Part 529: Thomas G. Moses’ Mural at Suydam’s Drug Store, 1905
Thomas G. Moses exhibited a painting at Suydam’s drug store in Oak Park during the spring of 1905. That summer, he was hired to paint a mural for the same store. Of this project, Moses wrote, “In June, I painted a large picture for Suydam’s Drug Store, which came out very nicely. Everyone was well pleased with it.”
The “Oak Park Leaves” reported, “J. D. Suydam has recently equipped his drug store at 109 Oak Park Avenue with an “innovation fountain.” It is built of solid mahogany and white Italian marble. The draft column is of Mexican onyx and is surmounted by a beautiful art glass shade for the electric light. In the background is a painting by Thomas G. Moses, the Oak Park artist. It is a large oil painting consisting of an entrancing woodland scene with a brook breaking through the forest and bubbling over the stone. The picture is surrounded with art glass ornamentations beautifully illuminated with electric lights. Beside making these marked improvements at his Oak Park avenue store Mr. Suydam has also established a first-class drug store at Sixty-fourth avenue and Lake street. He started in this place about six weeks ago, during which time the building has been thoroughly reconstructed and remodeled throughout, making a modern pharmacy with everything new and complete. W. W. Wilcox who has been employed at the Oak Park avenue store, is in charge of he new store.
Mr. Suydam is one o f the honest, energetic businessmen of Oak Park, prominent alike in business and social circles. He came to Oak Park fifteen years ago from Philadelphia, where he was a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, one of the oldest institutions of the kind in the country. In Oak Park he is the successor of Gale & Blocki, and has not only maintained the reputation established by that firm but has earned the measure of success to which he has attained” (June 17, 1905, page 30).
Throughout the duration of Moses’ career, he completed many murals; churches, public halls, fraternal spaces and commercial properties provided many opportunities for a good scenic artist. Moses had started doing decorative painting and architectural ornamentation for P. M. Almini & Co. in Chicago during the 1870s. In 1925, he gifted a similar mural to the one that was described at Suydam’s drug store for the Pasadena Scottish Rite building. Although painted twenty years later, the description for the Suydam’s drug store mural could be the same for the mural over the fireplace in Pasadena.
To be continued…
