In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Went to Fort Wayne to Fort
Wayne to see Frank Stouder on the scenery for the new Palace Theatre.” Frank E.
Stouder is an interesting character in his own right; having over two decades
of theatre management experience by the time he met Moses that year. In 1914,
Stouder was planning the Palace Theatre, by listed as the manager for the
Masonic Temple and Temple Theater (Fort Wayne News, 6 April 1914, page 1).
There was a Masonic Temple and Temple Theatre in Fort Wayne, built in 1881.The Scottish Rite Theatre was located just down the street from the Palace Theatre in Fort Wayne. I was built in 1909.The 1909 Scottish Rite Theatre in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The Temple Theatre was at the corner of Clinton and Wayne
streets, having been built in 1881. Stouder first became in involved with the
Masonic Temple and Theatre as their acting manger in 1886 (Fort Wayne Daily
Gazette, 28 April 1886, page 5). By 1889, he was also listed as the venue’s
treasurer (Fort Wayne Sentinel, 30 May 1889, page 4). Stouder managed the venue
for over a decade, booking successful acts to perform in Fort Wayne.
Stouder was also a well known performer and baritone,
singing in many musical concerts at the Temple Theatre and throughout Fort
Wayne. When booking acts in 1902, newspapers reported, “Stouder found time to
devote attention to his vocal music in New York and took a lesson every day of
Signor Carbone, a baritone of the Metropolitan Opera Co.” (The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, 11 July
1902, page 1). Stouder was a member of multiple social clubs and participated
in a variety of public performances where he was praised for his musical
contributions. His success as a manager, however, drove his career, and by
1906, he also managed a summer venue – the Robinson Park Theatre (Daily
News-Democrat, Huntington, Indiana, 22 March 1906, page 1).
It is not surprising that Stouder was the instigator for the
Palace Theatre. Partnering with Byron H. Barnett, they both become the owners
and managers of the venue, with each being known for their theatrical
experience. The Palace Theatre was built to feature B. F. Keith attractions, as
they toured the country. It was a sizable venue with a seating capacity of
2,000, (1,700 on the main floor and balcony and 300 in loges and boxes).
Ground for the Palace Theatre was broken on May 26, 1914,
with an anticipated Thanksgiving Day opening. Changes and unanticipated delays
pushed the opening a little later, but the wait was worth it. Newspapers
promised the Palace Theatre would be “not only the finest theatre in Indiana,
but the finest in the middle west and one that could not be destroyed by fire,
even if a torch were applied and no effort made to stop the progress on a blaze
that might ensue” (Fort Wayne Sentinel, 31 Oct. 1914, page 9). Supposedly,
there was no wood in the building, except the casings around the doors and the
wood stage floor, even the staircases were made out of metal.
An article of the Palace Theatre, advertised as a “Fire-proof building.” From the “Fort Wayne Sentinel,” 31 Oct 1914, page 9.Detail of the Palace Theatre under construction from the “Fort Wayne Sentinel,” 31 Oct 1914, page 9.
C. W. and George Rapp, two Chicago architects who
specialized in theatre buildings at the time, designed the theatre. There was
an emphasis on fire safety, and newspapers reported that the structure was
“absolutely fireproof,” being built of reinforced steel roof trusses weighing
eight tons each. There were thirty inches of exit space for each 100 people,
ensuring the evacuation of the auditorium in two minutes. The article
continued, “The stage roof is supported on I-beams and is of the same material
as the auditorium covering. One-third of the entire area of the stage roof is
left in the form of ventilators. Why? Suppose for instance that a careless
performer in direct violation of the laws of the state and the rules of the house
should throw a lighted match, cigar stub or cigarette into some combustible
material and set fire to the stage floor, the properties and the scenery. This
ventilation in the roof would cause the flames and smoke to shoot upward and
none of it would reach the auditorium. The management will have installed an
asbestos curtain of the very latest and best material and in the twinkling of
an eye.”
But wait, there’s
more beside the asbestos curtain!
There was also a “Run Down Water Curtain.” The “Fort Wayne
Sentinel” described, “Without moving more than a couple feet [the stage
manager] will be able to ring down a water curtain. What is a water curtain?
Why it is nothing more than a succession of tiny water streams of water flowing
from a big pipe above the opening. When the valve is opened the water starts
flowing and renders it impossible for the flames to break though.” (31 Oct
1914, page 9).
Finally, newspapers described the new scenery by Sosman
& Landis scenery. The “Fort Wayne Sentinel” noted, “Even the scenery is to
be fireproof. This does not mean that it will not burn, but it does mean that
it will not blaze. Why? Because when the canvas on which it is painted is first
put on the stretchers it is given a thin coating of fluid that is warranted not
to blaze and this means exceedingly slow combustion and little danger. This
fire-proofing is required in the specifications. No oils are used in the
painting as all scenery is done with watercolors and this removes another
element of danger.”
In 1914,
Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Minneapolis Vaudeville Theatre kept us busy for
some time. Our competitors in
Minneapolis were very much disturbed over our coming into their town.”
Moses was referring to Minneapolis’ New Palace Theater and
the Twin City Scenic Co. This is not to be confused with the Palace Theatre of
St. Paul that opened two years later.
Sosman & Landis advertisement about the New Palace Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Published in the “Star Tribune,” Oct 4, 1914, page 25.Detail of Sosman & Landis advertisement published in the “Star Tribune,” Oct 4, 1914, page 25.Minneapolis’ New Palace Theater in 1914. From the “Star Tribune,” Oct 30, 1914, page 41.
The New Palace Theater opened its doors to the public on Monday, October 5, 1914. It was advertised as “the most beautiful and best equipped playhouse in this city of good theaters” (Star Tribune, 9 Sept. 1914, page 14). There were many Minneapolis companies involved in the project, but Sosman & Landis installed the scenery and stage fittings. Likewise, the architects and decorative painting firm were also Chicago companies. Of the new building, local newspapers published, “The New Palace Theater was designed and executed by one of the greatest architects in Chicago, and its cost upon completion will be very nearly $600,000. With a seating capacity of 2,400 and with three performances daily, this structure can take care of 7,200 people every twenty-four hours” (Star Tribune, 30 Aug 1914, page 41).
From the “Star Tribune,” 1 Oct, 1914, page 5.
The “Star Tribune” reported, “Residents of Minneapolis will recall the farmstead of Elder Stewart, which for half a century, from its oasis-like vantage point, defied the encroachments of public improvements as the city grew from a mere village to its present greatness. Those who have left Minneapolis and come back may well rub their eyes. No longer the hillock of oak trees; no longer the straggling white farmhouse with its green blinds and shabby paint. Lo! The transition is complete – the environment almost magically changed – as though Aladdin returned with his wonderful lamp” (30 August 1914, page 41).
The “Star Tribune” noted, “Messrs. Reuben and Finklestein
with the assistance of various advisors, have been working continually for a
year to contrive new conveniences and better attractions for the greater
delectation of patrons. ‘We are satisfied,’ declared both Mr. Ruben and Mr.
Finklestein when they viewed the other day the completion of the ideal they had
set a year before. No less than a realization of every detail in the standard
set could have brought this declaration from them (Star Tribune, 1 Oct. 1914,
page 5). Ticket prices placed 1,500 seats at ten cents and the remainder at 20
cents
The theater was described as “a building of Venetian red
brick, massive, palatial – a building of stately lines, of carving and
casements, fashioned for the entertainment of men and women.”
The second floor of the building included a room with beds
for “little tots,” where mothers could place their tired children in the care
of trained nurses. Adjoining the napping
room was a playroom for babies and children, furnished with swings, rocking
horses and sand piles (the sand surprised me). In December the New Palace
Theater selected a special program for both regular patrons and the “kiddies.”
Mlle. Teschow’s trained cats were especially engaged as entertainment for the
little ones. The “Star Tribune” reported, “The act is said to be as interesting
as it is novel, and many of the stunts these tabby cats performed will no doubt
be tried by many of the tots on the ‘home taby.’ (14 Dec 1914, page 43).
