Category: Design

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Thomas G. Moses and His Scenic Designs for the Oakland Scottish Rite

Copyright © 2025 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Design by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite Theatre, 1927.
Cave setting designed and painted by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite.
Design by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite, 1927
Painted detail on backdrop designed by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite, 1927.
Looking stage right at the Oakland Scottish Rite with backdrop designed and painted by Thomas G. Moses, 1927.
Design by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite, 1927.
Cut drop painted by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite. Legs drop and cyclorama accompany the piece.

Tens of thousands of historic opera houses were constructed between 1850 and 1950. Of that number, a significant percentage was lost to fire and other natural, or manmade, disasters. Many of the remaining structures fell prey to building renovations, repurposing, and demolition. Thousands were gutted, transformed into department stores, apartment complexes, and office spaces. Others were demolished to make room for parking facilities. Landmarks that stood the test of time, surviving economic downturns and world wars, have recently been sold across the country, with their contents dispersed or destroyed. Most painted illusion for these stages was ephemeral. Stage scenery was seldom expected to last beyond a season, let alone a decade. Remarkably, Sosman & Landis guaranteed their work for twelve years, yet some of their painted scenes have lasted well over a century and are still in use.

Looking stage left at the Oakland Scottish Rite. Cut drop and fly floor. Scene and stage machinery designed by Sosman & Landis, Chicago, under the supervision of Thomas G. Moses.

It is remarkable that the Oakland Scottish Rite theater not only has it original stage machinery and scenery that was delivered in 1927, but also has remained in the hands of the organization that conceived and built it . Its proposed sale places not only the historically significant structure, as well as the culturally significant theatre contents in jeopardy. Extant examples of American scenic art and a unique stage system are in danger of being lost. It is very rare to encounter any first-generation stage scenery in an historic venue, let alone the original scenic designs and other supplemental primary source material. The original artists’ memoirs, scrapbook, scenic art brushes, and designs remain.

Scenic designs and original order in model box, created by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite in 1927.

This post focusses on the scenic design for the Oakland Scottish Rite within the context of other projects completed by the artist between 1925 and 1929. However, I am going to provide a little context for Moses’ design based on his previous work at dozens of Scottish Rite Theaters.

Line order for the original stage design at the Oakland Scottish Rite Theatre, 1927.

Masonic projects were not only massive, but also very complicated to design. Each Scottish Rite Valley had their own theatrical interpretation for degree work. Although many drops were similar in composition and placement, unique requests were constantly requested of theatrical suppliers. Few Scottish Rite Masons were familiar with the intricacies of theatrical design and production beyond seeing degree work at other Scottish Rite Valleys or attending a local production. Masonic stage settings were designed to facilitate quick scene changes by amateur stagehands. The Masonic versions of olio drops were positioned downstage to facilitate upstage scene changes. These were just short scenes that provided the much need time to reset a stage. One of the best examples is a Sosman & Landis design described as “Tower of Cyrus.”

Tower of Cyrus drop, designed and painted by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite Theatre, c. 1927.

It depicts an exterior scene near the palace of King Cyrus and was often placed with the first set of stock scenes, lines 4-7. Here are several examples of this scene in a downstage position.

Tower of Cyrus Design by THomas G. Moses, c. 1931. Harry Ransom Center UT Austin.
Tower of Cyrus Backdrop by Thomas G. Moses for the Scottish Rite Theatre in McAlester, Oklahoma, 1929.
Tower of Cyrus, delivered to the Grand Forks Scottish Rote stage in 1915 by Sosman & Landis.
Tower of Cyrus back drop delivered by Sosman & Landis in 1904. Now at the Scottish Rite Theatre in Pasadena, California.

An antechamber in King Darius’ Palace functioned in the same was and was often hung from the first set of lines.

Design for King Darius’ antechamber by Thomas G. Moses. Sosman & Landis Collection, Harry Ransom Center UT Austin.
Back drop for King Darius’ antechamber by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite, c. 1927. (30’h x 50’w)
Back drop for King Darius’ antechamber by Thomas G. Moses for the McAlester Scottish Rite, c. 1929. (40’h x 56’w)

Another standard scene used for a downstage position was an architect’s room, an astronomer’s room, or generic classical interior. This setting was often based on information presented in the second degree and referred to as a “Middle Chamber” set.

Design by Thomas G. Moses. Sosman & Landis Collection at the Harry Ransom Center, UT Austin.
Back drop painted by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite, c. 1927.

Unfortunately, over time, these short scenes were cut. When the corresponding drops were no longer used, they were removed, often transferred to an upstage line. Over the years degree directors and/or degree teams changed the original drop order and removed crucial downstage drops that helped conceal scene changes. This ended up prolonging scene changes and necessitated larger stage crews. When membership declined, stage crews became much smaller. Small stage crews meant that large scene changes were too challenging, so entire degree productions were cut, citing the lack of backstage support. Yet, the original designs never required large Masonic stage crews. The design and placement of each drop was to support the seamless flow of degree work with minimal stagehands.

From the beginning of the design process, Moses worked with John McEwing to plan efficient scene changes for Scottish Rite degree work. In January 1927, John McEwing (1865-1932), a representative for the Oakland Scottish Rite, met Moses in Fort Scott, Kansas.

John McEwing. Clipping pasted in Thomas Moses’ Scrapbook.

Their meeting was to examine a recent example of Moses’ scenic art work under stage lights and look at scenery placement. McEwing was Director of Work of the Oakland Scottish Rite Bodies. He was also a Past Master of Park Boulevard Lodge No. 568, advisor to the Oakland Chapter of De Molay, and a member of the Aahmes temple (Shrine). In addition to Masonic activities, McEwing also held memberships in both the Bohemian Club of San Francisco and Orpheus Club of Oakland. McEwing, an Honorary Inspector General, 33rd, was scheduled to be the Grand Master of Ceremonies at the dedication of the new Scottish Rite Temple in Oakland.

Scottish Rite Theatre in Fort Scott, Kansas. The building was sold and the stage gutted in 2015.
Scenery painted by Thomas G. Moses for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite. The scenery and stage machinery were removed in 2015.
Wraparound cyclorama for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite. Installed in 1925, removed in 2015.
Bottoms of battens and the cyclorama at the Scottish Rite in Fort Scott. Everything from the theatre was removed in 2015.

During McEwing’s visit to the Fort Scott Scottish Rite, he examined a wraparound cyclorama for use with cut drops.  This facilitated quick scene changes during degree productions. The number of leg drops was reduced as the cyclorama masked the side stages. This sped up the time that it took to change some scenes. Moses designed dozens of cut drops to accompany a wraparound cyclorama for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite stage in Kansas. This practice was incorporated as a key element to the Oakland Scottish Rite scenery design.

Crucifixion scene with cut drop and cyclorama at the Fort Scott Scottish Rite, c. 1925. Design and painting by Thomas G. Moses. Scene was removed in 2015.
Crucifixion scene with cut drop, side flats, and cyclorama at the Oakland Scottish Rite, c. 1927. Design and painting by Thomas G. Moses.
Cut drops, profile flats and cyclorama at the Oakland Scottish Rite.
Detail of cut drops and cyclorama at the Oakland Scottish Rite.

Not every Scottish Rite stage could afford this luxury of a cyclorama and series of cut drops. Both were expensive and labor intensive, costing both time and money for the studio to produce. They also provided a unique look on stage, accentuating the painted illusion.  The use of cut drops and cycloramas transformed relatively shallow spaces into expansive vistas. The Temple Ruins setting for the Fifteenth Degree was especially effective and easy to set. Two men lowering cut drops in front of a cyclorama instantly transformed the space.

Of his 1927 trip to meet with John McEwing in Kansas, Moses wrote:

January 4th.  I left for Fort Scott Kansas to meet John McEwing of Oakland, California who insists on seeing some of our finished work instead of models.  We arrived on time and soon got busy showing all the sets well lighted.  All the members helped and McEwing was well pleased, and I made it pretty plain that I wanted to spend the winter in California, especially Oakland.  New design to be submitted for each degree.

Some of the designs inspected by Ewing inspired a similar version for Oakland Scottish Rite theater. In many cases they were slightly altered, or elements combined for the new installation. For example, the basic design for the Mausoleum remains the same; only the color palette shifts from green marble to rose marble columns.

Mausoleum scene, designed and painted by Thomas G. Moses, for the Oakland Scottish Rite.
Mausoleum scene, designed and painted by Thomas G. Moses, for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite two years earlier.
Demolay Tomb profile flat for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite.
Demolay Tomb profile flat for the Oakland Scottish Rite.

