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Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 469 – Myer’s Opera House

Part 469: Myer’s Opera House

While researching Noxon & Strauss (later Noxon & Toomey), I came across mention about a drop curtain they painted for Hooley’s Theatre during 1872. Two theaters were mentioned in the article titled “Rebuilding and Real Estate” (Inter Ocean, Chicago, Illinois, 14 Sept. 1872, page 4). The article described the construction of Hooley’s and Myer’s. Interestingly, Noxon’s next business partner, Halley, would be painting the scenery for Myer’s while Noxon painted the scenery with Strauss for Hooley’s. At the time, Halley was partnered with Lou Malmsha. Malmsha became the scenic artist for McVicker’s and was well-known across the country (see past installments 123, 124, 165 and 198 for more information about Malmsha). Thomas G. Moses started his theater career as an assistant to Malmsha in 1874, just two years after this article was written. It provides a little insight into the fitting up of a theater during the 1870s.

Samuel Myers, formerly connected with McVickers Theatre, opened his opera house on September 23, 1872. It was a venue primarily devoted to minstrelsy. Here is the article:

“Myers Opera House

Work on Myer’s theater is being rapidly brought to a close, and Monday the 23rd. Is announced as the opening night. Located on Monroe street, just west of State, the establishment is easy to access from each of the more densely populated divisions of the city, and bids fair to gain its full share of theatrical patronage. Following is a brief description of the interior as it will appear on opening night:

The entrance from Monroe Street leads through a long hall, thirteen feet wide, finely frescoed and lighted by a number of large chandeliers, to the door of the auditorium. On the left of the hall, and just without the door is the stairway leading to the upper circles. The auditorium consists of a parquetted, dress circle, balcony circle and gallery. The extreme dimensions are 55 by 102 feet. The parquetted, and dress and balcony circles are furnished with black and walnut sofas, elegantly upholstered by Messrs. J. V. Farwell & co., forming an amphitheater. The walls and ceilings are handsomely frescoed in panels on a light buff ground, by Messrs. Schubert & Koenig, the firm that had charge of the decorations in Crosby’s Opera House before the fire. The center of the ceiling over the parquetted rises in a dome, from which hangs and elegant glass chandelier with 125 lights. The seating capacity is about 1,100. Three large doors can be thrown open in case of fire or accident.

The stage opening is 27 feet 4 inches wide, flanked on either side by a proscenium box, ornaments with satin damask curtains corresponding in color with the upholstery of the parquetted and balcony circles. The stage is thirty-five feet in depth and provided with “all modern improvements.” The scenery has been painted by Messrs. Malmasha and Hally, and is so extensive as to forbid more than a partial description here. The drop curtain fills the entire stage opening. At the top a false valance of amber and gold reaches down for several feet, below which hangs the drapery – red lined with white satin, bordered with purple and gold – parted in the center and revealing a medallion landscape; a view of a water mill with mountains in the distance. The drapery falls loosely on a platform with steps approaching the curtain in perspective. The first part set scene is also worthy of mention as something novel. Unlike the ordinary chamber scenes used on such occasions, it is ornamented purple and gold, and displays considerable knowledge of architecture in its design. A large, square opening at the back, looking out on a tropical landscape, will afford an opportunity for the presentation of panoramic views, should it be desired.

Altogether, the theater, while not expensive, is attractive and elegant. Messrs. Tilley & Longhurst claim credit as architects; Mr. Daly Moore as contractor for the brickwork; Messrs. Cowdery & Cleveland as carpenters, and the United States Reflector Company, of New York, and Mr. E. Baggott of this city for gas-fitters. The furnaces are furnished by Messrs. Bangs Bros.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 468 – Noxon & Strauss

Part 468: Noxon & Strauss

Thomas C. Noxon established other scenic art firms before founding Noxon and Toomey. One was a business venture was Noxon & Strauss. I came across two articles during the four-year life of this company; one from 1868 and one from 1872. I have yet to identify Strauss beyond his last name and work as a scenic artist with Thomas Noxon and Charles Witham.

In 1868, Noxon & Strauss painted a setting for “Seven Sisters” at the Olympic Theatre. The New York Clipper reported that one scene for the show represented the Southern Hotel Rotunda, it was “gotten up in grand style and reflects credit on the scenic artists, Messrs. Noxon and Strauss” (25 April 1868, page 6).

In 1872, an “Inter Ocean article” that mentioned Noxon & Strauss verified that they were working in Chicago. Many scenic artists sought work in the city after the great fire of 1871. Theaters were among many of the new buildings proposed or rebuilt during this period. Hooley’s and Myers were two theaters mentioned the article, “Rebuilding and Real Estate” (Inter Ocean, Chicago, Illinois, 14 Sept. 1872, page 4). Noxon & Strauss painted the new scenery at Hooley’s, including the drop curtain. The drop curtain design depicted a scene from Heidelberg surrounded with painted drapery. The picturesque castle and town suggesting European origins was common for the time, as many compositions harkened to the old world. The Inter Ocean reported, “every convenience desirable for the production of the spectacular drama has been provided.”

Hooley’s Theatre was located at 124 W. Randolph Street, between Clark and LaSalle, and was dedicated on October 21, 1872. The building was four stories with lodge-rooms on the upper floors and a basement below the theater. The seating capacity was at a sizable 1,500. “The Chicago Tribune” reported, “They have reached the extreme height of perfection for stage mountings. The drawing-room scene, with its genuine marble mantels, real oil paintings, and rich furniture was a gem of scenic taste and effect. This is the direction in which Hooley’s is sure to become famous” (10 Dec. 1872, page 8).

I am going to post the article about Hooley’s in its entirety, as it provides a lot of information about this well-know venue, including that the fresco work was by another artist who I have examined – Peter M. Almini. Thomas G. Moses worked for Almini when he first ventured to Chicago and began his career as an artist in the mid-1870s.

