Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “April 18th, I went to Detroit and closed with Hoffmans for their new Colonial Theatre, $3,800.00, and the Palace Theatre, all new scenery at $2,000.00. Another good days work. I rested a day, then went home.” Moses was referring to past clients C. A. and Graham Hoffman. On February 15, 1914, the “Detroit Free Press,” reported that Sosman & Landis delivered the scenery for the New Palace Theater. The “Detroit Free Press” announced, “Scenery is the Best. The scenery is from the Sosman & Landis studio of Chicago, leaders in the art, and for particular reasons the work is extraordinary.”
There are few things to consider about Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio in 1917. The first is repeat customers. The firm delivered stock scenery to Palace theatres in Chicago (1912), Minneapolis (1914), and Fort Wayne, Indiana (1914) and Detroit (1914). Once they secured a contract, the client is far more likely to come back if they needed something else, and they did. Sosman & Landis a quality product, on time, every time, and prompting repeat customers. Their business model relied upon this.
It all began to change by 1920. The proverbial rug became pulled out from under the feet of the firm. I have noticed that after WWI, there is a shift in the industry; theater owners begin to care less about the quality of new scenery and are more concerned with the bottom line. The phrase, “good enough for who its for” comes to mind. In other words, the painted aesthetic begins to shift as a second-tier of scenic studios pops up and begins to produce scenery on a mass-scale. The second-tier studio offers an inferior product at a cheaper price. Some of the artistic demands begin to diminish the there is an increased use of fabric draperies in lieu of painted drops. In many cases the “art” aspect of scenery becomes a “craft,” allowing those with less artistic experience to easily complete projects. Stencil patterns replace pictorial painting on front curtains at many entertainment venues. This trend is closely associated with rise of combination houses and strict cinemas.
Many new theatres during the second decade of the twentieth century also took film into consideration. Sosman & Landis had a significant amount of work for combination houses at this time. Sosman & Landis got a foot in the door delivering picture settings that featured a central projection area amidst a painted composition. This type of project featured the studios high-end painting skills while adapting to new technologies – photoplays, moving pictures, silent films, or you name what constitutes entertainment.
Another aspect to consider concerns is the continued increase and power of theatrical circuits; multiple venues managed by a single organization. It is easier to contract one company for all of your stages, than look for a new scenic studio each time. In 1917 Sosman & Landis were able to benefit from multiple theatre chains such as Palace theaters in the Orpheum circuit.
To be continued…
