The rave of Charles P. Minor at Forest Hill Cemetery.
Here is brief recap of the Minor family to give a little context for Charlie:
John and Mary Minor celebrated the birth six children: Nora (1862), William M. Minor (1864), George Edward Minor (1866), John Harry Minor (1868), Charles P. Minor (1870), and Bert Minor (1880). After Mary passed away in 1880, John remarried and fathered two more children: Dollie (1887) and Jas. (1888). With the exception of his eldest daughter, the Minor children all grew to adulthood in Seneca, Kansas. William was the first to enter the painting profession, trained by a local sign painter in Seneca. He was soon followed by George and then Charles, and they all began working together as the Minor Bros. Early projects were primarily signage for local business, but soon they expanded their services to include theatre scenery. From 1885 until 1898, the Minor Bros. painted scenery throughout the Midwest.
In 1890, William and Charles Minor began working for Sosman & Landis. That year, the two were part of the crew painting scenery for the Broadway Theatre in Denver, Colorado. Three years later, Charlie was still working for the firm in 1893; he seems to have lasted the longest at the studio. On February 10, 1893, “The Representative” in Fox Lake, Wisconsin, reported, “Chas. Minor, representing the Sosman & Landis scene painting form of Chicago, was in town last week trying to arrange with Odd Fellows to put a new curtain in the hall. It is an advertising curtain, but whether he will make it a go or not remains to be seen” (page 4).
On May 3, 1895, “The Courier-Tribune” of Seneca, Kansas, reported, “Charles, W. M. and G. E. Minor, of Chicago, are in this city visiting their many old friend and acquaintances. They are the sons of Jno. O. Minor and formerly lived in Seneca, but the parents of the boys, Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Minor, now live in Baileyville. The three young men above mentioned are now with the Chicago Scenic Co., and are doing a nice business. They are working on the Crawford circuit and doing jobs at St. Joseph, Atchison and Topeka. Will painted the first drop curtain for the Grand Opera House. He picked up his trade while living here, and now all three are recognized as experts in this line. Will also painted the drop curtain for Sabetha and Hiawatha G. A. R. Halls. They are a nice lot of boys who have come right to the front” (page 3).
The Minor Bros. visits and projects continued to make Kansas newspapers throughout the 1890s. On May 9, 1895, the “Junction City Tribune” reported, “Will, Charlie and G. E. Minor of Chicago are visiting friends and will renew the old and paint some new scenery for the opera house while here” (page 5). By 1896, the brothers were associated with another studio, the Chicago Scenic Co. On May 4, 1896, the “Stevens Point Daily Journal” in Wisconsin, reported, “Minor Bros. of the Chicago Scenic Co. have finished painting a handsome advertising drop curtain for the Opera House. The curtain will be used between acts. The gentlemen are also painting curtains in Waupaca and Grand Rapids” (page 4).
They continued to remain part of the western theater scene too, painting scenery for opera houses in Colorado and Utah. On August 19, 1897, the “Avalanche-Echo” of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, (Vol X Number 33, page 4) announced the arrival of William and Charles Minor at the Kudrick hotel. On Feb 24, 1899, “The Courier-Tribune” of Seneca, Kansas, reported, “The Minor Bros. have taken the contract to paint the stage scenery for the Catholic school hall. They are at work on it now and doing a fine job. The Minor boys have the reputation of being as fine scenic painters as there are in the country and have done work in all the large cities from Chicago to the Pacific coast. They started to paint in Seneca years ago under the tutelage of J. Y. Benfer.”
By 1906 Charles relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, In 1906, Chas. P. Minor was listed as an artist in the Salt Lake City Directory, living at 632 S Main. That year a want ad for his older brother William was placed in the “Salt Lake City Tribune” want ad on Dec. 24, 1906 (page 9): “WANTED – INFORMATION OF THE present residence of William Minor, a scenic artist. Address X 49. Tribune” (page 8). He disappears from print for a while and it is not until 1910 that he is included in the “Salt Lake City Directory.”
He was initially associated with Empire Theatre, the first movie theatre in town. Established by Harry S. Rand , it opened in 1908 and was located at 156 S State. In 1908 the “Salt Lake City Directory,” listed Charles E. Minor as manager of the venue, living at 9 Hooper & Eldredge Blk. At this same time, William M. Minor was listed as the treasurer for the Empire Theatre, residing at 76 E. 5th South. Interesting, a “May Minor” also worked as a cashier at the Empire Theatre, rooming at 49 S Main.
Charlie was still connected with the Empire Theatre in 1909, now listed as scenic artist for the venue and living at 76 E. 5th South. By now, his brother William was listed as the manager of the Empire Theatre, residing at 235 E. 4th South. William continued to live on 4th street, but became associated with the Salt Lake Theatre, painting their new drop curtain in 1910. On 4th St., William lived with his wife Minnie and lodger F. V. Ogle, a dressmaker.
Charlie soon moved west and by 1916, was listed as a scenic artist in the “Los Angeles City Directory,” living at 1249 S. Grand Avenue with his wife Mary . Charlie was registered as a Democrat. His stint in California did not last long, and by 1917 he and Mary were living in Lawrence, Kansas, with Charlie listed as a “traveling agent,” boarding at 804 Louisiana.
In 1918, both Charlie and William Minor moved from Salt Lake City to Kansas City, changing his profession entirely and becoming brokers. He continued to work with stocks and bonds in Kansas City throughout the 1920s. In 1929, Thomas G. Moses met up with Charlie and his brother, George “Ed” Edward Minor , in Kansas City. Of the reunion Moses wrote, “I called on the Lilley Company – (regalia company). Met Mr. Butcher, the assistant manager. He called up my friends the Minors – Ed and Charlie, and they came down to see me. Had a very pleasant visit then I took in a picture show.” Almost four decades had passed since Moses had met and hired Charlie for the Broadway Theatre project in Denver.
By 1930, Charlie Minor was living with his second wife Belle Bennett Swan in Topeka, Kansas. He initially started out as a boarder in Swan’s home, one of three lodgers at 914 King Street. The other two lodgers were school teachers (Helen A. Hudson and Ruby E. Taylor). The 1930 US Federal Census listed Charlie’s occupation a “broker” in the “stocks and bonds” industry. By 1931, the couple married, yet remained living at Swan’s home for the next decade. However, by 1933, Charlie became a salesman of life insurance and bonds, a profession that he would continue until his passing in 1944.
Charles Minor died on Dec. 19, 1944, passing away at the Major Clinic in Kansas City, Missouri. He had been admitted four days prior to his passing. Interestingly, his death certificate listed his birthplace as Bedford, Iowa. This surprised me, as all other records had indicated that he was born in Illinois.
On Dec. 20, 1944, the “Kansas City Times” published a brief obituary for Charles P. Minor, announcing,
“Funeral services for Charles P. Minor, 74, Topeka, who died yesterday at the Major clinic, will be held at 3:30 o’clock this Wednesday at the Newcomer chapel” (page 6). Charlie was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery.
Gravestone of George Edward Minor. Highland Cemetery, Junction City, Kansas.
G. E. Minor was a scenic artist and salesman at Sosman & Landis in 1892. On February 5, 1892, the “Clinton Register” reported, “G. E. Minor, representing Sosman & Landis, was in Clinton the first week arranging for new scenery in the opera house which will be put in in about ten days “(page 3).
George Edward “Eddie” Minor (1866-1940) was one of the Minor Bros., a scenic studio that started in Kansas during the 1880s. William, George and Charlie all starting painting as young adults in Seneca, Kansas, and were soon well-known throughout the region.
They were three of eight children fathered by John O. Minor. John and his first wife Mary A. Brown celebrated the birth of six children: Nora (1862) William M. Minor (1864), George Edward Minor (1866), J. Harry Minor (1869), Charles P. Minor (1870), and Bert Minor (1880). After Mary passed away in 1880, John remarried celebrated the birth of two more children with his second wife Rosa Hasson: Dollie (1887) and Jas. (1888).
The first public listing for Eddie as a painter is in 1885, working with his older brother William. The two even temporarily moved from their home in Seneca, Kansas, to Kansas City, Missouri, for greater visibility. On Feb. 7, 1885, their work was featured in the “Carbondalian” of Carbondale, Kansas, (page 4). A short article reported, “Minor Bros. (William and Edward) of Kansas City, have painted a very fine business directory for our business men. It is on canvas background with a large moulded frame, about 5×7 feet in size and will hang in the post office. We can recommend then to the business men of other places as good and reliable workmen.” They soon became known as the Minor Bros., with their younger brother Charlie entering the business too.
They initially focused on sign painting and outdoor advertisements. On Jan. 29, 1886, the “Smith Bulletin” of Smith Centre, Kansas, reported, “The Chicago Lumber Co. has had a neat, new sign painted on the north side of its large lumber shed. The work was done by the Minor Bros. the boys who painted the scenery for the tabernacle” (page 3). In 1887 they placed a whole series of advertisements in local newspapers that consisted of very brief statements, including: “Gilt-edged and artistic lettering by Minor Bros,” “Minor Bros. for skillful and tasty sign painting,” and “Minor Bros are literally bespangling the town with gorgeous signs.” By the fall, George became the first brother to marry.
On September 5, 1887, Eddie Minor married Lillie Beery in Geary County, Kansas. Lilian Priscilla B. Beery (1870-1941) was the daughter of Martin Beery (1839-1879) and Miriam C. Griffith (1842-1909). The Beery family had moved from Tiffin, Ohio to Junction City, Kansas, about the time Lillie was born. It was in Junction City that Lillie met her future husband, and soon the couple celebrated the birth of their first son, Charles Kendall Minor in 1888. Their second son was born twenty-five years later. George Edward Minor Jr. was born in 1913.
It remains uncertain as to when George began working for Sosman & Landis, however, Will and Charlie were working for the firm in Denver, Colorado, by 1890. My guess is that in 1892. Eddie, now going by G. E., was likely working as a salesman for the firm.
That same year, a humorous story appeared in the newspaper about a Sosman & Landis scenery order from Saddle Rock, Iowa. On Nov. 26, 1892, the “Los Angeles Evening Express” reported, “At Saddle Rock, Iowa, a new manager sent an order to Sosman & Landis, Chicago, scenic artists, for ten yards of woods, sixteen feet of prison cells, on-half mile of bridges and one quarter acre of sky. Someone told him they. Had those already painted by the bolt and tore off what was ordered” (page 6). Humor aside, Sosman & Landis had produced mail order scenery since 1879; it was part of their initial marketing ploy, shipping scenery without ever visiting the venue. They had to have encountered a wide range of characters by this point.
By 1895, all three brothers were working in the scenic art business, but now for the Chicago Scenic Co. Their projects were periodically mentioned in the Seneca newspaper, making me wonder if the Minor Bros. unofficially established the firm. On May 3, 1895, “The Courier-Tribune” of Seneca, Kansas, reported, “Charles, W. M. and G. E. Minor, of Chicago, are in this city visiting their many old friend and acquaintances. They are the sons of Jno. O. Minor and formerly lived in Seneca, but the parents of the boys, Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Minor, now live in Baileyville. The three young men above mentioned are now with the Chicago Scenic Co., and are doing a nice business. They are working on the Crawford circuit and doing jobs at St. Joseph, Atchison and Topeka. Will painted the first drop curtain for the Grand Opera House. He picked up his trade while living here, and now all three are recognized as experts in this line. Will also painted the drop curtain for Sabetha and Hiawatha G. A. R. Halls. They are a nice lot of boys who have come right to the front” (page 3).
Projects at this time included the opera houses in both Junction City and Salina. On May 9, 1895, the “Junction City Tribune” reported, “Will, Charlie and G. E. Minor of Chicago are visiting friends and will renew the old and paint some new scenery for the opera house while here” (page 5). On June 10, 1895, Junction City’s “Daily Sentinel” reported, “G. E. Minor left today for Salina to commence his contract of painting and renewing curtains and scenery at the opera house. The Minor Bros. are fine gentlemen and fully understand their business” (page 3). This notice was followed up on June 15, 1895, when the “Junction City Weekly” reported, “G. E. Minor went to Salina Monday” (page 2).
The Minor Bros. were still working for the Chicago Scenic Co. in 1896. On May 4 of that year, “Stevens Point Daily Journal” in Wisconsin reported, “Minor Bros. of the Chicago Scenic Co. have finished painting a handsome advertising drop curtain for the Opera House. The curtain will be used between acts. The gentlemen are also painting curtains in Waupaca and Grand Rapids” (page 4). Around this time, George Minor’s wife and children settled in Leavenworth, Kansas. Meanwhile, G. E. Minor drifted from one theatre project to the next. On Oct 22, 1896, the “Leavenworth Times” reported, “Mrs. G. E. Minor and her son Kendall, left yesterday for Junction City to visit a month with friends and relatives” (page 5).
It remains unclear as to how long the Minor Bros. were associated with Chicago Scenic Co, yet the firm continued to operate for two more years. In 1898 they were credited with delivering scenery to the opera house in Abilene, Kansas.
In 1899 the Minor Bros. were still working together, but I don’t know if this meant all three brothers, or just two. On Feb 24, 1899, “The Courier-Tribune” of Seneca, Kansas, reported, “The Minor Bros. have taken the contract to paint the stage scenery for the Catholic school hall. They are at work on it now and doing a fine job. The Minor boys have the reputation of being as fine scenic painters as there are in the country and have done work in all the large cities from Chicago to the Pacific coast. They started to paint in Seneca years ago under the tutelage of J. Y. Benfer.”
I want to briefly include a little background on John Y. Benefer (1844-1913). Benefer was living in Seneca when the Minor family arrived in 1882. That year, both Benefer and J. O. Minor were listed as members of the GAR when the George Graham Post was established in Seneca. Benefer ran a paint shop and worked as a sign and carriage painter in Benefer at the same time the Minor Bros. began their painting business. Born in Pennsylvania, Benefer learned the painting trade in Norfolk, Ohio, just prior to the Civil War. After the war, Benefer moved west, eventually settling in Seneca. Benefer ran a paint shop for ten years, but later in life he worked as an architect. He is credited with the many homes and business not only in Seneca, but also throughout Nemaha County.
On July 27, 1900, the “Junction City Weekly” reported, Mr. G. E. Minor went east today to take in Kansas City, Chicago, and Calumet, Mich.” (page 8).That same year William Minor working for Sosman & Landis. On July 20, 1900, the “Marengo Republican” of Marengo, Illinois, reported, “William Minor, representing the firm of Sosman & Landis, the great scenic artists of Chicago, has been for the past two weeks painting new scenery and redecorating the old at the local playhouse.” It remains unclear if G. E. Minor was still working in the painting industry at this time.
By 1904, G. E. Minor was working for the Red Wing Advertising Co, of Kansas City. This was a regional branch of the Red Wing Advertising Co. in Red Wing, Minnesota. The firm employed both men and women in their traveling sales department, sending them across the country with advance cards and samples. George’s work for the company in 1904 was noted in “The Seneca Tribune” on Sept. 15, 1904. An article about his father’s sixty-seventh birthday celebration included the current occupations of William, Eddie, Harry and Charles, listing, “W. Mansel Minor, scenic artist of New York, G. E. Mino, representing the Red Wing Advertising Co, of Kansas City, Harry Minor, with Brown & Bigelow making specialties for advertisers and Charles Minor, scenic artist of Chicago.”
George’s travels continued to be noted in the Seneca newspaper, especially whenever he visited home. On Nov. 29, 1906, the “Courier-Tribune” of Seneca, Kansas” reported, “G. E. Minor of Kansas City, visited his parents, J. O. Minor and wife last week” (page 8). George continued to work in sales over the years, but his focus was constantly shifting from one industry to the next. By 1910 he was working as a salesman for an insurance company in Kansas City, Missouri, living with his wife Lille (39) and his oldest son Charles K. (21).
By 1913, he began helping his brother Harry, attempting to include the Old Santa Fe trail as part of the new transcontinental highway system. On Nov. 14, 1913, the “Democrat-Opinion” of McPherson, Kansas, reported, “The Minor Bros., J. Harry and G. E., and George Loundsbury of Kansas City, representing the National Old Trail Association, held a meeting in the Opera House Monday evening. They are working for the Old Trail Association and are boosting the old Santa Fe Trail as part of the link of the paved highway from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco. They delivered log books showing the route of the Old Santa Fe Trail, and went west along the historic route” (page 5). Years later, his brother Harry would be remembered as a “Pioneer Road Surveyor.” When Harry Minor died in 1941, his contributions were heralded in the “Los Angeles Times.” I am including the article in its entirety as I find it fascinating.
On March 16, 1941, “Los Angeles Times” reported:
“Pioneer Road Surveyor Dies.
John Harrison Minor, 72, Prepared Coast-to-Coast Highway Guide in 1914.
John Harrison Minor, 72, known as “J. Harry,” pioneer automobile highway map surveyor died yesterday morning of cerebral hemorrhage at the General Hospital.
He lived in Southern California seven years, making his home at 2014 N. Argyle Ave., with his wife, Mrs. Nellie Minor, and son, Charles Harrison Minor. He was born in Keithsburg, Illinois.