“Hooley’s Opera House

This place is also approaching completion. Work on the interior has kept pace with the laying of the walls, so that now, although the rook has not been placed in position, the auditorium is far enough along to give a visitor a very correct idea of what it is to be. The front on Randolph Street is four stories (seventy-two feet) high, and built of very heavy Columbia stone, with elaborately carved trimmings. Two very large brackets over the first story will be ornamented with the figures of Comedy and Tragedy. Those who have seen the stonework in the yards of McKeon & Co., where it is being prepared, pronounce it as fine as any in the country. The hall leading to Randolph street to the theater is 20 wide and 70 feet in length, and it will be frescoed in oil by Almini and lighted by a number of large chandeliers. The hall opens into the west end of the auditorium, which is 65×68 feet. The extreme height of the interior, from the floor of the parquetted to the center of the dome, is 66 feet. The parquetted, parquetted circle, balcony and dress circles, are arranged in the form of an amphitheater. The parquetted and parquetted circle will be furnished with iron opera chairs of the Pike Opera House pattern – the same that was used in Hooley’s Clark Street Opera House. Above these, in the balcony circle, black walnut sofas will provide the seating accommodations. The chairs and sofas will be upholstered in first quality crimson plush. The walls and ceilings will be elaborately frescoed in oil by Almini.

From the center of the dome will hang a massive chandelier of 200 lights, of a new pattern, made expressly for Mr. Hooley by the United States Reflector Company of New York.

The proscenium boxes, four in number, will be ornamented in blue and gold, by Mr. Mela, the gentleman who did that’s service for Mr. McVicker.

The stage opening is thirty feet wide by thirty-four feet high. The depth of the stage is forty-five feet. Every convenience desirable for the production of the spectacular drama has been provided.

The drop curtain will fill the entire stage opening, and is being painted by Noxon & Strauss. The design will be the castle and town of Heidelberg, surrounded by drapery.

Four exits, two from the galleries and two from the parquetted circle, will empty the house rapidly as could be wished under any circumstances.

It is almost too early to pronounce upon the general effect of the theatre, but it is safe to say, considering the men who have the work in charge, that it will be no mean rival of the other places of amusement. Mr. Hawks is the architect, Mr. Graham the contractor for woodwork, and Messrs. Agnew & McDermott the builders.

Despite the present unpromising appearance of the place, Mr. Hooley seams perfectly at ease, and confidently assures visitors that “the gas will be turned on and the play commence promptly at 8 o’clock on the evening of the 9^th of October [1872].”

By 1878, Strauss was no longer working with Noxon. He was now painting with Charles Witham as they provided scenery for “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” at the Grand Opera House in San Francisco, California. The new season was inaugurated with a “reconstructed version” of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” “The Clipper” reported, “The scenic effects by Witham and Strauss were beautiful and realistic pictures.” (23 Feb. 1878, Vol. 25, page 383).

After this final mention, the scenic artist “Strauss” disappears from print.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 467- Curtain and Scene Painting

Part 467: Curtain and Scene Painting

Painted drop curtain by the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here is the link to the University fo Minnesota Performing Arts Archives scenery collection database: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch

While researching scenic art projects by Thomas C. Noxon and Patrick J. Toomey, I came across an interesting article about curtain and scene painting from 1884. It was published in the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” (21 Jan. 1884, page 8). Here it is in its entirety as there is a wealth of information about the scenic artists of the time who specialized in drop curtains:

“Curtain and Scene Painting

The Leading Artists of the Country and the Prices Paid for Their Work.

“The return to drapery in drop curtains,” said Mr. Thomas C. Noxon of the art firm of Noxon, Albert and Toomey, employed at the Grand Opera House and Olympic, is a return to the old style. Drapery was very common twenty-five or thirty years ago. Now very few curtains are painting any other way; and while some artists adhere to simple combinations of rich materials, without any suggestion of life in the composition, the most popular and the prettiest curtains are those which present views or figures in which there is a suggestion of animation.

The new curtain at the Grand Opera House which was painted by Messrs. Noxon, Albert & Toomey is an example of the latter work. It is a composition presenting a profusion of rich drapery, warm in color, and minutely perfect in technique, drawn back and looped at the side, so as to reveal a bright Florentine picture with a pair of lovers in the foreground, moving toward the polished marble steps that fill the lower portion of the view. No handsomer curtain hangs in any theater in this country.

“What does a new drop curtain cost?” the Post-Dispatch reporter asked.

“About $500 or $600,” was Mr. Noxon’s reply. [The equivalent purchasing power in 2018 is approximately $12,000-$15,000]

“And how long does it take to paint one?”

“All the way from two to three days to five to six weeks. I painted a drop for Tootle’s Opera House, Sedallia, some years ago, in one-half days and got $500 for it, but an artist now seldom turns out a piece of work of this kind in less than three weeks. He can put that much time on it with a great deal of profit.”

“What will it cost to stock a new theatre with scenery?”

“From $2,000-$3,500.”

“And that will include how many sets?”

“Thirty-five. Enough for putting on any legitimate piece.”

“How long does it take to get up special scenery, say for a play like ‘The Silver King’?”

“That piece could be gotten up in two weeks. A fortnight’s notice is all we require to paint the scenery for any piece requiring sets that the theater has not in stock. In all such cases small models are complete reproductions in miniature of the original scenes.”

“There isn’t much work of this kind required of the artist nowadays?”

“No, not much; because many companies are now carrying their own scenery. Those playing melodrama invariably bring their own scenes with them.”

Mr. Noxon stands in front rank of curtain and scene painters, and for special features like Mardi Gras and Veiled Prophet pageants, is recognized throughout the Mississippi Valley as the most competent man in the profession.

Mr. Ernest Albert is a finished artist in the painting of interiors, and has displayed great originality in designing and executing curtains. He is particularly happy in reproducing draperies with a faultlessness of technique that challenges wonder and admiriation.

The other first-class curtain painters of the country do not number more than half-dozen. All enjoy national reputations, and their services are in demand to the other.

Russell Smith, formerly of the Academy of Music, Philadelphia, makes a specialty of landscapes.

Voegtlin, who went from New York to California where he was recently located, also takes to landscapes, but is an admirable figure painter, and will be at the top of the heap again should there be a revival of this style of curtains.

Phil Goatcher, formerly of Cincinnati, but now in New York, paints very pretty satin drops with medallion centers.

Henry E. Hoyt of Colvill’es, Fourteenth street, New York City, has lately started a boom in the direction of drapery without either figures or landscape views. His last curtain, which was of this character, was painted for the Euclid Avenue Opera House, Cleveland. He finished it is three weeks, and got $600.

