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Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 745- The State of Sosman & Landis in 1910

I return to writing after cleaning up after a flood and attending to other responsibilities.

Joseph S. Sosman was a successful business man. Fame visited him early in his career and his partnership with Landis flourished, growing into a theatrical supply dynasty by the twentieth century. By 1909, Sosman was nearing retirement and he began redirecting his focus on his family. At first, he sought solace at his summer home, staying at their Fairlawn on the north shore of Lake Bluff. Like many other wealthy Chicagoans, the summer season was spent relaxing in the cool shade near a body of water. Although well-deserved, Sosman & Landis studio never recovered from his extended absences.

osman & Landis Scene Painting Studio brochure detail

Maybe it didn’t matter for Sosman, as he was well established with ample revenue from multiple business ventures that supported his retirement. Maybe he was trying to make up for all of the time spent away from his wife early in his career, when he was traveling the country and painting one stock scene after another. Mrs. And Mrs. Sosman began to travel in earnest during 1910. There were no longer children to consider, as their son Arthur, married in 1906 and was currently living in New York. Mrs. Joseph Sosman visited the young couple for an extended stay during 1909, possibly signaling that she was going to start vacationing, with or without her husband (Inter Ocean, 30 Jan. 1909, page 7). Regardless, Sosman’s absence was acutely felt by Sosman & Landis employees as the business began to shift focus and become subject to infighting.

Image of Mrs. Joseph S. Sosman in 1910 from the Chicago Inter Ocean, Jan 30 1909, page 7

In 1910, Moses wrote, “Mr. Sosman went to Europe on January 30^th for an extended trip. It lasted fifteen weeks. He simply informed me that he was going, just a few days before he went. Never took the trouble to inform me of any of the details that I should know. He had a good bookkeeper, and I depended on him a great deal. I did some hustling while he was away.”

On February 6, the “Chicago Tribune” noted, “Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sosman, 1628 Washington boulevard, have sailed for a trip down the Mediterranean and to points in Europe. They will be absent for four months” (6 Feb, 1910, page 23). By April 30, the London “Times” reported that Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Sosman of Chicago recently arrived at the Waldorf Hotel (Arrivals and Departures, page 1). On May 21, the couple was again listed as one of the recent arrivals at the Hotel Waldorf in London (Americans in London, Philadelphia Inquirer, 22 May 1910, page 2).

Image of Joseph Sosman during his European trip. This was one of the postacards that Sosman sent to Thomas G. Moses in 1910

In appreciation for Moses hard work during his absence, Sosman presented him with “a fine ‘scarab’ that he bought in Egypt.” Moses had the scarab turned into a stick pin.”

Yet Sosman’s absence for fifteen weeks in 1909 was a difficult period for Moses, as he did not command the same respect without his friend and colleague. This was a period of intense productivity too. Moses remembered, “I had my own troubles with the stenographer, and old crank that wanted to do everything as Mr. Sosman did it. She would write Sosman a lot of worry stuff that I had been keeping from him. We were going along allright, making a little money.” The stenographer was just one of the obstacle that Moses encountered during Sosman’s absence. Athough Moses had control over the aesthetic and production arm of the company, David H. Hunt retained control over the administrative offices and expenses.

In his 1910 memoirs, Moses wrote, “Mr. Hunt was secretary and treasurer, and expected to run the business, but I wouldn’t allow it. Mr. Hunt kept on the road most of the time.” And this is where the downfall of Sosman & Landis commences; Sosman steps out of the daily running of the company, leaving it to others. Keep in mind that Sosman was a scenic artist; Hunt was not. The additional problem was that each of Sosman’s staff has a different focus, or endgame, for the company. In some ways, Moses and Hunt are diametrically opposed, each with a specific goals; Moses focusing on the artistic product and Hunt focussing on the profits.

David H. Hunt pictured in 1903, from the Detroit Free Press, 21 May 1903, page 12.

Keep in mind that Moses returned to Sosman & Landis studio in 1904. This was his final return to the company after striking out on his own several times with various business partners. The terms for his return in 1904 specified that Moses gain complete control over the design, construction and installation of all projects. In other words, he was in charge of the shops and labor. By 1910, Moses had functioned in this capacity for six years and the company was producing an amazing amount of product.

Hunt had remained a thorn in Moses’ side for many years, as his treatment of many of good artists prompted them to leave the studio. This group included the extremely talented John H. Young, who went on to domnate the Broadway scene as a well known designer. Hunt had been with the company since the early 1890s and wormed his way into both Sosman & Landis’ confidence. In 1894, Hunt convinced Sosman & Landis to establish, the theatrical management firm of Sosman, Landis & Hunt. This was a secondary business venture; a company that leased theaters and founded touring companies in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Detroit. The firm kept Hunt busy as the primary manager for the endeavor, yet much of the necessary work was completed by the Sosman & Landis studio staff from Chicago. Moses’ diaries suggest that Hunt did not treat the artistic staff well; Artists were swapped and directed to various projects like pawns on a chessboard, ready to be sacrificed at any point. Hunt had remained on the administrative end of the studio for his entire career, yet always found his way into the spotlight and newspaper articles.

By 1910, Hunt also talked Sosman into investing in a new business venture – New York Studios. That year, Moses wrote, “Hunt had started a New York studio in New York City and he expected us to do a great deal of work, as he had Sosman invest a small amount.” New York Studios listed Adelaide A. Hunt as the President, Edward A. Morange as the vice president, and David H. Hunt, as the Treasurer. The company’s starting capital was $40,000, and listed the following directors: Edward A. Morange, Adelaide A. and David H. Hunt, with offices located at 325 W 29^thStreet, New York. Business listings noted that theatrical equipment was the primary product produced by the company. Now there were two scenic studios to consider, on only one Moses.

Around the end of May, Sosman returned to Chicago an assessed the state of affairs at the studio. Moses returned about the same time, after completing several New York projects that month. Moses recalled, “I heard some reports as to what Hunt had reported to Sosman about my treatment towards him. I got mad and wanted to quit. Sosman wouldn’t listen to me. I finally got cooled… I arrived June 25th. Sosman had his doubts as to my coming back.

Later Moses added, “Hunt remained away from the studio for some time, before going back home.” Hunt’s home was in New York.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 744: Returning to Masonic Scenery Production in the Life and Times of Thomas G. Moses, 1909

I return to the year 1909 in the life and times of Thomas G. Moses. For the past several posts, I explored famous Philadelphia drops curtains mentioned in an 1894 newspaper article. Scottish Rite theaters also used drop curtains as the focal point of an auditorium. The ornate draping of fabric popularized on the public stage appeared on a variety of fraternal stages throughout the nineteenth century. Often, the only difference was the placement of a Masonic emblem in the center.

