In January of 1918, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “About the middle
of the month I had a frightful attack of lumbago which confined me to bed for
several days. As business was very bad,
I didn’t worry about having to remain at home so long.”
At the age of 62, Moses was suffering from extreme back pain. There was little that could be done at the time, other than trying some advertised remedy and wait it out. Lumbago can be caused from several factors, especially the overuse of the lower back and the sudden lifting of a heavy load. It can also be the result of excessive bending or other repetitive motions involving the lower back. Scenic artists were, and in many cases are, subject to constant harmful activities, needing to move heavy materials and completing repetitive movements.
There were many advertisements for Lumbago treatments in 1918, repeatedly published in Illinois newspapers. Testimonials were included, elaborating on the quick success of one topical ointment over another. One that really caught my attention was Turpo, a combination of turpentine, Menthol and camphor; a treatment suggested by painters.
One of the products sold in 1918 to alleviate pain associated with lumbago.A Turpo advertisement in the “Chicago Tribune,” 3 March 1918, page 78.From “The Paxton Record,” Paxton, Illinois, 12 Dec 1918, page 5.From “The Clifton Daily Public,” Clifton, Illinois, 19 March 1918, page 4.From “The Chicago Tribune,” 13 Jan 1918, page 62.
We all look for a quick fix, something that gets us back on
our feet and back at work. Going back too
soon and not waiting for an injury to heal, however, will leave a mark. A hasty
return may take its toll down the road; it has with me.
1918 marks the beginning of continued
health problems for Moses. Later that fall, he wrote, “October 10th,
I was knocked down by a boy on a bicycle in Oak Park. It was dark and I did not see the wheel. It was thought by the doctor that I had
fractured my skull. It was a couple of
months before I recovered. Only a few
days after this I was forced to go to Cleveland to look after a big Masonic
order and I hope we will be able to get the contract.”
He did not have the opportunity
to properly heal.
There are those accidents later
in life that some never really recover from, life changing instances. Broken hips, sprained wrists, or fractured
skulls are just a few injuries that morph into later problems and daily aches. As one ages, it is harder to recover, it
takes longer to recover from simple injuries and routine procedures. What we
garner in experience we lose in other ways. It sucks, and I’m only 50 yrs. old.
Many artists are at the peak of
their career by 60, only to realize that their eyesight is failing, or
arthritis is affecting their hands and wrists.
This is no different from any other profession, and the statement “cruel
twist of fate” often comes to mind. For Moses, he had reached so many milestones
and was starting to fail. Keep in mind that the average life expectancy for men
at this time was 47 years old, so Moses, being 62 was remarkable, especially when
considering the “hard labor” aspect of his profession. I think of many scenic
artists who passed away at the end of the 19th century, well before they
reached their 35th birthday; the loss of talent in the theatre
industry is staggering. But as many at the time, he planned to work until the
day he died.
From “The Dispatch, Moline,” Illinois, 28 May 1918, page 11.
Sosman & Landis were still waiting for the final
payments related to government cantonment theater work in January 1918. In
1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We closed a contract with H. Robert Law of New
York City for a lot of scenery for the Government Cantonment Theatres. First contract was $12,600.00, second
$3,600.00, and third $980.00 for installing one job. All to be completed November 7th –
some hustling. I went down to the studio
on five Sundays – something I haven’t done in fifteen years, and every night
until 8:30. Some of the boys slept in
the studio. Everyone hustled. We completed the work on the day set and
inside of a week it was all out of the studio.” This was a project to help the
war effort; a big one that brought in $17,180 in a short period of time. That
is the monetary equivalent of $364,438.00 today; no small project.
1918 American penny.
On January
3, Moses left Akron, Ohio, and headed to New York City, where he planned to “settle
up with the Government work with Law.”
Of the trip between Akron and New York, Moses wrote, “All day a cold
car. The first time I ever had to keep
my overcoat on in a sleeping car. Very
cold all night – no lights in the car, everything was frozen. Nine hours late. After leaving Philadelphia, we passed a bad
wreck. A passenger train had run into
another one standing on the side track.
The engine had plowed through the rear coach, which happened to be a
“dead head.” No one in it. The coach
settled down on the engine, covering it completely. Strange to say, no one was badly hurt. Transacted my business in one day.”
Unfortunately, the trip was not a success.
Sosman & Landis would have to send another representative to New
York later that year to collect the final payment. Of this second trip, Moses
wrote, “Lester Landis went to New York and finally got a settlement with Law
for our government work. It has cost us
a good bit to get it settled.”
This becomes a reoccurring theme in the final years of
Sosman & Landis, one that directly contributes to the eventual closure of
the firm.