Prepared Guide.
In 1914, when preparations were under way for the Pan-American Exposition in San Diego, and when automobiles were classed as luxuries, Mr. Minor and his son toured from New York to California, preparing the first transcontinental road guide over the National Old Trails Road. U.S. Highway 66 and 40, in various parts of the country were mapped at that time. The trip was so successful that Mr. Minor mapped the entire United States, preparing maps for the Official Tourist Information Bureau.
FIFTEEN VOLUMES.
Fifteen volumes of his road guide ran into 65 editions, on file in the Library of Congress.
Besides his widow and son, he leaves a daughter, Mrs. C. A. Warner of Bloomfield, N.J.; two brothers, Charles P. and Burt A. Minor of Topeka, Kan.; a sister Mrs. G. A. Lansberry of Kansas City, Mo., and four grandchildren” (page 38).”
While Harry crossed the country, G. E. Minor remained in Kansas City, soon setting his sights on the stock and bond trade. The remainder of Minor brothers joined in the game. William Minor even left his successful scenic art career to become a Kansas City broker by 1918. This says a little bit about the family. The Minor brothers continued to support one another over the years. Initially, it was the painting trade. Later in life it was stocks, bonds, insurance and oil.
In 1919, George partnered with Walter S. Nevins to establish the brokerage firm of Minor & Nevins, located at 502 Waldheim building in Kansas City. Both William and George became brokers at h this time. George Minor briefly returned to work as a salesman in 1921, as did his son Charles K. Minor, who was again living at home, now working for T. H. Mastin & Co. The entire Minor family remained quite active in the business community, with G. E. being elected as president at a J. C. Reunion that year; the event was even held at the Minor home, 5316 Oak Street (“Junction City Weekly Union,” 8 June 1922, page 1).
Their former Sosman & Landis boss, Thomas G. Moses, continued to visit the Minor Bros. over the years. In 1929 Moses recorded that met up with G. E. and Charles Minor in Kansas City. Of the reunion, he wrote, “I called on the Lilley Company – (regalia company). Met Mr. Butcher, the assistant manager. He called up my friends the Minors – Ed and Charlie, and they came down to see me. Had a very pleasant visit.” Almost four decades had passed since Moses hired the Minor brothers.
By 1930, George began a new business endeavor, one that seemed quite promising at the time. The census that year listed his occupation as a proprietor of the Farm Crop. His son Charles K. was listed as a salesman with the Farm Corps. too. It was a new company. On Jan. 4, 1930, the “Kansas City Star” announced that the Farm Corps. was a “New Kansas Wheat Concern” (page 3). The article continued, “G. E. Minor, of 5316 Oak Street was given contract for the fiscal agency of the Kansas Farms Corporation. The article noted, “The Kansas Farms Corporation, the latest addition to the group of incorporated farming enterprises in Kansas, was granted a charter Dec. 31 at Topeka. Its purpose is to industrialize wheat farming and produce wheat on a large scale with the aid of modern machinery. The officer and directors that year included: J. M. Rinker, WaKeeney Kas., a wheat grower, forty-five years in the section, and owner of 3,600 acres of wheat, president.; G. E. Minor, formerly in the bond business here, first vice-president. Others included bankers, lawyers and a retired wheat grower. The article added, “The Kansas Farms Corporation will maintain offices in Topeka and Junction City and later probably in Kansas City.”
G. E.’s association with the company didn’t last and he set his sights higher – on oil. He was continuing to hustle, constantly traveling the country; his body finally gave out. On May 15, 1940, the “Kansas City Star” headlined, “George Edward Minor. Oil Salesman Stricken Fatally on Trip to New York” (page 8). The obituary continued, “George Edward Minor, 73 years old, 5313 Holmes street, died in a hotel in New York, where he had gone on business. Mr. Minor had lived in Kansas City thirty-five years, coming here from Junction City, Kansas. He was an active member of the Shrine and of the Second Presbyterian Church.
He leaves his wife, Mrs. Lillie B. Minor, and two sons, C. K. Minor and George E. Minor, jr., all of the home; a sister, Mrs. George A Lansberry, 5811 Woodland av and three brothers, B. A. Minor and Charles P. Minor, both of Topeka, and J. H. Minor of Los Angeles. Burial will be in Junction City.”
His wife Lillie passed away the next year, on April 17, 1941.
William M. Minor was a scenic artist who worked at Sosman & Landis from approximately 1890 until 1900. He painted all over the country, sporadically returning to represent the Chicago-based firm. His two younger brothers Eddie and Charlie Minor also started as scenic artists and worked for Sosman & Landis over the years too.
William M. Minor grave in Forest Hill Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Minor Bros. were well known throughout the Midwest and West, with their scenic art featured at theaters in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Utah, Illinois and Minnesota. It is almost impossible to tell the story of one brother, without mentioning the lives and careers of the others. They all worked together at one time or another; the family was a close-knit one. Each artistically-gifted son was mentioned at their father’s sixty-seventh birthday celebration, so I’ll start with the family members and patriarch of the clan, J. O. Minor.
John O. Minor (1837-1912) was a Civil War Veteran and later member of the Seneca, Kansas, post of the G.A.R. In 1902 George Graham Post No. 92, G.A.R., listed Minor’s past military service as a private in Company G of the 102nd, Illinois. John married Mary A. Brown (1840-1880) on Dec. 27, 1859, in Illinois and the couple celebrated the birth of one daughter and four sons before moving from Illinois to Kansas in 1879. The Minor children included: Nora (1862) William M. Minor (1864), George Edward Minor (1866), J. Harry Minor (1869), Charles P. Minor (1870), and Bert Minor (1880). After Mary’s passing in 1880, John remarried; his second was Rosa Hasson. John and Rose were married on October 19, 1882. They celebrated the birth of two children: Dollie (1887) and Jas. (1888).
J. O. Minor’s 67th birthday was published in “The Seneca Tribune” on Sept. 15, 1904; he passed away eight years later. Here is the article in its entirety as it really sets the stage, providing a sneak peek into the boys’ professions at the time:
“A SUNDAY ANNIVERSARY.
Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Minor Celebrate Mr. Minor’s Birthday with the Family Home and Happy.
Last Sunday was J. O. Minor’s sixty-seventh birthday, and they planned to celebrate the event by inviting all the children home once more and making the day one of social and family reunion. All the children, excepting the son Bert, got home safely, and sat down to a birthday dinner – making father and mother very happy, and the children enjoyed the day too. Bert is running a show and was billed for a town in Indiana that made it impossible for him to get out to Kansas last Sunday. This gathering was the first that all these children had been together for nine years, and it was eight years previously since they had met in re-union and then in Chicago. There were twenty-two at dinner. Those outside the immediate family being Allen Kerns and family of Baileyville, Mrs. J. W. Larimer of Washington, District of Columbia, a sister-in-law of Mr. Larimer. Of the children present Mrs. G. A. Lansberry of St. Louis, the daughter was unaccompanied by the husband. The four boys had their wives along and were, W. Mansel Minor, scenic artist of New York, G. E. Minor, representing the Red Wing Advertising Co, of Kansas City; Harry Minor, with Brown & Bigelow making specialties for advertisers and Charles Minor, scenic artist of Chicago.
Mr. Minor came to Seneca twenty-two years ago from drouth-stricken Rooks county out in western Kansas – poor and with this large family then all small and mostly dependent. But they were an ambitious lot, and took to any kind of work offering a chance to earn a nickel. Mr. Minor himself was a blacksmith and worked at his trade. The boys and girls all attended the public schools in Seneca, which gave them all the educations they started out in life. Out of school the boys helped their father along with work – they set fence posts for Bassett on his farms and helped dig the cellar for Dan Firstenberger’s store. These are only sample jobs; they were up and doing, and asked if any of them graduated from our school the answer came – “No we were too busy to graduate!”
But they proved rustlers, these Minor boys did; and in their work one or the other of them have been in every state in the Union excepting California; that state comes next, and the Uncle Sam’s outlying possessions. They have been to Cuba already.
Mr. Minor and the children, sons and daughters-in-law and all, were about town Monday morning; Mr. Minor was very proud of the flock, and they were glad to see so many in Seneca once more whom they had known in the years gone by. It is a fine thing to come back to the old town to receive only glad greetings from evert one; left Seneca with a good name and never ashamed to go back to the old home!”
The Minor’s first lived in Farmington, Kansas, in the 1880 US Federal Census. In Farmington, the Minor household included John O. (43), Mary (41), William M. (16), Eddie (14), Harry (12), Charles (10) and “Bertie” (9 mths). They remained in Rooks County until 1882 when they moved Nemaha County, settling in Seneca, Kansas.
After moving to Seneca, 18-yrs. old William became a scenic artist, with Eddie soon following suit. By 1884, William M. Minor was listed in the “Kansas City Directory” as a scenic artist, boarding at the Morgan House. He was only listed in the directory for a year, and soon returned to the family home in Seneca, taking small painting jobs in the area. On Dec. 11, 1884, the “Sabetha Weekly Herald” reported, “William Minor and Son, of Seneca, scenic artists, painted the most artistic sign filled with cards which hangs in the post office building, Go in and examine it. It is a daisy. These gentlemen make it a specialty of this business” (page 3). The “son” was obviously a misprint; he was working with his younger brother Eddie. The 1885 Kansas State Census listed both William and Ed as painters; they were primarily working in Junction City, Kansas, at the time.
That year, William and Ed were primarily known for their sign painting. On Feb. 7, 1885, the “Carbondalian” of Carbondale, Kansas reported, “Minor Bros. (William and Edward) of Kansas City, have painted a very fine business directory for our business men. It is on canvas background with a large moulded frame, about 5×7 feet in size and will hang in the post office. We can recommend then to the business men of other places as good and reliable workmen” (page 4).
The two expanded their business enterprise, leasing the Seneca Skating Rink. On March 19, 1885, the “Junction City Tribune” reported. The Minor Bros, of Seneca, have leased the Skating Rink for one year of Mr. Shull, and are making extensive changes in the appearance of the interior. It is really wonderful what changes a little paint makes when skillfully applied, and these Minor brothers are real artists in this line. Wednesday evening for the first time under new management. The decorations, though quite incomplete as yet, are quite tasty” (page 3). This did not last for long and soon the two were solely painting signs again.
On Jan. 29, 1886, the “Smith Bulletin” of Smith Centre, Kansas, reported, “The Chicago Lumber Co. has had a neat, new sign painted on the north side of its large lumber shed. The work was done by the Minor Bros. the boys who painted the scenery for the tabernacle” (page 3).
From March until June of 1887, the Minor brothers posted a series of advertisements in the Junction City Daily Junction. Their advertisements were briefly worded, including:
“Minor Bros. for signs”; “Minor Bros. for skillful and tasty sign painting”; “Gilt-edged and artistic lettering by Minor Bros.”; “Minor Bros are literally bespangling the town with gorgeous signs”; and “Minor Bros. will make all styles of numbers at one-third less price than anyone else.”
Charlie Minor began joining his older brothers on projects, accompanying his brother William to Denver, Colorado, in 1890. The 1890 “Denver City Directory” listed William M. Minor as an artist, living at 1827 Glenarm. In Denver, both William and Charlie were hired as scenic artists by Sosman & Landis for the Broadway Theatre scenery project.
Thomas G. Moses was responsible for all of the scenic designs and on-site supervision of painting. The drop curtain, entitled “A Glimpse of India,” was considered a local masterpiece and was the focal point of the auditorium. The on-site Sosman & Landis painting crew included Moses, William Minor, Charlie Minor, Ed Loitz, and Billie Martin. The team not only delivered the drop curtain, but also the entire stock scenery collection. The project included a massive cyclorama. Of the project Moses wrote, “The job was an ideal one. I made new models and we put in a cyclorama drop, 36 feet high and 250 feet long. It ran on a track and we could make three distinct skies: a plain, a cloudy and a moonlight. No borders. We trimmed the front stuff down to low enough to mask. All rows were profiled; very effective.”
The Broadway Theatre was part of the new Metropole Hotel, designed by Chicago architect Col. J. W. Wood. Wood had worked with Sosman & Landis on many theater projects prior to this one. The building was advertised as one of the first “fireproof” hotels in the country; the construction employed hollow clay fired tile units for all partition, floors, ceilings, and walls. By this time, Sosman & Landis were also fireproofing much their scenery. They continued to advertise asbestos curtains and fireproof scenery, even placing newspaper advertisements over the years.
1910 advertisement in June issue of Billboard.
The Broadway Theatre opened August 18th, with “Bohemian Girl” by Look’s Opera Company, but this did not mean the project was completed. Moses was called back to the studio in early September, with the Minor Bros. and Loitz remaining to finish the interiors. The contract was not completed until November, 1890. Shortly after the project ended, William Minor married Minnie Hill on Dec. 12, 1890, in Denver, Colorado. The couple soon moved east to Chicago, where William remained a scenic artist at Sosman & Landis, before joining the Chicago Scenic Co. They continued to visit family in Kansas, with reports of their travels published in local newspapers.
On May 3, 1895, “The Courier-Tribune” of Seneca, Kansas, reported, “Charles, W. M. and G. E. Minor, of Chicago, are in this city visiting their many old friend and acquaintances. They are the sons of Jno. O. Minor and formerly lived in Seneca, but the parents of the boys, Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Minor, now live in Baileyville. The three young men above mentioned are now with the Chicago Scenic Co., and are doing a nice business. They are working on the Crawford circuit and doing jobs at St. Joseph, Atchison and Topeka. Will painted the first drop curtain for the Grand Opera House. He picked up his trade while living here, and now all three are recognized as experts in this line. Will also painted the drop curtain for Sabetha and Hiawatha G. A. R. Halls. They are a nice lot of boys who have come right to the front” (page 3).
Their visits and projects continued to make Kansas newspapers in the 1890s. On May 9, 1895, the “Junction City Tribune” reported, “Will, Charlie and G. E. Minor of Chicago are visiting friends and will renew the old and paint some new scenery for the opera house while here” (page 5). On May 4, 1896, the “Stevens Point Daily Journal” in Wisconsin, reported, “Minor Bros. of the Chicago Scenic Co. have finished painting a handsome advertising drop curtain for the Opera House. The curtain will be used between acts. The gentlemen are also painting curtains in Waupaca and Grand Rapids” (page 4).
They also remained connected to the western theater scene in Colorado and Utah. On August 19, 1897, the Avalanche-Echo of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, (Vol X Number 33, page 4) announced the hotel arrival of William and Charles Minor at the Kudrick. By 1910 William relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he would become the scenic artist at the Salta Lake City Theatre. Prior to that, however, he continued to work with his brothers all over the country.
On Feb 24, 1899, “The Courier-Tribune” of Seneca, Kansas, reported, “The Minor Bros. have taken the contract to paint the stage scenery for the Catholic school hall. They are at work on it now and doing a fine job. The Minor boys have the reputation of being as fine scenic painters as there are in the country and have done work in all the large cities from Chicago to the Pacific coast. They started to paint in Seneca years ago under the tutelage of J. Y. Benfer.”
That year, William M. Minor was listed in the 1899 “Minneapolis City Directory,” living at 621 7th Ave S. He was listed for just the year, as the 1900 US Federal Census listed William Minor living in Chicago at 161 Winchester Avenue. His household at the time included wife Minnie (36) and sister-in-law Grace Swickard (16).
In Chicago he was again representing Sosman & Landis. On July 20, 1900, the “Marengo Republican” of Marengo, Illinois, reported:
“New Scenery in the Opera House. William Minor, representing the firm of Sosman & Landis, the great scenic artists if Chicago, has been for the past two weeks painting new scenery and redecorating the old at the local playhouse. A new drop curtain has been added which is a beautiful marine view from the coast of Maine. It is extremely handsome, and the completion of the work shows Mr. Minor to be an artist of unquestionable ability and keen perception of nature. The coloring, from deep sea blue to the light grey of the surf, is exquisite and the dash of the rising spray adds life and vigor to the scene. A handsome new interior scene is also being added, far superior to anything ever seen here, besides several other new sets. The opening for the coming season will be Wednesday evening, August 1st, Bartlet & May’s, “A Woman in the Case” being the play” (page 5).
From Chicago he moved west again, setting in Utah. His name first appears in a “Salt Lake City Tribune” want ad on Dec. 24, 1906 (page 9): “WANTED – INFORMATION OF THE present residence of William Minor, a scenic artist. Address X 49. Tribune” (page 8). He disappears from print for a while and it is not until 1910 that he is included in the “Salt Lake City Directory.”
In 1910, William was listed as a scenic artist living at 235 E 4th S. in Salt Lake City. His household includes wife Minnie and lodger F. V. Ogle, a dressmaker. At the time, he is working at the Salt Lake Theatre.
On September 18, 1910, “The Salt Lake Herald-Republican” reported, “After thirty years of almost continuous service, the drop curtain at the Salt Lake theatre is to be replaced by a new one which Manager George D. Pyper expects to have in place in time for the engagement of Henry Miller, beginning Sept 29. The subject of the new curtain will be the Salt Lake valley in the days of the pioneers, and it will be copied from a painting by William M. Minor, scenic artist at the theatre.
