Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1043 – Herman Kramer Sr. and the Kramer Theatre of Detroit, 1920

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

I return to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses after a two-week break. The research, writing, and painting didn’t stop during the past fourteen days, just all of my online activities. This was my first significant pause since my blog in September 2016; I was overdue.

In 1920, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The Kramer Theatre of Detroit gave us quite a good-sized order which came in very handy.” The Kramer Theatre was a sizeable venue, boasting 1,732 seats.

At the time, Moses was working for Chicago Studios and work was only trickling into the shop.  Although WWI had ended, a recession had also started at the beginning of 1920.   This slowed many theater projects but did not stop them all; the Kramer included.

The Kramer Theatre was located at 5741 Michigan Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, and named after a very successful Detroit businessman – Herman Kramer, Sr.

In 1922, Herman Kramer was included in “The City of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922.” Compiled by Clarence Monroe Burton, Kramer was one of many individuals recognized for their contribution to the city (City of Detroit, 1922, page 386). Of Kramer, Burton wrote, “Herman Kramer is the president of the firm Herman Kramer & Sons, furniture dealers of Detroit, and owners of the Kramer Theatre, which has recently been completed and constitutes one of the most attractive and modern amusement houses of the city.”

Kramer was born on February 11, 1868, to parents Edward and Frederica (Heinman) Kramer. The couple arrived in America during the 1880s and settled in Detroit. Edward was in the lumber business. Herman began in the wallpaper hanging trade. He continued in that line and established his own business by 1893. Burton described, “His patronage steadily grew, and success attended his efforts. This constituted the initial step towards his present line, for after a time he added to his establishment a stock of furniture and has developed his business into one of the most successful furniture houses in the city. He has at times been most progressive and enterprising in his methods, the attractive line of furniture which he carried enabled him to meet every demand of the trade and he has outfitted many of the attractive homes of Detroit. He has also completed a fine structure known as the Kramer building, containing tea stores and offices with apartments above. The building is one of the valuable pieces of business property in that part of the city an occupies an entire block front on the southwest corner of Michigan avenue and Greusel street, and contains the Kramer Theatre, the second largest playhouse in Detroit. The theater, which is conducted as a vaudeville house for high-class theatrical performances and the better clean motion pictures, is thoroughly modern in all its appointments, seating over two-thousand people.”

Kramer passed away the same year as Thomas G. Moses, in 1934. Kramer’s obituary reported, “Herman Kramer, founder of the Kramer Furniture Co., and widely known in business and Masonic circles here for almost half a century, died Friday at his home, 5711 Michigan Ave. Born in Magdeburg, Germany, 68 years ago he came to Detroit when he was 16 years old. Forty-two years ago, he founded the furniture company bearing his name, located at the same building with his home. Later another store at 7665 Gratoit Ave. was opened. The Michigan Ave. store was discontinued about a year ago. He was also the owner of the Kramer Theater, 5731 Michigan Ave., and the entire block in which his home and theater are located. Mr. Kramer was a member of Union Lodge, No. 3, F.&A.M.; Peninsular Chapter, R.A.M.; the Michigan Sovereign Consistory, and Moslem Temple of the Shrine. He is survived by his wife Elenore and two sons, Walter and Herman, Jr.” Detroit Free Press, 27 April 1934, page 20).

Kramer was remembered as “one of the pioneer businessmen in the Junction-Michigan Aves. Section and was in the furniture business there for more than 30 years” (Detroit Free Press, 27 Nov. 1935, page 24). Herman Kramer & Sons had a store on the east side at 1697 Gratoit Ave. and on the west side at 1609 Michigan Ave. (“Detroit Free Press,” 21 Nov. 1920, page 15).

To be continued…