At the end of 1917, Moses wrote,
“The greatest handicap to a profit sharing business is procrastination among
the managers. The eleventh hour idea of
getting scenery, we can either take it, or work night and day to get it out on
a close margin, or let it alone and allow someone else to creep in and steal
our business.” This represented one hardship the firm was repeatedly encountering.
Add on collecting funds on projects with a “close margin,” such as the Law
project. It took two trips to New York,
sending a Sosman & Landis representative to meet with Law in person to
collect the owed funds. Two trips, with train fare, lodging expense and meals,
plus the loss of time on other projects to collect money for completed work. I then look at the career of H. Robert Law,
who was in and out of courts for much of his career, also trying to collect
payment for his work (see past post #962). What a mess.
The theatre industry, like any
other business, is based on trust; the understanding that you will be paid for
your work as identified in contractual agreements. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.
Many of us have weighed the options when trying to collect money from clients for
completed work. For Sosman & Landis in 1918, additional project-related
expenses included two trips to New York and the loss of time. Much remains unknown about the work
contracted with H. Robert Law Studios in 1917.
It is possible that Sosman & Landis were simply subcontractors to
Law, and he was also waiting for payment from the US government.
The point of this tale in the big picture for the studio is money owed for completed work. The delayed payment in 1918 did not cause Sosman & Landis to crumble in the same way that might have been the case with a smaller firm. However, it did leave a mark, and those marks turned into a major scar. A series of projects with delays and non-payments eventually took a toll on the studio. Keep in mind that Sosman & Landis financed the stage portions of many Scottish Rite theater projects for almost two decades – 1/3 upon delivery, 1/3 a year later and the final 1/3 a year after that. That work made up approximately 25% of all projects for twenty years. I the end, Sosman & Landis had consistent difficulties in collecting the final payment from many Scottish Rite Valleys; this was well after the client had received the contracted goods in their entirety. The continued absence of money owed added up in the end. It became the perfect storm to cause a studio’s downfall. This occurred at the same time that demand for painted scenery began to diminish. And in the midst of these difficulties, studio founder Joseph S. Sosman passed away and a series of internal struggles began. Times were certainly changing for the major theatrical supplier.
In 1918, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The new St. Edmond’s Parochial School within two blocks of our home needed scenery, so I got a little line from one of the Parishioners. Met Father Code and he was willing to spend $600.00, but wanted a figure curtain. I had a fine wood cut of “The Landing of Columbus” which he selected, and we were very successful in getting a very good curtain. He was well pleased with it.” Moses was referring to Rev. Msgr. John J. Code of St. Edmund, the first Catholic Parish in Oak Park, Illinois. St. Edmund’s Catholic School opened in the fall of 1917 and operated until 2016.
St. Edmund’s Parochial School St. Edmund’s Parochial School
Code was appointed by Archbishop
James Quigley to organize the Oak Park church, serving from June 1907 until
October 1956. Father Code made plans to construct a school on the corner of Oak
Park Avenue and Pleasant Street in Oak Park and selected architect Henry J.
Schlaks. Schlaks designed the new school after the Palace of Justice in Rouen,
France.
The cornerstone for St. Edmund’s
school was laid on May 20, 1917, with dedication ceremonies on October 14 of
that year. The original structure had five classrooms, one of which housed the
nuns; the Dominican Sisters from Adrian, Michigan were the instructors. A
convent was later purchased for the nuns on the southwest corner of Euclid and
Pleasant Street. Over time the school expanded to 17 classrooms. An annex to
the school was completed in 1948, with four new classrooms, a music hall and
library. In 1959 and a modern two-story addition was added on the south. Unfortunately
enrollment declined for a variety of reasons by the twenty-first century.
On Jan. 13, 2016, the “Chicago Tribune”
reported, “The Chicago Archdiocese has announced that one more school will
close at the end of the academic year, just one year short of celebrating its
centennial. St. Edmund Catholic School in west suburban Oak Park could not
overcome years of declining enrollment and financial difficulties, the
archdiocese said. There are three other Catholic schools in Oak Park:
Ascension, Sr. Giles and St. Catherine Siena-St. Lucy.”
In 1918, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “2nd of
January, I had to go to Akron to see about the Masonic work, where I spent one
day… Made more models for Akron. It
seems we make fifty percent more sketches and models than we did twenty years
ago.”
The Akron Masonic Temple housed the Asylum Theatre with Sosman & Landis scenery.
