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Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “A small job for Elkins, W. Va. Brought back to mind the enjoyable sketching trips to that region in 1885, which I have written up in detail elsewhere.”

I have explored many of Moses’ sketching trips during the late 19^th century, including his 1885 journey to West Virginia with fellow scenic artists Henry C. Tryon and John H. Young, see past post 202-212 for the complete story. In regard to his 1913 project, Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins, a Senator from West Virginia. Elkins’ first opera house built during 1892 was destroyed by fire in 1897 and immediately replaced.

The second Elkins opera house was built in 1898 and renovated in 1908. That year the theater was expanded from a 550-seat house to an 800-seat house. The stage house was also increased at this time, adding a fly loft and expanding the depth of the stage. This four-story building situated at 303 Davis Avenue. It was ideally located, situated on the corner near the major hotel, Hotel Delmonte, city hall and railroad station. Julius Cahn’s Theatrical Guide for the 1910-1911 season listed that the seating capacity for the venue was 800 and the stage illuminated with electricity.  The proscenium opening measured 21’-0” high by 30’-0” wide. The height to the gridiron was 41’-0” suggesting a fly loft. The depth of the stage was 28’-0.” Although there are no specifics about the exact scenes delivered by Sosman & Landis to Elkin in 1913, it was likely a replacement set due to the age of the venue, and/or a renovation.  The Julius Cahn description in 1905 noted a proscenium that was only 24’-0” wide and 16’-0” high, not 30’-0” wide and 21’-0” high. Furthermore, the 1905 height from the stage to the rigging loft as 18’-0” and not the 41’-0” notes in 1911. In 1905, Cahn also noted, “grooves cannot be taken up flush with fly gallery.” The scenery for the first venue was likely wings and shutters or wings and roll drops. The depth of the stage also expanded in 1908, when it increased from 23’-0” to 28’-0.”

In regard to Moss’ 1885 sketching trip to the region and his meeting the namesake of the town, here is an excerpt from Moses’ account of the sketching trip:

“Early in the morning, before we reached Piedmont, I noticed a large and very distinguished-looking gentleman pass through our car several times. He seemed to be very interested in our traps, easels, sketching umbrellas and stools, which we had to carry.  He inquired of the Pullman conductor who we were, and was informed that we were artists looking for some wild country to paint.  He told the conductor to advise us to go up to Davis, on the West Maryland road, which he did.  The gentleman was Stephen B. Elkins, U. S. Senator [namesake for Elkins].  His father-in-law was H. G. Davis, who lived at Deer Park, where they left the train.  We were also instructed to see Mr. Harrison, Superintendent of the West Maryland road, in Piedmont, for transportation.  This we did on Monday morning, and we furnished passes to Davis.

The train did not leave until 2:00 P. M. We were agreeably surprised to see Mr. Elkins, Mr. Davis and two boys get on the train, having come down from Deer Park on an early train.  Mr. Elkins soon introduced himself and the other members of his party.  They were not only interested in the road but in the vast coalmines all along the road.  As we started to climb the mountains, the Blue Ridge, every half-mile revealed to us new beauties of this wonderful mountain country; here was indeed a virgin forest.

We arrived in Davis about five o’clock.  The first thing we saw at the depot to remind us that we were in a wild country were six good-sized deer, dressed for shipment.  They were piled on a truck and a number of eastern hunters, with dozens of deer-hounds, were strolling about, enjoying the wild life.  The log hotel was certainly very picturesque and nicely situated on the banks of the Blackwater River, a branch of the Cheat River.  It was pretty well filled, but Mr. Elkins requested the landlord to take good care of us, which he did.

While we were waiting for our dinner, and were all seated on the big porch, Tryon was seized with stomach cramps.  Mr. Elkins noticed Tryon’s groaning and said, “Mr. Tryon, if you will go up to Room 3 you will find a black grip; open it and right on top you will find a cure for stomach trouble.”  Tryon did this and came down feeling better, thanked Mr. Elkins, and within fifteen minutes had another cramp.  Mr. Elkins said, “Go after it again, Tryon,” and he did.  This time he must have taken a good long one, for it seemed to settle him.

We certainly did full justice to our dinner.  We had plenty of fresh venison steak, thanks to our hunters, and after dinner we gathered in the big living room, or smoking-room as it was soon made by the dozen or more cigars and pipes.  As the hunters were for the most part from New York, one can readily imagine the big yarns that were told, but we enjoyed them.

