I leave
town this morning for the League of Historic American Theatre’s National
conference in Philadelphia. The life and times of Thomas G. Moses will be put
on hold until my return around July 20. As with past travels, my blog will shift
to “Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar.”
On June 17,
2019, I present a session as part of the Tools & Techniques Segment on
Wednesday, July 17– “Uncovering the History of Your Theatre or Cinema:
Knowing Where to Look.” Here is the link to the conference schedule: http://www.lhat.org/conferences/national-conference/schedule
Here is the LHAT session description: “Tracking down information
pertaining to any historic theater is a challenge. Important records are lost
and significant artifacts disappear over time. Those with institutional memory
depart before sharing their knowledge. The search for your theater’s history
may seem impossible. Fortunately, we
live at a time when access to historical information is just waiting to be
discovered online – one just has to know how and where to look for it. Uncovering little gems connected to your
theater’s past not only draws a community together, but also helps market your
theater, generate community support, and secure grant funding. This session
will help you track down information about your historic theater, its original
construction, ornamentation, painted settings, past productions, and performers
that graced your stage. Whether you are
a theatre manager, board member, professional, or enthusiastic novice, this
session will help you discover lost information that is much needed whether you
are starting a renovation, applying for a historical register, or submitting a
grant application. After attending this session, you will be better enabled to
successfully locate valuable information about your venue. Whether you
represent a cinema, historic theater, or are a theatre professional, you will
leave with a better understanding of our shared theatrical past.”
The topic for this session was prompted by my daily research
pertaining to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses. Like many, when I first
started researching historic theaters and scenic artists I paged through a card
catalogue and wandered the stacks. Hundreds of hours were send carefully paging
through various publications and bound journals in rare book rooms. As
technology and Internet resources continue to expand, I encounter more
information that I could have conceived as an undergraduate. The problem now is that there can be too much
information, unless you know how to refine the parameters of your search. Over the years, I have developed a few tricks
that help direct the search; where to look and what to look for in regard to
historic performance venues. Simply
typing in a question will often lead to too much information, therefore
complicating the task.
As with many business trips, I have decided to drive to
Philadelphia. Time on the road often results in the opportunity to visit at
historic sites, small-town opera houses, and abandoned theaters. This factor always
transforms a long drive into a treasure hunt.
In 1911,
Thomas G. Moses recorded that one of the studio projects was for the Columbia
Burlesque Theatre.
The Columbia Burlesque Theatre (1910-1927)Interior of the Columbia Burlesque Theatre
Opening on January 10, 1910, the venue was operated by the
Columbia Amusement Company from 1910 until 1927. Located on the northeast corner of Seventh
Avenue and 47th Street in Manhattan, it specialized in “clean” and
“family-oriented burlesque.” In other words, a series of variety acts, often
with an overall theme. Similar to a vaudeville house, it was advertised as “the
house that brought distinction to burlesque” (New York Times, 12 Nov. 1911,
page 11).
Featured in the publication, “Architecture and Building” the
Columbia Theatre and Office building was a twelve-story structure in the
Italian Renaissance style, designed by W. H. McElfatrick. Interestingly, Julius
Cahn’s 1912, Official Theatrical Guide listed W. H. McElfatrick’s offices as
“Columbia Theatre Building, NY, Cor. Broadway and 47th St.” His
advertisement noted, “Theatrical Bldg. A Specialty, “ with other New York
theater projects including the Knickerbocker Theatre, the Metropolitan Opera
House, the Manhattan Opera House, Manhattan Opera House, Lincoln Square
Theatre, New York Theatre, Criterion Theatre, Broadway Theatre, Empire Theatre,
Bijou Theatre, Bronx Theatre, Hudson Theatre, Harlem Opera House, Alhambra
Theatre, Proctor’s 58th St. Theatre, Proctor’s 125th St.
Theatre, Murray Hill Theatre, Metropolis Theatre, Grand Opera House and the
Wadsworth Theatre.
Interior decorations for the Columbia Burlesque Theater were
credited to John Wanamaker, with the mural above the proscenium, “Goddesses of
the Arts,” painted by Arthur Thomas, R.A. The building had a frontage of 88
feet on Seventh Avenue and 148 feet on Forty-seventh Street. (Vol. 42, page
218) The theater had a seating capacity of 1,340 (Orchestra, 548, balcony 346,
gallery 350 and boxes 96). The stage from the curtain line to the back wall was
30 feet deep, with a proscenium opening measuring 34 feet wide by 31 feet high.
Mural above the proscenium at the Columbia Burlesque Theatre, New York.
As an aside, in 1910, “College Girl” was staged at the
Columbia. This was in this production that Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. noticed Fanny
Brice, and then secured Brice’s release from her Columbia contract to appear in
his 1910 Follies.
Although Moses did not mention any details pertaining to his
work for the Columbia in 1911, it is possible that the project was Cliff Gordon
and Robert North’s staged adaptation of “The Merry Whirl.” The show settled at
the Columbia Burlesque Theater for the summer run of 1911, after a successful
spring touring the country. The one-act comedy featured the comic duo of Morton
and Moore. Known as “The Crown Kings of Comedy,” the show was paired with
another one-act burlesque “The Magic Ring” (Brooklyn Times Union, 25 Nov. 1911,
page 7).
