The same year that the Sosman & Landis Annex studio opened, an article appeared in the Chicago Sunday Tribune, “Paint Mimic Scenes, Men Who Have Found Fame in the Wing and Drop Curtains” (Dec, 18, 1892, page 41). I posted the article in its entirety over six installments (# 245 to 250). It provided a list of well-respected scenic artists, especially those in Chicago.
I want to pause for a moment to reflect on the significance of a painted scenery collection produced by one of the scenic artists mentioned in this article. Thomas G. Moses designed and painted an entire collection for the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in Fort Scott, Kansas, during 1924. It survived in its original venue until 2015! This is pretty remarkable, especially in light of his being recognized as one of the top scenic artists in the United States already in 1892. When Moses painted the Fort Scott scenery he was sixty-eight years old.
By the 1920s, most large scenery collections were the products of several unidentified artists, painted in a studio and shipped to a theater for installation. This makes the Fort Scott collection a unique example of a studio artist painting a large collection by himself on site. Furthermore, Moses’ 1924 paintings hung undisturbed in their original installation order for 91 years. This is also unusual as many scenery collections were added to over time or rearranged by enthusiastic stage crews.
In addition, the scenic artist’s personal effects were found on site in 2015. Specifically, the painter sweater, cap, brush, charcoal and other artifacts were discovered during the removal and transportation of the entire collection in 2015. This collection was purchased for eventual display at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. Earlier that year, I had evaluated the scenery, planned the removal and transportation of the collection, and identified key individuals for my restoration crew. As Curatorial Director for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, I was returning from Fort Scott to restore and supervise the installation of the scenery collection. It was to be unveiled to the public at the grand opening on June 24, 2017.
In the end, my position was eliminated and the restoration of this culturally significant artifact was handed over to a company who had no experience in handling or restoring historical theater scenery. Critical information contained on the wooden sandwich battens was lost when they were abandoned for pipe pockets and jute webbing. The fabric was irreparably damaged when hot melt glue was used to attach 1” opera netting to the cut drops and leg drops. Furthermore, some leg drops were cut in half and overlapped during installation. This destroyed the historical significance of a 1924 leg drop.
It was this wanton destruction of culturally significant artifacts that became a tipping point for me last year. I started with a public forum to raise awareness concerning the significance of historical scenery during the fall of 2016. Its purpose was not only to highlight this particular collection, but also to highlight the work of theatre artists and technicians whose work remains in historic performance venues. If people understand and appreciate historic stages, they might believe that it is important to preserve them for their children and grandchildren. That is my own mission statement. I am passionate about the preservation of both theatre history and Masonic history for future generations to examine and enjoy. It is time for me to take the next step – stay tuned.
To be continued…
