Month: December 2018

Part 591: The Sixteenth Degree Setting for King Darius’ Palace

In 1908, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Starting on Wheeling, W. Va. Masonic work, a good contract and I enjoyed the work. The Darius Palace and the approach to Jerusalem were very interesting things to do, and a dozen others with the same amount of interest for others to do.” Instead of starting with the venue, I am beginning with the Sosman & Landis scenic design called “Darius Palace.”

For the Scottish Rite’s sixteenth degree production, it is important to consider the historical context and inspiration for the stage work. The exiled Hebrews returned to Jerusalem in approximately 530 BCE, yet they had to wait for Darius’ ascension to the throne for the rebuilding of King Solomon’s Temple. The Second Temple was completed about 510 BCE. There is much more to the story, but this provides us with the basic context that inspired three Sosman & Landis scene designs: King Solomon’s Temple ruins, King Darius’ palace, and the rebuilding of the Temple. I have recently posted a series of images regarding stage settings that depict the ruins of King Solomon’s Temple from the 15^th degree. This degree includes the story of when King Cyrus reigned and Zerubbabel was sent to check on the site. The 15^th degree stage setting carries over the 16^th degree and was often used again. Understand, however, that what appears on Scottish Rite stages now does not always use the scenery as intended.

Two of the sixteenth degree settings were noted in the “Buffalo Consistory” during 1908. An article describing the upcoming events at a Scottish Rite Reunion reported, “On Tuesday morning there is no class, but in the afternoon the sixteenth degree, prince of Jerusalem, will be presented in three sections. The first and third represent the ruins of the Holy City and the second the court of Darius, King of Persia” (Buffalo Morning Express, 21 April 1908, page 6).

That same year, the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” also mentioned the 16th degree production at the Scottish Rite: “The sixteenth degree, Princes of Jerusalem, was the work in Brooklyn Consistory on Wednesday evening last.” After listing the cast members, the newspaper commented, “This beautiful, instructive, historic degree is one of the most interesting in the entire Scottish Rite system.” (5 April 1908, page 25).

For those unfamiliar with King Darius I, here is a brief recap. Darius the Great was born in 522 BCE. He is recorded as being one of the greatest rulers of the Achaemenid dynasty, ascending to power in 522 BCE and reigning until 486 BCE. Darius was known for his administrative genius and monumental construction projects, including his palace in Susa located at the center of the Persian Empire. Stretching from the Nile and the Aegean to the Indus Valley, at its peak, the Persian Empire included much of West Asia, the Caucasus, parts of the Balkans (Thrace-Macedonia and Paeonia), most of the Black Sea coastal regions, parts of North Caucasus, and Central Asia. It reached as far east as the Indus Valley with portions of north and northeast Africa including Egypt, eastern Libya and coastal Sudan. A great book on this subject is Jean Perrot’s “The Palace of Darius at Susa: The Great Royal Residence of Achaemenid Persia.”

King Darius was known for centralizing and unifying the Persian empire, He divided land under his reign into provinces, placing satraps to govern it. Darius established a new uniform monetary system, introduced standard weights and measures, as well as making Aramaic the official language of the empire. He also instigated several construction projects throughout the empire, including Susa, Pasargadae, Persepolis, and Babylon. This is the part that we are most interested in as nineteenth-century archeological discoveries would greatly impact popular culture and Masonic stage design.

It was the information and illustrations published about archeological discoveries that were incorporated into Masonic degree productions designs by Sosman & Landis and other scenic studios. King Darius’ Palace at Susa (western Iran) was one of the most important of the Achaemenid Persian palaces. When it was rediscovered in 1851, details of the architecture and ornamentation remained in the public eye and were eagerly sought after by all types of artists.

These discoveries especially fueled the designs of stage settings for the 16^th degree. Scenic studios labels became more description over time, going from a simple “Darius Palace” to Darius Festival Rose Palace.”

Early twentieth century Sosman & Landis scenic designs were characterized by Persian columns and double-bull capitals, replicating discoveries in Persepolis and Susa. Floral garlands were draped throughout the scene, wrapping around orate columns. Skilled scenic artists at Sosman & Landis painted hundreds of roses in varying shades of pink, depicted from every conceivable angle. These floral garlands are some of the most beautiful examples of scenic art that I have encountered to date.

Artists in scenic studios relied on printed source material for these ancient palaces, such a Dr. Franz von Reber’s “The History of Ancient Art.” This publication provided beautiful examples of ancient architectural ornamentation for the sixteenth degree. Here is a link to Dr. Von Reber’s 1882 publication, as it is a wonderful addition to any library: imageshttps://www.gutenberg.org/files/42082/42082-h/42082-h.htm#page_025

To be continued…

Part 590: The Cort Theatre in Chicago

In 1908, Thomas G. Moses write, “I did several shows for H. H. Frazee.” At this time, Harry H. Frazee Harry H. Frazee was involved in the construction of the Cort Theatre in Chicago. Frazee’s later success. Seattle architect Edwin Walker Houghton designed Chicago’s Cort Theatre as a counterpart to his Seattle-based version. The theater was located at 126-132 North Dearborn Street.