From the “Star Tribune,” Sept 9, 1914, page 14.
For the gentlemen folk, there was a “den” for men, a smoking
room with fireplace where men could comfortably lounge in leather chairs and
settees. Far cry from children playing with sand and being entertained with
Mlle. Teschow and her trained cats. I
could not locate any information about a ladies lounge or gathering area. The
fire safety methods, however, were described in detail. The fire exit
arrangement assured that no audience member would be more than twenty-five feet
from an exit while watching a show.
From the “Star Tribune,” Oct 13, 1914, page 9.
To conclude, there was an interesting article that appeared
in the “Star Tribune” on August 26, 1914 noting the future programming:
“Ruben and Finklestein returned Monday morning from a trip
East, where they went to perfect the bookings for the New Place theater…It is
necessary almost to say that they were very successful in their undertaking,
for the country-wide reputation that this New Palace theater has already
acquired has made it a comparatively easy matter to contract for the very best
shows that the world produces. Minneapolis people will be delighted to hear
that among the special headliners will be the favorite Grace Cameron. This
announcement, however, is only made to give insight into the high-grade class
of talent that this house has procured. The fame of the name, ‘the New Palace
theater,’ had gone ahead of them, and although Mr. Ruben feels very much elated
over the success that is bound to come to this theater, he felt that his
Eastern colleagues did not quite have the right idea of what a magnificent
playhouse this really was. To cinch all doubt in the question, special trains
have been chartered to bring up the big moguls of the theatrical fraternity to
Minneapolis on the opening night, for, as Mr. Ruben says, ‘You can tell a
fellow almost anything, but to make him believe it you have got to show him”
(page 4).
For the past few weeks, I have been posting some of the scenic art designs by John Z. Wood; designs that he completed for the Twin City Scenic Co of Minneapolis, MN. Here is the fascinating tale of this primarily unknown artist. His artistic gifts were extraordinary and his life has been all but forgotten.
Designs by John Z. Wood in the Twin City Scenic Co. Collection, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota. These designs are available online at https:// umedia.lib.umn.edu/ search?facet_field=collecti on_name_s&facets%5Bcollect ion_name_s%5D%5B0%5D=Sceni c+CollectionsDetail fo design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
John Z. Wood was born in England and moved to London,
Ontario as a small child. His family moved again when he was eleven years old,
taking up permanent residence in Rochester, New York. Wood enlisted in the 1st
Battalion of the New York National Guards, Light Artillery, on August 2, 1864
and served until his discharged on Nov. 22 of that same year. Returning to Rochester
after the Civil War, Wood initially worked as a decorative painter at Lang’s
Children Carriage Factory and then as a sign painter for Frank Van Doorn.
In the late 1860s, Wood joined a local art club called
the Goose Grease Club, attending informal gatherings at the studio of William
Lockhart in Rochester’s Palmer building. By the 1870s, Wood had opened his own
private studio at the Baker building, sharing the space with Lockhart. Seth C.
Jones later joined their studio. During this same time he also worked for the
Mensin, Rahn, and Stecher Lithographic Co., later known as Stecher Lithographic
Co. , known for its beautiful fruit crate labels and nurserymen crates. After
becoming a fairly well- ecognized artist, Wood worked as an instructor for the
Mechanics Institute in Rochester.
By 1872, Wood helped found the Rochester Sketch Club along
with James Hogarth Dennis (1839-1914), J. Guernsey Mitchell (1854-1921), James
Somerville (1849-1905), Harvey Ellis (1852-1904), and William Lockhart
(1846-1881). Wood, however, was the instigator, organizer and promoter of the
group. Within five years, club became the Rochester Art Club. In 1874, the
Rochester Academy of Art, also emerged as an offshoot of the Rochester Sketch
Club. The Rochester Art Club incorporated in 1882, with Wood not only serving
as Treasurer (1877-1882), but also Vice President (1889-1891) and President
(1894). In 1883, a newspaper review described Wood’s contribution to the
Rochester Art Club. Of his oil painting depicting two boys fishing, the review
commented, “It gives him opportunity to apply his knowledge of anatomical
drawing and his skill in producing excellent color effects. It is one of Mr.
Wood’s best productions” (Democrat and Chronicle, 20 May 1883, page 4).
For the Club’s educational oferings, a room was secured
at the Rochester Savings Bank Building. This became their headquarters with a
small faculty consisting of Horatio Walker (water color), James H. Dennis
(oil), John Z. Wood (drawing), Harvey Ellis (composition), and Ida C. Taylor
(painting). By 1890, the Rochester City
Directory listed Wood as a designer.
However, in 1892 the Directory listed John Z. Wood as
“removed to Chicago, Ill.” That year, Wood traveled to the Chicago World Fair
with fellow artist James Somerville. Life was on the up and up, and it was around
this time that Wood became a member of New York’s Salmagundi Club, the same
fine art group that Thomas G. Moses joined in 1904. Their paths possibly
crossed during the turn-of-the-century in either Chicago or New York.
The first mention of John Z. Wood as a scenic artist,
however, is in 1889. That year, he and
Dennis Flood painted scenery for the H. R. Jacobs Opera House in Syracuse, New
York. It was quite a lucrative contract and Flood would later be noted as
Wood’s “life-time friend.” Newspaper articles noted that the pair painted not
only a 25’ x 28’ drop curtain, but also the stock scenery. The drop curtain
depicted an elaborate conservatory with a tropical garden view in the distance.
Spending several weeks on site, they painted remaining stock sets that included
a palace exterior, a fancy interior, a dark wood exterior, a classical garden,
a rocky pass, a mountain landscape, a pastoral landscape, and a lakeside
exterior. He dabbled in the theater while continuing to work as a fine artist,
designer and art instructor, saving up what money he could.
Despite his success in fine art and some early theatre
designs, Wood’s career hit a major obstacle in 1896 that resulted in a
substantial financial loss. Wood
had a financially devastating incident that involved his stepson Howard C.
Tuttle, one that ended in family betrayal and subsequent financial ruin.
Wood had known his stepson since he was born on Nov. 12, 1874. In 1875, Wood
lived with the Tuttles; boarding with Charles, Nellie (Evalyn) and their newborn
son Howard. It was short lived as Charles left Nellie, married his mistress
Rosalie Graves and celebrated the birth of his second child Lillian that same
year. Nellie and Howard C. moved in with her parents, Horace C. and Esther
Rose; her father was a painter. Interestingly, Wood was now a boarder at the
Rose home. Wood eventually married Nellie by 1886 and helped raise her son.
On July 30, 1896, Rochester’s “Democrat and Chronicle”
reported, “Bad Predicament of a Young Man.
Horace C. Tuttle Spent the Money of His Parents. His Arrest Followed. The Man Represented to Them That He Wanted
the Money to Engage in Business in New York – Taken on a Minor Charge” (page
9). Tuttle was arrested at Batavia on a charge of skipping a board bill and
that’s when the truth came out about his financial antics. The article reported that “Young Tuttle’s”
home was at No. 17 Chestnut Street with his stepfather, John Z. Wood, who is an
artist with a studio in the Reynold’s Arcade.”
In short, Tuttle became dissatisfied with “his small salary and the hard
work he had to do” at Miler’s Piano Store and made up his mind to do business
on a larger scale. He unfolded to his
stepfather and his mother the outlines of a plan that he said would make him
speedily rich, telling his parents that he had been engaged as a traveling
salesman with Newby & Evans, piano dealers in New York city, and that it
would take some money to get started.
The cash was forthcoming and the young man departed for New York in high
glee. He soon pretended to be a member of the firm, getting his foster parent
to furnish even more money. You can
already see how this ends; the son doesn’t visit home, the parents get worried
and contact his supposed employer, only to learn that their son doesn’t work
there at all. In the end, the Tuttles lost $4,000, today’s equivalent $110,000.00
today.