During the night a heavy thunder storm passed over us, and the wind through the big pine and hemlock trees, together with the constant baying of the hounds, made the night one of unpleasant dreams.  Tryon and I had a double room.  As he was very careless with his clothes – the floor was better than a chair – he stepped on his derby hat.  A fine kind of hat to take on a sketching trip! Strips of paper glued to the inside of it put it in good working shape again.  The storm soon cleared, the sun was warm, the howling hounds were fed, and the wild huntsmen were ready for another day of slaughter.

So were we.  After a big breakfast Mr. Elkins, Mr. Davis, young Elkins, young Davis, Tryon and myself started out on an exploring trip.  We tramped through the wet underbrush and found a great many places for good sketches. We returned for luncheon, then took our sketching outfits and Tryon and I started out for business.  I found a big mass of rock that was very interesting.  We were quite a puzzle to some of the natives, who could not understand why we had come all the way from Chicago to sketch rocks and trees.  “Didn’t we have any of these anywhere near Chicago?”  One trouble we experienced in the eastern mountains, especially in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas, was the constant quizzing by the natives to find out whether we were really what we said we were, or revenue men looking for moonshine whiskey in the general stores.

A few days of sketching at Davis with some success rather encouraged us to remain longer. We each had an idea that something awaited us further down the valley, so we started for Schell.  Mr. Elkins had left a day ahead of us, and we found that he had stopped at Schell, instructing the store-keeper, the proprietor of the only boarding-place, to take good care of him, and we appreciated the courtesy.  Tryon had told Mr. Elkins that he was writing an article for the Chicago Tribune and that he would send him a copy; Mr. Elkins was much pleased.

The General Store at Schell was some store and included the post office.  Back of that was the living-room and kitchen and there were three rooms upstairs.  Tryon and I occupied one of these.  John Young joined us here and entered into the spirit of the outing.

The evening of Young’s arrival we were all in the store.  Young was stretched out on the counter, with his head resting in the scoop of the scales, and Tryon, with his immense meerschaum, was hitting it up like an engine.  We missed the talkative huntsman, but everyone here was interested in us and our work because Mr. Elkins had told them who we were.

We had two beds in our room, but had to pass through a room occupied by the landlord’s son.  If he happened to be awake when we retired, Tryon would always stop and talk with him.  The landlord was an infidel, which pleased Tryon, for it gave him the opportunity to assist in tearing all of the religion of the world into shreds.  In one way, Tryon did not believe all he said.  I believe he only wanted a chance to argue.

The store loafers were a motley crowd.  As there was a train arriving every evening at seven o’clock, it was an excuse for the men to for their mail, though some of them never received a letter.  The landlord was also the postmaster.  The government paid him a salary according to the number of canceled stamps that passed out of his office.  Some salary! There were only about one hundred people living in Schell and these were mostly miners, so the post office probably did very little business.

The chief topic of conversation while it varied at times was ‘moonshine,’ and denouncing the government for keeping so many revenue men about. It was policy, of course, for us to enter the fight and stick with the men.  We had felt, in spite of what Mr. Elkins had told them, that they had their suspicions regarding us; we had too much money for artists.  Some of the mountain people did not know who was President of the United States, and others hardly knew that the Civil War was closed.  A very shiftless and lazy crowd, although a few of them had good positions in the mines.  This particular quality of coal mined here was used for sea-going vessels; it was very small and dusty.”

I am always amazed at the scope of the people who Moses encountered throughout the duration of his career. He was almost always in the right place at the right time. I have to wonder if Moses reconnected with any of the local citizens that he met there in 1885.

To be continued.

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Sheehan and Beck dropped in with ‘Bohemian Girl.’ In other words, the two were in town with the production when they made a point of visiting Sosman & Landis about another project. The Sheehan English Opera Co. production of “The Bohemian Girl” was on tour of 1913.

Interestingly, Sheehan initially performed with Henry W. Savage’s Grand Opera Company. Moses worked for Savage, designing many of his American Opera productions in New York, just prior to moving establishing the Moses & Hamilton Studio. The two would have met while each worked for Savage.

In 1913, Edward M. Beck was the General Director of Sheehan and Beck, with Sheehan starring in the lead roles. At the time, Sheehan was called “America’s Greatest Tenor.”

