Part 456: William F. Hamilton, of Moses & Hamilton
“Will” Hamilton partnered with “Tom” Moses in 1901. The New York partnership lasted until 1904 when Moses returned to Chicago to lead the painting at the Sosman & Landis studio; Landis’ poor health caused him to leave the studio, resulting in Sosman assuming many of the administrative and marketing duties. Therefore, Sosman needed someone to lead the paint studio, essentially functioning as his replacement there.
Hamilton was from the East Coast. He settled in New Jersey during the 1890s, where he remained with his wife Betty for thirty years. He started out as an itinerant artist, working all across the country; traveling from one painting project to another. Moses first met Hamilton in 1892 when they were both hired to work on the designs and painting for a “Ben Hur” production – the tableaux version. Other artistic opportunities presented themselves, briefly separating the two, and they went their separate ways. In 1899, they reconnected when Hamilton sought out Moses in New York City when he needed help with some Christmas displays. It appears that the two personalities and their artistic abilities were still a good fit, prompting them to soon start a studio together – Moses & Hamilton.
Even after their scenic studio folded, the two would continue working together on a variety of projects throughout the States. Moses was at Sosman & Landis, while Hamilton was at New York Studios, the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis. Stamps on the back of some designs from the University of Minnesota’s Performing Arts collection denote that the New York Studios “Home Office” was located at 328 West 39th St. N.Y. They also had a “Chicago Office” for New York Studios. Just as New York Studios functioned as the eastern affiliate for Sosman & Landis, the Sosman & Landis Studio functioned as the western affiliate for New York Studios. New York Studios was managed by a previous employee David Hunt. Hunt has also partnered with Sosman & Landis to establish the theatrical management form of Sosman, Landis & Hunt, in the 1890s. The Chicago Office for New York Studios was located at 1022 Consumers Building. One example of a New York Studios design is a cave composition for the 9th degree of the Scottish Rite, part of the Holak Collection in the Performing Arts Archives scenery collection (PA49).
Until 1908, Hamilton and Moses continue to work on several projects together, including the “White City” for a park in Pittsburg and the touring show “Tilly Olson.” Similar in nature to “Yon Yonson,” this touring production starred Emily Erickson Greene as the female lead. It tells the story of a young Swedish girl. She was first “bound” to a Minnesota farmer’s family, but later winds up in Minneapolis where she has many adventures, including the prevention of a bank robbery. In the end, she marries and settles down to a quiet country life. After this touring show, Moses records very little interaction with Hamilton, as his focus soon centers on the massive projects subcontracted to Sosman & Landis by M. C. Lilley & Co. (the fraternal regalia and paraphernalia supplier of Columbus, Ohio). Very little is known of Hamilton’s projects at this time, but his home remains in New Jersey. Like Moses, however, Hamilton’s work begins to include the painting settings for fraternal projects.
“Secret societies,” fraternal organizations, and a variety of other social clubs represented a unique clientele with scenic demands. Scenic studios meshed traditional painted spectacle for the commercial theater with unique performances in private venues. Simultaneously, popular scenic illusions continued to appear in massive outdoor spectacles and amusement park attractions for the general public, fueling a demand for visual entertainment. There were ample opportunities for scenic artists to work all across the country at a variety of entertainment venues. Business was booming during the first decade of the twentieth century and competition between studios was good-natured, if not jovial; there was always more than enough work to share.
In fact, there was almost more work than there were skilled painters to hire, leaving some areas with the only option of contracting inexperienced individuals. Many of the smaller projects for social halls, or other tiny community buildings, fell to local artisans who marginally understood the concept of scenic art for the stage; they were not trained in the standard aesthetic for the stage. All throughout the Northeastern United States, small Grange Halls and city halls displayed painted scenery that was more closely aligned with folk art than anything created for New York City or Chicago. Small towns in the west, however, often were able to contract professional scenic artists. In some cases, these small western opera houses were like sitting ducks for the big scenic studios of Chicago, Minneapolis, and Kansas City. Easily accessible by railroad, there was a quick turnaround between contact, contract and delivery.
To be continued…