Looking at the namesake for Frazee’s Chicago theater, John Cort, provides some context to Frazee’s tale. Born in New York, Cort started his career as part of a comedy duo called “Cort and Murphy.” Cort briefly managed a theatre in Cairo, Illinois, before heading west to Seattle, Washington, where he managed the Standard Theater. Cort was considered one of the pioneers for theater circuits under Cort’s management. Cort booked the same act successively into multiple cities, making it worthwhile for an acting company or any performance troupe to tour to remote locations. By 1903, Cort’s circuit controlled 37 theaters throughout the American West. This allowed him to compete with some success against the Eastern entertainment establishment. He even signed an agreement with Marcus Klaw and Abraham Erlanger who were leading booking agents and Cort’s theatres became part of the Klaw and Erlanger Circuit.

However, Klaw and Erlanger’s power continued to spread, negatively impacting many other theatre circuit owners such as that ran by Cort. By 1910, Cort helped organize the Independent National Theatre Owner’s Association. This was a group of circuits that attempted a break with the New York-based theatre syndicates, such as Klaw and Erlanger. They allied with the independent Shubert Organization and eventually forced many theatre that were controlled by eastern syndicates to book other productions. In retaliation for Cort’s participation with this movement, Klaw and Erlanger backed the construction of Seattle’s Metropolitan Theatre. In turn, Cort headed to New York where he became a notable producer and manager. Frazee would follow Cort to New York, constructing another theater in 1913. Designed by architect Henry Beaumont Herts in 1912, Frazee’s new theatre was named for Longacre Square, the original name for Times Square. The Longacre’s first show was a production of the William Hurlbut–Frances Whitehouse comedy Are You a Crook?, which opened on May 1, 1913.

Moses also painted scenery for Cort’s Seattle Theatre, twenty years prior to the construction of Cort Theatre in Chicago. In 1888, Moses traveled to Seattle where he closed a deal with Cort (ca. 1861– November 17, 1929). The scenery was painted in Chicago and shipped to Cort in Seattle. Frazee worked closely with John Cort during the planning and construction of Chicago’s Cort Theatre. On the books in Chicago for the Cort Theater, Cort was listed as president of the firm, with H. H. Frazee as the vice president and U. J. Herrmann as both the secretary and treasurer. Cort was a key factor in Frazee’s success.

The planning began for the Cort Theatre began in 1907, with its official opening on October 25, 1909.

In 1910, the Cort Theatre in Chicago had a seating capacity of 1,344. Admission prices ranged from $1.50-$2.00 in the orchestra to 50c. and 75c. in the gallery. The proscenium measured 38 feet wide by 33 feet high. The depth from the footlights to the back wall was 24 feet and the distance from the curtain line to the footlights was 1 foot. The height to the rigging loft was 69 feet and the height to the fly gallery was 36 feet. The depth under the stage floor was 12 feet.

Sadly, like many other theaters, it was razed in the name of progress. The Cort Theatre was demolished in 1964 to make way for a new thirty-one-story building in 1966 – the Richard J. Daley Center.

To be continued…

Part 589: Thomas G. Moses and H. H. Frazee

In 1908, Thomas G. Moses write, “I did several shows for H. H. Frazee.”

Harry Herbert Frazee (1880-1929) was a producer, director, and theatre agent. He grew up Peoria, Illinois, starting his theatre career at the age of sixteen. Frazee worked in the Peoria Theater’s box office and as an usher, but soon left to travel the West as an advance agent with a small touring company. He then toured the country with a small musical show that primarily did one-night stands. Frazee began his career as a producer when he staged “Uncle Josh Perkins,” a show was an popular success. Over the next five years he produced several other musical comedies that were immediate hits; these touring productions would create the foundation for Frazee’s immense fortune.

By 1907, Frazee was involved with planning a new theatre in Chicago – the Cort Theatre. It was around this same time that he hired Moses, representing Sosman & Landis. to create scenery for various productions, such as the “Isle of Spice” and “A Knight for a Day.” Other Frazee touring productions in 1908 included “Facing the Music,” “The Flower of the Ranch,” “The Royal Chef,” “Uncle Josh Perkins,” and “Piquant Musical Mixture,” and “Yankee Regent.” The amount of newspaper ads for shows credited to Frazee is staggering during the period from 1907-1908.

After enjoying immense success as a Chicago producer, Frazee built the Longacre Theatre in New York during 1913. Early productions at his eastern theater included Eugene Walter’s “Fine Feathers,” the musical “Adele,” and “A Pair of Sixes.” His most spectacular success, however, was “No, No, Nanette,” first seen in New York during 1925. Although a failure at first, Frazee acted against all advice and revised the show, ultimately causing it to become a show that made millions. Frazee’s last theatrical production was “Yes, Yes, Yvette” during 1927. Unfortunately, it was not as successful as Frazee hoped, resulting in heavy financial losses.

Frazee was a spectacular figure; not only in the theatre world, but also in the sports world. He is most recognized as the baseball manager who sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1920, effectively crippling the Red Sox for decades and beginning the team’s “curse.” Frazee’s connection with baseball began when he purchased the Boston Red Sox for $500,000 in 1916, immediately after their World Series victory.

The team achieved another world championship under Frazee’s ownership in 1918. However, this success did not last for either the team or Frazee. Frazee soon sold Carl Mays, “the submarine pitcher,” to the Yankees, as well as other baseball stars for high prices.