“The Bohemian Girl” was billed as “the most brilliant musical event of the season,” and toured with “60-trained Choral Voices” and “20-Special Grand Opera Orchestra” (Sheboygan Press, Wisconsin, 5 May 1913, page 6). Other performed by the company on the tour were “The Love Tales of Hoffman,” “Il Trovatore,” “Martha,” and “Chimes of Normandy.”

One Sheehan-Beck production that toured in 1913 was “Salome.” “Salome” was a second Sheehan-Beck production with scenery by Sosman & Landis.  Of the production, Moses wrote, “We turned out a big production of ‘Salome’ for Sheehan and Beck – some very effective scenes.  A good portion of the contract price never saw our office – one bad feature about shows that don’t go.” This was always the gamble. “Shows that don’t go” didn’t always pay their bills. At the scenic studio, a non-payment on a single project could not financially jeopardize a company, so there had to be dozens of projects occurring simultaneously to cover shortfalls.

In 1913, Sheehan and Beck also produced “The Girl From Mumms,” starring Miss Olive Vail, a comedienne who starred in the original Chicago productions of “A Modern Eve,” “A Stubborn Cinderella,” “The Girl Question” and “Miss Nobody from Starland.” “The Girl from Mumms” was advertised as “a Parisian musical novelty,” featuring sixteen musical hits. Based on the book by J. A. Lacy, the lyrics and music were by Fred A. Bohnhorst. Of the production, the “Calgary Herald” reported “Scenically and electrically, nothing has been left undone to make ‘The Girl From Mumms’ the most beautiful musical spectacle of the season”(8 Oct. 1913, page 7).

An interesting article in the “Post-Crescent” goes into great detail about the costume designer for the production (Appleton, Wisconsin, 13 Sept 1913, page 6). It seems that Beck traveled to Paris in 1912 and met Mme. McGregor-Hull, a modiste in Paris whose creations were “the talk of the theatrical colony there.” The article reports, “Struck at once by with the originality of the woman and her genius for creating fashion instead of following it, Mr. Beck made her a proposition to manufacture the costumes for “ THE GIRL FROM MUMMS.” Of the scenic elements, advertisements promised, “scenically an environment of beauty;” that was it. No mention of scenic artist or studio. Chang is in the winds.

At this time, many newspaper articles shift focus from describing painted scenery and scenic effects in detail to costumes and lighting effects. I find this fascinating, as previous mentions of those who manufacture scenic illusion are no longer included in many reviews. There may still be a general description of the setting, but the names, backgrounds and experience of most scenic artists cease as being included to provide credibility to the production.  In their stead are the names of costumers and lighting designers.

The story of creating three-dimensional stage elements replaces the story of creating two-dimensional ones.  There are many other factors to consider when examining this shift: increased realism/naturalism on stage, the emergence of the modern scenic designer, electrical effects and lighting innovations, the increased popularity of moving pictures, and much more. Regardless, there is a definitive shift in how the press presents the production elements to the public in 1913.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Miles asbestos curtain in Cleveland, which I did, hangs badly and big dents kill my picture.  As it is a woven wire asbestos there is no remedy – they should never be folded, always rolled.” There were many different ways to construct a fire curtain for the theatre, with a wire substrate being one.

The demand for asbestos curtains dramatically increased after the 1903 Iroquois Theatre tragedy. As theaters implemented additional steps for fire prevention, asbestos curtain orders increased for at Sosman & Landis. There were a variety of ways to manufacture and install fire curtains as the time, but only one way to ship – rolled. All asbestos curtains demanded careful handling to avoid damaging a painted scene.  In 1909, an article in the “Democrat and Chronicle” commented on the installation of a Sosman & Landis asbestos curtain at the Temple Theatre in Rochester, New York: “The asbestos, or fire curtain, will be the first to be placed so as to avoid wrinkling and the beautiful drop curtain will be the last thing” (25 October 1909, page 10).

Today, we hear asbestos and cringe, with many people demanding its removal, regardless of how beautiful. In 1913, reading the word “asbestos” on a drop curtain meant safety.

So what is this dangerous substance that caused once comfort and now causes concern? Asbestos.com (sponsored by the Mesothelioma Center) notes, “Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals composed of thin, needle-like fibers. Exposure to asbestos causes several cancers and diseases, including mesothelioma and asbestosis. Although asbestos strengthens and fireproofs materials, it is banned in many countries. Asbestos is not banned in the United States.” The main problem is that when asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, the mineral fibers can become trapped in the body. Trapped asbestos fibers can cause inflammation, scarring and genetic damage to the bodies cells.