This event was like let the instigator that prompted Wood to
seek employment at theaters. At that time, being a scenic artist was a very
lucrative profession, if one was good and fast. The substantial amount that one
could make producing a variety of painted scenes was indicated in the business records
of Thomas G. Moses. A good scenic artist was making today’s equivalent of
175,000-200,000 dollars a year.
In 1898, Wood
was actively working as a scenic artist and painting scenery alongside Gates
& Morange at the New Baker Theatre in New York City. He produced all of the
exterior scenery for the venue, while Gates & Morange completed the
borders, trips, and other specialty drops. Wood soon became an itinerant scenic
artist and followed the work as theatres continued to spring up in the western
United States and Canada. In 1901, the Rochester City Directory listed Wood as
a “scenic painter.” By 1906, he also helped organize an association of
Rochester painters known as the Picture Painters’ Club (Democrat and Chronicle,
15 Feb. 1901, page 8). The club was designed solely for working artists,
similar to Chicago’s Palette and Chisel Club.
Wood began
traveling throughout the country and working as a scenic artist for various
theaters. He travels brought him to Winnipeg, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles.
However, by 1907, Wood
left Rochester, although the city directory continued to list him as a scenic
artist there. For the 1908-1909 season, Wood was listed as the staff scenic
artist at the Winnipeg Theatre. Winnipeg
was the northern terminus of the railway and provided an excellent opportunity for
Wood to work. It also connected him to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. After
painting for the Winnipeg Theatre, Wood journey to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and
painted scenery for a variety of venues. Another Rochester Art Club founder,
Harvey Ellis, had settled in the St. Paul, Minnesota, during 1886, working
throughout the region for seven years before returning to Rochester. Some of Ellis’ designs include the Mabel
Tainter Memorial Building in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and Pillsbury Hall, at the
University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis (East Bank).
It was in Minneapolis that Wood worked for the Twin City
Scenic Company. Several of Wood’s designs for drop curtains are currently part
of the Twin City Scenic Co. Collection, Performing Arts Archives at the
University of Minnesota Libraries. The backs of some designs include the name Robert J. Mork, a salesman for the
Twin City Scenic Co. A few of Wood’s paintings also have competitive scenic studio
stamps and markings on the backs, such as the Great Western Stage Equipment Co.
By 1911, Wood was again living in the Rochester, with the
Directory listing him as a “scene painter.”
In 1917 he was “recognized as a scenic painter for the
Masonic Temple and other theaters in the city” (Rochester Art Club history
records). His work was for the new 1917 Masonic Temple building that included a
theatre on the third floor.
Only two years after his return to Rochester, Wood was
reported as suffering from “cardio vascular renal” at the Sellwood
hospital in Portland, Oregon, as reported by the “Oregon Daily
Journal.” However, this would not be a contributing factor to his death
two years later. In 1919, Wood’s name would appear in the newspaper one final
time when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident. On November 13, 1919,
George C. Newel caused the death of John Z. Wood, residing at No. 144 South
Ave. Wood was hit by Newell’s automobile when crossing the street. The court
ruled against Newell as he was driving too fast and unable to stop in time.
Wood was only 72 years old.
The Rochester Art Club records that Wood was “known for
his sense of humor, ability at mimicry, and telling a good story.”
In 1914, Sosman & Landis
delivered scenery for the Ringling Bros. grand circus spectacle, “King Solomon
and the Queen of Sheba.” By that year dozens of Scottish Rite stages had been
constructed and held massive scenery collections to stage Scottish Rite degree
productions, many that told of events surrounding the reign of King Solomon.
Masonic backdrops depicted the private apartments, throne room, courtyard and
the Temple of King Solomon.
To look at the sixty-one Scottish
Rite scenery collections solely produced by Sosman & Landis (Chicago) and
Toomey & Volland (St. Louis) from 1896-1914 puts the Ringling Bros. “King
Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” spectacle in perspective. These 61 scenery installations include
Scottish Rite Theatres in Little Rock, Arkansas; Tucson, Arizona; San Francisco, Stockton and Los Angeles, California; Atlanta,
Georgia; Chicago, Springfield, E. St. Louis, Quincy and Bloomington, Illinois; Davenport and Dubuque Iowa; Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Evansville,
Indiana; Fort Scott, Fort Leavenworth,
Wichita, Kansas City, Lawrence and Salina, Kansas; Louisville and Covington,
Kentucky; Portland, Maine; Bay City, Michigan;
Duluth and Winona, Minnesota; St Louis and Joplin, Missouri; Omaha, Nebraska; Butte and Helena, Montana; Clinton
and Jersey City, New Jersey; Santa Fe, New Mexico;
Rochester and Buffalo, New York; Charlotte
and Asheville, North Carolina; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Toledo, Davenport, Youngstown and Canton, Ohio; McAlester and Guthrie, Oklahoma; Bloomsburg and Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Yankton, South Dakota; Memphis, Tennessee;
Dallas, El Paso and Austin, Texas; Salt Lake
City, Utah; Danville, Virginia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Wheeling, West Virginia; Tacoma,
Washington; and Cheyenne, Wyoming. There
were also those produced by lesser-known studios too. The point is that Masonic
membership was dramatically increasing during the early twentieth century.
King Solomon setting by Sosman & Landis at the Scottish Rite theater in Yankton, South Dakota.King Solomon setting by Sosman & Landis at the Scottish Rite theater in Grand Forks, North Dakota.King Solomon setting by Sosman & Landis at the Scottish Rite theater in Tucson, Arizona.King Solomon setting by Sosman & Landis for the Scottish Rite theater in Winona, Minnesota.
All of the Ringling brothers
were a Scottish Rite Masons and members of the Scottish Rite Consistory in
Milwaukee. By 1913, the Milwaukee Scottish Rite boasted a Sosman & Landis
scenery collection, one specifically supervised by Thomas G. Moses during its
production.
King Solomon setting by Sosman & Landis at the Scottish Rite theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Ringling family all began
their Masonic journey in Baraboo Lodge No. 34. There were two other
circus families who also belonged to that lodge, the Moellers and the Gollmars.
The Ringlings, Gollmars, and Moellers were all related through marriages to the
three Juliar sister. Marie “Salome” Juliar
married August Ringling (Rüngeling), father of the Ringling Brothers. Her sister Katherine married Gottleib Gollmar,
father of the Gollmar Brothers. Mary Juliar married Henry Moeller, father of
the Moeller Brothers who became famous as manufacturers of circus wagons and
materials.
Gottlieb G. Gollmar (1823-1914) was the son on of Joachim
Gollmar & Franziska Caroline Wolf, born in Baden-Würtemmberg, Germany,
arriving in the United States at the age of 9 and settling in Valley City, Ohio.
He married Mary Magdeline Juliar in Chicago on 17 Nov 1848 and moved to Baraboo
in 1851. He and was one of the seven charter members for Baraboo Lodge No. 34
and patriarch of the Gollmar Brothers circuses.The Gollmar Bros. Circus was
operated by brothers Walter, Fred, Charles, Ben and Jake Gollmar and lasted
until 1926, finally touring as the Patterson-Gollmar Bros. Circus.
Gollmar Bros. Circus wagon.
Katherine Juliar married Henry Moeller, an immigrant born in
Saxony. He learned the trade of a wagon maker in Milwaukee after arriving in
the United States. Moeller founded a blacksmith shop in June 1856, a business
later operated by his sons Henry and Corwin as the Moeller Bros. Wagon Co.
(Wisconsin State Journal, 265 April 1937, page 12). First cousins to the
Ringlings and Gollmars, their shop was located at Third Avenue in Baraboo where
they built many of the ornate wagons for the Ringling Brothers’ circus,
including the famous Bell Wagon of 1892. For many years, the wagons used by the
Ringling Brothers were made exclusively in the Moeller Bros. shops, costing as
much as $800 each, exclusive of painting.
