Cyclorama – Page 2 – Drypigment.net

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 277 – The American Panorama Company and the Scene Painters’ Show of 1885

While looking for images of F. W. Heine, I came across the July 22, 1886, issue of “Bad Lands Cow Boy.” The article described the “Battle of Atlanta” cyclorama that was on exhibit in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was fascinated with the history of my hometown, so I took a little time to read the entire article. Near the end of it, the author highlighted William Wehner and the American Panorama Company artists. It described how Wehner visited all of the panoramas of importance in Europe and then selected “a staff of the most competent war painters to be found in that country.” The leaders of his exceptional painting team were foreign professors F. W. Heine and August Lohr, “whose previous accomplishments entitled them to be entrusted with the great task which had been laid out.” Heine and Lohr’s artistic staff included “eighteen of the best war painters of Europe, largely from Munich, Dresden and Vienna.” There were artists specializing in landscapes, portraits, figures, and horses. They left their homes to come work in Milwaukee. Most never returned. The fact that the paint staff of the American Panorama Company was mainly composed of foreign artists could not have gone unnoticed, especially by scenic artists in Chicago.

I think scenic artists from all over the country watched, waited, and then acted out against their new competitors. Wehner’s artists arrived in Milwaukee on May 13, 1885. Five months later there was a Scene Painter’s Show in Chicago highlighting American scenic artists. On October 12, 1885, there was the first exhibition of Water Colors by American scenic artists from all over the country. It stands to reasons think that they were defending their turf against this perceived onslaught of immigrant labor. There would never be another Scene Painter’s Show of that generation’s work.

An advertisement for the Scene Painter’s Show in the Chicago Tribune, November 15, 1885, page 16. Thomas G. Moses, Walter W. Burridge and many other scenic artists form across the country exhibited the fine art.

John Moran supported their cause when he submitted an article about the Scene Painter’s Show for the “Art Union, a Monthly Magazine of Art” (Vol. 2, No. 4, 1885, p. 85). The American Art Union was “a society of American Artists, including representations of all the different schools of art” that was “organized ‘for the general advancement of the Fine Arts, and for promoting and facilitating a greater knowledge and love thereof on the part of the public.” The 1884-1885 Board of Directors included D. Hentington (Pres), T. W. Wood (Vice President), E. Wood Perry, Jr. (Secy.), Frederick Dielman (Treasurer), W. H. Beard, Albert Bierstadt, Harry Chase, Harry Farrer, Eastman Johnson, Jervis McEntee, Thomas Moran, and Walter Shirlaw.

The art magazine that highlighted the Scene Painter’s Show in Chicago during 1885.

In a previous post about the Scene Painter’s Show I included Moran’s entire article. I am going to include it again as it can be read now with a much different perspective:

“The Scene Painters’ Show. Chicago, October 12^th, 1885

The first Exhibition of Water Colors by American Scenic Artists has been open free to the public for some weeks past, in this city, and the eighty-four examples hung on the walls of Messrs. Louderback & Co.’s galleries include some praiseworthy and valuable works. Such a collection proves that the broad pictorial treatment requisite for adequate stage effect does not incapacitate a man for the finer and more delicate manipulation essential to good aquarelles, and shows, moreover, a healthy progressive spirit among scenic artists. The name of Matt Morgan has long been gratefully familiar to us, and he is represented by diverse and facile contributions. “Alone in the Forest Shade” (1), shows lumbermen with their load descending a wild ravine flanked on either side by towering pines. The feeling of solitude and gloom is forcibly conveyed and the tree forms and foliage broadly yet carefully handled. “The Lost Comrade” (27), and “Waiting for Death” (14), are strong and weird aspects of prairies life, the former representing a horseman, lasso in hand, who has come upon the skeletons of a horse and rider among the pampas grass, and the latter a bull calf standing over the moribund body of a cow, striving with futile bellow to keep advancing wolves at bay. A nude figure, “The New Slave” (71), standing expectantly against a rich low-toned drapery, is exquisite in drawing and color and charmingly beautiful in suggestion. Mr. Walter Burridge runs the gamut of landscape figure and decoration and is good in all! His “Spring” (9), “Autumn Leaves” (39), and “Old Mill” (49), are deftly washed-in landscapes, true to nature and aerial in quality, while “My Assistant” (16), a study of behind the scenes life, and a “Ninety Minute Sketch” (83), of his friend Mr. Ernest Albert, show character and a nice sense of texture. Mr. Ernest Albert’s “Winter Twilight” (12), is full of sentiment of the season and excellent in composition, and his “October Morning” (31), “moonrise” (40), “Sunset” (79), and “Autumn” (80), are severally individual as transcripts and prove his mastery over the vehicle he uses. “A Decorative Flower Piece” (84), by the same artist, groups of roses, pansies and forget-me-nots in a most artistic and harmonious manner. “Nobody’s Claim, Col.” (65) and “Near Racine, Wis.” (76) By Mr. Thomas G. Moses, are among his best examples and are freely treated and with fidelity to locale character and sky effects. Mr. Albert Operti gives us some reminiscences of his Lapland tour in 1884, which are realistic and worthy, and Mr. J. Hendricks Young, “A Busy Day on Chicago River” (38), which together with the local bits by Mr. Moses, Mr. C. E. Petford and Mr. Burridge, is of historical value as it is skillfully painted. “Rats, you Terrier” (59), by the same hand, is a “snappy” and bright treatment of a dog’s head and fully catches the spirit of the English. Mr. Henry C. Tryon’s “Source of the Au Sable” (34), powerfully conveys a sense of somberness and grandeur, and though ample in detail loses nothing of the vastness and breadth, which such a landscape motion calls for. Other works deserving of notice are Messrs. George Dayton, Sr., George Dayton, Jr., the late L. Malmsha, C. Boettger, Chas. Ritter, H. Buhler and John Howell Wilson, whose “Country Road” (76” is especially fresh, verdurous and bright. It is to be hoped that this is only the forerunner of many like exhibitions and it marks a decided growth in the national art spirit.”