Moses was referring to the Akron
Masonic Temple that opened during the fall of 1918. Located at 103 S. High St.,
the new 66,000 sq. ft. building was designed by Harpster & Bliss; built at
a cost $500,000. The seven-story building had an exterior of sandstone and
terra cotta and a grand interior. There were double marble staircases leading
to a third-floor balcony, lodge rooms on the fourth floor, and an auditorium on
the sixth and seventh floors, and a grand ballroom. The building was reported
to be “one of the finest temples in the state” (News Journal, Mansfield, Ohio, 10
Sept. 1918, page 5). Initially, dedication ceremonies were scheduled for Nov.
16, with the Grand Lodge of Ohio Masons dedicating the Blue Lodge room under
the direction of Grand Master Henry M. Hagelbarger and the Grand Commandery of
Ohio dedicating the Asylum Theatre the direction of Grand Commander William B.
Baldwin. The “News Journal” reported, “The ceremonies will not be elaborate as
planned when the temple was started because of war conditions. The preparations
are along conservative lines” (Mansfield, Ohio, 10 Sept. 1918, page 5). The
ceremonies became a little more elaborate and were delayed.
The dedication of the new
Masonic Temple in Akron, Ohio, actually occurred on Nov. 21, 1918. It coincided
with the seventy-sixth annual state conclave for the Grand Commandery, Knights
Templar of Ohio (Akron Beacon Journal, 20 Nov. 1918, page 1). Hundred of Masons
from all over the state attended the ceremony. A parade headed by the new Akron
Masonic band preceded the dedication ceremonies, with the Mayor making the
opening address and tendering the keys of the city to the Grand Commandery. Then
Oliver D. Everhard made the address of welcome on behalf of the Akron Commandery,
No. 25, of the Knights Templars. The dedication of the Blue Lodge and Asylum Auditorium
continued as originally planned.
The Asylum Theater, located on
the sixth and seventh floors, had a seating capacity of 450. I have yet to
uncover any information about the stage house or original scenery delivered by
Sosman & Landis in 1918.
The building went up for sale in 1999, with a price tag of
1.3 million. “The Akron Beacon Journal”
reported “The Akron Masonic Temple is used by five different lodges, and their
membership, about 2,500 at last count – is a post-World War II low…Once flush
with members and money, these groups built magnificent halls that in recent
years have become too costly to maintain. Some of these buildings get torn
down; others are saved” (1 July 1999, page 37).
The Akron Masons sold their building for less than asking
price to developer Jeffrey O’Neil. O’Neil was from California and the son of
former General Tire chairman Jerry O’Neil. He planned to use it as a special
event/entertainment center and office building. The Masons were to still occupy
the fourth floors, with the rest of the building being used for social and
artistic events. This seems to be the key in purchasing a Masonic Temple; you
can pay less than the asking price, if you continue to rent a portion of the
building to the organization; a win-win for the buyer. O’Neil’s involvement
with the endeavor did not last long. After starting an extensive restoration of
the building, he ran into unanticipated expenses and had a cash flow problem.
Fortunately for O’Neil, the city bailed him out less than two years after his
purchase in 2001 (Akron Beacon Journal. 8 Feb., 2001, page 40). In the end, the
city paid 2.6 million dollars to buy the building from O’Neil and leased it
back to him for 15 years, after which time the property was to revert to
O’Neil. The city’s purchase of the Masonic Temple amounted to a 30-year loan at
the federal discount rate – then at 5 percent – with a balloon payment after 15
years; that’s when the building would revert back to O’Neil. The city’s
ownership was intended to be temporary, with O’Neil leasing the building back
with the intent to buy it. However, by 2009, O’Neil severed his ties to the
property, citing the weak economy. There is much more to the story, but it echoes
strains of what has happened all over the country as the Fraternity slowly
collapses.
When the Akron Masonic Temple was first sold to a developer in 1999. From the “Akron Beacon Journal,” 1 July 1999, page 33.When the developer who purchased the Akron Masonic Temple in 1999 was bailed out by the City of Akron in 2001. From the “Akron Beacon Journal,” 8 Feb 2001, page 36.
At the close of 1917, Thomas G.
Moses wrote, “We have had a good year as far as quantity is concerned, but I
hope we have made some money. The
payroll has kept up on account of the night work. The greatest handicap to a profit sharing
business is procrastination among the managers.
The eleventh hour idea of getting scenery, we can either take it, or
work night and day to get it out on a close margin, or let it alone and allow
someone else to creep in and steal our business. No vacation this year and very
little picture painting. Quit the camp
very early.” In 1918, Moses wrote, “Our business is not good – far from
it. Raw material has advanced so rapidly
that we are unable to keep up with it, and I am very much worried about the
outcome.” By summer Moses wrote, “I have not been out to Fox Lake this year,
the first I have missed in twelve years.
