Copyright © 2022 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Victor Hubal was associated with Sosman & Landis between 1905 and 1917. Hubal began working as a scenic artist at the age of 17 in 1905, starting with the firm about the same time as John Hanny and Art Oberbeck. Like Hanny and Oberbeck, Hubal’s scenic art career spanned for decades. His scenic art appeared in a variety of venues across the country.
Hubal’s employment at Sosman & Landis was mentioned in a Kentucky newspaper at the beginning of 1912. At the time, Hubal was painting scenery for the Garside Stock Co. at the Kentucky Theatre in Paducah, Kentucky. On January 12, 1912, Paducah’s “News-Democrat” announced, “Mr. Victor Hubal, of the Sosman-Landis studio, Chicago, has been engaged to paint all scenery and is now hard at work at the Kentucky on the first production. ‘The Devil’s Kitchen.’” Two days later, the same newspaper reported, “Mr. Victor Hubal is the scenic artist, and has been connected for several years with the Sosman & Landis Studio in Chicago – which is proof positive that theater-goers of Paducah will have an opportunity of seeing some beautiful scenery twice a week at this popular playhouse” (page 6).
This meant that in 1911 Hubal was selected from the Sosman & Landis staff to paint the new scenery for the Garside Stock Company. Operated by James S. Garside, the company secured a a fifty-week engagement at Paducah’s Kentucky Theater, performing two plays each week. Hubal painted much of the stage settings on site The Garside Stock Company’s 1912 repertoire included “The Devil’s Kitchen,” “Love and Honor,” “Dora Thorne,” “In the Rogue’s Gallery,” “Driven From Home,” “A Soldier’s Sweetheart,” “The Bowery Girl,” “Thorns and Orange Blossoms,” “The Queen of the Ranch,” “To Be Buried Alive,” “A Romance of Fort Riley,” “Brother Against Brother,” “A Struggle of Life,” “Her Cowboy Visitor,” “The Power of Woman,” “St. Elmo,” “The Embezzler,” and others. On Dec. 1, 1912, a picture of Hubal’s painted setting for “The Embezzler” was published in the “News-Democrat” of Paducah, Kentucky (page 6).
Another article about Hubal’s scenic art for Garside was published on January 15, reporting, “Each play will be a production from a scenic point of view, as Mr. Vic Hubal, of the Sosman & Landis studio, Chicago, has been engaged to paint all the scenery, and is now hard at work at the Kentucky on the first production of ‘The Devil’s Kitchen,’ which will be the bill for the first three days, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.”
Throughout 1912, newspaper articles provide a glimpse into the scenery carried by the Garside Stock Co., as well as Hubal’s career. On March 28, 1912, the “Dubuque Telegraph Herald” reported, “Car Load of Scenery Arrives – The Burlington passenger train from St. Paul brought a carload of stock scenery for the plays to be presented by the Garside Stock company. The company will produce two new plays next week and return to the road tour, returning here for the summer season at the Airdome in June. Mr. Victor Hubal, the scenic artist, who made all the scenery for the Airdome productions has been with Mr. Garside all winter and will return here for the summer” (page 5). On July 29, 1912, the “Dubuque Telegraph Herald” review of Garside’s “The Heart of Arizona” production, reporting “Victor Hubal, the scenic artist of the company is deserving of praise for the scenery” (page 8).
On June 8, 1912, “The Dubuque Telegraph Herald” heralded Hubal’s scenery for “St. Elmo” at the Airdome, produced by the Rosenthal Summer Theatre. The article reported, “Victor Hubal, the scenic artist of the company outdid himself in making new embellishments for this play, and included a beautiful church interior setting showing the full figure of Christ in stained glass with lighting effects to make it stand out beautifully in the act” (page 5). He also painted special scenery for “An American Girl” at the Airdome that summer (“Dubuque Telegraph Herald” 11 July 1912, page 2).
As most Sosman & Landis scenic artists, Hubal crisscrossed the country, even venturing into Canada. Family photos picture Hubal with Fellow scenic artist George Wood, both painting for the Winnipeg theatre. At the time, Hubal was 24 years old (see first photo in this post).
