Month: February 2018

 

Part 340: Captive on the Carousel of Time

At the end of 1895, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “I made a total of $46,000.00 for the year. My expenses were very heavy and I had about $3,500.00 for my salary – pretty bad – I needed a good business partner, for I had much to look after.”

Moses knew that he needed someone else to help shoulder the burden of running a studio. That was one of the reasons why Sosman & Landis had done so well for almost two decades. Sosman was in the studio, or painting on location, while Landis focused on sales and negotiating new contracts. Landis marketed a product that Sosman and his crew produced. Moses was trying to do everything by himself. To succeed in the studio business, someone had to solely focus on increasing clientele and securing the jobs. No matter how talented you were, you needed a fantastic sales department and someone to negotiate the final contracts. Moses could not do all of the production and administrative duties by himself. He had tried and failed – twice.

Of 1895, Moses commented “Too much of my time was consumed in making models, and too much of the artists’ time was taken up with preliminaries before a production was actually under way.” He reflected that he funded a lot work completed by carpenters and helpers “always done to start the show on its way, and for which I never received a dollar in return.” He wrote that regardless of the loss, he had continued to make a name for himself. All he needed to do was manage another year, and hopefully he would be back on his feet again.

Moses was financially worse off than two years earlier when he wrote, “My expenses were very heavy this year, and I should have made a big profit, but the best I could do was $6,850.00.” He complained many times that he was not making enough money for the hours that he spent in the studio. Moses realized that there was no incentive for the profits to “trickle down” to any employee, no matter how valuable if he returned to Sosman & Landis too. The scenic artist was at the studio owner’s mercy; when times were plentiful, there was work and when times were slow, salaries were immediately slashed in half. Remember the scenic artists salaries plummeted at the close of the 1893 World Fair as studio owners redirected their massive profits toward other business ventures, or lined their own pockets and journeyed abroad.

I can only imagine Moses’ internal struggle during 1895 as he produced an astounding amount of work – much more than during the world fair – yet received a salary that was significantly smaller. By the beginning of 1896, Moses knew something had to change; he might have to return to Sosman & Landis, in order to keep his head above water. Throughout 1895, Moses continued to lose financial ground and had suffered an unbelievable series of set backs from 1894 throughout 1895. From the paint bridge collapse in Memphis, that injured seven of his crew, to the unpaid duties attached to each production. he was always losing ground

Moses was still  traveling and apart from Ella and the kids. No matter how hard he worked, or how many connections he made, there was never any assurance of a secure future. He made a national name for himself, immediately gained the respect of theatre owners and touring stars, but continued in a downward spiral. At the age of forty, he was growing older and the work wasn’t going to get any easier. He could only look back and envision what should have happened.

“And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We’re captive on the carousel of time
We can’t return, we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game.”       (The Circle Game, Joni Mitchell)

To be continued…

 

Part 339: Thomas G. Moses and Charles B. Hanford

In 1895, Thomas G. Moses was credited with creating the new scenery for Hanford’s Starring Tour. He led a crew that included Ernest Albert and Milton C. Slemmer. The repertoire for the tour was “Virginius,” “The Merchant of Venice,” “Othello,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Damon and Pythias,” “Venice Preserved,” “The Hunchback,” and “Julius Caesar.” Frank G. Connelly managed the tour. Two representatives were sent ahead of the show to pave the way for the tour that opened on September 23 in Wilmington, Delaware and would reach Washington state by November 18. The company was composed of eighteen people, with the “Tripple Alliance” of Hanford, Elihu R. Spencer and Miss Nora O’Brien in the leading roles.

Charles B. Hanford (1859-1926) was 35 years old when the show toured. Born in Amador County, California. he made his debut with the “Barrett Club” of Washington, D. C., in May 1881, at the National Theatre in the part of Cassius in “Julius Caesar” (Opera Glass, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1895, page 18). He started with small roles in his first professional engagements when working with William Stafford. He was playing much larger roles by the end of his first season. The next two seasons were spent working with Thomas Keene where he continued to act in small roles. He eventually attracted the attention of Lawrence Barrett and became a prominent member of Booth’s Company. He acted in Booth’s, Booth-Barrett, and Booth-Mojeska companies. Hanford was soon working with Julia Marlowe in light comedy parts, such as “Mercutio” and “Malvolio.”

By 1895, Hanford owned the magnificent Booth and Barrett production of “Julius Caesar.” In “Julius Caesar,” Hanford originally played the role of Marc Antony, while Edwin Booth played Brutus and Lawrence Barrett played Cassius. In addition to this show, his company carried new special scenery for each of the other six plays in their repertoire. The Evening Star reported, “The new scenery is from the brush of Thomas G. Moses, one of the best known scenic artists in America. It has been found necessary to carry four men to handle this elaborate production and a special car will be used for its transportation”(Washington, D. C., 14 Sept 1895, page 8).

Elihu R. Spencer was thirty- years old when he toured with Hanford. Born in Buffalo, Spencer’s early acting career was supported by the Meech brothers, who were managers in Buffalo. They recommended Spencer to Steele Mackaye, who then hired him to play a minor role in the premiere of “Paul Kauvar.” Spencer worked his way up the acting food chain, and by the fall of 1891 became a prominent member of Julia Marlowe’s company. After two seasons with her, Hanford cast him in the role of “Cassius” for his production.