His decisions were not well received and ultimately resulted in litigation with Byron Bancroft “Ban” Johnson, the president of the American League. In addition to legal battles, Frazee was engaged in another war, as he was the first American League owner who had not been “hand-picked” by Johnson. Unlike many others, he was unwilling to do Johnson’s bidding, causing a series of backlashes against the theatre mogul. Frazee’s feud with Johnson continued for years, and garnered ill-will toward Frazee in the region. Regardless, he remained the owner of the Red Sox until August 1923. There is much more to this story, but I am not going onto it today. There are two great books that describe the times: “Harry Frazee, Ban Johnson and the Feud that Nearly Destroyed the American League” and “The Selling of the Babe: The Deal That Changed Baseball and Created a Legend.” Here is a pretty good link to the history of the Boston Red Sox ownership: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/fenwaypark100/own.jsp?year=1916_1923

In 1929, Frazee passed away at the age of 48 years old. His obituaries reported, “The high spots of Mr. Frazee’s career were his ownership of the Boston Red Sox at the time they won the world championship, and his production of ‘No, No, Nanette.’ For years he seemed to possess the golden touch, but recently was reported among his associates that his fortune had dwindled. His more recent ventures were less fortunate and he was always a generous spender.”

New York’s Mayor James J. Walker was a close friend of Frazee who gave out the following tribute to Frazee in 1929:

“Harry Frazee was one of the most popular figures in the theatrical and baseball world. I have known him for a great many years. His was a unique character – unique in his friendship for others – and he was immensely popular with everyone who knew him. He was a man of great energy, great mental ability and was greatly respected in the business and baseball world.”

Toward the end, Frazee suffered from Bright’s disease. It was after a recuperative trip to Europe that he relapsed and slipped into a coma. When he quickly passed away, the news shocked both the entertainment and sports worlds.

To be continued…

Part 588: “A Day in Japan” for the Pittsburg Exposition

In 1908, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Built a fine little show for Pittsburg Exposition “A Day in Japan.” I went down and put it on and started it off to good business. It was a little too classy.”

Moses was referring to one of the amusements at the Pittsburgh Sesqui-Centennial Exposition tha ran from July 4, 1908 to November 26, 1908. On June 21, 1908, the Honorable George W. Guthrie, mayor of Pittsburgh had issued the following proclamation that described the 150^th birthday celebration for the city of Pittsburgh:

“To the citizens of Pittsburgh: On November 25, 1758, the British and Colonial troops under the command of General John Forbes, took possession of the smoking ruins of Fort Duquesne, which had been abandoned the day before by the French and Indians. As the sun was setting, the British flag was raised by the brave Pennsylvanian, Colonel John Armstrong, in the presence of Washington, Forbes, Bouquet, Mercer, and other noted American and British soldiers, and the name of the great Pitt, whose genius had conceived the expedition, thus signally crowned with success, was conferred most appropriately upon the site between the Forks of the Ohio, which was long thereafter known as the Gateway of the West. On November 25th of the present year will occur the 150th anniversary of the permanent founding and naming of Pittsburgh, and it is most fitting that the event be celebrated in a manner appropriate to the city’s important history and its great growth and achievements in many lines.”

The planning for the celebration began during the fall of 1906. By spring of 1908, the plan was presented to Mayor Guthrie and the City Councils. After approval, twenty-eight committees, involving almost 600 individuals, made it possible for Pittsburgh’s celebration.

The Daily Republican reported “Among the amusements is the military spectacle of the Spanish-American war, which is a vivid reproduction of the blowing up of the ‘Maine’ and the historic battles; the scenic cyclorama, ‘A Day in Japan’: the Theatorium, and many other entertainments” (Monongahela, Pennsylvania, 6 Oct 1908, page 4). The “Sedalia Democrat” commented, “Among the new attractions in the main building are an electrical scenic cyclorama, ‘A Day in Japan’”, while he “Pittsburgh Press” advertised that it was “an electric novelty” (Sedalia Democrat, 2 Sept 1908, page 7, and Pittsburgh Press, 9 August 1908, page 6).

There is a lovely article about this project and Moses’ involvement that was posted in the “Pittsburgh Daily Post” on September 2, 1908 (page 8):

“Visitors Taken to Japan.

“A Day in Japan,” one of the most enjoyable entertainments of the Exposition, will transport spectators in an instant to the “Flowery Kingdom,” the realm of the Mikado. The wonders of electric lighting and manipulation are carried to a height rarely attained. A picturesque Japanese mountain village is shown nestling at the base of the historic, snow covered mountain, Fujiyama.

With scarcely conceivable realism, the soft radiance of moonlight, bathes the quiet scene, then the break of day, the white light of noonday, the yellow of late afternoon, the gradual coming of dusk and darkness, and the lighting of lamps within the dwellings, are portrayed with extraordinary faithfulness to detail.

A storm gathers, trees are tossed by the wind, lightning flashes and thunder of the preceding calm, is welcomed with relief.

The entertainment is not a moving picture show, nor an acted play. A model of a village taken from active life has been built on the stage, representing the minutest details of Japanese home life, in a style never before attempted. A pagoda, rising high in the foreground, occupied a skilled artisan many days in making it, so delicate is the workmanship.

