Near the end of summer in 1902, Moses wrote, “Returning home all freshened up, the sketching “bug” was getting under my skin in fine shape, and I was anxious to do something in the picture line. My old artist friends that were so glad to welcome me to New York when I was on a salary, were not so well pleased now that I was in the contract market and holding six paint frames.”
It is quite remarkable when one considers the number of shows that Moses was contracted to paint for the 1902 season. They included “Miss Bob White.” “Robert Emmet” “Lights of Home,” “The Village Postmaster,” “Shadows of a Great City,” “Tennessee’s Partner,” “Man to Man,” “An American Gentleman,” “Charity Nurse,” “The Holy Sword,” “Tobe Hoxie” “Gay Mr. Goldstein,” “Winchester,” “Rip Van Winkle,” and “Egyptia” a big spectacle.
Moses wrote, “Many of these shows opened out of the city, and I was compelled to go with them. I never knew when I was going to be at home. One night I was to go to Jersey City, as I understood from the phone message. On my arrival there, I found the show was to open in Hoboken.
Postcard depicting Fifth Avenue in Hoboken
It was then quite late and I couldn’t get to Hoboken from Jersey City without a lot of trouble, so I went back to New York and got a boat to Hoboken. When I arrived it was too late for my scene as they were through rehearsing. I found my way back to New York, crossed over to the 3rd Avenue Elevated.
Third Avenue Elevated bridge depot in 1902
Went to 129th Street and got a car to Frodam where I had to change for Mt. Vernon. Just missed the car. Had to wait nearly an hour. I had two hours at home, then back to the city. “It was the life.”
Tomorrow I will start examining each of the shows that Moses worked on during 1902.
Thomas G. Moses was able to spend several weeks on vacation with his wife and two youngest children during summer of 1902. It was also an opportunity to refocus on his fine art techniques for landscape painting. He sketched throughout the Town of Catharine in the upstate New York area.
Moses wrote, “I broke away from business long enough to take the family to Catharine, N. Y., where we enjoyed the farm life for several weeks. I found plenty of good spots to sketch and I made hay while the sun shone.”
1897 Map of Schuyler Country with the Town of Catherine.
Catharine, New York, was approximately 252 miles northwest of Moses’ home in Mount Vernon, New York. It was located less than two miles south of Odessa and approximately seven miles from the tip of Seneca Lake. In fact the town of Odessa was not incorporated until three years after Moses’ visit; it still remains a picturesque area for farming. The current address for the Town of Catharine is 106 Grant Road, Odessa, New York. Here is the website: http://www.townofcatharine.com/
Town of Odessa, New York, incorporated in 1905. The current Town of Catharine is less than two miles south of Odessa.
The Town of Catharine was formed in the year 1798 (originally named Catharines town) and was part of Tioga County. The original town had 26 families and approximately 89,407 acres of land. Currently, the town is governed by an elected Board of 5 Councilmen with one of the councilmen is elected as the Supervisor. The Town has it’s own traffic/civil/penal court with one elected justice and a court clerk.
Catharine, New York, that was later incorporated into the Town of Odessa in 1905.
The town of Catharine that Moses visited in 1902 was the second of two Catharine towns in Schuler County, New York, named after a local chieftess called “Queen Catharine.” The first town was the Seneca village of Queanettquaga that once encompassed the falls and area between the hills at the base of Seneca Lake. This area was informally known as Catharine’s Town and also known as Che-o-quock, Shughquago and Sheoquago.
“Queen” Catharine (1710-1804) was from the noted Montour family, from whom the first settlement and nearby Montour Falls derives its name. She was from French and Iroquois decent, a heritage that would prove to be her undoing after the Iroquois formed an alliance with the British. The first Catharine’s Town was destroyed on the orders of General George Washington during the Sullivan Expedition in 1779. It was one of more than 40 tribal villages destroyed across western New York in retaliation for raids in the eastern part of the province.
The Town of Montour, New York, was once part of Catharine, New YorkThe falls in Montour, New York
The New York legislature created a second town of Catharine during the first elections in 1798. The town was originally organized as part of Chemung County, before the formation of Schuyler County. Catharine was divided to form the towns of Veteran and Catlin in 1825, and later the town of Montour. Moses would have journeyed by train from Mount Vernon to Watkins Glen, before traveling to the farm in the Town of Catherine.
