Month: December 2019

Copyright © 2018 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1914, Sosman & Landis delivered scenery for the Ringling Bros. grand circus spectacle, “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” By that year dozens of Scottish Rite stages had been constructed and held massive scenery collections to stage Scottish Rite degree productions, many that told of events surrounding the reign of King Solomon. Masonic backdrops depicted the private apartments, throne room, courtyard and the Temple of King Solomon.

To look at the sixty-one Scottish Rite scenery collections solely produced by Sosman & Landis (Chicago) and Toomey & Volland (St. Louis) from 1896-1914 puts the Ringling Bros. “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” spectacle in perspective.  These 61 scenery installations include Scottish Rite Theatres in Little Rock, Arkansas; Tucson, Arizona; San Francisco, Stockton and Los Angeles, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Springfield, E. St. Louis, Quincy and Bloomington, Illinois; Davenport and Dubuque Iowa; Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Evansville, Indiana; Fort Scott, Fort Leavenworth, Wichita, Kansas City, Lawrence and Salina, Kansas; Louisville and Covington, Kentucky; Portland, Maine; Bay City, Michigan; Duluth and Winona, Minnesota; St Louis and Joplin, Missouri; Omaha, Nebraska; Butte and Helena, Montana; Clinton and Jersey City, New Jersey; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Rochester and Buffalo, New York; Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Toledo, Davenport, Youngstown and Canton, Ohio; McAlester and Guthrie, Oklahoma; Bloomsburg and Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Yankton, South Dakota; Memphis, Tennessee; Dallas, El Paso and Austin, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Danville, Virginia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Wheeling, West Virginia; Tacoma, Washington; and Cheyenne, Wyoming. There were also those produced by lesser-known studios too. The point is that Masonic membership was dramatically increasing during the early twentieth century.  

All of the Ringling brothers were a Scottish Rite Masons and members of the Scottish Rite Consistory in Milwaukee. By 1913, the Milwaukee Scottish Rite boasted a Sosman & Landis scenery collection, one specifically supervised by Thomas G. Moses during its production.

The Ringling family all began their Masonic journey in Baraboo Lodge No. 34. There were two other circus families who also belonged to that lodge, the Moellers and the Gollmars. The Ringlings, Gollmars, and Moellers were all related through marriages to the three Juliar sister. Marie “Salome” Juliar married August Ringling (Rüngeling), father of the Ringling Brothers.  Her sister Katherine married Gottleib Gollmar, father of the Gollmar Brothers. Mary Juliar married Henry Moeller, father of the Moeller Brothers who became famous as manufacturers of circus wagons and materials.

Gottlieb G. Gollmar (1823-1914) was the son on of Joachim Gollmar & Franziska Caroline Wolf, born in Baden-Würtemmberg, Germany, arriving in the United States at the age of 9 and settling in Valley City, Ohio. He married Mary Magdeline Juliar in Chicago on 17 Nov 1848 and moved to Baraboo in 1851. He and was one of the seven charter members for Baraboo Lodge No. 34 and patriarch of the Gollmar Brothers circuses.The Gollmar Bros. Circus was operated by brothers Walter, Fred, Charles, Ben and Jake Gollmar and lasted until 1926, finally touring as the Patterson-Gollmar Bros. Circus.

Katherine Juliar married Henry Moeller, an immigrant born in Saxony. He learned the trade of a wagon maker in Milwaukee after arriving in the United States. Moeller founded a blacksmith shop in June 1856, a business later operated by his sons Henry and Corwin as the Moeller Bros. Wagon Co. (Wisconsin State Journal, 265 April 1937, page 12). First cousins to the Ringlings and Gollmars, their shop was located at Third Avenue in Baraboo where they built many of the ornate wagons for the Ringling Brothers’ circus, including the famous Bell Wagon of 1892. For many years, the wagons used by the Ringling Brothers were made exclusively in the Moeller Bros. shops, costing as much as $800 each, exclusive of painting.

Marie “Salome” Juliar married August Rüngeling, and their children formed the Ringling Brothers circus. August and his seven sons all joined the Fraternity between January 1890 and August 1891; each being raised in Baraboo Lodge No. 34. This is not unusual, as Freemasonry was often a “family affair” for fathers and sons. Here is when each Ringling brother became a Master Mason: Alf T. (January 22, 1890), John (March 1, 1890), Al (March 29, 1890), Charles (April 9, 1890), Otto (April 9, 1890), Gus (Feb. 4, 1891), Henry (March 18, 1891), August Rüngeling (August 9, 1891). However, it was their combined roles as Masonic officers during 1891 that caught my eye.  In the minutes of a meeting on April 8, 1891, Alf T. was listed as Worshipful Master; August “Gus” was listed as Senior Warden; Al was listed as Junior Warden; Charles was listed as Senior Deacon; Otto was listed as Junior Deacon; and Henry was listed as Senior Steward.

In 1900, “The Buffalo Courier” included the story of the Ringling family in a section called “Travelers Toward the East” (9 Dec. 1900, page 25). The article reported, “A Masonic journal says that the Ringling brothers are known all over the country as the proprietors of the Ringling Circus.  Seven of these brothers are members of Baraboo Lodge No. 34 of Wisconsin jurisdiction, and after the seven were all members of the lodge the petition of the father was received.  The Ringling brothers qualified themselves to confer the degrees were assigned to the several positions in the lodge, received the father into the lodge and conferred the degrees upon him.”

Baraboo Lodge No. 34 was almost four decades old by the time the Ringlings became members. Besides belonging to Baraboo Lodge No. 34, the seven brothers also belonged to Baraboo Valley Chapter No. 49, R.A.M (Royal Arch Masons); St. John Commandery No. 21 K.T. (Knight Templars) of Baraboo, and the A.A.S.R. (Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite) in Milwaukee. The lodge rooms were above McGann’s Furniture in the building at the Northwest corner of Oak and Second Avenue, but a new building was in the making in 1891. The same month that their father was raised, the “Wisconsin State Journal” reported that the corner stone for the Baraboo Masonic Temple was “to be laid with great ceremony” that Thursday (25 August 1891, page 1). A formal procession was formed and consisted of the Baraboo lodges, Eastern Star Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, Knights Templar, members of the Grand Lodge, the members of the city council, and led by the Baraboo military band.

The three Juliar sisters who married Ringling, Gollmar and Moeller also had a brother, Nicholas Juliar (1841-1920). Nicholas collected his sisters’ circus memorabilia and his personal effects are now part of the Memorial Library, Southern Minnesota Historical Center, Minnesota State University – Mankato. Unlike his famous relations, Juliar was a banker, auctioneer, and member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for two terms. To be continued…

Copyright © 2018 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1914 Sosman & Landis created scenery for the Ringling Bros. grand circus spectacle “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” Over a decade earlier, the John Robinson circus also included “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” at a circus spectacle.  It provided a rich and popular subject for a variety of nineteenth-century and twentieth century entertainment venues. 