No details of instructive value are omitted. The beauty of the production is extraordinary. The scheme of decoration in the Oriental style is carried into every detail. Even the ticket office is a structure quaintly built on lines of Oriental architecture. Its position in the gallery, midway down the main hall, on the Allegheny side, makes the entertainment a prominent feature of the Exposition.

A carefully prepared lecture accompanies the entertainment, as the scene shifts from night to day and back to night again. It has been the aim of the acting manager, Thomas G. Moses, vice-president of Sosman & Landis Company, of Chicago, to afford the maximum of both instructive and entertainment values.”

This was the first mention that I have discovered about Moses being vice-president of the company. He returned to Sosman & Landis in 1904 to manage the main studio, but his becoming vice-president is not mentioned in his memoirs. Abraham “Perry” Landis left the company in 1902 due to poor health. By 1904 Sosman was desperate for help in the studio, as he had assumed all of the sales responisbilities; those duties previously handled by Landis.

By 1915, immediately after Sosman’s death, Moses became the president of the Sosman & Landis. For me, this transition now makes sense in regard to the board of director’s decision to elect Moses president.

To be continued…

 

Part 587: A Little Sister of the Rich at the Olympic Music Hall

In 1908, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We did a show for Murdock at the Olympic – a failure, scenery and play.” Moses was referring to – “A Little Sister of the Rich,” a production that received much criticism.

The Olympic Music Hall opened on November 2, 1908, and “A Little Sister of the Rich” was featured at the close of the vaudeville program that December. It was a satire written by Irving B. Lee that included comedians such as McKay & Cantwell, Gus Weinburg, Catherine Rowe Palmer and some other members of the Olympic Company.

The “Inter Ocean” reported, “The Olympic Music Hall offers the Tom David trio, London bicyclists; the Big City quartet; Miss Elizabeth Murray in negro and Irish songs; Vinie Daly, the dancer, and other vaudeville numbers” (27 Dec 1908, page 34). The other acts included the Four Fords, Mabel Sinclair’s ventriloquism, the musical Amatis, Cora Beach Turner and company in a sketch called ‘A Bluffer Bluffed,” and Frankie La Marche, the Buster Brown girl.

The article continued, “’A Little Sister of the Rich,’ a one act musical entertainment will close the bill, and the Eight Berlin Madcaps, a dancing quartet, have been added to the performers in the play” (27 Dec 1908, page 34). The Moline “Dispatch” added, “A Little Sister to the Rich” includes “a chorus of 37 bewilderingly beautiful girls, gorgeously costumed” (The “Dispatch, Moline,” Illinois, 24 Dec. 1908, page 4).

As indicated by Moses, the show was not well-received by the public. Here is a review of the production in the “Chicago Tribune”(Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 1808, page 10):

“The best joke connected with “A Little Sister of the Rich,” a fifty minute musical comedy with which the vaudeville bill in the Olympic music hall has been supplemented, is that it bears absolutely no relation to its attractive title. This joke is on busy Manager Murdock, who permitted the authors of the sketch to sell it to him.

“Reading the title of “A Little Sister” the natural inference of the average citizen would be that the authors had anticipated the dramatization of Joseph Medill Patterson’s widely discussed novel concerning society’s extravagances, physical and financial, which is scheduled for local production in the Grand opera house next month. But evidently Irving B. Lee, who wrote the music hall affair, never heard of either the novel or proposed play.

“‘A Little Sister’ is an empty musical trifle, prettily staged. The scene is a department store and the fringe of a plot deals with a shrewd floorwalker who acts in collusion with a shoplifter. There are six musical numbers, three of them interpolated. Two of the six, “Would You Like to Take Me Home with You?” and “The Old Red, White, and Blue,” both sung by Adele Oswald, an attractive soprano of pleasant voice, are worth hearing. Cathryn Rowe Palmer, an eccentric soubrette of whom much was expected, contribute the toe dancing specialty which she introduced in “The Merry-Go-Round,” and that, added to the new costume lets Cathryn out. Cantwell and McKayes are the comedians. They are good dancers and promise to be amusing comedians when they get their stride and a new set of lines.

“There is no use getting ‘het up’ over ‘A Little Sister of the Rich.’ No manager in the country is more certain to discover the deficiencies in his performances and to correct them that Mr. Murdock. He has worked so far at a disadvantage. On of his principles, Harry Walters, fell ill the day of the dress rehearsal and the author, Mr. Lee, was pressed into service. It will require a lot of pressing to make a comedian of Mr. Lee. Mr. Walters will be back in the cast the last of the week.The vaudeville bill preceding the musical comedy is good, and includes the Four Fords, dancers extraordinary, and the Patty Frank troup of acrobats.”

In February 1909, “Variety” reported “the production was sent over the circuit as a headline act under its present name” (6 Feb 1909, Vol. XIIL, No. 9). I guess they kept trying to make it work.

To be continued…

Part 586: Women employed at the Olympic Music Hall in 1908

Thomas G. Moses worked on scenery for the Olympic Music Hall in Chicago during 1908. An interesting article was published that year about the women who managed the venue (Inter Ocean, 15 Nov. 1908, page 32). Considering the continued struggles of women in the United States and recent legislative setbacks nationwide, this article was a breath of fresh air for me. Lottie B. Akass, Nellie Revell, Minnie Sleeper were credited for their knowledge and skill 110 years ago; this still at a time when women could note vote. Here is a little background on the individuals mentioned in the article below.