The “Merry Whirl” featured the Morton and Moore as the Cock
and the Snowman; the two characters were a specialty from the previous season. In
the second part of the show they played the roles of an American prizefighter
and his manager, stranded in Paris and disguised as commissioners for a
dressmaking establishment (The New York Times, 13 July 1911, page 9). One hit song from the show was “Alexander’s
Ragtime Band” by Irving Berlin.
Advertisement published on 1911, 23 July 1911
By 1925, however, the repertoire at the Columbia Burlesque
Theatre began to change, introducing many more risqué acts. By 1929, the “Daily
News” reported, “A report is the current that the Columbia burlesque theatre,
on 7th ave. will soon be demolished to make room for the largest
theatre in the world. The Radio-Keith-Orpheum Corporation is said to be behind
the deal. Plans for the new theatre, to exceed in size Roxy’s and the other big
film cathedrals, are supposedly now complete”
(20 July 1929, page 21).
While looking for information about the Columbia Burlesque
Theatre, an interesting article appeared in regard to activities on Fourteenth
Street in New York. On May 11, 1925, the “Rock Island Argus” reported, “An
immense Columbia burlesque theatre. Its curtain is the old kind that rolls up
on a pole” (page 6). This refers to the standard roll drop that dominated much
of 19th century American theatre.
In 1911, Thomas G. Moses
wrote, “I did a good ‘Mme. Butterfly’ set for Joe Sheehan.”
Joe Sheehan pictured in the “Lansing State Journal,” 14 March 1914 page 11
Joe Sheehan was the star of the Sheehan Opera Company of
Chicago, also known as the Sheehan English Opera Company. While I was looking
for information pertaining to the company and show, I happened upon an
interesting blog by Mary Lois – “Finding Myself in Hoboken.” Unbelievably, one
entry included a gentleman’s reminiscences about his wife’s grandfather, Joe
Sheehan. Posted on May 29, 2008, it provides some basic information about
Sheehan from an interesting and familial perspective. Slezak had been sent Lois
a series of emails since he discovered her blog. Lois commented, “He likes to
remember what Hoboken was like in the late 1940’s and through the 1950’s, and
he describes it vividly” (https://myselfinhoboken.blogspot.com/2008/05/).
She included the following sample:
“My wife’s dad – what a nice guy he was…played with the big bands during
the war. (His dad was an opera singer from Dublin who toured Europe with the
Carl Rosa opera company..he came to America in 1900…and started his own opera
company, Joseph Sheehan Opera Company …you can look him up on the computer.
In them days he was the greatest tenor English opera singer in the world. After
he retired from that he worked for RKO Radio studios in NYC…and later it
became NBC studios…he lived on Garden Street just across the street from me)
My wife’s both grandmothers lived across the street from me when I was a kid. I
have a picture of me and my wife in the same picture – she was 5. I was 9, not
knowing I would marry her some day and spend the rest of my life with her. I
got lucky and always had good luck…with every thing I did in life.”
In advertisements, Sheehan was billed as America’s Greatest
Tenor and Famous Opera Star” (The Akron Beacon, 5 April 1913, page 8). He
toured the company, starring in a series of operas that appeared in not only
large metropolitan areas, but also many small towns.
As I was examining the various performance venues where Sheehan appeared, one jumped out – the Wieting Theatre in Toledo, Iowa. His performance is mentioned on their current website (https://wieting.tamatoledo.com/theOpening). The history page noted, “The new curtains of the Wieting Opera House parted for the first time at 8 o’ clock on the evening of Sept. 12, 1912. A capacity “house,” all dressed for the gala occasion (especially those in the box seats), had paid $1.50, $2.00 or $2.50 per ticket to see the Sheehan English Opera Company’s presentation of “Il Trovatore.” The show featured Joseph F. Sheehan, “America’s Greatest Tenor” and a supporting cast of more than one hundred.”
Until two years ago, I was unaware of Toledo, Iowa. A
scenery evaluation brought me to the small town during the spring on 2017 to
examine their front curtain and present some information about the painted
aesthetic for early-twentieth-century stages.
At the time the Wieting Theatre was well ino the process of renovating
their entire stage area. I stayed at the home of the executive director and learned
quite a bit about how the history of the Wieting theatre, and its two sister
theaters in Syracuse and Worcester, New York.
These three memorial theaters have an intereting history in their own
right.
The front curtain by Twin City Scenic Co. at the Weiting Theatre in Toledo, Iowa.Painted detail of the front curtain at the Weiting Theatre in Toledo, Iowa.Painted detail of the front curtain at the Weiting Theatre in Toledo, Iowa.
The theaters are connected to Dr. P. G. Wieting and Helen “Ella”
Wilder. The couple was married on December 5th 1866, and initially lived in Worcester,
New York. Only staying in the area a short while, heir second homes was located
in Toledo Iowa by 1867. Dr. Wieting was successful dentist in Toledo, but also was
involved in many other business ventures. In 1878 Dr. Wieting and Helen’s father
started the Toledo City Bank. Though the Wietings eventually returned to the
East Dr. Wieting continued to be involved with the Toledo bank until
his passing in 1906.