The King Solomon story was also staged for Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry degree productions at this time.  Masonic designs included a variety of settings from King Solomon’s reign, including the Temple, Sanctum Sanctorum, his private apartments, audience chambers, and the throne room.  The story of the construction of King Solomon’s Temple was a subject dramatically presented in both Blue Lodge rooms and on Scottish Rite stages as part of their ceremonials. The construction of the Temple and the assassination of its chief architect Hiram, are a prominent topic in Masonic degree work. This story dramatically presented in lodge rooms was theatrically staged for Scottish Rite degree work. Never exclusive to the Fraternity, the reign of King Solomon was a popular subject for a variety of visual spectacles throughout the nineteenth century.

In past posts, I have covered the subject of King Solomon on both public and private stages, including two 1840s touring show that featured “Chemical Paintings,” also known as “Magic Pictures.” These were small painted backdrops that transitioned from day to night as the composition was alternatively lit from both the front and back (see past installment #320). Newspapers at the time reported, “by modifying the light upon the picture, exhibits two entirely distinct representations upon the same canvas” (The Times-Picayune, 20 Dec. 1842, page 3).  The “Inauguration of Solomon’s Temple” was one of four scenes that toured with the show.

Here is the 1842 description of “The Inauguration of Solomon’s Temple” as published in “The Times-Picayune:”

“This painting represents the magnificent Temple of Solomon, son of David, which he caused to be erected in Jerusalem. Seen in the daytime, it exhibits to the spectacular the richness and elegance of its exterior architecture. The same Painting soon after passes through all the modifications of light: then night comes on, (effects obtained by the decomposition of light, a new process of painting invented by Daguerre,) the Temple appears illuminated interiorly by degrees, reflecting a bright light exteriorly, which discovers a great multitude of people flocking to adore the Ark of the Covenant, which the High Priest has deposited in the Tabernacle” (New Orleans, December 29, 1842, page 3). 

Any Mason who attended the 1842 exhibit might leave full of ideas that could make the degree work in my small lodge room better. The scenic effects exhibited at the end of a darkened room suggested the possibilities for dramatic effects during degree work. By the 1850s, the first Scottish Rite stages began to appear, with painted settings and costumed figures under stage lights. Fast-forward a few decades.

In 1891, a King Solomon spectacle was a feature for the Piedmont Exposition in Atlanta, with nightly performances from Tuesday until Saturday  (Atlanta Constitution, 19 Oct 1891, page 6). Although met with some controversy from the conservative Christian faction of the time, a series of rebuttals supported the productions. It was a popular production. By 1899, the King Solomon story was picked up by the John Robinson Circus.

Newspapers in 1900 announced “a magnificence of a scenic spectacle of Solomon and Queen of Sheba” produced by the John Robinson Circus (Marshall County Independent, Plymouth, Indiana, 25 May 1900, page 8).  It was one of ten big shows that toured with his circus Advertised as the oldest circus on the road in 1824; by 1900 the third generation of John Robinson descendants advertised it as the Robinson Show (Fort Scott Weekly, 9 Aug. 1900, page 8). The John Robinson Circus was one of the oldest running family circuses in the United States. The four generations that managed the circus were John Robinson I (1807 – 1888), John F. Robinson II (1843 – 1921), John G. Robinson III (1872 – 1935) and John G. Robinson IV (1893 – 1954). Here is a link to the circus’ history as it is quite fascinating: http://www.circusesandsideshows.com/circuses/johnrobinsoncircus.html

John Robinson Circus advertisements promised, “Nothing Old But the Name” and the “Wichita Daily Eagle” reported, “The most interesting feature in the performance that the Robinson show has is the spectacular production of King Solomon, which was especially beautiful under the dazzling lights in the evening. This part of the show is gorgeously staged and in effect if like the great spectacle production in America of 1893. Triumphal marches, to the music of trumpets, and an acceptionally [sic.] good band, fifty or more girls attired in oriental costume, a hundred on horses representing various clans and allies, correctly costumes true to history, and later ballet and dancers, the story in pantomime of the judgment of King Solomon on the parable of the babe claimed by two women, and closing with the visit of the queen of Sheba, were all produced in magnificent manner. The regular circus performance which followed contained some old features always seen, but it also contained many new features and original idea which makes the show more interesting than the simple old fashioned circus”  (Wichita Beacon, 18 Aug. 1900, page 5).

In 1900, Robinsons Circus advertisements noted that the production included 1,000 men and women, 500 horses, elephants, camels and 100 ballet dancers, transported across the country in several trains of cars.  Furthermore, $2,000,000 was purportedly invested in the show. There were “20,000 seats for 20,000 people under an absolutely water-proof canvas,” “40 camels hitched to a $20,000 Golden Chariot,” and “Forty Soul Stirring, Fearless, Madly Ridden Hippodrome Races, Forty” (Wichita Beacon, 18 Aug. 1900, page 5).

By 1902, the “Knoxville Sentinel” advertised the Robinson Circus, reporting, “The Bible contains within its covers no pages so attractive in interest, so impressive in description, so reverential and so expressive of divine devotion, so rand in developments, as those which relate to King Solomon and his reign. It was a felicitous thought, then of the celebrated artist, John Rettig, that led him to contemplate the reign of Solomon as the subject for a spectacle, and to select that period of Solomon’s administration when the king is visited by the Queen of Sheba, as the theme for his grand and all overshadowing masterpiece of vast spectacular presentations (15 Oct. 1902, page 2). A year later, the “Courier Journal” added, “It was a wise thought of the celebrated artist John Rettig, that led him to take the reign of Solomon as the subject for a spectacle” (23 April 1903, page 4). The Robinson Circus show was designed by Cincinnati scenic artist John Rettig and directed by Charles Constantine. Rettig (1858-1932) was a friend of Thomas G. Moses and the two traveled in the same circles.

“The Oswego Independent” published, “The ‘Queen of Sheba’ was a sight to behold, Arrayed in circus tinsel, with cheap finery and frippery, supposed to represent the original in her journey to view the wonders and glories of King Solomon, she was a sight never to be forgotten, and was a libel on the original, as word painted in the scriptures” (Oswego, Kansas, 31 August 1900, page 3). The “Newton Kansan” added, “The spectacular representation of scenes in connection with the lives of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba was a novel feature and was one of the best things in the show, but would be vastly improved if shortened as it becomes tiresome” (17 Aug, 1900, page 1). Most reviews, however, were pleased with the presentation. The “McPherson Weekly Republican,” commented, “The presentation of King Solomon’s court, the temple and the amusements of the ancient Hebrew court were a big surprise in excellence and would have done credit to a large opera house performance” (24 Aug. 1900, page 7).