Nora O’Brien was born in Baltimore, Maryland and was only eighteen years old when she made her debut as Juliet, playing at Ford’s Opera House in Baltimore. After graduating from Loretto Convent near Niagara Falls with high honors, she entered the acting profession. In less than a year, she joined Hanford’s tour.

The Buffalo Courier reported that after the Hanford’s Star tour was completed, Elihu Spencer purchased the scenery, costumes, and properties used by the Hanford-Spencer-O’Brien Company (27 Sept. 1896, page 8). The article commented, “The scenery was painted by Thomas G. Moses, Ernest Albert, and Milton C. Slemmer, the three best scenic artists in the country.”

To be continued…

Part 338: Thomas G. Moses and the Belle City Opera House in Racine, Wisconsin

In 1895, Thomas G. Moses recorded that he negotiated, “A good contract for Racine, Wisconsin, Opera House” and the project lasted a few weeks. He was referring to the renovated Belle City Opera House in Racine. Moses previously worked in Racine at the Belle City Opera House during 1883. He painted a second set of scenery for the same venue after it was renovated (see installment #184). While painting for the Belle City Opera House in 1883, Moses also painted scenery for the Blake Opera House, another venue in Racine. The Blake was located on 6^th Street and managed by W. C. Tiede.

The local newspaper commented about Moses’ work in 1883 for the Belle City Opera House, “The scenery at the Opera House is handsome in every particular, Mr. Moses, the gentlemen who designed and painted it deserves the highest commendation” (The Journal Times, 3 Feb 1883, page 2).

His work for the Blake Opera House was equally admired. The Journal Times (Racine, Wisconsin) reported that “Thomas Moses, the scenic artist, who painted all the handsome scenes at the Blake Opera House, departed for Illinois to-day. During his stay here Mr. Moses has made many warm friends, who wish him every success, wherever he may go” (14 March 1883, page 2). That message must have meant a lot to Moses. It also says a lot about his personality and character. To have such a warm farewell message published in a local newspaper after a relatively short stay it quite something. Time and time again, it appears as if the people genuinely liked Moses as an individual.

Unfortunately, the following year all of his painting was destroyed when the Blake Opera House burned to the ground in 1884, just two years after it was constructed. It was a very short life for the 1200-seat venue and is often overlooked by historians.

By 1895 when Moses returned to Racine, the Blake Opera House’s manager, W. C. Tiede, was managing the new Belle City Opera House. It must have been a pleasant reunion for Moses and Tiede when he arrived for work. As to the specifics of Moses’ scene painting for the Belle Opera House in 1895, it is unclear whether Moses painted stock scenery or supplemental pieces for a specific production.

As with almost all of the theaters that Moses provided stock scenery for in 1895 this venue was a theater located on the ground floor. The renovated Belle City Opera House, located at the intersection of State and Main Streets. It opened on February 11, 1890. The address was 211 Main Street. It original building was constructed in 1876. The 0pening was reported in the Racine Country Argus, “Racine people will always patronize a first-class entertainment, now that they have a good house to go to. The Belle City Hall, as remodeled, makes a fine little Opera House, only a few improvements being necessary to make it as good as any, and the people appreciate it” (January 6, 1876). This venue ceased operations by 1883.

The renovated opera house had a seating capacity of 1,200. At this time, Racine’s population was approximately 30,000. The theater was illuminated with a combination of both gas and electrical lights (volt 110). The proscenium opening was 30’-0” wide by 28’-0” high. The depth of the stage from the footlights to the back wall was 32’-0.” Distance between the sidewalls was 60 feet and the distance between the fly girders was 45 feet. The height of the grooves from the stage was 18’-0” and could be taken up flush with the fly gallery. The distance from the stage to the rigging loft was 50’-0.”

The Belle City Opera House was across the street from a more prominent theatre. The competitor was known by a variety of names, including the Bate Theatre, Orpheum Theatre, RKO Theatre, and Main Street Theatre). On August 16, 1906 the Belle City Opera House was also renamed to the Racine Theatre. It was rechristened again on May 14, 1914 as the Rex Theatre and became known as a vaudeville house. Eventually the entertainment turned toward cinema. By 1959, the building was transformed into a bowling alley. In 1978 it was demolished to connect State Street and Lake Avenue.

To be continued…

 

Part 337: The Jacques Opera House in Waterbury, Connecticut

In 1895, Thomas G. Moses wrote that he secured “a good $1,000.00 job at Hillsboro Theatre at Waterbury, Conn.” During my research I found no mention of any performance venue in Waterbury called the Hillsboro Theatre – either before, during, or after Moses’ visit in 1895. Keep in mind that Moses’ painting project in Waterbury, Connecticut, occurred thirty-six years before he created his 1931 manuscript. Moses based this manuscript on his handwritten entries from annual diaries. It is important to understand that Moses was preparing a book, “Sixty Years Behind the Curtain Line.” Looking at some of the very few existing diaries and his 1931 translation, a lot was omitted from the final manuscript. Subjects were glossed over, or presented with a much more optimistic outlook. He was reflecting on his career at the age of seventy-five. In addition to misspelled names, there were variations for the titles of the productions that he worked on. I think that some details were fuzzy and he simply improvised.

Here is what I did discover while researching Moses’ stay in Waterbury during 1895, as there was a stock scenery collection created for a refurbished opera house at that same time. The newspapers document a painting of drop curtain and scenery that coincides with Moses visit to the area.

