In 1912, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “New York studios set in a new theatre in Philadelphia, the Globe.” He meant that Sosman & Landis painted scenery for a New York Studios’ project, one that was delivered to the Globe Theatre in Philadelphia. New York Studios was the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis, founded and run by a one-time employee David H. Hunt. Hunt was a theatrical manager, as well as scenic studio founder. In the 1890s he convinced Sosman and Landis to establish the theatrical management firm of Sosman, Landis & Hunt. Later in 1910, Hunt convinced Sosman to invest in New York Studios, run by Hunt and his second wife, Adelaide.
Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide listed the Globe as a vaudeville theatre. With a seating capacity of 720, the venue was managed by Chas. Rappaport. To place the Globe within the context of the 1912 Philadelphia theatre scene, the city boasted 289 theaters at the time with a drawing population of 2,000,000. Located at 5901 Market Street, the Globe Theatre opened in 1910.
I was intrigued that Moses mentioned creating scenery for New York Studios that was ultimately delivered to the Globe Theatre in Philadelphia. This was certainly not the first or last time that Sosman & Landis provided scenery for a New York Studios project. Sosman & Landis worked in conjunction with New York Studios on many projects, but seldom were mentioned in a newspaper article at the same time.
Interestingly, both studios were mentioned in the same article in the “Star-Gazette” on March 4, 1913 (Elmira, New York). The newspaper article was about the W. P. Murphy’ new theater in Bath, New York:
“THURSDAY NIGHT
First production will be local talent minstrels, a testimonial to Bath man who promoted playhouse.
Bath, March 4 – (Special)- The Liberty Minstrels, a premiere aggregation of Bath talent, will hold the boards at the Murphy theater, Thursday evening; the production is under the direction of J. W. Lewis and is given as a testimonial benefit to the builder and owner of the theater, W. P. Murphy.
The benefit is designed as a means of expression on the part of the local public of its appreciation of Mr. Murphy’s efforts to supply the village a long needed modern playhouse as well as in a measure to reimburse him for the heavy expense he has incurred in building and equipping the house. Already every seat has been sold and the demand may be that the minstrels be repeated a second night.
The house is one of the finest to be found in any village of this size anywhere in the Southern Tier. It stands at the rear of the former site of the Nichols House, the once famous hostelry, facing Pulteney Square in the central part of the village. Entrance is gained from Steuben street through a long arcade or foyer, off from which are a box office, telephone booths and cloak room. At the rear of the house near the entrance is a smoking room. The auditorium is 50 feet in length by 40 feet width. The floor slopes, dropping about five feet from the rear to the orchestra circle. Surrounding three sides of the auditorium is a horseshoe gallery; the house is carpeted with rubber linoleum and supplied with opera chairs on both orchestra floor and galleries, the seating capacity being about 825 persons.
The stage has an opening of 45 feet width, 17 feet height and 30 feet depth. It has an ample scene loft and is supplied with elaborate scenery, which is supplied by Sosman & Landis of Chicago. Beneath the stage is a musician’s waiting room, a property room, four dressing rooms, supplied with baths; above the stage are four other reserve dressing rooms for use when attractions with large casts play the house. The building is equipped with gas and electricity; has seven exits, is a fireproof building and heated by steam. The drop curtain, depicting a scene from Venice is from the New York Studio Company.
Charles H. Thomas will be manager and booking agent for the house and already many leading attractions are promised. As Bath has been without a theatre otherwise than the motion pictures for some time, undoubtedly the new theater will prove very popular” (Star-Gazette, Elmira, New York, 4 March 1913, page 9).
To be continued…