Messrs. Noxon, Albert & Toomey painted a beautiful curtain and an entire stock of scenery for the new Park Theatre, in the same city, which was destroyed by fire a few weeks ago.

Last but not least is the prominent curtain and scene painters is Richard H. Halley, who came here at the opening of Pope’s Theater, then went to the Grand, and at the beginning of the present season began work at McKee Rankin’s Third Avenue Theater, New York. His silk curtain at Pope’s obtained instant recognition for its artistic abilities, and his later work, although lacking strength and color, has been marked by unusual merit. The curtain in the new Olympic is from his brush. As a painter of exteriors he holds high rank in the profession, and he is acknowledged to be without a peer in the reproduction of foliage.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 466 – Patrick J. Toomey’s Allegorical Float Designs for the Wichita Carnival and Fall Festival, 1900

Part 466: Patrick J. Toomey’s Allegorical Float Designs for the Wichita Carnival and Fall Festival, 1900

Wichita Carnival and Fall Festival button, 1900

The “Wichita Beacon” described the allegorical nature of each float in the Wichita Carnival manufactured by P. J. Toomey (5 Oct. 1900, page 5). Here is conclusion of the article introduced yesterday:

“The ‘Artist’s Dream’ float is the original painting by A. E. Begas. Reclining low upon a couch is a sleeping figure upon who groups of cupids shower roses and encircle rounds of graceful glee. The absorbing vision of ‘The Artist’s Dream’ is the incarnate spirit of motion poised upon a pedestal of light and executing a serpentine dance.

Advertisement from “The Wichita Beacon” (Wichita, Kansas), 5 October, 1900, page 5.

The ‘Vitality of Mother Earth’ float was painted by M. A. Wagen. The beautifully designed group symbolizes Mother Earth making her yearly triumphal round in a jeweled chariot drawn by two prancing steeds at whose touch nature yields the bounties of life.

The ‘Policco Verso’ float is by that well known painter J. L. Gerome. The Roman emperor and his attendant courtiers watch from the imperial balcony of the Roman Colosseum a contest of arms and strength between a group of gladiators and the arena below. One of the gladiators has vanquished two of his opponents who raise their hands to the mighty arbiters of their fate, begging mercy upon their lives. It pleases the cruelty and pomp of the court best to see the vanquished suffer the extreme penalty for the lack of prowess, and the verdict is ‘Policco Verso’ – or ‘thumbs down’ meaning no mercy for the fallen and the victor is thus compelled to extinguish the life of his adversaries and thus help “to make a Roman holiday.”

The float ‘Rock of Ages,” is by J. A. Oertel. This picture has become a familiar and favorite one in many of the humble as well as the sumptuous houses of the Christian land. It impersonates the hope for a glorified mortality. It is the Christian race clinging to the cross through every tempest of fate and struggling souls stretch out to reach it through the whirlpools of temptation.

‘Fairies Chariot,’ the float by Mme. Madeline Lemaire, is a fanciful conception which shows the occult power and subtle influence in the fairy folks at they speed by in their golden chariot drawn by beautiful large tigers which the magical spell has changed from ferocious beasts of the desert into the docile animals charmed to do the fairies bidding.

The float ‘Lucretia Borgia’ gives a fine scene from the life of that personage and was painted by that well known artist, H Raulbach. Lucretia Borgia, who was of noble Italian birth, and had many near relatives in high ecclesiastical offices is entertaining a prince cardinal andhis suite by displaying her accomplishments in dancing.

The float, ‘Gulliver in Broadbingnag,’ by R. Redgrave. The famous Dean Swift in his account of ‘Gulliver’s Travels Into Several Remote Nations of the World,’ gives vent to his fondness for satire by bringing the people of his day and his country to compare themselves in wisdom and strength to the primitive and sometimes untaught races of whom he is supposed to have discovered and visited. In Mr. Gulliver’s accidental storm-tossed journey’s to Broadbingnag in the South Seas, he finds himself among a race of giants averaging about sixty feet tall in whose country everything in nature and art is the same gigantic proportions as themselves. Gullliver, though a typical Englishman of the eighteenth century is a mere pigmy in their sight, and is placed upon a table thirty feet high to be viewed as a curiosity. The giants come from far and wide to see him but some find him so diminished that it is necessary for them to use spectacles to see him in any degree of perfection. They decide that he is just like a human being, though infinitely smaller than is usual.

In ‘The Garden of Love,’ is another float by C. Schienigle. It represents a garden terrace, where Dan Cupid has secreted himself and is about to aim his relentless darts at several of the young people gathered in this ideal retreat to enjoy the pleasures of music and conversation. Cupid’s aim will be true and decisive and there will be some joyous awakenings.

‘Evening,’ by C. Gleyre, is a graceful barque gliding in a smooth stream where music and song accord with the ripple of clear waters, the gentle evening breeze bags the sail and the oarsman languidly plies his car. The pleasure seekers in the boat are quietly absorbing the quiet and beauty that abound upon the breast of nature.

The ‘Apothesis of Louis XIV.’ is another resplendent float showing a chariot drawn by winged horses and heralded through time and space by royal trumpeters. The insignia of divinity is about to be placed upon his brow by the hand of Fate. Luxury and profusion follow in his wake.

‘Shakespeare’s Reciting Before Queen Elizabeth,” is a float by H. H. Slimarski, which depicts a scene of regal splendor. Elizabeth sitting upon her throne chair attended by ladies and gentlemen of the court is listening spellbound to the Bard of Avon recite passages from his plays which he then realized were to become immortal and would be read by future generations and be admired as long as the English language endured.

The ‘Bull Chariot’ is a handsome design by M. A. Waagens. This from a marble group and represents a scene from the ancient heathen rites of the Romans, when processions in honor of the gods and goddesses were frequent and always imposing.”