Moses recounted an entertaining incident while sketching one day in Catharine; he wrote, “My white sketching umbrella was the cause of a runaway. A pair of horses were hauling a long wagon filled with empty milk cans. The horses started to run and the driver couldn’t hold them. The wagon jumped across the road before I could lower the umbrella. The wagon was down the hill, spilling the cans. I can hear them now.”
Part 429: Moses Family Outings to Starin’s Glen Island
In 1901, Thomas G. Moses was making enough money to take some time off from work for sketching trips. This was also an exciting opportunity to make artistic strides while enjoying his family at home every evening. Of his preferred areas to sketch, Moses wrote, “Glen Island was another favorite place for us. On a hot day about four o’clock, I would run down to 21st Street Dock and take the boat around the Battery to Glen Island where the family would join me for a fine shore dinner. It was a short car ride from Glen Island to Mt. Vernon, so it was very convenient for the family to come and return by the way of New Rochelle. Occasionally, we would take a ride to Yonkers, then up to Newburgh or West Point on the beautiful Hudson River.”
Postcard of Glen Island where Thomas G. Moses and his family visited in 1901Glen Island
Former US Congressman, John H. Starin, acquired and developed “Locust Island” just off the coast of New Rochelle. He renamed the island “Starin’s Glen Island” and built a very successful amusement park. Glen Island was a 105-acre island property, and one of five purchased by Starin in 1879. He converted the islands into a summer resort, connecting them with causeways and piers.
Starin’s Glen Island, 1881Advertisement for Starin’s Glen Island
Steamships transported visitors from New York City to the park, with each island featuring a different international theme. Attractions included a zoo, a natural history museum, shooting galleries, a carousel, swings, picnic grounds, wine cellar, a clam bake area, German Castle, beer garden, Chinese pagoda, bathing beach, and a variety of musical entertainments. Glen Island Park opened in 1881, attracting thousands of people daily. It is estimated that more than a million visitors a year visited the amusement park by its sixth year of operation.
Ticket to Glen Island
Starin’s steamboat excursions to Glen Island
The majority of visitors arrived by steamboats and ships. Starin operated a fleet of steamboats that brought hundreds of thousands of visitors to Glen Island each year. As the excursion steamers headed to Glen Island, they rounded Battery Park on the left and Governor’s Island on the right, with exquisite scenery in every direction. On the way to Glen Island passengers enjoyed views of Blackwell’s, Ward’s, Randall’s and Riker’s islands. Speeding up Long Island Sound, passenger’s passed College Point, Willett’s Point, and Fort Schuyler. It was not until the 1920s that a drawbridge connected Glen Island to New Rochelle.
While living in Mt. Vernon, New York, Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934) had the opportunity to go on sketching trips with fellow scenic artists John H. Young (1858-1944) and Harry Vincent (1864-1931). Young and Moses met in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during 1876. Both began their artistic careers in fresco painting, transitioning to scenic art and design about the same time in Chicago during 1880; they both worked for Sosman & Landis.
From the beginning, Moses and Young took many sketching trips with other scenic artists all across the country from West Virginia to the Rocky Mountains. These trips with were for research to be used on future productions and to hone their artistic skills. By 1884, Moses and Young spent their Sundays at F. C. Bromely’s studio in Chicago painting in oil. Moses wrote, “We both made some progress. Bromely was quite dramatic in his work and we enjoyed it during the year.” John Hendricks Young was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1858 and was two years younger than Moses.
Moses met Vincent when he worked with A. J. Rupert and Frank Peyraud to create the settings for William Haworth’s “A Flag of Truce” 1892. After the project was completed, Vincent joined Moses to work for him at Sosman & Landis’ new annex studio that same year. Located in the old Waverly Theatre, Moses recorded that his studio crew included A. J. Rupert, Frank Peyrand and Harry Vincent, besides a number of assistants and paint boys.
Of his New York sketching with Young and Vincent in 1901 Moses wrote, “Every Sunday this summer I went sketching near home, and it was very picturesque. John Young and Harry Vincent joined me quite often, as we all lived near the spot. Occasionally I would go to Seton Falls, a very rugged place. Ella and the children would get a carriage and drive over with a luncheon for me, and late in the afternoon, in the cool of the evening, we would take an extended drive, along Long Island Sound. We enjoyed it very much.”
Seton Falls in 1867
Where the three was sketching is currently known as Seton Falls Park; an irregular 35-acre section of land between East 233rd Street and parts of Marolla Place and Crawford, Seton and Pratt Avenues. This area now includes a woodland, wetland, and bird sanctuary named from the prominent waterfalls built in the park by the Seton family. In the 19th century, the Setons were instrumental in the political and social affairs of what was then the town of Eastchester. It was often called the “Grand Canyon” of the Bronx. Seton Falls Park was less than two miles away from Mount Vernon, where Moses and Ella were living at the time.