To honor her husband after his death, Mrs. Wieting donated
theatres to the communities of Worcester, New York, and Toledo, Iowa. These
theatres were intended to carry on the name of her late husband while enriching
the communities. The Wietings were also
responsible for the construction of a previous Wieting Opera House in Syracuse,
New York. Although there had been a series of Weiting Opera Houses in Syracuse since
1852, Mrs. Wieting was responsible for the third and final building. The first
Wieting Opera House was donated to Syracuse by 19th century
physician and medical lecturer John M. Wieting, M.D. (1817-1888).
Attached are a few images of the front curtain from Toledo, Iowa.
In 1911, Sosman & Moses secured $25,350.00 in contracts
for the Brewers’ show at the Chicago Coliseum. The companies created a series
of exhibit booths for various breweries at the show. Thomas G. Moses recorded
that one of the clients was a Brewing Company in Dubuque, Iowa. The unnamed brewery
was likely the Dubuque Brewing and Malting Company.
The organization of the Dubuque Brewing and Malting Company primarily
resulted from a prohibitory state law in Iowa that proceeded national
legislation. Details of the company’s origin are quite fascinating, so here is
a brief summary. In 1892 an estimated fifty heirs from the four original Dubuque
brewers wanted to sell their interests. Unfortunately, they were unable to do
so because local and state legislation governing brewery property made the
business almost unsalable. To enable the legal sale of brewery interests, the
men owning the greats shares established the Dubuque Malting Company. This
entity took over the property from the heirs and simply paid them a rental fee.
Now despite Iowa’s prohibition law, brewing continued – go figure. Production
continued to such an extent that an estimated 50,000 barrels of beer were still
produced annually.
Some of the Dubuque Malting Company memorabilia listed for sale online
Their plan was to ensure that Dubuque Malting Company would
always continued to legally operate, despite any future legislation. They would
simply manufacture and sell brewers’ supplies, as well as all kinds of grain
products. Also, if any prohibition laws were then repealed, the managers could
quickly return to the brewing business again. In Iowa, prohibition closed the brewery
part of the on December 31, 1915. Iowa became one of thirty-two states that
became “dry” prior to the law being put into effect nationally in
1919. For more history about the Dubuque Brewing and Malting Company,
visit http://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=DUBUQUE_BREWING_AND_MALTING_COMPANY
Returning to the Brewer’s Show of 1911, Moses recorded a
trip to Iowa. Of the work in Dubuque, Moses wrote, “I made a trip to Dubuque,
Iowa, to close a contract with a Brewing Company and did so. We went out for a drive. Gathered in Jake Rosenthal of the Majestic
Theatre. On crossing the river, we ran
into a team. The driver was not hurt but
his horses got to rearing and upset the wagon, which was loaded with
dynamite. Nothing exploded. Rosenthal stood aside and said, ‘What a lucky
JEW I am.’”
Jake Rosenthal, published in Jake Rosenthal, “The Des Moines Register,” 24 Sept. 1936, page 13
Jake Rosenthal was a veteran showman, having been connected
with theaters in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Omaha before settling in
Dubuque. He managed one of the first two theaters on the Orpheum circuit and
was noted as introducing vaudeville of the Orpheum circuit type in Omaha and
Los Angeles (The Courier, 10 Feb 1938, page 12). In Dubuque, Rosenthal managed
the Majestic Theatre for twenty years, as well as the outdoor Airdome before
relocating to Waterloo to manage the Iowa Theatre in 1929 (The Courier,
Waterloo, Iowa, 10 Sept 1934, page 14).
Rosenthal was credited with giving a start to many famous
performers, including Harry Houdini and Elsie Janis “on their upward climb”
(The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, 22 Sept, 1936, page 11). Rosenthal was also known
as being the one to give Fred Astaire his start on the legitimate stage (The
Des Moines Register, 24 Sept. 1936, page 13).
In Rosenthal’s private life, he was affiliated with the Benevolent
Order of Protected Elks, the Knights of Pythias, Woodmen of the World, the
Showmen’s League of America, and many Masonic orders, including the Shrine.
Rosenthal passed away in 1936 at the age of 65 years old, his death caused by a
coronary obstruction.
His funeral was conducted at the Waterloo Masonic temple by
Rabbi Harold Gordon, pastor of the Sons of Jacob synagogue, Waterloo (The
Courier, 23 Sept. 1936, page 2). On September 23, 1936, “The Courier” reported,
“Scores of telegrams of condolence were received from persons associated with the
theatrical world, and other friends. Wires were sent by Morgan C. Ames,
Chicago, president of the Orpheum circuit; Doc Banford, general manager of the
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film exchange, St. Louis, Mo.; Mrs. Louis Murphy, widow of
the late Senator Murphy, Dubuque; John P. Mulgrew, Dubuque, author and playwright,
and Charles and Mary Brown, owners of the theatres in Iowa City.”
The Sosman & Landis studio was scrambling after losing a foreman carpenter and lead scenic artist during the month of February in 1911. On top of the loss, Joseph S. Sosman took another family vacation. Unfortunately for the studio staff, work kept pouring in that year. One of the largest projects handled by the studio that spring included a series of exhibits for the Brewer’s Show. Chicago hosted an International Brewers’ Congress during October 1911 that was devoted to showing visitors various beer exhibits.