Of the production, an advertisement in the “Wichita Daily Beacon” stated, “King Solomon and Queen of Sheba. Dwarfing and overshadowing to comparative insignificance interior and out door spectacular events of the era. Replete in sacred realisms, historical accuracies, Biblical events, colossal processions, and introducing all the ceremonies with the original pomp and splendor of the Court of Solomon.” In 1929, the John Robinson Circus was still featuring “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.”

By 1914, spectacles depicting King Solomon’s life were still a popular to many, including the thousands of men who continued to tell the story in Masonic ceremonials. The Ringling Brothers’ spectacle of “King Solomon,” however, was produced on a much grander scale than any other circuses or fraternity. The Masonic settings at Scottish Rite theaters paled in comparison with the grand spectacle at the circus, yet the same scenic artists were painting the sets for each venue.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Jan. 6^th, went to Baraboo, Wisconsin, to see the Ringling’s for the new spectacle, ‘King Solomon.’ Another big show. Made a model for one scene and got $2,900.00.” Moses was referring to the 1914 Ringling production “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” that toured throughout the United States. Later in 1914, Moses wrote, “Ringlings’ work came out very good.  Everyone was pleased and that is saying a good deal.”

I have mentioned this grand circus spectacle, or spec, in the past, but it is worth repeating. It provides an additional layer of context for the painted tradition preserved in Scottish Rite theaters.

“King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” was presented in a series of dramatic pantomimic pictures staged with “all the lavish splendor and opulence that marked the period when the wise Solomon ruled the Kingdom of Israel, the action of the spectacle is laid in Jerusalem, at the time of the historical visit of Balkis, Queen of Sheba” (Star Gazette, Elmira, NY, 21 May 1914, page 3).  The Star Gazette reported, “The spectacle is presented on an enormous, specially constructed stage, which occupies nearly one entire side of the main tent.  The tent measures 560 by 320 feet and seats 14,000 people at a performance” (21 May 1914, page 3). Remember that two shows were given daily; one at 2pm and one at 8PM, and the doors opened an hour before show time, allowing spectators to visit the 108 cages in the Ringling zoo and purchase candy and souvenirs!

In 1914, the “Indianapolis Star” reported, “Nero has watched his Rome burn to a cinder beneath a circus tent. Pompeii has fallen to ruins in the scattered sawdust of the ring and Cleopatra has taken her last look at Egypt before the clown’s entry.  And now the wise King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba have been made the hero and heroine of the circus spectacle, surrounded with all the gorgeous pageantry and lavish costumes a showman can devise” (4 May 1914, page 3).

On May 21, 1914, the “Star Gazette” reported:

“Nearly half of the entire train section is used to transport the scenery and costumes used in the massive spectacle, ‘Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.’ The spectacle includes a cast of more than 1,250 characters and a ballet of 300 dancing girls under the personal direction of Ottokar Bartik, ballet master of the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, and late of La Scala, Milan.  The music for this spectacle has been written by Faltis Effendi, formerly bandmaster of Khedive of Egypt, and is rendered by an orchestra of 90 musicians, 400 trained singers and a chorus of 1,000 voices accompanied by a cathedral pipe organ, costing $100,000.  The Ringling Brothers’ have expended $1,000,000 in the production of this mammoth spectacle which faithfully and accurately portrays the pomp and ceremony, life and wisdom of a period a thousand years before Christ, and introduces Solomon in all his glory and Balkis, Queen of Sheba, the most interesting woman of her day” (Star Gazette, Elmira, NY, 21 May 1914, page 3).

The US Inflation Calculator measures the buying power of $1,000,000 in 1914 to be the equivalent of $25,200,600.00 in 2018. Fifty men were needed to handle scenery and special effects (Dayton Daily News, 26 April 1914, page 31).

When the circus arrived in Elmira, New York during 1914, the “Star Gazette” included a large article about the early morning arrival and events, advertising:

“The big circus is almost here.  Tomorrow morning in the small hours just before dawn, four long red and yellow trains, made up of 86 cars will roll quietly into Elmira coming from Binghamton, over Lackawanna railroad.  They will be unloaded immediately and within a few hours the big aggregations of world wonders which comprises Ringling Brothers’ ‘world’s greatest shows’ will be safely sheltered under twenty acres of white canvas on the show grounds.”

The circus included an elaborate parade that traversed the principal streets of each town on the morning of their arrival.  The “Star Gazette” announced, “The cavalcade which, it is promised, will be the longest and most gorgeous display ever seen in the streets of this city, will start from the show grounds promptly at 10 o’clock.  It will be more than three miles in length and will include all the performers and animals, in addition to the long procession of handsome tableau wagons and allegorical cars, filled with pretty dancing girls in gay costumes.  Six bands and two calliopes will furnish the music for the cavalcade and the fifty famous Ringling clowns will be on hand to keep the sidewalk spectators in good humor.  A striking feature of the procession will be the long line of elephants, forty in all, and a team of sixteen camels, broken to bit and harness driven the same as horses. These beasts draw a huge parade wagon and this is the first instance on record where the ‘ship of the desert’ has ever been successfully broken to harness and bit.”

The “twenty-four hour man” arrived a day ahead of the circus to set up the infrastructure needed to feed an enormous amount of people and animals. Other circus staff that arrived a day early included “a number of stage and electrical experts who precede the show to make arrangements for the staging and lighting of the big spectacle “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” It is important to remember that the King Solomon spectacle was just one of the principal features for the Ringling Brothers’ program that season; it was not the whole show.  This makes theatrical touring shows, such as “Ben-Hur,” seem like child’s play when compared with the logistics of a touring circus with thousands of moving parts.

The first train to arrive was the commissary department and the first tent to be pitched on the show grounds was the “cook house.”  The second and third trains pulled the heavy red wagons, loaded with canvases, properties, the elephants, the 730 horses and the other animals.  On the last train, composed entirely of sleeping cars, arrived all of the performers and ancillary staff members for the show.

The Queen of Sheba was played by Mme. Bartik, a Russian actress and a pupil of M. Pierre Devereau, the French teacher of pantomimic art.

One of the things that I keep thinking about is the logistics of organizing and managing a touring circus a century ago, especially the 1914 Ringling Brothers’ “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” The Pittsburgh Press published an article that provides insight into the 1914 circus (11 May 1914, page 14):

“The big enterprise bearing the name of the five brother showmen arrived in Pittsburgh in the small hours of Sunday morning and with very little noise and no confusion an enormous tented city was quickly established on the show grounds in East Liberty.  The show came from Wheeling, W. Va., where it exhibited on Saturday, and it was met in the yards of the Pennsylvania railroad by a vast horde of excited youngsters who had braved both the displeasure of parents and Sunday school teachers in order to be on hand to help unload the elephants and lead the spotted ponies to water.  All day yesterday they loitered around the East Liberty grounds watching the erecting of the tents and other unusual sights.

