Author: waszut_barrett@me.com

Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.

Twin City Scenic Company – Hades Scene

I am back to one of my favorite Masonic scenes – Hell, Hades, Dante, Inferno, or “you name that that favorite underworld scene.”

It is for the 18th degree. Main message for this particular scene– don’t fall prey to temptation or you will suffer great torments. I know it is an extremely simplified version of the degree, but I hate to put up any Masonic image that could possibly make people think “devil worshippers.” They are not.

I have been compiling a North American database of Masonic installations (primarily on Scottish Rite scenery, but also with a smattering of Shrines, Commanderies, Grottos, and Blue Lodge paintings). While cross referencing my list with images that I remember from the U of MN scenery database I stumbled across the following sketches by Twin City Scenic.

I remembered seeing the same composition in Grand Forks. It was rolled up with a shrine cut drop and not in use. Neither of the drops are from the original 1914 Sosman & Landis collection (Chicago, Illinois). They were from the Twin City Scenic Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota

These two renderings are from the Twin City Scenic Company Collection (PA43). Unfortunately, they are not in the same box. M160 is in Box 11 and M161 (one with spatter) is in Box 12.

Again, here is the link for the scenery collection search: http://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch

Here are the sketches:

Here is the drop in Grand Forks:

Andrew Geis Source Book – Color Illustrations, part 1

I have returned to Andrew Geis’ designer book. Over the course of their careers, artists carefully clipped and pasted images from magazines and art journals – placing them in binders for future reference and inspiration.
 
Attached is a page from his book with and image that called to Geis at some point.
 
It called to me too this morning.

 

Geis, Andrew (1887/8-?)

Andrew Geis was a Chicago-based scenic artist during the early twentieth century.  He parents were German immigrants (August and Anna Geis), coming to America in 1880 and 1883, respectively. Andrew had two siblings: Rose and Theodore.  Andrew appears in the 1900 census, 1910 census, 1920 census and the 1927 Scenic Artist Ball program (Chicago).  He has four interior designs (paintings) in the University of Minnesota Libraries Performing Arts Archives.  Geis’ design book and a book on architecture are in the private collection of Wendy Waszut-Barrett.

Andrew Geis Source Book – “Die Baustyle” on Greek and Roman Architecture, part 1

There is something wonderful when you pick up a well-used book. I always feel a direct connection to the past, thinking of who also turned the pages and read the text. I guess that is why I am so passionate about preserving physical libraries. For me, reading a text or looking at artwork from a computer screen creates a “disconnect” for my from the past. I would much rather see and hold the artifact in person. And with this personal context for my post…
 
A few years back, another surprise package arrived from my friend in Chicago. It was another reference book from Andrew Geis’ estate, previously owned by Jim Maronek of Chicago: “Die Baustyle.” This educational book presented Greek and Roman building characteristics.

Having never encountered this book before and being extremely limited with my knowledge of the German language, I did a little digging. If you are looking for this publication online, the closest version that I encountered is “Die Baustyle und die Säulen-Ordnungen. Griechischer und römischer.”

Geis’ copy was written by Dr. Leo Bergmann, edited by Carl Busch, and is a second edition copy from 1864 (published in Leipzig by Otto Spamer). Originally published in 1854, this eight volume set contained 162 illustrations.  There are some beautiful illustrations and I will share a few today.  This book is currently in my possession, so should note “Private collection of Wendy Waszut-Barrett” if you decide to share my images.

Here are two more images depicting information from purple stamps.  It looks like the book was once sold from a book shop in Vienna (Wien). To date, I have not successfully tracked down the names stamped on the book below. Any help would be appreciate from those in the European or Scandinavian countries if this is a familiar name to you!

I will share more images from the book tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

Andrew Geis Source Book – Egypt, part 3

Here is another printed image from the source book of Andrew Geis.  It immediately brought to mind the desert scene for the A.A.O.N.M.S. Shrine (Ancient Arabic Order of the Noble Mystic Shrine) at the Grand Forks Masonic Center.

The following paragraph is to place this scenery in context, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the Masonic orders.  If you are a mason, go directly to the pictures. The Shrine was created as a social organization intended as a place to rest after a Mason’s arduous study in either the Scottish Rite or York Rite. When a Mason entered freemasonry, he completed the first three degrees (1-Entered Apprentice, 2-Fellow Craft, and 3-Master Mason) in a Blue Lodge.  Typically, Blue Lodges are in small buildings labelled “Masonic Temple” if they are not part of a larger facility. By the way, the color “blue” is not associated with the building or wall color.  If anything, it suggested the celestial constellations on the lodge ceiling.

After becoming a Master Mason, he could join a variety of Masonic Orders and organizations including, but not limited to, the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite and/or York Rite.  These were intended as avenues for additional study and philosophical exploration.  After working and studying these “high degree” systems, he had the option to relax in the A.A.O.N.M.S.  At the time, there was a short cut for those who wanted to immediately enter a social group – the Grotto.  Referred to as the “poor man’s Shrine,” any Master Mason could join the M.O.V.P.E.R. Grotto (Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm).  That scenery is a topic for another time as it is fascinating in it’s own right!

A few years ago, the need to be a Scottish Rite or York Rite member prior to joining the Shrine was abandoned.  This decision was made for a whole variety of reasons, none of which I will even get into today.  My personal belief is that it was a mistake of grand proportions.  But I digress…

Going back to the Shrine scenery, here is a source from Geis’ book and similar painted details from Grand Forks, ND. Enjoy.

Here is the full composition for the backdrop.

Here is the cut drop in front of the backdrop and with the backing piece for the tent.

 

Stage right label for the scene.

And finally, here is an old amateur patch for a rip!  Note the Middle Easter figure!