Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 416 – Moses & Hamilton’s Paint Crew – Loitz, Armbruster and Roberts

Part 416: Moses & Hamilton’s Paint Crew – Loitz, Armbruster and Roberts

In 1900, Moses & Hamilton assembled a paint crew at the Proctor’s 125^th Street Theatre. The scenic studio was spread out over three theatres: The American Theatre, Proctor’s Twenty-third Street Theatre, and Proctor’s 125^th Street Theater. Thomas G. Moses was the lead scenic artist at the American Theater, William F. Hamilton was the lead scenic artist for Proctor’s Twenty-third Street Theatre, and Al Roberts was the lead scenic artist at Proctor’s 125^th Street Theatre, with Otto Armbruster and Ed Loitz working there most of the time. Of this period, Moses wrote, “We depended on Al Roberts to get the stock work done. Otto Armbruster was with us and he was a very valuable man. He and [Ed] Loitz worked at 125^th Street most of the time.”

Lets look at the three scenic artists who were employed by Moses & Hamilton in 1900.

Ed Loitz had worked with Moses since the 1883. He was a loyal assistant and friend who had followed Moses across the country, working alongside him at Sosman & Landis, or departing when Moses left the studio to form another partnership. Loitz assisted Moses over the years; he was always one step ahead, preparing the next jobsite before Moses’ arrival. Little is known of Loitz’s personal life beyond a few newspaper articles and announcements. In 1895, Loitz was married to Mary Weinrich. Their marriage was published in the Chicago Tribune, listing their ages at the time – 30 and 18 (1 Jan., 1895, page 6). This information provides a birth year for Loitz – 1865, making him nine years younger than Moses.

In October 1923, Moses and Loitz were still working together. The “Press and Sun-Bulletin” (Binghamton, New York) reported, “Mr. Moses is assisted by Edward Loitz, who has traveled from coast to coast with Mr. Moses working on many contracts” (17 October 1923, page 3). The pair was working on another Masonic job – the Binghamton Scottish Rite Theatre. During this time, they were working for New York Studios, the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis managed by David H. Hunt.

In 1923, they had been working together for forty years together, and there respective ages were 67 and 58. A few years earlier Mrs. Edward Loitz became a lifetime member at the Art Institute of Chicago (Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago, Vol. 19, No. 3, 1920, page 38). I have not been able to locate when Loitz passed away.

Otto Armbruster, Loitz’ painting companion in 1900, came from a well-known scene painting family in Columbus, Ohio. He was one of three sons born to Mathis Armbruster (1839-1920), founder of Armbruster Scenic Studios (est. 1875). Mathias was a native of Wurttemburg, Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1859, settling in Cincinnati as an art-glass painter. It is recorded that he was first engaged to design stage scenery in Cincinnati. He married Katherine Wahlenmaier and had three sons: Albert, Emil and Otto. Albert was the eldest, and first to join their father’s studio. All of the boys were trained in at a young age. By ten, Albert started in the studio cleaning brushes in 1878, gradually becoming a scenic artist in his own right. Albert was known for his exteriors, landscapes, and drapery work for front curtains, while Emil specialized in interiors. Otto left the family business at the age of twenty, to strike out on his own in New York. He established himself at the Broadway theatre and worked on a variety of projects, such as those for Moses in 1900. Armbruster and Loitz were working under the direction of Al Roberts at the 125^th Street Theatre while employed by Moses & Hamilton. So who was Al Roberts?

“Al” was actually Albert Roberts. The first listing of Roberts working at a theater is in 1866. “The New York Clipper” notes that Albert Roberts was the doorman for the Walnut Theatre in Philadelphia. Interestingly, J. B. Roberts is listed as the stage manager for the same venue (18 August 1866, page 150). By the way, this is not the same English scenic artist, James W. Roberts, nor have I found any relation of him to Albert. In 1867, Albert Roberts is again listed as a doorman at the Chestnut Theatre in Philadelphia (The Daily Evening Telegraph, 5 July 1867, page 3).

In 1880, Albert Roberts is employed at the Madison Square Theatre Company as a stock company actor (“The Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 August 1880, page 4). A few years after that, I found mention of Albert Roberts as a scene painter, providing settings for a Hanley Co. production of “Squatter’s Sovereignty” (“A Bibliographical Dictionary of Scenographers, 500 BC to 1900 AD). A scenic rendering remains from Edward Harrigan’s 1882 production of “Squatter’s Sovereignty,” a production written Charles Witham. (Theatre and Music Collection of the Museum of the City of New York).

This 1882 show was performed at the Howard Athenæum in Boston, MA. This venue was also known as the Old Howard Theatre; it was originally the site of a Millerite temple, rebuilt as a playhouse in 1845. The original structure burned down only a few months later and was rebuilt by Isaiah Rogers in a Gothic style. The entertainment venue became very famous for opera productions, plays and ballet, eventually showing vaudeville and other variety acts. By the twentieth century the theater transitioned to burlesque and then became home to strippers and prostitutes.

From 1888 to1889, Roberts was reported as working in Kansas City as part of Tschudi, Loffing & Roberts at 400 E. 12^th Street (from Susan Craig, “Biographical Dictionary of Kansas Artists Active before 1945”). The studio was founded by John U. Tschudi, Antoine Loffing and Albert Roberts. After working for Moses & Hamilton in 1900, I have found no more concerning the scenic art projects of Roberts. What a interesting group of individuals.

To be continued…