Waterbury is located on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, and 77 miles northeast of New York City. The town was associated with the manufacture of brass during the nineteenth century, as factories harnessed the waters of the Naugatuck and Mad Rivers. By 1853, Waterbury was incorporated and known as “the Brass Capital of the World.” Later the clock making industry also became linked associated with the town.

During the summer of 1895, the interior of the Jacques Opera House was thoroughly remodeled and new scenery purchased for the stage. I believe that this was the theatre project that drew Moses to Waterbury to paint $1,000 worth of stage settings. Up until the time that Jacques opened his opera house, there was only the People’s theatre. This early performance venue had provided marginal entertainment in mediocre accommodations. Jacques wanted a larger, and much more impressive home, to host touring shows for his community. I was curious to learn more about this ambitious individual.

Jacques Opera House was founded by Eugene “Jean” Jacques (1855-1905). Jacques initially worked for his father, a physician and pharmacist. He was involved in many business ventures, such as the Jacques & Fenn skating rink that was later transformed into the Casino and eventually into the People’s Theatre. Jacques and the community recognized the limitations of the venue, prompting him to construct his new opera house during the summer of 1885. Located at on the corner of Abbott and Phoenix Avenues, it was constructed for $50,000.

After opening the 1885 Jacques Opera House, he constructed another building with a stage called the Auditorium during 1891. It featured a hard-maple floor, measuring 5,000 square foot with a stage at the end of the room for dances and social events. The space was intended for dancing and also boasted a smoking room, a ladies room, a kitchen and other accessories. I found it interesting that historical records noted that no dramatic presentations of note took place at the Auditorium, but the space was used by a variety of fraternal groups, such as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.). Jacques also founded the Diamond Bottling Works.

The “Town and City of Waterbury, Connecticut,” written by Joseph Anderson and Anna Lydia Ward in 1896, provides much information about the interior of Jacques Opera House in both 1885 and 1895 (pages 1095-1096). Here is a brief description of the original 1885 interior:

“The auditorium was built in the shape of a fireman’s trumpet, with the stage at the mouthpiece, and the seats were so arranged that the stage was visible from all parts of the house. All corners were rounded, and all rails curved, no angles being visible to mar the general effect. The decorations were bright, warm and cheerful, the woodwork being Tuscan red, terra cotta and gold, and the tints of the walls, ceilings and draperies harmonizing with it. A unique feature was the scene of the drop-curtain, which was a view of the celebrated glen in High Rock grove. The stage was large and thoroughly equipped with modern appliances. The orchestra pit was below the level of the floor, separated from the house by a curved rail. There were sixteen boxes, four on each side of the stage. The dressing rooms, lobby, etc., are in the basement, under the stage.” The original seating configuration was reconfigured a few years later, when several rows of plush covered sofas were put in.

Here is a description of the 1895 interior after the remodel with the scenery that was likely painted by Thomas G. Moses during his visit to Waterbury that year:

“The tone of the decoration was entirely changed, lighter and more delicate tints replacing the old color scheme. Eight boxes, of new and graceful design, replaced the sixteen of former days, and new seats were added to parquet and balcony, the seating capacity of the house being thus increased. A new and handsome drop-curtain, new sets of scenery, improvements in lighting facilities, etc., made the opera house seem almost like a new building, and added much to the comfort and pleasure of theatre-goers.”

Jacques future wife performed at his theatre during 1887. He married the actress Annie Louise Ames (1865-1915) two years later in 1889, and she gradually withdrew from show business to raise their daughter. Jacques Opera House had no competition until Poli’s Theatre opened in 1897. Poli’s was located just around the corner on East Main Street.

To be continued…

Part 336: The Broad Ripple Auditorium in Indianapolis, Indiana 

Thomas G. Moses painted scenery for the Broad Ripple Auditorium in 1895. He also made a brief appearance as part of a theatrical management team– Moses & McDonald. This was shortly after Joseph S. Sosman, Abraham “Perry” Landis, and David Hunt started the theatrical management firm of Sosman, Landis & Hunt. A combination of touring vaudeville acts and creating a stock company eliminated the need to feature expensive touring stars. It appeared to be a winning proposition.

When the Broad Ripple Auditorium opened during August 1895, it was at an odd time. The Indianapolis News announced, “This cozy summer theater, although opened late in the season, is doing good business. The attendance is increasing nightly, which is the surest indication of success” (11 August 1895, page 10). It was marketed as being “complete with all the modern equipment” and a seating capacity of 1,200 (4 Aug. 1895, page 13). The newspaper article added that Moses & McDonald were not only the managers, but also the organizers of the the Auditorium Stock Company. The company presented standard dramas, supplemented with vaudeville acts. It was the Auditorium Stock Company that purchased the theater, funded by members that included R.C. Light, George J. Marott, Charles Kirschner, and a Mr. Eldridge.

Moses was also credited with the stock scenery collection and the Indianapolis New commented, “The scenery is by Thomas G. Moses, of the Schiller Theatre, Chicago, and the stage is 40×40 feet, with three sets of border and footlights” (4 Aug. 1895, page 13).

The opening play was “Fanchon, the Cricket,” a charming five-act play made famous by Maggie Mitchell. This show was followed by “The Smugglers,” “Mystic Mountain,” “Ten Nights in a Barroom,” “The Factory Girl,” and “Kathleen Mavourneen,” each attracting large crowds. Then something happened.

