Part 413: William F. Hamilton
Thomas G. Moses partnered with William F. Hamilton in 1900; they set up their new studio at Proctor’s 125th Street Theatre, a variety theatre in New York City that included a scene room.
Little is known about “Will” Hamilton beyond that recorded by Moses in his memoirs. For years, I have tried to piece together Hamilton’s background and story. With the advent of online research capabilities, I have been able to discover a little more about this primarily unknown scenic artist.
Hamilton was born in Oil City, Pennsylvania – the exact date is unknown – but newspaper articles refer to him as scenic artist who started out as an “Oil City Boy.” Oil City, Pennsylvania was located in Verango County, at the confluence of the Allegheny River and Oil Creek in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It became a central site to the petroleum industry, the first oil wells being drilled in 1861. The city later became the hosting headquarters for the Penzoil, Quaker State, and Wolf’s Head Motor Oil Companies.
The first mention of Hamilton’s connection to the theatre is mentioned during 1884; this is eight years before meeting Moses. An 1884 issue of the “Oil City Derrick” reported that three members of the Oil City Exchange had bought the interest of C. S. Mark in the South Side Rink and that, along with the other owner, W. F. Hamilton, were planning to convert the space into an opera house (September 25, 1884). The article announced that October 8, 1884, was the last night the building would operate as a rink. Meanwhile the scenic artist Frank H. Johnson had arrived and planned to complete his work in a short time, and the carpenters were expected to finish their work within twelve days. So, Hamilton was getting involved in theater, but not necessarily painting yet. Another “Derrick” article from November 13, 1884, described the extensive remodeling of the skating rink. The new auditorium was 53 feet by 73 feet with a ceiling that arched from 12 feet high on the sides, to 23 feet high at the apex. The floor of the auditorium was raked, with the back 3 feet higher than the front. The ceiling was covered with canvas and painted to appear as “substantial and elegant plaster.” Other murals included a “beautiful landscape showing the Kinzua bridge in the foreground” (page 228). Nothing is reported of the scenery, or Frank H. Johnson’s work.
Eight years later, Hamilton met Moses in 1892 when they were both hired to design a model and paint the scenery for the “Ben Hur,” the pantomime tableaux (see past installment 256). After this project, Hamilton’s whereabouts remain unknown for the next three years. It is likely that he was working throughout the country on various theatre projects.
By 1896, The “Wilmington Morning Star” reports, “Mr. F. C. Peckham, of New York, assistant to Mr. W. F. Hamilton, scenic artist and stage manager of the Standard Theatre, arrived in the city yesterday and will commence work on the scenery and a new drop curtain at the Opera House (Wilmington, NC, 26 August, 1896, page 1). By 1897, Wilmington, North Carolina’s, Opera House was advertise to include a variety show featuring “Edison’s Projectoscope, Producing Life Size Animated Pictures, The Worlds Latest Invention” the following year (Wilmington Star, 14 March 1897).
By 1899, Hamilton appears in print again and is listed as the scenic artist for the Columbia Theatre in Boston. The “North Adams Transcript” reported, “The trustees of the F.M.T.A. society met last evening, and decided on several matters of importance in connection with the rebuilding of the theater. Two representatives of scene painting firms were present and the contract was awarded to W. F. Hamilton, scenic artist of the Columbia Theatre in Boston, to do the work. He has an excellent reputation, and will provide a complete set of scenery, with drop and fire proof curtains. It is expected that some of the scenes will be more elaborate than anything the house has had. It was also decided in the rebuilding to put in an exit on one side of the theatre provided for a fire escape. Work on the building is progressing in good shape. The alteration in the height of the stage will enable it to accommodate almost any piece of scenery” (North Adams, Mass.,10 March 1899).
At this time, Hamilton also returned to his hometown, verifying his work as a scenic artist in Boston. The “Oil City Derrick” reported, “Another Oil City boy to visit us was Will Hamilton, brother-in-law to Lieutenant Scribner, who is now a scenic artist of some prominence with head quarters in Boston. (8 March 1899, page 8).
To be continued…