On June 29, 2017, (installment #131) I wrote, “This wasn’t just a group of artists linked by a common style or profession – this was statement made by a closely-knit community of passionate individuals. They shared their work, their lives and their passion for painting.” Now I understand that this could have been more than a mere statement; it was creating a united front to battle a potential threat to their future livelihood. Not until this moment had I considered that the Scene Painter’s Show of 1885 was a calculated response to the arrival on twenty foreign scenic artists who worked for the American Panorama Company, having only arrived a mere five months earlier. I honestly don’t know if any other scenic studio in the United States could rival the size of the American Panorama Company’s staff in 1885; certainly not the Sosman & Landis studio.

To provide a little more context for this event, it was also the same year that Moses left the Sosman & Landis Studio to form a partnership called “Burridge, Moses & Louderback.” J. D. Louderback was the Chicago art dealer who hosted the Scene Painter’s Show. Walter Burridge had extensive experience painting panoramas that included work with Phil Goatcher on “Siege of Paris” (1876 Philadelphia Centennial World Fair) and a “Battle of Gettysburg” panorama. He understood cycloramas and would soon design and paint the “Volcano of Kilauea,” a monumental success at the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

Advertisement for Thomas G. Moses’ business with Walter Burridge and J. D. Louderback.

Two groups of artists: one crossing the Atlantic to paint scenery, the other showing what America already had to offer.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 275 – Memories of Milwaukee

Lance Brockman and Wendy Waszut-Barrett as co-presenters for the 2013 USITT session, “Theatre of the Fraternity: Creating the World of Freemasonry” held at the Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In 2013, I attended the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) Conference in Milwaukee. I was scheduled with Lance Brockman to present a session in a nearby Masonic venue- “Theatre of the Fraternity: Creating the World of Freemasonry.” On March 21, 2013, we each gave a presentation about historical scenic art and degree productions. Then we invited participants onto the stage to examine early-twentieth-century dry pigment painting techniques. At the beginning of the week, I spent two days cataloguing and evaluating the Milwaukee Scottish Rite scenery collection at the Humphrey Center so that we would know the best scenes to lower during the USITT session. I always try to visit a Scottish Rite theater during a USITT conference if there is one in the same city.

Wendy Waszut-Barrett as a presenters for the 2013 USITT session, “Theatre of the Fraternity: Creating the World of Freemasonry” held at the Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Group photo of attendees for the 2013 USITT session, “Theatre of the Fraternity: Creating the World of Freemasonry” held at the Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

I was also working on another theater project during the 2013 USITT conference at the Milwaukee Historical Society. It was a personal academic adventure to see a display about the Milwaukee panorama painters. The small exhibit was recommended by several of my colleagues. Over the course of two days I did much more that take a sneak peak at a display case. I examined the handwritten diaries of Friedrich W. Heine (1845-1921). It was in the day before my iPhone, but there was a copier and I left with a 1” pile of reproductions. My intention was that have my husband translate many of the entries that accompanied little drawings in the margin, especially pertaining to Masonic subject matter. Heine popped back up on my radar when Gene Meier forwarded on some of his own research about the Milwaukee panorama artists this past summer.

My 2013 photocopies of the F. W. Heine diaries.

A detail from one page of my photocopies purchased during my visit to Milwaukee in 2013.

For many theater technicians and historians, their academic education fails to include details about the incredibly complex stage machinery and scenic illusion from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. We receive minimal instruction pertaining to a variety of popular entertainments, including moving panoramas and cycloramas. In the classroom, it was occasionally referred to as a “low-brow” form of entertainment, not the work of the masters. As I have persisted in my research over the years, I have come to realize that many of the scenic artists and stage machinists who produced spectacles were the actual masters.