The business is in such an upset condition that I felt I should stick to
it.” But Moses couldn’t weather this
particular storm, and by the end of summer in 1918 wrote, “September 1st,
I resigned as President of the Sosman and Landis Company which severs my
connection with the firm after thirty-eight years of service. I joined the New York Studios and expect to
get a studio and an office to do business…The Sosman and Landis Company have
only done $85,000.00 worth of work for the past year. We should have done about $116,000.00 worth
to make money.” It was not until 1923 that Moses and Fred R. Megan would
purchase “the name and good will of Sosman and Landis Company.”
Like many American studios,
Sosman & Landis weathered many economic downturns since their establishment
in 1877. Although WWI provided a brief period of economic growth, an economic
recession continued after WWI. As military veterans returned to civilian life,
there was a surge in the labor pool and problems ensued as veterans were
absorbed back into peace-time production. This also affected the theatre
industry. During the war years, there was a certain percentage of work directly
related to wartime propaganda and patriotic-themes shows. However, between January
1920 and July 1921, America dipped into a depression. Ironically, this is the
same time that Prohibition began. There are a few economic factors to consider
as I examine the life and times of Moses before his purchase of the Sosman
& Landis name in 1923. I believe that Moses’ 1918 departure signals the end
of the firm. With both founders gone. Moses was the institutional memory and
intimately connected with most of the projects since 1880.
In April 1917, Congress declared war on German. By October
1917 Congress passed the War Revenue Act. This bill lowered the number of tax exemptions
while increasing tax rates. For example, an individual with a $40,000 annual
income was subject to a 16 percent tax rate, while an individual with an income
of $1.5 million was subject to a 67 percent. Tax revenue increased from $809
million in 1917 to a whopping $3.6 billion in 1918, a much-needed increase for adapt
for war-related expenses.
Keep in mind that between 1916 and 1918 the U. S. expenses
for troop training, weapons and munitions increased fifteen fold. This means that by the time World War I ended,
income tax generated from the War Revenue Act had paid for only one-third of all
war expenses. Spending outpaced funding for the war, and the government
implemented the sale of war bonds to help cover the gap. By the spring of 1918
the federal government had sold approximately 10 billion dollars worth of war
bonds and treasury certificates. There is a fascinating article about the
Federal Reserve’s role in WWI too: https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/feds_role_during_wwi
As American went to war, there are a few factors to consider
about its citizens. In 2017, “The Saturday Evening Post” published an article
on “The Average American Today and on the Eve of World War I,” noting, “What it
means to be an ‘Average American’ today is in many ways so different from what
it meant a century ago, when the United States entered World War I.” Here are a
few numbers provided in the article:
In 1917, there were 103 million Americans.
In 1917, 86% of the American population was Caucasian.
In 1917, American women couldn’t vote, couldn’t obtain birth
control, and had a life expectancy on 49 years. The life expectancy of American
men was 47 years.
In 1917, 14% of American homes had bathtubs with running
water.
In 1917, 18% of American households had one live-in servant.
In 1917, only 10% of American men graduated from high school.
On May 11, 1917, “The Washington Standard” reported.
“Olympia theater is now provided with two drop curtains, one painted by Sosman
& Landis, Chicago, entitled “The Water Place,” and the historic painting of
Olympia by Mr. Lange, which was used at the Spokane Fair during the canvass for
state capital” (Olympia, Washington,
page 7). This is another one of the many jobs by Sosman & Landis not mentioned
in Thomas G. Moses’ memoirs. This is a single article with no follow-up
information, so I am left with very little to go on.
The article notes that a painting
created for a country fair was repurposed for a theatre, used as a drop
curtain. This is not unusual. In 1893, a 20×30 mural for the California
building at the world fair was repurposed as a drop curtain for the Native Sons
of the Golden West Hal in San Francisco.
I explored this subject a few years back (see post #294). The Reed &
Gross Panorama Company created large scale paintings for the California State
Building with compositions that included: the harbor of San Francisco and the
city, as viewed from Goat Island; Christmas in Pasadena; the Stanford Ranch in
northern California; Leland Stanford’s Vineyard; Leland Stanford Jr. University
in Palo Alto; New Years at Hotel del Monte in Monterey, Santa Barbara, and
Fresno.James D. Phelan, one of the of
the World’s Fair Commissioners in 1893 purchased the 20’ x 30’ painting from
the California State Building after the fair, intending to use it as the new
drop curtain at the Native Sons of the Golden West’s Hall. At the time, the organization was
constructing a new building in San Francisco. Phelan was the association’s
president and purchased one of the paintings. Unfortunately the painting was irreparably
damaged in transit.
