Month: February 2019

 The Scottish Rite in Fargo, North Dakota, 1900

The past few posts examined early Scottish Rite contracts between the Guthrie Scottish Rite and E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing company between 1899 and 1900. Another Scottish Rite theater project occurred during this same time in Fargo, North Dakota. It also included a scenery collection manufactured by Sosman & Landis.

The first steps toward a new Masonic building in Fargo began during 1894. Land was not purchased until February 1898, with the contract for work being finalized during May 1899. On June 7, 1899, the cornerstone was laid for the Masonic Temple at 501 First Avenue North in Fargo. It would be the home to several Masonic orders in Fargo. The building was first occupied on June 6, 1900, but not fully completed. This building would include a Scottish Rite theater, lodge rooms, banquet hall, kitchen, billiard room, armory, reception room and offices. In 1914, an addition was made on the west side of the building. A library, museum, gymnasium, and swimming pool were included in the work. All told, this massive complex included 55,155 square feet of total floor space. The building would be home to the Scottish Rite until 1968 when it was razed as part of an urban renewal plan. In 1968, the Masonic Temple was purchased by the Fargo Parking Authority with the intent to construct a parking lot. Demolition began on June 19, 1968.

The turn of the twentieth century is a period at Sosman & Landis produced some absolutely stunning work. The nineteenth-century aesthetic still dominated Scottish Rite scenery, as scenic artist and stage carpenter David A. Strong (1830-1911) was still actively involved with its production. Thomas G. Moses was on his way out the studio door again; this time to start a new business with Will Hamilton, establishing Moses & Hamilton in NYC during 1900. Back in Chicago, Strong still reigned as the “Daddy of Masonic Design” and was still very active as a scenic artist at the Sosman & Landis studio. My research suggests that Strong was very involved in the production of scenery for Little Rock (1896, 1899, 1901), Oakland (1896), Wichita (1898), Guthrie (1900), and Fargo (1900). After 1900, his contributions to Scottish Rite scenery begin to diminish.

Fellow scenic artists referred to Strong as “Old Trusty” and a member of the Dusseldorf School. Of Strong, Moses wrote, “His color was deep and rich and his drawings very correct.” In “Paint Mimic Scenes, Men Who Have Found Fame in the Wing and Drop Curtains” Strong was included as a well-respected scenic artist with the article reporting, “David Strong, “Old Trusty,” still at work in this city, is the only survivor of the good old Dusseldorf school. Everything that comes from his facile brush – and he could walk over miles of canvas of his own painting – has the quality of opaqueness peculiar to his school and seldom found nowadays. (“Chicago Sunday Tribune” article, Dec, 18, 1892, page 41). It is the comment “seldom found nowadays” that rings true. Even in 1892, the artistry of Strong’s generation was diminishing. The last vestiges of this art form are likely still hanging in a handful of Scottish Rite stages across the country.

Sosman & Landis scenery produced for Little Rock, Wichita, Fargo and Guthrie, have a unique aesthetic and compositional approach to the painting. Like a person’s signature, it is easy to identify that a particular scenic artist worked for all four collections. Artworks associated with the Dusseldorf school included an active middle ground, with the primary not taking place in the fore ground. The 1892 “Chicago Tribune” article comment about the “quality of opaqueness” to Strong’s work; this was in direct contrast to the English practice of glazing (Chicago Tribune, Dec. 18, 1892). The opaque application of solid color for Strong also meant that a subject could be worked up from dark to light, the approach of the slapdash tradition. The use of glazes often meant that the composition was painted up in the reverse, from light to dark. Each was a successful method, yet supported differing approaches to color mixing and paint application. That being said, most audiences would be unable to identify the differing techniques or aesthetic nuances as they both read well from a distance.

 

A second scenic artist also contributed scenery to the Little Rock, and Wichita collections during this time, approaching the subject matter in the English tradition of glazing. However, this style is only apparent in a few settings, such as the Egyptian scenes and Royal Chamber. Overall, the majority of the scenery for Scottish Rite collections during the late nineteenth century at Sosman & Landis has in identical feel and aesthetic approach to the subject matter. My research suggests that it was Strong who was the main artist; he would have been in his mid to late sixties at the time. Few pieces beyond the 1904 Sosman & Landis scenery installation for the Duluth Scottish Rite remain and are, what I believe to be, indicative of Strong’s work. The floral wreaths for the 1909 setting of Darius’ Festival Palace created for the Scottish Rite in Winona, Minnesota, was another example. However, by 1909, Strong was 79 years old, and likely unable to contribute as much painting to each Scottish Rite project. Keep in mind that Storng was one of the artists for the original production at the “The Black Crook” at Niblo’s Garden in 1866. “The Black Crook” is considered by many to be America’s first musical.

For more posts about Strong, see past installments #127, 215, 248, and 382.

 

To be continued…

Part 679: The 1900 Guthrie Scottish Rite Contract for Scenery

On April 28, 1900, the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, purchased $2,190.00 worth of painted scenery and stage machinery from E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. The firm subcontracted the creation of the leg drops, cut drops, backdrops and set pieces to Sosman & Landis in Chicago. The contract specified that all drops would be “counter-weighted and installed in working order.”

The order included a painted front drop (drop curtain) and white lantern curtain (picture sheet), 22 backdrops, 6 cut drops, 18 leg drops, and 11 other scenic elements.

Much of this collection was later sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas in 1914, although contract negotiations began as early as 1912.

What this contract clarifies, however, is how the scenery was described and the designation titles for composition. The descriptions would change over the years. For example, a “Royal Chamber Setting” becomes “Solomon’s Throne Room” as more painted detail, symbolic objects and emblems are added.

Here is a portion of the 1900 contract between the Guthrie Lodge of Perfection and E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co.-

FOURTH DEGREE

One drop with gates in opening; backing which is also used elsewhere being made reversible

FIFTH DEGREE

One stone interior set, consisting of one back drop with scrim panel and one leg drop – one tomb drop with practical doors

SIXTH DEGREE

One Royal chamber set, consisting of one backdrop and one leg drop; leg drop to be used with other sets.

NINTH DEGREE

One cave set, consisting of cave backing and one cut drop for front of cave; also one set for the water-fall.

FIFTEENTH DEGREE

One set showing ruins at Jerusalem; also used in 16^th Degree, consisting of one backdrop, and two leg drops, One drop for Cyrus’ Palace; the leg drop of 8^th Degree being used with this – One Treasure House set consisting of back drop and one leg drop- One bridge set, consisting of horizon drop; one profile fore-ground.