I might have a PhD in theatre, but all of my education pertaining to visual spectacle happened outside of my doctoral program, specifically in classes with MFA designers. It was one particular professor’s research interest and enthusiasm that provided me with an incentive to study historical scenic art and design. Lance Brockman at the University of Minnesota forever altered my perception as a theater historian and practitioner. Scenic illusion remained a vibrant art form with a beauty that would guide my career as an artist. Without his enthusiasm for the subject matter or his support of my own academic interests, I would not be writing this blog today or restoring historical scenery collections.

Now for those without years spent in a theater department or a performing arts archive, let’s start with the term panorama, specifically a moving panorama. These long canvases were advertised in feet, and sometimes miles. Visitor’s sat stationery in a theater while a very long canvas scrolled from one vertical roll to another. The painted landscape would pass by as if looking out the window of a train. This type of exhibit could easily travel to a variety of venues as the two rolls would be positioned within any proscenium.

Illustration depicting John Banvard’s 1848 moving panorama.

The appeal of moving panoramas extended to children’s toys. Here is a toy moving panorama from the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. Here is the link to the artifact: http://www.bdcmuseum.org.uk/explore/item/69085/

Cycloramas were panoramic in nature and created for a specific type of building with a unique form of rigging. A rotunda building, octagonal or polygonal in shape, was necessary for this visual spectacle. Narrow passages brought visitors into the building where they emerged into the center of a scene. Some included impressive lighting and sound effects. Others included educational lectures. Whether it was a city on fire, a horrific scene at a battle, or bubbling volcanic crater in Hawaii, a realistic scene transported visitors to another time and place. A diorama began near the viewing platform and transitioned into a two-dimensional vista.

Section of the Rotunda, Leicester Square, 1801. Burford’s Panorama, Leicester Square: cross section(acquatint from Robert Mitchell’s Plans and Views in Perspective of Buildings Erected in England and Scotland, 1901). Stephen Oetermann, The Panorama History of Mass Media, N.Y. : Zone Books, 1997, p. 104. Digital image posted with a great article at: https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/library/alumni/online_exhibits/digital/2003/panorama/new_001.htm

The rise of the cyclorama studio occurred in the 1880s and coincided with the rise of the scenic studio. Utilizing an ever-expanding network of transportation, painted scenery was easily shipped from town to town. Tomorrow, I will begin a series on the stories of the artists who created these massive paintings. They were contemporaries of Thomas G. Moses.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 274 – The Chicago Fire Cyclorama

Advertisement for the the Chicago Fire Panorama posted at Chicagology: https://chicagology.com/chicago-fire/fire031/

There were other cycloramas on display during the 1893 Columbian Exposition besides the Volcano of Kilauea. Gene Meier, 19^th century American panorama specialist, listed them as follows: Gettysburg, Jerusalem of the Day of Crucifixion, Chicago Fire, Bernese Oberland, Volcano of Kilauea, and Battle of Chattanooga.

Program for “Jerusalem on the Day of the Crucifixion,” 1893.

The Chicago Fire cyclorama was a similar in size to the Volcano of Kilauea cyclorama, and measured approximately 50 feet high by 400 feet long. A reproduction of the 1871 great fire was displayed in a building on Michigan Avenue, between Madison and Monroe Streets. Howard H. Gross managed the attraction and was President of the Chicago Fire Cyclorama Company. Ticket prices were 30 cents per adult and 25 cents per child. The cyclorama was open in the day and evening.

Advertisements promised a “marvelous scene of Chicago while burning” with 20,000 square feet of canvas and numerous set pieces. The September 28, 1892, issue of the “Fort Worth Daily Gazette” reported, “thousands of acres of red hot ruins” and “thousands more a sea of flame.” Some of the painted compositions included Burning of the Court-House, Panic at the Rush Street Bridge, Escaping to the River, and Burning of the Old United States Marine Hospital. The attraction was created at an estimated expense of $250,000. Eyewitness accounts promoted this “most wonderful creation of art” with “thrilling scenes of burning Chicago” presented “truthfully and with a degree of realism impossible to conceive” (Chicago Tribune, October 20, 1893)

The details of the exhibit and depiction of the Great Fire, however, were under scrutiny from the day it opened to the public. An article on May 22, 1892 in the Chicago Tribune defended the careful researched process to maintain accuracy of the events that occurred in 1871 (page 39). In an article titled, “How People See the Same Thing Differently,” manager Gross stated, “I think the picture is as accurate as any that will ever be made. But what a time it took to get the facts and exact location in some instances, and other data necessary to make the work so accurate that those who saw the fire would agree with the reproduction!” Gross continued, “But with every human endeavor to attain this result, it is strange, interesting, and sometimes sad to overhear some of the old settlers who, viewing the work, begin to disagree about the details. And so it was in the gathering of facts for the painting.”