The Scottish Rite drop curtain in Salina, Kansas

The Scottish Rite drop curtain in Yankton, South Dakota

The Scottish Rite drop curtain in Wichita, Kansas

The Scottish Rite drop curtain in Tucson, Arizona

As in commercial theaters, Masonic drop curtains were hung on the first line, concealing the remainder of stock scenery, often numbering between 80 to 120 drops. In addition to backdrops, scenic studios manufactured set pieces, props, and stage machinery for Scottish Rite stages. Although massive in scope, Masonic theater work only accounted for approximately 25% of all work contracted by studios such as Sosman & Landis. Of that percentage, Scottish Rite scenery consisted of only a fraction of the total number for Masonic work.

By the end of Moses’ career, spanning from 1873 to 1934, his Masonic work included the design and supervision of scenery production for 55 Scottish Rites, 14 Commanderies (York Rite), 9 Grottos (MOVPER) and 7 Shrine (AAONMS) Auditoriums. In 1909, Moses wrote, “We have forty-eight on the payroll, which includes the sewing girls and foremen. At 20^th Street we have an average of twelve. I think we should turn out some work and we do. It is often a puzzle to me where it all goes, but the Masonic work requires a lot of time, and there is an average of eighty drops in each order so it makes plenty of work and is very interesting. The artists never grumble when they get it to do.

In 1909, Moses also wrote, “The Dallas Masonic work came in early, so did San Francisco and Cleveland, Ohio.” Other Scottish Rite scenery collections that year produced by Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio included, Kansas City, Kansas, Memphis, Tennessee, Winona, Minnesota, and Atlanta, Georgia.

While, Sosman & Landis were cranking out stock scenery collections for Scottish Rite theaters, their primary competitor, Toomey & Volland Studio of St. Louis, Missouri, was gaining ground; the St. Louis company was becoming increasingly popular among Scottish Rite Masons in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. That year, Toomey & Volland delivered two large scenery collections to Scottish Rite theaters. Although they produced much less scenery than Sosman & Landis at this time, the firm would soon grow to dominate the industry after World War I.

To put all of this Scottish Rite scenery production in context, by 1910, I have identified the following Scottish Rite installations:

33 scenery collections were delivered by Sosman & Landis

18 scenery collections were delivered by Toomey & Volland

2 scenery collections were delivered by E. T. Harvey

2 scenery collections were delivered by Henry C. Tryon

This list counts for only a fraction of the Masonic scenery produced during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It does not include painted settings produced for other fraternal groups, such as the Elks or Knights of Pythias. The list does not take into account scenery for other Masonic stages, such as those used in Grottos (Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm), Commanderies (York Rite), or Shrines (Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine).

The numbers above do not reflect any of the early scenery manufactured for some of the very first Scottish Rite lodge rooms, those scenic pieces and roll drops painted by itinerant artists or talented members. There are also those other collections produced by unidentified studios prior to 1910. Yet, when we look at the amount of historic scenery still hanging in Scottish Rite theaters across the country, the sheer amount is somewhat staggering to comprehend when considering the ephemeral nature of commercial stage scenery.

I spend a significant amount of time exploring Masonic scenery produced by Sosman & Landis in my blog, primarily because it remains a significant part of American Theatre history, long after a traditional painted aesthetic declined on the commercial stage. Much Masonic scenery is also still in use, an aspect that makes these fraternal theaters living history museums. Scottish Rite stages, machinery, scenery, lights, properties and costumes are a primary resource still available to theatre technicians for study and reference.

Masonic business for Sosman & Landis continued to boom until the onset of World War I. They road the crest of a fraternal wave that produced unprecedented profits until approximately 1915. This year also marked the passing of studio founder Joseph S. Sosman. The years 1909 to 1910 is a peak period in Scottish Rite scenery production at Sosman & Landis; the studio was swamped with it.

As I continue with Moses’ life and times from 1909-1910, keep in mind that the production of Masonic scenery is ever-present in his daily life and the running of the studio. At first, the Masonic scenery, as well as all worked subcontracted by M. C. Lilley & Co., were completed in the Sosman & Landis annex studio. However, as business boomed, Sosman & Landis’ eastern affiliate, New York Studios, run by David H. Hunt, also completed numerous Masonic projects.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 743 – Drop Curtains in Philadelphia, 1894 – South Broad Street Theatre and Gustave Dore

Illustration published in the “Daily Republican,” 5 Feb, 1883, page 4

The last mention of a drop curtain in “Well-known Drop Curtains in Philadelphia Theatres” mentioned Gustave Dore. The article was published “The Philadelphia Inquirer on Dec. 18, 1894.

“The famous curtain, ‘The Sleeping Beauty,’ said to have been painted by Dore, which for many years formed the chief attraction at the South Broad Street Theatre, was taken down by Mr. McCaul in 1880 and painted out.” Nothing else is mentioned of the composition or artist. I decided to do a little digging and discovered a few other mentions about Dore’s drop curtain.

In 1878, the “Pittsburgh Post” reported, “A specimen of Gustave Dore’s early work may be seen in Philadelphia, in the shape of a drop curtain of the Broadway Theatre. It was painted for the theatre of the Porte St. Martin, in Paris, and was brought to this country by the Kiralfys. It is unusually handsome” (23 Feb. 1878, page 1).

In 1879, the “Wisconsin State Journal” reported, “Gustave Dore was born in Alsace and is 48 years of age. He is a brunette – dark-eyed, black haired – and is a bachelor. It is not generally known outside of Philadelphia that the drop-curtain at the Broad Street theatre was painted by this artist. It is the only curtain Dore ever painted” (Madison, 9 Dec, 1879, page 1).

The only other scenery that I came across noting Dore’s scenic art work appeared the “Boston Globe” during 1877. The article reported, “The revival of ‘Robert le Diable” at the Grand Opera is chiefly noteworthy for the magnificent scenery which has been given the production. The forest scene in the second act by Gustave Dore, is pronounced very fine, and the cloister scene in the last act a marvel of artistic skill” (13 Jan 1877, page 2).