Twenty-four tents are required this season.  The main canvas – the big top is the largest the Ringlings have ever used – is especially constructed, not only to accommodate the circus with its three rings, stages and hippodrome track, but also arranged for the massive spectacle ‘Solomon and the Queen of Sheba,’ which is presented on a stage five the size of that found in the largest theater. The Ringling circus is a perfect city in itself traveling every night, making a new city every day and morning with more system, rapidity and less fuss and noise than any branch of the army.  To prepare for its coming exactly 106 representatives, each with a various mission to perform, have visited this city.

All of the cooking for this enormous enterprise is done by steam and in ranges built in a wagon weighing six tons and drawn by eight horses.  As a mere detail of the marketing the circus consumes daily 4,500 pounds of fresh beef, 300 dozen eggs, 800 pounds of bread, 150 pounds of sugar and other items equally as large.  The first order to the cooks in the morning is for 5,200 griddle cakes and yet, as large a number as this may seem, it is only four a piece. For the stock and animal department there are used daily: 10 tons of hay, five tons of straw, 300 bushels of oats, while no well behaved elephant would think of starting his day’s labor without his morning cereal – a bale of hay.  Most of all, these purchases are made from local merchants.

The circus travels on its own trains and only requires engines and crews from the railroads.  The show also carries its own blacksmiths, horseshoers, wagon and harness makers, tent makers, rope splicers and a corps of decorators are kept on hand continually touching up the gilded and brilliantly painted tableau wagons and cages.  Two men are employed eight hours a day doing nothing but greasing axles.  In the wardrobe department presided over by Mrs. George Hartzell, known as “the little mother of the circus,” nearly 6,000 costumes have to be handled daily and kept in repair. Five dressmakers and six tailors, besides armorers, are in this department.  The circus has its own physician who carries with him a complete surgical and medical outfit. There is also a barber shop and, incidentally, no driver or man appearing before the public is allowed to leave the show grounds until he is shaved. This also suggests another rule strictly enforced by the Ringling Brothers’ which absolutely forbids the use of whips by any of their drivers.

It costs $8,000 a day to run the circus and it represents and investment of nearly $4,000,000.  The show maintains winter quarters and shops at Baraboo, Wisconsin, and Stoke-on-Trent, England. The firm is now planning an expedition of its own to trap animals in the jungles of India and the wilds of the Egyptian Soudan.  In every part of the world its agents are on the alert to secure novelties.

Starting as mere boys with a borrowed tent in which they were given a few juvenile attempts at entertainment, these five brothers have seen their dreams realized and have become master showmen of the world.

The afternoon performance began at 2 o’clock and the big tent was crowded.  Opening the bill came the spectacle, “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” Nothing so richly costumed or so effectively presented has ever been given here before.  The opening pageant, the ballet of dancing girls and the dramatic action were veritable surprises.  The spectacle was followed by surprises.  The spectacle was followed by the circus performance in which 400 men and women appeared.  More novelties that ever before are presented, the Ringlings having brought from Europe the majority of their people.

The final performance will take place Tuesday night at 8 o’clock.  The doors open an hour earlier, allowing time to visit the extensive menagerie and also enjoy the operatic concert rendered by the military band of 80 pieces.” To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Every once in a while I am compelled to include a side story because it is so touching.  These posts are often simple memorials to those who came before me and should not be forgotten. In 1907, Thomas G. Moses wrote about Otto Armbrusters death by suicide (see past post 573). He wrote, “August 16^th, heard of Otto Armbruster’s death by suicide.  It was an awful shock as we were such close friends.  The German way of getting out of trouble, but he had no trouble, plenty of money and a good business.  No one seems to know just what the cause of the rash act was.”

In 1913, another colleague of Moses’ committed suicide in Chicago when his eyesight failed.

This one broke my heart as I first read it. It concerns one of the founders, and the first president, of the Palette & Chisel Club in Chicago. His death notice posted in the July 1913 issue of the Club’s newsletter recalled, “Fiery and at the same time gentle in disposition, Carl Mauch was invincible in his adherence to what he felt was right. In his death, the Club loses a father, and the world gives up a true artist, a brave soldier and an upright man.” A successful commercial artist in his own right, Mauch was always searching for a divine fire that would transcend his art to another level.

Here is the obituary notice concerning Mauch’s death:

On June 20, 1913,  “Washington Post” reported:

“LOSES SIGHT AND KILLS SELF.

Artist Had Just Conceived What He Thought Would Be His Masterpiece.

Special to the Washington post.

Chicago, June 19.- His life a parallel in many respects of that of Kipling’s her in ‘The Light That Failed,’ Carl Mauch, an artist, 63 years old, committed suicide by swallowing poison today. Mr. Mauch’s sight began to fail just after he conceived a work which he believed would be the greatest of his life.

‘There is nothing left for me,’ Mr. Mauch said, a few days ago, to a fellow member of the Palette and Chisel Club. ‘The inspiration of my life has come and my eyes are all but gone. Never again shall I put a brush to canvas.’”

To put the Kipling book in context, his “the Light that Failed,” follows the life of artist Dick Heldar. He who goes blind, and struggles with his unrequited love for fellow orphan and childhood playmate, Maisie. Heldar’s journey to despair and helplessness is due to the loss of his ability to work, resulting in his abandonment by Maisie. In the end, his loneliness is summed up in the statement,”…it is better to remain alone and suffer only the misery of being alone, so long as it is possible to find distraction in daily work. When that resource goes the man is to be pitied and left alone.” Mauch ended his life when he could no longer work and sought eternal solitude.

Other newspaper articles reported Mauch’s suicide:

“Despondent Artist Takes his Own Life.

Chicago, June 19 – Despondent because his eyes failed him just when he conceived after years of dreaming the picture he hoped would make him famous, Carl Mauch, an artist, took poison and died from its effects yesterday. He was 68 years old and rapidly losing his sight.

Recently Mauch told a fellow member of the Palette and Chisel Club that the inspiration of his life had come to him and he bemoaned the fact his eyes were failing him and that he never again would touch a brush to canvas.” There is some controversy in newspaper accounts concerning the age of the artist, yet his tombstone lists Mauch’s birthdate as 1854, not 1850 or 1844. Most records list Mauch as 58 at the time of his death. The article continues, “Mauch was born in Wurttemberg, Germany, and his club fellows tell a story of how, when a boy, he whipped the future king of that province. According to them it was the rule at the school, which Mauch attended that the prince should always be the winner of any game. When he saw his friends contriving that the prince should be the victor he flew into a rage and attacked the young majesty.”

Mauch died at his home on 2651 Mildred Avenue, poisoning himself with cyanide of potassium, and leaving behind a wife and two grown daughters, Fanny, Melanea and Ella.