The example that Gross used during the exhaustive research prior to the design of the model was contacting the proprietor of a Lake Street business that caught fire. The proprietor explained that he knew the building caught on fire at 10am as he was just coming down to the business. Yet the bookkeeper arrived at 8am and explained that the fire had started two hours earlier. Disputing both reports was the man in charge of the building who reported that the structure caught on fire at 3am. Gross explained that this was the case with most eyewitness accounts that told drastically different versions of the same story. They had to select only one story to illustrate. During the design of the painting, over fifty individuals all swore that they witnessed the fire from its inception and described their experience to Gross and his stenographer. In the end, 1,300 eye witnesses accounts were collected during the design process. Gross summed up the inaccuracies stating, “The discrepancy or difference reminds me that the late Gen. Crook once said that a hundred Indians (or any number), would see an occurrence and each would describe it alike, but no two white men could do it.”

The Chicago Fire attraction was on display for the majority of 1892 and remained throughout the duration of the Columbian Exposition in 1893. The exhibit finally closed on October 10, 1893. An article posted in Chicagology noted that the after the attraction closed, the canvas was stored in a warehouse on South Indiana Avenue and eventually sold to a junk dealer for only $2.00 in 1913. According to Meier, Gross wanted to give the Chicago Fire Cyclcorama to the City of Chicago, provided Chicago Fire Cyclorama and the original Battle of Gettysburg (made in Brussels by Paul Philippoteaux) parked in his front yard at 600 Indiana Avenue until Gettysburg was sold for $1 in 1910 and CHICAGO FIRE was sold for $2 in 1913.

The only item that remains of the cyclorama is the original 1/10 scale design. The Chicagology article continued to report that this design was ,“recently discovered sitting, uncatalogued, in the Chicago History Museum archives. The painting, measured four feet high by forty feet long.” The October 19, 1892, “Inter Ocean” article verified the use of this design, reporting that the Chicago Fire Cyclorama was “made from photos and original sketches” (page 7).

Detail of 4′ x 40′ scale design for the the Chicago Fire Panorama posted at Chicagology: https://chicagology.com/chicago-fire/fire031/

Michael Kutzer and Gene Meier added information about the Chicago Fire cyclorama that was posted in Chicagology. I introduced Meier in yesterday’s post, but Kutzer also specializes in the same subject matter, specifically the F. W. Heine Diaries and panorama artists in Milwaukee. Meiers and Kutzer revealed that in November 1889 F. W. Heine was asked by a Mr.Van Valkenburgh if he would like to make the composition of the Chicago Fire for the rotunda building on Michigan between Madison and Monroe in Chicago that housed the “Battle of Shiloh” painting. The Chicago Fire cyclorama was painted by scenic artists Lorenz and Wilhelmi of Heine’s studio in Milwaukee.

To place Heine in context, an article titled “Fine Art in Milwaukee” credited F. W. Heine as “the celebrated battle painter from Leipzig” (The Nebraska State Journal, March 2, 1890). Heine was listed as one of the many European artists working for the American Panorama Company in Milwaukee. The article further reported “each one bore a high reputation in his own country.” There will be more about this Milwaukee panorama company in tomorrow’s post.

To be continued…

Here is the link to the Chicago Fire Panorama at Chicagology: https://chicagology.com/chicago-fire/fire031/

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 273 – The Palace of Pele, Goddess of Fire

A depiction of Pele that was posted on a Pinterest Wall. Artist unknown.

The Volcano of Kilauea cyclorama was part of the Midway Plaisance at the Columbian Exposition in 1893. Placed between the Ferris Wheel and the Chinese Theatre, the polygonal-shaped building was 140 feet in diameter by 60 feet high. Exterior signs advertised “Hawaii, Palace of Pele, Burning Lakes of Kilauea” and “Greatest Volcano on Earth in Action.” Other advertisements promised visitors a painted that depicted a crater “9 Miles Around. 1000 Feet Deep.” At the entrance to the attraction was a statue of “Pele Goddess of Fire.”

Statue over entrance of cyclorama building in the Midway Plaisance of the Columbian Exposition, 1893.

Cyclorama building at Columbian Exposition. This attraction was designed and painted by Walter A. Burridge.

There are various legends that tell of how Pele came to live in the volcano of Kiluaea on the big island of Hawai’i. Many western versions describe the goddess as fiery-tempered, passionate and jealous. She is presented as a disobedient daughter, angry sister, or spurned lover. The story of Pele at the Columbian Exposition described her hurling fire-brands into the sea, aiming at a native prince who wronged her and was hiding in the ocean.

I share another story of Pele; one that I read on a text panel at a Lahaina visitor’s center museum in Maui. It is told that Pele journeyed across the ocean from a distant place called Kahiki. She traveled across with other members from her family. As with Pele, each embodied a force of nature. Pele employed her diving rod, Pa’oa, to survey each island’s capacity to provide her with a home. She dug up great craters and shaped each island into its present form with fire and lava. Pele ended her epic journey on Hawai’i, the largest and southernmost island of the Hawaiian Archipelago. There she still dwells in the fire pit of Kilauea.