SIXTEENTH DEGREE

One Palace set, for Darius, consisting of one back drop and two leg drops

EIGHTEENTH DEGREE

One constellation set, consisting of one transparent spangled drop; one gauze cloud drop three light boxes showing “Faith”, “Hope”, and “Charity”.

One crucifixion set, consisting of one backdrop, one cut drop, and one leg drop.

One Calvary set, consisting of one back drop with set rose – One peristyle drop, with light box for words “Infinity”, “Nature”, “Reason”, “Immortality”.

One Cathedral set, consisting of one back drop, and one leg drop; One Ascension Scene, consisting of one back drop, One cut drop, one gauze cloud drop, one movable figure. One Hades set, consisting of one back, one cut, and one leg drop.

TWENTY-FIRST DEGREE

One interior wood set, consisting of one back drop, one cut and two leg drops; leg drops are also used in the 9^th & 15^th Degrees.

THIRTIETH DEGREE

One Egyptian Interior set, consisting of one back drop, and two leg drops.

THIRTY-SECOND DEGREE

One camp set, consisting of one backdrop and one leg drop

One white interior, consisting of one back drop and two leg drops, also a transparency of Great Symbol

MISCELLANEOUS

One drop curtain with emblematic devise

One pair of tormentors

One grand drapery

One White lantern curtain

One pair flipper wood wings

 

All drops counter-weighted and installed in working order in Guthrie.

Besides scenery, the Guthrie Scottish Rite ordered additional costumes, regalia, stage lighting, lighting apparatus, props, stage carpets, and other stage appliances. $1,319.05 worth of costumes and $419.75 of special light fixtures were added to the order in April 1900. The contract noted, “Goods were sent collect, but freight bills receipted are to be valid vouchers against the account.”

Records indicate that the Scottish Rite bodies needed a few more things… by May 15, 1900, an order was placed for belts, bronze pedestals, one table of Shrew-bread, one altar of incense, one brazen laver, one electric bell, three electric buzzers, one dozen small sized plain Mason’s trowels, and ten alcohol torches. A day later on May 16, another order was placed for 74 ½ yards of stage carpet for $46.74. On on April 21, they ordered a full papier mache skeleton for $12.50.

The orders to E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. continued. In September 1900 the Guthrie Scottish Rite purchased a white altar cover, a black velvet cover with tears, a laurel and olive wreath, cast iron floor pocket, 3 extra switches, 14 standards, spears and pennons, 6 extra flags, 4 extra receptacles for $49.75.

In November they purchased an additional two pairs of Flipper wings [book flats], two Ground rows, a 16×24 ground cloth, a gauze cloud drop, a stone altar [likely for JBM] and eight stone blocks and column for $225.50. By the end of the month on November 20, 1900, the Guthrie Scottish Rite placed a large order for $250.10 worth of regalia; various officer jewels, aprons, banners, and lodge furniture from E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. The orders continued, sometimes weekly, monthly, and yearly.

In less than a decade the Valley of Guthrie was outgrowing their theater space, and planned an expansion; one that would necessitate the purchase of all new stage machinery and scenery for a larger stage and proscenium opening. The scenery and stage machinery from 1900 were returned for credit on the purchase of a new collection. However, Brown was working for a different company – M. C. Lilley & Co. The scenery still found its way back to the Sosman & Landis studio, where they stored the collection until it was ready for another sale. The used collection was eventually sold the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas, for approximately $1500, where it is still in use today; sometimes providing the setting for a children’s theatre production. Fortunately, the Guthrie scenery was never altered or replaced after it arrived in Austin. It did not suffer the fate of other collections as the Austin Scottish Rite continued to expand.

As membership increased in Scottish Rite Valleys across the nation, so did their stage needs. Additional settings were added, or entire scenery collections replaced, necessitating even more costumes, props and effects.

Once Scottish Rite stages were constructed, there were always elements that could be added or updated –as long as the membership recognized the theatrical interpretation of degree work as a priority. Over the decades, however, the priorities in some Scottish Rite Valleys shifted their attention away from stage improvement. This was especially common after membership the Rite began a slow descent. Incoming funds were funneled toward specialty projects, people and events. I have noticed that there was a definitive change in the direction of funds that occurred during the 1960s. It is hard to define the exact impetus or even define the change. You can spot it in the candidate classes, the building projects and charitable endeavors. I understand that at this same time, younger generations sought alternative forms of community and social groups. Some call it part of their struggle against the “establishment.” I wonder if it was simply an increase in social opportunities; there were more options for young people.

During the mid-twentieth century many Masonic buildings were also renovated, often given a “face-lift.”. Suddenly brown paneling concealed original ornamental plasterwork, as certain decorative elements were perceived as “dated.”

Occasionally elements would be added to the theater space, but it no longer was the norm to continually purchase scenic effects for the stage. Many of the changes had to do with individual comfort, such as new seating in an auditorium. Funds were also spent on new costumes, as the sizes of Americans continued to increase in height and girth. Original costumes were shoved to the back of the rack, replaced with larger polyester versions.

Stage crews began to see the wear and tear of scenic elements, often requesting funds that were denied as the work was perceived as optional. Therefore, the backstage crews began a series of in-house repairs. So far removed from the original theatre manufacturers, punctures in scenery could result in amateur patches using odd materials that ranged from fiberglass and plaster. I have even encountered sheet metal patches riveted on to a backdrop in Quincy, Illinois. Then came the contact cement and duct tape generation for in-house repairs. As the funds for maintenance and repair were limited or non-existent, few sought out any theatre professionals. Regardless of these amateur repairs, however, many collections remained untouched. Some were guarded by backstage stewards who yelled, “don’t touch it – leave it be!” These became the gems of the Southern Jurisdiction; the theatre time capsules that are so treasured today.

To be continued…

Part 678: The 1899 Guthrie Scottish Rite Contract for Costumes

E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of secret society, military and band supplies, was located at 300-302-304 Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Their letterhead noted that the company was located “Next to Auditorium.” That was the Chicago Auditorium, previously discussed in detail in regard to the development of Brown’s special system.

On January 13, 1899, just a few days before a three-day reunion where degrees were conferred by all four Scottish Rite bodies in Guthrie, Oklahoma, the E. A. Armstrong Mfg. Co. filled a large purchase by the Guthrie Lodge of Perfection, No. 1. A.A.S.R. Order No. 1-272 for the Masonic department received a cash payment for costumes, a stereopticon and lantern slides. The head of the Masonic department at E. A. Armstrong was Bestor G. Brown. $1,187.35 worth of costumes and props were purchased for the 4, 5, 6, 9, 14, 15, 18, 21, 30, and 31 degrees. $1,187.35 in1899 is the monetary equivalent of $36,000 today. In addition to costumes, one “double stereopticon with electric lamps and rheostata, mechanical dissolver was purchased for $120.00.” For use with this device, lantern slide subjects included one set “Rock of Ages,” containing twelve slides, one “Ark of the Covenant” and two 18^th degree banners, adding another $51.70 to the total.