Trails in Seyton Falls ParkSeton FallsRattlesnake Brook in Seton Falls Park
Rattlesnake brook trickles through Seton Park. The lack of rattlesnakes is credited to the settlers’ use of early pigs to decimate the snake population; pigs find snakes of all types a delicious treat. Today, the remnants of Rattlesnake Brook primarily remain encased in masonry as its winds through the Park.
Part 427: Thomas G. Moses at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition
Poster for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York
Thomas G. Moses and his wife Ella were able to spend much more time together while living in New York. When the couple was in Chicago, Moses was constantly on the road while Ella and the children stayed in the city. Seldom were they able to spend time together as a family in any one location. In New York, there were opportunities to explore the region and go out on sketching trips. In 1901, Moses wrote, “Ella and I went to Buffalo for the exposition, and we certainly enjoyed ourselves for the short time we were allowed to see it all. We returned to New York by the way of Alpine, N.Y. and paid a visit to Ella’s cousin, Mrs. Hall. We enjoyed the country air for a week and good farm cooking.”
The 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York
One of the reasons to attend the 1901 Pan-American Exposition was to see the scenery produced by Moses & Hamilton for “A Trip to the Moon.”
Advertisement for Fred Thompson’s “A Trip to the Moon” at the Pan-American Exposition
Earlier that year, they had painted the moving panorama that created the scenic illusion where the airship Luna left earth and flew to the moon. A souvenir album of the exhibition depicts the airship Luna’s departure from the Pan American Exposition fairgrounds, hovering over Niagara Falls before taking ascending to the Moon.
The airship Luna ascending and flying over Niagara Falls in “A Trip to the Moon” at the Pan-American Exposition.A detail from the moving panorama in “A Trip to the Moon”A detail from the moving panorama in “A Trip to the Moon”A detail from the moving panorama in “A Trip to the Moon”
This same attraction would later be transferred to Steeplechase Park and then Luna Park, when the airship Luna II and Luna III would hove over Coney Island before departing for the Moon. It must have been delightful for Moses to share his accomplishment with the love of his life, while on a short respite from the grind at the studio.
The 350-acre site for 1901 Pan-American Exposition was in Buffalo, New York. The fair took place on the western edge of Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood Avenue and northward to Great Arrow Avenue.
A map of the Pan-American Exposition fairgrounds in 1901
It was an international extravaganza from May 1 until November 2 that featured innovation in art and industry from countries throughout the western hemisphere. Twentieth-century optimism inspired the event, but it ended in tragedy with the assassination of President William McKinley on September 6, 1901. He was shot by Leon Czolgosz at the Temple of Music, dying eight days later from gangrene caused by the bullet wounds.
Panorama of the Pan-American Exposition with the Temple of Music on the far left.
When the fair ended, the contents of the World Fair grounds were sold to the Chicago House Wrecking Company for $92,000, and demolition of the buildings began during March 1902. The only exception was the New York State Building as it was designed to outlast the Exposition and became the Buffalo History Museum. The Museum’s holdings now include many of the records from the Pan-American Exposition Company. There is also a lovely website devoted to “Doing the Pan” at http://panam1901.org/midway/index.htm It includes an article by Edward Hale Brush from June 17, 1901, “Pan-American’s Midway, Some of the Amusement Features for the Big Buffalo Exposition.” Here is a section of the article:
“When the Midway at the Pan-American was proposed, it was determined that it should be the very best of its kind and the greatest thing “that ever happened” if in treating of so light a theme one may be permitted to fall in to the language of the streets. From the beginning an effort was made to cull from the vast number of novel and attractive features offered those which would combine the elements of excitement and entertainment and at the same time impart the kind of educational influence which travel in foreign climes and among strange and unknown peoples is wont to confer.
There is a strange fascination in the Midway — in the seeming confusion, the grand medley of tongues, music, architecture and customs that one finds in this part of an Exposition and particularly such a Midway as that as the Pan-American is to be. The exhibitions of the Midway will be found on one street, which will have over a mile of frontage, and while in this way everything will be brought into close proximity for the convenience as well as amusement of the visitor the space covered by the various amusement features will be most extensive.
There will be a continuous throng of people passing down the main street of the Midway, and on either side of this street will be the dozens of different exhibitions, which will each and every one of them be a pretty good show in itself. Some of them will cost several hundred thousand dollars each for production.