Walter Burridge’s cyclorama for the Columbian Exposition was reported as 412 feet long and 54 feet high. It presented a view of Pele’s fiery palace from the center of the crater. The actual crater was a huge depression that measured about three miles by two miles. Halemaumau Crater at the summit of Kilauea Volcano is also referred to as the Navel of the World – Ka Piko o ka Honua. There, many believe that the gods began creation.

Visitors to this Midway attraction were positioned in the center of the crater and gazed around at “bubbling and seething pools and lakes of fire.” The “Handbook of the World’s Columbian Exposition” (Rand McNally & Co., 1893) describes the scene as “seething pools and lakes and fire; tall jagged crags; toppling masses of rocks; outpourings of lava – some flowing along in hissing, smoking streams, and some cooled in every fantastic shape imaginable.”

Sound effects accompanied the painted exhibit. Dull rumblings, distant thunder, and a sudden roar echoed throughout the display. The floor also moved to simulate the volcanic activity as the earth shook and labored near the crater. In addition to the sound and movement, pyrotechnic displays and colored lights added a reality to the setting. In the background of the cyclorama were the snowcapped peaks of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea at their lofty elevation of 15,000 feet high. Opposite was the vast expanse, was the Pacific ocean and moonlit waves.

Three-dimensional foregrounds were carefully blended into the two-dimensional paintings, making an almost imperceptible transition to provide a vast depth to the scenic illusion. Fragments of rocky outcrops transitioned into painted cliffs. Painted figures and scale “dummies” were placed throughout the landscape. A live actor added an additional element of realism to the scenic illusion; climbing the cliffs that rimmed the scene, he chanted an invocation to the volcano goddess Pele. The attraction successfully marketed Lorrin A. Thurston’s homeland and his recent acquisition of the Volcano House on the northeastern side of the crater.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 272 – Walter Burridge and The Volcano House

Theater history isn’t always recorded by those directly involved in the production. There are written accounts by individuals who were in the audience or reviewing the performance. The writings of Thomas G. Moses are unique as we see the world of theatre through the eyes of a scenic artist and designer. When perusing through all of the documents sent to me by Gene Meier, fellow historian who is tracing 19^th century panorama painting, something stuck out. It was the writings of Lorrin A. Thurston (1858-1931) connected to Meier’s findings pertaining to the Kilauea Volcano cyclorama. Thurston was a lawyer, politician and businessman raised in Hawaii. He was the grandson of one of the first missionaries sent to the Sandwich Islands. Thurston also played a prominent role in overthrowing the Kingdom of Hawai’i under the rule of Queen Lili’uokalani during 1893.

Thurston invested in the renovation and enlargement of the Volcano House during 1891 – the same year as Walter Burridge’s visit to create sketches for the cyclorama. The original Volcano House (a grass hut) was built on the northeastern side of the crater by Benjamin Pitman Sr., a Hilo businessman, in 1846. A second grass-thatched Volcano House was constructed in 1866, boasting four bedrooms, a parlor and a dining room. Mark Twain visited this particular structure. The 1866 house was torn down in 1877 and rebuilt with wood. By 1885, Wilder’s Steamship Company of Honolulu purchased the Volcano House and operated it until 1890. That same year, Thurston’s writings record his seeking out the owner of the site – Samuel G. Wilder and creating the Volcano House Company. At the same time, the company purchased the Punaluu Hotel from Peter Lee, who was then placed as the manager of both hotels. The Volcano House property was remodeled and enlarged to a two-story frame building with fourteen rooms and an observation deck for visitors to see the lava activity and the crater several hundred yards away.

The Volcano House in 1891 with Walter Burridge holding is palette in the top left window.

The Volcano House in 1891 with Walter Burridge holding is palette in the left window.

On November 10, 1891, the Hawaiian Gazette published “Latest From the Volcano,” reporting a number of visitors including Mrs. Senator Stewart, Mr. and Mrs. Hyman, Miss Hirschberg. Messrs. Morrell and Blue of Pensacola, High, Scott, Walter Burridge, and C. A. Webster, “returned Tuesday afternoon on the Hall, having enjoyed an exceptionally quiet passage down.” The article continued, “All are enthusiastic over accommodations afforded by the Volcano House and general improvements in transportation arrangements. The volcano is reported to be in a fairly active condition, and is gradually rising to its old level of last March. It is estimated that the lake is now within four or five hundred feet of the top, and is perhaps a quarter of a mile in diameter at its widest point. Liquid lava and cakes of half-frozen crust are thrown, in the centre of the lake, to a height of twenty or thirty feet. If the lake continues to rise at its present rate, there will be an overflow in about seven or eight months.”

Photograph of Kilauea’s Lake of Fire in 1893.