It will be difficult to exceed beauty of the old curtain, whose artistic coloring and good drawing have made it a favorite for years, “The Return of the Victorious Fleet” was painted by Henry C. Tryon [also a Sosman & Landis artist], one of the best artists in this line who ever came to Salt Lake, Those who have studied the stately ships coming into harbor may have wondered at the absence of life in the picture. The original, which is in the possession of Mr. Pyper, contained a crowd of people on the steps of the buildings, but Mr. Tryon was not a figure painter, and rather than mar his painting by inferior work, left them out altogether.
Except for short intervals, “The Return of the Victorious Fleet” has hung in the theatre nearly thirty years. Some years ago, an attempt was made to replace it by a picture of the chariot race in “Ben Hur.” The artist made the horses of heroic size, and so near the edge of the curtain that they sat close. One critic of the day said that a certain scene in a play created a strong effect until “Pyper’s horses came clattering down.”
The artist attempted to remedy the defect by drawing them smaller, when Le Grand Young, a regular patron of the theatre, objected to sitting in front of a horse that had one shoulder out of joint. That finished the curtain, and the same artist painted a second, an evening scene in Venice, which was hung for about a year. Another curtain which will be remembered was a field of carnations. This was secured from the Tremont theatre in Boston, but, though it was kept for nearly three years, did not prove to be popular, “The Return of the Victorious Fleet” was rehung, and has continued in place until now. With the closing performance of “The Spendthrift,” it was rung down forever” (page 26).
Salt Lake TheatreSalt Lake theatre with temporary “Ben Hur” drop curtain.
While working at the Salt Lake Theatre, Minor takes an interest in early movie screen development. On Sept. 14, 1910, the “Salt-Lake Herald-Republican” reported:
“Moving Picture Screen.
William M Minor, scenic artist at the Salt Lake Theatre, has applied for a patent on an invention which he calls Minor’s Wonder Moving Picture Screen. It is a cloth screen with a burnished metallic surface that adds distinctness to the picture that is thrown upon it. Last evening at the Orpheum theatre, preceding the regular performance, a test was made of the invention which impressed a score of invited spectators favorably. Seven by twelve feet of the entire scene was of the new material, and the remainder was the usual cotton cloth. This arrangement afforded opportunity for comparison between the two surfaces, and the mirror-like distinctness of the pictures on the metallic surface argued well for the success of the invention. Mr. Minor has experimented with the screen for about three months and since he received a receipt from the patent office, on Saturday last, has been testing the invention before private audiences. On Monday night it was tried at the Murray opera house.”
From 1910 to 1915, William M. Minor was listed as an artist in the Salt Lake City Directory. In 1912, William’s occupation was listed as a “scenic artist and float building;” this designation was listed upon admittance to the Salt Lake City Commercial Club (“Salt Lake Tribune”7 Dec. 1912, page 16). By 1913 Minor was also working as the scenic artist at the Colonial Theatre.
And then there is a slight career shift. In 1916, he was listed as the president of “Secret M & M Co.”,” still residing at the same home address, 235 E 4th South.” At this time, I have no information about the Secret M & M Co., but am hazarding a guess that it was mining or oil.
In 1918, Minor moved from Salta Lake City to Kansas City, changing his profession entirely. Like his brother Ed, William became a broker at this time and was listed in the “Kansas City Directory” as such. I will explore the life and career of Ed tomorrow, but need to point out something for context. Over the years Ed had managed to convince each one of his brothers to participate in some sort of business scheme, often a non-theatre related one with potential of enormous profits. Ed was the stereotypical “wheeler and dealer.”
By 1920, the “Kansas City Directory” listed William M. Minor as broker in the Oil Co., living with his wife Minnie at 3343 Forest Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Williams’ newfound career did not last for long; he died the next year. On May 12, 1921, “The Courier-Tribune” published William’s obituary (page 3):
“William M. Minor, stepson of Mrs. J. O. Minor, died suddenly Friday afternoon at his home, 3348 Forest Ave. Kansas City, Mo. Mr. Minor was fifty-seven years of age and was the eldest son of the late J. O. Minor. When a boy he lived in Seneca. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Minnie Minor; four brothers, George E. Minor, J. Harry Minor, Charles P. Minor and B. A. Minor and a sister Mrs. G. A. Lansberry of Topeka, a half-sister, Mrs. Balie [sic.] Keith of Seneca and a half brother, James Minor of Sabetha. Mrs. J. O. Minor went to Kansas City Saturday morning to attend the funeral.”
Frank Ford worked at Sosman & Landis between 1885 and 1888. He began working at the firm during a period of rapid growth as the as projects were delivered nationwide. By 1887, Sosman & Landis employed twenty-five scenic artists, with many going on the road to both paint and install stock settings. Drop curtains with business cards were becoming increasing possible, necessitating Sosman & Landis representatives to solicit local businesses during their stay. Ford worked as a salesman, scenic artist, and installer for the firm. During the mid- to late-1880s, Ford primarily worked on projects in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Frank R. Ford was a Chicago scenic artist that worked at Sosman & Landis in 1887. That year he represented the firm in the eastern region, completing a variety of tasks that included sales and installation.
He was the son of William Ford and Loretta, born on Jan. 12, 1862, in Perry Township, Ohio. In July 1863, his father enlisted in the Union Army. In the midst of Civil War, William and Loretta celebrated the birth of another son. Claude D. Ford was born in Rockford, Illinois, in 1864. Sometime between 1864 and 1870, the Fords moved due east of town to Cherry Valley. For geographical context, Cherry Valley is approximately 80 miles northeast of Chicago. The 1870 US Federal Census listed the Ford household as including: William (29 yrs.), Loretta (28 yrs.), Frank (7 yrs.) and Claude (5 yrs.), living in Cherry Valley, Illinois. For. By 1874, the Fords celebrated the birth of another child, William Ford, Jr. When their youngest son was born, Frank was 11 yrs. old and Claude was 9 yrs. old.
By 1880, the Ford family had again relocated, this time to Chicago. The 1880 US Federal census that year records that William Sr. was employed as a carpenter and the family was living at 298 Carroll Ave. By now, Frank was out on his own and the Ford household only included (William (39 yrs.), Loretta (39 yrs.), Claude (15 yrs.) and Willie (6 yrs.).
Frank eventually returned to the family home, now located on 787 W. Lake St. in Chicago. At the time, his father was working as a builder at 5 S. Wood. Interesting in 1883, 787 W. Lake was listed in the rental section of “The Inter Ocean,” listed as an 8-room frame house with good barn for $30 (22 April 1883, page 6). When the Fords took over the property, there is no indication that anyone other than family members were living there.
The first listing for Frank R. Ford in the Chicago Directory as a painter appeared in 1885. He was living on W. Lake St. with his extended family. His younger brother Claude followed in their father’s footsteps and became a carpenter, working for his father’s contracting firm; and it became quite a successful firm. In 1890, William M. Ford operated W. M. Ford & Co. His business was located just up the street from their home at 820 W. Lake St. This was a very short walk from the Sosman & Landis Studio on S. Clinton St.
He was also working for Sosman & Landis at this time, and was noted as representing the firm in Princeton, Indiana. On October 8, 1885, the Princeton Clarion Ledger” of Princeton, Indiana, reported, “Mr. Frank Ford, from Sosman & Landes’ [sic.] studio, Chicago, was in Princeton Monday taking the dimensions of Euterpe hall stage. He proposes, if the business men sufficiently encourage the matter, to put in a fine $150 drop curtain. Advertising space will be sold around the margin of the curtain and in the center, there will be a beautiful landscape painting. A set cottage, two front wings, sky border and a grand drapery in front, together with the gas footlights are some of the improvements to be made in the hall in a few weeks, There will be no more hitching of the drop curtain in the middle of a death scene, while the dying person is compelled to walk off stage before the audience” (page 4). Euterpe Hall was a two-story building constructed in 1881 by W. D. Downey and W. P. Welborn. The hall was located on the second floor, over W. D. Downey’s “New York Store According to “The History of Gibson County, Indiana” by Jas. T. Tartt & Co. in 1884, the stage measured 50-feet by 30 feet and included a full set of scenery (page 163). Euterpe Hall was destroyed during the fire on July 12, 1893. It was one of sixty-eight buildings destroyed during the downtown fire.
In 1885, Sosman & Landis also delivered at many venues at this time. They provided a full set of scenery for the new auditorium for G.A.R. Post No., 175 in Sabetha, Kansas (Nemaha County Republican, 5 Feb. 1885, page 5). They installed scenery at the rink in Canton, Pennsylvania (The Canton, Independent, 3 July, 1885, page 1). They delivered scenery to the new opera house in Newton, Kansas, installed by the firm’s stage carpenter Charles S. King (The Weekly Republican, 4 Dec, 1885, page 5).
The following year, he married Catherine “Katie” Smith (Schmidt) on Nov. 4, 1886. The couple celebrated the birth of four children:
Birth of children: Loretta F., Florence M., William F., and John Claude Ford. Between 1887 and 1889, the Ford family was living at 80 Delaware Place in Chicago, although Frank was on the road most of the time.
During the spring of 1887, Ford was working on projects in Pennsylvania: the Armory/Opera House in Nanticoke, the Music Academy in Pottsville and Smith’s Opera House in Plymouth. I am including a map to show the relationship between the three towns in the region.
Location of Pottsville, Nanticoke and Plymouth, Pennsylvania.
On Feb 13, 1887, the “Sunday Leader” in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, reported, “Mr. Frank Ford, representing Sosman & Landis, the well-known scenic artist of Chicago, is trying to obtain advertisements to be placed on a new drop curtain which he intends hanging in Smith’s Opera House” (page 24). J. B. Smith’s Opera House was located in nearby Plymouth, Pennsylvania.
It is the scenery delivered to Nanticoke, however, that provides a wonderful glimpse into the stock collection that was manufactured and installed by Sosman & Landis during this time. I am including four articles about the project, as the Armory was constructed to also function as an opera house, outdoing the local Music Hall. Sosman & Landis, Frank Ford, was also repeatedly mentioned in regard to the new scenery installation.
On Feb. 24, 1887, the “Wilkes-Barre Times Leader” reported, “Nanticoke’s New Opera House. Something About the Fine Amusement Resort Now Nearing Completion. A want that has long been felt by people of the thriving and rapidly growing town of Nanticoke is now about to be supplied” (page 1).
The article continued, “The new armory of Company G, Ninth regiment, is to be used also as an opera house, and is now being fitted up for that purpose. The building is a commodious one, substantial and beautiful.
Mr. Frank Ford, of the firm of Sosman & Landis, Chicago, is now in Nanticoke putting up scenery to be used for show purposes, The stage opening will be twenty-four feet, height of center arch sixteen feet, height of ceiling over stage thirty-two feet, depth of stage thirty-five feet, width of stage fifty feet. The stage will have a pitch from rear to front of about twelve inches. The floor will be level, but the stage being four feet above it, and having a pitch, as stated, all patrons will be afforded a good view of all that is being enacted thereon. The body of the hall will be furnished with moveable seats, but the galleries permanent. Thus, the hall cannot be used alone for theatrical purposes, but also for balls, fairs and festivals as well as for drilling. Its seating capacity will be about 1,400, or about 150 more than Music Hall in this city. The galleries will seat over 400. The scenery which Mr. Ford is about to place in position consists of a curtain upon which the cards of several businessmen will be artistically painted; an elegant drop curtain representing a romantic and historic view, with rich and elaborate drapery and gold frame; a center door fancy scene; a plain chamber scene; a kitchen scene, a rustic interior with a door and double window; a prison scene, showing interior of prison with massive walls, heavy iron door, grated window and perspective view of corridor and cells; a wood scene, showing leafy wood and pathway leading through; a garden scene representing a lovely park, or lawn, with fountains, balustrades, vases of flowers, etc.; a street scene; a rocky pass, mountain landscape with snow-capped peaks in the distance, rugged chasms and immense rocks in the foreground; horizon, a view of the ocean with beautiful sky and cloud effects; tormentor wings, representing columns with elaborate bases and rich drapery at top and side; parlor wings, kitchen wings representing the trunks of trees and foliage, grand drapery border made to represent rich and massive drapery; sky borders made of light blue sky tint; set waters and foreground; set rocks; set cottage with door and window. All this scenery is of the finest kind and entirely new. The people of Nanticoke are to be congratulated in acquiring this fine amusement resort.”
On March 19, 1887, “the Tribune” of Scranton, Pennsylvania, reported, “The scenery now being put in the Nanticoke Armory is spoken of as being very fine and very complete. The work is under the supervision of Frank Ford, of Sosman & Landis, Chicago.
On March 26, 1887, the “Dollar Weekly News” of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, included an update about the Armory:
“The Armory is located on Broadway, near Arch street. It is a two-story, brick structure, with a large basement. It presents a unique and neat appearance and is one of the best buildings in Nanticoke. It is 115 feet long and 53 feet wide. There is only one entrance in front, but it is a large one. The basement has an entrance I the south side of the building. The basement is large and spacious. In the front portion is the kitchen and refreshment department, 50×30 feet. A part of the rear portion is occupied by the gas machine, while the other part can be used as a storage room. On the first floor is what is known as the drill room. On each side of the entrance are storage rooms. To the left of the entrance is a stairway that leads to a large and roomy gallery, that is shaped like a horseshoe. A large, well-furnished and well-equipped stage occupies the rear end of the drill room. The stage is 50 feet long and 24 feet wide. Twelve sets of magnificent new scenery have been put in place by Col. Frank Ford of Chicago, who represents Sosman & Landis, scenic artists of Chicago. The scenes represent a parlor, plain chamber, kitchen, prison, woodland, garden, street, rocky pass, horizon or ocean. Besides these are tormentor wings, parlor wings, kitchen wings, wood wings, grand drapery border, sky border set waters, and foreground, set rocks, set cottages and last , but not least, and elegant and costly drop curtain. The scenery far surpasses that at Music Hall, Wilkes-Barre. The stage is equipped with modern appliances. There are four dressing rooms, two at each side of the footlights and they occupy the space usually filled by the boxes. The building is illuminated by gas, manufactured on the premises, and heated by steam. The floor is of Georgia pine, as are the ceiling and wainscoting. These two are panted in good style in imitation cherry. The ceiling is heavily moulded and s very pretty. Large stained-glass window admit light to the interior. The seating capacity of the parquet is 1,000 and that of the gallery 400, but the building will easily hold 1,800 people. This room has to do service as a theatre for the borough, and is the largest hall I the town. Nanticoke may well feel proud of their armory and theatre, as it is one of the best and handsomest in the State. The second floor can also be turned into storage rooms. The cost of the structure is about $6,000. The brick work was done by Contractor John R. Davis. John W. Zimmerman superintended the carpenter work, while Frank Moharter superintended the painting. All did their work satisfactorily” (page 3).
Another scenery project, south Plymouth and Nanticoke, was contracted in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Frank Ford was involved in the Academy of Music’s new drop curtain. The scene included local business cards; this was later known as an advertising curtain An article in the “Pottsville Republican” gave a little insight into Sosman & Landis, as well as their scenic art staff.
On June 10, 1887, the “Pottsville Republican” of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, reported, “A Splendid Curtain.” The splendid new act drop curtain recently ordered by the management of the Academy of Music was out in position yesterday afternoon by Frank Ford, the representative of Sosman & Landis, Chicago, and Manager Mortimer, of the Academy. It will be used between acts on next Monday evening, on the opening night of the Maggie Harold Company. The public will be given an opportunity to judge of the merits or demerits.
In the centre of the curtain is a view of the beautiful Bay of Naples, Italy, with stern old Mt. Vesuvius in the background and the city extending towards you along the shore of the bay. The quaint residence and the distinct castles on the hill area vividly pictured. Surrounding the central picture, the cards of many Pottsville business houses very artistically arranged and lettered strike the eye favorably. The drapery on the margin of the curtain is elegant in the extreme and Manager Mortimer may well be proud of the new addition, which, but the way, was a long felt want. The cost will be at least $300. The firm is one of the strongest in the country and has over twenty-five artists employed, the salaries of seven whom are $100 a week each. The celebrity with which the curtain was prepared is wonderful, the business cards not being senton until the 20th of last month” (page 1).
The next year, Ford worked in the east again, this time at an opera house in Olean, New York. On June 14, 1888, the “Olean Democrat” of Olean , New York, reported “Mr. M. W. Wagner of Bradford and Mr. Frank Ford, representing Sosman & Landis, scenic artists of Chicago, Ill., are in the city arranging for proposed improvements to the interior of the opera house. A new and handsome drop curtain will be put in soon, and other needed improvements will undoubtedly be made. The house is certainly in very bad condition and merits the attention of Messrs. Wagner and Reis intend giving it” (page 5).
