Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Will H. Clifton worked at Sosman & Landis from approximately 1889 until 1905. He is not to be confused with other William Clifton’s who worked as actors and producers during this same time. Clifton was a stage carpenter and stage machinist. His projects for Sosman & Landis included: the Wallace Opera House in Sterling, Illinois (1889), the Washington Opera House in Maysville, Kentucky (1899), the Gennett Theatre in Richmond, Indiana (1899), and the Elks Opera House in Prescott, Arizona (1905).
The earliest mention of Clifton working for Sosman & Landis was in 1889. That year the “Sterling Gazette” reported, “Mr. W. H. Clifton of Sosman & Landis, stage furnishers and scenic artists of Chicago, returned to Chicago this morning after completing his work in the Wallace Opera House. He has been engaged for the past two weeks in fitting up an entirely new outfit of scenes and stage appliances and has done his work well. The Opera House now has, for its size, one of the best furnished stages in the state outside Chicago” (19 April 1889, page 3). On April 3, 1899, “The Sterling Gazette” reported, “The opening of the Wallace Opera House, tomorrow, promises to be one of the great theatrical events in the history of Sterling. The house has been thoroughly renovated and equipped with new and costly scenery, painted by Sosman & Landis, of Chicago, which is being put into place today, under the personal supervision of this celebrated firm of scenic artists.”(page 2). Keep in mind that Sterling was the hometown of Thomas G. Moses, likely the scenic artist who painted the Wallace Opera House scenery.
After completing his work in Sterling, Clifton headed east to Michigan. On May 10, 1889. The “News-Palladium” in Benton Harbor, Michigan, reported, “The scenery for the new opera house arrived from Chicago by boat this morning, and Mr. W. H. Clifton, an expert stage machinist of that city, is here to superintend putting it in position”(page 1).
By June 14, 1889, the “News-Palladium” announced the completion of Yore’s Opera House, reporting, “Messrs. Sosman & Landis of Chicago, furnished the scenery and stage fixtures – Will H. Clifton, stage machinist, having been sent here by the firm to superintend the work some four weeks ago. He has just finished up this task of fitting the stage carpets – one green and the other red. The stage is admirably appointed. There are seven compete sets of scenery, namely, Parlor, Kitchen, Open Wood, Garden, Prison, Water View and Street, and all accompanying wings, borders, box scenes, etc., necessary to a first-class theatre. All the doors and windows in scenery are ‘practicable’ instead of being blind, as is usual in small theatres. There are also a number of ‘set’ pieces – set rocks, set water, balustrades, a set house, a pair of garden vases, etc. The drop curtain is a handsome work of art and is unsurpassed in Michigan outside of Detroit and Grand Rapids, the scene being ‘The Hudson River from West Point.’ Size of curtain 42×30 feet. Three traps, stage braces, stage screws and other stage paraphernalia complete Sosman & Landis’ branch of the work, which has been done in first-class shape. The proscenium opening is 36x24feet; depth of stage, 30 feet; 75 feet wide and 33 feet in length, with full set of grooves; flats 18×26; depth beneath stage, a little over 7 feet; sets of grooves, four; two roomy fly galleries. There is a special scenery entrance in the rear and also a private stage entrance. The stage will be brilliantly lighted by two rows of border lights, the footlights and numerous other side lights – electric” (page 3).
There is a gap from 1889 until 1899, when Clifton’s name does not appear in newspapers, yet later sources confirm that he was working for Sosman & Landis at this time. It is possible that all of his work was completed in the main studio and not on the road, however, his name was not included in the Chicago Directory. This is perplexing.
A decade later, Clifton represented the firm at the Washington Opera House in Maysville, Kentucky. After fire destroyed the original opera house in January 1898, plans were implemented for its immediate replacement. The second Washington Opera House opened on February 9, 1899. The Sosman & Landis scenery arrived only a few days before the official opening, causing public concern. On Feb. 6, 1899, the “Public Ledger” reported, “The scenery for the Opera-house arrived Saturday and was immediately started for its proper place on stage. This statement is made so that any misgivings as to the opening Thursday night may be dispelled” (6 Feb. 1899, page 4). On Sunday, February 13, “The Evening Bulletin” reported “Mr. W. H. Clifton, the stage carpenter who put up the scenery at the opera house, left for home in Chicago Sunday” (Maysville, Kentucky, 13 Feb 1899, page 4). Clifton remained in town for all of the opening activities and made sure that everything worked properly, then returned home. Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the 1900-1901 season noted that the height of the scenery was 18 feet, with the height to the rigging loft as 66 feet. There were no grooves, suggesting primarily flown scenery.