Mauch was born on Jan. 7, 1854 in Stuttgart, Stadkreis Stuttgart, Baden-Württenberg, Germany. He studied at the Stuttgart Academy with Karl Theodor von Piloty, Heinrich Franz Gaudenz von Rustige and Karl Albert Buehr. Art history books note that his early artistic studies were interrupted he was conscripted in the German army during the Franco-Prussian War. At the time he was just sixteen years old. Following his military service, Mauch returned to painting and continued his studies in Munich and Paris, before emigrating in 1870. He soon married in 1872. He and his wife Fanny witnessed the birth of four children, two who survived to adulthood.

In 1893, Mauch was listed as one of 302 artists in “The Years Art as Recorded in The Quarterly Illustrator” (Published by Harry C. Jones, 92, 94, and 96^th Fifth Avenue, New York). The publication listed, “Carl Mauch is one of the successful foreign artists who have made the United States their permanent home. Mr. Mauch has lived here ever since the Franco Prussian War.”

At the time of his passing, Mauch was well-known as a Chicago illustrator, Impressionist painter, and member of the Palette & Chisel Club. Mauch is buried at Graceland cemetery on June 20, 1913.

A decade before his passing, “The Inland Printer” included a photograph of Carl Mauch in an article about the Palette & Chisel Club (June 1896, page 315).. It seems appropriate to add to today’s post as a positive remembrance to Mauch’s life. Here is the article in its entirety:

“THE PALETTE AND CHISEL CLUB.

An association of artists and craftsman for the purpose of work and study – such is the Palette and Chisel Clun of Chicago, some of the members of which have appear in the half-tone upon the opposite page, engraved from a photograph by Carl Mauch [image missing]. The organization is unique in that its members are all wage-workers and busy during the week with pencil, brush or chisel doing work to please other people. But on Sunday mornings, at 9 o’clock, they assemble in the studio of Lorado Taft, in the Atheneum building, and for five hours each amuses himself by working in his chosen medium, to suit himself.

The article continues, “Sunday morning means a good deal to one who has worked all week, and thought of these young men placing their easels and arranging their palettes at an hour when the rest of the city is in bed or on bicycles, is sufficient proof of their earnestness. A peep into the studio would show the men all work using all kinds of mediums, oil and water color, wash, pen and ink, charcoal, clay and modeling wax, and each busy as a boy with a jackknife. And the conversation while the model rests deals not so much with “impressionism” and “realism,” or the tendency and mode of artistic revelation as wit the best methods of drawing for reproduction of the discussion of technicalities in the sculptor’s or decorator’s arts.

The work of the club has so far been more for study than exhibition, but there can me no doubt that such a movement among men actually engaged in illustration and decoration and kindred arts appealing directly to the people must result in improving the standard of their work. The impression that a “real artist” is incapable of doing “for the trade” is less erroneous that the idea that an artist earning his living by practical application of his talents may not be the artist worthy of his name. The painter may lack the technical training necessary to the successful illustrator, but an experience in designing or illustration often develops qualities in a man who is prevented from attempting the higher branches of art by lack of time or opportunity, which when his chance comes, gives him an advantage over the mere painter.

Two-thirds of the members are students in the “life class” at the Art Institute night school, and a desire for opportunity to study from the model in daylight, so that color might be used, led to the organization of the club. The time at their disposal is too short to spend bothering with officers or by-laws, so the only formality is the payment of monthly dues to the treasurer, Curtis Gandy who settles the rent and pays the models. The following is a list of the club’s membership: Charles J. Mulligan, David Hunter and W. J. Hutchinson, sculptors; Ray Brown, chief of the “Times-Herald” art department, and F. Holme, of the “Evening Post;” Henry Hutt, illustrator and designer for J. Manz & Co.’ Carl Mauch of the Werner Company’s art staff; Will Carquerville, poster designer and lithographer; Curtis Gandy, Capel Rowley, Richard Boehm and Edward Loewenhelm, designers and illustrators; L. Pearson, F. J. Thwing and H. L. Bredtschneider, fresco painters and decorators; Fred Mulhaupt, display advertiser; Ansel Cook, scenic artist; A. Sterba and W. H. Irvine, portrait artists; Arthur Carr, H. Wagner, L. M. Coakley and J. S. Shippen, art students. Fred Larseon is a “proofer,” and the printer’s trade is represented by W. A. Randall.

The treasurer’s report shows a comfortable balance of cash in hand, and, while the Sunday meetings will soon be temporarily discontinued on account of the hot weather, the dues will run on just the same, so that when the club assembles in the fall it will be with every promise of a good and successful career.”

The statement “Sunday meetings will soon be temporarily discontinued on account of the hot weather” explains why the club purchased a summer home on Fox Lake in 1906, as it gave artists a cooler place to continue their studies.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “A new set for the Hippodrome, city.” Moses was referring to a cityscape setting for Chicago’s Great Northern Hippodrome Theatre. Later that year he added, “I did a drop curtain for the Great Northern Theatre. A very delicate Italian Landscape.” For such a popular space to see live entertainment, little is known of the actual venue.

Here is all that I could track down:

The Great Northern Hippodrome was located in a massive high-rise building at 26 West Jackson, between State and Dearborn Streets. The Great Northern Office and Theatre Company building was designed by D. H. Burnham and Co. in 1896 and adjoined an earlier Great Northern hotel building. Burnham & Root designed the Great Northern Hotel before John W. Root’s passing.

Opening on Nov. 9, 1896, Great Northern Theatre productions included legitimate theatre, vaudeville, movies, and stock company productions. During February 1910, the Schuberts took over the building, redecorating the theater and renaming it the Lyric Theatre. The theater was again renamed, becoming the Great Northern Hippodrome.

The new theater offered a variety of continuous performances from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. daily. Advertisements promised, “All that’s great in circus, vaudeville, hippodrome, and novelty features” (Chicago Tribune, 23 May 1913, page 10).

When Sosman & Landis delivered scenery to the Great Northern Hippodrome in 1913, it was part of a program change, the venue now focused on live entertainment. On July 27, 1913, the  “Chicago Tribune” reported, “The Great Northern Hippodrome, having discontinued motion pictures, is now offering fourteen acts of vaudeville divided into two bills of seven acts” (page 14). Moses’ drop city setting and drop curtain were part of this makeover.

Like many historic venues of the time, the Great Northern Office and Theatre Building were demolished, in 1961 to make room for the Dirksen Federal Building.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Sosman & Landis delivered scenery for a production of  “The Elk’s Tooth” in 1913. An elk’s tooth was known for good luck, and was incorporated into watch fobs, tie clips, necklaces, earrings and other personal artifacts at the time. It was also the theme for a play written and staged by H. L. Brown. The play became associated with the Benevolent and Protected Order of Elks.