The same can be seen with the DeMolay tomb flat designed for each. The basic design concept remains constant, but more elements are added as the size of the Oakland Scottish Rite stage was much grander than that in Fort Scott, Kansas; almost four times the seating capacity. The festival palace for King Darius in the sixteenth degree used a series of cut drop, both leg and back to suggest an expansive visit beyond the upstage colonnade.

King Darius’ Festival Palace scene (2 leg drops, two cut drops, and a back drop) designed and painted by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite.

The scenic design utilizes the exact same placement of scenic elements for the foreground, middle ground, and background. The use of a colonnade cut drop was unique to Moses’ design for Fort Scott and Oakland. Previously, only an intricate cut drop was paired with standard leg drops and a solid back drop.

Some of Moses original designs from 1927 are at the Oakland Scottish Rite. They show the subtitle shift from design to final painting, especially when the interpretation is solely controlled by the creator. His designs also reflected current degree practices, as he attended Scottish Rite degrees while working in Oakland. Of his attendance at Scottish Rite meetings, he wrote that it provided “an idea of what they have been doing” without a proper stage.

Colonnade cut drop for the King Darius Festival Palace scene (16th degree). Designed and painted by Thomas G. Moses.

In Moses’ memoirs, he explains how one scene influenced the next throughout the painting process in Oakland, writing, “The work has gone along very nicely.  I am giving it all the time necessary to produce a pleasing lot of drops.  One idea and finished drop suggests the next one and the result is good, even better than when we try to design all in the beginning and not have proper lighting of the scene.” Forty-three drops had been painted and hung for the Scottish Rite Reunion by Dec. 12, 1927. This meant all the lighting equipment was up and running. Moses intimately knew how well the drop reflected light; what worked and what didn’t. There is no question that position of the border lights and their effectiveness on the first 43 drops affected how he painted the next 42 drops. Moses was able to fine tune each design for the desired effect, something very rare. It meant subtitle shifts in color and overall composition.

Border lights delivered to the Fort Scott Scottish Rite in 1925.
Border lights at the Fort Scott Scottish Rite. Notice spacing.
A glimpse of a border light, nestled between drops, at the Oakland Scottish Rite.

The border lights at the Oakland Scottish Rite were referenced in a letter regarding the placement of the proposed boarder lights at the Scottish Rite theater in McAlester, OK. Moses was now representing the William Lemle Company at the old Sosman & Landis Studio, 417-419 South Clinton Street, Chicago. 1930 letterheads, listed Moses at “Art Director” for both William Lemle, Inc. and the National Theatre Supply Co. Moses listed his home office at 1525 Oak Street in Oakland, CA.  On August 19, 1930, Moses wrote: “Regarding the Blue Borders, they are to hang on the cable that supports the border lights, they are very light, and the additional weight means nothing. That is the way I have completed them at Oakland, and they are very satisfactory, because the Blue Board is used to mask any reflected light from the bottom, hanging fully 18 inches below the border light.”

Borders for Thomas G. Moses electrified model. Harry Ransom Center, UT Austin.

The current stage lighting at the Scottish Rite Temple deviates from the original design in terms of placement and coloration. LED lighting fixtures have been placed on empty lines that are no longer masked by the blue borders (see image above).

Scenic elements were designed to partner with a specific stage lighting system with a limited color range. All the distemper drops were produced to be illuminated with red, blue, and white incandescent lighting. The selection and mixture of colors supported a metamorphosis on stage, allowing each scene to transition from a daytime to nighttime scene without compromising any portion of the painting. The was a standard theatrical practice in manufacturing and lighting scenic illusion on stage at the time.

Miniature border lights for Scottish Rite model created by Thomas G. Moses. Harry Ransom Center, UT Austin.
Lighting box for Scottish Rite model created by Thomas G. Moses. Harry Ransom Center, UT Austin.
Lighting box for Scottish Rite model created by Thomas G. Moses. Harry Ransom Center, UT Austin.
Trunk with Scottish Rite designs for Thomas G. Moses’ electrified model. Harry Ransom Center, UT Austin.
Electrified model for Scottish Rite scenery designs, created by Thomas G. Moses. Harry Ransom Center, UT Austin.

 A significant portion of Moses’ designs for the Oakland Scottish Rite are also part of the Sosman & Landis Collection in the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin. They include designs for drops, flats, profile pieces, and other scenic elements.

Model pieces designed by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite. Harry Ransom Center, UT Austin.
Model pieces by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite scenery design in 1927.

For example, the entire Crucifixion design created by Thomas Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite depicts the complexity of a scene constructed of two large flats, a cut drop and cyclorama.

Design for tri-fold flat to accompany crucifixion scene atthe Oakland Scottish Rite, Harry Ransom Center, UT Austin.
Tri-fold flat to accompany the crucifixion scene at the Oakland Scottish Rite. Design and painting by Thomas G. Moses, c. 1927.

The use of tri-fold flats as side masking was unique to the Oakland Scottish Rite. In many cases, it was impractical to fill the side stages with framed scenic pieces as they were too bulky to store. Most Scottish Rites stored single, or hinged, flat in a lofted area, often situated above the stage-left wings. Oakland had an excessive amount of space for flat storage, including an entire box interior set, complete with ceiling panel. Twelve flats could be quickly lashed together to construct an interior setting. The Oakland Scottish Rite box set is a rarity, if not the only example in the United States. Theatres often purchased box sets, by Masonic stages did not.

Interior box set designed and painted by Thomas G. Moses for the Oakland Scottish Rite, c. 1927. Each flat is 20′-0″ tall.

Moses did not have a contract in hand until four months after his meeting with McEwing in Fort Scott. Dated, May 4, 1927, the $36,000 scenery contract was handled by Moses’ business partner, Fred R. Megan. Signed on May 4, 1927.  At the time, Moses wrote, “I am to go there to do the work which will come in the late fall, after I finish the Salt Lake Consistory.  Moses also received partial payments for his work as the project progressed.  He wrote, “The first of February, the Directors granted me $5,000.00 to take care of local accounts, which put me on easy street once more.  Megan’s request that part payment only should be paid, was ignored by all concerned.”

Megan formerly worked as a salesman and technical designer for the Kansas City Scenic Co. and Service Studios of Chicago, in 1923 Megan partnered with Moses as the first iteration of Sosman & Landis was liquidated.  Moses & Megan purchased the name and “goodwill” of the firm the next year, although negotiations for this purchase had been ongoing since early in 1923. Several entities were interested in acquiring the main studio space, supplies, designs, and name of the firm. For decades, Sosman & Landis had advertised their main studio as the largest in North America, if not the world.

1926 advertisement placed in “Wilmette Life” on Dec. 24.

The Oakland designs and scenery project was just one of many in 1927. Other Sosman & Landis projects contracted and/or completed by Moses that year included stock scenery collections at theaters in Gary, IN, Loredo, TX, Dayton, OH, Edinburg, TX, Little Rock, AR, Salt Lake City, UT, Chicago, IL, Milwaukee, WI and Battle Creek, MI. Of his painting that summer in Salt Lake City, Moses wrote, “During the month of August I averaged more than 10 drops per week, besides making a number of designs and painting special sets…” Again, Moses was 71 years old at the time. Painting large backdrops took long hours and was physically tasking, but he had worked at this pace for years. On Thursday, Oct. 6, 1927, Moses dismantled his art gallery in Salt Lake City and packed up his supplies for Oakland. He was to start painting the Oakland Scottish Rite scenery that coming Monday. On Oct 6 in Oakland the paint bridge and frames were put up at the Oakland Scottish Rite where they would remain in place for the next five months, dismantled on March 6, 1928.

Moses would complete only more Scottish Rite collection that was comparable Oakland before his passing in 1934; it was in McAlester, Oklahoma. He would remember Oakland as his most artistic and McAlester as his biggest. The Oakland scenery measured 30’h x 50’w. The McAlester scenery measured 40’h x 56’w.

Auditorium at the McAlester Scottish Rite Theatre.
View of the stage left fly floor and cyclorama at the McAlester Scottish Rite.
Wood setting designed and painted by Thomas G. Moses for the McAlester Scottish Rite in Oklahoma, 1929. 40’h x 56’w.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Omaha Scottish Rite, 2021

I am still on break from daily posts, as my wrists will not allow me any extended periods of typing or surfing the internet. I have posted a few pictures of my most recent adventures to my Facebook Group “Dry Pigment,” but with minimal text. It may be another month before I return to any daily blogging.