By the 1890s, Ford relocated his family to Pennsylvania. On August 21, 1891, “The Plymouth Tribune” reported, “Among other visitors who spent Sunday in Nanticoke was Col. Frank Ford of Chicago, who went to Scranton on Monday” (page 8). He continued to work as a scenic artist, with his name briefly popping up in an 1895 sales advertisement, placed in Decatur, Illinois. From July 25-28, 1895, Ford posted the following in Decatur’s “Herald and Review”:
“FOR SALE – A good new drop curtain; fine scene, never been used. Will sell cheap. Call on or address Frank Ford. 532 East Condit street, Decatur, Ill. – 23-d6”
From 1896 until 1899, Ford primarily worked a scenic artist in the Pittsburgh area, although it remains unclear if his family was living with him at the time. By 1900, however, he was back in Chicago, working as a scenic artist and decorative painter. He remained in the Windy City until his passing in 1914. He died at the age of 52 years old on April 25, 1914. Two days later, he was buried at Saint Boniface Cemetery in Chicago.
Frank R. Ford was buried at St. Boniface Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.
Ford’s obituary in the “Chicago Tribune” simply stated,
“Frank R. Ford, beloved husband of Catherine, nee Schmidt, father of Mrs. T. M. Brown, Florence, William F., and John Ford. Funeral Monday, April 27, at 9 a.m., from his late residence, 725 N. Hamlin-av., to Our Lady of Angels church, where high mass will be celebrated, autos to St. Boniface. Member of I Will council No. 1.573, K. and L. of S. [Knights and Ladies of Security Benefit Association].
His work as a painter was last remembered in his wife’s obituary eighty years ago. On Jan. 6, 1942, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “Frank’s wife passed away. Her obituary announced, “Mrs. Catherine E. Ford, 79 years old, a life long resident of Chicago, died yesterday in St. Anne’s hospital. She was the widow of Frank R. Ford, a painter and decorator, and lived at 733 North Trumbull avenue, Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Florence Hughes; two sons, William F. Ford and John C. Ford, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The funeral will be at 9:45 a.m. Thursday from the chapel at 5350 North avenue to Our Lady of Angels church.”
George H. Brown was a foreman carpenter at Sosman & Landis. He supervised construction at the studio and installed counterweight rigging systems on site.
His passing was recorded in the memoirs of Thomas G. Moses. In 1911, Moses wrote, “Mr. Brown, our foreman carpenter, died February 27th, very suddenly.”
On Feb 28, 1911, George H. Brown was listed in the obituary section of the “Chicago Tribune”:
“BROWN – George H. Brown. Feb 27, 1911, beloved husband of Mary Brown, father of Annie and George, at his residence 2901 Edgewood-av. Funeral notice later. Member of Harrison council No. 527, National Union and International Alliance Local No. 2 Stage Employee” (page 5).
Brown was born in New York, sometime during the month of October 1849. He was the son of Robert B. Brown (1820-1888) and Elizabeth Pague (1824-1900). George H. Brown grew to adulthood in Chicago during the 1860s. The Brown family had moved west by 1857, briefly staying in Wisconsin where George’s youngest brother, William, was born. By 1860, the Brown family was living in Chicago and George was twelve years old. The 1860 US Federal Census reported that the Brown household included: Robert B. Brown, 40 yrs. old (born in New York); Elizabeth Brown, 39 yrs. old (born in New York), Robert T. Brown, 14 years old (born in New York); George H. Brown, 12 years old (born in New York); Mary E. Brown, 9 years old (born in New York); and William Edwin Brown, 3 years old (born in Wisconsin).
George’s father initially worked as a bookbinder in Chicago. He continued this occupation until 1867 when he was listed a broom maker in the “Chicago Directory,” living at 350 W. Indiana in the rear portion of the building. At some point between 1864 and 1867, Brown went blind and left the bookbinding industry. George would have been between fifteen and eight years old when his father went blind. There is a great likelihood that George began as an apprentice somewhere or simply moved out to reduce the overall household expenses, sending money home to his family.
His father continued to work as broom maker until his passing in 1888. However, by 1869 he also began reseating chairs. On July 1, 1869, the ”Chicago Evening Post” reported, “Robert B. Brown, a blind man, residing at 553 Fulton street, supports his family by reseating chairs, and will be grateful for any work of this kind that may be sent to him, or he will send after and return chairs to ant part of the city” (page 4). The Brown family continued to reside at 553 Fulton for the next two decades, until after Robert’s passing.
The two oldest Brown boys, George and Robert, moved out of the family home by 1870. The census that year listed Robert and Elizabeth as living with Mary and William, now ages nineteen and thirteen. By 1880, there were still two children at home, but this time it was William Brown and Robert T. Brown. Various members of the Brown family continued to live at 553 Fulton until shortly after Robert’s passing. Robert B. passed away on Sept. 12, 1888, but his widow Elizabeth was still listed as living at 553 Fulton in the 1889 “Chicago Directory.”
George has been almost impossible to track due to his name. There are simply too many George Brown’s working as carpenters across the country at this time in the mid- to late-nineteenth century. The title “stage carpenter” was also not commonly used in city directories or census reports, reducing the accuracy of any search. There are even TWO George H. Browns listed as “foreman” in the Chicago City Directory in the 1880s and 1890s, with no indication of the industry that they worked in at the time. To date, I have only located two records pertaining to a “stage carpenter” Brown, the likely candidate for Sosman & Landis’ foreman carpenter.
The US Federal Census 1900 listed a stage carpenter named George Brown living in Chicago at 619 Humbolt Street. He was fifty years old, married and living with his two children. The report listed that George and Mollie Brown were married in 1889. Extraneous information pertaining to their children, Anna and George Jr., provide a little more information about the Brown’s life after George leaving his parents’ home.
George’s wife Mollie was born in Missouri, sometime during November 1867. Their first child, Anna, was also born in Missouri, sometime during October 1885. This suggests that George worked in Missouri during the 1880s, met Mollie and married her and started a family there. However, I have yet to locate any marriage records for the couple that states a particular county in the state. My best guess is Kansas City, especially since two Sosman & Landis stage carpenters, Claude Hagan and Joe Wikoff, worked in in Kansas City at this time. For context, Sosman & Landis established a regional branch in Kansas City during the mid 1880s.
George’s youngest child, George H. Brown, Jr., was born in Chicago in April 1895, suggesting a return north prior to this time. I suspect that he was employed as a stage carpenter at Sosman & Landis, but have yet to locate a definitive connection. In between Missouri and Illinois, I think he worked in New York.
After completing what felt like thousands of online searches, delving deep into newspaper article, census reports, city directories and other public records, I was only able to locate one bit of information that may have indicated Brown’s whereabouts in 1892. Stage Carpenter Brown was present when the Metropolitan Opera House in New York was destroyed by fire. I am going to include the article in its entirety. This provides a possible motive for George Brown’s return to Chicago at this time.
On September 1, 1892, the “Carlisle Weekly Herald” reported the following news from New York (Carlisle, Pennsylvania, page 4):
“WORK OF THE FLAMES.
The Metropolitan Opera House of New York Destroyed. A Boy and Girl Burned to Death.
The Most Beautiful Place of Amusement in America Burned in an Hour – A Paper Box Factory in Flames – The Augusta Chronicle Office Also Destroyed.
“New York, Aug. 29. – The magnificent Metropolitan Opera House, burned by Braodway, Seventh avenue, Thirty-ninth and Fortieth streets, one of the finest and most expensive of modern play-houses, with an auditorium of greater idmensions than any other in the world, a structure believed to be absolutely fire-proof, lies in ruins, Fire gutted it with a loss of $400,000.
About 9:30 o’clock in the forenoon Stage Carpenter Brown, his assistant, Engineer Scatterwood and Cornelius Horan, a boy, the only persons in the immense opera house, were startled at beholding a fierce mass of flames burst suddenly forth through the giant stage and spread with marvelous rapidity. The flooring laid over the orchestra at the time of the Christian Endeavor convention in July last for the chairs for the delegates, had not yet been removed, and this once ignited carried the flames quickly to the main entrance. The engineer turned the crank to the large water tank above the stage, and let its hundreds of gallons of water crash down upon the flames, but the water produced no visible effect. There were twenty-five lines of hose in the building, and the stage carpenter turned one of these in the flames, but in a moment was obliged to fly for his life.
Nothing But the Walls Standing.
When the steamers responded the entire interior was a fiery furnace. Within half an hour the roof had been burned through and the flames and smoke shot up in the air. This rent, however, and an east wind, sweeping the flames back toward Seventh avenue, assisted the firemen in saving the Broadway front, in which are located the Bank of New Amsetrdam and Zancheri & Gazzo’s restaurant, surmounted by six upper stories occupied as apartments. The stage and everything from the proscenium arch to the 127-foot-high rear wall on Seventh street has been entirely swept away, leaving only bare brick walls standing. In the auditorium the five tiers that rise above the orchestra still remain, but all the trappings of the boxes, the upholsterings of the chairs, the frescoes of the walls and dome have vanished. In the boxes and the tiers above the iron frames of the chairs alone remain. The flames burned fiercely here, but they did not make their way through the roof and still remain at. This point. Further than the entrance doors to the auditorium the flames did not succeed in making their way.
A Boy Meets His Death.
The boy Horan who was employed by Albert Operti, the scenic artist, was hemmed in by the flames on the third floor. Groping his way to one of the windows overlooking Thirty-ninth street he leaped down to a storm door shed on the ground floor. He was so badly burned that he died at the Bellevue hospital shortly after. When Operti arrived, distracted, he saw vanishing in smoke all the works of art which he had been painting for use at the Columbian celebration to occur in this city in October, and new scenery for Daly’s and Casino and the Academy of Music, all of which will be a total loss.
The estimated loss on the Opera House fixtures is $250,000. The damage to the building is $150,000. The loss is covered by insurance and Secretary H. M. McLaren declares that a meeting of the stockholders will be immediately called and the work of refitting the Opera House be begun as soon as the water will permit. The interior of the theatre had been overhauled and thoroughly fitted for the opening of the season. Abbey, Schoefle & Grau had leased the Opera House for the season.”
Now, if this is the same stage carpenter Brown as the one who worked at Sosman & Landis, it places him back in Chicago at the perfect time to be employed at Sosman & Landis when Masonic scenery and stage machinery production begins to dramatically increase. It is also about the same time that the firm’s head stage carpenter, Charles S. King, passed away in 1894. In the past, I have tried to track down the development of a rigging system known as “Brown’s Special System.” Brown’s Special System was installed by Sosman & Landis as dozens of Scottish Rite theaters, beginning about 1902. Here is a past post from 2018 about the system: https://drypigment.net2018/08/10/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-part-475-browns-special-counterweighted-system/’
I suspect that George H. Brown was associated with the design and became the primary installer of the system. Brown’s Special Counterweighted System allowed more drops to be crammed into a limited amount of space on stage, resulting in the increased sale of scenery and stage machinery.
Marketed by M. C. Lilley, Sosman & Landis was subcontracted to manufacture and install rigging systems in dozens of Masonic theaters across the country during the first two decades of the twentieth century. Extant examples include Scottish Rite theaters in: Portland, Oregon (1902); Little Rock, Arkansas (1902, now in Pasadena, California); McAlester, Oklahoma (1908, now in Salina Kansas) Wichita, Kansas (1908); Santa Fe, New Mexico (1912) Tucson, Arizona (1914); and Grand Forks, North Dakota (1915), just to name a few.
The key figure in the marketing of this system was also a man named Brown – Bestor G. Brown, M. C. Lilley’s western sales representative in Kansas City, Missouri. He formed an alliance with the fellow Scottish Rite Mason, Joseph S. Sosman, a founder of Sosman & Landis in Chicago. For Masonic theater projects, Sosman & Landis provided all of the design, manufacture and installation of both painted scenery and stage machinery. Their rigging system was designed to be operated by a non-professional stage crew; a variety of Masonic members who came from various backgrounds, most without any prior backstage experience. For context, Scottish Rite members, and not professional stage hands, ran all backstage activities and scenic effects during Scottish Rite productions at Scottish Rite Reunions twice a year. The Scottish Rite productions served an educational purpose, like morality plays.
I first came across the designation, “Brown’s Special System,” in a series of letters between Bestor G. Brown, and the Austin Scottish Rite. In the correspondence, Brown explained that there was only one stage carpenter who superintended the installation at Scottish Rite theaters.
Example of arbors in Brown’s Special System. Santa Fe New Mexico Scottish Rite theater.Brown’s Special System originally delivered to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1902. Now at the Scottish Rite in Pasadena, California.
Salesman Brown, however, was mistaken given credit as the namesake of the design. Over the years newspapers would erroneously refer to Bestor G. Brown as a “Masonic stage Carpenter.” An article from 1903 even credited Brown as the individual who “created and developed the application of modern scenic properties to the dramatic presentation of all Masonic degrees and in this work is almost invariably consulted everywhere throughout the United States.” This mistake is understandable if the studio designer and salesman share the same last name.
Bestor G. Brown, M. C. Lilley Western Sales Representative who sold Brown’s Special System.
By the time, George H. Brown arrived at Sosman & Landis, there were at least two other stage carpenters responsible for installing scenery and machinery across the country. W. H. Clifton superintended installations at opera houses, theaters and Elks auditoriums. The first mention of Clifton working for the company is 1889, and he continues into the first decade of the twentieth century. Newspaper articles report that Clifton was sent to superintend the work, requiring him to spend time on site – often about four weeks. His duties on site included fitting the stage carpets and conducting a final run through of all items with the client.
Charles S. King (1839-1894) was another individual in charge of installing scenery and stage machinery for Sosman & Landis. King began his career in 1859, and by 1887 had installed 200 stage systems. In 1889, he was credited as working at Sosman & Landis for fifteen years; this makes him one of the firm’s earliest employees.
David A. Strong (1830-1911) was a scenic artist and stage mechanic who specialized in Masonic work. Thomas G. Moses even credited him as the “Daddy of Masonic Design” in his memoirs. We know that Strong was a member of the Theatrical Mechanics association and the in same Theatrical Mechanics Association Chicago Lodge No. 4 as John Bairstow, who worked on the stage house for the Chicago Auditorium. However, as Strong grew older he was limited to studio work, and this is why I think that Brown was brought on board. In the end, both Strong and Brown passed away the same month; Strong died February 11 and Brown died Feb. 27.
George Brown was actively employed as a stage carpenter at the time of his passing in 1911. The 1910 US Federal Census report listed his occupation as “carpenter” in the “theatre” industry. That year he was living with his wife Mollie and their two children at a home on Edgarwood Avenue. At the time of his passing in 1911, George was sixty-two years old. His children, Anna and George Jr., were ages twenty-six years old and sixteen years old, respectively.
George H. Brown’s gravestone at Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.
Brown was buried at Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois. His gravestone says 1856-1911, but his death certificate on file listed Brown’s birth as Oct. 28, 1855. This contradicts other historic records.
A decade later, George Brown Jr. is listed as a stagehand in the 1920 US Federal Census, still living with his mother, but now at 1549 Central Park Avenue in Chicago.
Edgar Alwin Payne (1882-1947) worked as a scenic artist at Sosman & Landis in Chicago, the firm’s eastern affiliate in New York (New York Studios), and the firm’s western affiliate in Los Angeles (Edwin Flagg’s studio). Payne was also a well-known landscape artist and California impressionist. His artwork is still popular and quite expensive to acquire. In 2017 his oil painting, “Navajo Scouting Party” sold for $304,200. Prices for his easel art, however, will never reflect his scenic contribution to theatre history.
Edgar A. Payne in 1925.
Payne’s life story has been well documented over the decades, especially by his wife, Elsie Palmer Payne, and his daughter, Dr. Evelyn Payne Hatcher. My two favorite books about Payne are “Composition of Outdoor Painting” (1941) and “The Paynes, Edgar and Elsie: American Artists” (1988). The first was written by the artist himself and presents an approach to art, looking at drawing, color selection, and compositional layout. The second book was penned by a friend of his daughter’s, Rena Neumann Coen in 1988. “The Paynes” was published at Payne Studios, Inc. in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and delves into familial tales and artistic accomplishments, with a very a brief glimpse into Payne’s early life as a scenic artist in Texas and Chicago. Much of the information is based on interviews with Elsie Payne in 1970 and unpublished notes. These two publications provide a pretty comprehensive look at the life and career of Edgar Payne, yet so many details pertaining to his theater work are left out.
My two favorite books about Edgar A. Payne.
While doing research for this post, I continued to come across the statement that Payne was “largely self-taught.” Even the first chapter of “The Paynes,” reinforces this theory. Coen discusses the stylistic differences between Edgar’s and Elsie’s artwork, writing, “This difference prevailed even when the Payne’s travelled to Europe, where Edgar concentrated on the snowy peaks of the Alps or the colorful fishing boats in the harbors of Italy and France, while Elsie directed her attention to the human element in the Old World towns For unlike Edgar who came from the central states and was largely self-taught, Elsie grew up and went to school in the San Francisco Bay area where, though there were Impressionist painters there too, the decorative, linear style of Arthur and Lucia Mathews was more pervasive” (page 1).
