Part 613: Scenic Artists as Theatre Managers – Sosman, Landis & Hunt and Noxon, Albert & Toomey
Greene’s Opera House opened its 1885-86 season under new management – the well-known scenic trio of “Messrs. Noxon, Albert & Toomey.” When I realized that this St. Louis scenic studio expanded their business to include theatre management, I immediately thought of another scenic studio who did the same thing – Sosman, Landis & Hunt. Sosman & Landis was not only involved with the manufacture of painted scenery and stage machinery, but also the founding of the American Reflector & Lighting Company.
The 1890s were a time of transition for Soman & Landis, as the two men expanded their business and diversified their investments. Although they were primarily involved with the manufacture of theatrical supplies, Sosman & Landis entered the theatre management business when they became involved with the construction and management of two electric scenic theatres atop the Masonic Temple Roof during 1894. When the Columbia Exposition closed during the fall of 1893, Sosman & Landis began plans to convert the Masonic Temple roof top into two electric scenic theatres. The “roof garden” space atop the Masonic Temple was 302 feet from the ground, an incentive to draw any audience to see a show. It was Sosman & Landis who designed and managed the venue, complete with chasing electric lights that ran up the center of the building from the first floor to the top.
Sosman, Landis & Hunt also managed the Pike Opera House in Cincinnati during 1894. They soon added a second venue – the Grand Opera House in Indianapolis and the Grand Opera Stock Company there. By 1900 the theatrical management firm was contemplating a move to Detroit and I wondered if this was yet another connection to theatre architect J. M. Wood, as well as the Detroit Opera House and Temple Theatre. David Hunt, of Sosman, Landis & Hunt, was a manager and theatrical producer who ran this this particular branch of the Sosman & Landis empire.
Hunt first worked in a marketing position as an employee of Sosman & Landis until Sosman, Landis & Hunt was formed in 1894. By 1897, Hunt led the remodeling and redecorating the Pike Theater in Cincinnati, hiring Chicago theatric architect Sidney R. Lovell – J. M. Wood’s business partner of the time (Wood & Lovell, see past installment 610). This is also just prior to Wood’s work on the Temple Theatre in Detroit and the subsequent 1898 roof collapse.
Sosman, Landis & Hunt primarily managed big vaudeville theaters, but also managed touring stock companies, such as the Pike Opera House Company. In addition to large vaudeville houses, and touring shows, the firm also looking after four summer theaters that they controlled in Atlantic City and Asbury Park.
Hunt later moved to New York and founded New York Studios, the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis. Similarly, the Sosman & Landis Studio was referred to as the western representative of New York Studios. I have covered Hunt extensively in past posts (see installments #304-307)
For me, discovering a second studio that also entered the theatre management business is significant. Looking at the all the players and the relationships, it was really a small world with a very tight network for such a large country.
To be continued…