Just eleven days after opening, the Indianapolis News reported, “The Broad Ripple Auditorium will remain closed until next Saturday night, when ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ will be presented. Preparations are making for an elaborate production” (13 August 1895, page 7). There is no other mention of the show. It appears as if the production never took place at the Broad Ripple Auditorium. The next production for the venue was “Mabel Heath, or the Shadows of Home.” That was their last advertised performance. After that, the venue under the management of Moses & McDonald disappeared from the local papers.

Unfortunately, the Broad Ripple Auditorium productions were poorly advertised; they appeared few in number, small in scale, and uninspiring in content. This would be understandable if the majority of Moses time was spent creating scenery for other venues. Little is known of “Moses & McDonald” beyond their brief partnership to manage the Broad Ripple Auditorium.

I had to wonder what had happened. Did this have anything to do with an inexperienced management team? There are only a couple mentions of them in newspaper articles, but all suggest that Thomas G. Moses was the “Moses” of Moses & McDonald.

Who was McDonald? I believe that he was another scenic artist that Moses was working with in Chicago during 1895?. This was a perfect combination as McDonald was not only a scenic artist, but also a talented stage carpenter. Where was McDonald painting during the spring of 1895? He was painting at McVicker’s Theatre with Homer Emons and Edward Peck. They were all working on the production of “Linsey Woolsey” (Chicago Tribune, 7 April 1895, page 35).

In 1896, P. J. McDonald was back to working as the stage carpenter for the Grand Opera House in New York. That would explain the end of Moses & McDonald. He would later partner with Claude L. Hagen, another stage carpenter, in 1899. McDonald & Hagen advertised as “contractors and builders of scenery,” providing scenery for “scenic productions, scenery for Theatres, Balls and Private Theatricals, Pageants and Celebrations, Tricks and Illusions, Masonic and Mystic Shrine Paraphernalia, Mechanical Effects, and Scrim Profile and all Supplies for the Trade” (Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide, 1899). The two separated by 1902 and McDonald again advertised independently as “P. J. McDonald, Scenery and Stage Construction, Mechanical Effects and Intricate Devices.” His shop was located at the stage of the Grand Opera House – 320 West 24^th Street, New York.

There is much that can be written on Hagen, and I cover him in a later post. For now, here is an announcement from “The Salt Lake Tribune” in 1910 (20 Feb, page 39). It gives a brief summary of Hagen’s importance.

“For eight years Mr. Hagen was associated with Klaw & Erlanger. Later he was superintendent of Luna park. He invented the racing scenes in “Ben-Hur,” “The Ninety and Nine,” “The Vanderbilt Cup,” and “Bedford’s Hope.” He designed and built many of the illusions used by Herrmann. He also invented the “Loop-the-Loop” and designed the first hippodrome building in this country in which the racecourse or stage revolved entirely around the audience. The latter device was first used at Luna park in the naval show “War is Hell.” In 1908, he was appointed the technical director of the New Theatre, submitting his resignation on May 1, 1910. At the New Theatre “he set up the most complete theatrical stage in existence, and all the machinery of it was invented by him. His revolving stage and system of counterweights for the raising and lowering of scenery are said to be the most effective devices of the kind known.”

To be continued…

 

Part 335: Pittsburgh’s Avenue Theatre and Lumiere’s Cinematograph

Thomas G. Moses painted the stock scenery for the Avenue Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during 1895. The proprietor and manager was Harry Davis who advertised the venue as “the Mecca of refined Vaudeville,” (Pittsburgh Post Gazette 20 Nov. 1897, page 5). He also promoted that it was the “Family Avenue Theatre” and booked acts for ten hours every day – 1PM to 11PM.

A year after opening the Avenue Theatre, Davis, partnered with his brother-in-law, Senator John P. Harris, to present a new form of entertainment. They presented the first motion pictures to audiences in 1896. The Pittsburgh Post advertised this first exhibition of “Europe’s Reigning Sensation- Lumiere’s Cinematographe” to premiere at “The Avenue.” The Avenue Theatre was marketed as the theater “where the people go” (Pittsburgh Daily Post, 6 September 1896, page 16).

The Lumiere brothers, Louis (1864-1948) and August (1862-1954). patented an improved cinematograph that allowed simultaneous viewing by multiple individuals. A cinematograph is a motion picture film camera that serves as both a film projector and printer. The device was first invented and patented as the “Cinématographe Léon Bouly” by French inventor Léon Bouly on February 12, 1892. “Cinématographe” was taken from the Greek for “writing in movement.” Due to a lack of funding to develop his ideas and maintain a hold on his patent, Bouly sold his rights to the device and its name to the Lumiere Brothers.

The 1895 Pittsburgh Post newspaper advertisement for “Lumiere’s Cinematographe” included a lengthy description of this novel entertainment:

“The Lumiere Cinematographe is in brief the perfection of instantaneous photography. It reproduces life and motion with such fidelity that the beholder is well nigh awe-stricken. ‘Photography is revolutionized,’ says the entire European press, ‘and the Nineteenth Century has its greatest marvel. Hail, the inventive genius of Lumiere!’ The Lumiere Cinematographe is at present the greatest fashionable and scientific fad of London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin and the entire continent. Its exhibitions have been attended by the crowned heads, and have created a furore wherever witnessed. It is the original of all the life-photography inventions, having been shown nearly a year ago. That is the best and only perfect one is now confidently asserted. Descriptive lectures by the distinguished actor, Mr. Beaumont Smith, especially engaged as a large salary during the exhibition of the Cinematographe.” Smith was a singing comedian who traveled throughout the region.