Toomey & Volland design for a 1913 Veiled Prophet Float, one of the five Physical Senses. The five designs sold at auction for $650 USD.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 465 – Patrick J. Toomey’s Electrical Pageant for the Wichita Carnival and Fall Festival, 1900

Part 465: Patrick J. Toomey’s Electrical Pageant for the Wichita Carnival and Fall Festival, 1900

In 1900, the “Street Railway Journal” reported, “The possibilities in the way of electrical decoration and illumination in street parades afforded by the overhead wires of a trolley road have been proved in several cities, particularly New Orleans, and views of the floats use din the Mardi Gras processions in that city last winter were published in the Street Railway Journal” (August 4, 1900, page 705). The article continued, “The unlimited current available for lighting and power to propel the flats makes it possible to secure finer spectacular effects than would otherwise be possible. This was shown during the special carnival, held June 28 in Milwaukee, in which trolley current was used for this purpose to a greater extent probably than ever before, and which was generally regarded as one of the most successful night pageants ever held on this continent.”

Milwaukee Carnival electric floats by Toomey, 1900

Toomey was involved with the electric floats in Milwaukee since 1898, when he received the news of Noxon’s death. By 1900, the Milwaukee Carnival consisted of twenty parade floats, placed on electric trucks, and lighted with 6000 lights of different colors. A variety of subjects, they were “presented without any aim at continuity of idea, but solely for their picturesque beauty and scope for fantastic display of form, color, and effulgent light.” By 1915, San Francisco’s electric parades would boast, “the first electrical pageant to be staged in the city independent of street car current;” the currents for the parade float lights were supplied by automobiles and storage batteries (San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Dec. 1915, page 61).

Toomey’s production of parade floats started in 1878 for the Veiled Prophets procession. His unique floats became a staple for Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Veiled Prophets in St. Louis, and Carnivals across the country. Illuminated parades emerged appeared all over the country, including Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Springfield, Illinois; El Paso, Texas; and Wichita, Kansas. The Wichita Beacon provided detailed accounts of the electric pageant in that city, giving us great insight into the design and construction of Toomey’s floats.

Noxon & Toomey float design for Veiled Prophet parade

In 1900, the “Wichita Beacon” included an article concerning the City’s contracting P. J. Toomey to design and manufacture the electric pageant for the upcoming Wichita Carnival and Fall Festival (14 July 1900, page 5).

Here is the wonderful description of Toomey’s artistic contribution to the upcoming Wichita Carnival and Fall Festival in 1900; the event was scheduled for October 1-6.

“Contract Closed.

Electrical Pageant Will Be Given Carnival Week.

Attractions for Midway About Secured.

The Wichita Carnival and Fall Festival association yesterday closed a contract with P. J. Toomey of St. Louis for the production of his electrical pageant in this city on Friday night during street fair week. The floats, twelve in number, will be built at once by the Noxon-Toomey Scenic Art Company of St. Louis.

Sixty-five costumed characters will be required on the floats, besides 120 attendants on foot. The floats will be lighted by incandescent lamps, 150 being placed on each float. The floats will be mounted on street car trucks and run over the lines of the street railway company. The parade will be seen on Douglas and Main streets and will counter march to the starting place.

Outside of the regular scenic floats, four floats will be provided for bands. The parade will be brilliantly lighted by colored lights and the costuming of the attendants will be elaborate. The floats will be run about 200 feet apart.”

The carnival association also contracted three searchlights to be used to illuminate the streets at night, besides the other electrical decorations. A Carnival queen was be crowned with a very elaborate ceremony. “The Anthony Bulletin,” reported that colored calcium flashes would be thrown on the scenic effects and upon a chorus of one hundred female voices, dressed in white and arranged to show a red, white and blue scene” (The Anthony Bulletin, Anthony, Kansas, 6 Sept, 1900, page 4). The state of Kansas was billed as the “Italy of America,” and Wichita “the Peerless Princess of the Plains” (The Kingman Journal, Kingman, Kansas, 21 September 1900, page 5).

On October 5, 1900, the “Wichita Beacon” credited Toomey with designing and constructing the floats in St. Louis, working on them “with great care and painstaking for several months” (5 Oct. 1900, page 5). Their cost for the twelve floats and their transportation over the Missouri Pacific railroad was reported to be several thousand dollars. Each float, because of its size, occupied a special flat car. The article continued, “The street car company has arranged four cars to accommodate the various bands that will furnish the music for the occasion and these also will be trimmed and will be a feature of the grand pageant. The latter will form on Douglas, just east of the Rock Island track and at eight o’clock sharp will move west on Douglas to Main, north to Oak street and, returning over the same route, will end at the starting point.

The electricity will be supplied by the street car trolley wires. The various persons who will participate in the affair will be tastefully costumed to represent the characters they assume for the occasion in the great variety of subjects.”

Tomorrow, I will include an article that described each individual float designed by Toomey during 1900. There are amazing!

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 464: Patrick J. Toomey and the Majestic Theatre in Austin

Part 464: Patrick J. Toomey and the Majestic Theatre in Austin

P. J. Toomey’s only son wrote a book about his maternal genealogy and German heritage titled, “The Vogts von Berg in Düsseldorf and American” (200 copies printed for private distribution, St. Louis, Missouri, 1921). He dedicated the book to his mother Mrs. Mary Vogt Toomey.

Book about Mary Vogt’s family by her son Thomas Noxon Toomey in 1921

Mary Anna Vogt was born in Iowa City on December 20, 1859. She was one of seven children born to Dr. William Vogt and Mary O’Connor. Her father was born in Düsseldorf in 1816, studying medicine in Heidelberg before working as a ship’s surgeon. He later practiced among the German intellectuals in Belleville, Illinois before being invited by the Governor of Iowa to visit Iowa City, where he later married Mary O’Connor of that city in 1849. The couple had seven children: Carl Albert (b. 1852), Catherine Hannora (b. 1853), William Julius, Mary Anna (b. 1854), Augustine (b. 1855), James Francis (b. 1858), Caroline (b. 1861), and Edith (b. 1887).

P. J. Toomey’s wife, Mary graduated from St. Agatha’s Seminary in 1874 and from Mount St. Joseph’s College in 1878. She taught English at Iowa City High School between 1880 and 1884. On October 5, 1886, Marry married Patrick Joseph Toomey. Although the couple had two children, Thomas Noxon (b. 1893) and Mary Wilhelmina (1903-1904), only their son survived infancy. For many years, Mary was the Corresponding Secretary, General Council, for the Daughters of the Queen of Heaven. From 1908-1909, she studied in Paris. It was during this time, that her husband sent postcards to Thomas Moses at Sosman & Landis. Mary was presented to Pope Leo XIII, and to Pope Pius X. She was extremely active in charitable and civic work since shortly after her marriage to Toomey.

