Part 411: Thomas G. Moses in 1900
Two distinct styles of painting were apparent during the development of scenic art in the United States. Over the past few weeks, I explored the English tradition of glazing. This artistic approach was widely accepted by American scenic artists who worked in cities along the Eastern seaboard. I examined articles from 1866, 1871 and 1881 that traced the artistic lineage of English scenic artists and the history of painted scenery for the London stage. Meanwhile in the Midwestern region of the United States, the European tradition of an opaque application of solid colors dominated the scenic art word in studios such as Sosman & Landis.
Thomas G. Moses was trained in the Midwestern tradition; the “slap dash” application of solid colors in an opaque manner, not the English glazing tradition. This gives some context when Moses decided to leave Chicago and live in New York. Remember that in 1899, Henry Savage, John C. Fisher, and Jacob Litt all wanted to hire Thomas G. Moses to be their scenic artist. Sosman & Landis also wanted Moses to work in their Chicago studio. Moses traveled to New York during August 1899 to work for Savage at the American Theatre in New York for $165 a week.
Savage contracted Moses to produce scenery for the Castle Square Opera Company’s third season. Moses’ first project for Savage was designing and painting “Die Meistersinger.” This was the show that would open the third season on October 2, 1899. Other notable scenic artists who had worked for Savage during the first two seasons were Walter Burridge, Frank King, H. Logan Reid, and John Clare. The increased volume of subscriptions during the first three seasons of the Castle Square Opera Company, supported Savage’s plan to establish a permanent home for opera in English at the American Theatre. The opera company also had branches in Chicago and St. Louis. By 1900, it was advertised as “the largest operatic company in the world,” having “gained a larger clientele than any other established musical organization.”
In early January 1900, Moses wrote, “I sent for Ella to come on and see if she would care to move to New York. We looked over the ground pretty thoroughly, and made up our minds to try it.” The couple secured a large house at Mt. Vernon on New Haven Road, approximately 13 miles outside of New York City. In the early 1900s Mount Vernon was experiencing significant development; it was an important stop on the Harlem Division and warranted a new, larger station.
After only a week’s visit in New York, Ella returned to Chicago, rented out their Oak Park home, packed up the furniture, and moved the family to New York. Ella’s capacity to do this all on her own while Moses remained working in New York demonstrates that she was quite a strong and capable woman.
The 1899-1900 season with Savage closed on June 1, and with it, Savages’ operatic company and business venture. The reason that Moses had moved his family to New York evaporated into thin air. Moses wrote, “Savage felt he was not making enough money.” So, a new firm took over the American Theatre and Moses was contracted to furnish all the necessary scenery at $150.00 per week. Moses was to have use of the paint frames and light. This meant that he could to paint any project during the upcoming season, if there was not a production on the stage. It was at this point that Moses decided to partner with William F. Hamilton.
To be continued…