I have noticed that some artists are quick to state they were “self-taught,” regardless of the fact that there are no definitive criteria to define “taught” or “self-taught.” I have often wondered about qualifications to identify a “self-taught” individual. Is an artist considered self-taught even if they have had one art class? Does artistic training have to come from a specific educational institution, or instructor? Is there an age-limit for the completion of the artistic training? Do trade apprenticeships qualify as a form of art instruction? In other words, if you assist a more experienced individual, actively assist in the artistic process, participate and then strike out on your own, can you still be considered “self-taught”? In my opinion, unless you live in bubble, have only worked by yourself, and never learned a single thing from any other artist, you have received some form of artistic training and are not self-taught.
Scenic artists, especially those who worked at a professional scenic studio during the turn of the twentieth-century, cannot lay claim to the term “self-taught.” Nineteenth-century and early-twentieth century scenic studios functioned as ateliers, training young artists in compositional layout, color selection, paint mixing, and a myriad of other artistic skills. If they did not follow the accepted artistic techniques associated with romantic realism for the stage, or if they deviated from the desired design, these artists were quickly unemployed.
In a personal interview between Randy Givercer Frank and Hanny in Chicago, Illinois on May 31, 1976, the following statement was made about Sosman & Landis:
“Sosman and Landis was the greatest school on earth…Everyone who was into Sosman and Landis profited by it afterwards because they had learned how to do things there. They were young fellers when they went in and they were getting the benefit of the experience of the older fellers. They saw some good work…It was training. The training has come in wonderful for me.”
Interestingly, Coen even mentions this scenic art training by page four in her book, She wrote, “The stint as a scene painter was an experience that Edgar shared with many other contemporary American artists who often found their first professional employment in this aspect of the craft. In Edgar’s case it undoubtedly taught him the broad brushwork and rapid technique that he later used, in a more sophisticated manner, in his landscape paintings” (page 4). There is a lot to unpack here, but in short, I take issue with the idea that his time as a scenic artist was a “stint.” He worked as a scenic artist for well-over a decade.
Payne was working as a professional scenic artist at Sosman & Landis by 1903, shortly before John Hanny began as a paint boy. Payne was still working as a scenic artist in the Chicago studio in 1914 when he joined the Brotherhood of Sign, Scene, and Pictorial Painters. He even made headlines just before joining.
On May 5, 1914, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “ARTIST HAS TO JOIN UNION TO PAINT THEATER CURTAIN.” Under the article headline read, “Edgar Payne Starts Work, but Strike Results, and Compromise Solves the Problem. There is a difference between an artist and a scene painter. This Edgar Payne, of 4 East Ohio street, learned yesterday when he started on a big western picture for the drop curtain of the new American theater at Ashland avenue and Madison street. No sooner had the landscape artist titled his canvas and dipped his brush in a jar of blue paint than there was trouble. All the sign, scene, and pictorial painters of local 830 in the building laid down their tools and walked out. W. G. Lathrop, business agent for the union asserted the men would not work so long as a landscape artist remained. Moreover, not one man in the union would hang the curtain after it was decorated with the western mountains from the brush of a nonunion painter – Payne. “I am an artist, I am a landscape painter and mural painter, not a decorator – “ Mr. Payne trained to explain. But he had to join the union or lose the job. He joined the union and went on with the picture.”
In addition to the drop curtain, Edgar also designed the murals for the American Theatre depicting the history of France and Spain in the new world. Although the theater no longer exists, four of his preliminary designs still survive.
Image of mural design for American Theatre in Rena Neumann Coen’s book “The Paynes, Edgar & Elsie: American Artists.”Image of mural design for American Theatre in Rena Neumann Coen’s book “The Paynes, Edgar & Elsie: American Artists.”
Here is a little back story that provides context for Payne’s work for the Chicago-based scenic studio.
Edgar Alwin Payne (1882-1947) was the son of John Hill Payne and Nancy Ellen Reed. Although all of his grandparents came from Virginia, his father was born in Mississippi and his mother was born in Kentucky. The couple met and was married in Washington County, Arkansas, on January 22, 1880, but established their first home in Missouri. They celebrated the birth of five children, with Edgar being the eldest son, born in Missouri’s Cassville County. Possibly near the current city of Washburn, an area is in the southwestern part of Missouri, near the Arkansas border.
When Edgar was eleven years old, the Payne family moved south from Missouri to Prairie Grove, Arkansas; a sixty-miles trip. The 1900 Census verifies that they were living in Prairie Grove that year and the Payne Household consisted of John Payne (50 yrs.), Nancy E. (41 yrs.), Fleda (19), Edgar (17 yrs.), Nora (15 yrs.), Robert T. (12 yrs.) George W. (9 yrs.) and John B. (2 yrs.) John Sr. was listed as a carpenter, with his son Edgar listed as a carpenter apprentice.
The Payne’s incentive to move south was that his mother had inherited a small parcel of property. Familial tales suggest that it was in Arkansas where Payne’s began early experimentations in art began; playing with his mother’s bluing, white lead house paint, and red coloring made out of pokeberry juice were his early art supplies. As with many other ambitious boys growing up on a farm and longing for the adventure of city life, he made several attempts to run away. Like other, including Thomas G. Moses, hauled home and reprimanded.
The Payne’s soon moved south again, this time to Lovelady, Texas. To help place this small town within the massive geographical scope of Texas, Lovelady is located 14 miles due south of Crockett, Texas, and 100 miles north of Houston. Founded in 1872, the town was named after Cyrus Lovelady who granted land access to the Houston & Great Northern Railroad for their railway line. I have yet to locate any records that substantiate the Payne’s time or activities there. Coen’s book indicates that Payne began his scenic art career in Loveland. Purportedly, Payne delivered stock scenery for stage at the Lovelady Town Hall in 1902 at the age of twenty-four. With his background as a carpenter, my guess is that he both built and painted the scenery at this time. However, I have yet to locate any other information or images pertaining to Payne’s work for Loveland’s town hall stage.
Also, around this time, Coen notes that Payne delivered a few scenic pieces for the high school in Conroe, Texas. First of all, there wasn’t a high school at the time, just the Conroe Public School. An image of the school in 1900 shows a building that could have easily included some type of theatrical stage.
The schoolhouse in Conroe, Texas.Edgar A. Payne delivered scenery to the building in approximately 1902.
Conroe is located a little more than halfway between Loveland and Houston, approximately forty miles due north of Houston. The two theatre projects in 1902 appear to be his first scenic art projects, especially considering his age.
This is where the timeline presented by Coen on Payne’s youth-to-young-adult journey gets pretty sketchy. She writes, “At some time during this period [c. 1902], Edgar left home again, this time for good. He tramped through the countryside painting fences and barns, teaching himself how to letter, and occasionally getting a job painting signs. For a time, he also travelled with a barnstorming theatrical troupe, painting and rigging up scenery, sometimes stepping into the act, and generally doing anything needed as a handyman or roustabout.”
Working as an itinerant artist in his mid-twenties is not unusual, but I cannot verify any of Payne’s activities in Texas at this time.
By 1903, Payne relocated to Chicago at the age of twenty-five. There are a few things to consider about Payne’s brief move to Chicago and his working for Sosman & Landis. In 1903 Payne was twenty-five years old; not young enough to start as a paint boy at the firm, but old enough to be added as a full scenic artist. This mean that he started at the studio with his own palette, first painting at the firm between 1903 and 1904.
Sometime between 1905 and 1906, Payne purportedly returned to Texas and settled in the Houston area with his siblings. He was not listed in the “Houston City Directory” for either year, yet his siblings Robert, Fleda and Nora were rooming at 306 McKinney Ave during this period. Like most young scenic artists, he may have accepted any project that came his way, whether it was decorative work for residences or house-painting. That meant home-basing out of his sibling’s Houston residence. In her book, Coen also credited Payne with establishing the Payne-Morris Studio at 142 Pearl Street in Dallas, Texas, but gave very little information or exact year for the firm. We do not even know the first name of his partner. The studio must have been short-lived, however, as there was no listing in a city directory, nor was there a listing for Payne at all. The only proof of its existence is an image of the two men in front of a “Payne Morris Studios” sign. That being said, there were only two likely individuals working as painters with the last name of Morris in Dallas: Charles C. Morris and Octavius J. Morris. Between briefly formed the studio of Morris & Co. from 1907 to 1908. Living at 305 Peabody Street, Charles worked as the traveling salesman; Payne was not even listed in the directory during this time.
Image of Payne-Morris Studios in Rena Neumann Coen’s book “The Paynes, Edgar & Elsie: American Artists.”Detail of Edgar A, Payne (front) and his partner Morris. Date Unknown. Image from Rena Neumann Coen’s book “The Paynes, Edgar & Elsie: American Artists.”
By 1907, returned to Chicago and briefly studied at the Chicago Institute of Art, only lasting two weeks according to Coen. My guess is that Payne’s focus was on making a living, and continued to work as a scenic artist. He remained in the Midwest, yet began traveling west for sketching trips.
In 1909 he ventured to California for the first time, painting in Laguna Beach and in San Francisco. It was in California that he met his future wife, commercial artist Elsie Palmer (1884-1971) in 1910. The meeting and courtship are fascinating, described in detail by Coen in her book. Although Payne spent an increasing amount of time in California, the 1910 US Federal Census still listed Payne’s permanent address as Chicago, living at 3 East Ontario with C. B. Hartman and W. C. Wilbrandt. All three men were working as artists, listing their respective employers as “own studio.”
By 1911, Payne worked for Edwin Hardin Flagg (1878-1927) in Los Angeles, a western affiliate to Sosman & Landis. That year, Payne sent a postcard to Thomas G. Moses, humorously illustrating his work at Flagg’s studio. Moses became the company’s second president in 1915 after Joseph S. Sosman passed away. Moses had close ties with Edwin H. Flagg By 1913, the Edwin H. Flagg scenic company was one of the best-known scenic studios in the country, installing over $100,000 worth of theater scenery a year and employing a workforce of 30 artists. Flagg worked as a designer, scenic artist, theatre producer, and movie producer, running two studios by 1921; one in Los Angeles and the other in San Francisco. In 1921 the firm advertised that “90% of all stage equipment on the coast was provided by their studio” (“Los Angeles Post-Record,” 10 August 1921, page 16). Flagg’s studio was marketed as the largest scenic studio west of Chicago.
Postcard from Edgar A, Payne to Thomas G. Moses in 1911. Image from Rena Neumann Coen’s book “The Paynes, Edgar & Elsie: American Artists.”Coen cites, “Courtesy of Mrs. John R. Rothgeb.”From Los Angeles Evening Post March 12, 1919.From Los Angeles Evening-Express, Feb 19, 1921.
In 1911, Elsie was offered a job in Chicago, prompting her to relocate to the Midwest. The two were married on Nov. 8, 1912. In Coen’s book “The Paynes,” Elsie described the postponement of their marriage due to a scenic art project. They rescheduled the ceremony from Sunday morning to Sunday evening. Edgar was in the midst of painting a backdrop for Mandel’s Department Store. Elsie remembered, “We went to work the next morning, Sunday, all alone in that big department store and both painted on the backdrop…in the afternoon O found a nice comfortable bed on display so I took a nap while poor Edgar toiled steadily on. I felt like a heel but just could not keep awake.”
Photograph of Edgar and Elsie Payne in 1913, from Rena Neumann Coen’s book “The Paynes, Edgar & Elsie: American Artists.”
Payne continued to work as a scenic artist in Chicago, despite repeated sketching trips for his easel art. While away on his trips, Payne continued to send postcards to Thomas G. Moses. On December 27, 1914, Payne sent Moses a postcard with “Holiday Greetings” written on the back, The postcard depicted one of Payne’s paintings. The inscription on the back noted “By Edgar Payne, Palette and Chisel Club, Chicago. A reproduction of one of eight paintings presented to the Henry O. Shepard School, Filmore and Mozart streets, Chicago. Engraved by Wells & Co., Chicago. Printed by the Henry O. Shephard Company, Chicago.”
Front of postcard sent from Edgar A. Payne to Thomas G. Moses in 1914. Harry Ransom Center, with the Dr. John Rothgeb papers.Back of postcard sent from Edgar A. Payne to Thomas G. Moses in 1914. Harry Ransom Center, with the Dr. John Rothgeb papers.
In 1922, Moses reminisced in his memoirs about the talented individuals who passed through the studios doors, writing, “Edgar Payne, now in France, was with us only a few years ago… As I look backward over the names of the successful ones, I wonder what I would have done had I been gifted with the same amount of talent.”
The rest of the Payne’s story primarily concerns his easel art and rise to fame in the fine artworld. This tale is well documented and presented in dozens of art history books, so I will stop here.
William Joseph Smart (1893-1962) was a scenic artist at Sosman & Landis from approximately 1900 to 1921. His highest level of education was 8th grade, suggesting that he started working as a paint boy when he was 15 or 16 yrs. old.
Gravestone of William J. Smart (1893-1962), scenic artist, and his wife Loraine Merow Smart (1907-1987)
Born on March 26, 1893, he was the son of Thomas James Smart and Emma Josephine Houlb. Thomas Smart was born in the Czech Republic. Arriving in the United States in 1880, over the years, his birthplace was listed as Austria, Pisek, Bohemia and Czechoslavakia. He was the son of James Smart (French) and Emma Josephine Strobel (Czech), with Czech being the primary language spoken at home.
Thomas and Emma were married on April 24, 1886. The couple celebrated the birth of five children: Tillie E. Smart (1889), William J. Smart (1891), Martha Emilie Smart (1891-1895). Blanche Helen Smart (1893-1962) and Arthur Frederic Smart (1901-1970). They would remain an extremely close-knit family over the year; The majority of adult children remaining at home.
The 1910 US Federal Census listed William J. Smart as a scenic artist, living with his parents and four siblings at 3921 W 16th St. in Chicago. His father Thomas was a machinist in the iron work industry, a position that he would continue for the majority of his career. At the time, sister
Tillie worked as a telephone operator and Martha as “tag marker” for a mail order house.
Like many Sosman & Landis scenic artists between 1910 and 1920, Smart was part of a shared workforce between the Chicago-based firm and their eastern affiliate New York Studios. The New York counterpart was established in 1910 by David Hunt, secretary and treasurer for Sosman & Landis. Hunt, Sosman and Landis had previously established a theatrical management firm in the 1890s known as Sosman, Landis & Hunt. Hunt and New York Studios’ close ties with Sosman & Landis necessitated a regional office in Chicago; this was to manage a shared labor force and resources.
In the 1970s, former Sosman & Landis scenic artist, John Hanny, recalled Smart working for New York Studios. Hanny also remembered Smart as a fine draftsman, a necessary skill for scenic artists who also designed at the firm. Hanny, Smart, Art Rider, and William Nutzhorn all joined the Brotherhood of Sign, Scene and Pictorial Painters, Local 830, in 1912. This denotes a shift in Sosman & Landis scene painting staff, and lead to increased tensions with local union leaders.
On May 5, 1914, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “ARTIST HAS TO JOIN UNION TO PAINT THEATER CURTAIN.” Under the article headline read, “Edgar Payne Starts Work, but Strike Results, and Compromise Solves the Problem. There is a difference between an artist and a scene painter. This Edgar Payne, of 4 East Ohio street, learned yesterday when he started on a big western picture for the drop curtain of the new American theater at Ashland avenue and Madison street. No sooner had the landscape artist dipped his brush in a jar of blue paint than there was trouble. All the sign, scene, and pictorial painters of local 830 in the building laid down their tools and walked out. W. G. Lathrop, business agent for the union asserted the men would not work so long as a landscape artist remained. Moreover, not one man in the union would hang the curtain after it was decorated with the western mountains from the brush of a nonunion painter – Payne. “I am an artist, I am a landscape painter and mural painter, not a decorator – “ Mr. Payne trained to explain. But he had to join the union or lose the job. He joined the union and went on with the picture.” For context, Payne started as a scenic artist at Sosman & Landis in 1903, so he was not just coming in as an easel artist.
That being said, I am going to take a moment and address a major shift in the theatre manufacturing industry at this time.
By the second decade of the twentieth-century, an internal battle was brewing among scenic artists. The main tension concerned the perception of those who painted scenery for the theatre; were they artists or craftsmen? This was the beginning of a shift that has continued until today. Contemporary scenic artists are handed designs to paint, or sources to interpret. Many nineteenth-century scenic artists designed stage settings and machinery, as well as painting; in short, they were masters of scenic Illusion and intimately understood all aspects of various stage systems. The names and work of these nineteenth-century scenic artists were featured alongside producers and performers, sometimes with equal billing. Their work was highly-valued and drew crowds to not only theatre productions, but also outdoor amusements and spectacles. This cannot be discounted, as they were “masters” in marketing themselves and their services to the public.
By the turn-of-the-twentieth-century, the names of scenic studios continued to replace those of individual scenic artists, and the perception of scene painting changed for both the general public and theatre professionals.
