Part 633: Revisiting Brown’s Special System
I am still exploring the development of Scottish Rite stages and degree productions, specifically the implementation of “Brown’s Special System.”
I left off yesterday with a new counterweight system being developed in the Midwest with a unique client – the Scottish Rite. This innovation allowed more drops to be crammed into a limited amount of space, resulting in the sale of even more stage machinery and scenery. This development and sale of this new counterweight system involved three entities – a fraternal supplier (E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co.), a salesman (Bestor G. Brown), and a scenic studio (Sosman & Landis). It happened sometime between 1896 and 1904. I am aware of only one example that exists, as originally installed from 1904. This system would be still be installed by Sosman & Landis in the 1920s, as used stage machinery was recycled for future Scottish Rite installations. In other words, during a time when metal frames became the standard, Sosman & Landis was still installing used wooden arbors.
So lets look at the major players: E. A. Armstrong Co. is the fraternal supply company secures the stage contract and then subcontracts the scenery, rigging and lighting portions to other firms. They move to Chicago in 1892 and construct a new factory in 1893. Bestor G. Brown, who leads the Maosnic Department at E. A. Amstrong and Co., moves to Chicago and begins working as a traveling salesman in 1894. Joseph S. Sosman and Abraham “Perry” Landis who establish a scenic studio, manufacture stage hardware, and install Brown’s special systems. These two also establish the American Reflector and Lighting Company in 1894.
Who may have been responsible for the design of “Brown’s special system?” Obviously, someone who understands the mechanical needs of stage houses. After examining Bestor G. Brown’s education, training and early career choices, there is nothing to suggest that he had any mechanical experience as a stagehand or worked backstage at a theater. If would be unlikely for someone devoid of any backstage experience to intimately understand a stage house and come up with an innovative new system to improve it.
If we interpret the “Brown” in Brown’s special system to designate the salesman peddling the new technology and not the designer of the system, one needs to look at potential candidates in the region, especially those at the Sosman & Landis studio, who may have designed the system. We do not know who was in charge of delivering Brown’s special system at Sosman & Landis. Here are the known individuals who we know worked with development, construction and installation of stage machinery at Sosman & Landis:
W. H. Clifton, a Sosman & Landis stage machinist sent to superintend installations at opera houses, theaters and Elks auditoriums. The first mention of Clifton working for the company is 1889, and he continues into the first decade of the twentieth century. Newspaper articles report that Clifton was sent to superintend the work, requiring him to spend time on site – often about four weeks. His duties on site included fitting the stage carpets and conducting a final run through of all items with the client.
Charles S. King, often listed as C. S. King, was listed as both a stage mechanic and stage carpenter in the same article! King began his career in 1859, and by 1887 had installed 200 stage systems. In 1889, he mentioned that he began working for Sosman & Landis fifteen years earlier – in 1874 – the same year that Sosman arrived in Chicago. Sosman & Landis did not officially form until 1877. The date of King’s death is currently unknown. Both Clifton and King are the only stage carpenters/stage mechanics who I have discovered being publically mentioned as installing scenery and stage machinery on site. Both appear in article during the late 1880s.
David A. Strong was a scenic artist and stage mechanic. We know the most about his scenic art work at Sosman & Landis in the memoirs of Thomas G. Moses. Moses worked with Strong in the beginning, assisting him as an “up and coming young artist.” Strong also works as the lead scenic artist in the beginning at Sosman & Landis, painting much of the Masonic scenery orders as he is a Scottish Rite Mason and has a wide artistic range of subject matter.Moses later refers to Strong as the “Daddy” of all Masonic design, yet he does not differentiate whether the design was solely painted composition or the entire stage aesthetic and scenic effects. We know that brown was a member of the Theatrical Mechanics association and the in same Theatrical Mechanics Association Chicago Lodge No. 4 was John Bairstow who worked on the stage house for the Chicago Auditorium. Brown unexpectedly passed away at in early February 1911.
By 1904, Moses supervises the production of most Masonic work at Sosman & Landis. We know that he did not simply paint scenes, but also designed scenic effects and some of the necessary machinery needed for a variety of spectacles. He had done this for many clients, whether he was representing Sosman & Landis or himself. He also designed amusement park rides after briefly working for Fred C. Thompson.
“Mr. Brown” was a Sosman & Landis stage carpenter who worked for the company during the first decade of the twentieth century, maybe before. Thomas G. Moses mentions the unexpected death of their foreman carpenter– Mr. Brown, who died during late February of 1911.
Now this is where the stage carpenter and stage mechanic can get confusing. Throughout the nineteenth century, the term is somewhat fluid, as stage carpenters are credited with the design and construction of mechanical effects and stage illusion. Stage mechanics are also credited with the design and construction of mechanical effects and the engineering of metamorphosis on stage. Newspapers will refer to the same person associated with the same production as both a stage carpenter in one article and a stage mechanic in another. Although there may be specific duties applied with each, they did not seem to be uniform when used in programs, newspaper articles, or handwritten memoirs.
There were many other stage carpenters and mechanics who filtered through the Sosman & Landis shops from 1877 until 1904. But only one was recognized as being “the only one” who was thoroughly familiar with Brown’s special system by 1912. A statement made by Bestor G. Brown in written correspondence with the Austin Scottish Rite during 1912 states that there was one specific stage mechanic who supervised the installation of the stage machinery for all Scottish Rite installations. At the time, this mechanic was currently working at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite on their new stage. Brown explained that the mechanic’s anticipated timeline was three weeks on site during the fall of 1912. This statement about timeline corresponds with information pertaining to the stage mechanic Clifton superintending an installation.
A later letter from Brown to the Austin Scottish Rite reported that their “superintendent and installation expert” died from an accident, commenting that their deceased employee was the “only one thoroughly familiar with the special method of installing Scottish Rite scenery.” Then he continued, “We do not mean that it is impossible to follow the same methods as heretofore, but it will take a longer time to do it because of a lack of familiarity with the work.”
It may not be the case that this he was the only person who knew the special method – ever. He may have been the only one remaining who was familiar with the special method. If we consider that two potential candidates unexpectedly died during 1911, a team of three could have rapidly been depleted to a team of two in one month. Scenic artist and stage mechanic David A. Strong died on February 5, 1911. Sosman & Landis’ foreman carpenter “Mr. Brown” died on February 27, 1911. It is possible that the only remaining individual who understood the system was Charles S. King. We do not know that the expert was King, but we also don’t know when King died. In 1912, King’s age could have been 69 years old. I use this as a baseline, since many in the technical theatre industry started their profession at the age of 16. Would the expert be sent out on the road at an advanced age? Yes as we know that Moses worked well into his seventies; not solely from an office, but he worked in the studio and on site.
Now there was another “superstar stage mechanic” in the region when Brown’s special system was developed and installed…William Knox Brown. Same name even. Brown was also a Scottish Rite Mason. As a stage mechanic, he had certainly proved his worth and ingenuity time and time again. Brown would also found a scenic studio with two others in the mid-1890s. We’ll look at what Brown was doing in the Midwest tomorrow.
To be continued…