Much has been written about Dore as an artist, with very little mention of any scenic work. Only three years after his drop curtain at the Broad Street Theatre was removed in Philadelphia, the artist passed away. “The Daily Republican” published an article about Dore’s passing, reporting,

“The best known artist of modern times, Paul Gustave Dore, died on the twenty-third of January 1883. He had survived his extraordinary popularity, which was due rather to fertility and daring originality of genius than to superiority of conception and thorough work, which give enduring value to artistic productions. During his short life he made about fifty thousand designs founded on a remarkable diversity of subjects. He developed surprisingly capacity in various departments of art, but did not attain an enduring distinction in either. His work was too diffuse, his undertakings too numerous, to give him more than ample income and an evanescent eminence. That chapter in the history of art covering Dore’s period of activity will not record his name among immortal master.

Dore was born in Strasbourg, January 6, 1833. He was taken to Paris before his school-boy days, and educated in the capital, at Lycee Charlemagne. The bent of his genius was disclosed early in life. His first lithographs were produced when he was only eleven years of age. When he was fifteen his series of sketches entitled ‘The labors of Hercules’ was exhibited at Paris. His earliest efforts as an artist yielded him a precarious income, made chiefly by illustrating cheap books and illustrated periodicals. In 1848 certain sketches made by him in pen and ink, were exhibited in the Solon, Paris. Six years later his designs for ‘The Wandering Jew’ gave him a reputation in other countries beside France. In the same year, 1854, he produced the most powerful designs originated by him throughout his whole career, namely, those for Balzac’s ‘Contes Drolatiques.” His pictures illustrating Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ were made in 1865, in which and the subsequent year, he illustrated the Bible. In 1866 and the two subsequent years, he illustrated Tennyson’s ‘Idylls of the King.” ‘Christ Leaving the Prætorium,’ a gigantic picture, was exhibited at the Solo, 1876, and in the same year and place, his ‘Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem.’ His last seven years of the prodigious activity, which terminated only with his death, were I part bestowed on the illustration of Shakespeare. The disease which carried him off was inflammation of the throat, a result of a severe cold.

The deceased artist lived a simple, quiet life with his mother. He was a bachelor, married, as he expressed it, to his mother and his art. He would facetiously ask his friends, when they spoke of his wifeless condition: ‘Must a man be a Turk to prove he is of a domestic turn.’ The two wives he had were enough for him. He was a strongly-built, athletic man, and in his youth excelled in feats of strength and agility. His complexion and eyes were exceedingly dark, and his hair raven black. Visitors to his studio, which was the best provided in all Paris, found him in one of two contrasting moods – either in frolicsome, frank, childlike Dore who was irresistibly amiable, or a saturnine, morbid being, ashamed of himself and an affliction to his friends. In a review of his life the necessity is to deplore the fact, that Dore’s attainments as an artist were vastly disproportioned to the originality, versatility and power of his genius” (The Daily Republican, Monongahela, Pennsylvania, 5 Feb. 1883, page 4).

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 742 – Drop Curtains in Philadelphia, 1894 – Gilmore’s Auditorium and H. J. Overpeck

Gilmore’s Auditorium constructed at 807 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, just one in a series of popular nineteenth-century theaters located at the same address. Welch’s National Amphitheatre and Circus, the Continental Theatre, the American Variety Theatre, Fox’s New American Theatre, the Grand Central Theatre, and Gilmore’s Auditorium. The tale of four fires is presented in an interesting post by Harry Kyyriakodis about about the various entertainment venues at this address. Here is the link: https://hiddencityphila.org/2013/05/blazing-ballerinas-and-a-rampaging-elephant-at-807-walnut-street/

Photograph of Gilmore’s Auditorium, Philadelphia, from the “Official Building Directory and Architectural Handbook of Philadelphia,” 1899, p 257.

The theater’s proprietor, William J. Gilmore, had made a career in theater management by the time Gilmore’s Auditorium was constructed. He had successfully managed several Philadelphia theaters as well as others across the country.

“The Times” included an article on Gilmore’s Auditorium rising from the site of the burned Central theatre on June 4, 1893 (page 15). The article reported, “From the ruins of the New Central Theatre is rapidly rising a new building that will be, when completed, one of the finest playhouses in America. The new theatre will be known as ‘Gilmore’s Auditorium,’ and built in the Moorish style of architecture, from brownstone, terra cotta and light buff brick, beautifully embellished with colored glass and new electric lights. Architect John D. Allen, under whose direct supervision the house is being erected, has provided every device known to modern science that contributes to the safety and comfort and convenience of the prospective patrons, resulting in a building that is practically fireproof. One of the chief factors contributing to this end of the building is the proscenium wall, having no opening between the stage and auditorium except the arch, which is protected by a heavy asbestos curtain, while the stage roof is fitted with an automatic ventilator, so adjusted that a rise of a few degrees in temperature will at once open it and form an excellent flue by means of which any flames that might possibly break out in the stage or among the scenery, would be diverted from the building proper. The system of heating and ventilating adopted has been proved absolutely effective, thus insuring a cool house in summer and a warm one in winter. The colors selected for all interior decorations are such that everything harmonizes in the manner, forming a perfect rest for the eyes, which is not destroyed even when the full glare of the innumerable electric lights is turned on. So rapidly has the work of construction progressed that although the ground was broken only on February 8 last, it is expected to throw open the building for inspection early in August. Taking into consideration that only thirty-two clear working days were available since the beginning of the work the progress has been wonderfully rapid, although everything has been done in the most careful and workmanlike manner.”

Image of Gilmore’s Auditorium during construction from “The Times,” (Philadelphia) 4 June 1893, page 15

Gilmore’s Auditorium was illuminated by electricity and boasted a seating capacity of 3,076. John R. Wilkins was listed as the scenic artist in Julius Chan’s Official Theatrical Guide, 1896. With the theatre on the ground floor, the proscenium measured 33 feet wide by 34 feet high, with the distance from the footlights to the back wall being 30 ½ feet. The distance between the side walls was 75 ½ feet and the distance between the girders measured 42 feet. It was 60 feet from the stage to the rigging loft, with the depth under the stage measuring 9 feet. There were three traps and one bridge along the back wall. By 1905, Gilmore’s Auditorium became the Casino Theatre, soon gaining a reputation as a popular burlesque venue.

The Gilmore’s Auditorium asbestos curtain was mentioned in “Well-known Drop Curtains in Philadelphia Theatres,” published in “The Philadelphia Inquirer on Dec. 18, 1894. Instead of listing the scenic artist, the article highlighted the stage carpenter for his innovative stage machinery- hydraulic engine was used to lift the asbestos curtain.