Although I have written quite a bit about Hubal in past posts, here it is again…
Victor J. Hubal was born in Chicago on May 10, 1888. His father, Felix Hubal (b. Nov. 1861), was a Czech immigrant and baker. His mother, Theresa Mary Koranda (b. 1864), was born in Illinois and worked as a seamstress. By the age of 22 yrs. old, Victor Hubal was still living with his mother and two siblings, Otto (20 yrs.) and Lucy (18 yrs.). Their address was 3528 W. Cortland St.
The 1910 census report listed that Hubal was an “artist”; he was actually working as a scenic artist. His sister worked as a stenographer, while his brother was unemployed that year. Although Hubal’s scenic art career began in 1905, little is known of his early work, but this is understandable since he was apprenticing to older artists at the time. As the Paducah newspaper article suggested, Hubal had worked at Sosman & Landis for “several years” by 1912.
Hubal continued to live in Chicago until 1917, when he married In 1917, Hubal met a married Eloise L. Strenlund (1897 – 1984). The couple’s first address was 5030 Hutchinson St. This was the same address listed on his WWI Draft Registration card. Hubal’s draft registration card listed that he was as scenic artist. Although currently unemployed, Hubal listed that he was planning to work for the Joy & Cannon Scenic Co. in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also claimed exemption from the draft due to “kidney trouble.” On August 20, 1917, Hubal’s name and address were part of the draft list published in the “Chicago Examiner” (page 12).
It was likely familial ties that prompted the Hubals to move from Illinois to Minnesota. Eloise grew up in Minnesota, daughter to a Swedish immigrant. Her father, Anton Strenlund, emigrated in 1887 at the age of sixteen. He gradually made his way west, working as a carpenter and finally settling in Minnesota where he married Alise Oberg on August 21, 1897. The couple celebrated the birth of Eloise on November 12, 1897. Two more children followed: Arthur (1900) and Ernest William (1903). By the age of 17 yrs. old, Eloise moved to St. Paul where she began working as a clerk, residing s at 1010 Euclid Ave. She was listed in the 1915-1917 St. Paul Directories. Immediately after marrying Hubal, the couple set up house in Chicago where Hubal continued to work and travel as a scenic artist.
In Minnesota, Hubal worked at three scenic studios in Minnesota – Joy & Cannon Scenic Co. (St. Paul), Universal Scenic Studio (St. Paul), and the Twin City Scenic Co. (Minneapolis). I’ll start with the obscure and short-lived firm, Joy & Cannon Scenic Co. of St. Paul. This is the firm listed on Hubal’s WWI Draft registration card.
Joy & Cannon was established by Boyd Phelps Joy and Gerald V. Cannon, scenic artists during 1916. Their shops were located in the Metropolitan Opera House in St. Paul. Although relatively short lived, the firm was still being advertised in the “Film Yearbook of 1922-1923.” Despite the firm appearing active, the two founders went their separate ways, with Cannon working as the first United States Marine Corps. camouflage artist and Joy founding Universal Scenic Studio. Joy’s firm was first founded in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1919. However, by 1920, Joy moved his operation back to Minnesota by 1920, again appearing in city directories and was listed the president of Universal Scenic Studio, Inc. in the St. Paul City Directory. Joy later opened a branch in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A catalog from the Milwaukee branch of the Universal Scenic Studio was found among the personal belongings of Victor J. Hubal, Sr.
Hubal also worked for Joy and Cannon’s competitor, the Twin City Scenic Co. In fact, three of Hubal’s designs are part of the Twin City Scenic Co. Collection at the University of Minnesota Libraries Performing Arts Archives. The collection contains almost 2,000 items produced by the Twin City Scenic Studio, including designs for backdrops, leg drops, cut drops, borders, tormentors, painted curtains, olios, picture sheets, sample interiors, model pieces, sales books, business records, and company scrapbooks.