Not all early twentieth-century scenic artists were willing to throw their lot in with a group who worked as ornamental painters, and decorators. This was a specific mindset shared among many high-caliber American scenic artists; it had been reinforced for quite some time. In the 1880s and 1890s, Sosman & Landis catalogues took an entire page to discredit the ability of decorative painters in the production of stage scenery. They used the same wording in catalogues from at least 1889-1894:
“Our prices on Scenery invariably come in competition with some so-called “Scenic Studio,” the Local Fresco Artists and Sign Painters. All are emphatic in stating their ability to paint Scenery as good as the best. The utter absurdity of such statements should be apparent at a glance. [Their bold print] We expect competition, but such parties are not worthy competitors, and it is impossible that they should in any degree equal Artistic and Correct Scenery made by us with our Corps of Skilled Artists – many of whom have held positions as Chief Artists in the Best Theatresof this Country.”
This nineteenth-century sentiment remained with older artists at the onset of the twentieth century. The older generations of artists who worked at Sosman & Landis in he twentieth-century were very different from those who began as paint boys during this time. The younger artists may have been trained in the old ways, but their perception of the work was radically different. They were striking out against the establishment and the old establishments were their scenic art predecessors; those who had outfitted theaters all over the United States during the 1880s and 1890s, delivering the same stage aesthetic that had been used for generations in both North American and Europe, The scenic art period from 1880 to 1900 is what I personally consider the “heyday” of scenic art. My reasoning is their popularity and prosperity at this time remains unparalleled.
The success of Sosman & Landis was based on a stream of highly skilled scenic artists coming in to do what they did best, and then leaving. This cut down on the studio’s overhead, while securing some of the best talent at the time. By 1902, Sosman & Landis had delivered scenery to 6,000 stages in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, and South Africa; they knew what they were doing and did it well. It is very possible that the paint boys who came on to the scene at this time did not fully understand the contribution of those who came before them. The same can be said for scenic artists who represented the new school of Modern Design. From 1880-1910, the Sosman & Landis name was synonymous with “quality;” quality of not only scenic art, but also stage machinery.
The late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century success of Sosman & Landis was linked to the reputations of their artists and mechanics; those who sporadically appeared for projects and then went on to something else. In 1894, their catalogues stated, “Our Artists are selected with reference their special abilities. Some excel in designing and painting drop curtains, others in landscapes, and other in interior scenes; so, we divide our work that each is given what he can do.”
That all being said, there was still a core crew of painting staff who never worked for other employers or on their own. It is not that they were the “B-Team,” but they decided to stay in one place and at one job. This created an entirely different set of expectations for those “long-haulers” at the firm.
In the early twentieth century, scenic artists, like many other theatrical positions, were becoming increasing specialized; a shift that caused in-fighting among painters themselves. As noted above, Payne started as a scenic artist at Sosman & Landis in 1903. That being said, he was becoming increasing well known for his easel art. In the nineteenth-century, this would have been a feather in his cap among fellow scenic artists. However, by 1914 there was a resentment of those who are well-recognized and respected for their work in multiple fields, working beyond the confines of a scenic studio. Payne, like many scenic artists at Sosman & Landis, took time off from scene painting to work on other projects, returning to help out when needed. This did not sit well with those full-time employees who stayed behind for years.
It also happened to Thomas Moses when he returned to Sosman & Landis for the fourth time in 1904. He left a profitable scenic business in New York to become the vice-president and immediate supervisor of all design, construction, painting and installation at the firm. Upon his return in 1904, Moses wrote, “When Mr. Sosman announced to the ‘gang’ that I was coming back and would take charge of all the work, there was much dissention among a few. Fred Scott tried to start a mutiny and went as far as he could by quitting, hoping the others would follow. But none did, and he came back and asked for a job. I put him on for he was a clever painter.”
I personally think that much of this stemmed from jealously. Those who remained at a single studio longed for the freedom to paint whatever and wherever they wanted. Keep in mind that some of the really great artists at Sosman & Landis would suddenly leave to form a brief partnership, yet still return to fanfare and laurels for individual projects; immediately resuming their old position at the studio. This must have really irritated those who stuck it out through thick and thin at the studio, never really leaving or accepting outside work.
William Smart was a Sosman & Landis scenic artist who stayed around until almost the bitter end, well passed Sosman’s departure from the studio. Smart did not strike out on his own until the early 1920s, when he joined with four other former Sosman & Landis employees to establish Service Studios in Chicago.
Smart’s WWI Draft Registration card from June 5, 1917, listed that he was still an artist at Sosman & Landis in Chicago, Illinois. In 1920, the extended Smart family moved from 3921 W 16th St. in Chicago to the nearby western suburb of Cicero in Cook County (south of where many Sosman & Landis scenic artists lived in Oak Park). Their new home was located at 1846 57th Ave, Cicero. Thomas was still a machinist, Tillie a telephone clerk, William a scenic artist, Bartha a “checker”, and Arthur, a bookkeeper. For some reason, his sister Blanche remained at home, likely helping their mother manage the household. My own maternal grandmother was placed in this role. I cannot imagine how difficult it is to watch all of your siblings lead lives of their own each day while you stay home to cook, clean and wash their clothes. You remain trapped in a role; one that you did not choose and are only free when your parents die.
In 1921, the Smarts were listed in the “Cicero City Directory.” Employers were listed, Thomas working for the Crane Mfg. Co., William working for Sosman & Landis Studio, and Tillie working for the Chicago Tel Co.
Listing for Sosman & Landis scenic artist, William J. Smart in 1921. Cicero City Directory.
By 1923, Martha Smart is also working as a cashier, with Blanche still working at home. This continues until the matriarch of the family passes away in 1925. Her obituary remembered her as the “ beloved mother of William J., Arthur F, Tillie E., Martha E., Mara, Blanch H. Sister of Mary Schultz, Julia Rizicka and Frank Holub. Member of Cicero Chapter, OES., No. 741, and Shepherd Shrine No. 42 Ottikar Temple No 318” (“Chicago Tribune,” May 21 1925, page 12).
Life changed a bit for the Smarts by 1930. The census that year lists the Smart’s home residence as 1832 Austin Blvd., Cicero, Cook, Illinois. Thomas’ occupation is listed as a pattern maker in the pipe fitting industry, with Tillie as a manager at the telephone company and William as a scenic artist. Blanche was still at home. On March 12, 1930, William married Jessie L. “Loraine” Merow in Chicago. Loraine was the daughter Louis Alexander Merow (1880), a theatre performer, and Ida May Merrean. At the time, she was working as a hairdresser, living at 311 Central Ave. in Chicago.
The patriarch of the Smart family passed away on Jan. 2, 1938. Thomas Smart is buried in the Bohemian National Cemetery, Chicago. At the time of his passing, his occupation was still listed as a pattern maker. Thomas Smart’s online memorial at www.findagrave.com states: “Adventurer, inventor, enjoyed music, good sense of humor, family man. Spoke several languages. Always encouraged education. Raised silkworms, traded around world for butterflies and unusual insects. Donated large cabinet of these trays to high school in Crystal Lake, Il.” Here is the Link: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5532295/thomas-james-smart
Gravestone of William J. Smart’s parents.Smart family memorial in Bohemian Cemetery, Chicago.
William only left his home in Cicero after his father passed away. He and his new wife Loraine moved to the East Coast in 1940. The census that year listed 45-yrs.old William living with his 33-yrs.-old wife and his 25-yrs. old brother-in-law (Loraine’s younger brother) Donald M. Merano (25 yrs.). The three were living at 199 Westside in Hempstead, Nassau County, New York. William was listed as a scenic artist at General Motors, while Donald was a stock boy in a model airplane factory. William and Loraine eventually returned to his old home to briefly lived with his sister Blanche in Cicero, Illinois.
Photograph of Lorain Merow Smart, wife of William J. Smart. Posted to ancestry.com.
William’s 1942 WWII Draft Registration Card again listed his home as 1832 S. Austin Blvd, Cicero, Illinois, with a second address as 61 Parson St., Detroit, Mich. Interestingly, he listed his sister Blanche as the person who would always know where he lived. Like her brother William, Blanche also got married after their father died. She married Rudolph H. Pidrman, an assembler at the Electrical Manufacturing Co. The couple settled in the Smart family hose at 1832 Austin Blvd, Cicero; Blanche’s old home.
William’s WWII draft, Williams’ employer listed as George Wittbold, with offices at 4623 Woodward, Detroit. On May 6, 1940, “Automotive News” reported, “Wittbold Sets Up ‘Exhibit’ Business; Built ‘Futurama.” The article continued, “DETROIT. – George Wittbold, who gave up a $300,000-a-year retail flower trade in Chicago last spring to construct the General Motors “Futurama” at the New York World’s Fair, is going into the exhibit business himself. “Exhibit engineering” is the way Wittbold describes in his announcement. His headquarters will be in Detroit. Although he has spent much of his life in his family’s florist business, Wittbold’s interest was captivated by the construction of miniature displays. For years he had been staging the GM motor shows in New York’s Waldorf-Astoria and elsewhere, making them less floral backgrounds than masterworks of dioramic building. When GM asked him to take charge of building the “Highways and Horizons” futurama, which Norman Bel Geddes designed, Wittbold sold his flourishing flowed business to his employees in Chicago and embarked upon one of the most difficult tasks of his life” (page 7).
William J. Smart worked for George Wittbold in the 1940s.
William died on July 9, 1962, in Los Angeles, California. His obituary was published on July 12, 1962 in the “Chicago Tribune” (page 31). It simply announced:
“Smart – William J. Smart of California, beloved husband of Loraine; dear brother of Mrs. O. R. Rank, Mrs. Martha E. Mara, Arthur F. Smart, and the late Blanche F. Pedrman [sic.]. Masonic services at Arcana lodge, No. 717, A. F. & A. M., Thursday at 8 p.m. at the George Schubert Chapel – 6617 Cermak road, Berwyn, Funeral Friday, 1 :30 p. m. Interment Bohemian National. ST 8-1092.”
Loraine passed 25 years later on March 11, 1987. She died in Long Beach, California.
Arthur Rider was a scenic artist at Sosman and Landis’ main studio from approximately 1904 until 1908. After 1910, he became associated with their eastern affiliate, New York Studios. His theatrical contributions are seldom mentioned, yet his easel art is still making headlines on social media.
An image of Art Rider posted to Ancestry.com.
Earlier this year the Crocker Art Museum posted Rider’s 1928 painting, “The Bells at Mission San Juan Capistrana,” to their Facebook page.
2021 post to Crocker Art Museum on FB.
The Crocker Art Museum post included a brief biography for Rider. The following text was attached to the image:
“Arthur Rider was born in Chicago and received his early training at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. While a student, he painted for local opera companies and then continued this line of work in London. Seeking further training, he moved to Paris to study at the Académie Colarossi and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière.
Having heard a lecture by Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla in 1911, Rider set off for Spain, where he studied and befriended Sorolla. He was greatly influenced by Sorolla’s approach to color and spent nine summers in Valencia painting with him and portraying the coast and activities of local fishermen.
After Sorolla died in 1923, Rider returned to Chicago and made visits to California. In the late 1920s, he rented a house in Laguna Beach and settled in Los Angeles in 1931. While pursuing easel painting, he also produced scenery for the film studios MGM and Twentieth Century Fox.
In California, Rider sought out subjects that recalled his time in Spain. Although he painted coastal scenes, he also depicted inland landscapes and buildings. He was especially fond of the gardens and architecture of Mission San Juan Capistrano. His depictions of the mission were unlike those produced by the previous generation of California artists, who sought to capture the entire mission in all its detail. Rider sought only the essence of the mission, finding it in fragments of light and color.”
The same snippets of information about Rider are continuously used by art galleries, museums, auction houses and other online platforms. Like many scenic artists at Sosman & Landis, Rider exhibited his easel art and joined a variety of artistic groups. In Chicago, Rider belonged to the Palette & Chisel Club, as did most of his fellow scenic artists at the time. He was also a member of the Academy of Western Painters, Painters and Sculptors of Los Angeles, the California Art Club, and Laguna Beach Art Association. Rider participated in numerous exhibitions and received many awards, including recognition from Chicago’s Institute of Art, the Chicago Galleries Association, the California State Fair, the Golden Gate International Exhibition, the California Art Club, Circulo des Bellas Arts Spain, just to name a few. His paintings belong to public and private collections all over the world. In 2009, his “Bringing in the boats, Valencia,” sold at Bonhams, Los Angeles, for $254,000. He is a pretty big deal in the art world.
All of this aside, Rider’s personal and scenic art story is absolutely fascinating. Prior to any association with the West Coast or work for the movie industry, Rider’s life in Chicago was quite a tale. Here is what I have uncovered to date.
Arthur Grover Rider was born in Chicago on March 21, 1886. He was of Irish-German heritage, with his paternal grandmother emigrating from Ireland and his maternal grandparents emigrating from Germany. Rider’s paternal grandfather and father were both born in New York. His mother was raised in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. George W. Rider (1843-1916) headed west as a young man and settled in Chicago before starting a family of his own. In the Windy City he met Emma Blank (1858-1908) and the two were married on March 25, 1880. In Chicago, George Rider worked his way up from bartender to saloon keeper over the years. The couple celebrated the birth of at least four children, with only three surviving to adulthood. Arthur was the oldest, with his sister Libbie born a year later in 1887. Brother William “Willie” J. arrived the year after that in 1888. During the late 1880s, the Rider’s briefly moved to Detroit, Michigan, where Willie was born, but returned to Chicago shortly thereafter.
The 1900 US Federal Census listed the family living at 274 Randolph Street, Chicago. At the time, George was working as a bartender and his daughter Libbie as a drug clerk. Arthur and his younger brother Willie were simply listed as “at school,” so they were students somewhere. In 1900 Arthur was only fourteen years old, too young to be accepted as a paint boy at Sosman & Landis; the firm made a practice of only hiring those over 16 yrs. old. That does not mean that he waited for work, however, as there were many other studios hiring much younger children.
Likely, Rider began working at a scenic studio between 1902 and 1903. Most young adults entered the paint profession somewhere between the age of 16 and 17, starting out as “paint boys,” or “pot boys,” before actually assisting the older artists with the painting process. We know that Rider was already working at Sosman and Landis in 1906 when John Hanny started as a paint boy. Rider’s skill was remembered by Hanny in a letter to Dr. John Rothgeb on July 14, 1976. Hammy wrote that Rider as a “natural.” Around 1906, Rider was promoted from paint boy to scenic artist assistant. This transition meant that Rider was able to work alongside an older artist at the scenic studio, receiving one-on-one training. This was a crucial step for scenic artists; after proving themselves as good assistants, they received their own palette and achieved the full title of “scenic artist.” Rider was assigned to William Nutzhorn at Sosman & Landis, a position later filled by Hanny. Hanny became Nutzhorn’s assistant after Rider left Chicago to work for the Philadelphia Opera Company. His work in Philadelphia gives a two-year window, marking Rider’s transition from an assistant to scenic artist. The Philadelphia Opera Company was founded by Oscar Hammerstein in 1908, but disbanded by 1910. For Rider, this provides an approximate departure date from Sosman & Landis in Chicago (1908) and a later return date (1910).
In regard to the short-life of the Philadelphia Opera Company, on April 29, 1910, “The Citizen” described Hammerstein’s departure from Grand Opera (Honesdale, PA, page 1). The article reported, “By the terms of the sale, which was formerly executed Tuesday evening at 9:42 o’clock in the home of Otto H. Kahn, 8 East Fifty-eighth street, the scenery, properties, costumes and other effects of the Manhattan and Philadelphia Opera companies, with its $400,000 mortgage, and the contracts existing between Oscar Hammerstein and his singers pass to the Metropolitan Opera company. Hammerstein will return to vaudeville.”
This is where everything also circles back to Illinois and Chicago Opera. In later years, some of Hammerstein’s scenery made its way to the Chicago Lyric Opera from New York. The Chicago Lyric Opera collection was eventually donated to the University of Northern Illinois, DeKalb, now known as the Scenery Collection. The Scenery Collection is stored in the Arts Annex of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. This Collection includes elements from the settings of 90 operas, with approximately 900 backdrops and borders and more than 2200 framed scenic units. The stage settings illustrate an exceptional range of production styles between 1889 and 1932. In addition to the scenery there are three-dimensional units including furniture and properties. Furthermore, the collection is supported by an extraordinary archive of production notebooks, property lists, inventories, expense records, performance time sheets, correspondence, original photographs of the sets, selected costumes, and opera stars of the period, ground plans and blueprints, painters elevations and renderings, original costume and set design drawings, and 120 exquisitely painted and detailed ¼” scale maquettes of the settings. There remains the remote possibility that some of Rider’s scenic art survives in this collection.
Current storage of historic backdrops at the Arts Annex of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University, DeKalbCurrent storage of historic flats at the Arts Annex of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb
After Rider left the Philadelphia Opera Company, he returned to Chicago. The 1910 US Federal Census listed 23 yrs. old Arthur G. Rider’s occupation as “artist” in the “studio” industry. This meant that he was working as a scenic artist at a scenic studio. He was living with his father, sister, and brother at 1802 Ogden Ave. Libbie was now 25-yrs. old and working as a bill clerk in a liquor store. Both Libbie and Arthur financially supported their 21 yrs.-old brother and 68-yrs. old father, both unemployed. His younger brother Willie was epileptic. Two years earlier, their mother, Emma, had passed away at the age of 51. She was buried at Rosehill Cemetery on Nov. 8, 1908, but I have yet to locate any cause of death, gravestone or obituary.