Moellar Bros. famous bell wagon.
Marie “Salome” Juliar married August Rüngeling, and their
children formed the Ringling Brothers circus. August
and his seven sons all joined the Fraternity between January 1890 and August
1891; each being raised in Baraboo Lodge No. 34. This is not unusual, as
Freemasonry was often a “family affair” for fathers and sons. Here is when each
Ringling brother became a Master Mason: Alf T. (January 22, 1890), John (March
1, 1890), Al (March 29, 1890), Charles (April 9, 1890), Otto (April 9,
1890), Gus (Feb. 4, 1891), Henry (March 18, 1891), August Rüngeling (August 9,
1891). However, it was their combined roles as
Masonic officers during 1891 that caught my eye. In the minutes of a meeting on April 8, 1891,
Alf T. was listed as Worshipful Master; August “Gus” was listed as Senior
Warden; Al was listed as Junior Warden; Charles was listed as Senior Deacon;
Otto was listed as Junior Deacon; and Henry was listed as Senior Steward.
The Ringling Bros. bell wagon manufactured by the Moeller Bros.Ringlng Bros. circus train in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
In 1900, “The Buffalo
Courier” included the story of the Ringling family in a section called
“Travelers Toward the East” (9 Dec. 1900, page 25). The article reported, “A
Masonic journal says that the Ringling brothers are known all over the country
as the proprietors of the Ringling Circus.
Seven of these brothers are members of Baraboo Lodge No. 34 of Wisconsin
jurisdiction, and after the seven were all members of the lodge the petition of
the father was received. The Ringling
brothers qualified themselves to confer the degrees were assigned to the
several positions in the lodge, received the father into the lodge and
conferred the degrees upon him.”
Five of the Ringling Bros., advertised as Kings of the Circus World.
Baraboo Lodge No. 34 was
almost four decades old by the time the Ringlings became members. Besides
belonging to Baraboo Lodge No. 34, the seven brothers also belonged to Baraboo
Valley Chapter No. 49, R.A.M (Royal Arch Masons); St. John Commandery No. 21 K.T.
(Knight Templars) of Baraboo, and the A.A.S.R. (Ancient and Accepted Scottish
Rite) in Milwaukee. The lodge rooms were above McGann’s Furniture in the
building at the Northwest corner of Oak and Second Avenue, but a new building
was in the making in 1891. The same month
that their father was raised, the “Wisconsin State Journal” reported that the
corner stone for the Baraboo Masonic Temple was “to be laid with great
ceremony” that Thursday (25 August 1891, page 1). A formal procession was
formed and consisted of the Baraboo lodges, Eastern Star Chapter, Royal Arch
Masons, Knights Templar, members of the Grand Lodge, the members of the city
council, and led by the Baraboo military band.
The three Juliar sisters who married Ringling, Gollmar and
Moeller also had a brother, Nicholas Juliar (1841-1920). Nicholas collected his
sisters’ circus memorabilia and his personal effects are now part of the
Memorial Library, Southern Minnesota Historical Center, Minnesota State
University – Mankato. Unlike his famous relations, Juliar was a banker,
auctioneer, and member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for two terms.
To be continued…
In 1914 Sosman & Landis created scenery for the Ringling
Bros. grand circus spectacle “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” Over a decade
earlier, the John Robinson circus also included “King Solomon and the Queen of
Sheba” at a circus spectacle. It
provided a rich and popular subject for a variety of nineteenth-century and
twentieth century entertainment venues.
King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba circus spectacle advertised in the “Wichita Beacon,” 18 Aug 1900, page 5.John F. Robinson and his circus spectacle “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” from the “Knoxville Sentinel,” Oct 15, 1903.
The King Solomon story was also staged for Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry degree productions at this time. Masonic designs included a variety of settings
from King Solomon’s reign, including the Temple, Sanctum Sanctorum, his private
apartments, audience chambers, and the throne room. The story of the construction of King
Solomon’s Temple was a subject dramatically presented in both Blue Lodge rooms
and on Scottish Rite stages as part of their ceremonials. The construction of the Temple and the
assassination of its chief architect Hiram, are a prominent topic in Masonic
degree work. This story dramatically presented in lodge rooms was theatrically
staged for Scottish Rite degree work. Never exclusive to the Fraternity,
the reign of King Solomon was a popular subject for a variety of visual
spectacles throughout the nineteenth century.
King Solomon degree setting for Scottish Rite degree work by Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio, ca. 1904.
In past posts, I
have covered the subject of King Solomon on both public and private stages,
including two 1840s touring show that featured “Chemical Paintings,” also known
as “Magic Pictures.” These were small painted backdrops that transitioned from
day to night as the composition was alternatively lit from both the front and
back (see past installment #320). Newspapers at the time reported, “by modifying the light upon the picture, exhibits two
entirely distinct representations upon the same canvas” (The Times-Picayune, 20
Dec. 1842, page 3). The “Inauguration of
Solomon’s Temple” was one of four scenes that toured with the show.
Here is the 1842 description of “The Inauguration of Solomon’s Temple”
as published in “The Times-Picayune:”
“This painting represents the
magnificent Temple of Solomon, son of David, which he caused to be erected in
Jerusalem. Seen in the daytime, it exhibits to the spectacular the richness and
elegance of its exterior architecture. The same Painting soon after passes
through all the modifications of light: then night comes on, (effects obtained
by the decomposition of light, a new process of painting invented by Daguerre,)
the Temple appears illuminated interiorly by degrees, reflecting a bright light
exteriorly, which discovers a great multitude of people flocking to adore the
Ark of the Covenant, which the High Priest has deposited in the Tabernacle”
(New Orleans, December 29, 1842, page 3).
Any Mason who attended
the 1842 exhibit might leave full of ideas that could make the degree work in
my small lodge room better. The scenic effects exhibited at the end of a
darkened room suggested the possibilities for dramatic effects during degree
work. By the 1850s, the first Scottish Rite stages began to appear, with
painted settings and costumed figures under stage lights. Fast-forward a few
decades.
In 1891, a King
Solomon spectacle was a feature for the Piedmont Exposition in Atlanta, with nightly
performances from Tuesday until Saturday (Atlanta Constitution, 19 Oct 1891, page 6). Although
met with some controversy from the conservative Christian faction of the time,
a series of rebuttals supported the productions. It was a popular production.
By 1899, the King Solomon story was picked up by the John Robinson Circus.
Newspapers in 1900 announced “a magnificence of a scenic
spectacle of Solomon and Queen of Sheba” produced by the John Robinson Circus
(Marshall County Independent, Plymouth, Indiana, 25 May 1900, page 8). It was one of ten big shows that toured with
his circus Advertised as the oldest circus on the road in 1824; by 1900 the
third generation of John Robinson descendants advertised it as the Robinson
Show (Fort Scott Weekly, 9 Aug. 1900, page 8). The John Robinson Circus was one
of the oldest running family circuses in the United States. The four
generations that managed the circus were John Robinson I (1807 – 1888), John
F. Robinson II (1843 – 1921), John G. Robinson III (1872 – 1935) and
John G. Robinson IV (1893 – 1954). Here is a link to the circus’ history as it
is quite fascinating: http://www.circusesandsideshows.com/circuses/johnrobinsoncircus.html
Three of the four Robinsons who would run the Robinson Circus.
John Robinson
Circus advertisements promised, “Nothing Old But the Name” and the “Wichita
Daily Eagle” reported, “The most interesting feature in the performance that
the Robinson show has is the spectacular production of King Solomon, which was
especially beautiful under the dazzling lights in the evening. This part of the
show is gorgeously staged and in effect if like the great spectacle production
in America of 1893. Triumphal marches, to the music of trumpets, and an
acceptionally [sic.] good band, fifty or more girls attired in oriental
costume, a hundred on horses representing various clans and allies, correctly
costumes true to history, and later ballet and dancers, the story in pantomime
of the judgment of King Solomon on the parable of the babe claimed by two
women, and closing with the visit of the queen of Sheba, were all produced in
magnificent manner. The regular circus performance which followed contained
some old features always seen, but it also contained many new features and
original idea which makes the show more interesting than the simple old
fashioned circus” (Wichita Beacon, 18
Aug. 1900, page 5).
