Part 479: Bring Him Home
Thomas G. Moses excelled in New York from 1901 until 1904. He was succeeding in business with his partner Will Hamilton as they operated Moses & Hamilton. In fact, they had more work than they could handle, while even expanding into the amusement park business at Luna Park. Moses & Hamilton produced scenery for Broadway and amusement park attractions ranging from “A Trip to the Moon” to “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” Moses was at the top of his game and soaring in the world of fine art, having finally been accepted into membership at New York’s famed Salmagundi Club. He hoped to someday leave the hard grind of the studio for receptions at a fine art gallery.
What Moses didn’t plan on was his wife’s desire to return to their home in Illinois. Tom and Ella Moses were raised in Sterling and moved to Chicago early in their marriage. Their family and network of support remained in the Chicago area. Regardless of artistic opportunities for Moses, he felt his wife’s “pull” to return to the Midwest. There were only a few things that could cause his return from a successful life in New York – family and loyalty. His former employer played the loyalty card in the high stakes game of studio poker while his wife asserted her hopes to return to their Midwest relatives.
During 1904, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Previous to this spring, I had heard from Mr. Sosman several times, wanting me to return to Chicago. Finally he and Mr. Hunt called on me, and agreed to give me $5,000.00 per year and $5,000.00 in stock and to give me full charge of the studio work, painting, designing and the construction.” What is significant about this statement in Moses’ memoirs is that he would have “full charge of the studio work, painting, designing and the construction.” This means that the design, painting and construction of work produced by Sosman & Landis after 1904 is being guided by Moses. There may be other artists in charge of the actual painting, by Moses now takes responsibility for the work that leaves the studio destined for a variety of performance venues.
Moses continued, “I was really in hopes that [Sosman] would not accept my proposition as Hamilton and I had a good business established, and didn’t want to give that up. But Ella and the children were keen on going back, and after my terms were accepted, I got in the humor myself.” Be careful what you wish for. Moses had to talk himself into all of the positive aspects of his return to Chicago. It would be a step down, no matter how he sized up the future. In New York, he was in command, in Chicago, he would remain at the whims of the company; never having complete control again. He was settling for a secure income, and this greatly unsettled him; it was the beginning of the end for Moses. He would die a slow death until for the next three decades.
Masonic business was booming, but Landis was ill and Sosman needed his “ace painter” back in the shops. Moses was known for his tremendous speed and ability to crank out work, but could he continue to do this amount of work while supervising all aspects of construction?
To be continued…