Thurston was also interested in bringing Hawaii into the American public’s eye and began an exciting marketing plan for the island. A railroad advertising agent was being hired to visit Hawaii, take pictures and print marketing brochures. Thurston and a few other investors were creating “Vistas of Hawaii, The Paradise of the Pacific and Inferno of the World.” In August 1891, approximately 10,000 large pamphlets and 50,000 smaller pamphlets were printed for distribution. But this was a small part of a much larger picture.

Thurston then traveled to Chicago and secured a concession for a cyclorama of Kilauea to be included in the Midway Plaisance for the 1893 Columbian Exposition. He had help from Michael H. De Young, owner of the San Francisco Chronicle and California commissioner for the World Fair. Thurston returned to Honolulu, organized “The Kilauea Cyclorama Co.” and became the company’s president. W. T. Sense was the company’s first manager. They arranged for Burridge to visit Hawaii from October 13 to November 11, 1891. Burridge would sketch Kilauea in action and reproduce a spectacle for the fairgrounds. He was representing the scenic studio of Albert, Grover & Burridge.

On September 9, 1891 (page 7) the Chicago Daily Tribune reported that there were at least thirty firms in Europe who wanted to include a panorama at the Columbian Exposition and that the Ways and Means Committee was not prepared to consider panoramas at the present time. The committee did state that if panoramas were included, it would ask for twenty-five percent of gross receipts. That was half less than the fifty percent asked of Buffalo Bill for his Wild West show! It might have also helped that Burridge’s business partner was also a chair for one of the Fair committees.

By 1898 Hawai’i became a U. S. Territory. Thurston also opened a newspaper that same year – “Pacific Commercial Advertiser.”

On December 3, 1891, the “Honolulu Adviser” reported “Walter Burridge, the scenic artist, had his sketches stopped by the Custom House authorities at San Francisco for duty. Some friends at that place saw the Collector and arranged the matter without cost to Mr. Burridge.” Good to have friends around in your time of need.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 271 – From the Land Where Palm Trees Sway

The Volcano of Kilaueau cyclorama for the 1893 Columbian Exposition was designed and painted by Walter Wilcox Burridge, the previous business partner of Thomas G. Moses. Burridge was part of another scenic studio when he journeyed to Hawaii during October 1891. Earlier that year, “Albert, Grover & Burridge” established their studio at 3127 State Street in Chicago. Their establishment was a marked departure from previous scenic studios as they implemented advancements in the methods of mounting and presenting stage plays to their clients. Albert was the scenic artist for the Chicago Auditorium, Burridge was the scenic artist for the Grand Opera House and McVicker’s, and Oliver Grover was a well-known instructor at the Chicago Institute of Art.

On October 20, 1891, the “Hawaiian Gazette” reported, “Walter Burridge, the scenic artist who is engaged to paint the Volcano for the World’s Exposition, leaves for that point to-morrow to make his sketches. He will be accompanied by Mr. Webster, the Chicago journalist, who will send a number of letters to the Chicago Inter-Ocean” (page 7). Webster would submit his story as “Special Correspondences” by “Conflagration Jones.” His series began in November and included a comical character named “Burridge.”

One of the “Inter Ocean” articles about Conflagration Jones’ adventures in Hawaii with Burridge.

In addition to Webster, the photographer J. J. Williams also joined the group to document the landscape of Kiluaea. Williams would take a number of photographs to assist Walter Burridge in the final painting for this Midway Plaisance attraction.

On October 27, 1891, the “Hawaiian Gazette” published an article about the upcoming Columbian Exposition (page 2). The article reported, “It now looks as though our modest little country might furnish one of the chief attractions of the Columbian Exposition, viz., a panorama and the volcano.” Both Burridge and Webster were described in the article: “[Webster] is on staff of the Chicago Inter-Ocean, a daily with a circulation of about 80,000 and has been engaged by the Volcano House Co. to write for the Inter-Ocean a series of twelve articles on Hawaii” and Burridge was “a leading landscape artist of Chicago.” The formation of a panorama joint stock company, initially be called “The Kilauea Cyclorama Co.,” would carry the enterprise through to completion. The article continued, “The cost of the panorama will probably be $20,000 – though the amount cannot be ascertained at present with accuracy. The hope is that a suitable building can be obtained so that the company will not be put to the cost of erecting an edifice.”

In order to market this endeavor, however, the public needed to support the project and the large price tag. Hawaiians needed to see the value in participating in the 1893 World Fair. The “Hawaiian Gazette” promoted the endeavor, publishing, “The Columbian Exposition offers an opportunity to advertise this country and make its advantages known, which is simply unparalleled. It is safe to assume that no opportunity will offer itself on a similar scale within perhaps a generation to come. The Hawaiian Government and private individuals should strain every nerve to utilize the opportunity to the utmost. Hawaii must be properly represented. We have a full and fine exhibit – one which will illustrate with completeness the character, conditions and prospects of the country, which will give an adequate conception of its generous climate and unrivaled fertility of its soil. The Hawaiian Band should be sent there. In connection with the panorama, vast quantities of literature with reference to the Islands can be circulated in the shape of books, pamphlets and circulars.”