It requires a great deal of inventive faculty — in fact, something quite approaching inspiration itself — to create such original exhibitions as many of these on the Pan-American Midway are to be. For instance, let me cite the story of how “A Trip to the Moon” came to, be suggested to the inventor of this Midway feature, Mr. Frederic Thompson.
One day Mr. Thompson was studying on how to create some new and startling effects for the “Darkness and Dawn” concession, in which he is also interested and in which is a representation of Dante’s “Inferno” revised and brought up to date. Throwing himself upon a couch in his office and gazing dreamily through half closed eyes at the circles of smoke from his pipe, he was seeking a solution to the problem how to carry his passengers over a deep and almost bottomless gulch he had created in the very heart of the infernal regions. Suddenly he hit upon a grand idea. Starting from his couch, he exclaimed: “I have it! But this will never do for ‘Darkness and Dawn.’ I’ll make it ‘A Trip to the Moon.'”
Thus was born the idea which resulted in the construction of the large building one sees among the first on entering the Midway and which is called “A Trip to the Moon.” It contains within it some of the most weird and mysterious illusions one could find in traveling the whole world around. Mr. Thompson will carry his visitors to the Moon by the airship Luna. The scientific principle which he has developed in planning this voyage is one which renders it possible to make the trip a very delightful as well as exciting experience.
Strange to say, Mr. Thompson conceived almost the identical ideas of the possibilities of interest in an underground City of the Moon which have been written up in story form by Mr. H. G. Wells in the Cosmopolitan and Strand magazines. Neither of these gentlemen is acquainted with the other nor could have obtained his ideas from the other, so that this merely furnishes another instance of great minds running in the same channel.
The magazine writer has carried his adventurers to the moon and caused them to discover its inhabitants underneath the surface of the earth’s satellite instead of on top. Mr. Thompson had done the same thing in “A Trip to the Moon,” which will present to Pan-American visitors far stranger sights than they ever dreamed of.”
In 1901, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We did two acts of “Under the Southern Skies” for Wm. A Brady. He wanted everything of the best. I spent $1000.00 for furniture and draperies for the two scenes. He thought me awfully extravagant.”
“Under the Southern Skies” was a comedy drama in four acts by Lottie Blair Parker and produced by Brady. It ran for a total of 71 performances at the Theatre Republic in New York, opening on November 12, 1901, and closing in January 1902. The scenery produced for the show was by Moses & Hamilton, along with John H. Young.
William A. Brady
The obituary of William Aloysius Brady (1863-1950) reported that he was “a candy butcher, an actor, dramatist, producer and manager of prize fighters, including two world champions, James J. Corbett and Jim Jeffries” (Billboard, 21 Jan. 1950, page 53). Born in San Francisco, he learned many aspects of the theatrical business while touring western theatres during the 1880s. Brady later joined with George Webster to form the Webster-Brady Company, securing the stage rights to Dion Boucicault’s melodrama “After Dark,” proving to be quite lucrative. Brady came to New York as a producer in 1896, featuring James J. “Gentleman Jim” Corbett in several shows, even featuring him as a heavyweight prizefighter. Among the stars whom he managed were Grace George (his wife), Wilton Lackaye, Helen Hayes, Henry E. Dixey, Mary Nash, and Alice Brady (his daughter) At the age of 75, Brady estimated that he had produced over 260 shows, also having built two New York theatres – the Playhouse and 48th Street Theatre. His offices were located in the Playhouse.
“Pretty Peggy” with scenery by Moses & Hamilton, 1901.
Moses & Hamilton also produced the scenery for Brady’s “Pretty Peggy.” Moses recalled the production as “a good opportunity for scenic splendor.” “Pretty Peggy” was written by Frances Aymar Mathews and founded on the life of the famous Irish actress Peg Woffington. It depicted the “charmingly sympathetic story of the love of David Garrick for Peg Woffington, and the tragic ending of that historical romance” (Tammany Times, Vol. 20, No. 26, April 1903, page 6). Mathews included the British Theatre riot in the play that had erupted when the Woffington, attempted to perform at Covent Garden with her French dancers, inciting the English audience’s anti-French sentiment and anger.
The riot scene for “Pretty Peggy,” with scenery by Moses & Hamilton, 1901.
For “Pretty Peggy” the Tammany Times reported that “Some 250 people are used in the presentation, and a large number of these are continually before the audience, first as acrobats in a circus tent, next as diners in the picturesque Covent Garden, and finally as rioters in the remarkable mob scene” (Vol. 20, No. 26, April 1903, page 6).