In 1913, however, asbestos was considered a common and useful product. There were even asbestos pockets in men’s suits, allowing them to tuck away burning cigarettes. Nearly all of the asbestos mined in the United States came from Vermont and Virginia, although a little came from Wyoming. The finest asbestos was considered to be from the Grand Canyon of Colorado and Arizona.  In 1913, asbestos was advertised as “the most important fire-proofing material known” and was in great demand for commercial and home use (Lead Daily Call, Lead, South Dakota, 14 Oct. 1913, page 3). The “Lead Daily Call” reported, “Its fibrous structure adapts it to a wide range of applications, from woven fabrics such as theatre curtains and articles of clothing to various forms of asbestos shingles, stucco, plaster, “lumber,” and other building materials that render structures thoroughly fireproof. Its lightness, strength, durability, and insulating property against heat and electricity give it special advantages for structural uses in cars and electric motor subways…The most common use of asbestos paper, millboard, pipe covering, and lagging to enclose heat pipes, furnaces, and locomotives in order to prevent loss of heat by radiation. As a non-conductor of heat it may be used not only in the preparation of fire proof safes and vaults, but also cold storage and cooling structures. Houses made of asbestos materials or coated with asbestos throughout are not only warmer in winter, but cooler in summer. In recent years, asbestos has been used successfully as a filler in high grade paints. The finest asbestos thread yet spun carried a small percentage of cotton and runs over 2 miles to the pound.”

Here is one article that put it all in perspective for me. On October 25, 1913, the “Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier” published “Just a Few Helpful Uses for Asbestos About the House” (Ottumwa, Iowa, page 4). It is well worth reading for historical context.

“In your list of household conveniences have you included a sheet or two of asbestos.

You’d be really surprised to known how valuable this is about the house. There are thousands of uses to which it may be put to save work and worry.

You see, asbestos is such a splendid non-conductor of heat that it equalizes and lessens considerable heat, thus preventing things from burning when it is intercepted. In addition to this it is non-combustible, which still further adds to its desirability as a household accessory.

In the kitchen, the laundry, the dining room, the bathroom – practically in every room in the house it may be used.

The housekeeper as cook can lay a sheet of asbestos over the gas burner and plate a kettle of jam upon it. The heat will be so modified as to lessen the opportunity for the scorching of the food. If the bread in the oven is in danger of burning black upon the bottom, the cook can slip a sheet of asbestos beneath the pan. If the heat is too intense above the loaf the protector is laid over it. The modern fireless cooker, designed to hold to heat within a box, may be lined with sheets of asbestos to resist the escape of heat from the enclosed buckets of hot food.

Baking day does not monopolize the asbestos, for Tuesday sees an asbestos iron rest to protect the cover of the ironing board from scorching. An ingenious housekeeper covered a large pan with asbestos, attached a handle to what had been the bottom and inverted it over the irons being heated upon the gas stove. The result was that less gas was required, for all of its heat was conserved for the irons and not wasted in heating the kitchen The style of flat irons with removable handles, depends for its special efficiency upon asbestos linings for the detachable outer shell.

The housekeeper may place around asbestos mats upon the dining table under hot serving dishes to protect the polished table top beneath from being marred by heat. Better still, she can buy or make a large sheet of asbestos to lay beneath the table cloth. These can be purchased made to order to fit the table exactly. There cost is several dollars, varying with the size and with the quality of binding and covering. Sheet asbestos can be had cheaply at the hardware stores, and a clever and economical housekeeper can contrive a non-conducting silence cloth for herself.

As a matter of fire protection asbestos is invaluable. Tacked to the ceiling above the furnace, it guards the floor above from overheating or igniting should the furnace become defective. Where coal heating stoves and ranges are used and must be set near a wall it is best to have an asbestos covered board set behind them. When a stovepipe passes through a ceiling to warm a bedroom above (a common thing in old-fashioned houses) a sheeting of asbestos should encircle it whenever it would touch combustible surfaces.