On January 10,
1896, “The San Francisco Call” reported, “A Fine Painting Spoiled” (page 8).
The original painting by Thaddeus Welch depicting “Golden Gate as Viewed from
Goat Island” was sold for $3,000. The article noted, “On Tuesday it was found
that the painting had been ruined by the careless persons who packed and
shipped it two years ago. Instead of winding the canvas around a roller these
bunglers wrapped it around a 4 by 4 inch scantling and every four inches the canvas
is cracked so that it is doubtful if it can be used.”
There are a few factors to consider:
The first is that the 1893 world fair painting was likely an
oil painting, as it cracked. Even if it had arrived safely, it may have looked
horrible under stage lights due to the sheen, characteristic of oil paintings. Those
unfamiliar with scenic illusion, for example Phelan, may not have realized
this, or that the oil painting would propose a fire threat once on stage.
However, I am intrigued with the basic idea that any large painting could be
transformed into a drop curtain for the stage.
Sosman & Landis delivered scenery for a “Mikado” production
that toured the Redpath Chautauqua circuit in 1917. Annual Chautauqua, or tent,
events were held in cities across the country during the spring and summer,
featuring programs with all types of entertainment that ranged from Broadway
shows and orchestra concerts to magicians and lecturers. During its peak some
12,000 communities hosted a Chautauqua. The Redpath Chautauqua was massive
circuit with hundreds of shows and thousands of entertainers. Although there
were many Chautauqua agencies that contracted entertainers and lecturers, one
of the most notable was the Redpath agency. In 1917, one of the Redpath touring
shows was the “Mikado.” A company of thirty, selected in part from the Chicago
Grand Opera Company, performed in the Gilbert and Sullivan classic that year.
From the “Steuben Republican,” (Angola, Indiana) 4 July 1917, page 4.From the “Steuben Republican,” (Angola, Indiana) 4 July 1917, page 4.From the “Steuben Republican,” (Angola, Indiana) 4 July 1917, page 4.From the “Steuben Republican,” (Angola, Indiana) 4 July 1917, page 4.From the “Durham Daily News,” (Durham, North Carolina), 8 April 1917, page 17.
The “Critterden Record-Press” reported, “The Redpath
Chautauqua special train of six cars, carrying over a hundred of the big
Redpath family, left Chicago on Tuesday afternoon, April 10, for Jacksonville,
Fla. The arrival in Jacksonville was scheduled for Thursday, April 12th,
the opening day of the Redpath Chautauqua circuit for 1917” (Marion, Kentucky, 14 June 1917, page 9). The
season ran until the end of summer, closing the first part of September.
On June 12, 1917, the “Owensboro Messenger” reported,
“The Redpath chautauquas have been doubly fortunate in securing two eminent
artists for their production of ‘The Mikado’ here Chautauqua Week” (Owensboro,
Kentucky, page 7). The show featured the talents of Ed Andrews as Ko-Ko and Arthur
Aldridge as Nanki-Pooh. The “Steuben Republican” reported, “The orchestra is under
the dynamic direction of Miss May Valentine, a band and orchestra leader who is
rapidly gaining wide recognition” (Angola, Indiana, 4 July 1917, page 4). The article
also noted, “Mr. Arthur Aldridge is, like Mr. Andrews, one of the great
interpreters of his role, Nanki-Pooh. In the recent revival of the Gilbert and
Sullivan Opera he scored tremendous success with De Wolfe Hopper. He has
appeared recently in the mammoth New York Hippodrome productions and is now
recognized s New York’s leading light opera tenor. Indeed, some critics have
been so kind as to claim that he has few equals among the world famous grand
opera tenors” (Angola, Indiana, 4 July
1917, page 2).
May Valentine was the conductor of “The Mikado.” From the “Advocate Messenger” (Danville, KY, 25 May 1917, page 7.
Newspapers across the country noted that Andrews was the
best Ko-Ko of his generation, having performed the part more than 1200 times to
date. The “Knoxville Sentinel” reported, “He is a small dark man, swarthy of
skin with a beak like an eagle. He possesses a thunderous bass voice all out of
proportion in volume to his small body. He sings the part with zest and a
delightful enthusiasm” (May 24, 1917, page 5). Of the scenery, the articled
added, “Beautiful and unique effects have been secured in the scenery built
especially for the Redpath chautauquas by Sosman & Landis, of Chicago.
These scenic artists have just completed the effects for a spectacular Madison
Square Garden production.” “The Nashville Banner” reported, “At first it was
thought that it would be practically impossible to give ‘The Mikado’ an
adequate setting on the Chautauqua stage, but all difficulties were overcome
and most gratifying results have been obtained” (Nashville, TN, 2 July 1917,
page 28).