The play opened with trapeze performers, jugglers, dancers and strong men rehearsing their respective feats inside a circus booth at Dublin. It is here that Woffington meets the London actor Garrick. In the next act, Peggy is already the leading woman of the Covent Garden Theatre, and the actress celebrates her birthday by a great feast set out in the green room.
“Pretty Peggy” with scenery by Moses & Hamilton, 1901.
Of this scene, the “Theatre Magazine” reported, “The beautiful eighteenth century costumes are all of extreme riches and the furnishings elaborate to the verge of extravagance, while a veritable army of supernumeraries are employed to add to the animation of this picturesque tableau (Theatre Magazine Vol. 3, page 110).
“Pretty Peggy” with scenery by Moses & Hamilton, 1901.
The riot scene involved 180 men, with the rioters divided into three squads. They rehearsed with Brady and his assistant Frank Hatch, who instructed them in their emotional and vocal responses. Brady invited reporters to attend the rehearsal sessions, thus guaranteeing free advertising for the upcoming production.
It was produced by William A. Brady (1863-1950) and starred his wife Grace George (1879-1961). It opened at the Herald Square Theatre and ran for 48 performances from March until May 1903. There was a return engagement of “Pretty Peggy” at Hoyt’s Theatre with 32 shows from October until November 1903.
“Pretty Peggy” with scenery by Moses & Hamilton, 1901.
1905, Moses again worked for Brady, recording, “Early in May I did a Wm. A. Brady’s “All Around Chicago,” a big show at McVickers. Another $3,600.00 contract.”
Part 425: Thomas G. Moses’ design for “In Dahomey”
In 1901, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We started with Hurtig and Seamons, which proved to be good in quantity and quality.” He was referring to the theatrical management team who was made up of Benjamin F. Hurtig, Jules Hurtig and Harry J. Seamon. Benjamin and Jules were brothers. Their offices located at 1435 Broadway.
Benjamin Hurtig
In 1901, Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide advertised that the firm ran the Harlem Music Theatre (a variety venue in New York), the Bowery Burlesquers Co. and The Social Maid’s Burlesque Co.; they were well-known as “New York amusement caters.” By 1909 when Benjamin Hurtig passed away, the firm controlled five playhouses in New York, two in Brooklyn, two in Chicago, one in Syracuse, one in Rochester, and the Lyric in Dayton, Ohio. They also owned and controlled nine companies on the road. Hurtig & Seamon were members of the Columbia Amusement Company, which controlled the operation of forty-five burlesque houses; of which Jules Hurtig was vice-president.
Moses & Hamilton painted the scenery for a few of Hurtig & Seamon shows, including “The Sons of Ham,” a show that featured the African American performers Egbert Austin “Bert” Williams and George Walker. This production rejected the stereotypical black roles, with Williams portraying a man who was simply down and out. The production boasted a company of fifty people with “special scenery and electrical effects” (Davenport Morning Star 15 February 1901, page 5).
The Harlem Opera House was used by Hurtig and Seamon while their new theaters were under construction.
The same year that Moses & Hamilton began working for Hurtig & Seamon, the theatrical managers were in the midst of planning the construction of two new theatres in New York, both on 125th Street (The Evening World, NY, NY, 28 June 1901, page 9). One was to be erected on 125th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, while the other was to be erected near Lexington Avenue. The first structure would contain a music hall, theatre and big roof garden. During the planning and construction, Hurtig & Seamon primarily occupied the old Harlem Opera House (est. in 1889 by Oscar Hammerstein) that was just down the block at 211 West 125th Street.
Program for “In Dahomey” at the New York Theatre“In Dahomey” with painted scenery by Moses & Hamilton, 1902
In 1902, Moses recorded that he designed “In Dahomey” for Hurtig & Seamon. He wrote, “Williams and Walker were starred, and the show was taken to England, where they were commanded to appear before King Edward VII.” The show starred Bert Williams (as Shylock Homestead) and George Walker (as Rareback Pinkerton). The cast was invited to give a command performance in the garden of Buckingham Palace on June 23rd for the young Prince of Wales’ birthday celebrations (the future King Edward VIII). In England a cakewalk scene was added to the finale of the show.