Here are a few examples of costumes in the 1899 contract, listing degree characters, as it gives a scope of necessary items at the time:

FOURTH DEGREE

Costumes with head-dresses for Venerable Master, two Wardens, and master of ceremonies           30.00

FIFTH DEGREE

Two (2) Costumes – in white- for King Solomon & Hiram King of Tyre – with head-dresses       30.00

SIXTH AND NINTH DEGGREES

Costume for King Solomon – yellow and purple pluch

Costume for Hiram King of Tyre – red plush

Costume for Heardsman – leggings Greek

Shirt, fillet – with sheep skin mantle                                                                                               85.00

FOURTEENTH DEGREE

Costume for King Solomon – in cashmere                                                                           50.00

Two costumes for Wardens in white-

With headdresses, at $15.00                                                                                            30.00

Costume for Master of Ceremonies

With head-dresses                                                                                                         10.00

Crux Ansata,                                                                                                                  1.50

Pentateuch                                                                                                                      1.75

Seven branch candlestick                                                                                                   12.00

Gilt triangle for altar                                                                                                         2.75

Embroidered triangle for altar cover                                                                                     3.75

Cubical stone with pedestel                                                                                                           18.00

FIFTEENTH DEGREE

Costume for Cyrus                                                                                                           40.00

Costume for Satrap Assyria                                                                                               25.00

Costume for Satrap Persia                                                                                                 25.00

Costume for Master Calvary                                                                                              20.00

Costume for Master Infantry                                                                                               20.00

Two (2) Costumes for Persian Guard

Tunic, helmet, hose, armlet, sandals

Spurs and shields at $12.00                                                                                                           24.00

Garb of slavery                                                                                                                2.75

Costume for Zerubbubel                                                                                                    10.00

EIGHTEENTH DEGREE

Costume for Wise Master-cassock,

Cassock, chasable, and biretta for first

Apartment                                                                                                                      32.00

Altar cover – black                                                                                                           24.00

Crucifix                                                                                                                         2.75

Crosses – two – black                                                                                                      2.00

TWENTY-FIRST DEGREE

Complete costumes for the following

Lieut. Comdr.

Richard

Alphonso

Isadore

Altandorf

Reinfred

Adolph

Thaddeus

Phillippe Augustus

Warder                                                                                                                          225.00

THIRTIETH DEGREE

Four (4) Papier mache skulls,                                                                                            5.00

Triple tiara, regel crown

Roman cap of Liberty                                                                                           10.00

Four (4) black cowls                                                                                                        5.00

Four (4) white beards                                                                                                       3.60

THIRTY-FIRST DEGREE

Costumes with wire masks, and head-

Dresses for the following:

Osiris

Atum

Ma

Thoth

Anufu

Isis

Nephthys

Har

Four (4) Genic                                                                                                    150.00

Twelve (12) White sateen robes – with

Bald wigs, and white beards,                                                                                             55.00

Mummy and bier                                                                                                 60.00

Scale, weights and vase                                                                                        17.00

Four (4) Incense vases                                                                                          20.00

 

Looking at the costumes listed about makes me think of the degree performers. It was that western men from a variety of backgrounds who would portray biblical characters, Egyptian gods, and medieval knights. From bankers and lawyers to rancher sand oil men, each had the opportunity to become a star on the Scottish Rite stage.

To be continued…

Part 677: Harper S. Cunningham and the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma

Both Henry Wallenstein and Bestor G. Brown facilitated the Southern Jurisdiction’s inclusion of theatrically interpreted degree work. With the backing of M. C. Lilley & Co. and the assistance of Sosman & Landis, they were on a roll by 1900 and appeared unstoppable.

In 1896 the Little Rock Scottish Rite and the Oakland Scottish Rite each installed a theater in a renovated synagogue. More scenery, lights and effects were delivered to Little Rock in 1898. That same year, the Wichita Scottish Rite installed a theater in a renovated Y.M.C.A. building. In 1900, there were two more Scottish Rite buildings with theaters that appeared in the Southern Jurisdiction – Guthrie, Oklahoma, and Fargo, North Dakota.

For the Wichita Scottish Rite’s Spring Reunion in 1898, Harper S. Cunningham, the Inspector General of Oklahoma Territory, sent fifteen Masons from Oklahoma with the request that the Wichita Bodies confer the nineteenth through thirty-second degrees as a fraternal courtesy. By January 1899, a three-day session was held with fifteen candidates assembled to receive the degrees and participate in the ceremonies instituting the first Council of Kadosh and Consistory in the Territory of Oklahoma. From this point forward, the Valley of Guthrie was now authorized to confer the fourth to the thirty-second degrees. On the third and final day of the three-day of the session during January 1899, Cunningham led the charge in planning for their future and new home.

He assembled Brown, Wallenstein and Charles E. Rosenbaum to help him with the construction of a new temple in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Cunningham recognized the powerful motivation for men to participate in degree productions. He understood the appeal of the stage; the shared communal experience of witnessing something special and life-changing. He tapped into the experts at the time to bring brought this magic to his Masonic home in Oklahoma.

The three Kansans brought both knowledge and practical experience to the Guthrie project. They became part of a core group that fueled Cunningham’s enthusiasm and anticipation for Masonic Theaters and degree productions in his territory. In 1899 Brown was still working as a traveling salesman for E. A. Armstrong, but had returned to Topeka, Kansas. He would remain with the company until 1903 when he began working for M. C. Lilley & Co. It was during this earlier, period, however, that everything began to shift and doors opened.

By the end of 1900, there were five Scottish Rite stages – Little Rock, Oakland, Wichita, Guthrie and Fargo. All were all outfitted with scenery and stage machinery manufactured by Sosman & Landis of Chicago. The work was first secured by E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. and subcontracted to Sosman & Landis.

Cunningham would become known as the Scottish Rite’s “Temple Builder.” He was involved with not only the Scottish Rite stage in Guthrie, but also the first one in McAlester, Oklahoma, before moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He would end up as the the SGIG for New Mexico, passing away before the 1912 Santa Fe Scottish Rite was completed.