From the” Times-Herald,” (Port Huron, Michigan) July 31, 1917, page 2.Ed Andrews played the part of Ko-Ko.
The University of Iowa Libraries holds a massive Redpath
Chautauqua Collection, contained in 1,132 boxes. The cite gives a brief history
for the circuit:
“Circuit or ‘tent’ Chautauqua had its beginning in the
lyceum movement, which started in Massachusetts as early as 1826, and in the
Chautauqua assemblies held at Lake Chautauqua, New York, beginning in 1874. The
purpose of the lyceum movement was self-improvement through lectures and
discussions on literary, scientific, and moral topics. After the Civil War,
commercial lyceum bureaus were founded; among them was the Redpath Lyceum
Bureau of James C. Redpath in 1868. In 1901, Keith Vawter purchased a one-third
interest in the Redpath Lyceum Bureau and became the Redpath booking agent in Chicago,
later moving his headquarters and operations to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In the
summer of 1904, Vawter launched the first Chautauqua circuit with the
assistance of Charles Horner. The Redpath Lyceum Bureau had offices in
other American cities, including White Plains, New York; Columbus, Ohio;
Chicago; and Kansas City, Missouri. Vawter’s territory was roughly Iowa,
Minnesota, the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Missouri. Another Iowan and former Vawter
employee, Harry P. Harrison, ran the Chicago office. Under the name
“Redpath-Chicago,” Harrison launched a major Chautauqua circuit in
1912. His territory was Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee,
and the Gulf States. In 1912, Horner established in Kansas City the
“Redpath-Horner Chautauquas.” His territory was Missouri, Arkansas,
Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota. Circuit
or tent Chautauqua began to expand and became an even greater influence about
1913, but World War I interrupted the circuits somewhat. In the years after the
War (1920-1924), Chautauqua reached its peak of attendance. In 1920 there were
twenty-one companies operating ninety-three circuits in the United States and
Canada. The Great Depression brought an end to the circuits. The final circuit
folded its tents in 1932 and the splendor of tent Chautauqua was over.” Here is
a link to this remarkable collection, http://sdrc.lib.uiowa.edu/traveling-culture/inventory/msc150.html
The publicity brochures in this collection have been digitized and are available online at http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/tc/index.php Additionally, there are over seven hundred photographs and postcards in the Chautauqua Collection with subjects ranging from tents and parades to audiences and performers, cities, and other scenery. These have been digitized and are available online at http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/tc/index.php
In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“Stella and the girls arrived on December 22nd. Pitt came out on the
24th. We certainly had some family this Christmas – 17 at the table
and two in the kitchen, and we had a fine dinner. I had Eugene Hall come to the house and pose
us and he got one good negative. Had to
use a flash as the light was very poor.
I have wanted this for a good many years, and I am pleased to get it,
even if it is not as good as a gallery pictures.”
It was the end of 1917. The
United States was involved in a world war and the future remained uncertain. On
Dec. 22, 1917, the “Daily Chronicle” reflected on America’s first Christmas of
war (De Kalb, Illinois, page 4):
“1917 marks our first Christmas
of war. Suddenly the spirit of the Christ child has taken a new meaning, ‘He
that loseth his life for my sake shall find it’ is a precept now being put into
practice. Fathers and sons have put aside peace-time pursuits to give their
lives for world righteousness. And every wife and mother who has bidden them
goodbye with a smile on her lips and a light in her eye has given her own life
vicariously. She is ready to suffer separation, anxiety and sacrifice that
righteousness may prevail. As this first Christmas season approaches, her
hearts thrills with the thought of her own contributions to these momentous
times. Individual gift-giving sinks into insignificance. Something bigger has
come to life. She is losing her life that she may find it. It is a giving of
self. Christmas cheer fills her own heart in helping to bring it to cantonment
and camp. Already she has sent comfort kits and Christmas packages for those on
the front. Now she is devoting herself to those soldiers still here and to
their families. ‘How can I do most to help win this war?’ is the question she
continually asks herself. And always she turns back to her own kitchen to find
there her real work in the present struggles for the world’s redemption. To
keep a stout heart and a steady aim, our soldiers must be well fed. This she
knows. She also knows that the FIRST Christmas of war for her now marks the FOURTH
Christmas of war for the brave women of France. They have known the thrill of
that first Christmas when they gave of their still plentiful stores. Since then
there has been for them two Christmas seasons when they gave from their more
and more depleted stores. They are now facing their fourth Christmas of war,
still with a brave smile and courageous spirit, but with an ever tightening
food supply. Insistent has been their warning that the next few months will
mean actual deprivation and need if abundant help is not forthcoming from the
food supply of the United States. Every woman in America is preparing her
Christmas baskets, in marketing for her Christmas dinner, in arranging for
entertainment and festivity, should feel this enormous responsibility of
sharing her food supply with those fighters and friends in France. Less wheat
in bread and pastry; less butter on the table and on cooking; more turkey,
chicken and fish in place of meat; more fruits and sweet-meats in place of
candy and sugar desserts – all these requests of the Food Administration should
be borne in mind in preparing the Yuletide menus. It is woman’s most direct and
most important part in the world war. It is losing her life to find it and it
is hastening the day when there shall be real “Peace on Earth. Good will to
Men.”