John J. Murdock, was listed as the general manager of the Olympic Music Hall in 1908. L. B. Akass was listed as the assistant manager. Murdock was previously the theatrical manager of the Masonic Temple Theatre in Chicago, married performer Grace Akass, a singer from Indianapolis. Murdock was head of the Western Vaudeville Manager’s Association, and later a large stockholder in the organization headed by Keith, Fox, Warner, Metro-Goldwyn.

Grace Akass was from Indianapolis and entered into vaudeville with a unique singing act.

By 1903, she was performing the “The Girl With the Auburn Hair” (Indianapolis Journal, 16 March 1903, page 3). Akass began her professional career in approximately 1899. Her sister, Lottie Akass, also toured with the production. Lottie performed as the onstage organist, playing a portable organ that accompanied all of the sacred scenes sung in the production’s church scene. Lottie was also a distinguished singer and performer.

While the two sisters were on tour, they made snapshots of the people and places they visited, creating pictorial travelogues. They had several cameras and a trunk that held all of the necessary supplies to create a dark room for developing the results of their “daily work abroad” (The Indianapolis News, 18 March 1903, page 5). At the time, newspapers noted that the sisters possessed one of the finest collection of Kodak photographs in the country. Grace and Lottie were also known for their extensive study of music and literature. The two also drove automobiles, contributing to their independence.

Another Akaas sister, Minnie Belle, was quite talented and well-known for her artistic skills. Of the three, Minnie Belle was the artist, a member of the Chicago Academy. She also moved from Indianapolis to Chicago were she exhibited her paintings, winning many awards. Her painting of Grace, “Girl in the Red Kimono” took first prize in Indianapolis. The same painting also received second prize at a Chicago Academy exhibit. Minnie married William Bancroft Sleeper in 1904 (Inter Ocean, 3 Jan. 1904, page 44). Sleeper was a Wyoming ranchman and member of the legislature (Indianapolis Journal, 17 July 1903, page 12). He also managed a number of mining and oil enterprises along the way. Among Sleeper’s personal friends were President Roosevelt and William F. Cody. Minnie and William had a daughter who became the film star, Martha Sleeper.

Back to the article about the Olympic Music Hall being managed by three women in 1908. John J. Murdock renovated the Olympic theatre to really showcase the women in his life; Grace was on stage, Lottie managed the venue, and Minnie did much of the painted décor throughout the building.

Here is the article from the “Inter Ocean” that highlighted the women who worked at the Olympic Music Hall (15 Nov. 1908, page 32):

“Here you have the marvel of the place. The new music hall is the only place of the sort in the world managed by women. There is only one place of importance on the staff of employees and managers that is not filled by a woman. He is in the box office. The only reason there is a “he” there instead of a “she” is that Mr. Murdock who financed the scheme, and who is one of the most experienced vaudeville managers, feared that certain people who are as yet unable to realize the full value of women’s actual services, might misconstrue the presence in the box office of a woman and fancy that it was not a nice place to take his wife or his sweetheart or his sister, which, of course, would be exactly contrary to the real purpose. To give the public confidence he put his own name on the program as manager, but just under it in big type is the name of a woman, “Miss Lottie Marie Akass.”

And Miss Akass is the manager. She is his sister-in-law, and he briefly states his reason for building a theatre for her.

“I wanted to give her a chance to attain something,” he said, “She is and ambitious girl, and there is a small outlet for the ambitions of a clever woman. So I fixed this theatre for her.” He looked out over the rows of flowers that were in baskets and vases and wreaths and embankments. “Not to boast,” he said. “Do you know there are almost $3,000 worth of flowers there? [the 2018 equivalent is over $82,000] They came from everywhere in the United States. See that basket of red roses? The Hengler sisters sent it from San Francisco. And that immense bunch of American beauty roses? That is from George Cohan. There is the Heath and McIntrye offering. There are hundreds of them. I tell you they mean a lot to me, for with every one is a card of good wishes. And the telegrams – there were over 1,400.

Then he smiled. Too, with his sweet faced sister-in-law, who stood beside him. He is delicate of frame and fine featured as to face, but worn looking from the tension of preparation.

“For two weeks before the opening I could not sleep,” he said. “You see, I want the girls to succeed. Miss Akass isn’t the only one. There is Miss Nellie Revell [1873-1958], who is the press agent and serves us valiantly.”

The music of the orchestra drifted out through the doorways faintly and sweetly. The big divan was very, very comfortable. I wanted to see the next turn on the stage, but I lingered among the flowers and talked with the woman press agent. An oddly straightforward creature she is too, with honest hazel eyes and many direct qualities in her speech.

“Come over to the ladies’ room,” she said. “Let me tell you a secret – you may wash your face here, or your hands. You may powder your nose and polish your nails. If you are ill the matron will take care of you, and you may lie down on this beautiful couch. You wash your hands with a bit of soap that is all your own. You powder your face with a cloth that you throw away.” She held the box of white celluloid with a perforated top toward my nose. “Isn’t is fragrant?” she asked. It was-and woefully expensive, I am sure. We strolled back to the foyer. Another dark-eyed, soft voiced woman stood beside Manager Miss Akass.

