Many of my projects take years to plan and implement. Such was the case with the main drape and valance at the Ruby Theatre in Chelan, Washington.
The drapes were intended to accentuate a newly acquired photo-player. The old ones having fallen into an irreparable state of disrepair.
Proving to be a bit of a diva during installation, theatre owner Larry Hibbard, appropriately named his photo-player Valentina. Photo-players accompanied silent movies with both music and sound effects. By the way, Valentina rises from the original orchestra pit, now hidden below the thrust. Hibbard explained that Valentina demanded this grand entrance after learning about the history of photo players from her big-city cousins .
“Valentina” – the photo-player – on stage at the Ruby Theatre in front of the new draperies.
Here is a link to an interview with Hibbard about his photo-player, named Valentina, for Wenatchee World (January 2021)- “Bringing Back a Piece of History to Chelan’s Ruby Theatre.” https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=416089849649129
Exterior of the Ruby Theatre in Chelan, Washington.
I was first contacted by Hibbard in November 2021. He was interested in replicating the main drape, complete with hand-painted border.
In January 2022, Hibbard shipped half of the main drape to my studio so I could examine the fabric and stencil. The arrival of the curtain at my studio coincided with another Washington State theater event that made national news. On Jan. 27, 2022, CNN reported, “A couple renovating a 115-year-old building discovered two 60-foot-long hidden murals.” The next day I received an email with a link to the article from my Canadian colleague John Madill. Madill was the first of many colleagues to share the online article; all urging me to contact the couple. I was hesistant as my schedule was already booked for the year.
The next day, on Jan. 29, 2022, I received the following FB message:
“Hi, Wendy! My husband and I recently uncovered a 60ft mural from 1915 and are hoping to conserve it. I was wondering if you could offer any advice or expertise as it looks like a theatre backdrop. There are videos and pictures on our Facebook group (mural restoration at the historic Timm building). Thanks so much.”
Great. I decided to see exactly where Okanogan was located. Amazingly, it was less than an hour north of the Ruby Theatre in Chelan, Washington. That was my sign to plan a quick trip.
Here is a map of the area – west of Spokane, Washington.
The Okanogan Murals were located in a building once known as the Hub Theatre.
A small section of the mural, delivered to the Hub Theatre by the J. M. Deeds Scenic Studio of Spokane, Washington.
They were only seen by the public for three years before being encapsulated behind a wall of plaster. In 1918, the building was again renovated, becoming the Paramount Theatre.
The renovated Hub Theatre when it became the Paramount.
I did a little research, and soon discovered that J. M. Deeds Scenic Studio decorated BOTH Okanogan’s Hub Theatre and Chelan’s Ruby Theatre. On Dec. 7, 1915, the Okanogan Independent announced, “Improvements at Hub’s.” The article reported, “Hub Carlton has contracted with J. M. Deeds of Wenatchee for interior decorations, new screen and new curtain for the Hub Theatre that will greatly improve the inside appearance of this popular playhouse. Mr. Deeds came up from Wenatchee last week and is now supervising the work, which is being done by W. J. McConnon, and experienced decorator who has been in Mr. Deeds employ for some time. Mr. Deeds has just completed decorations for the Wenatchee theater, which is said to be one of the finest in this part of the state, and also is the man who did the decorating for the Ruby Theatre of Chelan, known far and near as one of the most attractive playhouses in the country. The new improvements at the Hub include 120 feet of panoramic landscape scenery in light tans. The picture screen will be 11×13 feet in size and have frame effects of moulding. There will also be a pretty drop advertising curtain with an overhead roll, noiseless I operation and will be controlled from the operator’s booth. Mr. Carlton is sparing no means to improve his place of business and is making additions to his equipment as rapidly as business will warrant.”
After a quick visit to meet with both theater owners in Okanogan and Chelan, I was soon back in Okanogan to supervise the removal of both murals from a water-drenched building. As they were created with distemper paint (pigment paste and diluted hide glue), time was of the essence.
Removing the murals at the Old Hub Theatre in Okanogan, Washington.March 2022.
That fall, I again led a crew to clean and stabilize the murals before again placing them back into storage.
The murals hanging in an Okanogan Fairgroundbuilding after Phase 1: cleaning and stabilization. October 2022.
All the while, I remained in contact with Hibbard about the Ruby Theatre project. It took us quite some time to locate a similar fabric. Creating a custom-dye job was not financially feasible, as the project was too small.