If you have a hot furnace the plumber will probably paste one thin layer of asbestos around the pipes to conserve their heat. A thick layer or two separate layers will prevent heat wasting even more efficiently. One thrifty householder, who is chary of all unnecessary expense, pasted asbestos thickly all over the outside of his furnace proper. He had never seen this done before, yet tried the experiment, and reports enthusiastically that the saving in his coal bills of one year made it worthwhile. Formerly he had been wasting heat upon the cellar air. A man who followed his example had the asbestos bound to the furnace cylinder with wire hoops instead of paste.”

To sum up the fondness for asbestos in 1913, many newspapers included the following quote that year: “All the world’s a stage, but it lacks an asbestos curtain.”

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Started a lot of work for McVicker’s Theatre – that was in June.  I did all the exterior drops.” 

The venue had changed hands again, and Moses created a set of scenery for the new lessees of the new “McVicker’s Vaudeville Theatre.” The well-known Chicago establishment had just become a combination house. McVicker’s Theater, located on West Madison Street, near State, was once considered the oldest playhouse in Chicago.

On May 10, 1913, “The Lancaster Intelligencer” reported,

“OLD THEATRE IN FILM RANKS

Chicago’s Fire-Baptized McVickers Sold for $500,000.

McVicker’s Theatre, Chicago’s historic playhouse, which has passed through five fires, including the great fire of 1871, and which has been rebuilt or remodeled after each fire, passed from the ‘legitimate’ on Thursday when it was sold to a moving picture firm for $500,000.”

The Jones, Linick & Schaefer circuit began leasing McVicker’s Theatre in 1913, presenting “popularly priced” vaudeville acts along with motion pictures. The ticket prices were 10,15 and 25 cents, an affordable option when compared with legitimate theater and you could stay as long as you wanted from 1p.m. to 11p.m. (Post-Crescent, Appleton, Wisconsin, 9 May 1913, page 7).

The firm’s partners were Aaron J. Jones, Adolph Linick and Peter J. Schaefer, They first established their firm in 1899, leasing Keebler & Co., a store on Clark Street just south of Madison Street, and establishing a penny arcade. As their operation grew, Jones, Linick & Schaefer became primarily interested in entertainment, running amusement parks and theaters. They eventually managed the Orpheum Theatre on State Street, opposite of the Palmer House (Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 1913). By 1913, the firm operated eight Chicago theaters.

On April 29, 1913, the “Chicago Tribune” announced, “All arrangements for the acquisition [of McVicker’s and the Colonial] have been made…The Jones, Linick & Schaefer people will open a vaudeville booking agency of their own on Thursday in offices in the Orpheum Theatre building in State street, in preparation for the increased business. They have been booking from the Western Vaudeville Managers’ association” (page 3).

On May 22, 1913, the “Washington Herald” reported, “Jones, Linick & Schaefer, Chicago’s new theatrical triumvirate, who practically dominate the popular vaudeville and moving picture field in the Windy City, have just signed a contract with the Kinemacolor Company of America to install the original nature-colored features of the vaudeville bills at the Colonial and McVicker’s Theatres, their latest acquisitions…Both are located in the heart of “The Loop,” and their cosmopolitan patronage demands the best and latest novelties. Kinemacolor scored such popular success at the Willard, Wilson, and other theaters of their circuit that Jones, Linick & Schaefer decided to make it a permanent feature of their vaudeville bills. In this they were following the example of F. F. Proctor, William Fix, Oswald Stoll, and other leading showmen of America and England” (page 11).

“Moving Picture World” published an article about Jones, Linick & Schaefer, commenting that moving pictures were replacing all other vaudeville at the Willard Theatre by 1914. The article,  “Picture Programs Supplant Vaudeville in the Willard” noted, “Vaudeville has been withdrawn from another of the Jones, Linick & Schaefer houses – the Willard, at Fifty-first street and Calumet avenue. The Willard was closed Sunday night, Jan. 18 to make the necessary changes for straight picture programs. A $10,000 organ will be installed. It will be reopened Monday, Jan. 26. ‘There is no significance in this change, ‘said Mr. Linick. ‘Our patrons in that neighborhood prefer moving pictures to vaudeville, and we’re trying to give then what they want. The price will be ten cents, as against the ten-twenty-thirty we charged for vaudeville. Our downtown houses, the Orpheum, La Salle, Colonial and McVickers will go along just as they have been” (Sat. January 14, 1914, page 551).