That being said, last week I visited the Omaha Scottish Rite (Nebraska, USA) to evaluate their scenery collection. In 1996, the Valley of Omaha purchased the used scenery collection from the Scottish Rite Theatre in Kansas City, Kansas. It replaced their original scenery collection, manufactured by the Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio of Chicago between 1914 and 1915.

The current scenery used at the Omaha Scottish Rite was painted by Maj. Don Carlos DuBois (1886-1964), representing the Great Western Stage Equipment Co. Collection of Kansas City, Missouri. Many of the drops are signed and dated by DuBois, c. 1951-1953. It is truly a lovely collection.

Some of DuBois’ original designs for Masonic scenes are part of the Great Western Stage Equipment Co. Collection in the Performing Arts Archives at the University of Minnesota. Over thirty years ago I processed the collection, and in 1999 helped digitize the scenery collections and get them online. Here is the link for the scenery database:

https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/search?facet_field=collection_name_s&facets%5Bcollection_name_s%5D%5B%5D=Scenic+Collections

Although I have written extensively about DuBois (born Don Carlos Boyes) in the past, it is important to note that he grew up in Seward, Nebraska. It was not until 1900 that DuBois moved to Chicago and became a scenic artist. It is remarkable that his scenic art is now featured in Omaha, only an hour’s drive from where he grew up.

It may be a while before I post again. Hopefully, I will be back by the end of June or mid-July. Have a wonderful summer!

Scenery painted by Maj. Don Carlos DuBois in 1952, now used at the Omaha Scottish Rite.
DuBois design for the Scottish Rite scene now at the Omaha Scottish Rite.
Scenery painted by Maj. Don Carlos DuBois in 1952, now used at the Omaha Scottish Rite.
DuBois signature and date on this scene at the Omaha Scottish Rite.
Painted detail from the leg drop painted by DuBois in 1952.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1184 – The Pelican and the Worm

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

My post about the Scottish Rite scenery at Fort Leavenworth from 1924 included the standard Sosman & Landis design for the 18th degree. Labeled “Peristyle,” the design included a landscape with river dividing the scene, a pelican feeding its young, and a few other symbolic objects. The pelican was supposed to be piercing its breast to feed its young – a symbol of sacrifice.

Correct image of pelican posted to the Traveling Templar. here is the link:
https://www.travelingtemplar.com/2013/08/the-pelican.html

This image is not unique to Freemasonry at all. It is found on stained glass windows in churches and even on the Louisiana state flag.

At Fort Leavenworth, however, Moses painted the pelican is feeding its young a worm.

18th degree setting at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Detail painted by Thomas G. Moses – pelican feeding a worm to its young.

He had done this before – many times. Besides, pelicans are water birds, and don’t really search for worms in the ground. I had always wondered who kept adding the worm and should have made the connection long before now. After all, in 1904, the artistic direction at the studio was handed over to Moses when he returned and became the vice-president of the firm. Moses and Fred Megan purchased the Sosman & Landis name after the company liquidated in 1923 and continued to deliver Scottish Rite scenery. It was seeing the pelican with a worm on the Fort Leavenworth scenery this week that made me realize Moses was the culprit. After all, he didn’t become a Mason until 1925, so it is understandable. What I find humorous is that it wasn’t immediately pointed out, or quietly fixed over the decades.

Correct depiction of pelican painted when Thomas G. Moses was not in charge of Masonic scenery production at Sosman & Landis.
Scottish Rite scene for Winona, Minnesota, painted under Thomas G. Moses’ supervision.
Scottish Rite scene for McAlester, Oklahoma painted under Thomas G. Moses’ supervision, 1908. This scene was later sold to the Salina Scottish Rite.
Scottish Rite scene for St. Paul, Minnesota, painted under Thomas G. Moses’ supervision.

There are few Scottish Rite scenes that were solely designed for Masonic degree productions. Most stage settings that were used by the Fraternity originated for other venues. Many stage compositions had been used for centuries in a variety of theatrical and operatic productions. Palatial interiors, cathedrals, catacombs, dungeons, classical interiors, mausoleums, Egyptian temples, desert scenes, forests, rivers, landscapes, Gothic armories, rocky coasts, and garden scenes were all used for both commercial and fraternal productions.

The “INRI Peristyle” scene for the eighteenth degree, however, was unique. It would become a standard setting in many Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite theaters during the first decade of the twentieth century. This scene used a translucent lighting effect. The words “Infinity,” “Nature,” “Reason,” and “Immortality” were typically placed at the tops of columns. The first letter of each word (I.N.R.I.) was backed with red silk, allowing it to glow.

I am frequently asked questions about the subject matter and necessary symbolism in degree production scenery. How did the artists know what to paint? How did the Masons ensure appropriate symbolism on each backdrop without revealing any secrets? Did all of the scenic artists understand what they were painting on drops? The short answer is, “No, look at the pelican; it’s a perfect example of a detail being lost in translation.”

The pelican is an integral part of the eighteenth degree. In many stage settings it either appears on the backdrop or cut drop. Sometimes it is included as a set prop or light box.

Pelican piercing its breast light box for the 18th degree at the Scottish Rite stage in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Screwing up this significant image is a big deal, and yet many Scottish Rite scenes still have a Pelican feeding a worm to its young.

This major faux pas, however,  was not unique to Sosman & Landis. Once Volland installation at the Scottish Rite in Hastings, Nebraska has a lone Pelican piercing its breast – no young anywhere in sight. It’s like a pelican suicide.

Pelican painted by Volland scenic artists for the Scottish Rite in Hastings, Nebraska.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1153 – Thomas G. Moses, New York Studios, and the Binghamton Scottish Rite, 1923

Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1923, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “I put in fully a week in Binghamton at the Arlington Hotel on designs for Masonic work and I believe we will get the contract.”

Arlington Hotel in Binghamton, New York

Sosman & Landis didn’t get the contract but Moses still painted the scenery. Somehow, David Hunt of New York Studios landed the profitable contract. Keep in mind that New York Studios was the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis, and Sosman & Landis was preparing to close.

From the “Press and Sun Bulletin,” 21 Nov 1923, page 17.

By summer, Moses wrote, “I have arranged to go to Binghamton, N.Y. for Hunt, $2,500.00 for the job.  Sent Loitz on ahead, September 5th.”

Moses was referring to Ed Loitz. Loitz, who had worked with Moses since the 1883. He was a loyal painting assistant and friend who had followed Moses across the country, working alongside him wherever he went. Whether Moses had established a partnership, or was working at Sosman & Landis, Loitz was there. Loitz traveled one step ahead, preparing the next jobsite for Moses’ arrival and then workied on site. Loitz was almost a decade younger than Moses, being born in 1865. In 1923, they had been working together for forty years together.  At the time, Moses was sixty-seven years old and Loitz was fifty-eight years old. Loitz was both a scenic artist and carpenter, taking care of everything needed before Moses arrived on site to paint.

Scenery painted by Thomas G. Moses, assisted by Ed Loitz. From the “Press and Sun Bulletin,” 21 Nov 1923, page 17.
Scenery painted by Thomas G. Moses, assisted by Ed Loitz. From the “Press and Sun Bulletin,” 21 Nov 1923, page 17.

Moses was still splitting his time between painting for Hunt (New York Studios) and Sosman & Landis. Sosman & Landis were in the process of liquidating all assets and closing their doors. Moses and Fred Megan were waiting to purchase the name.

The New York Studios project was the stock scenery collection for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Binghamton, New York. This project was completed was just before Moses realized that Chicago Studios was sending out letters to Sosman & Landis clients, explaining that they were the successor to Sosman & Landis, already having secured the same address. David S. Hunt was behind the establishment of Chicago Studios, as well as running both New York Studios and Sosman & Landis. Even though he knew Moses was going to purchase the Sosman & Landis name after the company liquidated their assets, Hunt was using his position at Sosman & Landis to his advantage to discredit any new iteration of Sosman & Landis.  This would all happen in November 1923 while he was on site in Binghamton.

On October 17, 1923, Binghamton’s “Press and Sun-Bulletin” featured Moses and his work. The article was entitled “Vies with Nature in Realms of Beauty,” and stated, “Thomas G. Moses Wields a Well-nigh Magic Brush in Painting Scenery, Curtains and Drops for New Masonic Temple.”  Here is the article in its entirety:

   “Thomas G. Moses of Chicago. Representing New York Studios, who is painting scenery, curtains and drops for the stage in the auditorium of the Masonic Temple under construction at Main and Murray streets, need no assistance of Brownies or other mystical helpers in making things beautiful in the opinion of those who have seen examples of his work.