As many endeavors, Scottish Rite most successfully spread through word of mouth. I believe that is still the case today. In the end it is the individual experience prompts people to find other members. That has always been the key. When you are passionate about something, you want to share this experience with your family, friends and colleagues. No amount of description or detail will replace actually being there; experiencing the fellowship.

It is an exceptional experience, a monumental moment, that incites an entire movement. It is a few dozen men becoming a thousand, and many digging deep into their pockets. They contributed to the construction of monumental buildings that were worthy of the speculative Craft they practiced. Scottish Rite buildings were not built solely from the contributions of wealthy men, but also from working men who scraped and saved every penny for their Fraternity. This says a lot.

Although the century-old stories may only remain in newspaper articles, it is hard to miss the passion of people gathering together to create something that will out last their own lives. They are looking toward the future and generations of men who will follow their footsteps. After reading these stories filled with excitement, inspiration and hope, it is difficult to see their hard work of the past being sold for pennies on the dollar today.

There are inspirational moments in history when people and communities unite. People of differing faiths and ethnicities plan for the future. It is this foundation that fuels ingenuity. One result of this ingenuity was when a new counterweight system was conceived, developed and installed in a handful of theaters between 1896 and 1902.

To be continued…

Part 676:The Wichita Scottish Rite

 Bestor G. Brown successfully sold elaborate stage settings and other stage equipment to Scottish Rites in Kansas and throughout the region. A portion of his success had to do with his history with the area. The “Wichita Daily Eagle” published the full-page article “Decorative Splendor of Wichita’s Scottish Rite Cathedral,” describing the entire endeavor and furnishings in great detail (3 Aril 1908, page 6). There was a section that listed all of the of the local contributors, including Brown. Here it is:

“Mr. Henry Wallenstein informed the editor of the Eagle yesterday that he New Scottish Rite Cathedral will be equipped by the last week in May or the first week in June, ready to confer the degrees on the largest class of candidates in the history of Scottish Rite Masonry.

With him a complete tour of the great building was made and the grandeur of improvements, from and artistic standpoint, and their magnificence in every respect was a revelation.

The cathedral as it now stands is 150 feet north and south, and from 100 to 140 feet from east to west. The larger of the latter figures represent the new portion of the building in the construction of which more than a million of Coffreyville brick were used. For Topeka avenue front of the building several hundred tons of Towanda stone were used to harmonize with the material in the original building. The improvements were begun in February,1907, and when completed, after fifteen months’ of steady work, will have cost in the neighborhood of $175,000. The vastness of this sum in improvements on a single building cannot be conceived by any but those who are intimate with the work done, or who will have good fortune to feast their eyes upon it when it is ready for occupancy as the most complete Scottish Rue building possibly in the world – certainly the most completely equipped in the United States of America.

 

“Genius of the Enterprise

Mr. Wallenstein has been the master mind in the work which was concurrent with his own remarkably handsome business home – the Boston Store.

With his well known loyalty to Wichita all of the work done in it could be done by Wichita capital, labor and talent was given to home people, so that the genius of Wichita is in every feature of it, and to which it will be monument for all future time.

The construction of work was done by Brandt & Taylor of this city, and Mr. Wallenstein is poetic in his praise of them. They demonstrated that Wichita can carry out contracts for almost any size building that an architect can plan, for no building needed more headwork, skill and energy than this one.

The staff work was done by the F. Siefert Plastic company of St. Louis, under the able superintendency of Thomas Leach.

The architect of C. W. Terry of this city, ably assisted by the young genius Mr. Ed Forsblom. The associate architect was Mr. Charles Thompson of Little Rock, Ark.

The great organ was built by M. P. Moller of Hagestown, Maryland, and it is the finest ever built for the western country.

The Standard company of Chicago made the grand metallic staircase, minutely described in its proper place.

The Western Planing mills of this city did at the woodwork and had the personal attention and enthusiastic superintedency of Mr. Tom Kelso.

The Wichita Iron & Foundry company made all the iron work, and it is a great credit to their shop.

The Heating & Power company of Mr. Soderman of St. Louis put the apparatus in that department.

A.H. Andrews and company made the opera chairs.

The Art Glass Company of St. Joe supplied the many elaborate cathedral glass windows.

Bestor Brown, agent for M. C. Lilley company of Ohio, furnished the elaborate stage settings and other stage equipment.

The decorative work – an important feature of the new building – is in charge of Young Brothers of this city.

Some of the important decorations were also supplied by Parrott & sons of this city.”

To be continued…

Part 675: The Second Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas.

The Wichita Scottish Rite Masons laid their cornerstone for their second cathedral in 1907. That year, the “Grand County Republican” reported, “The consistory has grown from two little room, decorated with calico curtains to a stately temple erected at a cost of $250,000 and with costing paraphernalia for the proper setting of the different degrees valued at no less than $25,000” (6 April 1907, page 5).

When the building opened in 1908, the “Wichita Daily Eagle” included a full page spread about the new Scottish Rite Cathedral, detailing specifics of the building. There were three sections of particular interest to me that I am going to share today:

 

The Auditorium

The mind at this stage has been raised to such a pitch of pleasurable delight that one forgets that there are grandeurs yet to com. Standing in the center of the great auditorium, which measures 77×73 feet, two feelings struggle for mastery, a sense of largeness of the place and its extreme beauty. The sense that one generally gets when standing in the great cathedrals or buildings of the world, is here replaced by the sense of beauty which is inculcated by the choice of the best effects of the ages have produced. One feels for the moment that these past ages have been profitable only in that they have produced this, for there is no room in the mind to think of other glories of architecture and

art while the senses are yet endeavoring to assimilate the surroundings here.

Proscenium and Stage

Passing under the proscenium arch, one enters upon the immense stage which measures 73×37½x42. This is a stage commensurate for any production the world has ever seen, and will afford ample space for all the rites and ceremonies for which it was built. An idea of the immensity of the stage may be gained from the fact that it will house 115 drops, each of which measures 20×36 feet. There are six boarder lamps, each containing 192 subsidiary lights divided into four colors –red, white, green and amber [I hope this was a misprint!] These lights will produce and known combination in stage effect and would meet even the exigencies of a Savage or Belasco production. The switchboard is a striking example of advanced electrical proficiency and contains 110 switches. The dimmers are of the very latest pattern and the whole system is laid in conduits and not exposed in any place in the entire building.

Underneath the stage are the dressing rooms. The space devoted to them covers 25×73 feet and they contain all the modern paraphernalia and costumes necessary for the rendition of the degrees. To the south of the dressing rooms are property rooms and toilets. These rooms are finished in golden oak.

The decorations f the auditorium, foyers and halls are the work of the F. Seifert Plastic Company of St. Louis, Mo. The stairways were designed by Terry and were made by the Standard company of Chicago.

