Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
As an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota, I created an index for Thomas G. Moses’ diary and scrapbook. It was part of an independent study course with Prof. Lance Brockman. I spent countless hours trying to track down sources for the newspaper clippings in Moses’ scrapbook, paging through crumbling theatre journals and scrolling through reels of microfilm.
Fast-forward three decades. I am sitting on the floor of my basement office, organizing my scenic art files. A small slip of paper falls to the floor; it’s almost illegible because the font is so small and I have no idea where I last set my reading glasses. I take a picture with my phone to enlarge the print and quickly scan the article; one name pops out – Little Theresa Sparks.
Her is the article: “Little Theresa Sparks is another scenic artist who may be expected to reach the top. Miss Sparks is now employed with Bodine-Spanger Studio, Chicago. Two years ago she was given her first opportunity to demonstrate her ability when then manager of the Halsizer Display Background Studio, Des Moines, Iowa, gave her employment.”
I was immediately transported back to Wilson Library’s basement, complete with hard chairs, microfilm machines, and an endless stream of quarters. It was in the basement of Wilson library that I carefully transcribed each line of the text from Moses’ newspaper clippings. I didn’t own a computer at the time and would later type up these notes. In hindsight, my handwritten transcriptions were the best thing I could have done, as much of the information etched itself in my memory.
“Little Theresa Sparks” was the earliest mention of an historic female scenic artist for me. I realized there could be a hidden treasure trove of documents that mentioned women scenic artists. There would be one – newpapers.com. So much history about women technicians has been left out of theatre history books.
Theresa “Tressa” M. Sparks was born in Jasper, Iowa on May 29, 1894. The 1895 Iowa State Census lists the actual residence as Lynngrove in Jasper.” She was the only daughter of William P. Sparks and Rosa “Rosy” Matheny. Both William and Rosy were also from Iowa, with her paternal grandparents from Kentucky and Indiana, and her maternal grandparents from Iowa and Virginia. William was a piano salesman and Rosy, a seamstress. In 1905, the family was living at 1216 Third Avenue in Grinnell, Iowa.
Unbelievably, I found a picture of Tressa. She was listed in the 1913 issue of “Grinnellian,” Grinnell’s High School Year book. Active in debate, orchestra and the glee club, she even make it the debate preliminaries that year. At Grinnell High School, the drawing and penmanship instructor was Miss Bessie Wallace. Wallace’s education was from the Iowa State Teachers College (1907) and Chicago School of Art. This would have been Tressa’s initial Chicago art connection. Tressa completed college, but was back as Grinnell High School as an instructor of zoology, chemistry, and the Nature Study Club. This seems to have been her first job.
By 1919, Sparks was living in Des Moines, Iowa, and was listed in the City Directory as an artist rooming at the Hotel Pershing.
This is likely where the article that I located fits in: “Little Theresa Sparks is another scenic artist who may be expected to reach the top. Miss Sparks is now employed with Bodine-Spanger Studio, Chicago. Two years ago she was given her first opportunity to demonstrate her ability when then manager of the Halsizer Display Background Studio, Des Moines, Iowa, gave her employment.” Note that there is no big deal made about her gender.
The Bodine-Spanger Co. advertised as “Designers and Manufacturers of Decorative Backgrounds for Show Windows,” with their show rooms and studio in Chicago. They placed advertisements during 1918 in the “Merchants Record and Show Window” (Vol. 42 and Vol. 43). Located at 116 Chatham Court, Chicago, George A. Smith was listed as the Eastern Representative with offices in 1777 Broadway, New York. In 1918, the firm partnered with the Koester School to give instruction in the Decorative Painting that “made his studio famous in the Window Display Field.” Mr. Bodine was credited as being the “originator of this style of decoration” and would teach students how to mix paints, what paints to use, how to get all the color combinations, how to make mottled effects, blending of colors, stencil designs and how to do decorative landscape painting “in the modern treatment by the Bodine method.” The company was initially called j. C. Bodine, and later the Bodine-Spanger-Janes Co.
The 1920 US Federal Census lists provides a little more information about Sparks as she was recorded in both Des Moines and Chicago. In both instances she was, 25 yrs. old, single, and listed as an “artist” working in the “studio” industry. In Chicago, she was boarding in
at 1423 LaSalle St (Chicago’s Ward 21). She was also listed as living with her parents in Des Moines. That year William P. Sparks was still working as a piano salesman, going house to house.
Something happened by 1930, however, as Sparks returns to Grinnell with her parents. It was likely the market crash of 1929. The US Census lists the family living as living at 195 Third Ave. That year, Theresa submitted “none” for occupation, whereas her father was now listed as a musical instrument salesman and her mother as a seamstress.
The 1940 census still lists Sparks as still living at home with her parents, now ages 72 and 70 respectively. She listed no occupation after her return to the small town of Grinnell, Iowa, in Poweshiek County. It appears as if she was taking care of aging parents while living at 1216 Third Street, Grinnell, Iowa.
Sparks passed away on June 15, 1970 and is buried next to her mother Rosa.
Over the past 3 ½ years, I have explored the lives of at least two-dozen women scenic artists, with careers that spanned from the early nineteenth century to early twentieth century; one even ran a studio. These are individuals whose name actually made it into print, meaning that they were but a small percentage of women actually working as scenic artists for theater. I think of all those unmentioned souls, the one’s whose mere presence may have been a liability to a scenic studio at that time.
As with other scenic artists of the day, the women painted for a variety of venues and were well skilled in many subjects. When you factor in the incredible social pressures for women to give up any career upon marriage and focus on raising children, it is amazing that a few dozen were still mentioned in the newspapers.
To be continued…
Look up Caroline Siedle. She was a famous costume designer but started out as a scenic artist in NYC in the 1880’s.
Her husband ran the MET and their is an illustration of her on scaffolding painting.
Thank you!