In the end we hired Liba Fabrics to manufacture the draperies with a lovely rose-colored fabric that shifted color under light.
They were shipped to the Ruby Theatre during the spring of 2023.
The plain curtains, valance, and side curtains, installed at the Ruby Theatre in 2023.
My trip to paint the draperies was scheduled for spring 2024. Prior to my April departure, I replicated the stencil and completed several samples to look at on site before commencing the project with local assistants. As light altered the fabric to an alarming degree (that was the magic), we wanted to make sure that everything would work with the space.
Here is one of the three-color stencils…
The base color for the stencil.
Detail of the base color. I came up with a technique that made it look like velvet appliqués.
Two types of gold were applied for detail; warm and cool to help it take dimension from a distance.
Two types of gold paint were used for the second stencil.
Although photographs make it difficult to see the gold, it reflects light beautifully – especially in low-light conditions.
Completed stencil.
As anticipated, the “R” stencil would prove to be problematic. Enter, Patrece Canoy-Barrett. She re-stitched the top and flipped a pleat.
On site assistant, Patrece Canoy-Barrett, who re-stitched the pleats to make the “R” hang flat.
Addition highlight to “R” so it would “pop.”The seam disappears from a distance.
Completed stencil with Valentina, after painting the proscenium arch .Thrust lights are only used when Valentina emerges from the pit.
During my time on site, we also moved a drop curtain from the local museum back to the Ruby Theatre. I really wanted Hibbard to see how a painted element shifted the space. It was so successful that an event was planned to feature Valentina and the historic ad drop. The drop has since been returned to the Museum where it will be on display.
Moving the drop from the Museum to the Ruby Theatre.
Ad drop painted by J. C. Carpenter in 1932 for the Ruby Theatre.
In 1922 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Our work has been running fabrics, so much so that I have no notion to make on painting…We that paint, as well as design, frown upon the new fad for fabrics. We trust it will soon die out and we will all return to the old way of painting with up-to-date designs.”
Moses must have sensed that the situation would not change anytime soon, and he would be too old to profit from any future scenic art revival. In hindsight, he was at the wrong age, in the wrong profession, in the wrong location, and at the wrong time. In 1922, Moses was 66 years old. He passed away in 1934. In that twelve-year period, his health continued to decline and the stock market crashed, forever putting the death nail in the coffin for many scenic artists at the time. Although Moses’ mind was still sharp, his body was deteriorating, and work was rapidly drying up.
Scenic art techniques continued to shift in the 1920s, as the demand for scenic illusion on stage plummeted, accommodating ever-shifting designs and products. Many scenic artists saw the writing on the wall, and rapidly tried to adapt to the changing times. Moses was not one of them.
In 1923, Moses continued to worry about the decline of painting projects. That year he wrote, “Very little painted scenery for the vaudeville acts is being done, mostly fabrics, and if the wage scale keeps on, I don’t see where the artists are going to find enough painting. They will have to become dressmakers and learn to sew on sateens and velours. A few of the old melodramas would be very welcome.”
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In 1923, Sosman & Landis also closed their doors, liquidating all of their assets. Moses and Fred Megan purchased the Sosman & Landis name, but it was too little too late. The live entertainment industry was slowly shifting from painted draperies to ornate textiles. If a scenic artist had not side-stepped into a compatible industry, it was almost too late to make a successful change. Yes, there was still a demand for painted scenery in the motion picture industry, Masonic theaters and other performance venues, but not at the previous scale.
Although a few big painting projects continued to appear on the horizon in the Midwest, the constant stream of opportunities slowed to a trickle. By 1925, Moses and Megan were running the new iteration of Sosman & Landis, constantly searching for work. That year, Moses wrote, “Megan left for the south where we have several good prospects, but I presume they will be chiefly draperies.” John Hanny, a one-time Sosman & Landis scenic artist and founder of Chicago Service Studios, wrote “About this time it was becoming evident that scene-painting, as such, was on its way out. Almost every Artist automatically was becoming a freelancer, picking up odd jobs perhaps a day or two here and there – ‘touch ups’ and the like.” It was the wrong time to own a scenic studio, one specializing in painted illusion.
In an undated letter to Dr. John H. Rothgeb at the University of Texas (c. 1980), Hanny described the decline of painted scenery during the 1920s and 1930s. Hanny began work as a scenic artist at Sosman & Landis in 1906; Moses was the one to hire him that year. By 1920, Hanny and four others established Service Studios of Chicago, a competing firm to their previous employer. Service Studios did not last and quickly became ACME Studios.