Shortly after Harry Davis presented Lumiere’s Cinématographe at the Avenue Theatre, Edison’s Vitascope was showing at the nearby Bijou Theatre. This was Davis’ first competition and would mark a battle that would ensue across the country during the early years of moving pictures. Audiences were enthralled with this new form of visual spectacle, while panorama companies and the producers of other stationary spectacles feared the paradigm shift in the entertainment industry. It explains the theatrical manufacturers’ drive to incorporate even grander spectacles with movement for their staged spectacles, such as the chariot race in Klaw & Erlanger’s “Ben-Hur.”

In 1898, the “Chemical Trade Journal and Oil, Paint and Colour Review” included information about an upcoming photographic exhibition (Vol. 22, page 282). It reported, “The following article will be shown by Fuerst Bros. at the forthcoming photographic exhibition, Portmanrooms, London, W.: Lumiere’s cinematograph machine, Lumiere’s cinematograph special camera for projection only, Lumiere’s cinematograph blank negative gauge and positive film (perforated to either Lumiere of Edison gauge), Lumiere’s cinematograph accessories, Lumiere’s negative and positive films (a large assortment of English and foreign subjects), Lumiere’s photographic dry plates, extra rapid, orthochromatic, panchromatic and special X-Ray plates, Lumiere’s Citos paper, glossy and matter, bromides for contact printing and enlargements, Lumiere’s pyroacetone developer, Lumiere’s yellow screens, Hauff’s developers (ortol, amidol, metol, glycin, etc.) Hauff;s toning and fixing and fixing cartridges, Hauff’s thiocarbamid (stain remover), hydroquinone, eikonogen, ordinal, etc., chloride of gold in 15 grain tubes (Axe” brand, English make), nitrate of silver (cryst. And fuse, “Ax” brand, English make), and all photographic chemicals.”

To be continued…

Part 334: Thomas G. Moses and Pittsburgh’s Avenue Theatre

In 1895, Thomas G. Moses provided scenery for the Avenue Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was also known as the “Family Avenue Theatre,” opening on Monday, November 11, 1895. The Avenue was one of three theaters on Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh: The New grand Opera House, the Avenue Theatre and Tivoli Gardens Theatre.

The Avenue was originally known as the Harris Theatre from 1888 to 1895. The performance venue originated as a hall for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall (I.O.O.F), located at 58-60-62 Fifth Avenue. By August of 1865, it was listed as an Opera House. Then another opera house appeared – the “new opera house,” or the Pittsburgh Opera House, opening in 1871. It was located directly behind the Harris Theatre (later known as the Avenue Theatre). The Pittsburgh Opera House was christened the “New Grand Opera House” in 1895, the same year that the Harris Theatre was renamed the Avenue Theatre.

From cellar to roof, newspaper reviews for the Avenue Theatre reported, “every vestige of the old Harris theater has been removed, and in its place is the coziest, prettiest and most convenient and best-appointed little theater in Pittsburgh.” (Pittsburgh Daily Post, 13 Nov 1895, page 9). Harry Davis was reported at spending over $30,000 to transform the property into “a delightful family theater.”

As with the Lowell Opera House in Massachusetts, architectural firm of J. B. McElfatrick & Sons provided the plans for the alteration, reporting “nothing but the four walls” would be left standing (New York Times, 29 May 1894, page 8). There was also an interesting comment made about the backstage area. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the new proprietor hoped to create a stage that would accommodate “any kind of show, from quiet comedy to a grand spectacle.” The new proprietor, Harry Davis, created a house “anew” at the expense of $50.000” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9 Nov 1895, page 5).

The Avenue’s seating capacity was increased to accommodate 2,600 people. 4,000 incandescent lights illuminated the auditorium and stage. The New York Times reported, “The scenery is the work of Thomas G. Moses, the celebrated Chicago scenic artist, and will compare favorably with his best productions found in the leading theaters of the country. The drop curtain is a beautiful work of art, agreeably harmonizing with the prevailing colors of the house. A fire-proof curtain has also been added to the equipment of the stage, and in the design of the building a sufficient number of exits has been included to make it possible to empty the house in two minutes” (New York Times, 29 May 1894, page 8).

The opening week performances included Alice Shaw, the famous ‘La Belle Siffleuse,” the “great Lady Whistler. Famed over two continents.” Other acts included A. O. Duncan, premiere ventriloquist; Lawrence & Harrington, the Bowery Spielers; Bryant & Saville, comedians; Dockstader, the black-faced comedian; and other “sterling vaudeville acts,” such as the Ariel ballet, John and Ella M’Carthy, M’Bride & Goodrich, Campbell & Evans, Minnie Lee, Edgar Seldon, and Carl Johnson.

Advertisements promised “continuous performances” and “ten hours of uninterrupted fun each day” from 1PM until 11PM (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9 Nov 1895, page 5). The Avenue Theatre was marketed as venue that presented “high-class vaudeville,” as well as the “best of drama” and “superb comic opera.” For the opening, Charles Drew headed the 40-member Mackery Opera Company in the revival of the “Mascot.”

Davis’ gamble proved to be a success and by 1902 the Pittsburgh Press reported “There will be hilarious times at the Avenue Theatre this week, for the management have engaged a company of vaudeville performers whose stock and trade is to make people laugh. There is scarcely a serious act on the bill which would seem to prove that Proprietor and Manager Harry Davis has discovered that people go to a continuous show house to be amused and not to worry over the intricacies [sic.] of plots and problems” (19 October 1902, page 34). By 1897, the Avenue Theatre would be advertised as “the Mecca of refined Vaudeville,” still showing continuous entertainment daily (Pittsburgh Post Gazette 20 Nov. 1897, page 5).