In 1911 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Early in April I started on
the designs for the Brewers’ Show, in which they wanted to demonstrate that
beer is a food and not a beverage.” What
a great marketing ploy, proposing that beer was a meal. Advertisements in
“Western and Daheim,” a German-language Chicago newspaper, included
articles pertaining to the International Brewers’ Congress that year,
characterizing various beer and malt products as “The Family Beer,”
“The Source of Energy,” and “Malt-Marrow: A Perfect Score in
Health” (“Geschichte des Chicagoer Brauwesens,” Westen and Daheim,
October 15, 1911).
For the opening, the “Chicago Tribune” interviewed Henry E. O. Heinemann, the secretary of the exposition. Heinemann reported, “Thousands of dollars have been spent for the foundations alone, so tons of brewing machinery must be properly set. An army of painters, decorators, scene builders, and machinists was busy all day and far into the night getting everything ready for the opening” (12 October 1911, page 7). Of the event, the article commented, “Every brewer in the exposition is an ardent missionary, eager to convert America to the ways of Germany, of Belgium, of France…Beer, they asserted during the day, is not an ‘alcoholic’ drink. Continental Europeans do not regard it as such. Americans would not, they argues, if it were not for their habit of standing at bars and drinking in a hurry.”
As the project commenced, Moses wrote, “We started Brewer’s
work at the 20th Street studio, with an extra number of men.” Of the event, Moses wrote, “The Brewer’s Show
opened October 12th with enormous crowds. Had a lot of trouble getting our work into
the building….Sosman was well pleased, as there was a good profit in the
work. Some of the brewers thought I had
overcharged them.” In the end, the Brewery Show of 1911 was a success. By
October 23, over 94,000 patrons attended the exposition and consumed over
500,000 glasses of beer (Statesman Journal, 24 Oct, 1911, page 9).
Of course, there were many groups opposed to the event too,
including the Anti-liquor force headed by the Chicago Christian Endeavor union
who were rallying for a mass meeting to protest against the brewers’ exposition
(Dixon Evening Telegraph, 16 Oct, 1911, page 5). Local headlines also reported,
“Brewer’s Show Drinking is On Increase. Consumption of Beverage is Three Times
Greater Than the Growth of Population” (Star-Gazette, Elmira, New York, 21 Oct,
1911, page 3). The “Star-Gazette” noticed that “The volume of beer business has
reached its highest point in the history of the trade.”
Moses also added, “Mr. Sosman would have nothing to do with
it, and told me to go after it and get $10,000.00 out of it if possible.” There
was $25,350.00 in contracts before all was finished for the event. Today’s equivalent purchasing power of
$25,350 in 1911 is $683,361.28 – a sizable amount of work.
The studio’s first contract for the event was for
$1,150.00. Moses recorded that the
Schoenhoffen Brewing Company exhibit featured the “celebrated ‘Edelweiss.’” Edelweiss was the Schoenhoffen Brewing
Company’s flagship brand. Advertisements from the time included “Delicious
Satisfaction is an Edelweiss Attraction,” “Phone Before Eleven – Delivered
before Seven,” “Here’s the Case, You be the Judge,” and “Phone for a Case to be
Sent to Your Place.”
Edelweiss Beer advertisement
Founded in 1860 by Prussian immigrant Peter Schoenhofen (1827-1893), the brewery was located 18th and Canalport by 1862. During the 1860s, the made approximately 600 barrels of lager beer each year. Production continued to increase throughout the nineteenth century. By 1868, the annual output was 10,000 barrels. By 1890, Chicago was the nation’s sixth largest beer producer, with thirty-four breweries manufacturing over 1,000,000 dollars worth of beer annually. By 1900, the annual capacity of Schoenhoffen Brewing Company was 1,200,000 barrels – big business. The Schoenhofen brewery eventually housed fifteen buildings over seven acres, two miles south of downtown Chicago. The last expansion to the brewery’s complex at this location occurred during 1912, the year after the Brewer’s Show.
Edeweiss ad from 1910Edelweiss poster
As an interesting aside, www.forgottenchicago.com reports that members of the Schoenhofen family used the Brewery’s tower to broadcast radio messages to German agents during World War I, prompting federal agents to seize the brewery. This claim, however, remains unsubstantiated.
The Schoenhoffen Brewing Company was acquired by the National Brewery Company in 1928. Operations ceased during the Prohibition Era, but reopened in 1933 after the national ban on alcohol production was lifted. The Schoenhofen-Edelweiss Co. was eventually purchased by the Atlas Brewing Co. in the late 1940s, then became part of Dewery’s Ltd. of South Bend, Indiana, in 1951. Dewery’s even reintroduced the famous Edelweiss brand in 1972.
In 1911, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Mr. Brown, our foreman
carpenter, died February 27th, very suddenly.” Sosman & Landis
suffered the loss of their foreman carpenter the same month that they also
unexpectedly lost one of their veteran scenic artists. David A. Strong passed
away on February 5, 1911. This caused a monumental shift for the company; one
compounded with the increasing absences of company founder Joseph S. Sosman.