We all know that there was a
small percentage of the population who did not follow the rules and did not
care about rationing supplies. We can see this now during the recent pandemic. This
same segment of society still places themselves first at the expense of others.
Citing individual rights, they jeopardize the rights of the others, just this
time it is the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
Pandemics, natural disasters,
military conflicts, economic downfalls and other crises bring out both the best
and the worst in people. Do you solely focus on yourself during a difficult
time, or do you become part of a community effort to take care of others? If
your are more concerned with your self, than you would have ignored food
rationing during WWI, just as you would ignore any kind of shelter-on-place or
social distancing actions now.
In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“Saw the “Daughter of the Sun” show, then went to Trenton for Thanksgiving
dinner. The Sunday before I left New York, I went down to the Salmagundi Club. Loafed part of the day. Took luncheon there, and got on top of a bus
and rode up to the Museum of Art and enjoyed the afternoon with the pictures. Brother Frank was with us at Pitt’s and we
again enjoyed the day.”
Moses belonged to many fine art societies and artistic groups during his
life, including Chicago’s Palette & Chisel Club and the Laguna Beach Art
Association. He joined the Salmagundi Club in 1904.
In 1903, Moses was living in Mount
Vernon, New York, and running a successful scenic studio – Moses &
Hamilton. He was also taking art lessons from R. M. Shurtleff, a well-known
artist and member of the Salmagundi Club. Shurtleff sponsored Moses for
membership in 1904. Unfortunately that
was the same year that Moses returned to Chicago, accepting the role as
vice-president at Sosman & Landis.
In 1917, the same year that Moses
took lunch at the Club, the group acquired their new headquarters from William
G. Park. They purchased t old Irad Hawley mansion at 47 Fifth Avenue, built in
1852-1853.
Many of
Moses friends and fellow scenic artists were members of the Salmagundi Club,
including Ernest Albert and Harry A. Vincent. In 1932, Moses recalled
his studies with Shurtleff writing, “My love for the deep forests led me to the
studio of R. M. Shurtleff in New York, whom I considered a wonderful painter of
the woods. I was very happy when he consented to take me on as a pupil. When he
suggested my joining the famous Salmagundi Club I was doubtful if I could make
it. As the picture I gave the club for my initiation fee was sold to one of the
club members, this alone placed me in a good position and had I remained in New
York instead of coming to Chicago I feel that I would have forged ahead in the
higher art, and would have succeeded.” On January 6, 1915, newspapers reported
that the artist Shurtleff fell dead of heart disease in front of 860 Ninth
Avenue while on an errand for his wife (“The Sun,” 7 Jan. 1915, page 13). He
was only 78 years old.
The Salmagundi Club still exists and has an online presence
(http://www.salmagundi.org/). Its
current website states, “Founded in 1871, the Salmagundi Club is one of the
oldest art organizations in the United States. Housed in an historic brownstone
mansion in Greenwich Village, New York City, the Club offers programs including
art classes, exhibitions, painting demonstrations, and art auctions throughout
the year for members and the general public. The Salmagundi facilities include
three galleries, a library, an elegant period parlor, and a restaurant and bar
with vintage pool tables. All facilities are available for special events and
private rentals. The Club owns a collection of over 1,500
works of art spanning its 140 year history and has a membership of nearly 850
artists and patrons. Its members have included important American artists such
as Thomas Moran, William Merritt Chase, Louis Comfort Tiffany, N.C. Wyeth and
Childe Hassam. Today the Club builds on this legacy by providing a center for
the resurgence of representational art in America. The
Salmagundi Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.”
The Club’s history page also includes an excerpt from Alexander
W. Katlan’s book, “The Salmagundi Club Painting Exhibition Records 1889 to
1939: A Guide to the American Exhibition of Oil Paintings and the Annual
Exhibition and Auction Sale of Pictures.” Here is the link: http://www.salmagundi.org/SalmagundiClubHistory.pdf
“Originally formed as the Salmagundi Sketch Club in 1871,
the Club adopted its present name a hundred years ago after Washington Irving
published his potpourri of wit and wisdom called “The Salmagundi
Papers”. The name also serves as the club dining room’s famous
“Salmagundi Stew”.