Moses would also deliver scenery to the Colonial Theatre, also managed by Jones, Linick and Schaefer.  In 1913, Moses wrote, “ “A good, big contract for the Colonial, city– a very complete set.” The addition of “city” means that it was a complete city setting for the theater, a perfect setting for many vaudeville acts. 

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “On the 20^th of May, I completed in less than eight hours, a dark wood drop, 24×40, without any help.  That is something I never accomplished before – that much in that time.  Sosman was pleased with it.  I didn’t wait for anything to dry – worked in the wet.” We can get some sense of Moses’ woodland composition for the stage at the time.  Many of his landscapes still hang in in Scottish Rite theaters across the country, including his 1912 setting for the Santa Fe Scottish Rite that Jo Whaley photographed for our book “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018).

Moses was 57 years old in 1913, with almost four decades of experience as a scenic artist behind him. His specialty remained landscapes, particularly picturesque woodland scenes with babbling brooks or small waterfalls running through the composition. He was very good and very fast by this point in his career.

Moses’ reputation was built on his speed, a skill set that he remained proud of until his passing. He was certainly a workhorse and asset to any project, or studio. As a young scenic artist he wrote, “I was full of ambition and hustle.  If I had been endowed with a like amount of ability I would have set the world on fire… The others were able to draw more, because they were better in the artistic end, but I had it over them when it came to speed.”

In the end, it was a scenic artist’s speed that turned a profit at any studio. It was speed that initially secured Moses a position Sosman & Landis, and speed that elevated him to the position as Sosman’s right-hand man. Moses’ innate drive resulted in the rapid production of painted settings at Sosman & Landis throughout his duration there, amassing large profits for the stakeholders. This is one of the reasons that Sosman pleaded with Moses to return to the studio in 1904 and supervise all design, painting, construction and installation from that point on; his drive would ensure success. Moses left his growing business in New York City (Moses & Hamilton) and returned to Sosman & Landis’ main studio in Chicago.

In the end, Moses expected all of his colleagues to work at his same rapid pace. I completely understand where he is coming from as I also expect that of my fellow artists too. Moses’ impatience with slower co-workers is very apparent throughout his memoirs.  For example, in 1907, he commented on the speed of fellow scenic artist Ansel Cook who was the shop manager at Sosman & Landis’ annex studio on 19th street. Moses wrote, “We opened our annex studio at 19 W. 20th Street in July, and Ansel Cook went there as a manager…He did some very good work but was a long time doing it, which, of course, didn’t pay us.” Moses divided his time between Sosman & Landis’ main and annex studios that year and after one extended absence wrote, “Took charge of the 20^th Street Studio on my return weeks.  Cook did $750.00 of work in three weeks. My first three amounted to $3,500.00, some difference. I hustled while he talked art and what the firm ought to do to get business.” In Moses’ eyes, anyone that didn’t “hustle” couldn’t pull his full weight at the studio.

I too have built a reputation based on quick turn around times and high productivity. Much has to do with my individual drive and incentive; the other reason is that I don’t like stopping for breaks or slowing down.  I hate sitting still and frequently forgo breaks or meals maintain my pace and productivity. I often don’t want to stop until the end of the day. For me it is difficult to watch any co-worker puddle around or stop mid-way in a project to take a fifteen-minute break.

I have also noticed that one slow person can drop the overall productivity in any shop, reducing any group speed to match that of the slowest worker. So, I sympathize with Moses, sharing his views of those who did not “hustle.”  Any supervisor of a shop looks for an excuse to drop the dead weight, which Moses touched upon in 1913 when commenting on a Union strike.

Moses wrote, “The Union called a strike because Sosman refused to sign a new scale of wages.  I prevailed upon Sosman to sign as I disliked any labor trouble.  It only results in being obliged to weed out some of the non-producers.”  Weed out some non-producers. That says a lot and may have been Sosman’s main goal. Sosman was also known for his speed, as were most of the top scenic artists of the day. An artist working at a snail’s pace gouged the profit margin of any project. 

Moses also touches upon an interesting perspective regarding union strikes; providing an opportunity for a company to “weed out the non-producers.” As the vice-president of the company and supervisor of all Sosman & Landis activities, Moses was on the front line, not Sosman. Regardless of Moses’ desire to make peace with the staff, Sosman still controlled the administrative end of the business and held a tight fist on wages.  In 1913, Moses was in charge of all design, construction, painting and installation at the main studio and annex studio in Chicago, but not the wages. 