On October 1, 1913, Oregon’s “La Grande Observer” included the article about the production of
“The Elks Tooth” with scenery by Sosman & Landis:

“Seat Rush is on Saturday. The Elk’s Tooth is a great big extravaganza of bright, wholesome comedy, catchy music, clever dancing all superbly mounted with special scenery and gorgeous costumes especially made and designed for this especial piece. The scenery was built and painted by the big Chicago firm of Sosman & Landis and is without doubt the finest ever brought to this city. Act 1 represents a big modern ocean liner at sea, and is considered to be the most complete setting of a ship on the stage today. Act II is the shore of a south sea island with a wealth of tropical foliage. Act III shows a south sea island village of thatched roof huts over looking the ocean in the distance. A special crew of ten stage hands will be required to handle the scenery alone at the performances next Monday and Tuesday nights, Oct. 6^th and 7^th.”

“The Elk’s Tooth” was described in the “La Grand Observer” on Oct. 6, 1913: “The play opens on board an ocean liner, which is lying in a bay of a south seas island repairing machinery. Among the many passengers who are on board are two American tourists traveling around the world under a wager, disguised as a Dutchman and a tramp. The plot hinges on these two characters. At the close of the first act, a genuine southern storm comes up and the ship narrowly averts being wrecked on he rocks. During the storm, the Dutchman and the tramp are blown overboard, while the ship catches fire and is blown out to sea with all on board. Fortunately a chicken coop is blown overboard, to which the two men cling until morning, when they are washed ashore. As they land on the island and are contemplating a search for food, a tribe of cannibals overpowers them and ties them to trees. The cannibals build a big fire and prepare for a feast when they discover the Elk’s tooth worn by the Dutchman, Hostilities cease, and, very much to the surprise of the American’s they crown the Dutchman king. The mystery surrounding the elk’s tooth provides the theme for a subsequent developments and final conclusion of an interesting and thrilling story. The ludicrous situations in which the two comedians find themselves furnish an abundance of humor that is ever clean and wholesome, and the beauties of a southern tropical island form an appropriate setting for the choruses and dances” (page 4).

The cast of characters is quite humorous in itself. The Dutchman is named Weinie Wurst. The Tramp is named Easy Tyme.  The S. S. Sea Queen crew includes Captain Blowhard, mate Bowling Knott, and Griddle, the cook.  The cannibals living on the south sea island of Kokomo are led by Cookem Quick, the chief. The titles of the songs are not as creative, but range the gamut from “Oh, Merry Maiden” to “By Right and Discovery.”

Of the production, the “Statesman Journal” reported that H. L. Brown’s operatic comedy was “recognized as the greatest production for Elks’ theatricals in the country…a carload of scenery and equipment is carried by Mr. Brown, the director” (5 Jan. 1913, page 4). So popular was “The Elk’s Tooth,” that it later became a movie in 1924.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “I did a ‘swell’ curtain for Holland, Michigan, and I sincerely hope they will like it.” Moses was referring to the Knickerbocker Theatre of that city, managed by J. A. Simon. Little is known of Moses’ painting beyond his diary entry. In 1913, Holland boasted a population of 11,000. Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide listed an overall drawing population of 15,000 for the venue.

Located at 86 East 8th Street in downtown Holland, the ground-floor venue had a seating capacity of approximately 883, with 17 Loges. The proscenium opening measured 26 feet wide by 21 feet high. The stage was 30 feet deep and 48 feet wide. It was 50 feet from the stage floor to rigging loft and 24 feet to the fly gallery.

Holland is situated in the western region of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, and was settled by Dutch Calvinist separatists under the leadership of Dr. Albertus van Raalte. The Dutch immigrants sought religious freedom and a better life, establishing their village near the Black River where it streamed into Lake Macataw near the shores of Lake Michigan.

Holland features an annual Tulip Time Festival, an event that originated in 1930. Currently, six million tulips are used throughout the city, planted along city streets, in city parks and outside municipal buildings. There is also a large tulip farm, named Veldheer Tulip Gardens. Other tourist attractions include De Zwann, an original 250-year-old Dutch windmill situated on Windmill Island, and Dutch Village. 

Although the city is best known for its Dutch heritage, there is also an annual Fiesta organized by Latin Americans United for Progress, with the Tulipanes Latino Art & Film Festival that celebrates the Latino cultural contribution.

Holland is home to Hope College, a private Christian liberal arts college. The institution was established in 1851, as a Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants. Hope received its state charter in 1866 and it is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. The schools 125-acre campus is adjacent to the downtown commercial district and has been shared with Western Theological Seminary since 1884.  In 1988 the Knickerbocker Theatre was acquired by Hope College and remained opened to the public, offering a variety of events throughout the year, including films and theatrical productions. The website notes that Knickerbocker translates to “best in life.”

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

James Cox established the first scenic studio in Estherville, not his younger brother Jesse. James was the proprietor of Cox Scenic Company throughout the first decade of the twentieth century.  A 1902 ad lists the Jesse Cox Scenic Co., but that advertisement was placed in a Minnesota newspaper. The Estherville scenic company was eventually associated with his Jesse Cox, and subsequently named the Jesse Cox Scenic Company.

Both James and Jesse were scenic artists, with James later primarily focusing on architecture later in his career. The boys’ father was credited with doing all of the carpentry work for the scenic studio.

Spencer J. Cox was born on July 1, 1847 in Mansfield, New York to James Cox and Aphia Webster. He married Julia Anne Hollenbeck (b. 1852) on August 15, 1870, in Grundy, Illinois. Julia was a fraternal twin and daughter of Justus Hollenbeck.  Jesse Cox’s birth name was also Justus, named after his maternal grandfather. Julia’s obituary noted, “To this union eight children were born: Mae, James, Ellry, Jesse, Viola, George, Spencer, and Chauncy Lee. I have not found any information about the girls or Spencer Jr. The couple’s five sons were James Cox (b. 1873), Justus Cox (b. 1878), George L. (b. 1882), Spencer Jr. (b 1884) and Chancy L. (b. 1888). In 1891, the couple moved from Seneca, Illinois, to Estherville, Iowa. After a prolonged illness, Julia passed away on February 4, 1919. Census records note that in 1921 Spencer remarried, with his second wife being Octavia DeVinney (nee. Octavia Turner).

At the time of Spencer’s death, his occupation was listed as a retired contractor. Spencer was also the last surviving member of the Vandenberg Post, G.A.R. The Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was founded in 1866, joining veterans of the Union Army, Navy, Marines, and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service. Organized into hundreds of local posts across the country, it was America’s first veteran’s association. The organization’s founding principles were “Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty.” By 1890, the GAR boasted a membership of 490,000 veterans, such as Cox who served in the Union Army (Co. F., 53rd Illinois Infantry). Spencer enlisted with his brother Patrick.

On March 28, 1933, the Estherville Daily News reported, “S. J. COX LAST OF CIVIL WAR VETERANS DIES” (page 1).  The article also provided some interesting context for the Cox studio.