Excitement for the project continued to build throughout the remainder of fall as Burridge rapidly completed his sketches at the Volcano House. Both Hawaiian and Chicago newspapers began marketing the project and promoting this tropical location as an ideal destination for tourists.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 270 – A Volcanic Explosion of Information – Kilauea

My past few installments looked at Thomas G. Moses’ contribution to the Columbian Exposition Midway Plaisance in 1893. His good friend and colleague, Walter Wilcox Burridge (1857-1913), also created a spectacular exhibit for the Midway Plasiance – a cyclorama of Kilueau, complete with scenic effects. Moses initially left Sosman & Landis in the 1880s to start a business with Burridge called “Burridge Moses and Louderback.” Burridge and Moses were the artists and Louderback was the businessman who specialized in art. Although their company was short lived, the two artists remained friends for the rest of their lives until Burridge passed away in 1916.

Advertisement for the scenic studio of Ernest Albert, Oliver Grover, and Walter Burridge. Burridge’s previous partnership was with Thomas G. Moses.

The new studio constructed by Ernest Albert, Oliver Grover, and Walter Burridge.

Burridge left his business with Moses after experiencing a series of struggles with Louderback. He went back to his old scenic art position at the Chicago Opera, but soon formed another partnership – “Albert, Grover and Burridge.” This company with Ernest Albert and Oliver Grover built a new type of scenic studio, complete with a full-scale display area (see installments #134-137). Burridge was still working at “Albert, Grover, and Burridge” when he designed and created the cyclorama for the Columbian Exposition.

The cyclorama of Kilauea painted by Walter Burridge for the 1893 Columbian Exposition Midway Plaisance.

To provide a little context for Moses’ theatrical productions and scenic art at the Columbian Exposition, it seems an appropriate time to include the work of Burridge.

Some of the my information and images for the next few posts have been provided by Eugene “Gene” B. Meier, Jr., M.S. Ed. Our paths crossed during the summer of 2017 as I researched Walter Burridge and the projects that he worked on with Moses (see installments # 131-135). Meier’s name first popped up in a Google search that linked me to his writing for Askart.com. Just as I wrote the biographical information for Thomas G. Moses at Askart, Meier did the same for Walter W. Burridge. The next time I saw a Meier’s post was in a Chicagoloy comment. On January 18, 2016, Meier posted that here were six rotunda panoramas represented at World Columbian Exposition.

A 1912 photograph from Chicagology depicting the cyclorama buildings. Here is the link: https://chicagology.com/goldenage/goldenage049/ It was this post where I encountered Gene Meier’s comments.

I repeatedly stumbled across a series of public postings, all with Meier’s name attached to the information. He was studying the scenic artists and companies who painted nineteenth century panoramas and cycloramas. Meier was doing the exact same thing that I was doing – except I was focusing on Masonic Theaters as the end product. Meier was creating a spreadsheet from the American point of view about 19^th century panorama painting.

2004 advertisement about a lecture on the panorama painters by Gene Meier.

In one of his posts, he mentioned Walter Burridge and also commented about his examination of the scenic art diaries by F. W. Heine at the Milwaukee Historical Society. I had also looked at those same diaries during a United States Institute of Theatre Technology Conference when the convention was in Milwaukee! It was at this point that I decided to contact Meier. There were too many instances where our research was covering the same ground.

Now contacting another historian can be like crossing a tightrope over Niagara Falls; one misstep could end the whole stunt. It is understandable that they might not want to share too much, especially if they are preparing to publish their findings. However, scholars really needs to share some of their information because it typically leads to new discoveries and facts that may otherwise remain hidden. I decided to take a chance and put all of my cards on the table and waited for Meier to respond.

It is possible that I was the first person to really show a shared interest in his topic, or that he is a completely trusting soul and sees the importance of bringing this information to light. Like me, his actions suggested that it was more important to share his research instead of being recognized for his particular contribution. We immediately recognized each other as kindred spirits and fellow historians who were working toward a bigger picture. But there was something else propelling his search – family. Meier has a personal connection to the art form as his great aunt was a student of panorama artists Richard Lorenz and Otto v. Ernst. For me, THAT could be a story in itself – except that I am swimming in tales already.