If the strike ended poorly, Moses was the one who would have to continue supervising a group of disgruntled workers, realizing the potential problems if a significant number of the scenic artists were to leave “en masse.” Moses would have been left holding the bag and scrambling for their replacements, all the while understanding the deep-seeded sentiment of his fellow artists.  He was really caught in the middle during 1913, and his fear of a group of journeymen artists leaving the studio would happen seven years later. In 1920, six scenic artists left the Sosman & Landis studio to form Service Studios. This would have caused more than a ripple in the shop, especially is a large project was in the studio at the time. The former Sosman & Landis employees even marketed black and white photographs depicting Sosman & Landis designs as their own, carefully compiled in sales books. This is really the beginning of the end for Sosman & Landis.  The shift in demand for painted scenery, the rise of the modern designer, the pressure of the union, and the desires of stock holders are just a few factors that are all at odds during this time.  Sure, business will keep pouring in, but the challenges will continue to gain ground and suddenly seem insurmountable after Sosman’s death in 1915.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We had a road show called ‘The Bulgarian Romance.’ Rather a good opportunity for effects.”

The play was reported to be a version of the first act of “The Balkan Princess.” Both “The Balkan Princess” and “The Bulgarian Romance” starred the same leading lady, Julia Gifford, a vaudeville actress who later married Bob Fitzsimmons. The “Edmonton Journal” reported, “The one-act musical comedy was written especially for the ex-champion’s wife [Mrs. Bob Fitzsimmons], and after rehearsing in Chicago the company started for Edmonton, which is the first on the circuit” (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 19 May 1913, page 2).

Fitzsimmons was formerly known to vaudeville and musical comedy fame as Julia May Gifford. The show was described as “Light, airy and witty, with well defined plot, with characters attired in the gay gowns of the ‘Near East’ and with graceful nymphs of dancing girls and well trained mail chorus…Pleasing and wholesome with plenty of adventure and fun, and with music of exquisite sweetness throughout, this operetta easily leads anything which has appeared at this popular theatre since it opened to the Eugene [Oregon] public” (The Eugene Guard, 14 July 1913, page 6).

The show ran approximately 50 minutes in lengths and was billed with other vaudeville acts. In Salt Lake City, acts that accompanied “The Bulgarian Romance,” included the Velde Trio and their trained dogs, Leonard and Drake, Lopez and Lopez, Edith Haney and company, and Courtney and Jeanette” (The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 Sept 1913, page 46).

“The Eugene Guard” described the play on 14 July 1913:

“The plot tells of a defiant prince, who reuses to yield to the invitation of a match making king, who wants the prince to meet and love his daughter. The princess appears incog. at a music hall, which the prince frequents, and wins his heart. When he makes love to her and is really smitten, she divulges her identity, and having in the meantime fallen in love with him herself, she accepts both his apology and proposal of marriage and the result that they ‘live happily ever after’” (page 6).

The show toured with a company of “fourteen splendid singing and dancing girls” “The San Francisco Examiner, 21 July 1913, page 5). The leading man was N. E. Dano, who “first won his laurels in Vienna and they showed with even brighter luster under the critical glare of the footlights of Paris, where critics bestowed unstinted praise” (The Eugene Guard, 14 July 1913, page 6).

Of scenery produced by Sosman & Landis, newspaper articles reported, “The stage setting is elaborate, artistic and beautiful” (The Eugene Guard, 14 July 1913, page 6). When the show toured Minnesota, the Bemidji “Pioneer” reported, “There is one great scene, that of a Bulgarian café and during the action of the beautiful musical skit there are six sweet musical numbers…there is a world of beautiful lighting, especially a stone bridge, which is lighted from the rear” (1 May 1913, page 3).

The mention of lighting is a marked departure from many newspapers reviews prior to this time. Lighting for any effect was seldom described in any detail. Once the scenic artist was recognized alongside the leading performer. By 1913 stage critiques take a new direction, emphasizing other technical aspects of the show.

To be continued…

For well over a year I have posted a historic stage setting every day to my Facebook group “Dry Pigment.” This post is then shared with other groups for digital dissemination, but not here. I often group stage compositions on a theme, posting one version after another over the course of a week. In the past I have covered landscapes, seascapes, palaces, dungeons, hell scenes, cathedrals, and much more. The images are often from scenery evaluations that I completed over the past few decades while traveling throughout the United States of America.