Lights for the Stage

The stage equipment will require about 2,500 lights. Of these there will be six border lamps, each of which will carry 248 lights in four colors. By means of these colors in the lights, stage effects can be produced which are impossible in a ordinary theater. The switchboard, which in part of the stage equipment, will be between seven and eight feet in length, and six feet in height, and will carry one hundred and ten switches, controlling a different set of lights.

As an auxiliary to the switchboard will be the dimmer plant by which the power of any separate set of lights, or all of them, can be turned low or high at will. This will set near, ad be operated in connection with the switchboard.

Besides this, facilities have been installed for a system of arc lights to be used in connection with or alone in stage illumination. Other means of handling the lighting equipment for stage lighting are by what are known as “stage pockets.” These are holes in the floor, from which connection is made for lighting the lower portion of the scenery. An ordinary good stage usually has two to three of these on each side, but this stage is equipped with sixteen on each side, with an additional of six others for special purposes.

The Electrical Equipment

The electrical equipment of the old building has been installed under the personal supervision of Mr. Frank Payne, who is well known in Wichita. Although not identified with electrical work commercially in the past, Mr. Payne – or “Frank” as he is familiarly known to everyone, has kept pace with electrical matters for a number of years, and has planned equipment of a number of buildings. Associated with him has been Mr. Henry Stumberg, formerly of St. Louis, who did the conduit work in the new building.

At first it was intended to let much of the wiring in the old building remain but upon inspection, non of it was found up to standard, and as nothing short of the most carefully installed and complete equipment was to be considered. All the old wiring was removed and reinstalled to meet the most modern requirements

The equipment will be by far the finest and most complete in any structure west of Chicago, and in stage equipment proper, will probably not be excelled by any theater in any city, large or small. The current will be distributed from seven separate switchboards advantageously placed in different sections of the building, and by this means a much more economically arranged system is secured, and also one which is readily handled.”

There is a point at which numerous Scottish Rite theaters began shifting from using red, white and blue lights to light their scenery to red, white and green lights. This shift always confused me. M. C. Lilley offered three-color and four-color systems to Scottish Rite theaters. Reading the newspaper article and the role of Frank Payne, the hometown lighting guy with minimal electrical experience, makes me pause. Was this the moment when the green was introduced to the Scottish Rite border lights?

The article specified, “There are six boarder lamps, each containing 192 subsidiary lights divided into four colors –red, white, green and amber. These lights will produce and known combination in stage effect and would meet even the exigencies of a Savage or Belasco production.”

To be continued…

Part 674: Henry Wallenstein and the Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas

 In 1898, Little Rock Scottish Rite purchased more scenery, effects and lighting for their degree. That same year another Scottish Rite building with stage was dedicated in the region – Wichita, Kansas. “The Wichita Daily Eagle” commented on the rapid growth of the Scottish Rite in Wichita, a very similar situation to the Little Rock Scottish Rite from 1891 to 1899. (6 Nov 1898, page 13). The newspaper article reported, “The pyrotechnic career of the local organization of Scottish Rite Masonry is so really marvelous and brilliant that a brief recapitulation must be of interest to all readers. Its embryonic state was commonplace and primeval enough. Eleven years ago the co-ordinate bodies in this valley were organized with twelve charter members. They then met in the Hacker and Jackson block corner Douglas Avenue and Fourth, in lowly quarters. In January, 1891, having 92 members, the Cathedral property, corner of Market and First streets, was purchased of the First Baptist church society, and fitted up for exclusive Scottish Rite purposes. From that date, the advancement was so rapid that it was very soon it became evident that those accommodations were entirely inadequate and it was talked among members to erect a new edifice on that site….The result is that right here in Wichita is located one of the most completely equipped and magnificent Temples entirely devoted to Masonry any where in the southern jurisdiction.” By 1908, there were 412 members,

Bestor G. Brown set his sites on this new project after outfitting the stage at the 1896 Albert Pike Cathedral in Little Rock, Arkansas. The scenery for the stage was subcontracted to Sosman & Landis. In addition to representing E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. of Chicago in 1898, Brown was the stage director for the Wichita Consistory. This allowed him to speak with his Scottish Rite clients in Kansas from a unique position and deep understanding of the demands for various degrees. Even though Brown’s his primary residence was in Chicago from 1892 to 1898, he remained active in Kansas Masonry. As a traveling salesman, Brown’s returning to Kansas for a Scottish Rite reunion twice each year helped fraternal sales.

In Wichita, Brown recommended the purchase of a building for their Scottish Rite, just a he had in Little Rock, Arkansas. The renovation of an existing building was far less costly than the construction of an entirely new structure. As with Little Rock, the renovation included a theater space. The Valley of Wichita purchased the Young Men’s Christian Association for during January 1898, and extensively remodeled the space to include a 300-seat auditorium. $15,000 was spent on the inclusion of a stage, scenery and other necessary paraphernalia.

Brown was not alone in this endeavor. There was a second Scottish Rite Mason from Wichita to greatly aided in promoting the theatrical interpretation of Scottish Rite degree work- Henry Wallenstein, a 33rd degree and Grand Cross. In Wichita, Wallenstein was the Director of the Work. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wallenstein moved to Wichita at the age of twenty-seven and entered the mercantile business, becoming a co-owner of the business by 1886. He came from a city that was well-known for staged degree productions and beautiful Masonic theaters. As with Brown, Wallenstein became a well-known “staging expert” for the Scottish Rite degrees. His contributions to the successful dramatization of degree work were recognized as an outstanding achievement in Masonry.

Wallenstein was a Deputy of the Supreme Council in Kansas during 1909 when the second Scottish Rite building was dedicated on November 19. From the modest 300-seat auditorium of 1898, the Wichita Scottish Rite constructed a 1500-seat auditorium. Located on Seventh Street and Ann Avenue in Wichita, the dimensions of the complex were 138 feet long, 65 feet wide, and 78 feet high. Towering four stories over the area, the building was exclusively constructed for Masonic uses. By 1910, there were 2,400 Scottish Rite Masons holding membership in Wichita Consistory No. 2. That same year, the “Wichita Daily Eagle” reported, “Wichita Consistory is now without peer throughout the southern grand Masonic jurisdiction in the high quality of the dramatic work placed and staged before yearly increasing classes; and in numerical membership, and ranks high among other cities of the world. It boasts the costliest cathedral exclusively dedicated to Masonry, in the world” (3 July 1910, page 5). The article continued, “To Henry Wallenstein as to no other one man, belongs the most credit for any single individual…For ten years Mr. Wallenstein has been the Director of the Work, his fine dramatic personality, rare histrionic conceptions, pecularly [sic.] fitting him for this trying position.”