Advertisement from “In Dahomey” while on tour in the United KingdomProgram for “In Dahomey” at the Shaftesbury Theatre
“In Dahomey” was advertised as “a negro musical comedy,” based on the book by Jesse A. Shipp, with music by Will Marion Cook and lyrics by poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. It was the first full-length musical written and performed by all African Americans that opened at a major Broadway house. The three-act musical production opened at the New York Theatre on February 18, 1903, and closed after 53 performances on April 4. The show with almost fifty performers, was then transported to England where it opened on April 28, 1903, at the Shaftesbury Theatre and completed a provincial tour throughout the United Kingdom. In 1904, the musical returned to Broadway and ran from August 27 until September 10, at the Grand Opera House. This seventeen-show run was followed by a major 40-week tour across the United States.
While on tour in the United Kingdom, Williams and Walker were both initiated into Waverly Lodge No. 597 of Edinburgh, Scotland, along with nine others from the Williams and Walker Colored Minstrels troupe. In 1922, when Williams died, the Edinburgh Lodge requested that he be buried with Masonic honors, a courtesy performed by St. Cecile Lodge No. 568 of New York City (William L. Fox, “Lodge of the Double-headed Eagle,” page 225).
Song hits of “In Dahomey” sung by Bert Williams and George Walker
Here is the Story of “In Dahomey,” as it was printed in the original program:
“An old Southern negro, ‘Lightfoot’ by name, president of the Dahomey Colonization Society, loses a silver casket, which, to use his language, has a cat scratched on the back. He sends to Boston for detectives to search for the missing treasure. Shylock Homestead and Rareback Pinkerton (Williams and Walker), the detectives on the case, failing to find the casket in Gatorville, Fla., ‘Lightfoot’s’ home, accompany the colonists to Dahomey. Previous to leaving Boston on their perilous mission, the detectives join a syndicate. In Dahomey, rum of any kind, when given as a present, is a sign of appreciation. Shylock and Rareback, having free access to the syndicate’s stock of whiskey, present the King of Dahomey with three barrels of appreciation and in return are made Caboceers (Governors of a Province). In the meantime the colonists having had a misunderstanding with the King and are made prisoners. Prisoners and criminals are executed on festival days, known in Dahomey as Customs Day. The new Caboceers, after supplying the King with his third barrel of appreciation (whiskey), secure his consent to liberate the colonists after which an honor is conferred on Rareback and Shylock, which causes them to decide ‘There’s No Place Like Home.’”
The settings for “In Dahomey” included:
Act I – scene 1 – Public square in Boston
Picture of the Public Square for “In Dahomey,” scenery by Moses & Hamilton, 1901.
Act II – scene 1 – Exterior of Lightfoot’s home, Gatorville, Florida; scene 2 – Road, one-and-a-half miles from Gatorville; scene 3 – Interior of the Lightfoot home
Act III – scene 1 – Swamp in Dahomey; scene 2 – Garden of the Caboceer (Governor of the Providence). Execution tower in the distance.
Although Bejamin Hurtig would pass away in 1909, his brother Jules Hurtig & Seamon would obtain a thirty-year lease on the newly constructed neo-classical theatre in Harlem, New York, during 1914. This theater opened as “Hurtig and Seamon’s New Burlesque Theatre,” but the venue would be renamed in 1934 as the Apollo Theatre.
Hurtig & Seamons New Burlesque Theatre, 1914A punch card for Hurtig & Seamon’s New Burlesque TheatreThe marquee for the Apollo TheatreInterior of the Apollo Theatre
For additional installments, go to www.drypigment.net
Advertisement placed by Moses & Hamilton for their new attraction in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 14 1903, page 56.
For over a year, Moses & Hamilton watched showmen rake in massive profits. Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Hamilton was anxious to get into the amusement business, so we invested $3,000.00 in a little stunt, which we called ‘The Devil, The Man and the Maid.’ It was a bit taken from Faust. We had good scenery and lighting effects and many novelties were introduced. One day’s receipts was $400.00 and it all looked good to us, but a rainy spell set in an no one did business on the island. Our gross receipts were $9,000.00. They should have been at least $12,000.00 to give us a good profit. We sold out at the close of the Coney Island season and had a $1,000.00 net, for all our work and trouble.”
Their attraction was located on Surf Avenue, opposite of the Culver Depot. Moses & Hamilton advertised in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on June 14, 1903 (page 56). The advertisement promised, “A Refined Sensational Novelty for Men, Women and Children. Spectacular in All Its Effects. Most Interesting Show on the Island.”
Moses admitted that $1000 was better than a totals loss, but it convinced Hamilton that he was not cut out to be a showman.