Here is the link to the entire Twin City Scenic Co. Collection: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/search?facets%5Bparent_collection_name%5D%5B%5D=Twin+City+Scenic+Company+Collection+%28PA043%29
The best summarization of Hubal’s later contribution to American scenic art and theater history is his 1972 obituary. Victor J. Hubal Sr. passed away on Feb. 15, 1972, and was buried at Union Cemetery in Maplewood, Minnesota. On Feb. 20, 1972, the “St. Paul Dispatch” included a lengthy article about Hubal and reported, “His work graced some 50 productions of the St. Paul Civic Opera, as the organization was then known, from the initial one, ‘Samson And Delilah’ in 1933, to ‘The Merry Widow’ in 1963. He also did the decorations and designs for a number of the International Institute’s, “Festival of Nations” at the Auditorium and was responsible for the mounting of major productions at Andahazy Ballet Borealis.” Hubal’s numerous stage settings for Lorand Andahazy and Anna Adrianova included “Slavonic Scenes,” “Les Sylphides,” “Swan Lake,” “Spectre de la Rose,” “Aurora’s Wedding,” “The Miraculous Stag” and “Scheherazade.” A 1954 article from the “Star Tribune” provides additional detail about Hubal scenery for “Les Sylphides” –
“The setting, a woodland glade, by Victor Hubal, had a spacious, semi-transparent effect which enhanced the quality of the ballet.” The article also noted that the ballet company was composed of 40 dancers and
In regard to Hubal’s “Swan Lake” scenery, an entertaining tale was later published in the “St. Paul Dispatch.” Purportedly, Andahazy accidentally upset a pail of dye onto the canvas when Hubal was painting “Swan Lake.” Andahazy immediately apologized and Hubal responded, “Never mind.” The article reported, “with deft strokes he converted the dark blotch into a rocky formation and balanced the composition by converting some trees into more rocks on the other side.” The “Dispatch” article also described Hubal in detail – “A man of artistic sensitivity and great skill and accumulated knowledge of his craft, Hubal labored largely in obscurity, for he was shy and retiring by nature and had no talent for self-promotion. But the contributions to the community to which he made in his self-effacing way for so many years were great, and they can be remembered with respect and gratitude.”
Another article about the St. Paul Civic Opera’s production of “Rigoletto” mentions Hubal’s brief work for film –
“When the curtain rises Wednesday it will be on the work of a man who might have been prominent in his field in motion pictures as Wallace Beery and Charlie Chaplin are in theirs, had it not been for the fact that he found black and white too monotonous. He is Vic Hubal, scene designer for the opera association. When the motion pictures were in their infancy, Hubal, already an accomplished scene designer for some of the largest production and road shows in the country, wandered into the old Essanay Film company’s lot in Hollywood. There he went to work on designing backgrounds against which Charlie Chaplin, Ben Turpin and Beery were to cavort. But the backgrounds were all black and white, because those were the only colors to film well. There were relieving incidents once in a while, as he when he would be called down from his scaffold to take the part of a cop, or when he was called into the dressing room to make up Turpin for his monkey roles, but on the whole, black and white was too confining for a true scenic artist.” The article also noted that Hubal trained with Fred Scott, Ansel Cook and Fred Lewis, all who worked at Sosman & Landis when Hubal was associated with the firm.
Hubal’s obituary in the “St. Paul Dispatch” mentioned Hubal’s work for the Josef Meier Passion Play, both the touring productions and the permanent one at Spearfish, S.D.” Of the Black Hills Passion Play, a 1944 article in the “Queen City Mail” noted “Victor Hubal of St. Paul, scenic artist, was in Spearfish last week redecorating the play scenes for the winter performances” (Spearfish, SD, 21 Sept. 1944). Over the years, Hubal was repeatedly connected with the production as the sets were repaired and new elements were added.