“The asbestos curtain in Gilmore’s Auditorium is a model of its kind. The curtain is thirty-four feet wide by thirty-six feet high, and is lifted and lowered by means of a one-half inch steel wire cable over a drain in the flies. The curtain, which is nearly one-half an inch thick, is not rolled up, but lifted bodily, away up in the flies by a small hydraulic engine. It is painted a creamy buff in harmony with the other decorations, but is devoid of any ornament save the single word “Asbestos” painted in the center. All of the act and scene “drops” in this popular amusement temple, like the asbestos drop, are made to lift bodily, the system, which is new, being devised and put in by Mr. Gilmore’s stage carpenter, H. J. Overpeck.”

. The only information that I have uncovered pertaining to anyone named Overpeck in the theatrical profession is an A. J. Overpeck who was listed as a stage machinist with Baitley Campbell’s Siberia in Harry Miner’s Professional Directory (1884). By 1896, Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide would list Harry Spillman as the stage carpenter and electrician.

Of asbestos curtains, however, an interesting article was published the same year in the “Boston Globe” (23 Feb. 1894, page 8).

“Asbestos Curtain at the Boston.

It is the duty of every theatrical manager to provide his patrons with the best protection possible against fire. No means has yet been discovered equal to a fireproof curtain, and such a one as the Boston Theater has just been put in place is the best of its kind. The curtain is 52 by 50 feet and is made entirely of asbestos. It is hung by wire rope which runs through iron chives [sheaves] fastened into the brick wall over the proscenium, and as all the battens are of iron piping, there is not a bit of woodwork or anything combustible about the entire construction.

The curtain was put in place by Mr. W. P. Prescott, the theater’s machinist, who also made all of the machinery. Last week a test was made before the insurance commissioner, and he pronounced it a splendid piece of mechanism and an ample protection.

By pulling a small wire rope at the prompt stand the curtain can be lowered in three seconds, so that in case of fire not an instant will be lost in shutting off the auditorium from the stage by an asbestos wall through which no flames could penetrate.”

Furthermore, an article in the “Democrat and Chronicle” (Rochester, New York) on Dec. 6, 1894, was entitled “Theater Fires” (page 6). It reported, “Statistic of theater fires from 1751 to the present year have been compiled by the Scientific American, and the figures show a total of 460 theaters destroyed in all countries during the period covered. There were 31 of these disasters in London, 29 in Paris and 29 in New York. The number of victims was great, but as separate lists of the killed and wounded are not given, no accurate statement of the loss of life can be made. It was, however, appalling.” The article later commented, “We believe that most of the modern theaters in this country afford fair protection of their patrons, by means of asbestos curtains, which can be lowered quickly, separating the stage from the auditorium, and by reasonably ample facilities for exit.”

Finally, as asbestos curtains gained prominence by the end of the 19^th century, a funny article came out that reminded me of the plain asbestos curtain hanging at Gilmore’s Auditorium. It was published in the “Philadelphia Inquirer” on Feb. 7, 1897, page 20: “I has an afternoon off this week,” said a well-known comedian to me last evening, “and as I had nothing else to do I wandered into a theatre where a matinee was being given. Directly in front of me sat two stylishly-gowned girls, and they wore hats that were veritable flower gardens. Of course, I could se very little of the stage, but I was repaid by the charming conversation I was forced to overhear. It was just previous to the opening overture and the fair maids were discussing the asbestos curtain.

“That curtain is not half as pretty as the one they used to have here,” said one.

“No indeed it is not, chimed in the other.

“By the way, Marie, who was Asbestos?”

“Asbestos?” queried her friend.

“Why Asbestos was a Roman general, wasn’t he?”

“Was he?”

“No. Laura; let me think – Oh, I remember now; he was a mythological character.”

“Why to be sure he was,” acquiesced Laura.

“How foolish of me not to have thought of it.”

“And they resumed munching caramels.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 741: Drop Curtains in Philadelphia, 1894 – Clarkston Dye and the Kensington Theatre

Scenic artist Clarkston Dye was mentioned in the article “Well-known Drop Curtains in Philadelphia Theatres” published in “The Philadelphia Inquirer on Dec. 18, 1894.

“One of the prettiest landscape pictures on a drop curtain is that of the Kensington Theatre, painted by Mr. Clarkson Dye, giving a view of the river-bank of the Delaware. A picturesque bit of marsh land to the right, and a representation of the wharf traffic, with the empty boats, carts, dock-loafers, etc., in the foreground lend life to the scene.”

Built in 1888, the Kensington Theatre had a seating capacity of 1,400. Situated on the corner of Frankford Avenue and North Street. The land and building were surveyed by E. Hexamer & Son on February 23, 1889. The owner was John W. Hart, with Jacobs and Hickey as the lessees. The proscenium opening was 29 feet wide by 35 feet high. The distance to the back wall was 34 feet and this distance between the footlights to the curtain line was 4 feet. The distance between the side walls was 53 feet with the distance between the fly girders at 36 feet. There were five sets of grooves for scenery with the height of the grooves from the staging measuring at 18 feet high; they could be taken up flush with the gallery. The distance between the stage to the rigging loft was 44 feet.

Dye also painted a drop curtain for the Ninth Arch Street Museum in Philadelphia that was mentioned in the same article:

“A reproduction by Mr. Clarkston Dye of a very charming picture painted by Mr. Irving R. Wiles for the Academy of Music at Baltimore forms the drop curtains of the Ninth and Arch Street Museum. The flower market at the entrance of Central Park, New York, is the scene represented, with the wide boulevard thronged with stylish turnouts and promenading figures of pretty girls. The coloring is high, yet delicate, and the picture is altogether a fine specimen of the kind.”

Of the artist, I have been unsuccessful in locating any information at all beyond this article- a first for me.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 740: Drop Curtains in Philadelphia, 1894 – E. H. Chase and the Bijou Theatre

The scenic artist, E. H. Chase, was mentioned in the article “Well-known Drop Curtain in Philadelphia Theatres” on Dec. 18, 1894 (The Philadelphia Inquirer, page 45). He replicated an artwork for the Bijou’s drop curtain.

The drop curtain for the Bijou Theatre by E. H. Chase

“’Le Bal Champere’ is the subject of the scene on the well-known drop curtain at the Bijou Theatre. The picture, which covers the entire curtain, appears to be set in a skillfully painted representation of a handsome gilded frame with panel border, about which light blue velvet curtains are artistically draped. The painting was executed by E. H. Chase, the scenic artist of the house, and is a realistic copy of the famous painting of that name in the Louvre, at Paris” (The Philadelphia Inquirer on Dec. 18, 1894, page 45).

