Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 787 – Nicholas J. Pausback at the Sosman & Landis, 1911

In 1911, Thomas G. Moses wrote,  “Pausback had his hands full; Scott acted bad.  Got Geo. Schultz on the staff at 20^th Street. I was obliged to remain at the Clinton Street studio only going to 20^th Street every other day.” Moses mentioned many Sosman & Landis scenic artists during his life. He greatly respected Pausback and his contribution to the studio.

In 1907, Moses first mentioned Pausback, writing, “I depended a great deal on Pausback to look after the work while I was away.”  Two years later, Moses mentioned him again when Pausabck took control of the 20^th Street Studio. M<oses recalled that Pausback provided plenty of help “to rush the work through.” There was no question that Moses had great faith in Pausback’s abilities. By 1917 Pausback was still working at the Sosman & Landis annex and would remain with the company until its liquidation in 1923.

Nicholas John Pausback Jr., was born on May 5, 1881, in St. Louis, Missouri.  He was the son of St. Louis residents Nicholas J. Pausback, Sr. (1853-1900) and Caroline Pausback (1859-1943), each born and raised in the city. By the end of his life, Pausback’s obituary credited him as being a “scenic artist de luxe”(Chicago Tribune 14 May 1953, page 36).  Other notices reported his staying in the theatrical scenery business for 45 years with his wife Ottilia, and not retiring until 1947.

Pausback became the founder of Pausback Studios by 1927, four years aftert the initial close of Sosman & Landis. He ran Pausback Studio for twenty years, retiring only six years before his passing in 1953. As with many competitors, Pausback Studio primarily focused on public school and college projects, outfitting school stages with rigging and draperies. This branch of the industry had greatly increased in the 1920s and continued to thrive until the 1960s. Tiffin Scenic Studios and Art Drapery Studios became major competitors of Pausback Studios by the 1950s (The Times, 11 Feb 1953, page 2). Eventually Pausback merged with Acme and Carsen in 1957 to form the Acme Carsen Pausback Studio (see past installment #566). The company placed advertisements in the 1959 “Educational Theatre Journal” (Vol. 11, No. 1, i-xxxviii).

Prior to working at Sosman & Landis in Chicago, Pausback began his scenic artist career in St. Louis, Missouri.  In 1901, his occupation was listed in city directories as that of “artis.” Pausback’s residence was at 3113 Magnolia Ave. In 1904, Pausback married to Otillia Groebl (1883-1963) and the couple raised five children: Elvira Mary (m. Harold J.  Howard), Mary C. (m. Mr. Welsh) and Mrs. Therese Curtis. Raymond J. Pausback (m. Yvonne Singer), and Very Rev. Gabriel N. Pausback (b. 1905) of the Carmelite order. Records show that the two eldest children of five were born in St. Louis during 1905 and 1906, with the remaining children being born in Chicago.  In the early years, Pausback was crisscrossing the country like many artists, completing a variety of painting projects that included seventy-five scenes for the Grand Theatre in Owensboro, Kentucky (Messenger-Inquirer, 22 June 1905, page 8). Of this installation, twenty-five of the scenes were backdrops, with the greater part remaining framed pieces. In Kentucky, he waorked alongside stage carpenters J. A. McDanuel and his son.

In 1907, Pausback relocated to Chicago, immediately working with Moses at the Sosman & Landis in the 20^th Street Studio. By 1908, Pausback became the shop manager of the space, replacing Ansel Cook. By 1916, Pausback was frequently sent to in New York, installing shows with fellow Sosman & Landis employee, Harry Nailer, the well-known stage carpenter. He worked for New York Studios, the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis.

During the 1920s, Pausback founded Pausback Scenery Co. Living at 6606 Woodlawn Ave., in Chicago Illinois. His scenery company was located at 3727 Cottage Grove Ave., Chicago (Chicago Tribune 2 Dec. 1928, page 2). After founding the firm, Pausback also wrote a book on Stage Craft; a book that I am still tracking down (Dec. 17, 1928). By 1929, the Pausback Scenery Co was credited with a new innovation for gigantic Christmas trees – spangles in various shapes and sizes, some that measured 10 inches in diameter (Chicago Tribune 9 Dec. 1929, page 3).

Over the years, the Pauback studio pops up in several newspaper articles, but nothing really consistent. Briefly morphing from Pausback Studio to the Pausback Scenery Co.. the firm is briefly mentioned as providing properties for “Wings of a Century” at 1934 Century of Progress World fair in Chicago.

Toward the end of his career, Pausback partnered with another Sosman & Landis scenic artist, Art W. Oberbeck (Blue Island Sun Standard Archives, 15 June 1944, Page 6). Oberbeck and Pausback had started at Sosman & Landis around the same time; Oberbeck starting as a paint boy at the in 1904 and Pausback as a journeyman artist three years later.

In 1939 Pausback Studios advertised, “Scenery and Lighting Equipment Built and Rented” with offices located at   3727 Cottage Grove Avenue, Chicago and the phone nunbers being Drexel 7060 and 7061 (Labor Union Directory). The key to any scenic studio’s success at this time was diversification, manufacturing and installing both stage machinery and lighting systems.

Pausback was also an amateur magician. As a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the American Society of Magicians, his stage name was “Nicodemus, the Magician” (Chicago Tribune  14 May 1953, page 36). This persona was even remembered “Do You Remember When,” a section published in an “Independent Magazine for Magicians” known as “The Sphinx” in 1949. “The magazine queried, “Do you remember when Nick Pausback, scenic artist de luxe, of Chicago was known as “Nicodemus, the Magician?” (Page 12).

Pausback passed away on March 13, 1953, buried in St. Mary Catholic Cemetery in Evergreen Park. His last residence was at 1000 S. Rhodes Ave., Chicago, Illinois.

To be continued…