I return to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses tomorrow on November 11, 2019. For the past week, I have been sharing my Dry Pigment Facebook Group posts, as it helps illustrate the scenic aesthetic that I write about each day.

I primarily post daily pictures of historic backdrops each day for my fellow scenic artists, many of whom were not exposed to this history during their training. I always hope that this small and consistent gesture will help others with their future projects and research.

Today’s Dry Pigment post looks at two sketches created by the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, now stored at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. They are part of the Twin City Scenic Company collection and also part of an online database. Although the database has become increasingly difficult to navigate after changing servers recently, it is still worth checking out. Here is the link: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/search?facet_field=collection_name_s&facets%5Bcollection_name_s%5D%5B%5D=Scenic+Collections

For well over a year I have posted a historic stage setting every day to my Facebook group “Dry Pigment.” This post is then shared with other groups for digital dissemination, but not here. I often group stage compositions on a theme, posting one version after another over the course of a week. In the past I have covered landscapes, seascapes, palaces, dungeons, hell scenes, cathedrals, and much more. The images are often from scenery evaluations that I completed over the past few decades while traveling throughout the United States of America.

While I take a break from the life and time of Thomas G. Moses until November 11, 2019, I am going to share my Dry Pigment FB Group posts. It helps illustrated the scenic aesthetic that I have been writing about for over three years.

I primarily post daily pictures of historic backdrops each day for my fellow scenic artists, many of whom were not exposed to this history during their training. I always hope that this small and consistent gesture will help others with their future projects and research.

Today’s Dry Pigment post looks at a backdrop created at the Twin City Scenic Drapery Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, now stored at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

I teach a specific class for Rachel Keebler at Cobalt Studios in New York once a year. Over the course of three and a half days, I lecture on historic scene painting, train students in handling dry pigment, and explain painting techniques while students complete several dry pigment projects.

The class goes far beyond replicating a few historic compositions, with me offering suggestions along the way for a successful completion. We look in depth at color characteristics, value placement, compositional layout and brush stroke.  In each case the individual projects are tailored to each student, regardless of their skill level. I hate having an entire class replicate the exact same piece, and try to give each student as much power as possible to make it their own, or do a variation on a theme.  We all move in the same direction so that students can reference each other as we progress. Gray-scale images in addition to an original color source help when students opt for alternative color schemes.

For this particular class, none of the students had ever mixed dry pigment and size water (diluted hide glue) together for scenic art. In itself, this is a challenge. The wet dry pigment colors on the palette may not even remotely resemble their dry version is on the canvas. Also, many of the colors contain a high dye content and can bleed through or interact poorly with other colors.  Part of each class is to complete a color wheel, exploring the various color interactions, reinforcing what we discuss. 

This year we started the class with painting two water compositions. By the end of the first day, we had explored glazing, opaque washes, and the necessary value contrast to suggest water movement.

The second day, we looked at painting techniques for glass and metal, painting two contrasting projects.

The third day we completed a shield that integrated all of the painting techniques explored in the previous two days.

Our final half-day was a time for completion, reflection, looking at other brush strokes required for other compositions and clean up. In other qwords, if a student finished early by day four, I asked, “What do you want to learn now?”  In some cases it may be foliage or draperies.

This was a really good group of personalities. After a full day of painting and group meals, many students returned to the studio to work on their projects. It says a lot about the enthusiasm of the students. Overall, it was a delightful experience and I can’t wait to return next year.

For well over a year I have posted a historic stage setting every day to my Facebook group “Dry Pigment.” This post is then shared with other groups for digital dissemination, but not here. I often group stage compositions on a theme, posting one version after another over the course of a week. In the past I have covered landscapes, seascapes, palaces, dungeons, hell scenes, cathedrals, and much more. The images are often from scenery evaluations that I completed over the past few decades while traveling throughout the United States of America.

While I take a break from the life and time of Thomas G. Moses until November 11, 2019, I am going to share my Dry Pigment FB Group posts. It helps illustrated the scenic aesthetic that I have been writing about for over three years.

I primarily post daily pictures of historic backdrops each day for my fellow scenic artists, many of whom were not exposed to this history during their training, or friends who are completely unfamiliar with this form of American popular entertainment. I always hope that this small and consistent gesture will help others with their future projects and research.

Today’s Dry Pigment post looks at the source, design and final backdrop created at the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the opera house in Milton, North Dakota

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