Advertisement for the John Robinson’s circus “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba,” form From the “Ottawa Herald,” 5 Aug. 1900, page 5.
In 1900,
Robinsons Circus advertisements noted that the production included 1,000 men
and women, 500 horses, elephants, camels and 100 ballet dancers, transported
across the country in several trains of cars.
Furthermore, $2,000,000 was purportedly invested in the show. There were
“20,000 seats for 20,000 people under an absolutely water-proof canvas,” “40
camels hitched to a $20,000 Golden Chariot,” and “Forty Soul Stirring,
Fearless, Madly Ridden Hippodrome Races, Forty” (Wichita Beacon, 18 Aug. 1900,
page 5).
John Robinson Circus advertisement from the “Kingman Journal,” 10 Aug. 1900, page 6
By 1902, the
“Knoxville Sentinel” advertised the Robinson Circus, reporting, “The Bible
contains within its covers no pages so attractive in interest, so impressive in
description, so reverential and so expressive of divine devotion, so rand in
developments, as those which relate to King Solomon and his reign. It was a felicitous
thought, then of the celebrated artist, John Rettig, that led him to
contemplate the reign of Solomon as the subject for a spectacle, and to select
that period of Solomon’s administration when the king is visited by the Queen
of Sheba, as the theme for his grand and all overshadowing masterpiece of vast
spectacular presentations (15 Oct. 1902, page 2). A year later, the “Courier
Journal” added, “It was a wise thought of the celebrated artist John Rettig,
that led him to take the reign of Solomon as the subject for a spectacle” (23
April 1903, page 4). The Robinson Circus show was designed by Cincinnati scenic
artist John Rettig and directed by Charles Constantine. Rettig (1858-1932) was
a friend of Thomas G. Moses and the two traveled in the same circles.
John Rettig, scenic artist and design for the John Robinson Circus spectacle, “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” From his obituary notice, May 2, 1932, page 2.
“The Oswego
Independent” published, “The ‘Queen of Sheba’ was a sight to behold, Arrayed in
circus tinsel, with cheap finery and frippery, supposed to represent the
original in her journey to view the wonders and glories of King Solomon, she
was a sight never to be forgotten, and was a libel on the original, as word
painted in the scriptures” (Oswego, Kansas, 31 August 1900, page 3). The
“Newton Kansan” added, “The spectacular representation of scenes in connection
with the lives of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba was a novel feature and
was one of the best things in the show, but would be vastly improved if
shortened as it becomes tiresome” (17 Aug, 1900, page 1). Most reviews,
however, were pleased with the presentation. The “McPherson Weekly Republican,”
commented, “The presentation of King Solomon’s court, the temple and the
amusements of the ancient Hebrew court were a big surprise in excellence and
would have done credit to a large opera house performance” (24 Aug. 1900, page
7).
Of the
production, an advertisement in the “Wichita Daily Beacon” stated, “King Solomon
and Queen of Sheba. Dwarfing and overshadowing to comparative insignificance
interior and out door spectacular events of the era. Replete in sacred
realisms, historical accuracies, Biblical events, colossal processions, and
introducing all the ceremonies with the original pomp and splendor of the Court
of Solomon.” In 1929, the John Robinson Circus was still featuring “King
Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.”
1929 photograph of the John Robinson Circus for sale online. Note the costumes for the King Solomon circus spectacle.1929 photograph of Robinson’s Circus production “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” from the Library of Congress digital database. Here is the link: Circus tent pix source: https://www.wdl.org/en/ item/10696/view/1/1/Detail of 1929 photograph of Robinson’s Circus production “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” from the Library of Congress digital database. Here is the link: Circus tent pix source: https://www.wdl.org/en/ item/10696/view/1/1/
By 1914, spectacles
depicting King Solomon’s life were still a popular to many, including the thousands
of men who continued to tell the story in Masonic ceremonials. The Ringling
Brothers’ spectacle of “King Solomon,” however, was produced on a much grander
scale than any other circuses or fraternity. The Masonic settings at Scottish
Rite theaters paled in comparison with the grand spectacle at the circus, yet
the same scenic artists were painting the sets for each venue.
Thomas G. Moses designed the scenery for the Ringling Brothers grand circus spectacle, “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” Sosman & Landis delivered the scenery for the production in 1914.
In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“Jan. 6th, went to Baraboo, Wisconsin, to see the Ringling’s for the
new spectacle, ‘King Solomon.’ Another big show. Made a model for one scene and
got $2,900.00.” Moses was referring to the 1914 Ringling production “Solomon
and the Queen of Sheba” that toured throughout the United States. Later in
1914, Moses wrote, “Ringlings’ work came out very good. Everyone was pleased and that is saying a
good deal.”
I have mentioned this grand
circus spectacle, or spec, in the past, but it is worth repeating. It provides
an additional layer of context for the painted tradition preserved in Scottish
Rite theaters.
“King Solomon and the Queen of
Sheba” was presented in a series of dramatic pantomimic pictures staged with
“all the lavish splendor and opulence that marked the period when the wise
Solomon ruled the Kingdom of Israel, the action of the spectacle is laid in
Jerusalem, at the time of the historical visit of Balkis, Queen of Sheba” (Star
Gazette, Elmira, NY, 21 May 1914, page 3).
The Star Gazette reported, “The spectacle is presented on an enormous,
specially constructed stage, which occupies nearly one entire side of the main
tent. The tent measures 560 by 320 feet
and seats 14,000 people at a performance” (21 May 1914, page 3). Remember that
two shows were given daily; one at 2pm and one at 8PM, and the doors opened an
hour before show time, allowing spectators to visit the 108 cages in the
Ringling zoo and purchase candy and souvenirs!
In 1914, the “Indianapolis Star”
reported, “Nero has watched his Rome burn to a cinder beneath a circus tent.
Pompeii has fallen to ruins in the scattered sawdust of the ring and Cleopatra
has taken her last look at Egypt before the clown’s entry. And now the wise King Solomon and the Queen
of Sheba have been made the hero and heroine of the circus spectacle,
surrounded with all the gorgeous pageantry and lavish costumes a showman can
devise” (4 May 1914, page 3).
Thomas G. Moses designed the scenery for the Ringling Brothers grand spectacle, Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” in 1914.
On May 21, 1914, the “Star
Gazette” reported:
“Nearly half of the entire train
section is used to transport the scenery and costumes used in the massive
spectacle, ‘Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.’ The spectacle includes a cast of
more than 1,250 characters and a ballet of 300 dancing girls under the personal
direction of Ottokar Bartik, ballet master of the Metropolitan Opera House, New
York, and late of La Scala, Milan. The
music for this spectacle has been written by Faltis Effendi, formerly
bandmaster of Khedive of Egypt, and is rendered by an orchestra of 90
musicians, 400 trained singers and a chorus of 1,000 voices accompanied by a
cathedral pipe organ, costing $100,000.
The Ringling Brothers’ have expended $1,000,000 in the production of
this mammoth spectacle which faithfully and accurately portrays the pomp and
ceremony, life and wisdom of a period a thousand years before Christ, and
introduces Solomon in all his glory and Balkis, Queen of Sheba, the most
interesting woman of her day” (Star Gazette, Elmira, NY, 21 May 1914, page 3).
From the “Reading Times,” 16 May 1914, page 9.From the “Pittsburg Press”, 5 May 1914, page 16.
The US Inflation Calculator
measures the buying power of $1,000,000 in 1914 to be the equivalent of
$25,200,600.00 in 2018. Fifty men were needed to handle scenery and special
effects (Dayton Daily News, 26 April 1914, page 31).