Moses continued to describe the experience, writing, “We started with five people in the show and wound up with twenty-three. Hamilton took the advice of every old showman on the Island, nothing they suggested proved to be of any use. Luna Park itself proved to be a money getter, and helped to increase the attendance at the Island; better car service was installed to New York and with the steam boats there were facilities on going and coming, enjoyed by everyone.” I discovered that Mose & Hamilton sold the show to Messrs. Kern and Grim. It was next used for the St. Louis Exposition in 1904.
In 1905, the Allentown Morning Call (20 Sept 1905, page 1) reported that the amusement “The Devil, The Man and The Maid” had originated on Luna Park was part of the novelties for the Pike at the Allentown Fair. It was one of three attractions, along with “Around the World” and “Siberia.” Messrs. Kern and Grim has also exhibited “The Devil, The Man and The Maid” at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition. The newspaper article reported, “This is one of the most successful illusion shows ever brought to this city.
On entering, one sees a young lady hypnotized in full view of the audience, and caused to float, unsupported, in the air, all this in a brilliantly lighted room. Later, the same young lady is securely bound by some one from the audience, securely sewn up in a bag, and placed in a large trunk, which is, in turn, is tied up and locked in such a manner that any escape seems impossible. This is then placed in a cabinet, and the trunk dragged out a minute later by members of the audience, and opened, only to find that the woman has disappeared and a man substituted.
From this room, one is taken into the side theatre, without any further price of admission, and here a lady or gentleman is taken from the audience, and in full view of the audience, transformed from rosy health to a grinning skeleton, and then in turn, returned to natural state. The same person is introduced to persons appearing on the stage, and when attempting to touch them finds that they disappear at will. This show is one of the most realistic performances and aggregation of the most astounding feats ever shown here.”
The effect with the skeleton was the scenic illusion called “Pepper’s Ghost.” This is the same effect that Moses would create while working for Sosman & Landis when designing for fraternal theaters. It was successfully used in the Scottish Rite’s thirtieth degree catacombs scene where a man “from the audience,” or exemplar for the degree, turned into a skeleton on stage.
Besides “Trip to the Moon,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” and “The War of Worlds,” Moses & Hamilton produced several smaller attractions at Luna Park. Thomas G. Moses recalled, “At Luna Park I had a big show of ‘Fire and Flames,’ a very effective amusement park show. Real fire, real engines and an awful mob of street vendors and loafers. A lot of good comedy and it did good business.”
Thomas G. Moses and William F. Hamilton helped create the spectacle “Fire and Flames” for Fred Thompson at Luna Park in 1903.
The attraction that Moses referred to involved the burning of a four-story brick building over the space of a city block. In 1903, the New York Times described this upcoming attraction at Luna Park, reporting that the setting for “Fire and Flames” was to depict “the greater part of Manhattan Island below Forty-fifth Street, with millions of lights in the tall buildings” (New York Times, 28 Sept 1903, page 7). The article continued, “A hotel is to catch fire, when all the paraphernalia of the Fire Department, the ambulances, and police reserves are to be exhibited.”
Detail of a scene from “Fire and Flames” at Luna Park.
The Peninsular Club Public Opinion journal advertised “Fire and Flames” as “the most realistic and stirring of all the shows.” The article explained, “Hundreds of supers take part in this, with many horses, cabs, wagons, several real trolley cars, fire engines, hook and ladder outfit, life net and water tower. The street scene is so life-like that it doesn’t seem like a show at all, and the flames bursting from the house-windows, the people at the windows screaming for help, the firemen scaling the walls with their ladders to bring down some, while others leap into the life-net, are all so terribly real that the audience feels that it has assisted at a bona-fide holocaust. The heat and ashes from the flames are sufficiently genuine to give all the thrills an ordinary mortal requires” (The Peninsular Club Public Opinion, August 12, 1905, Vol. XXXIX, No. 7, page 200).
Henry W. McAdam
In 1904, the former chief instructor of the New York City Fire Department, Henry W. McAdam, left his position after twenty-one years to become the director in charge of Luna Park’s “Fire and Flames” (Fire and Water Engineering, Vol. 37, 1905, page 248). McAdam was one of sixty fire fighters cast in three engine companies employed to work for Thompson for this one spectacle. The actual burning of the block involved four hundred people (Broadcast Weekly, page 7).
Moses recalled, “It was so popular that a similar attraction called ‘Fighting the Flames’ immediately appeared at “Dreamland,” the nearby amusement park also on Coney Island. Extant photographs documenting the two shows reveal almost identical spectacles.