Meier brought his Passion Play to the United States in 1932. Born in Lünen, Germany, he was the seventh generation of his family to portray Jesus in the biblical drama. Meier translated the production from German to English and brought a small company to the United States, premiering the show in New York and then taking the production on tour. By 1939, Meier found a permanent home for his production in Spearfish, South Dakota, building a 6000-seat amphitheater. Even after settling in Spearfish, later toured the United States and Canada until 1964. The production was performed in more than 650 cities over the years, becoming an annual event for many cities. Meier remained part of the production until 1991, when he retired after performing in 9000 performances. Meier passed away eight years later at the age of ninety-four. The Black Hills Passion Play outlived its founder, lasting until 2008 when the summer performances finally ended. For more information about the show, there are amazing photographs available to peruse online, part of the Fassbender Collection. Here is the link: https://www.historicblackhillsstudios.org/keyword/Black%20Hills%20Passion%20Play/
Interestingly, no one in the Spearfish Community seems to recall what happened to any of the Passion Play scenery…
My own life intersects with Hubal’s on many fronts. He first came onto my radar as an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota. Prof. Lance Brockman recommended me to repair some of Hubal’s work at a local ethnic hall. In 1917, Hubal painted stock scenery for the Česko-Slovanský Podporující Spolek (C.S.P.S.) Hall in Saint Paul, Minnesota. His work includes roll drops, wings, flats and profile pieces. The roll drop curtain depicting Praha (Prague), and stage settings include street scenes, landscapes, woodlands, rustic interiors and fancy interiors. The interior box sets had interchangeable flats, being double painted to provide endless variety for a number of shows.
Theatre was an integral part of the Minnesota Czech community. A third floor was added to the 1887 building in 1917, featuring a stage and auditorium/gymnasium.
The auditorium/gymnasium is still primarily used for gymnastics and general physical fitness; this is part of the Sokol mission “a sound mind in a healthy body.” On the stage, Czech plays continued to be performed, preserving the language and heritage of this immigrant community. For more information on Sokol origins, please visit www.american-sokol.org/history/.”
Hubal and his family were members when he painted the beautiful roll drops for the Hall. Over the decades, many of the drops fell into a state of disrepair from constant use. During the 1990s, I restored Hubel’s roll drops, first encountering Hubel’s grandson, Victor J. Hubel, Jr. (1923-2012). Over the years I have periodically returned to repair any new damage.
Hubal’s scenery is well loved and well used to this day. The drops always make an appearance at social activities, concerts and plays. However, as with many stewards of historic backdrop collections, it is difficult many members to understand the historical significance of these painted scenes. In regard to Hubal’s legacy, gymnastic equipment often brushes the delicate scenery, and this constant contact takes a toll on the longevity of each piece. The edges of roll drops fray as performers brush by during set-up and teardown of a band. Cups of beer are tipped over during musical performances, damaging the fabric and wood on the bottom roller. This is a similar scenario across the country in Czech halls. Often the well-loved scenes are treated as standard stage scenery and not large-scale artworks created by nationally recognized artists. When historic backdrops are regarded as “old backings”, their artistic value and cultural significance is diminished; their repair may seem optional. In the end, these historic artifacts are roughly handled and damage continues to occur over time. In 2016, I repaired fabric damage and re-attached rollers. When I examined Hubal’s scenery a few years ago, I noticed that much of the collection was was rapidly deteriorating from excessive contact. In fact, many of the drops were in far worse shape than when I first examined them in the 1990s.
There are things to consider when pondering the value, cultural significance, and use of historic scenery. First of all, you need to think about the creator and artistic provenance.
An entire scenery collection produced by a scenic artist is remarkable in its own right. Most scenery collections were painted by many scenic artists, with multiple hands creating the various scenes. When a piece of scenery, or entire collection, is created by a single individual, it adds to the rarity and provenance of the artworks. When that person is well-known, having enjoyed a long and successful career, especially one that is integrally linked to a variety of nationally-recognized productions, there is an added culturally significance.
Hubal was very important in the scope of American theatre history, as well as several regional histories, including Minnesota and South Dakota. His scenery at the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul may be some of the last examples of his scenic art.
Although scenery can last for decades, even centuries, the eventual deterioration is based on both environment and continued use; both are currently working against Hubal’s painted legacy in St. Paul.
Make a point of visiting the hall now to see Hubal’s scenic art. It will not survive the test of time.
To be continued…