The Pittsburgh Daily Post reported, “The auditorium is the temporary place of visitation for the public, and it has been shown that no pains have been spared to give pleasure and comfort. The same can be said for the world which lies behind Thomas Moses’ scene curtain – the stage” (10 Nov 1895, page 9).

To be continued…

Part 333: J. B. McElfatrick & Sons, Theatre Architects

The architectural firm of J. B. McElfatrick & Sons was chiefly known for its theater designs. By 1896, the company advertised that they were responsible for the design and construction of seventy-one theaters in New York, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Washington and Texas. They also designed theaters in Canada. Started by John Bailey McElfatrick, his two sons soon joined the business. John Morgan McElfatrick (1853-1891) and William H. McElfatrick (1854-1922) became architects to establish J. B. McElfatrick & Sons. John passed away in 1891, but his brother William continued as an architect throughout the remainder of his life, continuing the family business after his father passed away.

J. B. McElfatrick (1826-1906) is credited with designing over one hundred theaters throughout the course of his career, changing the audience expectations of the physical structures. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he studied architecture and engineering with his own father Edward McElfatrick. By 1851, J. B. soon started his own architecture business in Harrisburg, and then established his business in Philadelphia. From there, he continued to journey west, opening offices wherever he moved  – Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, and St. Louis. He finally returned to New York where he ran the main firm.

He focus on theater design began in approximately 1855. It was a subject that would remain his specialty throughout his career. Architectural historians cite his innovations concerning auditorium seating and the implementation of ground-floor performance venues. In the 1917 publication, “Modern Theatre Construction,” Edward B. Kinsila wrote, “The greatest individual strides in American theatre construction have been effected through the personal endeavors of a single architect, Mr. J. B. McElfatrick of New York City, who should be revered as the Father of American theatres.”

Kinsila’s publication describes that in the 1880s American theaters were designed and constructed in a similar manner to their English prototypes; specifically, they shared a comparable subdivision of main floor seating. The American use of “parquet” and “parquet circles” were the equivalent to the English use of “pit” and “stalls.” He notes that they both shared the “same lyre-shaped balcony, the same stage projection or apron, and the same extravagant and distracting ornamentation.” McElfatrick, is also credited with improving the sight lines by arranging continuous front-to-back seating on the main floor, without aisles. He also designed balconies that were flatter and deeper. I am fascinated with his front-of-house innovations, but curious about how his designs affected the backstage areas. We only catch a glimpse of his alteration to the front of the stage.

He greatly reduced  the “projecting apron,” a common nineteenth-century stage feature. The projecting apron was at the forefront of the stage, and from a time when much of the scenery remained primarily decorative, placed behind the actors to suggest locale. This was part of the wing and shutter system that also incorporated roll drops. Once the painted shutters were opened to reveal a scene, the actors moved forward (downstage) to play the scene, allowing the background to change behind them while they continued the performance. For me, this is interesting timing. That I would get to this point in my blog as the wing/shutter/roll drop system has been part of my weekly, and sometimes daily, discussions with Rick Boychuk since last November after we examined the 1906 Matthews Opera House. 1906 was also the same year that J. B. McElfatrick passed away in New York.

The projecting apron was at the forefront of the stage, and from a time when much of the scenery remained primarily decorative, placed behind the actors to suggest locale. This was part of the wing and shutter system that also incorporated roll drops. Once the painted shutters were opened to reveal a scene, the actors moved forward (downstage) to play the scene, allowing the background to change behind them while they continued the performance. For me, this is interesting timing. That I would get to this point in my blog as the wing/shutter/roll drop system has been part of my weekly, and sometimes daily, discussions with Rick Boychuk since last November after we examined the 1906 Matthews Opera House. 1906 was also the same year that J. B. McElfatrick passed away in New York.

In terms of another significant characteristic of McElfatrick’s theater designs was the placement of the theatre on the first floor. Often his renovated or newly constructed theaters were the first in an area to place the entertainment venue on the ground level. He also included multiple exits, sprinkler systems, and improved dressing rooms. As I surveyed newspaper reviews of his buildings, I noticed that many of his theatre designs lowered the stage floor and constructed a raked floor for the auditorium seating. Furthermore, a secondary floor to place over stationary auditorium seating was also another feature that McElfatrick used. This transformed the space into one long banquet hall that extended the entire length of the room that continued onto the stage.

William McElfatrick initially studied architecture in his father’s office, but moved to Chicago after the 1871 fire. There he joined the firm of W. W. Boyington, as work was so plentiful and presented great opportunities for a young architect to make his mark. He returned to New York in the 1880s and began working with his father again. From the mid-1880s until his father’s passing in 1906, the firm was incredibly productive. In Canada, William H. McElfatrick and his father designed theatre buildings in Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec.

What I found fascinating in looking at various articles during the mid-1890s, is that many of the new theaters credited to the firm were remodels. For example, the Lowell Opera House, the Avenue Theatre in Pittsburg, and the Howard Auditorium in Baltimore were three examples; all remodeled during 1894-1895. In each case the stage was enlarged, necessitating the purchase of a new drop curtain and scenery. Thomas G. Moses was there to create the stock scenery. Just as Moses had travelled throughout the west in the 1880s, painting scenery for new theaters that replaced burned predecessors, he was now following the theatre renovation parade.