“Fighting the Flames” at Dreamland.“Fighting the Flames” at Dreamland.Detail of painted backdrop next to three-dimensional building for “Fighting the Flames” at Dreamland.Detail of painted backdrop next to three-dimensional building for “Fighting the Flames” at Dreamland.Detail of painted backdrop next to three-dimensional building for “Fighting the Flames” at Dreamland.
Amusement park attractions, such as “Fire and Flames,” inspired early filmmakers to record the excitement and action of the spectacle. They left small snippets of popular culture that we are able to still explore when studying the past. Thomas Edison made a short movie depicting the 1904 “Fire and Flames” attraction at Coney Island, giving us a glimpse at the scene Moses describes above. Here is a link to the short film that Moses helped create for Luna Park: https://vimeo.com/165556307
I noticed something wile watching the film of “Fire and Flames;” the scenery is identical the “Fighting the Flames” as depicted in postcard s and photographs. “Fire and Flames” used a much bigger set. I wonder the film was incorrectly labeled at time of production since both attractions were filmed at the same time.
Postcard depicting the Dreamland attraction “Fighting the Flames”
Part 422: Coney Island – Thomas G. Moses and “The War of Worlds”
Postcard depicting the entrance of Luna Park
Amusement park attractions with massive spectacles provided a unique opportunity; new technology was integrated into established and successful scenic illusions. There were ample opportunities to experiment with visual spectacle. In some cases, already successful endeavors were tweaked, or revamped for even greater appeal. Luna Park showcased the work of many artisans, including the scenic art of Moses & Hamilton.
“A Trip to the Moon,” near the entrance of Luna Park.
Nearest the main entrance was Luna’s premiere attraction, “A Trip to the Moon.” The attraction was transported from Steeple Chase Park to Luna Park in 1902, then renovated and placed in a new building at the expense of $52,000. The new airship, Luna III, was also enlarged to accommodate more passengers. The show now ascended over a panorama of Coney Island, flying over Manhattan’s skyscrapers before continuing its journey to the moon, after rising into the clouds. Another change was that visitor’s would enter a moon dragon’s mouth, allowing them to walk into its stomach as the floor rocked to and fro as though alive. Descending to the dragon’s tail, visitor’s returned to earth, exiting safely on the streets of Luna Park.
Exterior of the building where the “War of Worlds” spectacle was located at Luna Park.
The building next to “A Trip to the Moon” was “War of the Worlds” and it resembled a monster submarine boat. The interior of the building depicted a small-scale version of Fort Hamilton and the New York Bay. This scenic spectacle depicted a naval attack on New York Harbor by foreign enemy invaders.
Painted scenery placed at the entrance of the “War of Worlds” show.
Moses and Hamilton also were hired by Fred Thompson to paint the scenery and engineer some of the scenic effects for “The War of Worlds” at Luna Park. For their services, they received $2,900.00. Moses noted that their final profit from Thompson’s project was $2,200.00, as they painted it in less that one half the time they thought it would take. Moses wrote, “It was all painted in oil as the scenes all worked through a tank of water. The attraction included battleships that were large enough to hold the “good-sized boy” who operated them during in battle scenes. Moses recalled this “big hit,” but one having “too much powder and noise.”
The audience was located in one of the batteries guarding New York Harbor, and watched forty ships sail toward Manhattan. The enemy fleet represented the combined navies of Germany, Britain, France and Spain. The ships appeared along a distant horizon, and slowly approached the audience, who were seated in one of Fort Hamilton’s turrets. As the enemy approached, battleships and destroyers fired their guns. An enormous shell blew up one of Fort Hamilton’s bastions. Then an enemy ship was blown into splinters. As the battle raged, the fort’s mighty guns shook the ground. Fortunately, Admiral Dewey’s American fleet sank the all of the foreign ship, before the enemy was able to lay siege to the city.
Historical accounts of the spectacle record that the show used a combination of electrically controlled models and small actors maneuvering the larger ships. The painted background by Moses & Hamilton was a huge canvas that depicted the harbor and Statue of Liberty.
Admission to every one of Luna’s attractions would cost just under two dollars. “A Trip to the Moon,” “War of the Worlds,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” Hagenbeck’s Trained Animals and the Infant Incubators were the most expensive attractions, priced at 25 cents each, today’s equivalent of $6.75. Dime attractions included “Shoot the Chutes,” “Wormwood’s Monkey Theater,” the Gondola Launches and the Japanese and Chinese Theaters. Rides on the miniature railroad called the Midnight Express or the Razzle Dazzle cost only a nickel.