The 1909 stage measured 60 feet wide by 35 feet deep, necessitating all new scenery and stage equipment, including Brown’s special system. By this time, Brown was the western sales manager for M. C. Lilley and a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas. He was well-respected throughout the country and known as the only Masonic stage carpenter in the United States.

The 1898 scenery and stage machinery in Wichita were returned to M. C. Lilley & Co. for credit on the purchase of their new collection. Only a few pieces were retained; the seventeenth degree visions drops were enlarged and are still used today. Keep in mind that in 1909 Brown’s special system was the standard counterweight system delivered by Sosman & Landis, subcontracted by M. C. Lilley & Co. It likely replaced their previous counterweight system. The used system and stage machinery were then sold to another Scottish Rite Valley – Yankton, South Dakota.

It remains uncertain as to what the 1896 stage machinery delivered to Little Rock, Arkansas looked like, but it likely was similar to what was delivered to Wichita in 1898 and is now at the Scottish Rite in Yankton, South Dakota. The rigging system delivered to the Yankton Scottish Rite is an interesting blend of elements, including a pinrail and cloth-wrapped iron weights, resembling sand bags. There is no question that the scenery delivered to the Scottish Rite in Yankton was the original Wichita Scenery. As is the case in Pasadena with the Little Rock collection, the Wichita scenery was clearly marked with shipping notes on the sandwich battens and “Wichita” as the first destination written on the back of many drops. The same writing is still apparent in Wichita on a few enlarged scenes that remained at the venue. This makes the scenery in Yankton, the earliest known example of a counterweight rigging system used in the Southern Jurisdiction.

 

To be continued…

Part 674: Henry Wallenstein and the Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas

In 1898, Little Rock Scottish Rite purchased more scenery, effects and lighting for their degree. That same year another Scottish Rite building with stage was dedicated in the region – Wichita, Kansas. “The Wichita Daily Eagle” commented on the rapid growth of the Scottish Rite in Wichita, a very similar situation to the Little Rock Scottish Rite from 1891 to 1899. (6 Nov 1898, page 13). The newspaper article reported, “The pyrotechnic career of the local organization of Scottish Rite Masonry is so really marvelous and brilliant that a brief recapitulation must be of interest to all readers. Its embryonic state was commonplace and primeval enough. Eleven years ago the co-ordinate bodies in this valley were organized with twelve charter members. They then met in the Hacker and Jackson block corner Douglas Avenue and Fourth, in lowly quarters. In January, 1891, having 92 members, the Cathedral property, corner of Market and First streets, was purchased of the First Baptist church society, and fitted up for exclusive Scottish Rite purposes. From that date, the advancement was so rapid that it was very soon it became evident that those accommodations were entirely inadequate and it was talked among members to erect a new edifice on that site….The result is that right here in Wichita is located one of the most completely equipped and magnificent Temples entirely devoted to Masonry any where in the southern jurisdiction.” By 1908, there were 412 members,

Bestor G. Brown set his sites on this new project after outfitting the stage at the 1896 Albert Pike Cathedral in Little Rock, Arkansas. The scenery for the stage was subcontracted to Sosman & Landis. In addition to representing E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. of Chicago in 1898, Brown was the stage director for the Wichita Consistory. This allowed him to speak with his Scottish Rite clients in Kansas from a unique position and deep understanding of the demands for various degrees. Even though Brown’s his primary residence was in Chicago from 1892 to 1898, he remained active in Kansas Masonry. As a traveling salesman, Brown’s returning to Kansas for a Scottish Rite reunion twice each year helped fraternal sales.

In Wichita, Brown recommended the purchase of a building for their Scottish Rite, just a he had in Little Rock, Arkansas. The renovation of an existing building was far less costly than the construction of an entirely new structure. As with Little Rock, the renovation included a theater space. The Valley of Wichita purchased the Young Men’s Christian Association for during January 1898, and extensively remodeled the space to include a 300-seat auditorium. $15,000 was spent on the inclusion of a stage, scenery and other necessary paraphernalia.

Brown was not alone in this endeavor. There was a second Scottish Rite Mason from Wichita to greatly aided in promoting the theatrical interpretation of Scottish Rite degree work- Henry Wallenstein, a 33rd degree and Grand Cross. In Wichita, Wallenstein was the Director of the Work. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wallenstein moved to Wichita at the age of twenty-seven and entered the mercantile business, becoming a co-owner of the business by 1886. He came from a city that was well-known for staged degree productions and beautiful Masonic theaters. As with Brown, Wallenstein became a well-known “staging expert” for the Scottish Rite degrees. His contributions to the successful dramatization of degree work were recognized as an outstanding achievement in Masonry.

Wallenstein was a Deputy of the Supreme Council in Kansas during 1909 when the second Scottish Rite building was dedicated on November 19. From the modest 300-seat auditorium of 1898, the Wichita Scottish Rite constructed a 1500-seat auditorium. Located on Seventh Street and Ann Avenue in Wichita, the dimensions of the complex were 138 feet long, 65 feet wide, and 78 feet high. Towering four stories over the area, the building was exclusively constructed for Masonic uses. By 1910, there were 2,400 Scottish Rite Masons holding membership in Wichita Consistory No. 2. That same year, the “Wichita Daily Eagle” reported, “Wichita Consistory is now without peer throughout the southern grand Masonic jurisdiction in the high quality of the dramatic work placed and staged before yearly increasing classes; and in numerical membership, and ranks high among other cities of the world. It boasts the costliest cathedral exclusively dedicated to Masonry, in the world” (3 July 1910, page 5). The article continued, “To Henry Wallenstein as to no other one man, belongs the most credit for any single individual…For ten years Mr. Wallenstein has been the Director of the Work, his fine dramatic personality, rare histrionic conceptions, pecularly [sic.] fitting him for this trying position.”

The 1909 stage measured 60 feet wide by 35 feet deep, necessitating all new scenery and stage equipment, including Brown’s special system. By this time, Brown was the western sales manager for M. C. Lilley and a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas. He was well-respected throughout the country and known as the only Masonic stage carpenter in the United States.

The 1898 scenery and stage machinery in Wichita were returned to M. C. Lilley & Co. for credit on the purchase of their new collection. Only a few pieces were retained; the seventeenth degree visions drops were enlarged and are still used today. Keep in mind that in 1909 Brown’s special system was the standard counterweight system delivered by Sosman & Landis, subcontracted by M. C. Lilley & Co. It likely replaced their previous counterweight system. The used system and stage machinery were then sold to another Scottish Rite Valley – Yankton, South Dakota.