I received a flood of emails with attachments during July 2017 as he sent a lot of his primary research. This is a perfect example of “be careful of what you wish for” as you might have every request fulfilled. I am still in the process of slowly filtering through Meier’s files. I have been waiting for an appropriate opportunity to introduce and promote both Meier and his project. With my recent trip to Hawaii to see Thomas G. Moses’ great-grandson and my current examination of Moses’ contribution to the 1893 Columbian Exposition, now seems the ideal time. Tomorrow we look at the Burridge’s design and painting for his spectacular attraction – the Cyclorama of Kilauea.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 231 – Thomas G. Moses and the Broadway Theatre in Denver, Colorado

Moses returned to Chicago on April 20, 1890 after being away from for seven months. Moses wrote, “My little family was certainly glad to see me back, as I was to get back. Seven months is a long time to stay away – a big change in all of the children. I was strange to them for some-time.” The four children were still little and must have grown considerably during his absence. Seven years earlier Moses had already commented on his extended absences, writing in 1883, “It was hard on Ella and I felt I was neglecting her a good deal, but I couldn’t see any other way to progress.” At the time, he was referring to his working in the scenic studio, taking art classes, and leaving for sketching trips. I often wonder about his regrets later in life when he realized just how many moments he missed while his children were growing up.

Even after his seven-month absence, however, Moses could only remain in Chicago for a few days rest. Soon the studio sent him to Denver, Colorado. He was sent there to close a contract with the Broadway Theatre. The theatre was to be part of the new Metropole Hotel. Designed by Chicago architect Col. J. W. Wood, the hotel was one of the first “fireproof” hotels in the country, employing hollow clay fired tile units for all partition, floors, ceilings, and walls.

The Metropole Hotel and Broadway Theatre where Thomas G. Moses painted scenery in 1890. Photograph by Louis Charles McClure, Denver Public Library/Western History Collection, MCC-1055.

Part of the hotel included a performance venue. The Broadway Theater was also advertised as the first “fireproof theatre” in the West and opened on August 18. Look’s Opera Company performed the “Bohemian Girl.”

The Broadway Theatre where Thomas G. Moses painted scenery in 1890. Photograph by Louis Charles McClure, Denver Public Library/Western History Collection, MCC-6

The Broadway Theatre where Thomas G. Moses painted scenery during 1890. Photograph of interior from 1895.

When Thomas G. Moses later went to paint scenery for this theatre, he took his entire family along. Renting a furnished house with a big yard for $50.00 per month, they got settled in very quickly. Moses recounts a story about the transportation of his art and modeling supplies at the beginning of the journey. While packing for their departure in Chicago, Moses’ model trunk had fallen 54 feet from his paint room window when it was being hauled outside. It struck a pile of loose planks (as they were having some work done on their stairway) and only manage to break a hinge. That’s very little damage for such a substantial drop! Then I thought back to my trip last fall when I looked at his Masonic theatre model and traveling trunk in the Harry Ransom Center. I was impressed with its sturdy construction and now understand why it was built that way.

Thomas G. Moses trunk and designs for Masonic model theatre, 1931.

In his typed manuscript Moses commented that the Broadway Theatre project was “an ideal one” and they had “good facilities to work.” For this project he had made all new scenery models for a presentation. On of his designs the included a cyclorama drop that measured 36 feet high and 250 feet long. The large cyclorama curtain ran on a track and they could create three distinct backings; a plain sky, a cloudy sky and a moonlit sky. Moses wrote about the stage, commenting, “No borders. We trimmed the front stuff down to low enough to mask. All rows were profiled; very effective.”

For the Broadway Theatre project, Moses’ painting crew included Ed Loitz, William and Charlie Minor, and Billie Martin. Nearby in Pueblo, Colorado, Walter Burridge and Ernest Albert were also painting on a project and called on Moses while he was working at the Broadway. During the visit, all three all took a day off and enjoyed each other’s company and went on a sketching trip. Early in 1891, “Albert, Grover & Burridge” established their new studio at 3127 State Street in Chicago. Their establishment as a marked departure from previous studios as they implemented advancements in the methods of mounting and presenting stage plays. Just prior to founding their new business venture, Albert was the scenic artist for the Chicago Auditorium, Burridge was the scenic artist for the Grand Opera House and McVicker’s, and Oliver Grover was a professor Chicago’s Art Institute. I wonder if Albert and Burridge had approached Moses in Denver about being their third business partner before selecting an academician. Albert, Moses and Burridge would have made quite a painting team.

During Moses’ stay in Denver, he took his family on several trips into the mountains.

He recorded that on one trip they traveled fourteen miles from Denver to Manitou and enjoyed seeing the scenery at Ute Pass, Williams Canyon and Garden of the Gods. All three were already popular tourist destinations, drawing throngs of visitors in horse-drawn wagons.

Visitors on tour in Garden of the Gods, September 19, 1890.

Moses wrote, “We enjoyed these trips.” It had to have been one small way to make up for his seven-month absence. Sadly, a telegram soon called Moses back to the studio in Chicago for some special work. As it was nearing the time for school to start anyway, they decided to all head home at the same time. Moses wrote, “Ella packed up everyone in a day.” They gave up their Denver house and arrived in Chicago by early September.

Loitz and the Minor brothers remained in Denver to complete the painted interiors for the Broadway Theatre in Denver. Moses stayed in Chicago until November 4, and then returned to Denver to complete their contract. This means that scenic work had continued on the Broadway Theatre for three months after opening with “Bohemian Girl.”

To be continued…