Art Rider remained associated with Sosman & Landis after his return to Chicago. In 1910 he began working for the firm’s newly-established eastern affiliate, New York Studios. That was the same year the new studio was established to handle increasing work in the eastern region of the United States. Sosman & Landis’ treasurer/secretary David Hunt enticed Joseph Sosman into partially funding his new business venture. That year, Moses wrote, “Hunt had started a New York studio in New York City, and he expected us to do a great deal of work, as he had Sosman invest a small amount.” Beginning in the 1890s both Sosman & Landis had increasingly diversified their interests. New York Studios starting capital was $40,000, and listed the following directors: Edward A. Morange, Adelaide A. Hunt and David H. Hunt, with offices located at 325 W 29th Street, New York. New York Studios relied upon Sosman & Landis artists, sharing the talents of John H. Young, William F. Hamilton, Victor Higgins, William Smart, Al Dutheridge, and Art Rider. New York Studios also had a regional office located in Chicago, with offices at 1022 Consumers Building.
During the second decade of the twentieth century, Rider began exhibiting more of his easel art. This was very common for many of the scenic artists at Sosman & Landis, almost a rite of passage. In 1911, the Palette and Chisel Club held its fourth annual exhibition of pictures and sculpture at its club house on October 24, 1911. Articles included the names of members, many who were currently or formerly associated with Sosman & Landis, including Art Rider, Thomas G. Moses, and Edgar Payne.
In 1911, Rider attended a lecture by Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla. Sorolla visited Chicago that spring where he painted the portraits for the prominent citizens and exhibited many other works. On February 19, 1911, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “It was an unusually large assemblage that gathered at the Art Institute last Tuesday evening to greet the great Spanish Painter Sorolla, and his wife to get a first glimpse of his brilliant canvases. W. M. R. French and Charles Hutchinson were supporting guard for the Spanish celebrities and did most of the introducing. The Sorollas speak no English, and even their French has its limitations, though it suffices for the business part of their present adventure into the wilds of the land of dollars. I am afraid they look upon us, as the majority of foreigners do, as so many instruments for the distribution of American money. Mr. Sorolla expects to better here his New York record; and from his Gotham exhibit last year he took back to Spain $170,000. He and Mms. Sorolla are short and dark, but not especially Spanish in type. His face is eager and alert, his manner businesslike. Mme. Sorolla has a small head and features resembles the traditional North American Indian.” His final exhibition in the City was held at the Art Institute the second week in April, 1911. On April 8, 1911, the “Chicago Examiner” reported “Five Portraits by Sorolla on Show.” The couple returned to New York on April 19, 1911. On April 13, 1911, the “Chicago Examiner” announces that although Senor and Senora Sorolla had planned to return to New York last Sunday, they were “still tarrying in Chicago, having remained because of the commission just given to Senor Sorolla to paint Mrs. William G. Hibard” (page 7).
One of the many articles about Sorolla published in Chicago newspapers in 1911.
Sorolla made an impact on Rider, prompting him to visit Valencia for several summers after that. During the theatrical season, however, Rider continued to work in both Chicago and New York. The 1915 New York State Census listed Arthur G. Rider as an artist, living at 354 W 23rd. The next year his father passed away on July, 1, 1916. Rider would continue to live with his sister when he wasn’t traveling.
In 1918 he was still primarily working as a scenic artist in Chicago, His WWI draft registration listed his employer as both the Chicago Grand Opera Co. and the Auditorium Theatre. Rider’s physical description at the time was listed as tall and slender, with grey eyes and light hair.
In the 1920 US Federal Census, Rider was still listed as single and living with his sister Libbie in Chicago. The two were lodging at 200 Hamlin Ave. and rider was still primarily working as a scenic artist, employed in the “theatre industry.” He also spent a great portion of the year residing in Spain from February until September.
He was listed in the 1921 “Chicago Directory” as an artistic, living at 2944 W Jackson blvd. That year, his easel art began to make headlines in Chicago News. On April 24, 1921, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “The Palette and Chisel Club is having an interesting exhibit of paintings by Arthur G. Rider, painted for the most part during the months he spent recently in Spain. There are scenes of boats along the beach, of hills and valleys, and charming castles drenched in warm yellow Spanish sunlight – the kind of sunlight that never stretches across the Atlantic.The pictures are well worth the visit” (page 109). He did not remain single long after this. In the fall of 1922, he married Mary Frances McGoorty, the daughter John P. McGoorty and Mary Wiggins McGoorty.
An example of Art Rider’s work posted to MutualArt.
On Oct. 7, 1922, Rider applied for a marriage license to wed Mary. Two weeks later their wedding day made front page headlines.
On Nov 10, 1922, the “Selma Times-Journal” (Selma, Alabama) reported:
“POISON ATTEMPT FOLLOWS MARRIAGE.
Chicago, Nov. 10. – Mrs. Mary Frances Rider, 22, divorced from Maurice Roberts, an artist, was dangerously ill today from poison she took just a few hours after her marriage yesterday at Valpariso, Ind. To Arthur Rider, another Chicago artist. She is the daughter of former Judge John P. McGoorty of the circuit and appellate courts. Mr. Rider returned home from his studio last night to find his bride desperately ill. The judge’s daughter caused a sensation in 1917 by running away to become an actress. She married Roberts in 1920.” What I find interesting is the timeline; she takes poison after wedding, yet her husband doesn’t find her until after returning from studio. I have to wonder – did he attend the wedding ceremony and then go to work? It is a little confusing, and this certainly presents a red flag from the get-go. 17 yrs. old runaway becomes actress, marries, divorces, marries, and immediately takes poison. There is something wrong, and there had to be more to the story.
I recalled a comment about Rider made by Art Oberbeck in an interview with Dr. John Rothgeb. Oberbeck said, “Working right alongside of me he wouldn’t even talk …He was so entrenched in what he was doing. And he was a very peculiar man. Nobody seemed to ever like him because he was so individual and so much for himself. But I had several arguments with him over this. But I always admired his work.”
After the tumultuous start to Rider’s first marriage, the couple ventured to Europe. They both applied for passports in 1923, with Rider listing the reason for travel as “study.” He and Mary were planning to visit Spain, England, and France. On April 26, 1923, Rider departed the US, sailing aboard a ship named LaBourdonnais. His study and work made headlines back home. On Nov. 11, 1923, the “Chicago Tribune” announced, “Arthur G. Rider is holding an exhibition of Spanish landscapes in the galleries of George Petit, 8 Rue de Seze, Paris. Mr. Rider is one of the most active members of the Palette and Chisel Club, and this interesting item concerning his present activities was gently appropriated from that organization’s bulletin” (page 95). The couple returned to Europe again in 1924, but tragedy struck the couple. On Feb. 4, 1924, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “Marie M’Goorty Takes Poison by Error in Paris.” The article continued, “Mrs. Marie Rider, daughter of Judge John McGoorty of Chicago, wife of the artist, Arthur G. Rider, is tonight recovering in the American hospital from an overdose of twenty tablets of veronal, taken last night in her hotel in the Latin quarter, by mistake, according to her husband. “My wife, nervous and suffering from insomnia recently, took veronal to overcome her sleeplessness,” Mr. Rider said. “Last night she swallowed twenty tablets, not realizing the danger, and then became violently ill. I rushed her to the hospital in an auto ambulance. The doctors report that she is out of danger” (page 10). If she had not previously attempted to commit suicide on her wedding day, I would read less into this story.
For medical context, Barbital was introduced by Fisher and Mering in 1903 under the name Veronal. It was the first commercially available barbiturate, used to treat agitation, anxiety, and insomnia. As a sleeping aid, its action was quite rapid and ordinarily produced sleep in ½ hour to an hour. Large doses of Veronal, however, caused depression of the central nervous system, resulting in dizziness, nausea and even vomiting. Although it was marketed as “safe” and “non-addictive,” Veronal overdose and death became increasingly common by the 1920s. My guess is that Mary was addicted to Veronal and repeatedly overdosed on the drug.
One of many articles outlining the dangers of Veronal.
Mary Frances McGoorty died in March 1925 and was buried at Mt. Olivet on March 30. She was only 25 yrs. old at the time. Despite the loss of his wife, Rider’s artistic career soared, and he continued to travel. His name appeared in a variety of passenger lists at this time. For example, On Feb. 2, 1927, he was listed as an arriving passenger in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. On Nov. 30, 1933, Rider returned home from France. He was still listed as single, but remarried by 1935.
In 1935, Rider was living with his second love Jane B. Rider, still listed as an artist. Jane McChesney Berry (1897-1964) was a divorced, having left her husband Thomas Jesse Bethea Sr. by 1930. By 1937, Jane and Arthur relocated west again, with Rider seeking employment in the motion picture industry. By 1940, the two were still in California with Rider working approximately thirty hours each week painting film sets. Rider’s WWII Draft Registration card from 1942 listed his employer as MGM Studio. His physical description still described a tall slender man, at 5’-10 ½” and 150 lbs. He now had grey hair to frame his blue eyes and light complexion. In 1944 Rider pops up in California Voter registration records; he was living at 1906 Shenandoah, Los Angeles and registered as a Democrat. And then I found the couples California marriage record from 1955. On Dec. 15, 1955 Arthur G. Rider married Jane M. Berry. Life would continue the same for the next two decades, with Rider painting and always making time to travel for his easel art.
Arthur Grover Rider passed away on Jan. 25, 1975 in Los Angeles County, CA and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial.
In a 1976 interview with Dr. John Rothgeb, Oberbeck explained that he and Rider were friends, but claimed that Rider was a difficult person to be around, due to his intense focus on work.
Oberbeck went onto comment that he considered Rider as one of the best colorists in the scene painting industry, sharing the same approach as Fred Scott. Scott worked at Sosman & Landis in Chicago from approximately 1904 to 1911. Oberbeck explained that the color theory implemented by both Scott and Rider relied upon an undertone. This meant that every color mixed on the palette for the composition must have the same color in it to unify the composition.
George Roach was responsible for the paint and glue preparation at Sosman & Landis’ main studio at the turn-of-the-twentieth century. This is an incredibly important job. The “color man” was the one who started each day, setting the artistic tone for the work. The success and longevity of every painted scene is not only based on paint application, but also paint preparation. Roach never headlined as a one of the studio’s premiere artists, but he may have been the most important individual at the studio during his time there.
Roach’s realm of color was located in the back corner of the Sosman & Landis paint shop, beneath a paint bridge. Bins of color, both dry and wet, were readily accessible at a moment’s notice. The pot of glue was always warm, ready to dilute and distribute for any artist in need.
The logistics of mass-producing distemper scenery during the late-nineteenth century and early-twentieth century is staggering. It is so much more than opening a few cans of premixed paint, mixing the correct color, and applying to the scene. Hours were spent transforming dry pigment into the perfect pulp, cooking glue, and preparing aniline dyes.
Those in charge of paint preparation had to be well-informed and well-organized; each task was based on an exact science. The color man at a studio also managed a legion of young assistants. These individuals, often referred to as paint boys, or pot boys, delivered a color man’s product. Their primary task was to fill individual pots of color on a designated artist’s palette. In addition to supplying color, they cleaned up after artists and completed a myriad of other unsavory tasks.
Former Sosman & Landis scenic artist, John Hanny described the Sosman & Landis painting process to Dr. John Rothgeb in a series of letters between 1976 and 1983. Hanny was employed at Sosman & Landis from approximately 1906 to 1920. In addition to providing written descriptions, Hanny also sent drawings to Dr. Rothgeb. In one letter, Hanny wrote, “Diagram of Palette. Approximately 6’-6” x 22” having 13 spaces for 5” old-fashioned deep soup bowls containing colors…these bowls contained dry colors mixed with water and stirred to a thick pulp.” Hanny also included a separate drawing entitled, “Diagram of Palette,” specifying the placement of Malachite Green, Chrome Green, Van Dyke Brown, Raw Umber, Dutch Pink. Yellow Ochre, Zinc White, Lemon Yellow, Orange Chrome, Turkey Red, Burnt Sienna, Rose Lake and Ultramarine Blue.
Sosman & Landis Color Palette, ca. 1906-1920, drawn by John Hanny. Included with the John Rothgeb Papers, Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin.
In his letter to Rothgeb, Hanny further explained, “Different artists may want to make some changes to fit their needs. I liked the suggested lay-out with yellows in the center, gradating in each direction to the blue areas at each end – like going around the color wheel.”
He then described the duties of paint boys at Sosman & Landis, writing, “When the artist wanted his palette cleaned, he called for a ‘swipe up’ which included having his palette washed with sponges, brushes cleaned, clean hot size, and strait edges wiped clean.”
George Roach was specifically mentioned by Randi Givercer Frank in her MA Thesis “The Sosman & Landis Studio: A Study of Scene Painting in Chicago, 1900-1925” (University of Texas at Austin, May 1979). Although her information is uncited, she likely included facts from Dr. Rothgebs’ interviews with both Hanny (c. 1906-1920) and Art Oberbeck (c. 1907-1915). I am including Frank’s excerpt about Roach in its entirety, as it paints a pretty good picture of his responsibilities at Sosman & Landis during their time there. It is also the only source that directly connects Roach to the Sosman & Landis studio:
“For years the person who prepared the studio each morning for the artists’ arrival was a Scotsman by the name of George Roach. He was called the ‘color ma’” and his job was to take care of the paint. The first thing he would do every morning was prepare fresh size which along with the glue would be kept warm all day. On cold winter nights the pulp colors would freeze, and Roach had to melt the ice from them so they would be in useable liquid form, He would also prepare the priming mixture of glue, whiting, and size. Before the whiting went into the mixture it had to soak in water over night. Roach was in charge of this also.
Roach then took care of the color bench. Distemper, dry pigment mixed with size, was the usual scene painting medium. Roach would grind the colors that were natural origin – ochre, raw sienna, and raw umber. He would burn the latter to make them darker and create the colors burnt sienna and burnt umber. Non earth colors like magenta were made from dye. These he mixed with white or some other base. The dry color was mixed with water into a thick, pulpy consistency, and Roach made sure that each of the five-gallon crocks were full. When the dry color ran low, Roach sent off to New York for more. Occasionally, he prepared dye for vaudeville scenery. Any activity that took place around the color bench was George Roach’s responsibility.”
Here is what I have located about Roach’s life and career to date:
George L. Roach (sometimes spelled “Roche”) was born in Albany, Rensselaer County, New York in June 1849. He was the son of a shoemaker and one of six children. His parents were Thomas J. and Mary J., both immigrants; his father emigrated from Ireland and his mother emigrated from Canada. By 1855, the Roach family had moved to the nearby town of Greenbush, also in Rensselaer County, New York.
George’s siblings were Margaret M. Roach (b. New York, b. 1846), Cornelia Roach Collins (b. Albany, 1847), James Roach (b. Albany, 1848), William H. Roach (b. Albany, b. 1856), and John M. Roach (b. Albany, 1860). At least three of his siblings moved west to Chicago, with brothers James and John entering the painting profession.
By 1870, George’s older sister Cornelia had married (George W. Collins) and moved west to Chicago. George soon followed, and initially lived with the Collins, working with his brother-in-law at a barbed-wire factory.
In 1880, George was boarding with his sister Cornelia (26 yrs.), brother-in-law George (35 yrs.), and their three children (George Jr., Frank and Alice). The household was located at 150 N. Peoria St., Chicago. The 1880 US Federal Census listed George Collins as an agent for the Barb Wire Co. George’s occupation was listed as “working” in the “barb wire works” industry. George only lived with the Collins for a few years, and by 1882 was living on his own. Boarding at 210 Aberdeen, he was still listed as a wireworker. George remained in this location for quite some time, even after marrying Elizabeth “Lizzie” Magor in 1881. Lizzie was a Canadian emigrate who arrived in the United States in 1870 and the two were married on October 20, 1881. The couple made their home at 212 ½ Aberdeen in Chicago for several years.
By this time, both of George’s brothers (James and Joh), were actively involved with the Chicago painting scene and living nearby. Meanwhile, George picked up a series of odd jobs that ranged from laborer to driver. The only public record listing George as a painter is from 1900. Likely, his two brothers convinced him to try the painting trade, connecting him with the Sosman & Landis studio sometime in the 1890s.
George and Lizzie celebrated the birth of eight children, yet only one survived to adulthood. Two were stillborn in 1893 and 1894, and their infant daughter, Mamie Roach, died in 1895 at the age of six months. Their fourth child to pass away was Henry; he died at the age of four in 1899. Three of the couple’s four remaining children passed away in 1900. Irene (age 10), Wilber (age 8), and Maria Lousia (age 7) all died before the US Federal Census was taken in 1900. Such an incredible loss in a very short period of time. Only their 9-yrs.-old daughter Clara survived. Clarice “Clara” Evangeline Roach (b. Sept 13, 1891) was the only child living with George and Lizzie Roach in the 1900 Census. She lived a long life; not passing away until Feb. 12, 1982.