“Is Given Full Military Honors at Burial Today — Legion in Charge
S. J. Cox, last surviving member of Vandenberg Post, G. A. R. has answered his last reveille. He passed away early Sunday morning [26 March 1933] peacefully, closing his eyes on a long and useful lifetime. Mr. Cox would have been 86 years old on July 1. He was born in Cattaraugus County, New York State, and went to Illinois as a child with his parents. It was in 1891 when Mr. Cox came to Estherville as a contractor and builder. He was associated with his oldest son James for a number of years and later with Jesse Cox in the scenic studio, doing all the carpenter work for the stage scenery, which has been shipped by this studio all over the United States.
Entered Union Army at Sixteen. Mr. Cox was proud of his service in the Union army during the last years of the Civil war. He enlisted in Co. F. 53rd Illinois Infantry, in 1863, and served until the close of the war. He became a member of the Vandenberg post here, and was always ready and willing to take part in all patriotic observances. It was his wish that he be buried with military honors and that he wear to his last resting place the regalia he had worn on so many occasions. Mr. Cox while in failing health was up and about until a comparatively short time ago and took part in the last services for all his comrades in the local Civil war veterans’ post, and insisted on carrying the flag of his country for which he had fought so valiantly. Always happy to talk of his war experiences Mr. Cox could hold a listener enthralled for hours telling of his narrow escapes during the battles in which to took part. He marched with Sherman’s army to the sea, and took part in many of the engagements from Chattanooga to Savannah. Mr. Cox is survived by four sons Jesse of Estherville, George of Des Moines, Spencer of Ames and Chauncey Lee of Indianapolis, Ind. James Cox preceded his father in death and their mother died in 1918. Mr. Cox was later married to Mrs. Octavia De Vinney of Lansing, Mich., who survives. There is also one brother Charles of Arroyo, Calif. and one sister, Mrs. Mayme Colgrove of Wilmington, Ill., left to mourn his passing.”

The details of the funeral service were published:
“Burial Today. Flags in Estherville will float at half mast today in honor of Mr. Cox. Funeral services which will be held at one-thirty from the home on East Roberts street and at two o’clock from the Methodist Episcopal church will be in charge of Rev. W. A. Winterstein. Maurice Doyle Post American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary unit will attend in a body.
A color escort will attend the services at the home and the Legion men will accompany the remains from the church to its burial place in Oak Hill cemetery where the salute will be given by the firing squad and taps blown. Pall bearers will be Dan Howard, C. J. Mathiesen, R. H. Green, Geo. Lyman, Vance Noe and John Lilley.”

A little more information about Cox was reported in the “Vindicator and Republican” (Estherville, Iowa, March 26, 1933). The obituary notice included a brief history about Spencer Cox original published on May 28, 1913.

“S.J. Cox enlisted at Ottawa, Ill., April 15, 1864, in Company F, Fifty-third Illinois Infantry. He was mustered out of service August 28, 1865. His company engaged in their first battle at Bentonville, N.C., and they saw service from that time on. They were with Sherman at Atlanta and fought in the many desperate battles around that city. They had one hundred days of almost constant fighting from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Atlanta. At Kenesau Mountain, the battle of the Twenty-eight, and at Janesboro they saw some of the hardest service of the war. There were three members of this post that took part in the hard fought battle of Janesboro. From Atlanta Mr. Cox went with Sherman’s army to the sea and was with him to the end of the war. During the entire time in service Mr. Cox kept a record of the distance he walked and it is most surprising to think that a man could walk 3000 miles as Mr. Cox did. After the close of the war Mr. Cox went to Seneca, Ill., to live. He remained there about thirty years and moved to Estherville twenty-one years ago. Mr. Cox is a very energetic man for his age but has always been very hard of hearing since he came out of the service.”

To be continued…

I just posted the following to my Facebook Group “Dry Pigment.” Every day, I explore one historic scene or design.

Below are images of a backdrop now stored at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Manufacturer unknown at this time. However, it illustrates a point that I have been writing about. This composition shows the use of glazes, building up a shape/composition from light to dark. The use of glazing was associated with the English tradition and those scenic artists who were trained in London before working in the States. This tradition primarily settled in the East Coast and some West Coast areas. That is not to say that examples are not found elsewhere. Two schools of scenic art were established in the United States during the nineteenth century: the English tradition of glazing and the European use of opaque washes. The use of opaque washes was characteristic of many Midwestern studios, such as Sosman & Landis. I have written quite a bit about each scenic art, just do a keyword search on the subject.

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

There were two Cox families working in theater during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Each included scenic artists, carpenters, and architects.

The Cox scenic art family in New Orleans included Frank, Eugene and Clark. Thomas G. Moses knew and worked with theatrical architect Tignal Franklin “Frank” Cox (1854–1940) during the 1890s. The three Cox brothers operated a scenic and fresco business known as Cox Bros. in New Orleans. It was also referred to as “Frank Cox’s Studio at New Orleans,” with Frank being the eldest and most experienced, leading the firm.  Thomas G. Moses and Frank were close friends and colleagues. Frank Cox’s studio had quite a large staff by 1891 and was located in the Grand Opera House.  Frank withdrew from the partnership in 1896, but the partnership continued to operate under the same name of Cox Bros., despite Frank’s public declamation that the firm was dissolved.  Eugene and Clark published a rebuttal, wanting to make it “thoroughly understood” that they would continue to operate the scenic and fresco business under the name Cox Bros. 

The Estherville Cox family is quite confusing all on their own. Four sons were born to Spencer and Julia in Estherville, three of whom were scenic artists, James S, Jesse M. and Chancy L. However, it was James who first entered the theatrical profession, going from scenic artist and manager to theatre architect and theatrical publisher. Their mother was a seamstress and their father was a carpenter. It was James, however, who was the enterprising instigator and founder of the Cox Scenic Company that became the Jesse Cox Scenic Co. after James’ passing in 1915.

James Spencer Cox was born in Feb. 19, 1873, in Brookville, Illinois.  In 1880, the US Census listed James living with his parents, Spencer and Julia, as well as his 2-year-old brother Justus. Justus would later become the famed Jesse Cox.

James’ artistic ambitions appeared flourished during 1892. He was teaching while working as a scenic artists and decorative painter. The “Estherville Daily News” reported, “James Cox is organizing a class of oil painters, and would be pleased to hear from all those wishing to take lesson. See specimen of work at Klopp’s drug store”  (14 Jan. 1892, page 13). That same year, the “Estherville Daily News” noted, “James Cox is painting some good looking scenery for the opera house” (21 April 1892, page 5). At the time, James was painting scenery for Stivers’ Opera House in Estherville. Cox would later design Lough’s Opera House in Estherville. By 1896, Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide listed James S. Cox as the manager and the recommended printer for necessary billposters. Cox managed the venue until 1899, when F. H. Rhodes took over as manager. Lough’s stage had a proscenium opening that measured 28 feet wide by 18 feet high. The depth of the stage was 28 feet from footlights to back wall. The stage to the rigging loft was 19 feet and the grooves could be taken up flush with the gallery.