   Fairyland in all its mystical wonderfulness could not surpass the beauty that is represented on the canvas with the paint from the brushes carefully wielded by Moses. Mechanical curtains on which a moon may be seen rising, Persian temple interiors and water, wooded and open scenes are all in the new temple to bring admiration from all the Masons who are privileged to see them all.

   Forty drops are being painted by Mr. Moses.”

[Moses was being paid $2,500 dollars for the project, so we can estimate that his average painting fee per drop was no more than $62.50/each, assuming he wasn’t paying for travel, lodging or meals out of that amount. The money equivalent of $62.50 in 1923 is $952.02 in 2021.The contract was for $12,000]

“Each set is used for some one of the 32 degrees prescribed in the ranks of the fraternity. Each degree is exemplified in a different setting. Some are on the plains, others in a temple painted from Biblical descriptions of King Solomon’s temple, extensive Egyptian quarries and water scenes.

   The full equipment will be used for the first time on Nov. 18, 19 and 20, when the annual reunion of Otseningo Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, will be held. Exemplification of degree work at that time will be the first that it has been done in full form in four years. Equipment of the Masonic body was destroyed four years ago in a fire in the temple on Chenango street.

   All paintings of the scenery are done by Mr. Moses from scale drawings which he completed several months ago. The small scale drawings were drawn from outlines by officers of lodges here. Mr. Moses on a platform suspended from the top of the loft sketches in charcoal on the canvass the scene which he wishes to paint.

   Mr. Moses is assisted by Edward Loitz, who has traveled from coast to coast with Mr. Moses working on many contracts. Installation of the drops is supervised by H. E. Naile. The three men have worked together in many cities, their last contract being in Little Rock, Ark.

   The stage in the temple here and the scenery and drops being painted are the largest ever handled in a Masonic Temple by Mr. Moses. He says he is well satisfied with the progress of his work and in a short time it will be finished. He expects to remain here to paint some work for another temple.

   Products of the brush of Mr. Moses and his assistant, Mr. Loitz, are not entirely new to Binghamton. Mr. Moses painted the landscapes and architectural exteriors for the State hospital theater and Mr. Loitz did the interiors. Mr. Moses painted the original scenery for the Stone Opera House and upon visiting that place a few days ago he found some of the equipment still in use.

   Tom Moses, as he is nationally known, was found today busily engaged in painting a drop 21 feet by 40 feet representing an interior of an old German chapel. The picture is complete with stained glass windows and the chapel is profusely decorated with flags, shields and bits of armor.

   Tom Moses’ father was a captain of a sailing vessel and when he left the bounding main he started a leather business. He intended his son should follow his footsteps. The world might have been richer with a reliable captain or an expert on leather, but Tom had ideas for a different vocation, and thus the world has not been deprived of a master painter who transfers the sometimes unreal to the real with an intricate movement of his paint brush.

   All this was 45 years ago. During the 45 years he has been painting scenery, Mr. Moses has gained much praise throughout the land. His friends are legion. He is short and stocky and has a radiating personality that brings a friendly reception wherever he goes and he has no enemies.

   Born in Liverpool, England, in 1856, more than 67 years ago, of English parentage, Mr. Moses came to America with his father and mother but when a little child and settled in Sterling, Ill. His father was a sea captain and later a tanner. Tom’s mother, who died when he was but a youngster, possessed an exceedingly artistic nature and did much to install into her son the love of artistic.

   Tom’s father was strict and was certain that the boy would be “better off” as a tanner with his brawny arms wrestling with a piece of hairy hide and covered with tannin. Use of a hickory switch proved to Tom that this would probably be much after his father declared only starvation faced the starving artists.

   One try at the tanning game convinced Tom that he would rather be an artist. At the age of 17 he left home “with a forwarding address.” He hired out as a paint boy in the Chicago studio of P. M. Almini. Louis Malmsha, director of the company, recognized the ability in the recently hired paint boy. In a year he had advanced in wages from $4 a week to $21, but the rapid rise was due to his persevering work.

   Robert Hopkin, a scenic artist in Detroit, Mich., was the next person to obtain the services of the rising artist. At the age of 20 he returned to his home and married Miss Ella Robbin. The couple lived there until 1880 when they went to Chicago where Mr. Moses started working for the Sosman & Landis Co. He painted the first work of this concern.

   In his long and varied career, Mr. Moses has done work for many famous artists and for many famous productions. It was he who designed and executed the original “Floradora” sets for John C. Fisher. He did them, not only once, but four times. The work of Tom Keene, John McCullough, Booth and Barrett, Col. Cody (Buffalo Bill), Julia Marlowe, Robert Lober, Joseph Murphy, Conried and Herman, Emma Abbott, Emma Juch, Sarah Bernhardt, Mme. Modjeska, and score of other greater and lesser figures of the American stage was enhanced by scenery executed by Thomas G. Moses.

   Some of the famous productions, in addition to “Floradora,” which Mr. Moses has made are “Shenandoah,” and “Old Kentucky,” famous melodramas; “Marie Antoinette,” “Mary Stuart” and “Macbeth” for Mme. Modjeska; “Judas” for Mme. Bernhardt. Joseph Jefferson’s last “Rip Van Winkle”;  “The Holy City,” “By Right Sword,” “Lost in the Desert,” “Quo Vadis,” “The Witch,” “Robinson Crusoe,” “Ben Hur” and scores of other big productions.

   He has also produced some of those famous Luna Park spectacles at Coney Island, such as “Fire and Flames,” “The War of the Worlds,” “Trip to the Moon,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” “The Streets of Delhi” and others. “The Streets of Delhi” was produced at a cost of $100,000.

   In the art world outside of scene painting he has received much recognition. He has the distinction of being a member of the world-famous Salmagundi club, that noted organization of artists in New York. Mr. Moses is also a member of the Chicago Society of Arts, the famous Palette and Chisel Club, the California Art Club of Los Angeles and the Laguna Art association of Laguna Beach, Cal.

   Rapid advance of motion pictures has crimped the scenic painting industry, Mr. Moses says. “Because of the fewer number of dramatic shows now there is a less demand for drops. Movies take the place of the dramatic productions that one time held sway.”

To be continued…

Twin City Scenic Co Collection of Minneapolis, Minnesota – Garden Drop design by John Z. Wood

Garden drop design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, ca. 1905-1910.

Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co.

This is part of the Twin City Scenic Co. Collection, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries.

Painted detail. Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co.
Painted detail. Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co.
Painted detail. Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co.
Painted detail. Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co.
Painted detail. Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co.
Painted detail. Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co.

The Twin City Scenic Co. Collection, Holak Collection, Northwest Studios Collection and Great Western Stage Equipment Co. Collection are all part of an online searchable database. There are over 3000 images of historic designs produced by American scenic studios.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1071 – “Modern Tendencies in Scenic Vesting of the Theater,” P. Dodd Ackerman, 1921

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

From “New York Tribune,” 27 March 1921, page 48.

P. Dodd Ackerman’s name appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country in 1921. On March 27, 1921, Ackerman was featured in an article entitled “Modern Tendencies in Scenic Vesting of the Theater” (New York Tribune, 27 March 1921, page 48).  The article announced, “‘The day of the trick scenic investiture of plays is over. The futurist, the cubist and other reactionary painters of scenery have had their day, short-lived though it was, and are passing,’ said P. Dodd Ackerman, one of the leading American scenic artists.” The article continued:

“Mr. Ackerman has served a long and interesting apprenticeship in the creation of scenery for plays that have made theatrical history during the last twenty-five years. He was educated in the Georgia School of Technology and had art instruction at the Julian School of Beaux Arts in Paris and in the Huffe School in Munich. Returning to this country he was first associated with the old Lyceum Theater, when Daniel Frohman was its guiding genius. Afterward he was employed at the Empire Theater during the regime of Charles Frohman’s immortal stock company.

“Branching out for himself, he forged to the front and to-day his work is being represented on Broadway by no less than five attractions, among them being ‘The Broken Wing,’ now running at the Forty-eight Street Theater.

Mr. Ackerman as early as 1912 saw the coming of the modern decorative art into the theater of this country, an art that had been in vogue for some time in Germany, Austria, Russia, and to a degree in France and Italy. Feeling that the time would come when scenic painting and theater decorations would respond to the modernist movement and, in order to be fully prepared when this movement came, he went abroad to study.

“The new method, which is a simple one, arrives at an effect that formerly required great quantities of scenery, but which could be done in more artistic and effective way with a few set pieces, some drapes and some new lighting effects,” says Mr. Ackerman.

