves could be taken up flush with the fly gallery. The depth under the Lyceum stage measured 15 feet and included 6 traps. The stage carpenter for the venue was William Longstreet and the electrician O. Hutchenson.
The owner of the Lyceum was A. M. Miller, a Duluth lumber baron with humble beginnings as a railroad section boss. Moses noted that Miller “saved and invested years ago. He is now worth over $12,000,000.00 which all came from Timber Land. He is also the President of the Duluth Bank.” Moses recalled that Miller was fine man who enjoyed his company. Miller financed the Lyceum that was initially home to operas, plays, and vaudeville. Live theater reined until 1921 when it transitioned into a movie house.
When Moses arrived in Duluth, he checked into the Spalding Hotel and soon got started on the list of scenes. Ed Loitz and Joe Hart assisted Moses with the painting. Loitz first joined the Sosman & Landis Studio in 1883 and would continue to paint with Moses until 1900, even after Moses left the studio for a second time to form another partnership in New York City. Moses wrote, “we had every convenience that enabled us to do good work in a short time.”
Moses recalled that although the weather was “bitterly cold” in Duluth, they all enjoyed it. He wrote, “We worked nearly every night. We had a big list of scenes and everything had to be done well! Nothing pleased us better than to know that our work would be mentioned years after.” He would continue on to describe that the scenery installation was “One of the most complete outfits of any theatre” to date.
Moses, Loitz and Hart completed their work at the Lyceum on June 1.. Moses was surprised when he received a check in full upon the immediate completion of the project. He commented that the prompt payment was “something unusual.”
To be continued…