When the circus arrived in
Elmira, New York during 1914, the “Star Gazette” included a large article about
the early morning arrival and events, advertising:
“The big circus is almost
here. Tomorrow morning in the small
hours just before dawn, four long red and yellow trains, made up of 86 cars
will roll quietly into Elmira coming from Binghamton, over Lackawanna
railroad. They will be unloaded
immediately and within a few hours the big aggregations of world wonders which
comprises Ringling Brothers’ ‘world’s greatest shows’ will be safely sheltered
under twenty acres of white canvas on the show grounds.”
From the “Sheboygen Press,” 7 July 1914, page 1.From the “Sheboygen Press,” 7 July 1914, page 1.
The circus included an elaborate
parade that traversed the principal streets of each town on the morning of
their arrival. The “Star Gazette”
announced, “The cavalcade which, it is promised, will be the longest and most
gorgeous display ever seen in the streets of this city, will start from the
show grounds promptly at 10 o’clock. It
will be more than three miles in length and will include all the performers and
animals, in addition to the long procession of handsome tableau wagons and
allegorical cars, filled with pretty dancing girls in gay costumes. Six bands and two calliopes will furnish the
music for the cavalcade and the fifty famous Ringling clowns will be on hand to
keep the sidewalk spectators in good humor.
A striking feature of the procession will be the long line of elephants,
forty in all, and a team of sixteen camels, broken to bit and harness driven the
same as horses. These beasts draw a huge parade wagon and this is the first
instance on record where the ‘ship of the desert’ has ever been successfully
broken to harness and bit.”
The “twenty-four hour man”
arrived a day ahead of the circus to set up the infrastructure needed to feed
an enormous amount of people and animals. Other circus staff that arrived a day
early included “a number of stage and electrical experts who precede the show
to make arrangements for the staging and lighting of the big spectacle “Solomon
and the Queen of Sheba.” It is important to remember that the King Solomon
spectacle was just one of the principal features for the Ringling Brothers’
program that season; it was not the whole show.
This makes theatrical touring shows, such as “Ben-Hur,” seem like
child’s play when compared with the logistics of a touring circus with
thousands of moving parts.
The first train to arrive was
the commissary department and the first tent to be pitched on the show grounds
was the “cook house.” The second and
third trains pulled the heavy red wagons, loaded with canvases, properties, the
elephants, the 730 horses and the other animals. On the last train, composed entirely of
sleeping cars, arrived all of the performers and ancillary staff members for
the show.
The Queen of Sheba was played by
Mme. Bartik, a Russian actress and a pupil of M. Pierre Devereau, the French
teacher of pantomimic art.
From the “Indianapolis Star,” 4 May 1914 page 3.
One of the things that I keep thinking about is the
logistics of organizing and managing a touring circus a century ago, especially
the 1914 Ringling Brothers’ “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” The
Pittsburgh Press published an article that provides insight into the 1914
circus (11 May 1914, page 14):
“The big enterprise bearing the name of the five brother
showmen arrived in Pittsburgh in the small hours of Sunday morning and with
very little noise and no confusion an enormous tented city was quickly
established on the show grounds in East Liberty. The show came from Wheeling, W. Va., where it
exhibited on Saturday, and it was met in the yards of the Pennsylvania railroad
by a vast horde of excited youngsters who had braved both the displeasure of
parents and Sunday school teachers in order to be on hand to help unload the
elephants and lead the spotted ponies to water.
All day yesterday they loitered around the East Liberty grounds watching
the erecting of the tents and other unusual sights.
Twenty-four tents are required this season. The main canvas – the big top is the largest
the Ringlings have ever used – is especially constructed, not only to
accommodate the circus with its three rings, stages and hippodrome track, but
also arranged for the massive spectacle ‘Solomon and the Queen of Sheba,’ which
is presented on a stage five the size of that found in the largest theater. The
Ringling circus is a perfect city in itself traveling every night, making a new
city every day and morning with more system, rapidity and less fuss and noise
than any branch of the army. To prepare
for its coming exactly 106 representatives, each with a various mission to
perform, have visited this city.
All of the cooking for this enormous enterprise is done
by steam and in ranges built in a wagon weighing six tons and drawn by eight
horses. As a mere detail of the
marketing the circus consumes daily 4,500 pounds of fresh beef, 300 dozen eggs,
800 pounds of bread, 150 pounds of sugar and other items equally as large. The first order to the cooks in the morning
is for 5,200 griddle cakes and yet, as large a number as this may seem, it is
only four a piece. For the stock and animal department there are used daily: 10
tons of hay, five tons of straw, 300 bushels of oats, while no well behaved
elephant would think of starting his day’s labor without his morning cereal – a
bale of hay. Most of all, these
purchases are made from local merchants.
The circus travels on its own trains and only requires
engines and crews from the railroads.
The show also carries its own blacksmiths, horseshoers, wagon and
harness makers, tent makers, rope splicers and a corps of decorators are kept
on hand continually touching up the gilded and brilliantly painted tableau
wagons and cages. Two men are employed
eight hours a day doing nothing but greasing axles. In the wardrobe department presided over by
Mrs. George Hartzell, known as “the little mother of the circus,” nearly 6,000
costumes have to be handled daily and kept in repair. Five dressmakers and six
tailors, besides armorers, are in this department. The circus has its own physician who carries
with him a complete surgical and medical outfit. There is also a barber shop
and, incidentally, no driver or man appearing before the public is allowed to
leave the show grounds until he is shaved. This also suggests another rule
strictly enforced by the Ringling Brothers’ which absolutely forbids the use of
whips by any of their drivers.
It costs $8,000 a day to run the circus and it represents
and investment of nearly $4,000,000. The
show maintains winter quarters and shops at Baraboo, Wisconsin, and
Stoke-on-Trent, England. The firm is now planning an expedition of its own to
trap animals in the jungles of India and the wilds of the Egyptian Soudan. In every part of the world its agents are on
the alert to secure novelties.
Starting as mere boys with a borrowed tent in which they
were given a few juvenile attempts at entertainment, these five brothers have
seen their dreams realized and have become master showmen of the world.
The afternoon performance began at 2 o’clock and the big
tent was crowded. Opening the bill came
the spectacle, “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” Nothing so richly costumed or
so effectively presented has ever been given here before. The opening pageant, the ballet of dancing
girls and the dramatic action were veritable surprises. The spectacle was followed by surprises. The spectacle was followed by the circus
performance in which 400 men and women appeared. More novelties that ever before are
presented, the Ringlings having brought from Europe the majority of their
people.
The final performance will take place Tuesday night at 8
o’clock. The doors open an hour earlier,
allowing time to visit the extensive menagerie and also enjoy the operatic
concert rendered by the military band of 80 pieces.”
To be continued…
Every once
in a while I am compelled to include a side story because it is so touching. These posts are often simple memorials to those
who came before me and should not be forgotten. In 1907, Thomas G. Moses wrote
about Otto Armbrusters death by suicide (see past post 573). He wrote, “August
16th, heard of Otto Armbruster’s death by suicide. It was an awful shock as we were such close
friends. The German way of getting out
of trouble, but he had no trouble, plenty of money and a good business. No one seems to know just what the cause of
the rash act was.”
In 1913, another colleague of Moses’ committed suicide in
Chicago when his eyesight failed.
This one
broke my heart as I first read it. It concerns one of the founders, and the
first president, of the Palette & Chisel Club in Chicago. His death notice
posted in the July 1913 issue of the Club’s newsletter recalled, “Fiery and at
the same time gentle in disposition, Carl Mauch was invincible in his adherence
to what he felt was right. In his death, the Club loses a father, and the world
gives up a true artist, a brave soldier and an upright man.” A successful
commercial artist in his own right, Mauch was always searching for a divine
fire that would transcend his art to another level.