“In the early days of the theater scenery was given no consideration in the production of plays. The ancient Greeks depended for their background on nothing other than what nature provided. Whether or not the audiences were satisfied with what the author provided through the medium of actors, leaving the scenic environment to be created through suggestion, has not been settled even to this day.

“In the course of time a backdrop, or a curtain, usually of a somber hue, was employed to keep the minds and eyes of the audience from straying further than the limits of the stage before them. From time to time a more adventuresome playwright and produces added a bit of decorative effect, and thus we trace the evolution of stage settings.

“Then came a period when great artists like Raphael, Watteau, Boucher, Servandoni and Stanfield were eager to accept commissions to execute theatrical scenery. Even so great an artist as Alma-Tadema in recent times contributed canvases to the theater that delighted the eye and helped materially in the successful production of plays.

“The interest in scenery became apparent and the desire for absolute fidelity of detail was made a condition precedent to the acceptance of a play by the public. The reaction gave rise to the freak movement in scenic decoration. The aesthetic in art has its admirers where the canvas is small and the galleries are frequented by those who are thoroughly conversant with its aims and are in sympathy with its effects. But not so in the theater, where the audience is a mixed one, recruited from every social stratum.

“The scenic painter’s art is as exact as that of a composer of music. There is harmony of color that is as punctilious as that of music. The jarring note in music offends the ear, the jarring note of color insults the eye. With music the interpreter is secondary to the work of the composer. The scenic artist providing the scenery for a play presents a product that is but a minor detail to the work of the playwright as interpreted by the actor. The scenic artist’s work, however, must lend itself and blend into the effects created by light manipulation, and any scheme of color or form that is not a mirrored reflection of nature falls short of the purpose for which the scenic artist was employed and detracts in consequence from the value of the play to the audience.

“What is the modern tendency in the theater so far as scenery is concerned? To my mind it is toward the modified background. The moment scenery gets beyond a background it becomes scenery, no more, no less – just painted canvas, Yet scenery can be colorful without offending the eye or detracting from the actor in his work in delineating the character he is called upon to play or interpreting the intent of the author by the intonation he gives the lines he is asked to speak.

“As regards the carrying to the extreme the perfection of detail, why not elect the spectator to become a part of the performance by permitting him to use his reasoning process in completing the detail mentally through the germ of suggestion of detail without carrying it out to the extreme? That has been the trouble with our reactionary scenic artists. They have made scenery and color the principle feature of the entertainment, leaving the story of the playwright and the acting as the background. In Europe the suggestion of effect, which is to mind the modern trend, has been held by the great stage directors and dramatists over there as more highly satisfactory and far better than a mass production. This has been created through the use of false prosceniums or, as they are termed in Europe, portals. Through this medium attention is centralized on the artist and not on the scenery.

“Another Modern tendency in the theater has been to delegate to the scenic artist authority to decorate the stage with the essential drapes, rugs, furniture, objects of art and other properties demanded by the play. This will result in a higher degree of the artistic in productions, eliminating the chance of offending those who have good taste.

“Another trend of the times is to improve the lighting of stage productions. Our present methods have made little or no advance from what was obtained when gas was the illuminant in the theater. Our modern footlights, even though electricity is employed, are scarcely one pace forward from what was used in the theaters fifty years ago. It may shock you to known that there is not a perfect theater in America to-day – that is, a theater that gives to such lighting the perfection it derives – and this is because the inadequate and antique appliances to be found therein. The only theaters in New York that in a way approach a proper equipment for lighting are the Booth, Century, New Amsterdam and Metropolitan Opera House. However, the new Sheridan Theater, which is soon to open, will be the first theater in New York where it will be possible to get any light effect desired. The system to be employed is obtained through a switchboard, where the light effects are all arranged beforehand and by merely touching a push button they automatically change as desired and thus colors will melt into each other, creating effects that heretofore have only been seen on the Continent of Europe.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1066 – P. Dodd Ackerman, 1920

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

The scenic art world was small in 1920. Then, just as now, personalities circled around one another as if dancers at a ball, occasionally changing partners along the way. Today’s post is about P. Dodd Ackerman, a friend and colleague of Thomas G. Moses who made the papers in 1920. The next few posts will explore the life and career of P. D. Ackerman and his brother E. A. Ackerman.

Advertisement for scenic artist P. Dodd Ackerman in “Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide” for the 1903-1904 season.

On Feb. 29, 1920, Ackerman was featured in a “New York Tribune” the newspaper article. The headline for the article announced, “Work of the Scenic Artist Has Advanced Materially Says P. Dodd Ackerman” (New York Tribune, 29 Feb 1920, page 34). The most interesting section of the article for me was the section: “Theatrical managers are now accepting designs from men who do not make the scenery. Ackerman does not believe in this and has come to be one of the pioneers in coming out against the practice. He believes that the man who is the artist, who is practical, who understands stagecraft and has education can do the type of work now required in the theater, although he has been a member of the old school of stage design.” Times were changing and the scenic world was turning upside down with the appearance of designers without a full understanding of stagecraft.”Here is the article in its entirety, as it provides an interesting perspective of the scenic art world in 1920, viewed from a member of the “old school”:

“J. E. Dodson, the English character actor in the late Charles Frohman’s companies, liked stage interiors to match the socks he wore. When P. Dodd Ackerman and Ed Unitt, the scenic artists with the producer, were at work on scenery for a new play he would come up, show them his socks and say:‘Boys, be sure to get the right shade for these.’“Now Ackerman has a very different problem. He is trying to design a room which will be the setting for the three acts of Max Marcin’s new play, ‘Three Live Ghosts.” It must not be ornate, it must not be highly furnished and yet it must hold the interest of the audience throughout the play.‘Sounds very simple, doesn’t it?’ he asked in the office of his studio opposite of the Metropolitan Opera House. ‘Yet I have been going about for ten days trying to dream of just the right room.’In these two instances there is summed up the advance in scenic art, an advance which has come in the last six or eight years, starting in Europe. When Dodson was acting and even years after his retirement, stage decorations were supposed to be reproductions of nature or of a locality or room. They were copied line for line, and the element of imagination, although present, did not enter into the designing of the scenery. Simplicity and suggestion are the keynotes of modern stage designing. Imagination is called upon, both the imagination of the artist and the imagination of the audience, and much is only hinted at, sometimes very faintly. Big, blank wall spaces are being used and are believed to be more decorative than the highly ornate hangings of a few years ago.Scene painters until four or five years ago, designed, created and made the scenery themselves Theatrical managers are now accepting designs from men who do not make the scenery. Ackerman does not believe in this and has come to be one of the pioneers in coming out against the practice. He believes that the man who is the artist, who is practical, who understands stagecraft and has education can do the type of work now required in the theater, although he has been a member of the old school of stage design.‘Many studios have allowed managers to hand them so-called designs and have made them possible through their efforts,’ he said. ‘The man who did only the very primitive part of the work got all the credit and the studios were never heard of. But it meant an income to them and they were satisfied. I have consistently refused work with any except of my own designs, and I have had a hard battle to convince managers that a man with an established reputation in the old school can change the order of things and do the new. How many theatergoers who laugh at the situations and admire the acting give even a moment’s consideration to the thought, the time and the expense of the stage decorations which often help make or ruins a production? It is doubtful of the ratio is more than one in ten.Briefly Mr. Ackerman, who has designed and built scenery for many Winter Garden productions, for ‘The Magic Melody’ and ‘The Passions Flower,’ now current on Broadway; for ‘Le Coq d’Or,’ at the Metropolitan and many other plays, described the steps leading from the manuscript to the completion of the scenery and its erection of the stage.The manuscript is turned over to the scenic artist, and frequently the playwright confers with him and suggests what he desires to bring out in various scenes. After reading the manuscript and noting the locale or setting, the artist designs the scenes in colored studies. These are submitted to a manager and at a conference at which the author, the stage director and the artist are present, they are discussed and either accepted or rejected.‘Sometimes it is necessary to make a great many studies before one is accepted. It is just like writing a play or a story. You might hit it at the first attempt, or you might have to wrote and rewrite until you are successful,’Models, drawn to scale and planned as carefully as houses, are made from the sketches and are also submitted. When they are passed, working drawings for the builders are made, and they are charged with determining the mechanical details of the work. For example, every piece of scenery must be no more than five feet ten inches in width in order to make railway transportation of the sets possible. The scenes are usually all fitted up before the painters start on them, and when completed are set up in the theater by the mechanic who built them from the plans, usually not until the day of the dress rehearsal.‘Lighting is a very important element,’ Mr. Ackerman said, ‘and I stipulate in every contract that I make that it must be under my supervision. I know the play, and working with the stage director it is possible to bring out the desired effects. Stage lighting, I find, is largely a matter of patience and experiment. In costume plays, it is necessary to have the actors on the stage during the experiments to see the effect of the lights on their costumes.The average time necessary to design and build the scenery for a play is from six to eight weeks, but seldom is enough time given.‘It is necessary then to think quickly and have a great source of knowledge at the tips of one’s fingers,’ Mr. Ackerman continued.To prepare for his work, Mr. Ackerman studied at the Art Students League, at Cooper Union, and Beaux Arts in Paris. He has also traveled and read extensively. Ed Unitt and he were the artists for the late Charles Frohman, and this, he says, was the best job he ever had.Through the lofty-ceilinged studio he led the way. Huge canvases, many colored, were stretched out on frames, waiting for the artist’s brush. Yet no scaffolds or ladders were visible. Simply by pulling a rope, which adjusts a system of weights, it is possible for one man to place the gigantic easel in any position he desires.‘Scenery,’ he concluded, ‘must be a background. When it gets beyond a background, then it is stage scenery. It should never intrude so much that the audience overlooks the play, the costumes or the people on the stage.”

