I return to the year 1909 in the life and times of Thomas G. Moses. For the past several posts, I explored famous Philadelphia drops curtains mentioned in an 1894 newspaper article. Scottish Rite theaters also used drop curtains as the focal point of an auditorium. The ornate draping of fabric popularized on the public stage appeared on a variety of fraternal stages throughout the nineteenth century. Often, the only difference was the placement of a Masonic emblem in the center.
As in commercial theaters, Masonic drop curtains were hung on the first line, concealing the remainder of stock scenery, often numbering between 80 to 120 drops. In addition to backdrops, scenic studios manufactured set pieces, props, and stage machinery for Scottish Rite stages. Although massive in scope, Masonic theater work only accounted for approximately 25% of all work contracted by studios such as Sosman & Landis. Of that percentage, Scottish Rite scenery consisted of only a fraction of the total number for Masonic work.
By the end of Moses’ career, spanning from 1873 to 1934, his Masonic work included the design and supervision of scenery production for 55 Scottish Rites, 14 Commanderies (York Rite), 9 Grottos (MOVPER) and 7 Shrine (AAONMS) Auditoriums. In 1909, Moses wrote, “We have forty-eight on the payroll, which includes the sewing girls and foremen. At 20th Street we have an average of twelve. I think we should turn out some work and we do. It is often a puzzle to me where it all goes, but the Masonic work requires a lot of time, and there is an average of eighty drops in each order so it makes plenty of work and is very interesting. The artists never grumble when they get it to do.
In 1909, Moses also wrote, “The Dallas Masonic work came in early, so did San Francisco and Cleveland, Ohio.” Other Scottish Rite scenery collections that year produced by Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio included, Kansas City, Kansas, Memphis, Tennessee, Winona, Minnesota, and Atlanta, Georgia.
While, Sosman & Landis were cranking out stock scenery collections for Scottish Rite theaters, their primary competitor, Toomey & Volland Studio of St. Louis, Missouri, was gaining ground; the St. Louis company was becoming increasingly popular among Scottish Rite Masons in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. That year, Toomey & Volland delivered two large scenery collections to Scottish Rite theaters. Although they produced much less scenery than Sosman & Landis at this time, the firm would soon grow to dominate the industry after World War I.
To put all of this Scottish Rite scenery production in context, by 1910, I have identified the following Scottish Rite installations:
33 scenery collections were delivered by Sosman & Landis
18 scenery collections were delivered by Toomey & Volland
2 scenery collections were delivered by E. T. Harvey
2 scenery collections were delivered by Henry C. Tryon
This list counts for only a fraction of the Masonic scenery produced during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It does not include painted settings produced for other fraternal groups, such as the Elks or Knights of Pythias. The list does not take into account scenery for other Masonic stages, such as those used in Grottos (Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm), Commanderies (York Rite), or Shrines (Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine).
The numbers above do not reflect any of the early scenery manufactured for some of the very first Scottish Rite lodge rooms, those scenic pieces and roll drops painted by itinerant artists or talented members. There are also those other collections produced by unidentified studios prior to 1910. Yet, when we look at the amount of historic scenery still hanging in Scottish Rite theaters across the country, the sheer amount is somewhat staggering to comprehend when considering the ephemeral nature of commercial stage scenery.
I spend a significant amount of time exploring Masonic scenery produced by Sosman & Landis in my blog, primarily because it remains a significant part of American Theatre history, long after a traditional painted aesthetic declined on the commercial stage. Much Masonic scenery is also still in use, an aspect that makes these fraternal theaters living history museums. Scottish Rite stages, machinery, scenery, lights, properties and costumes are a primary resource still available to theatre technicians for study and reference.
Masonic business for Sosman & Landis continued to boom until the onset of World War I. They road the crest of a fraternal wave that produced unprecedented profits until approximately 1915. This year also marked the passing of studio founder Joseph S. Sosman. The years 1909 to 1910 is a peak period in Scottish Rite scenery production at Sosman & Landis; the studio was swamped with it.
As I continue with Moses’ life and times from 1909-1910, keep in mind that the production of Masonic scenery is ever-present in his daily life and the running of the studio. At first, the Masonic scenery, as well as all worked subcontracted by M. C. Lilley & Co., were completed in the Sosman & Landis annex studio. However, as business boomed, Sosman & Landis’ eastern affiliate, New York Studios, run by David H. Hunt, also completed numerous Masonic projects.
To be continued…