Two deaths and an absentee studio owner could not have come
at a worse time, as it was an extremely busy year at Sosman & Landis. A few
of the 1911 projects mentioned by Moses in his typed memoirs include, the
Columbia Burlesque Theatre, a “Mme. Butterfly” set for Joe Sheehan, multiple designs
for the Brewers’ Show, stock scenery for the Keeley, two unidentified projects
in St. Louis, “picture contracts” in Fort Wayne and Chattanooga, Masonic work
in Lawrence, Kansas, Cheyenne, Wyoming, and, Memphis, Tennessee, as well as a
“good curtain” for Lincoln, Nebraska. In
addition to Moses records, historical newspapers list dozens of projects that
were not mentioned by Moses during 1911.
One of the hundreds of Masonic drops painted at Sosman & Landis in 1911. This one ended up in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Work was plentiful across the country, with many of the contracts
being secured by Moses. Since 1904, when he returned to the studio for a final
time, Moses continued to increase his national reputation for speed and
quality. He was becoming synonymous with the high standard associated with
Sosman & Landis. In a sense, Moses
had slowly become the face of the company, securing many contracts based on the
strength of his sketches and design work. He wrote, “Closed another contract on
the strength of my sketches – $1,800.00.
I was obliged to remain at the Clinton Street studio only going to 20th
Street every other day.” It was no surprise that the Board of Directors immediately
elected Moses president of Sosman & Landis when Joseph Sosman passed away
in 1915.
Sosman & Landis’ 20th Street studio, also
referred to as the annex, is where Moses and his crew were often working –
unless Sosman was away on business. The
main studio on Clinton Street housed the company’s official offices, sewing
rooms and carpentry area. In a sense,
the annex was a bit of an oasis, apart from the hustle and bustle of sixty
employees in the Clinton Street space.
The 20th Street studio only employed a quarter of the main
work force, approximately fifteen artists and their assistants.
Unfortunately, after the passing of Strong and Brown during
the month of February, the main studio on Clinton Street needed guidance, and
direct supervision. Moses needed to fill a few roles by March, while scrambling
to replace a lead artist and carpenter. In the past, Moses’ right hand man, Ed
Loitz would manage the 20th Street studio during Moses’ absence, but
there were too many moving parts and Loitz was working on other projects that
spring. Of the crew at the annex, Moses wrote,”Pausback had his hands full.
Scott acted bad. Got Geo. Schultz on the
staff at 20th Street.” A quick turnover was happening and new
personalities were constantly being added to the mix.
Everything was going to rapidly change, with Toomey &
Volland of St. Louis, soon surpassing their Chicago competition.
In 1911, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Sosman left for a
California trip February 9th.
Again I had to buckle down to the desk.”
In addition to overseeing the artistic design, construction, and installation
of all projects, he was now responsible for Sosman’s administrative duties. The previous year, Sosman left for fifteen
weeks, only giving Moses a few days notice before his departure. 1911, was
another busy year for the studio as the projects kept increasing in number and
scope.
During this time, Moses was also negotiating with the union.
He wrote, “The Pictorial Sign Painters got our Artists in line for their Union
– all’s good if they get all our competitors.” Moses was speaking of the
artists who belonged the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paper Hangers
of America at the time. At this time, the Union label began to appear on many
Sosman & Landis drops, as well as their competitors, such as the Twin City
Scenic Company. The shops employed proud union members that had a label to
prove it.
Sign and Pictorial Painters float, local 820, in 1910. Posted at https://iupat.org/about-us/our-history/Advertisement for the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paper Hangers Union label. Posted at https://iupat.org/about-us/our-history/Label stenciled on the back of many backdrops by various studiosUnion label on a Sosman & Landis backdropUnion label on the back of a Twin City Scenic Studios backdropUnion label on a backdrop manufactured at the Fabric Studios.
The Brotherhood of Painters and Decorators of America was
organized formally in 1887. Within a year, the union boasted a membership of
over 7,000 tradesmen and more than 100 local unions. In 1910 the
Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paper Hangers issued eighty-three
charters and gained in membership 6,658; death benefits $86,249; death benefits
members’ wives, $9,325; disability benefits, $10,975, donations to other unions
$5,000 (The Indianapolis News, 28 Jan, 1911, page 14).
By 1911, there were 75,000 members in good standing and were
the third largest organization of the A. F. of L. (The Barre Daily, 7 June
1911, page 1). Of the all the membership, two were women. On June 28, 1911, the
“Indianapolis News” reported, “Champaign, Ill., June 28 – Miss Kathleen Durham,
of Urbana, has been elected a member of Champaign local 363, Brotherhood of
Painters, Decorators and Paper Hangers of America. She has the honor of being
one of two women members of the union in the United States.” That same year, a Miss
Madge Claiborne from Galveston, Texas, was also listed as the “only woman sign
painter” (Washington Post, 22 July 1911). Women had played an active role in
the profession for years, but had seldom recognized or recorded for their contributions.
In regard to the Union in 1911, National President George F.