To place Ackerman within the context of the Thomas G. Moses story, both Moses and Ackerman partnered with the same artist – L. L. Graham. In 1882, Thomas G. Moses left the Sosman & Landis Studio for the first time. He partnered with Lemuel L. Graham for just over a year. Graham later partnered with P. Dodd Ackerman in Brooklyn, New York. Their studio building was at 1576 to 1580 Bushwick Ave, New York. They purchased the Brooklyn lot in August 1902. By this time, Moses was also working in New York and had partnered with William F. Hamilton, forming Hamilton & Moses.I will continue to explore the life and career of Ackerman in tomorrow’s post.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1033 – Mr. Bell-Geddes and Others, 1919

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

On June 14, 1919, the “Brooklyn Citizen” reported that six well-known scenic artists were engaged at the Metropolitan Opera for the coming season – Boris Anisfelt, Joseph Urban, Norman Bell-Geddes, James Fox, Willy Pogany and Pieretto Bianco (page 10).

Two weeks earlier, Norman Bell-Geddes was quoted as saying, “The painted scenery is the material, the lighting is the spirit” (New York Tribune, June 1, 1919, page 37). It was now light that gave spirit to the scene, no longer the skill of the scenic artist. This is one of the moments highlighted in many theatre history books, a professed pinnacle moment in American theatre. It signals a departure from the past and the continued evolution of theatre based on a chronological depiction of historical events. What it replaced is often dismissed; there may be only a paragraph or two written about the prior century of American popular entertainment. The painted illusion produced by generations of scenic artists is abandoned for the new stage art. This is a significant moment, especially if we contemplate what was lost.

Norman Bell-Geddes

By 1919, Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934) was sixty-two years old. He had been a scenic artist for over 45 years and founded three scenic studios.  In addition to working as his own boss, Moses had also worked for Chicago Studios, New York Studios, and at Sosman & Landis. At Sosman & Landis, he had transitioned from vice-president to president by 1915, first starting with the company in 1880.

Now imagine, you are an extremely skilled and a well-known artist picking up a newspaper. You are reading about the up-and-coming generation of scenic artists. By this point you have trained at least three new generations of artists, possibly four. Many of your one-time paint boys are leading designers in the field. The article that you are reading signals the ending of your era and the demand for a new art form with a new set of scenic skills. You are now lumped in with the “past,” and this past needs to be completely destroyed for the new generation and new art to proceed. The older generation of scenic artists, like Moses, were part of the “establishment,” moreover part of the “problem.” Unlike the generation before you, whose passing was lamented and the skills of the artists fondly recalled, everything that you worked for is now a target. The American theatre industry splintered into factions, with one segment denouncing the significance of another. We no longer lifted each other up, supplementing established skill sets with new technology. Instead, we promoted new art forms by destroying the past, as well as anything perceived as accepted or traditional. This attitude helped usher out the romantic realism on the stage and use of painted illusion, severing connections to the past. It is a fascinating time and one where the new artists explain, ‘If managers would only realize that it is not necessary to spend such large sums on scenery.” This statement took shot at the scenic studios, such as Sosman & Landis. This statement threatened the living wages earned by those who spent decades perfecting their skills.

On June 1, 1919, an article in the “New York Tribune” describes the “new art” in glowing terms and as breaking through the “barbed wire of inertia and stupidity, which always blocks the way of any innovator.” The article continued to explain that young scenic artists are leaping the “trenches of opposition and safely passing through the barrage of ridicule” (page 37). They are labeled the “soldiers of the new art,” and all were “native born Americans.”

The article headline stated, “Mr. Bell-Geddes and Others. The Young American Scene Painter Arrives – Present Activity of the Younger Generation Made Possible by Work of Urban and Anisfeld.”  The article provides great historical context for Moses’ career in the 1920s, as he continues to encounter ever-increasing obstacles and the demand for painted scenery diminishes.

Here is the article in its entirety:

“Our singers and actors may not equal those of our past, our composers and dramatists may lack inspiration and vitality, but at least we have our scene painters. In the establishment of a national school of opera or drama this may be beginning hind end foremost, but some beginning is better than none at all. The Metropolitan Opera House, so long the abode of extreme conservatism, has of late years even been taking the lead in the encouragement of what is new in the art of the scenic artist. It has given us Urban, and Paquerau, and Pogany, and Boris Anisfeld, and though we still have the glittering gullibilities of Mario Sala, of Milan, Metropolitan audiences no longer believe that this painter’s ‘Aida’ is a masterpiece of scenic investiture. Whatever may have happened to our ears, our eyes have been opened.

It undoubtedly is Josef Urban to whom we owe managerial recognition of the new art. He broke through the barbed wire of inertia and studpidity which always blocks the way of the innovator, leaped the trenches of opposition, and passed safely through the barrage of ridicule. Behind him came the others, younger men all, who dug in and held their positions, where at last reports they were considering the offer of an armistice. And happy we may be to realize that the youngest of these soldiers of the new art are native born Americans. Robert Edmond Jones, Rollo Peters and Norman Bell-Geddes, Granville parker, Arthur Hopkins and the Russian Ballet have acquainted us with Mr. Jones’s work. Mr. Peters has painted sets for Mrs. Fiske, for Henry Miller, and now for the Theatre Guild; Mr. Bell-Geddes last season made fifteen Broadway theatre productions and one for the Metropolitan. It is indeed these young artists who offer what is most vital and significant in the American theatre to-day. Before them our actors and our playwrights and our composers ought to hang their heads; they have technique, but they also have courage and ideals. In short, they are real. When our Broadway playwright begins to talk of the drama our yawns are uncontrollable; when our actors, though here we will make a few blessed exceptions, speak of acting, we remember we have an engagement at the dentist’s; but when our young scene painters discuss scene painting we sit down and listen.

The career of Mr. Bell-Geddes is of interest in this connection. It shows how these young men originally were enthusiastic amateurs, whose interest gradually deepened until they virtually were forced into the theatre. Mr. Geddes, whose painting of the scenery of ‘Legend’ at the Metropolitan at once brought him into prominence, was born in Detroit, and attended for a very short while art schools in Cleveland and Chicago. He then took up the portrait painting and magazine illustrating, in which work he was exceedingly successful. At that time, however, he also wrote a play, but, finding it of a type unsuited to the average theatre stage, her determined to make a study of the theatre. In furtherance of this plan, he obtained access to the stage of one of the Detroit theatre, where he studied all that went on, and where he studied all that went on, and where he helped the stage hands and electricians. He also constructed in his studio a stage of his own, on which he made experiments in all sorts of appliances, especially in the matter of lighting. After leaving Detroit he lived for two years in Los Angeles, where he designed the scenery for a stock company and further improved his knowledge of practical stage conditions. His first work in the East was in designing the last act set of ‘Shanewis’ at the Metropolitan Opera House, after which the Broadway managers seized upon him. It is only in his set of ‘The Legend’,’ however, that New York has as yet allowed him even to moderately full sway, but in the coming production at the Metropolitan of Henry Hadley’s new opera, ‘Cleopatra’s Night,’ he hopes to show Metropolitan audiences what he is capable of accomplishing. Meanwhile he has finished designs for settings of ‘Pelléas et Mélisande’ and of ‘King Lear,’ and is about to set to work on another play. It is these settings and those which he made for a stock company in Milwaukee last summer, of which he and Robert Edmond Jones were directors, which he hopes will be considered his, rather than the work he has done for Broadway managers.

