Part 560: Ansel Cook and Venice for the White City
Ansel Cook was once an employee of Sosman & Landis who worked with Thomas G. Moses between 1904 and 1907. Cook managed the 20th street studio, also called the Annex, during Moses absences in 1906 and 1907. Around that same time Cook created scenery for a “special feature” attraction at Chicago’s White City Amusement Park. Cook’s “Venice” was advertised as “a romantic gondola ride through the moonlit water streets of Venice; viewing correct reproductions of her famous buildings and statuary groups.”
There is a promotional book, White City Magazine, for the amusement park published in 1905. It describes Cook’s project in an article titled, “Scenery for Beautiful Venice.”
“SCENERY FOR BEAUTIFUL VENICE.
AN ENORMOUS QUANTITY OF IMPORTED CANVAS REQUIRED FOR MAKING THE PERSPECTIVE VIEWS
Ansel Cook, one of the most famous scenic artists in the United States and whose work is to be found in every first-class theatre, states that more canvas was required for constructing the perspective views which adorn the interior of Beautiful Venice, than was ever before used for any scenic work under one roof. Almost 10,000 yards of Russia sheeting, about 90,000 square feet, was imported direct from Russia because no dealer in this country could supply this enormous quantity. The canvas was used for the reproducing of scenes in Venice through which appear at a distance from the passenger in the gondola. That part of Venice through which the half mile of canals pass is actually built so that real palaces, groups of statuary, etc., are brought to view at every turn of the winding waterways, but the interior walls are hung with enormous panoramic paintings which carry out the effect for a distance of several miles.
In painting these panoramic views, Ansel Cook required the services of six associate artists and a small army of assistants. Their work lasted for a period of four months, during which time the entire force was kept busy practically day and night. The utmost care was exercised in order to give a perfect reproduction of Venice architecturally and in the color scheme. During a recent visit to the city of Venice, Mr. Cook carefully studied the details of ornaments, cornices and mouldings used on the buildings which have been reproduced for White City and he has correctly carried out the original designs in his work.
The wonderful perspective view of the Grand Canal, one of the most magnificent paintings ever produced on canvas, is about 30 feet high by almost 200 feet long. The size of this for an individual painting has rarely been exceeded. Particular care was taken to reproduce the animation and spirit of the busy scene presented to the sight-seer along the Grand Canal, with its host of gondolas, fishing boats with their bright colored sails, fruit barges, etc. Visitors to White City who experience the delights of a gondola ride through Beautiful Venice, will marvel at the life-like reproductions of these historic scenes, while those who are familiar with artistic efforts, will not hesitate to make frank acknowledgment of the excellence of the reproduction.”
Ansel placed two ads in the same 1905 issue of the White City Magazine. The advertisement noted that Ansel Cook, “Scenic Artist, Designer, Originator and Constructor.” He was credited with Venice and the scenic railway projects in White City. The ad includes that Cook was, “now engaged in preparing the $60,000 reproduction of the CITY OF VENICE. Also the $50,000 scenery for the SCENIC RAILWAY at WHITE CITY, Chicago.” Other projects included Cooking being credited as “Designer and Constructor of the famous COAL MINE IN MINIATURE for the Fairmount Coal Co. of West Virginia (Highest Award), and the -wonderful exhibit of the Davis Colliery Co. of West Virginia (Gold Medal), at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition; the two principal features and most popular exhibits in the Mines and Metallurgy Building.” The article concludes that Cook was also the “Designer and Constructor of the Mural Decorations for the Dome of the State Capitol Building at Topeka, Kansas.” The White City Magazine advertisement notes, “Estimates Furnished on Entire Productions or Separate Scenes. When writing to advertisers please mention The White City Magazine.”