Postcard from P. J. Toomey to Thomas G. Moses in 1908, when Mary was studying in Paris.

There are several connections between the Toomey family and the Moses family, possibly having contributed to their continued friendship over the decades. First of all, P. J. Toomey and Mary Vogt were approximately the same age as Thomas G. Moses and Ella Robbins. Thomas and Ella married in 1878, whereas P. J. and Mary married in 1886. In some ways they shared similar family circumstances; Thomas Moses’ father was once a ship’s captain while Mary Vogt’s father was once a ship’s surgeon. Both Toomey and Moses came to the United States as infants, with Toomey born in Limerick, Ireland, and Moses born in port at Liverpool. Each entered scene painting at approximately the same age as an apprentice. Whereas Toomey was apprenticed to Thomas C. Noxon, Moses was apprenticed to Lou Malmsha at McVickers and worked his way up the ranks at Sosman & Landis; both studied with mid-nineteenth-century immigrants. Their artistic mentors passed along a similar approach to scenic art, using opaque colors common to European and Scandinavian immigrants, versus the English tradition of glazing (see past installments 387 and 411).

Mary Vogt’s sister Caroline married a lawyer, George Benjamin Hufford, on April 20, 1905 in Leavenworth, Kansas; the couple moved to Austin, Texas where Hufford was a U. S. Commissioner. They lived in Evergreen Heights in Austin. There is a reason why I am telling this backstory as it has to do with the Majestic Theatre in Austin, Texas.

Opening article for the Majestic Theatre, later to be known as the Paramount, from the “Austin Statesman and Tribune,” 11 Oct 1911, page 2

When I was in Austin this month for the League of Historic American Theaters conference, the closing party was held at the Paramount Theatre, originally established as the Majestic Theatre. During the welcome and brief presentation by the staff, the fire curtain was lowered. It was original to Majestic Theatre when it was built in 1915. As I looked at the painted curtain, complete with blue draperies, ornate frame, woodland stream, and tassels at the bottom, something looked familiar.

Fire curtain at the Paramount Theatre, previously known at the Majestic Theatre, 1915. Painting by Toomey & Volland.

The Majestic Theatre fire curtain, now known as the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas. I changed the colors in the image to more closely reflect what the actual curtain should look like under normal lighting.

Current lighting of the fire curtain from 1915 at the Paramount Theatre. Overly saturated colors will flatten the depth in a painted composition, reducing the scenic illusion.

It was the tassel painting that made me think of a Noxon & Toomey drop design that I encountered in 2016. The unique tassels at the bottom of the composition jogged my memory.

Tassel painting in design by Toomey & Volland and fire curtain at the Paramount Theatre.

Design by Toomey & Volland studio of St. Louis. I believe that P. J. Toomey created this drop curtain design.

Design by Toomey & Volland studio of St. Louis. I believe that Hugo R. Volland created this drop curtain design. The style is very different from Toomey’s.

Sure enough, the fire curtain composition was signed “Toomey & Volland” of St. Louis. I had started to explore the stylistic tendencies of each artist a few years ago, and I believed that this curtain was by Toomey, not Volland. It is possible that it could have been done by any of the studio artists at the time, but it had a much older feel about it – a throwback, one could say.

Sadly, it was lit with oversaturated colors and some of the painting techniques were difficult to discern, as overly saturated lighting flattens the dimension of the scenic illusion and skews the entire composition. Regardless, it was obvious that this composition was painted by an artist from an earlier generation – the generation of Thomas G. Moses. I believe that this is the work of the senior partner in the painting firm at the time – Toomey. Toomey has entered my blog on occasion, as he was a good friend of Moses.

But here is where it gets interesting and loops back to the Paramount theatre. As I was researching Toomey & Volland, I came across the reference that Toomey’s sister-in-law who settled in Austin, Texas.

Mary Vogt Toomey and her sister Caroline Hubbard. The two portrait were posted in the book by Thomas Noxon Toomey.

Her husband was a City Commissioner. Furthermore, for the opening of the Majestic (later Paramount), members of the City Commission and their families were invited as guests for one of the first box parties. The Majestic was managed by Austin F. Gale Wallace, and before the fire curtain rose for the first time, Wallace gave “a curtain speech,” introducing the Mayor and members of the City Commission and then acknowledging those who had been instrumental in “giving Austin this large, modern, up-to-date amusement house – ‘the last word in theater architecture,’ said Mayor Woolridge” (The Austin American, 12 Oct. 1915, page 3). I have yet to find any credit being given to Toomey & Volland, or any other contractors beyond the architectural firm for their contributions.

To be continued…

Book about Mary Vogt by her son Thomas Noxon Toomey in 1921. Only 200 copies were privately printed in St. Louis, Missouri.

Here is the link to Thomas Noxon Toomey’s book: https://books.google.com/books?id=RudFAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18&dq=Mary+Vogt+Hufford&source=bl&ots=bf1krOTCqC&sig=oyd3beloyo3kZsFMvXnhVhP2ajo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiP35WT_cTcAhWMx4MKHaHGA1wQ6AEwAHoECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 463 – Patrick J. Toomey of Noxon & Toomey

Part 463: Patrick J. Toomey of Noxon & Toomey

Patrick J. Toomey, from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2 April 1896, page 5

In 1896, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch featured Patrick J. Toomey, including a brief biography and illustration. The article reported, “Patrick J. Toomey was born in Limerick, Ireland in 1854 and came to St. Louis with his parents as an infant. He received his education at the Christian Brothers’ College and in the public schools. His first employment was in the retail grocery trade. After a few years he found this work uncongenial and apprenticed himself to scenic art under Mr. Thomas C. Noxon at Deagle’s Varieties. With his tutor, four years later, he formed the partnership of Noxon & Toomey, continuing in the same line ever since. In connection with Mr. Noxon, Mr. Toomey has been the scenic artist at the Olympic Theater and Grand Opera House for over twenty years. In 1886, he married Miss May Vogt, a daughter of Dr. Wm. Vogt of Iowa City, Iowa” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2 April, 1896). The couple’s only child was named Noxon Toomey, who grew up to become a doctor.

Patrick J. Toomey’s wife, Mary Vogt, 1908

Noxon Toomey, the only child of Patrick J. Toomey and Mary Vogt. 1908.

