Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1919 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “A large drop curtain for Pittsburg Shrine took up a lot of my time, it being over 70’ long and 26’ high. I did the picturesque city of Tiberius, and it made a good picture. A heavy gold frame gave it a very Oriental feeling.”
Previously, Moses closed an $8575.00 contract for Pittsburgh’s 3,700-seat Syria Shrine Mosque theater (see past post 906, https://drypigment.net2020/01/19/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-part-906-the-pittsburgh-shrine-1915/). In 1915, he wrote “May 15th, I went to Pittsburg with my big models for the Shrine and closed for $8,575.00.” A year later Moses wrote, “The Syria Temple of Pittsburg is still jogging along. If they don’t get it under roof pretty soon, we will have the scenery finished long before they are ready for it.” On October 27, 1916, the “Record-Argus” reported, “Syria Mosque Dedicated by Shriners.” The article continued, “Syria Temple, the new $1,000,000 mosque of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of Pittsburgh, was formally dedicated Thursday afternoon…. Following the dedicatory exercises a banquet, attended by 5,000 Shriners was served in the dining hall of the temple…Nearly 700 prospective Shriners were also dined and occupied positions as guests with out-of-town visitors. Thursday night the largest class of candidates was initiated. The number ran close to 700 and is probably the largest to be accepted at one time in the history of the Shrine…Initiation took place in the auditorium, the officers in the charge wearing new costumes. During both ceremonies the elaborate lighting system was demonstrated. Rays from two search light machines, made soft, played in the stage throughout.” (Greenville, Pennsylvania, page 1). This provides context in regard to the scale of Shrine initiations in 1919, as that year Moses also designed and painted scenery for Denver’s El Jebel Shrine ceremonies.
In the summer of 1919, Moses wrote, “In August I made a number of Shrine models for Denver and we received a contract.” “The Indian Journal” of Eufaula, Oklahoma described the El Jebel Temple was “one of Denver’s most beautiful and imposing buildings” (23 Oct. 1919, page 1). It may have been a lovely theater, but it was not grand enough for a massive gathering of Shriners on Nov. 21, 1919.
For the event, Shriners staged the Shrine ceremonial at the Denver Auditorium, complete with special scenery. Moses recorded that the scenery shipped from Chicago on November 1, 1919; plenty of time for transportation, inspection and installation at the Denver Auditorium. The event was a multi-state Shrine initiation. On Nov. 28, 1919, the “Western Kansas News” announced, “Initiation at Denver was biggest Masonic affair ever held in the West.” The article continued, “The initiation was the greatest every attempted by any Shrine in the west. The cost of the scenery and other essentials represented an expenditure of over $11,000. The large and beautiful Shrine Temple in Denver was entirely too small for the event which resulted in securing the Denver Auditorium for the ceremonial. The large auditorium which seats many thousand people was crowded to its doors by Shriners from Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and New Mexico. This was a big production for Moses and by the end of the year he reflected, “While we have been very busy the whole year, we have not done any very notable productions, excepting the Coliseum shows and Denver.” The demand for painted scenery was down everywhere, except for Masonic productions. The fraternity was alive and thriving.
To be continued…