“Look” said Press Agent Miss Revell. “Did you ever see so beautiful a rose tint on a wall?” I confessed that I had not.

“Mr. Murdock and Mrs. Sleeper showed the painters how to mix it,” she said. “They were days and days getting the right tint. After it was on, Mrs. Sleeper painted every one of those roses in the decorative design.”

My incredulity must have been plain.

“Ceilings and all?” I asked.

Press agent Miss Revell nodded her head. “Ceilings and all,” she said. “She is sister to Miss Akass and she is an artist. It was hard work, but she could do it better than anybody who was just hired. She loved it, you see.”

Mr. Murdock had the last word. “I believe in women,” he said. “I have a secretary who receives $100 a week [2018 equivalent of approximately $2750.00]. Over in the Majestic theater offices, we have a woman who has eighteen stenographers under her. I pay very little attention to my correspondence because my secretary knows the business details of forty or fifty theaters as well as I do. The moment we feel that it will not be misunderstood by the public, we shall probably have a woman in the box office.

The three women who control the destinies of the rose tinted theater stood there – Manager Miss L. M. Akass, Press Agent Miss Revell, and Decorator Mrs. Minnie Akass Sleeeper…They were three women, and in theirs are the fortunes of the house. Sometimes fortune is a trustworthy lady – most trustworthy.

The orchestra music still drifted through the flowers, as I came away. It was sweet and faint, but the time was a rollicking lilt of promise.”

To be continued…

Part 585: John J. Murdock and the Olympic Music Hall

In 1908, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We did a show for Murdock at the Olympic – a failure, scenery and play.” He was referring to the newly opened Olympic Music Hall in Chicago. The venue was previously known as the Olympic Theatre before the purchase and renovation by J. J. Murdock in 1908. The Olympic Music Hall opened on November 2, 1908.

An article in the “Inter Ocean” reported, “The work of converting this famous landmark of amusement into a music hall is being carried on day and night, the men working in shifts of eight hours each. The playhouse is now under the control of J. J. Murdock, who successfully operated the Masonic Temple roof garden, and who had been at the head of the Western Vaudeville Managers’ Association. Mr. Murdock will adopt a policy along the lines of the Palace, or Tivoli, London, England, on a more elaborate scale” (Chicago, 25 Oct 1908, page 41). The mention of the Masonic Temple Roof Garden caught my eye.

The Masonic Temple roof garden and observatory was transformed into two electric theatres by Sosman & Landis in 1894. Advertised as Chicago’s first roof garn theatre, it included two electric scenic theatres that were design, constructed and operated by Sosman & Landis. An images of the Masonic Temple roof garden theatre was even pictured on an 1894 catalogue for Sosman & Moses. Although their control of this venue was short-lived, it provides an earlier connection between Murdock and Moses at Sosman & Landis. Murdock’s association with unique and innovative performance venues such as the roof top garden and music hall provides additional context.

High class vaudeville was to be the dominant feature at the Olympic. The “Inter Ocean” published an article on the new Olympic Music Hall (8 Nov 1908, page 30). In it, the question was asked, “When is a vaudeville theatre not a vaudeville theatre?” The response was “When smoking is permitted, then it is a music hall.” In Chicago, Murdock afforded patrons that privilege. The article continued, “Mr. Murdock is a connoisseur of everything pertaining to the entertainment of the public, and realizing that the great majority of men are addicted to the smoking habit, he conceived the happy idea of permitting the patrons of the Olympic Music hall to indulge in that pleasure.” The article noted, “The new Olympic will be different from other Chicago playhouses, in that smoking will be permitted. This innovation, new to Chicago, is familiar to London and Paris theater-goers, and Manager Murdock is convinced that this feature is destined to be as popular in Chicago as it is abroad.” Another “Inter Ocean” article described the smoked-filled music hall: “Blue smoke curled upward from full 500 cigars. Maybe 1,000 men lounged back comfortably in their theatre chairs. Beside almost blessed man of them sat his wife, or his sweetheart, or his dearest friend, or maybe only his sister. Toward a rose tinted ceiling smoke drifted cloudlike and then mysteriously, as an enchantment, suddenly disappeared.”

According to Julius Cahn’s Official theatrical guides, the original Olympic Theatre in Chicago had a seating capacity of 2,127, and new music hall had a seating capacity of 1584. The “inter Ocean” provided a further description of the Olympic Music Hall’s auditorium and stage:

“Immediately above the entrance to the auditorium a series of Swiss chalet windows, with stained glass and heavy stucco ornamentation, attract the eye. The theater proper also has undergone a thorough renovation. The color scheme is of gray damask, blending harmoniously with rose and old Roman gold. The ceiling and mural decorations consist of panels of exquisite design, bordered by stucco ornaments, tipped with gold and ivory. A massive new chandelier bearing hundreds of glistening prisms and scores of electric globes hangs just above the orchestra, while at the side of the boxes on both sides two tremendous light clusters have been placed. The balcony and gallery rails have been provided with strings of lights, so that the house is capable of illumination equal to the noonday sun.