It remains uncertain as to what the 1896 stage machinery delivered to Little Rock, Arkansas looked like, but it likely was similar to what was delivered to Wichita in 1898 and is now at the Scottish Rite in Yankton, South Dakota. The rigging system delivered to the Yankton Scottish Rite is an interesting blend of elements, including a pinrail and cloth-wrapped iron weights, resembling sand bags. There is no question that the scenery delivered to the Scottish Rite in Yankton was the original Wichita Scenery. As is the case in Pasadena with the Little Rock collection, the Wichita scenery was clearly marked with shipping notes on the sandwich battens and “Wichita” as the first destination written on the back of many drops. The same writing is still apparent in Wichita on a few enlarged scenes that remained at the venue. This makes the scenery in Yankton, the earliest known example of a counterweight rigging system used in the Southern Jurisdiction.

 

To be continued…

Part 673: Charles E. Rosenbaum and Little Rock, Arkansas

Bestor G. Brown arrived in Chicago during 1892, and by 1894 he was working as a traveling salesman for fraternal supplier E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. of Chicago. 1892 was also a significant year for the Little Rock Scottish Rite as the Bodies were reorganized. At the time, their was a total membership of only 18. Over the course of three years the Little Rock Scottish Rite would gain 84 32^nd degree Masons in their Consistory, with a total membership of 115.

When the Little Rock Bodies reorganized in 1892, there was not a single piece of paraphernalia to confer the degrees. Within a very short time, the Little Rock Scottish Rite went from nothing to fully-staged degree productions with hundreds of members. During the period from October 23, 1891, until February 21, 1895 the Little Rock Scottish Rite received $11,357, of which $3,627.46 was spent for paraphernalia and another $367.10 for fixtures and furniture. For the 1895 Fall Reunion in Little Rock, the Scottish Rite announced, “We are well equipped with paraphernalia for the proper conferring of these beautiful degrees.” That year the Little Rock Scottish Rite would plan for the construction of a new home. The last reunion held in the Masonic Temple was during the summer of 1896, with the plan that the fall reunion would be held at their new home.

In 1896 an existing Little Rock building was renovated to include a stage. Located on Center Street between Third and Fourth Street, the structure was constructed as a Jewish synagogue. The building was remodeled and equipped for a total of $12,000, allowing the growing membership room to expand and stage portions of their degree work. By 1898 changes continued to be made to the building, especially in the areas of additional scenic and electrical effects.

Little Rock’s Fall Reunion program of 1898 praised the new scenery acquisitions, commenting, “The building has the same appearance outside as when you saw it last, but when you enter the auditorium, don’t beat a retreat – thinking you are in the wrong place – it may take you a moment or two to become accustomed to the great change in the interior, but you will soon feel home again, and will enjoy a will enjoy to a much greater extent the exemplification of the various degrees, assisted so materially by additional scenic and electrical effects, on which neither labor or expense have been spared, to the end that it might be the most perfect to produce” (“Fall Reunion Program” Albert Pike Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1898). This second scenery collection was again delivered by Sosman & Landis. As with many Valleys, the skyrocketing membership demanded a larger facility, so a second building was constructed, moving the Scottish Rite from Center Street to the northwest corner of 8^th and Scott.

The Albert Pike Consistory Building was dedicated on September 18, 1902, With Charles E. Rosenbaum, as Sovereign Grand Inspector General in Arkansas, presiding over the dedication ceremonies, with Bestor G. Brown giving an address. At the time, Brown was the Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas. By 1905, the Little Rock Consistory building was christened the “Gem of the Southern Jurisdiction.” Within the first decade of use, however, the Little Rock Scottish Rite Bodies were already outgrowing their home. The Albert Pike Consistory was remodeled and enlarged by 1913. The expansion of the Albert Pike Consistory Building incorporated the 1902 building into the complex, but added a projecting front bay and triangular pediment, supported by four fluted Ionic columns. The Little Rock Scottish Rite remained in this space until their move to the Albert Pike Memorial Temple in 1924.

In 1919, the Grand Lodge of Arkansas building burned, prompting discussions concerning a new home to house the Grand Lodge of Arkansas, two Blue Lodges, the Scottish Rite and the York Rite. This magnificent edifice would span an entire city block and contain 156,00 square feet.
On May 12, 1924 the new building was dedicated the “Albert Pike Memorial Temple.”  This is the current home of the Little Rock Scottish Rite.

When the Scottish Rite left the Albert Pike Consistory building for the Albert Pike Memorial Temple building, the 1902 Little Rock scenery collection was split between the Valley of Pasadena and the Valley of Miami. It is possible that elements from the original 1896 and 1899 installations made up a portion of the collection. At the time, many Scottish Rite theaters retained certain scenes, even when purchasing brand new collections. The stage aesthetic remained constant, and certain scenes were cherished by the membership.

The Little Rock collection included approximately 100 drops and over 100 scenic pieces (flats, profile pieces and ground rows). When the scenery was divided for Miami and Pasadena, additional scenes were added at the time. Over the years, Pasadena continued to add scenic elements, yet seldom removed any backdrops. They also did not replace their entire counterweight system. Brown’s special system only remains in Pasadena, the Miami Scottish Rite having replaced their stage machinery and original drops.

There is no question that many of the backdrops in Pasadena came from the Albert Pike Consistory building. Original charcoal labels and shipping stencils denote “Little Rock” as the delivery destination. Furthermore, one bottom batten includes the Scottish Rite recipient, Charles E. Rosenbaum. There are also two scenes in the current Pasadena collection that exactly match two photographs included in the 1904 Little Rock Scottish Rite spring reunion program- King Cyrus’ throne room and the camp scene. This makes the Pasadena Scottish Rite extremely significant in not only theater history, but also the history Scottish Rite Freemasonry. It holds some of the earliest stage elements used in the Southern Jurisdiction. The collection in Pasadena is part of Charles E. Rosenbaum’s and Bestor G. Brown’s legacy.

The “Scottish Rite Orient of Arkansas” website explains, “Brother Rosenbaum’s service to the Scottish Rite remains unmatched since his death.  Successive generations and thousands of Masons have enjoyed and continue to enjoy the many improvements and innovations that he infused into our great fraternity.  The Scottish Rite of Arkansas has always felt honored and privileged to have had Albert Pike as one of our own and his contributions are countless but we are also thankful to have had Brother Rosenbaum for his innumerable contributions to our Craft.” One of the greatest contributions that Rosenbaum personally oversaw still exists – the stage machinery and scenery now in Pasadena.