‘We young chaps ought to be tremendously grateful to such men as Josef Urban and Boris Anisfeld,’ said Mr. Geddes recently. ‘These men with world-wide reputations have opened the door through which we youngsters, who are in the developing stage, can pass. Without them, our enthusiasm and whatever merit we may express probably would have been powerless to break down the innate conservativism of the average American manager. But those men have opened the eyes both of the public and of the managers, and so we now are able to get an opportunity of being seen. Of course, we often have to compromise, and of course the average Broadway show gives little scope for imagination, but, at least, we get in our hand.’

Mr. Geddes believes that lighting counts for more than painting in the modern history.

‘The painted scenery is the material, the lighting is the spirit,’ is the way he puts it. ‘There is no need of modern scenery being so horribly expensive. With proper lighting it is possible to do almost anything, the only trouble being that the lights are no only arranged scientifically in most of our theatres. With a triad of any color or combination of colors can be obtained and extraordinary effects in intensifying the mood can be produced be merely intensifying the lights.

‘The science of color is definite, yet the average stage manager knows nothing of it, save in the barest outline in Europe Adolph Appia has perhaps gone further in this respect that any other manager, though Reinhardt has absorbed and applied the ideas of others. Gordon Craig was of use as a path breaker, but he writes and talks rather than carries out his ideas. In America Belasco makes the height of the old idea, and because of his thoroughness and care he deserves high credit. Arthur Hopkins has been extraordinarily open to the new art and other managers, and, of course, Signor Gatti-Casazza, are showing increasing interest in it all.

‘If managers would only realize that it is not necessary to spend such large sums on scenery., the new ideas would travel more quickly even then at present. Let me give an instance; Edward Sheldon’s ‘Garden of Paradise,’ was only given several years ago at the Century Theatre with scenery costing $54,000. The play was a failure. Last summer we gave it is Milwaukee with the cheapest sort of scenery and yet, by the use of proper lighting the settings were of a beauty, which, I believe, was equal to the Urban sets at the Century. Moreover, our production was the greatest success of what lighting can do. The scene in the foyer with the Trilby singing in the theatre was accomplished by the simplest means, yet we produced the atmosphere and by a gradual intensifying f the lights brought the mood to such a vibrancy that the audience went wild.

‘I firmly believe that the proscenium arch destroys much of the illusion of reality and have patented plans for a theatre in which the present stage is replaced by a dome within which sets may be placed and lowered into the basement, where they are run off on a truck and another set immediately raised into its place. There is no curtain, the scenes being totally obliterated by the use of lights. Moreover, in this theatre I have produced three auditoriums, the largest of which seats three hundred people more than the Century Theatre without the use of a gallery, while the seat furthest in the van is the same distance from the stage as the last row if the Metropolitan Opera House. In this theatre each row of seats is an aisle, the auditorium entering and leaving parallel to the stage. Indeed, the theatre has illimitable possibilities of improvement. Managers are naturally conservative, but once they see the practicability of new ideas they will adopt them. It simply takes time to make them see it.’

This tonic note of restrained optimism is what the American theatre, be it dramatic or operatic, sorely needs. Our young scenic artists are furnishing it. If only our playwrights and our actors – well, our own Mr. Brown has referred to our ‘Ostermoor school of drama.’ In opera we have had the ‘Pipe of Desire,’ ‘The Canternury Pilgrims,’ ‘The Legend,’ and ‘The Temple Dancer,’ if only our composers – well, as least we have our singers.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 920 – The Triangle Club, Princeton, 1916

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1916, Moses wrote, “Thanksgiving Day at Pitt’s, with brother Frank, which was a surprise to me, and we had a fine time.  Next day I had to go to Princeton to see about installing the scenery for the Triangle Club.  The boys were highly pleased with it, as it was very odd.”

The Triangle Club was a theatre troupe at Princeton University.  By 1916, the organization had presented annual musical shows for about twenty years. That December, the club presented “Safety First,” a comic opera burlesque by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The show was also advertised as a futuristic farce. As an undergraduate at Princeton, Fitzgerald wrote three shows for the club between 1914 and 1917.

In the article “Rah!Rah!Rah! The New Princeton Show,” there was a little more information about scenery that Moses considered “odd.” The article reported, “The type of scenery used has never been employed in any musical comedies of this country. It was arranged by Bakst, designer for the Russian ballet. Massive blocks of bold colorings have been employed throughout so as to gain an effect of the greatest contrast possible. The effort was made to make the actors themselves stand out more in the foreground, and the situations realistic without aid form the stage setting” (The Theatre, 1917, Vol. 25, page 80).

The article further described the production:  “From the mystical prologue to the final satirical drop of the curtain, [this] is a musical comedy which speaks rather of the twenty-first century than the twentieth century. It is daring and done with finesse and polish that relieves it of any touch of the outré. The show is a plea to waft the audience to the land of the future – a land in which all our modern absurdities have been carried to their logical conclusions indicating that society should examine carefully each new idea before accepting it as bona fide. The idea of the lyric should be to proceed more carefully, looking before we leap, and thus practicing ‘Safety First.’”

The Triangle Club’s production of “Safety First” toured all across the country that year. The cast of 65 traveled 3,000 miles and performing in eleven cities. They traveled by special train referred to their “a hotel on wheels.” On Dec. 3, 1916, the show played in Pittsburgh at the Schenley Theater; it was the ninth of the eleven cities. Other locations included Brooklyn’s Academy of Music, Baltimore’s Lyceum Theatre, and New York’s Waldorf-Astoria. “Safety First” was reported to be “one of the most completely equipped plays” produced by the Club (Pittsburgh Press, 3 Dec. 1916, page 15). There is no mention of Sosman & Landis’ scenic contribution other that by Moses in his memoirs.

As with Purdue’s Harlequin Club, men played the female roles. In girl’s parts Mr. W. M. Bowman played Betty Howard and Mr. W. J. Warburton played Cynthia Mars.

Pictures in “The Theatre,” 1917, Vol. 25, page 81.

The “Baltimore Sun” described the production on 17 Dec 1916 (page 31). The article included a picture of Paul D. Nelson, president of the Princeton Triangle Club and leading man in “Safety First.”  Here is the rest of the article from the “Baltimore Sun:”

“On Wednesday evening the Princeton Triangle Club will make its annual bow to the theatre-going public of Baltimore at Albaugh’s Lyceum Theatre, Although an amateur organization, this well-known college dramatic club has for years set a standard of professional excellence and the play this year, entitled ‘Safety First,’ is reported as well up to that standard. The play is a satire on modern conditions and a burlesque on some of the modernist ideas. The action takes place in the futuristic art community of Arden and deals with a counterfeit art school run by a former convict named Howard. The lyrics, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, serve to carry on the general idea conveyed by the show, that of satire and burlesque on certain foibles and fads of the day – mostly feminism, futurism, and prison reform. One of the characteristics of the show, and of all Triangle Club productions, is that it is the work of undergraduates throughout. Not only are the play and lyrics composed by students at the university, but the entire personnel of the company is made up of undergraduates, including the cast, flirtatious girls, chorus and pony ballet, orchestra and the lowly electricians, property men and ‘mistress’ of the wardrobe. The scenery and costumes are also designed by members of the club.”  The designs were the work of club members, but the manufacture of the stage settings were delivered by Sosman & Landis, installed under the supervision of Thomas G. Moses after Thanksgiving Day in 1916.

Of the scenery, “Brooklyn Life” reported, “the stage settings were most attractive” (23 Dec 916, page 12). “The Brooklyn Citizen” elaborated that there were “a variety of striking scenic effects” and stage settings were “unique”…One innovation is in scenery. Instead of one set for the play there are three distinct scenes, with a special drop curtain for the prologue.” (3 Dec 1916, page 10). The drop curtain was provided by Miss Katherine Maxey in the “Bakst style.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. John Z. Wood, Scenic Artist (1846-1919)

Copyright © 2018 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

For the past few weeks, I have been posting some of the scenic art designs by John Z. Wood; designs that he completed for the Twin City Scenic Co of Minneapolis, MN. Here is the fascinating tale of this primarily unknown artist. His artistic gifts were extraordinary and his life has been all but forgotten.