I was curious about the venue where Toomey apprenticed himself to Noxon – Deagle’s Variety Theater. George Deagle’s Varieties Theater introduced musical comedy to St. Louis with “The Black Crook” in 1867 and briefly took the lead as one of St. Louis’ five theaters at that time. Various documents placed the location of the venue at Sixth Street near Locust. Little is known of Deagle’s Varieties Theater, and there are only a handful of advertisements for shows from 1876. Interestingly, an article from 1882 mentions that Deagle managed the only variety and spectacular house in pre-Civil War St Louis “then located where the present Grand Opera House now stands” (St. Louis Post-Dispatchm 20 March 1882, page 5). It appears that Deagle managed the St. Louis Opera House from 1865 until 1872, when he set his sites on another venue. In 1872 he rented the Olympic Theatre of St. Louis for a production of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

The Buffalo Courier reported that George Deagle (1822-1908) was “the oldest theatrical manager in the country, who many years ago owned the Deagle Varieties Theater” (Buffalo Courier 14 Oct. 1900, page 17). Deagle later managed the People’s Theatre in Chicago too.

As an interesting side note, his granddaughter Ann Murdock took to the stage in 1908 at the age of 17, making her debut in “The Offenders.” She noted that her grandfather, George Deagle, was the manager of Deagles Varieties in St. Louis fifty years ago (New York Times 29 Oct. 1908, page 9), placing the establishment’s origin in the 1850s. Ann Murdock’s mother, Terese Deagle was also an actress, and one of the first leading women employed by Charles Frohman. Her father was a manager for many years at the American Theatrical Exchange (The St. Louis Post-Dispatch 12 June 1921, page 3). I became fascinated with this theatre family, but back to Toomey.

In 1922, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch placed Toomey’s birthdate in 1851 and reported that Toomey was “considered one of the pioneer scenic painters of St. Louis” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 13 March 1922, page 14). Toomey was best known, however, for his creation of the first floats for the Veiled Prophet’s parade and continued this sort of work for 25 years, only giving it up shortly before his death. Toomey was famed as an “electrical float builder” known also for his work at the Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans and the Milwaukee Carnival (Wichita Daily Eagle, 13 July 1900, page 6). He did most of the scene painting for the old theatres in St. Louis, including Pope’s the Olympic and the Century. At one time, he also painted for the Knickerbocker Theatre in New York City.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 462- Thomas C. Noxon of Noxon & Toomey

Part 462: Thomas C. Noxon of Noxon & Toomey

The founding dates for Noxon and Toomey seem to vary when one looks at a variety of printed material and public records. Some sources place the firm starting in 1867, while others place the establishment around 1869. The firm lasted until Noxon’s passing in 1898.

Thomas C. Noxon was an extremely well-known scenic artist during the nineteenth century. Born in Montreal, Canada, during 1829, he came to the United States as a child. Initially living in Zanesville and in Millerburg, Ohio, Noxon attended public schools. For a time he lived in Detroit, and that was where he entered the theatrical profession. At the age of sixteen in 1845, he moved to St. Louis and studied art.

Noxon was married twice. He married his first wife, Ann Hazzard, on April 14, 1853 when he was twenty-four years old. The couple had three daughters, but only two were living at the time of his death, Mrs. Samuel Wilson and Mrs. Harry Belden, both of whom acted on the stage. The daughter that predeceased Noxon, Libbie, was also an actress, performing as Blosson in Ben Maginely’s “Square Man” during 1882. She passed away in 1894 after a long illness (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 27 May 1894, page 31). A “Miss Noxon, the daughter of Thomas C. Noxon,” also performed with the Olympic stock company and reported to be married to the comedian Harry Harwood in 1883; this may have been Libbie (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1 Sept. 1883, page 8). In 1885, Noxon married for a second time to a “Mrs. Selvers.”

There are a few interesting tidbits that I uncovered about this somewhat evasive artist. In 1880, Noxon was working with the stage machinist Mr. S. I. Gates to create the scenery for “Cymbeline” at the Olympic (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 5 Jan. 1880, page 8). In 1882, he was mentioned as the scenic artist of the Grand Opera House. In 1884, Noxon was credited as being both the scenic artist for the Grand Opera House and Olympic Theaters in St. Louis (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 21 Jan. 1884, page 8).

*The Grand Opera House in St. Louis, Missouri, where Thomas C. Noxon worked as a scenic artist.*

*The Olympic Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, where Thomas C. Noxon worked as a scenic artist.*

Later, Noxon’s business partner P. J. Toomey would remain at the Olympic, using the studio room for Toomey & Volland. This space was destroyed by fire in 1922. In 1884, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, “Mr. Noxon stands in front rank of curtain and scene painters, and for special features like Mardi Gras and Veiled Prophet pageants, is recognized throughout the Mississippi Valley as the most competent man in the profession” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 21 Jan. 1884, page 8). At the time of his passing in 1898, the “Dramatic Mirror” reported, “His name appears on the corner of theatrical curtains in almost every large city in the country, and is also seen in the theatres of Europe” (2 July 1898, page 6).

Noxon worked as both a scenic artist and a decorative painter, heading four theatrical painting firms during his life: Noxon & Strauss, Noxon, Halley & Toomey, Noxon, Albert & Toomey, and finally Noxon & Toomey.

My research suggests that Noxon joined forces with Patrick Joseph Toomey to establish the Noxon & Toomey Painting Studio of St. Louis between 1867 and 1869. Noxon was the senior partner and is reported to have managed the studio from its inception until his illness in 1896. This is where history gets a bit fuzzy around the edges. The business remained opened after Albert left Noxon & Toomey in 1891, but Toomey also established the Knox & Toomey Scenic Art Company at that same time. Knox & Toomey also specialized in float construction and electric pageant wagons, the same kind that Noxon & Toomey specialized in since 1878. Their creations dominated the pageant market all over the country.

Like many men of his generation, Noxon joined a variety of social clubs and fraternal organization. In addition to being a prominent member of several Masonic orders, he was also a charter member for the Benevolent and Protected Order of Elks. The Elks were an American fraternal order founded during 1868 in New York City. It was initially a social club for minstrel show performers, called the “Jolly Corks.” Some historical records suggest that the group was formed as a private club to elude laws governing the restrictive hours for public taverns. After a member’s death that left his wife and children without funds, the organization took on a more charitable mission.