Hedrick explained, “during the past ten years the organization has increased
its wages in 700 cities and has reduced its working hours from 10 and 11 hours
per day to 8 hours, and that the organization was doing everything that it
could to promote the labor movement in this country (The Barre Daily, 7 June
1911, page 1). The “Barre Daily” article continued, “In speaking of the trusts
[Hedricks] said that he was not a man to be continually howling against the
trusts. He said that he believed in the combination of capital just as much as
he believed in the combinations of labor organizations ‘I believe an employer
has his rights and that they ought to be respected, but when they bear down
unjustly upon the rights of their employees it is time for the laboring men to
act. If it had not been for the labor unions the working men of his country
would be even worse off than they were years ago when working 10 and 11 hours a
day. But now through the efforts of the unions the time has come that if you
asked manufacturers to go back to 10 hours a day and no Saturday half holidays
he would hold up his hands in holy horror at the very thought of doing it.
Still when the movement was first advanced they said that they unions were ruining
their business, but it has proven that the labor organizations are doing a
great work towards bettering the conditions of humanity in this country.’”
That fall, an interesting article appeared in several
newspapers. I am including the article
in its entirety, as it provides additional context for Moses’ mention of union
artists that year. Here is the article in its entirety:
“An Interesting Election.
Chicago, Nov. 27. – An election for general officers of the
Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paper Hangers of America will take
place in December. It is attracting a great deal of attention among labor men
in general, for more reasons than one. It is claimed by members prominent in
the Painters’ union, that there last convention, which was held in Cincinnati,
December, 1909, was largely dominated by the Madden gang of Chicago, as
evidenced by the fact that his henchmen, John M. Finan, was elected first vice
president. And further that Geo. F. Hedrick, who is now up for re-election as
general president, was elected by the same influence.
“The Chicago local, of which John M. Finan is a member,
local 147, is about as reactionary as they are to be found, and Finan is said
to be representative of his local union. The progressive members of the
Painters’ union are alive to the kind of men who have been representing (?)
them officially for the past two years and are active in their efforts to
defeat them.
“Charles Lammert of St. Louis, who is opposing Hedrick for
the office of general president, is well and favorably known in labor circles,
having been active in the St. Louis movement for many years, both in the federation
of labor and the Painter’s union. He has the solid support of the progressive
element of the painters and is in line with the advance movement of labor.
“The defeat of Finan for re-election as first vice president
is almost conceded, he being opposed by one of the strongest men in the
brotherhood of painters. Otto Damm of local 194, Chicago. This local union has
the distinction of being the largest in the brotherhood with a membership of
2,000.
Among others whom the progressives are supporting to defeat
the old machine, is listed: A. J. McKeon of Bridgeport, Conn., for second vice president;
Wm. Rodriguez of Chicago for delegate to the American Federation of Labor
convention 1912 and 1913, and Herman Jesse of Davenport, Ia., for delegate to
the building reads department” (Black Hills Daily Register, 27 Nov., 1911, page
4).
In 1911, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“Our beloved David Strong fell dead on the Street February 5th. He was a grand old man – past 80 years. He was employed and was at work in Fords
Theatre in Washington on the night that Lincoln was assassinated. The Doctor who attended Lincoln was a
personal friend of Strong’s, and as the Doctor was cutting Lincoln’s hair to
get at the wound, he put hair in his coat pocket instead of throwing it on the
floor. He forgot until sometime next
day. He gave Strong a bit of it, which
he kept to his dying day. Strong was the
“daddy” of all Masonic designs and he was a 32nd Degree man. His color was deep and rich and his drawings
very correct.”
David A. Strong
I have explored Strong’s
contribution to theatre history repeatedly over the past three years, but here
is a recap. Strong was a designer, scenic artist and stage mechanic.
David Austin Strong was born on January 20, 1830 in East
Windsor, a town in Hartford County, Connecticut. He was the youngest of
ten children born to Erastus Strong and Lucy Wolcott Drake. As a young man, Strong moved to New
Haven and primarily worked as a decorative and sign painter. It was not
until the age of twenty-one that Strong entered the theatre profession, working
as both a stage manager and scenic artist for Homan’s Theatre in New Haven. It
was his early experience at Homan’s that greatly shaped both his personal and
professional life. Strong married the star actress of the Homan’s Theatre Company,
Esther Hosmer. However, his artistic life was shaped by friend and fellow artist Thaddeus Frisbie.
Strong and Frisbie formed a
decorative painting company in New Haven, Connecticut during the 1850s. The partnership ended when Frisbie passed
away in 1859. At the time, Frisbie was only 34 years old and it still remains
unclear the exact nature of their relationship. In the end, both artists shared
the same gravesite with their respective wives and children. Frisbie, his wife
and children are all interred in the Strong family plot at Evergreen Cemetery
in New Haven.
Shortly after Frisbie’s death Strong left the area. Throughout the 1860s, Strong primarily worked in Eastern theaters, specializing in visual spectacles. His first nationally significant work appears in Washington D.C. during 1863. “Strong’s Washington and the War” opened on May 18, 1863. On May 22, the National Republican of Washington, D.C., advertised the panoramic exhibition Strong’s Washington and the War, as “designed and executed by the celebrated artist Mr. David A. Strong,” heralding Strong as a genius. The exhibition included a series of representations of the City of Washington, with its street, houses, public buildings, fortifications, promenades, public levees, hospitals, stores, and hotels.”