The article was referring to “Les Plaisirs du Bal (Le Bal Champêtre),” an oil on canvas work by Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721), ca. 1715-1717 (20.66” h x 25.66” w).

Jean-Antoine Watteau painting that was replicated by E. H Chase for the Bijou drop curtain

In 1894, the “Buffalo Evening News” noted that Chase was “the well-known scenic artist of the Union Square Theater in New York (23 May 1894, page 3). Three years earlier, Chase was noted as “Keith’s own scenic artist” (Philadelphia Inquirer, 5 Feb 1891, page 5).

The 1885 business letterhead for “E. H. Chase, Scenic Artist” advertised “Landscapes, Figures, Panoramas, Scenes in Tempera, Intricate Mechanical Transformations and Scenes of every description, Designed and Painted in the Best Style of Art.” I discovered this information from a group o three letters, signed by the artist about painting stage scenery for a “Mrs. Barth” in 1885. They were sold for $250 at an auction in 2016.

Like may scenic artists of the time, Chase was also contracted to complete the painted decoration in theater auditoriums. In 1897, the “Philadelphia Inquirer,” reported that Chase was working on the new decoration for the auditorium at the Ninth and Arch Museum: “The new dome decorations, the work of E. H Chase, one of the best known artists in the country, is a splendid example of artistic drawing and coloring” (8 Aug 1897, page 24). Described as a “curio hall,” the space was noted as “One of the handsomest halls in the country.” The “Philadelphia Inquirer” reported, “Many thousands of dollars have been expended upon the decorations alone, all of which were made under the personal supervision of E. H. Chase, the eminent scenic artist who has himself embellished the walls and ceilings with a number of exquisite water color paintings. There are over 600 incandescent lamps in the new curio hall” (4 Sept. 1898, page 10).

An 1885 letter written by E. H. Chase an recently sold at action

Three E. H. Chase letters recently sold at auction

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 739: Drop Curtains in Philadelphia, 1894 – Lee Lash and the Chestnut Street, National, People’s and Forepaugh’s Theatres

Four drop curtains painted by Lee Lash were described in the article “Well-known Drop Curtains in Philadelphia Theatres” published in “The Philadelphia Inquirer” on Dec. 18, 1894 (page 45).

Of the four, two depicted American scenes. Capturing life in the United States became a more prevalent theme as the nineteenth century progresses. Scene of the old world, its history and legends, began to be replaced with scenes of American activities and expansion:

Lash painted a drop curtain for the Chestnut Street Theatre by 1894:

“What might be called realism in scenic effects-the representation of actual sights and scenes of daily life-is becoming more and more, a feature of stage curtains. Bits of “local color” appear on several of these, as in the drop curtain of the Chestnut Street Theatre, painted by Mr. Lee Lash, which is a view of Broad street, looking south from Jefferson with the Public Buildings silhouetted in the distance. The big bus unloading a flower-laden troop of pretty women and children, the hand-cart, the street gamin, and other characteristic Broad street sights, are prominent in the foreground. At the right is the Mercantile Club building, in process of construction. The picture is a fine, bold piece of coloring and the figures are admirably life-like.”

The first Chestnut Street Theatre was located on the north side of Chestnut Street, between Sixth and Seventh. It was referred to as the “New Theatre,” to distinguish it from the “old” theatre in Southwark. Built in 1792, it was destroyed by fire on April 2, 1820. The second Chestnut Street Theatre opened Dec. 2, 1822, and was also later destroyed in 1856. It was rebuilt and later opened by William Wheatly on January 26, 1863. The third Chestnut Street Theatre was located 1211 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. It was the third Chestnut Street Theatre that Lash created a drop curtain for by 1894.

Lash’s second curtain noted in the 1894 “Philadelphia Inquirer” article was for Philadelphia’s National Theatre. As with the Chestnut Street drop curtain, it depicted an American scene:

“The curtain of the National Theatre, by the same artist [Lee Lash], illustrates the picturesque side of American village life. The foreground figures, a group of women and children gossiping at a quaint old-fashioned well, are faithfully rendered, and the effect of sunshine on the whitewashed exterior of the quaint country cottages is excellent.”

Lash painted a third curtain for the People’s Theatre in Philadelphia. Originally opening in 1890, the venue’s seating capacity was over 2,200. The building was located on Kensington Avenue at the corner of E. Cumberland Street. In 1914, Thomas Lamb was hired to remodel the People’s Theatre. Part of the renovation included the reduction of seats to approximately 1,930. From 1924-26, the People’s Theatre was renamed the Desmond Theatre. In 1927 the theatre was remodeled again and renamed Kent Theatre by the Stanley Theatres Corporation.

The People’s Theatre drop curtain by Lash depicted a French scene:

“A fishing village in the south of France furnishes the motive for the picture curtain of the People’s Theatre. Grouped against the clear horizon are a picturesque handful of old houses, while on the wharf in the foreground is a cluster of fisher girls and men engaged in lively “chaffening” over the day’s catch. Large figures to the left of a young girl and her dog, and the realistic basket of coils of rope, etc., scattered around, are effective bits of still-life.”

The article then noted Lash’s drop curtain for Forepaugh’s Theatre too:

“The same artist who painted this, Mr. Lee Lash, designed also the striking curtain at Forepaugh’s Theatre, a broad boulevard in the Champs Elysees, Paris, with the commanding arch of the Porte Smarting in the background, a statue of Beethoven to the left, and the mounted figures of fashionable dames and a fine tally-ho adorning the foreground. The whole is a handsome effective piece of work.”

I have covered Lash in several posts over the past three years, but here is a lovely article from 1935, that briefly sums up his career. It was printed in the “Latrobe Bulletin,” on 25 June, 1935.

“The story of Lee Lash is an epic in American Art annals. At 70 he has achieved an artistic goal from which he sidetracked in youth and kept in the paths of commercialism for more than 33 years. Today the name of Lee Lash known the country over as the perpetrator of advertising drop curtains, is acclaimed with true artistic fervor. His first one mane show just held in the Keppel Galleries, New York, has revealed an artist of the first water, a painter of rare power and sensitive feeling.

The most discriminating of critics, remembering what the Lee Lash Studios stood for, were taken aback when they gazed upon the exquisite pictures to which the man has devoted his life for the past years. Not only were critics unstinted in their praise but the public came to admire and buy as well. His lovely vistas of New York roofs and skylines have been purchased by private collectors.