Here is the
obituary notice concerning Mauch’s death:
On June 20,
1913, “Washington Post” reported:
“LOSES
SIGHT AND KILLS SELF.
Artist Had
Just Conceived What He Thought Would Be His Masterpiece.
Special to
the Washington post.
Chicago,
June 19.- His life a parallel in many respects of that of Kipling’s her in ‘The
Light That Failed,’ Carl Mauch, an artist, 63 years old, committed suicide by
swallowing poison today. Mr. Mauch’s sight began to fail just after he
conceived a work which he believed would be the greatest of his life.
‘There is
nothing left for me,’ Mr. Mauch said, a few days ago, to a fellow member of the
Palette and Chisel Club. ‘The inspiration of my life has come and my eyes are
all but gone. Never again shall I put a brush to canvas.’”
To put the
Kipling book in context, his “the Light that Failed,” follows the life
of artist Dick Heldar. He who goes blind, and struggles with his unrequited
love for fellow orphan and childhood playmate, Maisie. Heldar’s journey to
despair and helplessness is due to the loss of his ability to work, resulting
in his abandonment by Maisie. In the end, his loneliness is summed up in the
statement,”…it is better to remain alone and suffer only the misery of
being alone, so long as it is possible to find distraction in daily work. When
that resource goes the man is to be pitied and left alone.” Mauch ended his
life when he could no longer work and sought eternal solitude.
Other
newspaper articles reported Mauch’s suicide:
“Despondent
Artist Takes his Own Life.
Chicago,
June 19 – Despondent because his eyes failed him just when he conceived after
years of dreaming the picture he hoped would make him famous, Carl Mauch, an
artist, took poison and died from its effects yesterday. He was 68 years old
and rapidly losing his sight.
Recently
Mauch told a fellow member of the Palette and Chisel Club that the inspiration
of his life had come to him and he bemoaned the fact his eyes were failing him
and that he never again would touch a brush to canvas.” There is some
controversy in newspaper accounts concerning the age of the artist, yet his
tombstone lists Mauch’s birthdate as 1854, not 1850 or 1844. Most records list
Mauch as 58 at the time of his death. The article continues, “Mauch was born in
Wurttemberg, Germany, and his club fellows tell a story of how, when a boy, he
whipped the future king of that province. According to them it was the rule at
the school, which Mauch attended that the prince should always be the winner of
any game. When he saw his friends contriving that the prince should be the
victor he flew into a rage and attacked the young majesty.”
Mauch died at his home on 2651 Mildred Avenue, poisoning himself
with cyanide of potassium, and leaving behind a wife and two grown daughters, Fanny,
Melanea and Ella.
Mauch was born on Jan. 7, 1854 in Stuttgart, Stadkreis
Stuttgart, Baden-Württenberg, Germany. He studied at the Stuttgart Academy with
Karl Theodor von Piloty, Heinrich Franz Gaudenz von Rustige and Karl Albert
Buehr. Art history books note that his early artistic studies were interrupted
he was conscripted in the German army during the Franco-Prussian War. At the
time he was just sixteen years old. Following his military service, Mauch
returned to painting and continued his studies in Munich and Paris, before emigrating
in 1870. He soon married in 1872. He and his wife Fanny witnessed the birth of
four children, two who survived to adulthood.
In 1893, Mauch was listed as one of 302 artists in “The
Years Art as Recorded in The Quarterly Illustrator” (Published by Harry C.
Jones, 92, 94, and 96th Fifth Avenue, New York). The publication
listed, “Carl Mauch is one of the successful foreign artists who have made the
United States their permanent home. Mr. Mauch has lived here ever since the
Franco Prussian War.”
At the time
of his passing, Mauch was well-known as a Chicago illustrator, Impressionist
painter, and member of the Palette & Chisel Club. Mauch is buried at
Graceland cemetery on June 20, 1913.
From “The Year’s Art,” in “The Quarterly Illustrator,” Vol. 1, page 283
A decade
before his passing, “The Inland Printer” included a photograph of Carl Mauch in
an article about the Palette & Chisel Club (June 1896, page 315).. It seems
appropriate to add to today’s post as a positive remembrance to Mauch’s life. Here
is the article in its entirety:
“THE
PALETTE AND CHISEL CLUB.
An
association of artists and craftsman for the purpose of work and study – such
is the Palette and Chisel Clun of Chicago, some of the members of which have
appear in the half-tone upon the opposite page, engraved from a photograph by
Carl Mauch [image missing]. The organization is unique in that its members are
all wage-workers and busy during the week with pencil, brush or chisel doing
work to please other people. But on Sunday mornings, at 9 o’clock, they
assemble in the studio of Lorado Taft, in the Atheneum building, and for five
hours each amuses himself by working in his chosen medium, to suit himself.
From the “Inland Printer,” June 1896, page 315
The article continues, “Sunday morning means a good deal to one who has worked all week, and thought of these young men placing their easels and arranging their palettes at an hour when the rest of the city is in bed or on bicycles, is sufficient proof of their earnestness. A peep into the studio would show the men all work using all kinds of mediums, oil and water color, wash, pen and ink, charcoal, clay and modeling wax, and each busy as a boy with a jackknife. And the conversation while the model rests deals not so much with “impressionism” and “realism,” or the tendency and mode of artistic revelation as wit the best methods of drawing for reproduction of the discussion of technicalities in the sculptor’s or decorator’s arts.
The work of
the club has so far been more for study than exhibition, but there can me no
doubt that such a movement among men actually engaged in illustration and
decoration and kindred arts appealing directly to the people must result in
improving the standard of their work. The impression that a “real artist” is
incapable of doing “for the trade” is less erroneous that the idea that an
artist earning his living by practical application of his talents may not be
the artist worthy of his name. The painter may lack the technical training
necessary to the successful illustrator, but an experience in designing or
illustration often develops qualities in a man who is prevented from attempting
the higher branches of art by lack of time or opportunity, which when his chance
comes, gives him an advantage over the mere painter.
Two-thirds
of the members are students in the “life class” at the Art Institute night
school, and a desire for opportunity to study from the model in daylight, so
that color might be used, led to the organization of the club. The time at
their disposal is too short to spend bothering with officers or by-laws, so the
only formality is the payment of monthly dues to the treasurer, Curtis Gandy
who settles the rent and pays the models. The following is a list of the club’s
membership: Charles J. Mulligan, David Hunter and W. J. Hutchinson, sculptors;
Ray Brown, chief of the “Times-Herald” art department, and F. Holme, of the
“Evening Post;” Henry Hutt, illustrator and designer for J. Manz & Co.’
Carl Mauch of the Werner Company’s art staff; Will Carquerville, poster
designer and lithographer; Curtis Gandy, Capel Rowley, Richard Boehm and Edward
Loewenhelm, designers and illustrators; L. Pearson, F. J. Thwing and H. L.
Bredtschneider, fresco painters and decorators; Fred Mulhaupt, display
advertiser; Ansel Cook, scenic artist; A. Sterba and W. H. Irvine, portrait
artists; Arthur Carr, H. Wagner, L. M. Coakley and J. S. Shippen, art students.
Fred Larseon is a “proofer,” and the printer’s trade is represented by W. A.
Randall.
The
treasurer’s report shows a comfortable balance of cash in hand, and, while the
Sunday meetings will soon be temporarily discontinued on account of the hot
weather, the dues will run on just the same, so that when the club assembles in
the fall it will be with every promise of a good and successful career.”
The
statement “Sunday meetings will soon be temporarily discontinued on account of
the hot weather” explains why the club purchased a summer home on Fox Lake in
1906, as it gave artists a cooler place to continue their studies.
In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“A new set for the Hippodrome, city.” Moses was referring to a cityscape
setting for Chicago’s Great Northern Hippodrome Theatre. Later that year he
added, “I did a drop curtain for the Great Northern Theatre. A very delicate
Italian Landscape.” For such a popular space to see live entertainment, little
is known of the actual venue.