And there was also a fraternal connection for both J. B. and his son William. William was a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks (B.P.O.E.). He was a member in the Brooklyn Lodge at Atlantic City (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 11 July 1895, page 1). I have not been able to find a Masonic connection, but his father was a Freemason and it was unlikely that William would not follow in his footsteps. J. B. McElfatrick’s obituary published, “He was a Mason, was widely known to theatrical people all over the country, and was in active charge of his business to the last” (New York Times, 7 June 1906, page 7).

So here is where my two worlds intersect; McElfatrick was an architect who renovated dozens of existing buildings to include a stage and was also an active Freemason. His work was well known in Indianapolis, Columbus and Cincinnati, all cities that implemented some of the earliest stages for Scottish Rite degree productions in renovated buildings. What are the possibilities that McElfatrick was involved in the transformation of degree work that shifted the historical reenactments from the lodger room floor to the elevated stage?

To be continued…

Part 332: Thomas G. Moses and the Lowell Opera House in Massachusetts

In 1895, Thomas G. Moses recorded that he painted “a number of scenes and a drop curtain for Lowell, Mass. opera house.” This was one more stock scenery collection delivered by the Moses that year. I wondered how he made the initial connection and received the contract. After all, there were plenty of well-known regional artists who could have created the painted settings for any theatre in Lowell. It was a substantially-sized community. Was Moses that popular, or did he have an inside connection? I think that it was both.

The town of Lowell was founded in 1826. It is situated at the confluence of the Merrimack and Concord (Musketaquid) rivers, approximately 25 miles northwest of Boston. The major nineteenth-century business in the area was the Merrimack Manufacturing Co. (incorporated in 1822). It greatly contributed to the city’s dramatic growth over the decades and the area became primarily known as a manufacturing center for textiles. The industry wove cotton produced in the South and also shipped some of their product back to the south for slave garments. Both the bolts of fabric given to the slaves and the resulting clothing used the name “lowells.”

By the 1850s, Lowell boasted the largest industrial complex in the United States. Immigrants came in waves to Lowell; the Catholic Germans, French Canadians, Portuguese, Poles, Lithuanians, Swedes, Greeks and Eastern European Jews all established small communities and many worked in the Merrimack factory or for other businesses in the area. The town continued to thrive and by 1875, a Club Dramatique was established, providing come semblance of local entertainment. In the 1880s Lowell’s first opera house was constructed with a seating capacity of 1,500. Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory reported that the proscenium measured 30’ x 30’ and the stock scenery collection included 20 sets. The size of the stage was 45’ wide by 33’ deep.

By 1896, the population of Lowell had grown to 100,000. The Fay Bros. & Hosford became the proprietors and managers for the “new” Lowell Opera House. Their first season was announced during the spring of 1894 with the statement “The indications are that under the new and energetic management the Opera house next year will surpass all previous records” (The Lowell Sun, 19 May, 1894, page 1).

The new managers immediately began planning for the future, and began to renovate the venue. This included a new stage with new stock scenery collection by Moses. J. B. McElfatrick & Sons was the architectural firm responsible for the alterations of the space in 1895. The firm was located in New York and had previously worked with Moses.

Located on the ground floor of the building, the Lowell opera house had a seating capacity of 1,500. The auditorium and stage were illuminated with a combination of both gas and electric lighting. The new space included a square proscenium opening that measured 34’-0” wide by 34’-0” high. The depth from the footlights to the back of the stage measured 45 feet with the distance between the footlights and curtain line at 3’-0.” The distance between the side walls of the stage was 60’-0” and 48’-0” between the girders. The stage to rigging loft was 80 feet with the depth under the stage at 10.’ The architects implemented a new spatial design, seating plan, and technology in their design. The venue desperately sought to attract popular touring productions to the area with an improved facility.

So, how did Moses get this job? As suggested above, I believe that the theatre architects recommended him; they knew and respected him from previous projects. This was a similar to the situation for the New Lyceum Theatre in Memphis, when architect Frank Cox recommended Moses to create the stock scenery. The architectural firms recommended specific artisans for certain aspects of the designs. So I started to explore other theatres designed and constructed by J. B. McElfatrick & Sons during the late-nineteenth century. I was pleasantly surprised with my findings, thinking that I might be onto something with the evolutions of the backstage area too.

It was in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide (1896) where I noticed an advertisement for J. B. McElfatrick & Sons. They marketed theatre buildings as their specialty, listing seventy-one theaters and opera houses by 1896. This architectural firm was a significant contributor to the evolution and construction of “modern theaters.” I will discuss these characteristics in tomorrow’s post.

B. McElfatrick & Sons was especially prolific during the thirty-year period from 1880 to 1910. Although the founder had established offices in Philadelphia, Columbus, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis, the 1896 advertisement noted that their offices were located in the Knickerbocker Theatre Bldg., New York. J. B. McElfatrick & Sons were responsible for the new Lowell Opera House as well as many other venues where Moses had worked over the years. They designed and built theaters all across the country, including the English Opera House in Indianapolis. Interestingly, George H. Ketcham was the proprietor of the English Opera House, the Grand Opera House (Columbus), and the Valentine Theatre, all with stock scenery collections painted by Moses in the 1890s.