*It’s sad when all that remains of this remarkable scenic artist is a tombstone. I am still searching for images of painted settings produced by Thomas C. Noxon.*

Noxon passed away from nephritis, on June 20, 1898, after a long illness. His remains are interred in “Elks Rest,” the Elks section of Bellfontaine Cemetery in St. Louis (block 70, lot 1043). At the time of his death, Noxon was living at 2010 Rutger Street. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, “Mr. Noxon for years had been considered one of the foremost scenic painters in the country and his work can be seen in almost every prominent theater in the United States” (21 June 1898, page 7). When he passed away, Toomey was in Wisconsin, superintending Milwaukee Carnival Floats. The “Weekly Wisconsin” reported, “Mr. Toomey received a telegram this morning announcing his partner’s death, and at once arranged to leave for St. Louis to attend the funeral. ‘Mr. Noxon was the greatest scenic artist this country has produced,’ said Mr. Toomey. ‘He was 69 years of age and had done work for the leading theaters of the country, besides what he did in way of pageantry. He leaves a wife and two daughters, one of whom is on the stage. Mr. Noxon had been ill for a year and a half, and had been confined to his bed for the last six months” (The Weekly Wisconsin, 25 June 1898, page 4).

Toomey’s only child was named Noxon Toomey.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 461- Changing Partners

Part 461: Changing Partners

In 1903, Moses was studying art with R. M. Shurtleff, preparing to join the Salmagundi Club, and working on a variety of both indoor and outdoor spectacles. He lived in Mount Vernon, New York, but still traveled quite when touring shows opened in other cities. During these travels, his business partner Hamilton “held down the fort” at their Broadway Theatre offices in New York.

Moses & Hamilton was Moses’ his third partnership and it would end in 1904. In 1887 Moses entered into business with a scenic artist and an art dealer to form Burridge, Moses & Louderback (see past installment 132). By 1895 Moses tried his hand at both theatrical management and a scenic studio, establishing the short-lived team of Moses & McDonald (see past installment 336). By 1901, Moses partnered with Hamilton, forming Moses & Hamilton. My research suggests that this “changing partners” was a common occurrence at the time. The country was large, but the word of successful scenic artists was relatively small and partnerships were necessary to attain larger and more profitable projects. This period of time and the world of scenic art made me think of the lyrics from Patti Page’s song “Changing Partners”

We were waltzing together to a dreamy melody
When they called out “change partners”
And you waltzed away from me

(Here is the link to the song, if you have no idea what I am talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARWBstJHBe8)

The scenic art scene during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was like one big dance; artists tried to successfully maneuver their way across the dance floor, always in search of the best partner. They were simply trying to find that perfect fit and who might ultimately increase their prospects. If they had found the perfect partner at one time, they would try to return; I think of Sosman & Landis repeatedly drawing Moses back into their studio.

Moses’ memoirs trace his interactions with scenic artists during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including Patrick J. Toomey of Toomey & Volland scenic studio in St. Louis, Missouri. For years, Moses would always stop by the studio when he was in town and visit with his good friend “Toomey.” Likewise, Toomey would visit Moses and send him postcards from abroad. Scenic artists needed to maintain a close-knit network so that they could not only could keep tabs on their competition, but also maintain a talent pool for larger projects.

Postcard advertising the new Toomey & Volland studio in 1922

These connections were crucial, facilitating potential alliances for upcoming work. Regional alliances were also made, such as that between Sosman & Landis and their affiliate New York Studios. The stylistic interpretation could vary from artist to artist, but the overall approach to the production of painted scenery for the stage remained relatively consistent until approximately the 1920s. At the time the theatrical industry promoted an artistic standard that was founded on established painting techniques developed in the late 17^th and 18^th centuries. Scenic artists created paintings intended to be viewed from a distance, a unique skill that wasn’t intuitive to many fine artists. Scenic art was primarily an apprenticed trade, supported by an individual’s fine art training.

The first decade of the twentieth century is what I consider the golden age of American scenic art. Scenic artists produced successful illusions, just as their predecessors, but had the advantage of electricity. In other words, they had more to work with as technological innovation flooded the theater industry. This greatest strength would later become the scenic art’s greatest weakness. There is a notable shift in American scenic art as electricity, projections, and moving pictures continue to shape the artistic landscape of the entertainment industry. The studios were working with one foot on a firm foundation and another foot precariously placed on a slippery rock. Many studios would quickly ascend, such as Sosman and Landis, but only a few would last for more than a few years. One such company was Toomey & Volland of St. Louis.

Toomey & Volland evolved from an earlier scenic art partnership called Noxon & Toomey. Thomas C. Noxon and Patrick Joseph Toomey joined forces in approximately 1867. Noxon was the firm’s first president and senior partner in the company.

The firm expanded in 1881 and changed its name to Noxon, Albert & Toomey. The famed Ernest Albert was added to the company, while Toomey was reported to be “the itinerant member of the firm” (Richmond Dispatch, 24 Jan 1886, page 3). For more information about Albert, see past installments 131, 133-139, 145, 154, 179, 231, 244 and 248. The company ran regional offices with studios in St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, Illinois & Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Noxon, Albert & Toomey lasted for almost a decade, but Albert eventually returned to Chicago to partner with Walter Burridge and Oliver Dennett Grover, forming Albert, Grover & Burridge. 1891, the three constructed an innovative scenic studio with twenty paint frames and a display area to fully light and stage completed sets for clients. Although there was much promise, the firm went bankrupt in two years.

Back to St. Louis and Toomey’s activities.

When Noxon, Albert & Toomey ended, Toomey formed another partnership in 1892 – the Knox & Toomey Scenic Art Company. Toomey partnered with George Knox, a stage carpenter; the two specialized in float construction and electric pageant wagons. Float for parades had remained a specialty of Toomey’s since 1878. In fact Toomey dominated the float market in St. Louis for the Veiled Profit Procession and ball. This event was St. Louis’ version of the Mardi Gras parade and will be covered in another installment.