To be continued…

Part 672: Charles E. Rosenbaum and Degree Productions

In 1930, Thomas G. Moses wrote that the three men who “had all to do with the starting of the Scenic decoration of real Scottish Rite Degree work” were Charles E. Rosenbaum, Bestor G. Brown and Joseph S. Sosman.

Charles E. Rosenbaum was born in St. Louis, Missouri during 1855.  At the age of twenty-eight, he moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, founding C. E. Rosenbaum Machinery Co. His business endeavor flourished, becoming one of the most successful machinery and mill supply companies in the region.

Rosenbaum joined the Fraternity in Little Rock, Arkansas. On March 10, 1886, he was raised a Master Mason in Magnolia Lodge No. 60. The Scottish Rite of Arkansas credits Rosenbaum with conceiving the idea of staging the second section of the Master’s Degree (here is the link: http://www.ark-scottishrite.org/charles-e-rosenbaum.html.) The Master’s degree, or third degree, of the Symbolic Lodge involves the murder of King Solomon’s chief architect during the construction of the Temple. In fact, it is this story introduced in the third degree that form the basis for many Scottish Rite degrees.

Rosenbaum’s proposal to theatrically stage the third degree was nothing new, but it was new to the area where he was proposing it. Rosenbaum submitted a formal request to the Grand Lodge of Arkansas to grant him permission to stage the Second Section of the Master’s Degree. He was granted permission. On November 20, 1906, Worshipful Master Rosenbaum conferred the third degree on Brother William C. Bond in the auditorium of the Albert Pike Consistory.  The event was recorded to include the largest attendance of the Grand Lodge of Arkansas ever assembled up to that time. Now consider that Rosenbaum had been involved in staging Scottish Rite degrees in Little Rock since 1895. He was involved in creating the first Scottish Rite theater in the State of Arkansas. By 1896, Little Rock’s Albert Pike Cathedral was completed and boasted both scenery and stage machinery by Sosman & Landis. Rosenbaum would become a very good friend of the scenic artist who painted many of the Little Rock scenes – Thomas G. Moses, the final president of Sosman & Landis.

Since the 1850s, Scottish Rite bodies in the Northern Jurisdiction had staged portions of their degrees. The Blue Lodge, otherwise referred to as the Symbolic Lodge, included the first through third degree. The Scottish Rite expanded on the story of the third degree and other legend in the fourth to thirty-second degrees, with an honorary thirty-third degree. Scottish Rite Orient of Arkansas’ website includes a section in Rosenbaum, noting, “Brother Rosenbaum was convinced that this new innovation would not only better serve the candidate but the membership as well.  A dramatic conferral of this most precious of Masonic degrees would, without a doubt in his mind, leave a greater impression upon the candidates but engage the fraternity in a way that it had never seen before.  With special effects, lighting, elaborate regalia, stage props and the burning of incense; all of the human senses would be tantalized and stimulated by this new delivery system for these ancient moral lessons.” Not exactly.

I want to stop for moment to reflect on the state of the Fraternity in terms of staging degree work from the first thru thirty-second degree. The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry had staged degrees for decades before they became popular in the Southern Jurisdiction. Part of the reason that they were not immediately imitated in the Southern Jurisdiction was because of Grand Commander Pike. Pike controlled the Rite from 1859 until his passing in 1891 and was not a fan of degree productions. Although all of the Scottish Rite degrees had been communicated to hi in one day, he believed that men should slowly pass through the degrees. In fact, Pike’s quote from his 1882 Allocution included “The Rite in this Jurisdiction is a Rite of instruction, and not of scenic pomp and stage-show. I can not conceive of a more useless occupation than the arranging and performing of degrees, neither the effect nor the purpose of which is to make men wiser or better, but which are acted as melodramas, to gratify an aesthetic taste and please the imagination, like the pageantry of cardinals and orioles.” When Pike was in charge, there were no large theatrical endeavors started in the Southern Jurisdiction, well, at least that he was aware of. We do not know for a fact that the Grand Lodges in the Southern Jurisdiction completely banned the theatrical interpretation of any degree work, but it would stand to reason that experimental attempts had occurred over the year. There are articles that verify the existence of stages in the Southern Jurisdiction before Pikes’ passing in 1891.

In Cincinnati, a Northern Jurisdiction city, Master Masons were courted in Blue Lodges with notion of a superior degree experience in the local Scottish Rite. Now governance was a little different in the North Masonic Jurisdiction as there were rival Supreme Councils. My research suggests that the early implementation of Masonic stages with scenery, lights and special effects, was a way to increase membership, even steal members from a rival organization. Again the use of theatrical elements promised a superior degree experience for both the candidate and membership. Of this time, I think of two kids are playing happily in a sand box when a third kids stops by and says, “You should see what WE’RE doing in our sand box.” It is likely that at least one of the two kids would leave to check out the nearby activity.

Prior to Rosenbaum joining the Little Rock Scottish Rite, it was a fledging Masonic order in the region like many, suffering the after effects of the Civil War.  The Scottish Rite Orient of Arkansas website states, “Brother Rosenbaum was the first person to take Albert Pike’s degrees and dramatize them for a more attractive initiatory experience in the Scottish Rite as well.  Illustrious Brother John H. Cowles, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, said this about Brother Rosenbaum:

“His fame spread throughout the Southern Jurisdiction.  Many letters were received by him from other Valleys, to all of which he replied in a most fraternal and helpful spirit, and so it was not long until many other Valleys, and then still other Valleys throughout the Jurisdiction, began to confer the degrees in a manner worthy of them.  That work has grown until now we have magnificent temples all over the Jurisdiction, build especially to enable the officers and members to impress the degrees through proper ritualistic interpretations upon hundreds and thousands who have come into the Scottish Rite since that time.  He certainly was the pioneer, and deserves the credit we freely give to him.  His worth was soon noted by the Supreme Council, and he was appointed on the Ritual Committee before he was an active member of the Supreme Council.”

He certainly was popular and propagated the use of degree productions, but Rosenbaum was not the first to conceive of the idea in the Southern Jurisdiction. He was possibly one of the first to be publicly recognized in the Southern Jurisdiction besides Bestor G. Brown. There are examples of stages in Southern Jurisdiction building that appeared well before Rosenbaum joined the Fraternity. These stages were constructed in a standard Masonic hall or lodge room before becoming state-of-the-art stages. Furthermore, many of these stages were in states boarding the Northern Jurisdiction; close to Southern Jurisdiction Valleys where membership observed the success of their nearby brothers.

To be continued…