 

To be continued…

Part 331: Thomas G. Moses and the Valentine Theatre in Toledo, Ohio 

For the year 1895, Thomas G. Moses recorded that he secured $46,000.00 of scenic work. Of that amount, he paid himself only $3,500. Moses commented that the necessary expenses were “very heavy” that year, resulting in such poor profits. In addition to touring shows and productions at the Schiller, Moses produced several stock scenery collections for theaters and halls across the country. One of the stock scenery installations was for Toledo, Ohio.

Moses wrote, “I closed up with the Valentine Theatre of Toledo for $5,300.00. We all got in our good work on this job.” In today’s dollars, it was almost a $150,000 job and one of many that he was juggling that fall.

Here is a little information about his Toledo project to create a little context for his story. The Valentine Theatre replaced a previous opera house, called the Wheeler Opera House that burned to the ground in 1893. The Wheeler had boasted a stage that measured 47 x 80’ with 15 sets of scenery (Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory, 1884-1885). When a new venue was contemplated, one of Toledo’s businessmen entered the picture as he was already leasing a few other performance venues in the region – George H. Ketcham. The Democratic Northwest and Henry County News reported that the Valentine Theatre was “built at enormous expense and under the personal supervision of its owner Mr. George H. Ketcham” (26 Dec. 1895, page 1). The newspaper reported Ketcham to be “one of Toledo’s wealthiest and most progressive capitalists, and whose enterprise has been a prominent factor in the phenomenal growth of Toledo and the development of its commercial interests.” The Valentine Theater was named after Ketcham’s father, Valentine Hicks Ketcham. The estimated cost of the project $300,000. Ketcham made himself president of the Valentine Company in Toledo, but he was already controlling the Grand and Great Southern theaters in Columbus, the Victoria Theatre at Dayton, and the English Opera House in Indianapolis (The Piqua Daily Call, 17 March 1902, page 1). Ketcham selected Lee M. Boda to be his manager in Toledo.

The Valentine Theater was located on the ground floor at the corner of St. Clair and Adams as part of the Valentine block. The building was four stories and contained 200 offices (of which were included all of the city governmental offices), 15 stores, a private law library the Elks lodge room and a theater. The theater was a separate building with an entrance on St. Clair Street. Designed by Edward Oscar Fallis (1851-1927) in the “Sulivanesque style.” E. O. Fallis was a well-known architect who was also responsible for the several courthouses, a few public buildings, churches and residential homes in the region. Construction of the Valentine building began in 1894 and was completed in 1895.

Fallis’ theater design included an unusual cantilevered balcony and increased the theatre seating by arranging the chairs in straight rows instead of semi-circles. Some sources report this to be the first of its kind in the country. Unfortunately, his seating design created some areas with obstructed views. However, it greatly increased the number of chairs that could be crammed into the venue and increase the profit margin. According to Julius Cahns Official Theatrical Guide the seating capacity was 1,904. There were also twenty exists from the space in case of fire.

The building was illuminated with electric light and equipped with large dynamos in the basement that sent direct current to the incandescent lights, numbering approximately 2500. One newspaper article noted that the Mayhofer system was used at the Valentine Theatre and the lights could be manipulated to transform scenes from dawn to dusk. This would be similar to the electric scenic theater that was on display at the Columbian Exposition, featuring “A Day in the Alps.” There were also calcium lights and a “chaser” to spotlight people on stage and “produce brilliant effects of light and shade on the actress’ costume as she moves about the stage” (Blade, No. 131, 26 Dec. 1895).

The proscenium opening measured 39’-0” wide by 37’-0” high and depth from the footlights to the back wall was 62 feet. The distance between the girders was recorded 50 feet, with the stage to the rigging loft measuring 85 feet. There were nine bridges above the stage, located in three rows.

The Valentine Theater opened on December 25, 1895 with Joseph Jefferson’s famous “Rip Van Winkle.” The article, “The Opening of the Valentine Theatre,” described the space in detail, especially the area behind the stage with scenery produced by the studio of Thomas G. Moses. Here is a section from the article published in the Blade from December 26 and posted online as part of Dr. Timothy Messer-Kruse’s essay on the Valentine Theatre.”

“Back of the footlights, everything is as complete as human ingenuity and unstinted expense could make it. The dimensions of the stage are as follows: L Proscenium opening, 39 feet; depth of stage, 72 feet; width, 80 feet; height to rigging left, 84 feet. The scenery is all from the studio of Thomas G. Moses, of Chicago, and is complete in every detail. An asbestos curtain, absolutely fire proof, decorated, in the general style of the carpets of the house, with a peculiar green tint and golden fleur de lis, divides the auditorium from the stage. The act curtain, which was dropped for public inspection, the first time, last night, is a revelation of beauty. It is entitled “A Spanish Flower Festival,” and is a symphony in color. There is a freedom and grace about each fixture and a wealth of historic detail in the scene which makes it almost perfect as a work of art.” Here is another example where a front drop curtain replicates a well-known artwork.

The same article also mentioned the stage machinery: “The stage, which is equipped with every essential in the scenic and mechanical line, is under the supervision of Robert H. Minis, than whom, Mr. Boda says there is no better stage carpenter in the country.”

By 1918, the venue was transformed into a cinema, effectively ending live theatre performances after a $50,000 renovation as it was transformed into a movie palace. In August of 1983, a task force was established by Mayor DeGood, who recommended the demolition of the Valentine Theatre at a cost of $217,000. Luckily, a group called “Friends of the Valentine” began a campaign to save the theater from the wrecking ball.

To be continued…