The Club fosters an atmosphere of conviviality that
encourages discussions on art and other topics and leads to lasting friendships
among both artists members and patrons. While members are mainly residents of
the Tri-State area, Salmagundian’s are to be found throughout the Unites States
and Canada, as well as such faraway places as London, Amsterdam and Lisbon. Through
the years the Club has been the singular gathering place for such great artists
as Childe Hassam, William Merrit Chase, Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, Louis Comfort
Tiffany, Ogden Pleisner and many others. Honorary members have included such
luminaries as Sir Winston Churchill, Buckminister Fuller, Paul Cadmus, Al
Hirschfeld, Thomas Hoving and Schuyler Chapin.”
In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“I went to New York, November 22nd.
Hustled up the ‘Hero Land Work.’ “Hero
Land” was advertised as a “16-day Military Pageant, Theatrical Entertainment,
Oriental Wonderland and Charity Mart; Devised, Created, Managed and Financed by
One Hundred Approved National War Relief Organizations for the Benefit of
American and Allied Relief” (New York Tribune, 24 Nov. 1917, page 9). Newspaper
advertisements announced, “Hero Land is the Greatest Spectacle the World has
ever seen, for the Greatest Need the World has Ever Known.” Its objective was
to bring images of the war home to encourage American support.
From the “New York Tribune,” 27 Nov 1917, page 9.Hero Land poster, 1917
“Hero Land” opened at the Grand
Central Palace on November 24, 1917. The event ran until Dec. 12 and was open
every day of the week from 11 AM to Midnight, except Sundays.
Hero Land program for French Day, from “The Standard Union,” 26 Nov. 1917, page 4.
Legions of workers began to transform Grand Central Palace for the exhibition on November 10 that year. Advertisements listed the “Marvels at Hero Land” describing the attractions in detail. There were reproductions of forts, battlefields, bomb shelters, and trench lines. Special features were the Hindenburg Line and Britannia, a Mark IV British tank.
The Britania pictured in the official souvenir program. Image from an online auction.The Britania pictured in the official souvenir program. Image from an online auction.
In addition to military-themed exhibits, there was an ice skating rink, submarine divers and the Street of Bagdad. Dining establishments included Café de Paris, Army canteen, Red Cross Tea Garden, the Allies Club, the Soda Water Fountain, and the Golden West Cabaret. The Old Cheshire Cheese, the “most famous chop shop in the world, which Samuel Johnson made his eating headquarters in London.” British chairs, tables, signs, recipes and cooks completed the picture. An area called Old Bowling Green, represented a past look when New York was known as New Amsterdam with Dutch Houses, fur traders and early settlers. There was also the Great Hall and Ballroom, a Louis XVI dancing pavilion and drill ground where balls, military parades and pageants were held throughout the event. There were also three moving picture theatres that featured Government war films taken at the front and shown for the first time to the general public. Films of battle scenes were accompanied by lectures. Additional live theatre entertainments starred “a galaxy of stage, opera and vaudeville stars, dancers and moving picture artists.” Holy Land was intended to be “the most memorable entertainment festival ever held in the country.”
From the ” New York Tribune,” 27 Nov 1917, page 9.From “The Sun” (New York), 5 Dec 1917, page 14.The Red Cross Tea Room at Hero Land, 1917.
Some of the special days at Hero
Land included American Day, British Day, French and Alsace-Lorraine Day,
Belgian Day, Jewish War Relief Day, Italian Day, Polish Day, Russian Day, Lithuanian
Day, Canadian Day, Armenian and Syrian day, Scotch-Irish day, Serbian Day, American
Red Cross day, United States Navy Day, United States Army Day, President Wilson
day and American Red Cross Day.” Ethel Barrymore even presided over the auction
at the Belgian Booth on Dec. 14, 1917
From the “New York Tribune,” 27 Nov 1917, page 9.
“The News Journal” reported
“Most entertainments are to be held in the great hall and all have been
arranged under the supervision of Mrs. Charles Dana Gibson, acting in
conjunction with Arthur Voegtlin, former producer of the Hippodrome, who has
been engaged to stage the spectacular features on the entertainment program”
(Wilmington Delaware, 17 Nov 1917, page 7). Sosman & Landis likely provided
scenery to accompany the live entertainment in the Great Hall. However, I have not located any specific mention
of the firm.
From the “New York Tribune,” 24 Nov 1917, page 9.Hero Land advertisement, 1917.