During March of 1864, Strong created the scenery for the “Grand
Fairy Spectacle of the Seven Sisters and the Birth of Cupid in the Bower of
Ferns.” This production played at Ford’s Theatre during November 1864. Strong
was listed as living in Washington, D.C. during 1864, at 334 E Street N. In
Washington, D.C., he worked at a variety of performance venues, including Williard’s
Hall and Grover’s Theatre, as well as Ford’s Theatre. His work at Ford’s during
this time gives credence to his story about being at the theatre the night
President Lincoln was assassinated.
Throughout 1865, Strong lived and worked in the District of
Columbia. By December of that year, Strong was credited as producing as
elaborate spectacle for the production of “L’Africaine.” A December 29, 1865,
article in “The National Republican”commented
that the settings were “greatly superior to the one given in London, and in
every respect equal to the famous New York Scene.”
It was Strong’s grasp of staged spectacle that would greatly
affect his involvement with grand burlesque spectacles of this same era, such
as the premiere of The Black Crook at
Niblo’s Garden Theatre in 1866. Strong was part of the technical crew that created the
original scenery for the production of “The Black Crook” in 1866 at Niblo’s
Garden Theatre. His fellow scenic artists included, Richard Marston, Robert
Smith, Lafayette W. Seavey, and William Wallack. That same year, he also
painted “Rip Van Winkle” with E. Hayes. By 1868, he painted scenery for an act for
“The White Fawn” at Niblo’s. During the 1860s, Strong began working in Chicago
too.
In 1874, Strong permanently
relocated to Chicago, establishing his new home in this bustling city that
continued to rebuild and expand after the Great Fire of 1871. He worked as the
scenic artist for a variety of theaters, including the Adelphi Theatre,
Haverly’s Theatre and McVicker’s Theatre. In Chicago, Strong joined the
Oriental Consistory of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. From 1878 to 1885, he primarily
worked in Chicago at Haverly’s Theatre, receiving accolades for new scenery
that accompanied new productions, such as Dion Boucicault’s “The Shaughraun.”
In Chicago that Strong joined the Ancient
and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Raised in Hiram Lodge No. 1 during
1852, he entered the Oriental Consistory during 1876 and was instrumental in
the development of Masonic degree productions in the Northern Masonic
Jurisdiction. He received the Honorary 33rd degree for his continued
contribution to the theatrical settings for degree work. When Moses credited
Strong as being “the Daddy of Masonic Design,” it was likely for more than simply
his scenic art. Strong’s knowledge of stage machinery and spectacle would have
been instrumental in transforming Scottish Rite ritual into degree productions.
In the larger context of American theatre history, Strong
was one of the last scenic artists noted as a member of the Dusseldorf school. In
the 1892 article, “Paint Mimic Scenes, Men Who Have Found Fame in the Wing and
Drop Curtains,” Strong was noted as one of the premiere scenic artists working
in the United States at the time (Chicago Tribune, Dec, 18, 1892, page 41). The
article reported, “David Strong, ‘Old Trusty,’ still at work in this city, is
the only survivor of the good old Dusseldorf school. Everything that comes from his facile brush –
and he could walk over miles of canvas of his own painting – has the quality of
opaqueness peculiar to his school and seldom found nowadays.” It was this “quality of opaqueness” that was in
direct contrast to the English practice of glazing, a tradition that dominated
much scenic art along the Eastern Seaboard. The opaque application of
solid color also meant that a subject could be worked up from dark to light.
The use of glazes typically meant that the composition was worked up from light
to dark. Each was successful, yet supported differing approaches when mixing
paint and applying color to the composition. For example, the scenic art of
Russell Smith (1812-1896) is characteristic of the English practice of glazing,
whereas the scenic art of David A. Strong is characteristic of the “slap dash”
tradition.
Detail of backdrop possibly painted by David A. Strong, ca. 1901.Detail of backdrop possibly painted by David A. Strong, ca. 1901.Detail of backdrop possibly painted by David A. Strong, ca. 1901.
The significance of Strong’s passing in 1911 is more than
the passing of an individual artist, it signified the passing of a
generation. His influence in the
production of scenery for Scottish Rite collections and commercial scenery delivered
by Sosman & Landis vanishes at this point. Strong’s work represented an
older generation of scenic artists, one that is still preserved in Scottish
Rite theaters across the country. Although his painting for commercial theater
primarily disappeared over a century ago, his work still lives on in Masonic
degree productions.
Detail of backdrop possibly painted by David A. Strong, ca. 1901.
In 1911, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“Syracuse, N.Y. claimed my personal attention for awhile, and I did my best
work for it.” Without the name of a show or a specific theater, it is difficult
to know where Moses worked in Syracuse during January of 1911.
Postcard of the Empire Theatre in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse theaters listed in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the 1910-1911 seasons included the Bastable Theatre, the Crescent Theatre, the Grand Opera House, Grand Theatre and the Wieting Opera House. The following year, Syracuse theaters expanded to include the Empire Theatre and Keith’s Theatre. Based on that information, I started to do a little digging and discovered that Sosman & Landis delivered the stock scenery collection to the Empire Theatre in when it opened in 1911. The Onandaga Historical Association includes a collection of photographs taken during February 1911 when finishing touches were being completed in the auditorium.