In 1900, the Roaches were living at 532 Homan Avenue in Chicago. The 1900 US Federal Census listed George’s occupation as a “painter.” It was at this time that he was likely employed by Sosman & Landis. It also correlates with the recollection of Hanny and Oberbeck who both started between 1906 and 1907. By the time they started Roach would have been a mainstay at the studio as “color man.”
Unfortunately, the 1900 census is the last historical record that I have been able to locate for George Roach. Some genealogical records also suggest that George’s death occurred in 1907, the same year that his wife died. I am skeptical of the date, especially as there is no official death certificate, obituary listing, or gravestone near his wife.
Initially, I was convinced that Lizzie died on September 3, 1907; buried at Mt. Carmel Catholic Cemetery in Hillside, Cook County, Illinois, three days later. The grave of Elizabeth Roach is located in Section O Block 2 Lot 41. Information in the Illinois State Death Index also notes that at the time of her death she was married and living at 1705 N. Sawyer Ave., Chicago’s 27th ward. Elizabeth shares the same birth year and birth location as Lizzie Roach, suggesting that this really was George’s wife. The absence of George’s grave is also explainable, and my first thought was than he wasn’t a Catholic, and therefore could not be buried next to his wife in a Catholic Cemetery. Another reason for the absence of George’s grave nearby may have been financial. If George and Lizzie died the same year, they left a 16-yrs.-old daughter who was likely unemployed. Clara may not have been able to pay for a proper burial, grave stone, or obituary notice. By 1910, however, Clara was living by herself and working in a retail dry goods store. She married a few years later, moving to California. On Dec. 10, 1912, the “San Francisco Call” announced Clara’s marriage: “Fagan-Roche – Herbert E. S. Fagan, 25 Oakland, and Clarice E. Roche, 21 Chicago, Ill.”
There was one other record that I encountered that made me question the actual date of both Lizzie and George Roach death in 1907.
On May 31, 1906, the “Chicago Tribune” reported:
“ROACH – The remains of Lizzie Roach will be buried from the vault at Mount Olivet cemetery Thursday, May 31, 1906, at 1:30 p.m., formerly of 6626 Drexel-av” (page 12). Mount Olivet was also a Catholic Cemetery located on the south side of Chicago, established in 1885. There is no listing for any Roach grave that fits the description of Lizzie, George or any of their children at Mount Olivet. This does not mean that all 142,000 people buried at the cemetery are included in the current online database, especially when I think of unmarked or illegible grave stones. Cemetery databases are often incomplete.
I remain uncertain of George Roach’s death in 1907 and dearly wish that Rani Givercer Frank had cited the information about him in her MA thesis. My gut instinct says that Roach did not die in 1907 and continued to work at Sosman & Landis for at least another five years. I would bet that he was at the studio from 1895 until WWI. This would have made an impression on both Hanny and Oberbeck, since they started about the time of Roach’s purported passing.
I will update this post if more information comes to light.
Chauncey D. Baker worked at Sosman & Landis during the 1890s. He was credited as the electrical engineer for the firm’s two electric scenic theaters at the newly-constructed Masonic Temple in Chicago.
On February 10, 1894, an article in “Scientific American,” entitled “A City Under One Roof – The Masonic Temple,” described the new building at the corner of Randolph and State streets. The article reported, “Of all the buildings of our Western sister Chicago, none is more remarkable than the Masonic Temple, a structure which, in its functions, dimensions and construction, is one of the unique buildings of the world. In spite of its name, it is proudly claimed to be the “highest commercial building in the world.” In it we find exemplified the union of Freemasonry and commerce, a four and one-half-million-dollar building supplying beautiful halls and parlors for Masonic rites, as well as an unequaled collection of business offices.”
Atop of the massive structure was the Masonic Temple Roof Garden. In 1894, Sosman and Landis Scene Painting Studio designed, installed and managed two electric scenic theaters, situated at the roof garden level. The firm was diversifying, investing profits from Columbian Exhibition projects. New business endeavors included the establishment of the American Reflector & Lighting Co. and the theatrical management firm of Sosman, Landis & Hunt. The Masonic Temple roof garden was a culmination of the two; their first management theatre project before branching out and leasing other theaters throughout the region.
Sosman & Landis’s 1894 catalogue includes advertisements for both the Masonic Temple Roof Garden and the American Reflector & Lighting Co.
Back cover of Sosman & Landis catalogue, 1894.American Reflector & Lighting Equipment Co. advertisement in 1894 Sosman & Landis catalogue.
Embracing electrical potential, Sosman & Landis began to expand the scope of their projects to electrical services and equipment. Already in 1889 company catalogues had offered a wide range of lighting equipment for performance venues, including the Eclipse.
Lighting equipment offered in 1889 Sosman & Landis catalogue.Lighting equipment offered in 1889 Sosman & Landis catalogue.
By the 1890s, Sosman & Landis employed a full team of electricians, and leading their team electrical engineer, Chauncey D. Baker. Baker was considered a genius in his field, with four patents already filed.
Baker’s Masonic Temple project, however, was a game-changer for the firm. It highlighted the potential of electrical lights for the stage and scenic possibilities, using a very public, popular and accessible platform. The two electric scenic theaters were designed to accommodate seventy-five patrons each. They both featured a scenic metamorphosis that was aided by electrical lighting equipment. Although the firm only managed the venue for a year, it was a massive undertaking at the time.
When the Columbian Exposition closed, work slowed down at many scenic studios. It was at this time that Sosman & Landis planned an entertainment venue for the Masonic Temple Roof Garden. Sosman was a well-known Scottish Rite Mason and heavily involved with the production of new scenery for fraternal stages in the building. Joseph S. Sosman was a Scottish Rite Mason, and had been involved with the Fraternity in Chicago for years. Sosman & Landis were well known for specializing in of painted settings for fraternal productions and other activities. They even took out advertisements in a variety of Masonic periodicals. Including “The American Mason,” noted as a “Weekly Journal for the Craft.” The publication boasted a 10,000 circulation among Masons. Sosman & Landis placed an advertisement in the Dec. 3, 1892, issue that featured the new Masonic Temple in Chicago. They advertisement stated, “We make a specialty of Scenery for Illustrating the Different Degrees in Masonry. Nothing adds so much to the impressiveness of degrees as appropriate scenery. Much superior in every way to magic lantern or stereopticons.”
Sosman & Landis advertisement in “The American Mason,” 1892.Chicago’s new Masonic Temple was featured in “The American Mason,” Dec. 3, 1892.
Sosman & Landis decided to replicate two experiences from the Columbian Exposition: “A Day in the Alps” and “Court of Honor.” Articles about the new Masonic Temple noted that “A Day in the Alps” went beyond a mere imitation and included “extended improvements,” with more attention paid to detail.
The Masonic Temple in Chicago featured a rooftop garden and two electric scenic theaters.
The electric theaters at the Masonic Temple were located 302 feet up from street level, providing an added incentive the visit the new performance venue. Even the journey to the top floor was an adventure worth taking. On Feb. 10, 1894, an article in “Western Electrician” described the ascent to the rooftop performance venue: “Upon entering the building a visitor’s attention is attracted by a large sign composed of incandescent lamps in the form of a hand pointing upward and the words ‘Electric Scenic Theaters.’ From the tip of the forefinger of the hand a row of lights extends upward the entire height of the building to the garden. This is called a “chaser,” and the lamp globes are of different colors. By means of a switch light passes along the line, changing in hue as it ascends, until it reaches the glass roof of the building.” This switch, as well as with all of the electrical devices for the electric scenic theater was credited to C. D. Baker, the electrical engineer for Sosman & Landis.
I am going to include details of Baker’s work for the Masonic Roof Garden stages, as it gives some context for his position at Sosman & Landis during the 1890s.
The first electric scenic theatre replicated “A Day in the Alps” from the Columbian Exposition’s Midway Plaisance. 1893 World Fair guidebooks described the production in detail: “The stage picture is a beautiful Swiss Alpine scenery, depicting in a realistic way every change of nature shown from dawn to night, as each gradually appears, and representing some of the most wonderfully realistic light effects ever produced by electric lamps. It is almost beyond belief that the visitor is not looking at a marvelous production of nature itself, instead of a picture created by an ingenious and artistic display of electric lights.”
The Electric Scenic Theatre at the Columbian Exposition, 1893.Photographs of the Electric Scenic Theaters and Masonic Temple Roof Garden, posted to Chicagology.Images posted to Chicagology. Here is the link: https://chicagology.com/goldenage/goldenage026/
Similarly, the Masonic rooftop production also presented a transformative alpine scene. The mountain stream running through the miniature painted setting was actually a motion picture screen, adding increased realism to the running water and activities of the townspeople. Upon the river’s banks were miniature houses, a chapel and mill. A castle was nestled high above in the snow-capped mountains, overlooking the village scene. Down below, villagers crossed a bridge – their projection on the central river screen. The show started with the midnight toll of the bell, and the gloaming of dawn gradually transitioning to a brilliant sunlit scene. Midway through the production, a thunderstorm approached the mountain valley, passing by with loud thunder and vivid flashes of lightning. The calms and the sun sets, with the moon rising high above in the night sky. There is a moment of tranquility as the clock strikes midnight. Lighting effects for the production necessiated focusing lamps, rheostat boxes, switches, reflectors and other devices placed behind the scene.
The second electric scenic theater depicted the “Court of Honor,” presenting a view from the Columbian Exposition’s agricultural building. Like “A Day in the Alps,” the scene transitioned from morning to night, changing the appearance of the neoclassical buildings that surrounded the central lagoon. In front of the administration and electricity buildings, gondolas and electric launches shifted position, underscored with band music in the background. As evening approached, electrical lights outlined the White City, beautifully reflected in the tranquil lagoon. The February 24, 1894, issue of “Western Electrician” described, “Searchlight effects flash from one building to another, and the administration building, with its handsome decorative lighting scheme, shines resplendent under these streams of light.” The article also noted that some of the illumination was achieved using a Packard mogul lamp (300-candle power).
MacKaye’s original patent for his curtain of lights claimed, “In combination with the proscenium opening, a series of lamps bordering the same and provided with backings adapted to throw the space back of the lamps and the opening into complete shade, while flooding the opposite portion of the space with light so as to form in effect a vivid curtain or screen of light that will intercept all sight of persons or things occupying the shaded portion of the space, substantially as described.” On May 26, 1893, “The Wichita Eagle” described how the luxauleator used rows of lamps that were placed in conical shaped reflectors. The newspaper article reported, “The modus operandi was very simple, the mere turning of a switch being all that is necessary; the same movement of the switch that throws the current of electricity into the lamps of the luxauleator, also turns out all the lights upon the stage and the effect produced the same as if one were sitting in a brilliantly lighted room and endeavored to look out into darkness” (page 6). MacKaye’s lighting effects were detailed in an article for the February 24, 1894, issue of “Western Electrician” (Vol. XIV, No. 8). Here is a link to the article in Google Books, as it has some really wonderful images and information: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Western_Electrician/N3Q2AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22luxauleator%22&pg=PA86&printsec=frontcover
This lighting effect was incorporated by Sosman & Landis into the two electric scenic theaters. The firm heavily relied upon the skills of Baker at this time for many of their electrical offerings and projects. Unfortunately, beyond four patents and a couple directory listings, little is known about this electrical engineer. Here is what I have located to date about Baker:
Chauncey D. Baker was born in Vermont on March 26, 1848 in Vermont. One would think that the name “Chauncey” would help refine and limit the search; it did not. There were an unbelievable number of Chauncey Baker’s running around America during the late nineteenth century. The earliest listing that I have for Baker in Chicago is from 1887, but he was already living there in 1886. In 1887 the “Chicago Directory” listed Chauncey D. Baker as an electrician working at 114 Wabash and living at 41 236 State. In 1887, 114 Wabash av. was listed for rent by L. E. Crandall & Co. On Sept. 18, 1887, the “Chicago Tribune” listed, “TO RENT – VERY LOW, FOR MANUFACTURING or storage, part or whole of lot 100×50; elevator, large windows; centrally located” (page 22). I believe that Baker rented a portion of this space in 1886, when he was working on his Electrical resistance coil patent (No. 368,804. Aug. 23, 1887), governor for incandescent lights on arc circuits patent (No. 371,915. Oct. 25, 1887), and the commutator or electric circuit-breaker patent (No. 375,328. Dec. 27, 1887).
Chauncey D. Baker later partnered with Lewis G. Bronson of Chicago in 1888. They applied for an Electrical Apparatus patent on April 30, 1888 (No. 417,217. Dec. 17, 1889). Here is a brief excerpt from the patent’s description: “Our improvement is primarily designed to be used with relay-instruments – such as used with burglar-alarms and other electrical devices – for the purpose of bringing into operation an independent set of electrical devices when there is material derangement of, or change in the current of, the main circuit. Such derangement or change may occur either as a consequence of the opening of the circuit, or by short-circuiting the main circuit of grounding part of it.”
In 1890, Baker was still listed in the “Chicago Directory” as an electrician, living at 1320 Indiana. By the next year, his title transitioned to “electrical engineer,” living at 1089 W. Monroe in 1891. I have uncovered very little about Chauncey’s life in Chicago during the 1890s beyond his work at Sosman & Landis. However, in 1898 he was still listed as an electrical engineer in the city, now living at 225 S. Morgan.
Multiple family genealogies cite that he was married to Charlotte Wilson (b. 1823-?). This would make her 25 yrs. his senior, so I am a little skeptical. Not that it was unheard of, just unusual. Baker was definitively married, but I have yet to locate any marriage certificate to date. At the time of death, he was still listed as a married man. I am basing this off of his death record, as I have been unable to locate an obituary that was published in a newspaper.
Baker died 20 Nov. 1917 in Chicago at the age of 69. He was buried at Mt. Hope. His death certificate reported that he was still working as an electrician at the time of his passing.
For additional context, I want to provide a bit of history about the American Reflector and Lighting Co., as well as the company’s link to both Joseph S. Sosman and Perry Landis. The company was featured in their 1894 catalogue, stating “The American Reflector & Lighting Co. manufacture a full line of improved Lighting fixtures for electricity, gas or oil, specially adapted for the lighting of Theaters, Halls, Assembly Rooms and Churches.”
On March 24,1893, the “Inter Ocean” listed the American Reflector and Lighting Company of Chicago as a newly formed business under the heading “Licensed To Do Business.” The company’s incorporators were listed as Perry Landis, William A. Toles and Robert Latham, Perry’s brother, Charles Landis, as the treasurer. The companies official incorporation date was April 5, 1893. The firm’s salesroom was located at 271-273 Franklin Street in Chicago. They stocked approximately 150 styles of reflectors for use with electricity, gas and oil. The company advertised that both their indoor and outdoor reflectors “promised that the power of light was fully utilized, as its rays are saved from waste, strengthened and thrown in the desired direction.” Their lighting fixtures used crystal glass lined with pure metallic silver to provide “the best practical reflecting surface.”
The officers of the company, however, were Joseph S. Sosman and the three Landis Brothers – Perry, Joseph and Charles. They simply rotated the positions of president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. In regard to the original incorporators, one man stands out, William A. Toles. Toles had a history with the reflector business in Chicago, having helped establish and manage the Wheeler Reflector Company of Chicago, along with Willard L. Gillam and George E. Plumb. The Wheeler Reflector Company sold the reflector designs of civil engineer and inventor, William Wheeler (1851-1932). By the way, Wheeler was widely known for his innovative patents that included not only lighting, but also water and sewage systems. In 1880, Wheeler filed a patent for a novel form of lighting and commercialized his invention through the Wheeler Reflector Company of Boston, Massachusetts. The company was extremely profitable and remained an important manufacturer of street lighting until the mid-twentieth century. Interestingly, an ex-employee in Chicago later accused Toles of bribing city officials to select their company when contracting work for streetlights during 1886 (“Inter Ocean,” 4 April 1887, page 1). This accusation contributed to the end of one business and the start of another; Toles established the Western Wheeler Reflector Company.
The Western Wheeler Reflector Company was located at No. 88 Lake Street in Chicago. On April 13, 1888, the “Inter Ocean” listed the company’s incorporators as William A Toles, Willard L. Giliman, and George E. Plume. Same individuals, just slightly different spelling of names in the newspaper announcement. The American Reflector and Lighting Company was Toles third reflector company, and at the time of its establishment, he was still actively involved with the Western Wheeler Reflector.
Baker and other electrical engineers were critical to the success of not only Sosman & Landis, but also the American Reflector & Lighting Co. It was the combination of their innovations and expertise that put them ahead of competitors. Featuring their electric lighting equipment and the work electrical engineer Baker at the Masonic Temple in 1894 was a fantastic marketing opportunity. Despite the short duration or financial outcome, this project pushed Sosman & Landis to the forefront of electrical effects for the stage by the mid-1890s. They would continue to offer a variety of stage equipment until the 1920s, when both Sosman & Landis and the American Reflector & Lighting Co. changed hands; each firm entering the second iteration of the company.