Finally, James received the job of frescoing some of the rooms of Hotel Orleans at Spirit Lake the same year he worked as a scenic artist (Estherville Daily News, 16 June 1892, page 13). He was also playing gigs as a musician at this time with the Emmetsburg band; one was for the Palo Alto county fair (Estherville Daily News, 24 Sept. 1891, page 5).

His professional career also followed in his father’s footsteps, working as a contractor and builder and then architect and superintendent. He designed many buildings in Estherville, including the Lough Opera House (Estherville Daily News 13 Sep. 1894 page 5).  It was in the Lough Opera House that his younger brother Jesse first performed as an actor.

The two brothers partnered on various business ventures in the 1890s. In a way, older brother James paved the wave for younger brother Jesse’s theatrical endeavors. In the mid-1890s, Jesse primarily worked as an actor or musician, but by the end of the decade he began focusing on scenic art. As James was working as a scenic artist in 1892, it was possible that Jesse learned much of his craft under his brother’s tutelage. 1896 Jesse was performing with the Trousdale Specialty Co. in Estherville (Estherville Daily News, 3 Sept. 1896, page 5). Cox was associated with this same troupe four decades later. As late as 1933, he was credited with still providing new scenery and settings for every play (Sioux City Journal, 22 Jan. 1933, page 11).

By 1895, James married Ada Grace Cavin (b. 1874). By 1910, James listed his occupation as an architect and Ada listed her occupation as a news reporter, likely a correspondent for the Opera House Reporter.

In 1897, the “Estherville Daily News” reported “James and Jesse Cox, who have been absent for some time with the Vitascope company, returned home Tuesday evening” (4 March 1897, page 21). Following the premiere of the Vitascope company in April 1896, Raff & Gammon’s Vitascope Co. began marketing the new product. In a sense, they worked as sales agents for the Edison Manufacturing Co. The Vitascope Co. did not last for long, its demise credited to several factors. For more information about this aspect, see “An Illustrated History of the Early Cinema;” here is the link: http://cinemathequefroncaise.com/Chapter2-1/CHAPTER_02_SOURCE_01.html

By 1898, James started a new business venture with his brother Jesse – the Opera House Reporter. By 1904 it was published by the James S. Cox & Co. of Estherville. Interestingly, there is a photograph of their newspaper shop included in the publication “Esther’s Town” by Deemer Lee. Keep in mind that all during the Vitascope adventure and the establishment of the Opera House Reporter, Jesse was still performing in vaudeville. Between 1898 and 1899, Jesse was part of Noble’s Theatre Co. (Estherville Daily News, 6 July 1899, page 21). The “Des Moines Register” reported, “Estherville, Iowa, has a theatrical journal called “The Opera House Reporter.” It is published by James S. Cox & Co., and has been in existence for several years. Its object is to provide a medium for the theatrical managers in the smaller towns in the northwest to air their views and vent their feelings, and judging from reports sent in, it fills an urgent need. Managers in small towns have particular cause for grievance over indiscriminate cancellation of contracts by traveling companies. This and other evils are treated with great candor, as the following communications to the “Opera House Reporter” will show”(6 Jan. 1904, page 5). A series of acts were described in great detail.

On Jan. 12 1906, “The Gazette” reported, “James S. Cox of Estherville, manager of the Cox Scenic studio, was here yesterday, putting in some new scenery at the C. S. P. S. hall. Mr. Cox is one of the largest makers of scenery in the west, giving employment in his studio at Estherville to nine scenic painters. There is a bare possibility that Mr. Cox may be induced to come to Cedar Rapids with his studio” (page 3). On Nov. 3, 1906, “The Courier” reported, “James S. Cox, representing the Cox Scenic company, of Estherville, is in the city today figuring on the scenic work for the new opera house. Mr. Cox says he may conclude to locate in Waterloo. E is well pleased with the city and believes it will prove a more advantageous business location than his present place of business. Waterloo is jut now the Mecca of opera house men, promoters, outfitters and architects, and there is something doing nearly all the time” (Waterloo, Iowa, page 5). By 1914, the “Iowa State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1914-1915” listed Jesse Cox as the proprietor of the Jesse Cox Scenic Company and James S. Cox as architect. Only James was listed in the 1912 directory.

On March 6, 1907, “The Gazette” noted, “James S. Cox of Estherville, editor of the Opera House Reporter, and proprietor of one of the largest scenic studios in the state, is here on business today” (Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 6 March 1907, page 2). James was still running both the Reporter and scenic studio. In 1910, the paper changed hands. The “Sioux City Journal” published, “Estherville, Iowa, Jan 10 – Special: The Opera House Reporter, a weekly theatrical journal, owned and published here by James S. Cox and company has been sold to Will H. Bruno, an actor, who has taken possession. Mr. Cox began the publication of the Reporter in Estherville fourteen years ago. Mr. Cox will remain in Estherville” (11 Jan 1912, page 4). “The Gazette” explained, “Mr. Cox began the publication of the Reporter in Estherville fourteen years ago next month, and has built up the paper from a little four page journal to its present size from twenty to thirty pages, with a circulation all over the United States and part of Canada. Mr. Cox will remain in Estherville as a theater architect, and will manage the Cox Scenic company. Mr. Bruno is a man well known in the theatrical world, having played in some of the largest companies on the road, and for the last four years has been with the Bruno attractions. He will move to Estherville and continue the publication of the journal at that place” (Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 13 Jan 1912, page 8).

James died in Estherville on July 29, 1915, predeceasing his parents and brothers. 

On August 7, 1915, newspapers reported the passing of James Cox (The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, page 6).

Here is the notice:

“ESTHERVILLE ARCHITECT DIES AFTER LONG ILLNESS

Estherville, Iowa, Aug. 7 – After suffering from cancer of the stomach for over a year during which time he was treated by specialists at Rochester, Minn., Chicago and New York City, James Cox died at his home here last Thursday and was buried Sunday. Mr. Cox had been actively engaged in the building trade since youth and had won recognition as one of the best architects in the northwest. He had more than twenty public buildings, mostly schools under construction at different points in the state. For several years he was also engaged in the publishing business and was the founder of the Opera House Reporter, one of the leading theatrical magazines in the country, and was also associated with his brother in the Jesse Cox scenic studio. Practically all of the best business blocks and residences in Estherville were designed by Mr. Cox.”

James S. Cox is buried in Estherville’s Oak Hill Cemetery. After James’ death, Ada remarried Jesse Allen Easter, also of Estherville. She was 42 years old at the time. The couple was married on June 25, 1917, in Sibley, Iowa.

To be continued…