Postcard with Great Northern Theatre, date unknown.Postcard of Great Northern office building with theater next door to Great Northern Hotel.
Here is all that I could track
down:
The Great Northern Hippodrome was located in a massive
high-rise building at 26 West Jackson, between State and Dearborn Streets. The
Great Northern Office and Theatre Company building was designed by D. H.
Burnham and Co. in 1896 and adjoined an earlier Great Northern hotel building.
Burnham & Root designed the Great Northern Hotel before John W. Root’s
passing.
Great Northern Hotel with theater and office building.Great Northern Hotel with theater and office building.
Opening on Nov. 9, 1896, Great
Northern Theatre productions included legitimate theatre, vaudeville, movies,
and stock company productions. During February 1910, the Schuberts took over
the building, redecorating the theater and renaming it the Lyric Theatre. The
theater was again renamed, becoming the Great Northern Hippodrome.
The new theater offered a
variety of continuous performances from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. daily.
Advertisements promised, “All that’s great in circus, vaudeville, hippodrome,
and novelty features” (Chicago Tribune, 23 May 1913, page 10).
From the “Chicago Tribune,” 28 Dec 1913, page 49From the “Chicago Tribune,” 5 Oct 1913, page 20From the “Chicago Tribune,” 13 Oct 1913, page 8From the “Chicago Tribune,” 23 May 1913, page 10
When Sosman & Landis delivered scenery to the Great
Northern Hippodrome in 1913, it was part of a program change, the venue now
focused on live entertainment. On July 27, 1913, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “The Great
Northern Hippodrome, having discontinued motion pictures, is now offering
fourteen acts of vaudeville divided into two bills of seven acts” (page 14).
Moses’ drop city setting and drop curtain were part of this makeover.
Like many historic venues of the time, the Great Northern
Office and Theatre Building were demolished, in 1961 to make room for the
Dirksen Federal Building.
Sosman & Landis delivered scenery for a production of “The Elk’s Tooth” in 1913. An elk’s tooth was known for good luck, and was incorporated into watch fobs, tie clips, necklaces, earrings and other personal artifacts at the time. It was also the theme for a play written and staged by H. L. Brown. The play became associated with the Benevolent and Protected Order of Elks.
A vintage BPOE elks tooth watch fob.Postcard for the BPOE, 1913.
On October 1, 1913, Oregon’s “La
Grande Observer” included the article about the production of
“The Elks Tooth” with scenery by Sosman & Landis:
“Seat Rush is on Saturday. The Elk’s Tooth is a great big extravaganza of bright, wholesome comedy, catchy music, clever dancing all superbly mounted with special scenery and gorgeous costumes especially made and designed for this especial piece. The scenery was built and painted by the big Chicago firm of Sosman & Landis and is without doubt the finest ever brought to this city. Act 1 represents a big modern ocean liner at sea, and is considered to be the most complete setting of a ship on the stage today. Act II is the shore of a south sea island with a wealth of tropical foliage. Act III shows a south sea island village of thatched roof huts over looking the ocean in the distance. A special crew of ten stage hands will be required to handle the scenery alone at the performances next Monday and Tuesday nights, Oct. 6th and 7th.”
“The Elk’s Tooth” was described in
the “La Grand Observer” on Oct. 6, 1913: “The play opens on board an ocean
liner, which is lying in a bay of a south seas island repairing machinery.
Among the many passengers who are on board are two American tourists traveling
around the world under a wager, disguised as a Dutchman and a tramp. The plot
hinges on these two characters. At the close of the first act, a genuine
southern storm comes up and the ship narrowly averts being wrecked on he rocks.
During the storm, the Dutchman and the tramp are blown overboard, while the
ship catches fire and is blown out to sea with all on board. Fortunately a
chicken coop is blown overboard, to which the two men cling until morning, when
they are washed ashore. As they land on the island and are contemplating a
search for food, a tribe of cannibals overpowers them and ties them to trees.
The cannibals build a big fire and prepare for a feast when they discover the
Elk’s tooth worn by the Dutchman, Hostilities cease, and, very much to the
surprise of the American’s they crown the Dutchman king. The mystery
surrounding the elk’s tooth provides the theme for a subsequent developments
and final conclusion of an interesting and thrilling story. The ludicrous
situations in which the two comedians find themselves furnish an abundance of
humor that is ever clean and wholesome, and the beauties of a southern tropical
island form an appropriate setting for the choruses and dances” (page 4).
From the “Arizona Republic,” 7 March 1916 page 12 From the “Billings Gazette,” 6 Oct 1908 page 8From the “Salt Lake Herald,” 25 Feb 1909 page 11
The cast of characters is quite
humorous in itself. The Dutchman is named Weinie Wurst. The Tramp is named Easy
Tyme. The S. S. Sea Queen crew includes
Captain Blowhard, mate Bowling Knott, and Griddle, the cook. The cannibals living on the south sea island
of Kokomo are led by Cookem Quick, the chief. The titles of the songs are not
as creative, but range the gamut from “Oh, Merry Maiden” to “By Right and
Discovery.”
Of the production, the “Statesman
Journal” reported that H. L. Brown’s operatic comedy was “recognized as the
greatest production for Elks’ theatricals in the country…a carload of scenery
and equipment is carried by Mr. Brown, the director” (5 Jan. 1913, page 4). So
popular was “The Elk’s Tooth,” that it later became a movie in 1924.
In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“I did a ‘swell’ curtain for Holland, Michigan, and I sincerely hope they will
like it.” Moses was referring to the Knickerbocker Theatre of that city,
managed by J. A. Simon. Little is known of Moses’ painting beyond his diary
entry. In 1913, Holland boasted a population of 11,000. Julius Cahn’s Official
Theatrical Guide listed an overall drawing population of 15,000 for the venue.
The Knickerbocker TheatreThe Knickerbocker TheatreThe Knickerbocker TheatreThe original Knickerbocker Theatre after the name changed to the Holland Theatre
Located at 86 East 8th Street in
downtown Holland, the ground-floor venue had a seating capacity of approximately
883, with 17 Loges. The proscenium opening measured 26 feet wide by 21 feet
high. The stage was 30 feet deep and 48 feet wide. It was 50 feet from the
stage floor to rigging loft and 24 feet to the fly gallery.
Holland is situated in the
western region of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, and was settled by Dutch
Calvinist separatists under the leadership of Dr. Albertus van Raalte. The
Dutch immigrants sought religious freedom and a better life, establishing their
village near the Black River where it streamed into Lake Macataw near the
shores of Lake Michigan.
Postcard of Holland, MichiganHolland, Michigan
Holland features an annual Tulip
Time Festival, an event that originated in 1930. Currently, six million tulips
are used throughout the city, planted along city streets, in city parks and
outside municipal buildings. There is also a large tulip farm, named Veldheer
Tulip Gardens. Other tourist attractions include De Zwann, an original
250-year-old Dutch windmill situated on Windmill Island, and Dutch
Village.
The De Zwann windmill in Holland, MichiganWindmill Island in Holland, MichiganWindmills in Holland, MichiganWindmill Island in Holland, Michigan
Although the city is best known
for its Dutch heritage, there is also an annual Fiesta organized by Latin
Americans United for Progress, with the Tulipanes Latino Art & Film
Festival that celebrates the Latino cultural contribution.
Holland is home to Hope College, a private Christian liberal
arts college. The institution was established in 1851, as a Pioneer School by
Dutch immigrants. Hope received its state charter in 1866 and it is affiliated
with the Reformed Church in America. The schools 125-acre campus is adjacent to
the downtown commercial district and has been shared with Western Theological
Seminary since 1884. In 1988 the
Knickerbocker Theatre was acquired by Hope College and remained opened to the
public, offering a variety of events throughout the year, including films and
theatrical productions. The website notes that Knickerbocker translates to
“best in life.”
The current Knickerbocker Theatre operated by Hope College