The boxes, which formerly were most artistic, have come out of the hands of the decorators as veritable bowers of rich yet tasty beauty. They have been decorated with stucco ornaments, painted in consonance with the general color scheme and provided with heavy plush maroon curtains swinging on brass rods. The entrance to the boxes, above and below, are adorned with rich curtains, that insure at once privacy and real comfort. The proscenium has been decorated in Roman gold, the façade, doing away with the curtain drop, being especially tasty…the steel curtain has been repainted and a new olio drop provided.” The article continued, “The seating capacity of the theater has undergone no change, the safety of the patrons being Manager Murdock’s first consideration when this matter was taken up. The seats above and below have been provided with cushion seats and the framework of the chairs tinted in ivory and gold…More than $30,000 was spent by Manager Murdock in the beautification of the theater, and that the money has been expended to some purpose the admirable result are ample indication” (8 Nov 1908, page 30).

To be continued…

Part 584: Advertising Curtains

Here is one last installment on advertising curtains. It gives information pertaining to the revenue collected for advertising curtains in 1909 and the decision of Martin Beck to remove advertising curtains in Orpheum Theatres. President Meyerfeld and General Manager Martin Beck ran the Orpheum Company. The “Lincoln Star” summarized Beck’s position in the company. It is well worth including as it provides the scope of the Orpheum company.

“Mr. Meyerfeld was in his San Francisco office exercising general control over all the big Orpheum company. Around him are able lieutenants, who assist him in his executive work. At the other end of the line in New York is Mr. Beck, with his big offices and a small army of men who are lieutenants. Over in London is another group of expert vaudeville booking agents, all busy as bees under the guidance of Mr. Meyefeld and Mr. Beck, and in Berlin is still another group of booking men who report to Mr. Meyerfeld and Mr. Beck. In Chicago is still another big Orpheum office in the Majestic Theatre building, with a corps of vaudeville agents who do nothing but canvas the field searching for the very cream of vaudeville and submitting it for Mr. Meyefeld and Mr. Beck’s approval” (The Lincoln Star, 21 May 1911, page 19).

In 1909, the “Los Angeles Times” quoted General Manager Martin Beck: “Never again will an advertising curtain be permitted in one of our theaters” (3 Oct. 1909, page 28). The Times noted that the loss of revenue to art for the local house would be slightly in excess of 500 dollars per month. Today’s equivalent purchasing power is just shy of $14,000 per month. This provides us with a little information; many advertising curtains had approximately ten to twelve spaces, so each space could generate approximately $1000 each month.

Beck argued that there was a “gain to the sensibilities of the patrons in many fold” with the removal of advertising curtains, but he did not elaborate. In the Los Angeles article, Beck noted that the new screen for the front of the theater was being painted in Chicago.; this replaced the advertising curtain. I found the terminology for the replacement piece interesting – “screen,” instead of front curtain or drop curtain. It is possible that he was referring to a picture sheet, with a central screen surrounded by an elaborate and painted frame. Is it possible that the progression in some theaters went from painted front curtain to advertising curtain to picture sheet?

At the same time, the advertising curtain had also gained prominence by 1909, having moved from a position behind the front curtain to replacing it. This means that the advertising curtain had moved from being dropped during intermission to taking the prominent spot behind the proscenium, being on permanent displayed in the theatre. During the 1890s, there are many articles that support the advertising curtain was lowered for a specific period of time and was not on permanent display as the front curtain for all who entered the theatre. At the time, advertising companies even hired individuals to attend various productions at theatres to make sure that their ad drops were being displayed as promised. This was similar to making sure that television commercials appear in the specific time slots.

An article titled “Curtain Fight” was published in the “Buffalo Commercial” during 1897 (18 Oct 1897, page 15). It discussed a legal battle that ensued after the proprietor refused to allow the placement of an advertising curtain as contracted with a scenic studio. In May of 1896, John Laughlin became the manager of the Lyceum theatre and he refused to allow the New York Curtain Company to place an advertising curtain in his theatre on the ground that it would be a detriment to the house. The curtain company alleged that the contract had been broken and that it had suffered damages to the amount of $500.”

There was a shift from advertising curtains being displayed at certain times, to replacing the front curtain. My research suggests that it occurred around 1900. It was during this period when the placement of an advertising curtain also began suggesting that the venue was suffering and needed extra income. An article in the “Cincinnati Enquirer” commented that the need to place an advertising curtain could indicate the proprietor’s precarious financial state. The article reported, “The stage 12 x 14, with an ‘ad’ curtain which when it went up bespoke more plainly than words the nervous condition of the manager’s hand” (The Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Dec 1900, page 36).

To be continued…

Part 583: Background Painters, Luminous-Lint

Here is a little sidestep from the life and times of Thomas G. Moses. Occasionally while looking for information online, I discover a site, that takes me by surprise. Here was one that I uncovered while looking for information about advertising curtains by the Kansas City Scenic Co.

It was an advertisement for the Kansas City Scenic Co. that drew me into a series of photographs depicting scenic artists from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century. The images were part of an online collection called Luminous-Lint and the artists were categorized as “Painters of backgrounds.”

If you are unfamiliar with the Luminous-Lint, this is one site to bookmark. It contains 85,989 photographs from 3,278 different collections around the world. The creators mission is to create “detailed and well structured histories of photography.” The site includes “1,031 distinct, but interlinked, histories of photography that are evolving on a regular basis.” The creators report that their site is used worldwide by curators, educators, photo historians, collectors and photographers to better understand the many histories of photography.