Lash was born in San Francisco and began to draw before he could write. His father a prosperous reporter from Prague recognized and encouraged his son in his artistic ambitions. He studied in San Francisco and then in Paris. He was already an excellent artist well on the road to fame when his father’s business crashed. Lee’s career as an artist was checked. He had to earn money. The advertising drop curtain was the result. At first he followed the European idea of surrounding the central scene with advertisements. Then he placed the “ads” in the picture itself, as signs in the landscape. The Lash family recuperated its fortune even though the art sense of the country suffered.

Today Lash, who lives with his wife in frequently changed, sky-high apartments where he studies new view, has been compensated. At this exhibition 67 picture, ranging from Brooklyn in the clear morning light, to Manhattan through its customary haze, gave glimpses of roofs, skylines – all breathing the spirit of New York” (page 3).

Other newspaper articles throughout the course of his career note that Lee Lash drop curtain composition were often street scenes or country lanes, often blocked with commercial ads. For another perspective on Lee Lash and the history of the American ad drop, see past installments 578-580.

Lee Lash advertisement in the 1901-1902 issue of Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide

1914 Advertisement in Gus Hill’s Directory

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 738 – Drop Curtains in Philadelphia, 1894 – Messrs. Schaefer and Maeder at the South Broad Theatre and Girard Avenue Theatre

Another Moorish-revival style theater drop curtain was featured in the 1894 article “Well-known Drop Curtain in Philadelphia Theatres.” It was published in “The Philadelphia Inquirer” on Dec. 18, 1894.

“The drop curtain at the South Broad Theatre is the work of two scenic painters, Messrs. Schaefer and Maeder, both of whom are now dead. The curtain, which represents a Moorish scene, was painted four years ago. It presents a scene common enough in the East, where a courtier woos his lady love with the aid of a mandolin. The scene reveals a lady leaning from the balcony window of a Moorish castle, listening to a courtier on the pavement below, who strains his passion from the strings of the mandolin.”

The scenic artists mentioned in the article were William Schaeffer and Gaspard Maeder.

Drop curtain painted by Garspard Maeder and William Schaeffer for the Broad Street Theatre in Philadelphia

Postcard of the Broad Street Theatre in Philadelphia

The article mentions another drop curtain by Maeder in Philadelphia: “The handsome drop at the Girard Avenue Theatre is the work of Gaspard Maeder. It was painted in 1890, and was the last drop curtain ever painted by that artist.”

Gaspard Maeder was born 1839. As a scenic artist, he specialized in landscapes and rural scenes. Like many of his generation, he was an itinerant scenic artist, traveling throughout the country for work. His name appears sporadically in newspaper reviews and advertisements, yet little is known of his life; his parents outshone their children. He came from a theatrical family, with everyone working in the performing arts.

Gaspard was the eldest son of James Gaspard Maeder (1809-1876) and Clara Fisher (1811-1898). His father was a distinguished composer, musical director, teacher, theatrical manager, and singer. J. G. Maeder emigrated from Dublin, Ireland, in 1833, accompanying two other theatrical professionals of the time – Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wood. Shortly after his arrival in 1834, he married Clara, an actress and opera singer. In 1834, he wrote an opera for his wife called “Peri, or the Enchanted Fountain.” The couple opened a theater in New Orleans too.

Clara Fisher Maeder published her autobiography in 1897, and was reported to be the oldest living actress at the time (Inter Ocean, 25 April 1897, page 44). She died just a year later. Her life is absolutely fascinating, as she performed continuously on the stage from 1817 until 1889. In short, her first performance was on Dec. 10, 1817, at the Drury Lane Theatre as Lord Filmnap in the production of David Garrick’s “Lilliput.” When she was sixteen, her family immigrated to the United States. Her American debut was at the Park Theatre, where she was an immediate success. Her father, Frederick George Fisher, was a librarian and well-known amateur actor. She performed with many great actors of the day, including Edwin Forrest, Laura Keene, Joseph Jefferson, Edmund Kean, William Charles Macready, Edwin Booth, and John Brougham.

Clara Fisher Maeder in 1897, the year before her passing

The couple had seven children, with three sons and one daughter surviving to adulthood: Gaspard, the scenic artist, Frederick G., an actor, Frank, a business manager of Salsbury’s Troubadours, and Mollie, and actress at Wood’s Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio (The Era, London, 25 June 1876, page 9).

By 1856, Gaspard Maeder was working as an assistant scenic artist to Messrs. Hyllyard and Culbert at the Bowery Theatre in New York (New York Daily Herald, 23 June 1856, page 3). He was seventeen years old at the time. At the age of 18, he was working as a scenic artist on his own for the Mobile Theatre. He continued at small theaters throughout the region, soon meeting his future wife. In 1862, at the age of 23, Maeder married Maria Farren. The couple had only one child. Their son who predeceased both of them, passing away three years before his father.

By 1863, Maeder and Lewis painted the “Polymorama of the American War” on display at Queen’s Hall on Bold Street Liverpool Mercury, etc. 24 Oct, 1863, page 1). The panorama depicted principal events of the Civil War, which he exhibited in England. For years afterward he painted much of the scenery of Wallack’s theatre. Whenever quick work was required his services were in demand. His special talent lay in landscapes and rural scenes. Maeder also painted scenery for approximately seven years at the Boston Museum.

By 1878, Maeder was associated with the Walnut Street Theatre, painting new scenery for various productions, such as “The Shamrock” (The Times, 28 May, 1878, page 3). In 1881, Maeder was listed as the scenic artist at Booth’s Theatre (The Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Sept. 1881, page 12). Other venues where he painted included Philadelphia’s Arch Street Theatre (1882) and the Academy of Music (1886). At the Academy of Music he was credited with producing “elaborate new scenery and realistic stage pictures” for Charles Fechter’s “Monte Cristo.” The show starred James O’Neill (The Buffalo Times, 18 Oct. 1886, page 8).

By 1887 Maeder was working with William Schaeffer and Daniel Cremens (The Times, Philadelphia, 4 Sept. 1887, page 3). Two years later, Maeder was painting scenery for Marie Wainwright’s production of “Twelfth Night,” along with Richard Marston, Charles Graham, Phil Goatcher and William Schaeffer (Daily Standard, 29 May 1889, page 4). It was during this time that Maeder and Schaeffer created the drop curtain for the South Broad Street Theatre.