By 1901, Toomey switched partners – again. However this would be for the last time. His new business partner was a scenic artist, one who had previously worked at Noxon & Toomey – Hugo R. Volland. Volland migrated from Grossbremback, Germany, and soon found work at Noxon & Toomey as the company’s secretary. He would be a major Masonic asset major contributor to the St. Louis Scottish Rite for both the 1902 and 1924 buildings.

Like Sosman & Landis, Toomey & Volland jumped on the Masonic scenery and stage machinery bandwagon. From 1901 to 1904 their production of Scottish Rite scenery installations included St. Louis, Missouri; Butte, Montana; Joplin, Missouri; Rochester, New York; and Toledo, Ohio. Likewise, Sosman & Landis created Scottish Rite collections for Salina, Kansas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Fort Scott, Kansas; Chicago, Illinois; and Duluth, Minnesota, during this same time. Just as the original 1902 Sosman & Landis scenery for Little Rock is still used in Pasadena, California, so is the original 1902 Toomey & Volland scenery for Joplin still used in Deadwood, South Dakota. These two collections extremely significant within the framework of Scottish Rite history for the Southern Jurisdiction.

Both scenic studios would remain major players in the scene painting industry for the first two decades of the twentieth-century, having a lasting impact on many future generations of artists. Tomorrow, I will star to look at the scenic artist, and good friend of Moses, Toomey.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 460 – William F. Hamilton and “As the Sun Went Down”

Part 460: William F. Hamilton and “As the Sun Went Down”

As I was exploring the painting projects of Moses & Hamilton, I discovered an interesting project that Will Hamilton worked on in 1909. It appeared in my search as Hamilton’s name was followed by “formerly of the firm Moses & Hamilton.” I found it interesting that a newspaper would mention a previous business affiliation five years after the fact. It suggests that Moses’ name carried a lot of weight, garnering respect, even years later.

During 1909 Hamilton was working on George D. Baker’s play “As the Sun Went Down.” The action of the play concerns the stirring events in the lives of “rough but real folks in some faraway western mining gulch” (Buffalo Evening News, 7 Sept. 1909. Page 50). The plot involved a young minister, an eastern “tenderfoot,” and “lunger.” New word for me; “lunger” was a derogatory term for an individual suffering from tuberculosis. The three charaters are thrust into the “rude social organization of this primitive and uncouth community” (Fort Scott Daily Tribune and Fort Scott Daily Monitor, 28 Dec. 1909, page 8). Enter,“Col. Billy,” a woman “with a record and a beautiful, daring and good heart.” Newspapers compared this new western melodrama to ‘The Great Divide” and “Girl of the Golden West” with scenic settings full of realism (Buffalo Courier, 7 Sept. 1909, page 7).

Advertisement for “As the Sun Went Down,” from “The Evening Times-Republican” (Marshalltown, Iowa) 30 Nov 1909, page 9.

Ten years later, it was adapted by Baker for a film version. Directed by W. Mason Hopper, advertisements reported, “Not since Bret Harte wrote ‘Outcasts of Poker Flat’ has there been given to fiction or the drama a story so picturesque, so unreservedly different and unconventional as this, the newest Metro All Star Series Production. It’s the story of a bad girl who is bigger and better and finer than most of the girls you ever saw” (The Moving Picture World, 15 Feb. 1919). Metro’s “As the Sun Went Down” was released on February 10, 1919.

Advertisement for the film version of “As the Sun Went Down” starring Edith Storey in 1919. From Moving Picture World (February 15, 1919).

The earlier five-act play toured with the Arthur C. Aiston Company, during 1909 to 1910. Other Aiston touring productions included “Tennessee’s Pardner,” “At the Old Cross Roads” and “Shadows on the Hearth.” Aiston’s company was headed by Estha Williams as “Col. Billy.” W. A. Whitecar played the role of the gambler Tarantula, “the ba’ad man of the play,” whose villainous career ended with a venomous snakebite. William Sexton played “Pizen Ike, the worst man in Rattlesnake Gulch” who is shot to death in a duel. Phil Connor played the role of “Piety Pete, the funmaking storekeeper,” while Flora Byam played “Sal Sue,” also nicknamed “Cyclone” by “Fare Bill” (Buffalo Courier, 7 Sept. 1909, page 7). The names just made me giggle.

Scene from the touring production of “As the Sun Went Down,” from “The Evening Statesman,” Walla Walla, WA, 31 Jan. 1910, page 7.

The show’s painted settings were well received; the “Star-Gazette” reported “The production is an unusually elaborate one for a popular-priced theater, a large number of special scenic effects being provided” (Elmira, NY, 1 Sept. 1909, page 2). The scenery design was credited to Lee-Lash Scenic Co. with the painting lead by Hamilton. “The Iola Daily Register And Evening News” reported, “The scenery is by the Lee-Lash Scenic company of New York and has been especially produced under the personal direction of W. F. Hamilton, formerly of Moses & Hamilton” (Iola, Kansas, 4 Jan. 1910, page 4). Similarly, “The Capital Journal” reported, “As the production is carried complete, it is necessary to have a special baggage car for the transportation of the companies’ scenery and properties” (Salem, Oregon, 8 Jan. 1910, page 9). “The production which is a very elaborate one, comes from the best artists of the Lee-Lash Scenic Company of New York city, each scene gotten out under the personal direction of W. F. Hamilton, formerly of the firm of Moses & Hamilton” (The Evening Statesman, Walla Walla, WA, 31 Jan. 1910, page 7).

Scene from the touring production of “As the Sun Went Down,” from Goodwin’s Weekly (Salt Lake City) 23 April 1910, page 12

The mention of William F. Hamilton’s work at the Lee Lash Studios really peaked my interest, and caused me to recall a clipping in Thomas Moses’ scrapbook. The newspaper article depicted Moses painting on a Lee Lash studio frame. It was possible that Moses was brought in to supervise the painting on the production, just like Hamilton. Lash was known for hiring a variety of artists to work with his paint staff and supervise various projects. This was a unique quality of the scenic art network at the turn of the twentieth century. Artists worked in one studio and then another, quickly forming partnerships that would last for only a few years. We don’t know if it was artistic temperaments or simple opportunities at the time that drove two artistic join forces. It was the artistic culture during a time when work was plentiful.

Thomas G. Moses (back with lining stick) painting at Lee Lash Studio, date unknown.

To be continued…