The same year that Clifton installed the Washington Opera House scenery, he also installed scenery at the Gennett Theatre in Richmond, Indiana. On Dec. 29, 1899 the “Richmond Item” reported, “Last night the Gennett scenery was shown for the first time, under the direction of Mr. Clifton of the Sosman & Landis Co., who has been here putting it up” (Richmond, Indiana, page 4). The Gennett Theatre was built in 1899 at N. 8th Street and N. A Street on the site of the Bradley Theatre which had burned down in 1898.
The last article that I have located connecting Clifton with Sosman & Landis is from 1905. That year Clifton installed scenery in the Elks Theatre in Prescott, Arizona, at 117 East Gurley Street. On January 25, 1905, the “Weekly Journal-Miner” reported, “W. H. Clifton, stage carpenter with Sosman & Landis, of Chicago, yesterday completed the work of putting up the curtain and scenery for the Elks’ Theatre. Mr. Clifton is an experienced workman in this line having been with the above firm nineteen years. He has just four days getting the Elk’s job finished. In conversation with ta Journal Miner representative yesterday he stated that he had never been sent out to do work for the firm in any place where he had enjoyed it so much as this. He thinks Prescott has an ideal climate and he said if he had a job here that would pay him a salary equal to that which he is receiving he would like nothing better than to remain here. In addition to being an expert in the work of putting up stage scenery and curtains Mr. Clifton is a genial and pleasant gentleman whom it is a pleasure to meet” (page 7). On February 1, 1905, the “Weekly Journal-Miner” reported, “W. H. Clifton, stage carpenter for Sosman & Landis of Chicago gave a private matinee yesterday afternoon for the Elks’ theatre which was attended by about forty or fifty people. The entertainment consisted of an exhibition of all the curtains and scenery of the opera house and was given for the purpose of giving the building committee an opportunity to see what they have purchased and to check it up on the list in order to demonstrate that they have received all that they have paid for. The curtains, scenery and all the stage appointments are certainly up to date and quite handsome. Mr. Clifton is an expert also in the manipulating of them. The Elk’s seem to be well pleased with their purchase. The opera house, when completed, will without doubt be one of the finest in this territory, and a few, if any in the southwest will surpass it. There may be larger buildings of the kind but none more complete in its furnishings and all of its appointments.”
I have uncovered very little about Clifton’s personal life, either before or after his association with Sosman & Landis. The earliest listing for Clifton that I have located is in the 1885 Chicago directory; William H. Clifton was listed as a carpenter, likely the same Clifton. That year, he was living with Hal D. (Harry) Clifton at 358 Loomis. The two would continue living together in Chicago until 1888, their home located at 98 Gilpin. Although there were a few gap years, by 1890, the two were still living together, now at 5713 LaSalle. William was again listed as a carpenter, with Harry as a bookkeeper. Harry D. Clifton worked his way up from a clerk to the president at the Union Wallpaper Co. in Chicago, and then switched careers, becoming an appraiser. In the gap year that William Clinton did not live with Harry in 1889, he was listed as a painter in the Chicago Directory, boarding at 44 Centre. Interestingly, this was the same year that he began working at Sosman & Landis.
Unfortunately, I have yet to locate any birth, death, or marriage records. He also is absent from census records, even after trying to locate him through Harry D. Clifton’s records. I am not suggesting that there weren’t census records listing men named William Clifton, just not the correct Clifton who worked as a carpenter and lived in Chicago from 1889-1905. Much of the problem seems to be that unless Clifton were married, or listed a permanent home, he likely found lodging in whatever town he was working in. Furthermore, if a father, brother, or distant relative were living in Chicago, there may have been no need to rent his own home between 1891-1905, especially if he were working for Sosman & Landis as an installer. All this being said, he may have intentionally remained in the shadows. Then, as now, some people don’t want to be found, whether their reason is marital or legal concerns.
I have located one possible record that suggests Clifton left Sosman & Landis after completing the Elks Theatre in Arizona. In “Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide” for the 1906-1907 and 1907-1908 seasons, W. H. Clifton is listed as the stage carpenter for the Lewis Opera House in Canton, Pennsylvania. It had just reopened after being closed for a season. On May 9, 1905, the “Canton Independent” announced, “Mrs. E. M. Lewis, owner of the Lewis Opera House, will not take out a theater license this year, and the opera house will be closed. The reason for this is the fact that theatrical performances do not draw sufficient crowds to pay the expense, let alone a profit. Mrs. Lewis did a very handsome thing for the town in erecting such an elegant opera house, which in every[articular is superior to those usually found in the larger cities and the fact that it is to be closed will cause great regret” (page 12). Sosman & Landis were already connected with the town, having delivered the scenery for the Rink in 1885 (Canton Independent-Sentinel 3 July 1885, page 1).
I’ll post more if anything else pops up.
To be continued…