Maeder was only fifty-three years old when he passed away at his residence on 311 East Fourteenth Street, New York. For over five weeks he had battled chronic catarrh (Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan, 1892, page 10). His died from a similar condition in 1876 at the age of sixty-seven.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 737 – H. L. Reid and the Columbia Theatre in Boston (1891)

Yesterday, I examined the drop curtain for the Empire Theatre by Hugh Logan Reid. It was described in the article “Well-known Drop Curtain in Philadelphia Theatres” (The Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec. 18, 1894). While looking for information about Reid, I came across another project that I feel compelled to share.

Reid painted the scenery and drop curtain for the Columbia Theatre in Boston. On September 13, 1891, “The Boston Globe” described the new theater in detail. Located at 978 to 986 Washington Street, the building occupied an entire block. Of the architectural style, the article reported, “In design it follows the Moorish style. Its towers, grand in their proportions, rise far above the surrounding buildings. The front is composed of pressed brick and terra cotta, supported by cast iron columns and arches, while a second circle on the fourth floor level is surmounted with the name of the theatre in bas-relief letters. The upper portion of the lower arch is so constructed as to form a magnificent window of cathedral and stained glass. The architect has taken ‘The Alhambra,’ the perfection of Moorish art, as his ideal for the construction of the Columbia, and both exterior and interior have been worked out of the minutest detail.”

The interior of the Columbia Theatre in Philadelphia

Of the drop curtain painted by Reid, the “Boston Globe” described, “It depicts the Conquest of Granada, and shows the surrender of the city by the Moors to the Spaniards in 1492. On the right of the picture is seen the Moorish generals delivering the keys of the city to King Ferdinand, who is accompanied by Queen Isabella and retinue. There are over 60 figures painted on the canvas, most of them being life size. The work is from the brush of Scenic Art H. L. Reid.” This particular description made me think of the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Santa Fe that was also based on the Alhambra, almost two decades later.

There are numerous nineteenth and twentieth century buildings in American that were inspired by the Alhambra, and were considered Moorish-revival style buildings. Many were Masonic, including various Shrine mosques with massive theaters. Another example was the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Cathedral, completed in 1912. However, the mural above the proscenium arch in Santa Fe depicts the same composition as the drop curtain painted by Reid and described above. Above the proscenium arch is a mural painted by J. G. Vysekel depicting the moment when Boabdil (Mohammad XII of Granada), the last Nasrid king of the Emrirate of Granada in Iberia surrendered the city of Granada to the Catholic monarchs. The mural was installed at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite in 1915; three years after the building opened. Vysekel was a commercial artist who worked for Mandel brothers of Chicago.The painting was almost identical to ”La Rendición de Granada” by Francisco Pradilla y Oritz from 1882.

”La Rendición de Granada” by Francisco Pradilla y Oritz, 1882.

The mural above the proscenium arch at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Cathedral by J. G. Vysekel. Photograph by Jo Whaley

The drop curtain by Sosman & Landis studio of Chicago for the Santa Fe Scottish Rite. Photograph by Jo Whaley

The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Cathedral auditorium

In regard to the Columbia Theatre’s stage, “The Boston Globe,” reported, “A visit behind the curtain reveals one of the largest, best arranged and most perfectly appointed stages in the United States measuring 75 feet from the floor of the stage to the gridiron. On either side, far above the stage, are two fly galleries, used for working all the overhead rigging, such as border lights, grooves, borders, drop scenes, etc. To the left are the prompter’s quarters, which are indeed worthy of more than casual notice. The gas table for all the gas lighting in the house controls about 800 burners. The gas table is supplied with all the necessary valves and by-passes, and contains the most modern and improved appliances.

Close at hand is the electric switchboard with its elaborate and handsomely finished switches and appurtences for working the 1378 electric lights required to illuminate the theatre. The curtain or proscenium arch is 36 feet in height by 38 feet in width.

The depth of the stage is 50 feet; width from wall to wall, 71 feet; the first fly gallery is 30 feet; the second fly gallery, 71 feet; and the gridiron is 75 feet above the stage.

In fact the stage is large enough to set any production that may be desired. The trap cellar is of unusual size, with an extra pit for trick scenes. A full set of working traps, bridges, etc., are all available when required…

The curtains, drops, scenes, etc., are of the most complete character. First there is the asbestos fireproof curtain, an absolute preventative of fire communicating with the auditorium from the stage, notably so in this theatre, as at either side the curtain runs through a slot in the brick wall, and is held in place by a strong cable.

The act drop, as well as the drop curtain, is a marvel of beauty. A full set of borders and one of the largest scene lists ever put into a new theatre are to be placed in this house as fast as they can be prepared. This important work has been entrusted to the hands of Mr. H. L. Reid, one of the most noted scenic artists in the country. The stage furniture consists of a set in white and god, upholstered in brocatelles of different colors; a set covered in Wilton rugs with mohair plush trimmings; a set of English oak with tapestry coverings, and asset of gothic design. There is the usual inventory of stage cloths, carpets, rugs, etc.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 736 – Drop Curtains in Philadelphia, 1894 – H. L. Reid and the Empire Theatre

A drop curtain by H. J. Reid was described in the article “Well-known Drop Curtain in Philadelphia Theatres” (The Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec. 18, 1894). The J. was a misprint, as the scenic artist was Hugh Logan Reid (1853-1928).

The Empire Theatre, located at Broad and Locust Streets from 1891 to 1898, produced large scenic productions during seven-years existence. Originallydesigned by architect Willis G. Hale, the building was soon razed for the construction of the Walton Hotel in 1898.

Of Reid’s drop curtain for the theater, the “Philadelphia Inquirer” reported:

“Curtains that show reproductions of famous paintings are among the most expensive in the world to obtain, because it is not every artist who is willing to put his name to the painting which is going to be critically compared to, perhaps, the greatest painter in the world, and when he does make up his mind to do so, he will want to work very slowly and to be paid a very good sum for his worry and time. Such a curtain is the masterpiece displayed at the Empire Theatre. This subject was selected by Manager J. B. Worrell, during one of his European trips. The curtain was painted in 1891, by H. J. Reid, of New York, a young artist rapidly rising to fame. The scene presents the interior of the ducal hall. The duchess appears seated, her ladies in waiting about her, and her husband, the duke, standing behind her, when an old musician, with a battered mandolin, and accompanied by his blind daughter and a lean, apparently half-starved dog, enters the apartment. The old musician plays while his blind daughter accompanies him in song. The well-kept dog belonging to the duke meanwhile scrapes and acquaintance with his less fortunate canine friend. Through an open door at the rear is seen an attendant entering with a tray, containing wine and other refreshments for the half-famished visitors. So realistic is the scene that the ruffled up edge of the large moquette rug in the foreground of the picture seems not to have been painted, but to be actually placed on the curtain. There are eleven full-sized figures in the scene, not including the dogs. The border of this curtain is painted with a conventional design, representing a deep gilded frame, ornamented with dimple-cheeked cherubs, busts of women, wreaths, and festoons of flowers, with medallions in bas relief in the lower corners.”

