Promoting “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” June 22
On the morning of June 22, our family was able to enjoy some of the local scenery. We drove up the mountain and then visited the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and the Santa Fe Plaza.
I needed to be back at the Scottish Rite Temple that afternoon, as I had a radio interview about the book with another contributor, Khristaan Villela. “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” was featured on the Richard Eades radio show at Hutton Broadcasting. This was the same day that the book also made the front page of Pasatiempo (an insert for the Santa Fe Journal) and the Albuquerque Journal.
The book conveys a message that goes beyond the historical significance of the building and its cultural artifacts – it is the gathering of community. Since the building was constructed, the Santa Fe Scottish Rite united people; those from different countries, religions and political affiliations. For many, the Fraternity created a sense of belonging and not exclusion. Were the early Freemasons in the area perfect? No. There were bad people who joined and horrific personalities that rose to power, but the Scottish Rite Valley managed to survive. The building has been threatened many times, but there is always a core group of amazingly good men who have saved both the building and the organization.
My first journey to Santa Fe was in 2002 when I came down to evaluate the scenery. At that time, the Scottish Rite knew that their scenery needed some help and they wanted to plan for the future. I drove down with my four-year-old daughter during the spring. We stayed with my folks in an RV in a campground east of Albuquerque as they were wintering in the area. Over the course of a week, I evaluated everything, driving the “Turquoise Trail” everyday to fully evaluate and document the scenery, props and costumes. At the end, I processed twelve rolls of film and came up with a multi-phase restoration proposal. By that summer, we were restoring eight backdrops at a time in the theatre and grand ballroom. I had a crew that ranged from 4 to 18 who were a combination of Masonic volunteers, their families, and local artists.
During the restoration, we lived in the Scottish Rite dormitories. This is a feature common to many Scottish Rites that would house much of the membership during a Scottish Rite Reunion. It was always a challenge and an adventure. The dorms were old, the building haunted, and the schedule unbearable, but it was absolute MAGIC. Wandering in the dark down to the theatre to fetch something at night; dinners in the courtyard; and walking to the city center was part of a surreal fairytale. Daily highs in the 90s with nighttime lows in the 50s – sleep was blissful without the distraction of any mosquitos or other bugs. The open windows did not require any screens.
I kept a diary every day of my adventures, every discovery and every obstacle. At the time, I was comparing this 1912 scenery collection by Sosman & Landis with a 1911 scenery collection in St. Paul, Minnesota, also by Sosman & Landis. I would leave a restoration phase in Santa Fe to work in St. Paul. It was hard on me and even harder on my family. I was fortunate to have such talented volunteers and a hired staff who helped in each state, including my husband and father. Simultaneously restoring these two collections gave me great insight into the studio practices and materials of the Sosman & Landis Studio.
I was in graduate school working on my doctorate, freelancing as a scenic artist and running a restoration company. Life was busy and complicated, yet never stopped being exciting.
To be continued…