My interest in the contents has little to do with the photographers or history of photography; I am interested in the subject matter. My interest lies with not only the scenic artists with paint palettes, buckets, and brushes, by also the performers and tradesmen.

One of the collections features David Knights-Whittome. Here is the information about the collection on Luminous-Lint: “About 1978 a collection of around 11,000 glass plate negatives was found in the basement of Linwood Strong’s shop (Optician) on the High Street in Sutton, a town in South London. The plates had been stored there in deteriorating conditions for over 60 years, they were saved and eventually became a part of Sutton Archives, South London, England. They were stored but not made available until 2014 when a preservation and digitization project commenced. The photographer was little-known David Knights-Whittome and the portraits provide a time capsule of Late Victorian and early Edwardian England.  The collection included images of studio backgrounds, a photograph of David Knights-Whittome standing on a step ladder and posed as if he was painting a backdrop, and a notebook with a sketch for a background that he had drawn as a teenager in the 1890s.”

Many of the photographers also worked as scenic artists, creating painted backings of various sizes and subjects.

Here is a link to the “background artists” category: http://www.luminous-lint.com/__phv_app.php?/f/_studios_backgrounds_painters_01/ I really recommend taking a peak at this site.

To be continued…

Part 582: Advertising Curtains and the Kansas City Scenic Company

I came across an interesting article when searching for information about advertising curtains during the early twentieth century. It presented some of the financial logistics and revenue generated by an ad spaces on a drop. The article concerned scenery for the new opera house in Perry, Iowa, located at 1314 Second St.

Fred R. Megan, representing the Kansas City Scenic Co., was negotiating the contract during August 1903. Kansas City Scenic was founded by former Sosman & Landis scenic artist, L. L. Graham.

Here is the article published in the “Perry Daily” on 26 Aug 1903:

“Mr. F. R. Megan, of Kansas City, was in Perry this week representing the Kansas City Scenic Co., which concern will paint the scenery for the new opera house. The directors selected the richest design of drop curtain that he had to offer and it is indeed a beauty. They also selected about eleven hundred dollars’ worth of scenery all told, including interiors, woods, garden, landscape, street scenes, etc. When the choice of the scenery was made it was found that there was a deficit of four hundred dollars in the appropriation that had been set apart for the item of scenery, and in order to procure the full amount that had been chosen it was decided to put on an ad curtain and sell limited number of ads. The main house curtain will be raised when the orchestra begins its overture and display this curtain. In seven hours time $375 worth of space on the ad curtain was sold Monday. $25 worth have been sold since and there are yet three spaces which an be taken by any parties who have not been solicited. It is probable that there will be no space for sale in a day or two” (The Perry Daily, 26 Aug 1903, page 3).

The Perry Opera House stage stage included a proscenium that measured 31 feet wide by 26 ½ feet high. The height to the rigging loft was 47 feet, and the height to the fly gallery was 23 ½ feet. There were no grooves to accommodate painted wings, just fly scenery. It was a sizable space, standard in many aspects for the time. Although there is not measurement provided for the ad curtain, it likely measured approximately 32 feet wide by 24 feet high. The number of ad spaces possibly ranged from 10 to 14 surrounding a central landscape.

The company providing scenery for the venue was Kansas City Scenic Co., a studio that I have explored in “Travel of a Scenic Artists and Scholar” posts. Let me briefly put Kansas City Scenic Company and Fred R. Megan in relation to Thomas G. Moses and Sosman & Landis studio.

Kansas City Scenic Co. was a competitor of Sosman and Landis, formed by one of their studio artists – Lemuel L Graham. It was in 1882, Moses would partner with Graham, after leaving Sosman & Landis for the first time. After Graham left Chicago, he would later found the Kansas City Scenic Co. The company grew to be a prominent studio and major player in the midwestern and western regions of the country. Many well-known scenic artists would later become associated with Kansas City Scenic Co, such as scenic artists and salesman Fred R. Megan.

The earliest mention of Megan’s association with the Kansas City Scenic Company is in 1901. Earlier, Megan had toured with the Barrett & Barrett Company (The Leonardville Monitor, Leonardville, Kansas, 2 Dec. 1897, page 8). By the early twentieth century, Megan was on staff at the Kansa City Scenic Co. studio, negotiating contracts across the country.

Later, Moses would contact Megan during 1923; the two would work together, purchasing the Sosman & Landis name after Hoyland and Lemle purchased the company contents at that same time. While they were negotiating the purchase of the Sosman & Landis name, Moses and Megan continued to work under their own names – Moses & Megan. They needed to wait for Sosman & Landis to liquidate, get their own charter, and then work as “Sosman & Landis.” During this time, they leased the old Fabric Studio in Chicago (that was an interesting tidbit for me). By 1924, Megan was on the road most of the time, with Moses making models in his studio.This is how Sosman & Lanids had most successfully operated – with Landis on the road and Sosman in the studio. The two would close the contract for the Salt Lake Consistory during 1926. The two would also provide the scenery for the Oakland Scottish Rite in 1927. Moses and Megan would continued working together until 1931.

To be continued…