By March 1911, there were regular advertisements placed in the Amusements section of the “Post Standard.” Tickets were on sale for shows at the Onandaga Hotel, with prices ranging from fifty cents to two dollars.
The original drop curtain
depicted a picturesque forest scene, divided by a babbling brook – a signature
Moses composition.
Located on S. Salina Street, the
theater was designed by the local architectural firm Tabor &
Baxter. Previously, the firm was responsibly for a series of residential
structures. The seating capacity for the Empire Theatre was 1709, including 707
on the lower floor, 452 in the balcony, 486 in the gallery and 64 in the
boxes. The proscenium measured 40 feet
high by x 50 feet wide. The depth if the stage was 42 feet from the footlights
to the back wall, with 72 feet between the side walls and 54 feet between the
fly girders. The height of the stage house measured 70 feet from the stage
floor to the rigging loft and 30 feet from the stage floor to the fly gallery.
The backstage area boasted fifteen dressing rooms, a sizeable number for a
large touring production. There was also
an orchestra pit that accommodated up to eight musicians.
The Empire Theatre was renamed DeWitt Theater during the 1930s.
By 1940, however, the name reverted back to the Empire Theater name while under
the management of RKO, primarily featuring movies. At the time, the space was also
“modernized,” to give the auditorium a Streamline-Moderne appearance. The
ornamental makeover was completed under the direction of architect Michael J.
DeAngelis. Part of the renovation included walling over the original opera
boxes and decorating the space with Art Deco elements.
The original building still stands and is now known as Empire
House. Unfortunately, the rear auditorium was demolished in 1961, and the
remainder of the building divided into apartments and offices.
In 1911, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“As a member of the Chicago Society of Artists, I had a water color with a
Society Exhibition, and sold it for a good price.” The fifteenth annual exhibition
for the Chicago Society of Artists opened on January 31, 1911 (Chicago Tribune
31 January 1911, page 5).
The Chicago Society of Artists Logo
Founded in 1887 and incorporated
in 1889, the Chicago Society of Artists had two primary objectives: to advance
art in the Chicago area, as well as cultivating the production of art and
displaying artworks by its members.
The organization is noted as the
oldest continuing association of artists in the United States, with membership
including painters, print makers, graphic artists, photographers, sculptors,
art critics and art educators. Here is a link to the Chicago Society of Artists
website: http://chicagosocietyofartists.org/
Here is the current membership
application process for the Chicago Society of Artists:
“The Board of Directors has developed a juried process for
the selection of new members that insures maintenance and vitality of
high professional standards. Applications are accepted at any time during the
year from local, national,
or international prospective members.
Please submit the following items for membership consideration:
Five (5) images of personal work via slides and/or digital
prints for each medium in which the applicant works. If personal work
is in a single medium, ten (10) slides/prints need to be submitted. Works
may be submitted on a CD.
A biographical résumé (complete contact
information, art training, educational background, etc.).
An art résumé (exhibitions, group shows, juried shows,
awards, publications,
other art related activities, professional affiliations, etc.).
A check for $35.00 made payable to the Chicago Society of
Artists, Inc. This check covers the cost of $30.00 for annual dues and a $5.00
initiation fee. If the applicant is not accepted by the jury, the $35.00 will
be refunded.
You will be notified by mail regarding the action of the
jury.
Thank you for you for your interest in joining the Chicago
Society of Artists.”
In 1892, Moses was one of the
guests invited by members of the Chicago Society of Artists to a Bohemian
party, complete with “music, dancing, red-hots, beer and smoke” (Chicago
Tribune 12 Nov. 1892, page 6). At the
time, the society was five years old and membership continued to increase. At
the time, many of his close friends were the host so the party; a party
specifically aimed to honor both members of the press and professional men.
By 1906, Moses wrote, “I joined the Palette and Chisel Club
at the Chicago Society of Artists. I
don’t know why, as I had so little time to give to pictures, but I live in
hopes of doing something some day, that is what I have lived on for years,
Hope, and how little we realize from our dreams of hope. As the years roll by, I think one’s whole
life is one continuous dream, unless we are wonderfully gifted and fame drops
on us while we sleep.”
In addition to Moses, there were many scenic artists who
became members of the Chicago Society of Artists and its Palette & Chisel
Club in the early twentieth century. Their ranks included many of Moses’ close
friends and colleagues, such as A J. Rupert, Walter C. Hartson, Walter
Burridge, Hardesty Maratta, Victor Higgins, Ernest Albert, Oliver D. Grover,
Harry Vincent and Frank C. Peyraud.
During the spring of 1911, Wilson H. Irvine was chosen as
the president of the Chicago Society of Artists (Chicago Tribune 5 April 1911,
page 11). Other officers included Frank Phoenix as vice-president, George F.
Schultz as secretary and Rudolph F. Ingerle as treasurer. Trustees were listed
as H. Leon Roecker, Joseph Elliott Colburn, Lucie Hartrath, Charles Edward
Boutwood, Water Marshall Clute, John F. Stacey, Frank C. Peyraud, Leonard Crunelle
and Alfred Juergens.