Designs by John Z. Wood in the Twin City Scenic Co. Collection, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota. These designs are available online at https://
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Detail fo design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

John Z. Wood was born in England and moved to London, Ontario as a small child. His family moved again when he was eleven years old, taking up permanent residence in Rochester, New York. Wood enlisted in the 1st Battalion of the New York National Guards, Light Artillery, on August 2, 1864 and served until his discharged on Nov. 22 of that same year. Returning to Rochester after the Civil War, Wood initially worked as a decorative painter at Lang’s Children Carriage Factory and then as a sign painter for Frank Van Doorn.

In the late 1860s, Wood joined a local art club called the Goose Grease Club, attending informal gatherings at the studio of William Lockhart in Rochester’s Palmer building. By the 1870s, Wood had opened his own private studio at the Baker building, sharing the space with Lockhart. Seth C. Jones later joined their studio. During this same time he also worked for the Mensin, Rahn, and Stecher Lithographic Co., later known as Stecher Lithographic Co. , known for its beautiful fruit crate labels and nurserymen crates. After becoming a fairly well- ecognized artist, Wood worked as an instructor for the Mechanics Institute in Rochester.

By 1872, Wood helped found the Rochester Sketch Club along with James Hogarth Dennis (1839-1914), J. Guernsey Mitchell (1854-1921), James Somerville (1849-1905), Harvey Ellis (1852-1904), and William Lockhart (1846-1881). Wood, however, was the instigator, organizer and promoter of the group. Within five years, club became the Rochester Art Club. In 1874, the Rochester Academy of Art, also emerged as an offshoot of the Rochester Sketch Club. The Rochester Art Club incorporated in 1882, with Wood not only serving as Treasurer (1877-1882), but also Vice President (1889-1891) and President (1894). In 1883, a newspaper review described Wood’s contribution to the Rochester Art Club. Of his oil painting depicting two boys fishing, the review commented, “It gives him opportunity to apply his knowledge of anatomical drawing and his skill in producing excellent color effects. It is one of Mr. Wood’s best productions” (Democrat and Chronicle, 20 May 1883, page 4).

For the Club’s educational oferings, a room was secured at the Rochester Savings Bank Building. This became their headquarters with a small faculty consisting of Horatio Walker (water color), James H. Dennis (oil), John Z. Wood (drawing), Harvey Ellis (composition), and Ida C. Taylor (painting).  By 1890, the Rochester City Directory  listed Wood as a designer.

However, in 1892 the Directory listed John Z. Wood as “removed to Chicago, Ill.” That year, Wood traveled to the Chicago World Fair with fellow artist James Somerville. Life was on the up and up, and it was around this time that Wood became a member of New York’s Salmagundi Club, the same fine art group that Thomas G. Moses joined in 1904. Their paths possibly crossed during the turn-of-the-century in either Chicago or New York.

The first mention of John Z. Wood as a scenic artist, however, is in 1889.  That year, he and Dennis Flood painted scenery for the H. R. Jacobs Opera House in Syracuse, New York. It was quite a lucrative contract and Flood would later be noted as Wood’s “life-time friend.” Newspaper articles noted that the pair painted not only a 25’ x 28’ drop curtain, but also the stock scenery. The drop curtain depicted an elaborate conservatory with a tropical garden view in the distance. Spending several weeks on site, they painted remaining stock sets that included a palace exterior, a fancy interior, a dark wood exterior, a classical garden, a rocky pass, a mountain landscape, a pastoral landscape, and a lakeside exterior. He dabbled in the theater while continuing to work as a fine artist, designer and art instructor, saving up what money he could.

Despite his success in fine art and some early theatre designs, Wood’s career hit a major obstacle in 1896 that resulted in a substantial financial loss. Wood had a financially devastating incident that involved his stepson Howard C. Tuttle, one that ended in family betrayal and subsequent financial ruin. Wood had known his stepson since he was born on Nov. 12, 1874. In 1875, Wood lived with the Tuttles; boarding with Charles, Nellie (Evalyn) and their newborn son Howard. It was short lived as Charles left Nellie, married his mistress Rosalie Graves and celebrated the birth of his second child Lillian that same year. Nellie and Howard C. moved in with her parents, Horace C. and Esther Rose; her father was a painter. Interestingly, Wood was now a boarder at the Rose home. Wood eventually married Nellie by 1886 and helped raise her son.

On July 30, 1896, Rochester’s “Democrat and Chronicle” reported, “Bad Predicament of a Young Man.  Horace C. Tuttle Spent the Money of His Parents.  His Arrest Followed.  The Man Represented to Them That He Wanted the Money to Engage in Business in New York – Taken on a Minor Charge” (page 9). Tuttle was arrested at Batavia on a charge of skipping a board bill and that’s when the truth came out about his financial antics.  The article reported that “Young Tuttle’s” home was at No. 17 Chestnut Street with his stepfather, John Z. Wood, who is an artist with a studio in the Reynold’s Arcade.”  In short, Tuttle became dissatisfied with “his small salary and the hard work he had to do” at Miler’s Piano Store and made up his mind to do business on a larger scale.  He unfolded to his stepfather and his mother the outlines of a plan that he said would make him speedily rich, telling his parents that he had been engaged as a traveling salesman with Newby & Evans, piano dealers in New York city, and that it would take some money to get started.  The cash was forthcoming and the young man departed for New York in high glee. He soon pretended to be a member of the firm, getting his foster parent to furnish even more money.  You can already see how this ends; the son doesn’t visit home, the parents get worried and contact his supposed employer, only to learn that their son doesn’t work there at all. In the end, the Tuttles lost $4,000, today’s equivalent $110,000.00 today.

This event was like let the instigator that prompted Wood to seek employment at theaters. At that time, being a scenic artist was a very lucrative profession, if one was good and fast. The substantial amount that one could make producing a variety of painted scenes was indicated in the business records of Thomas G. Moses. A good scenic artist was making today’s equivalent of 175,000-200,000 dollars a year.

In 1898, Wood was actively working as a scenic artist and painting scenery alongside Gates & Morange at the New Baker Theatre in New York City. He produced all of the exterior scenery for the venue, while Gates & Morange completed the borders, trips, and other specialty drops. Wood soon became an itinerant scenic artist and followed the work as theatres continued to spring up in the western United States and Canada. In 1901, the Rochester City Directory listed Wood as a “scenic painter.” By 1906, he also helped organize an association of Rochester painters known as the Picture Painters’ Club (Democrat and Chronicle, 15 Feb. 1901, page 8). The club was designed solely for working artists, similar to Chicago’s Palette and Chisel Club.

Wood began traveling throughout the country and working as a scenic artist for various theaters. He travels brought him to Winnipeg, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles. However, by 1907, Wood left Rochester, although the city directory continued to list him as a scenic artist there. For the 1908-1909 season, Wood was listed as the staff scenic artist at the Winnipeg Theatre.  Winnipeg was the northern terminus of the railway and provided an excellent opportunity for Wood to work. It also connected him to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. After painting for the Winnipeg Theatre, Wood journey to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and painted scenery for a variety of venues. Another Rochester Art Club founder, Harvey Ellis, had settled in the St. Paul, Minnesota, during 1886, working throughout the region for seven years before returning to Rochester.  Some of Ellis’ designs include the Mabel Tainter Memorial Building in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and Pillsbury Hall, at the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis (East Bank). 

It was in Minneapolis that Wood worked for the Twin City Scenic Company. Several of Wood’s designs for drop curtains are currently part of the Twin City Scenic Co. Collection, Performing Arts Archives at the University of Minnesota Libraries. The backs of some designs include the name Robert J. Mork, a salesman for the Twin City Scenic Co. A few of Wood’s paintings also have competitive scenic studio stamps and markings on the backs, such as the Great Western Stage Equipment Co.

By 1911, Wood was again living in the Rochester, with the Directory listing him as a “scene painter.”

In 1917 he was “recognized as a scenic painter for the Masonic Temple and other theaters in the city” (Rochester Art Club history records). His work was for the new 1917 Masonic Temple building that included a theatre on the third floor.

Only two years after his return to Rochester, Wood was reported as suffering from “cardio vascular renal” at the Sellwood hospital in Portland, Oregon, as reported by the “Oregon Daily Journal.” However, this would not be a contributing factor to his death two years later. In 1919, Wood’s name would appear in the newspaper one final time when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident. On November 13, 1919, George C. Newel caused the death of John Z. Wood, residing at No. 144 South Ave. Wood was hit by Newell’s automobile when crossing the street. The court ruled against Newell as he was driving too fast and unable to stop in time. Wood was only 72 years old.

The Rochester Art Club records that Wood was “known for his sense of humor, ability at mimicry, and telling a good story.”

To be continued…