Reid was well-respected as a figure painter. Reid was an associated with the Providence, Rhode Island, area, but he also worked in many eastern cities as an itinerant artist, such as Boston, Philadelphia and New York. In Harry Miner’s American Drama Directory, for the 1882-1883 season, Reid was listed as the scenic artist at the Providence Opera House.

By 1883, Reid was working from coast to coast. According to the “Boston Globe,” he furnished scenery for a new theatre at Los Angeles (7 Oct. 1883, page 10),. That year, Reid also worked with Jos. Clare to produce the sets for the “Duke’s Motto, ‘I am Here!’” at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York (Boston Globe, 8 Dec. 1883, page 7).

By 1884 Reid entered into another partnership with Harley Merry and J. L. Getz, establishing “Getz, Merry & Reid.” Getz was also from the Boston area, with Merry located in Brooklyn. The firm lasted approximately five years. Theirbiggest success was the creation of scenery for Wm. J. Gilmore’s “The Twelve Temptations,” an attraction advertised as “a scenic, ballet, and pantomimic spectacle.” The painted settings included sixteen full stage pictures with a moving panorama.

In 1887, Reid created scenery for Imre Kiralfy’s “Grand and Colossal Revival of the Famous Ravel Pantomime, Mazulm the Night Owl” (The Times, Philadelphia, 25 Dec. 1887, page 9). At the time, Reid was listed as the scenic artist for the Globe Theatre. Another notable production with scenery credited to Reid was E. E. Rice’s “World’s Fair” in 1890 (The Boston Globe. 27 July 1890, page 10). By 1891, the “Boston Globe” reported that Reid was “one of the most noted scenic artists in the country (13 Sept. 1891, page 9).

Reid moved to New York City and officially established his residence there. In New York Reid began painting for a variety of theaters, but was primarily associated with Daly’s Theatre of Manhattan (The Standard Union, Brooklyn, 17, Aug. 1902, page 15).

He became the primary scenic artist for Henry W. Savage’s the Castle Square Opera Company during 1899. Other scenic artists for the venue during the company’s existence included Thomas G. Moses, Walter Burridge, Frank King, and John Clare. Reid’s design’s included “The Grand Duchess,” “Rigoletto,” “Olivette,” “La Gioconda,” “Mikado,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” “Carmen,” “The Barber of Seville,” “Faust,” “Il Trovatore,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Aida.” (The increased volume of subscriptions during the first three seasons of the Castle Square Opera Company, supported Savage’s plan to establish at the American Theatre a permanent home for opera in English. The opera company also had branches in Chicago and St. Louis. By 1900, it was advertised as “the largest operatic company in the world,” having “gained a larger clientele than any other established musical organization.” A commemorative book, “500 Times,” documented the success of the Castle Square Opera Company’s performance of operas in English by Monday, October 16, 1899.

For other theaters, he worked alongside Richard Marston, Walter Burridge, John H. Young, Homer Emens, and Harley Merry onvarious projects. This same group created the scenery for Margaret Mather’s “Cymbeline” at the Columbia Theatre (Evening Star, Washington, D.C., 13 Feb. 1897, page 24).

Reid placed an advertisement in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the 1902-1903 season. It, he listed his studio office at 1380 Broadway, New York City. He listed past projects at the following New York theaters: Fifth Ave. Theatre, Murray Hill Theatre, Metropolis Theatre, Manhattan Theatre, People’s Theatre, Miner’s Bowery Theatre, and the Weiting Opera House (Syracuse). Other theaters included the Lyric Theatre (Allentown, PA), Columbia Theatre (Boston), Grand Opera House (Boston), Bowdoin Square (Boston), Lyric Theatre (Hoboken, N. J.), and the Bijou Theatre (Brooklyn).

Advertisement from Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the 1902-1903 season

In 1902, Reid was credited with producing scenery for “one of the most important theatrical events” for the season” – “The Tempest.” The “Standard Union” reported, “The scene of storm and shipwreck with which the play opens will be one of those realistic and marvelous episodes which are rarely seen except on stage of the old Drury Lane Theatre in London…The new scenery for this production has been painted by H. Logan Reid, for many years the scenic artist at Daly’s Theatre in Manhattan” (Aug. 17, 1902, page 15). Of Reid’s association with Augustin Daly, the Saint Paul Press” commented, “The several scenes, which were painted by H. Logan Reid, who was associated with Augstin Daly for so many years, are by a multiplicity of beautiful transparencies made to melt one into the other, as if by the very agency of magic which pervades the original text of Shakespeare. This treatment has had the best results in the opening scene of the play, which gradually changes from a peaceful fairy-like forest glen to the shore of the island, showing the tempest tossed ocean, with the great ship bearing the more mortal characters of the story to its treacherous rocks” (4 March 1903, age 4).

Interestingly, the John Rothgeb papers at the Harry Ransom Center included a letter written by Charles H. Stewart of Somerville, Massachusetts that mentioned H. L. Reid. Stewart wrote, “I do know he was an old man when he died, for my father worked with him in the Opera House season 1909-1910. I am still looking – he was fired so Urban could take over. Urban had a studio/office in Boston in 1910 but soon left for New York.” What an interesting tidbit of lost theatre history to know that an aging scenic artist lost his position to the up and coming Joseph Urban, twenty years his junior. Reid was 57 years old at the time.

In 1915, Reid created a succession of painted settings for a submarine attraction for the Panama-Pacific Exposition. He was sixty-one years old at the time. World Fair midway passengers entered the steel submarine and toured the labyrinths of Neptune, a succession of painted scenes. Of the attraction, “The Red book of Views of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition” described:

“The first thing to greet the eye of the visitor to this great spectacle is an allegorical front, with cascades of moving water typifying the restlessness of the ocean. Neptune sits proudly over all, basking in the beams from a near-by lighthouse. At the dock the passenger enters a steel submarine, is taken beneath the waters where he sees a shipwreck, marine animals, and a typical ocean floor. Landing again, he is taken through the labyrinths of Neptune, a succession of wonderful scenes by H. Logan Reid of New York City.”

Image of the attraction at the Panama-Pacific Exposition, 1915

To be continued…