Of scenic art after the market crash, Hanny wrote: “The depression of 1929 just about stopped the production of stage scenery – at least in Chicago. Road shows, musicals, etc., if any, were being produced in New York and Hollywood. At this point all the Studios disappeared, but the scene painters just couldn’t disappear and had to become free lancers. There was no such thing as a steady job and the boys were hard put to find a day’s pay. Most of the following 10 years were really tough and 1929 proved to be a big change in our business, in purpose, in design, paint and other materials. As the economy slowly improved – work was to be had on industrial exhibits, Home shows and Auto shows, etc. These were contracted for by such firms as Bromels Detroit, Dramaturgy Cleveland, Wildings Chicago and a few others. These were not Scenic Studios but rather combinations of carpenter and machine shops equipped to turn out booths, revolving turn-tables, electrical effects, and so on. The artwork was done in any available loft or vacant store space. The biggest change to us painters was our paints. Luminal Casene [sic. Luminall Casein] was pretty well established as a very practical and useful medium so, it, and show card color was the norm. So – no more ‘dry’ colors – no more soup bowls or hot size and of course no more paint frames. Drapes, if any were painted on the floor. The house painter’s sash brushes came into use and many of the former ‘tools’ such as snappers, and center-poles and others were no longer needed. The folding 2 ft. brass bound rule gave way to the yard stick.”
In 1922 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Started on a bunch of Masonic models, and it will take some time to do them. Went to Joplin, Mo., after a good contract. Was too high.” A similar thing would happen only a few months later, with Moses writing, “Made several trips to Davenport in hopes of getting the big contract of about $16,000.00, but we were too high.
Stage at the Joplin Scottish RiteStencil for the Fabric Studios for the Joplin Scottish RiteScenery by the Fabric Studios for the Joplin Scottish RitePainted detail. Scenery by the Fabric Studios for the Joplin Scottish Rite
Sosman & Landis was nearing the end of its existence at the same time many other studios were getting their start. Sosman & Landis lost the Joplin job to another Chicago firm – The Fabric Studio. The Fabric Studio appeared on the scene as abruptly as it disappeared a few years later. However, between 1922 and 1923 the studio showed much promise. The same year that they landed the Joplin Scottish Rite project, they delivered some very impressive scenery to the Orpheum Theatre in Wichita, Kansas. Interestingly, by 1923, Thomas G. Moses and Fred R. Megan rented the Fabric Studios’ space as they waited to purchase the Sosman & Landis name; waiting for the firm to liquidate all their assets.
The Fabric Studio scenery painted for the Joplin Scottish Rite is colorful, impressive, and indicative of a changing aesthetic. I had an opportunity to visit the Joplin Scottish Rite and document the historic scenery collection during the summer of 2018 and document the scenery painted at the Fabric Studios. Here is link to my post about that visit: https://drypigment.net2018/07/03/travels-of-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-the-joplin-scottish-rite-july-2/
There was a studio stamp on many drops that included the address 117 N. State, 4th floor, Chicago, Illinois. At this time, there were three main individuals running The Fabric Studio, artistic director P T. Blackburn and stage carpenter J. A. Bannon. As most young studios, the men continued to work independently while getting the studio up and running. In the end, the Joplin Scottish Rite may be the only artistic legacy left of this short-lived studio.
The earliest mention of the Fabric Studio that I have located to date is from the summer of 1921. The company placed a want ad in the “Chicago Tribune,” advertising for girls to help in their sewing room (“Chicago Tribune,” 27 August 1921, page 14). The earliest work credited to the new form was for Princess Minstrel Misses. Advertisements placed in “The Richmond Item” announced, “Seven young ladies in ‘a Fanfare of Joy, Song and Dance and Music’ with Cecil Jefferson. A miniature minstrel production offered exclusively by seven talented girls with an elaborate stage setting. Hear these clever girls in the latest songs and jokes. Costumes by Hazel Rene, Chicago. Scenery by The Fabric Studio, Chicago. 20 minutes of Real Entertainment” (8 Dec 1921, page 5).
In 1922, The Fabric Studio of Chicago was competing with the Kansas City Scenic Co. for the contract to paint and install a new front curtain and scenery for the Memorial Auditorium in Wellington, Kansas. W. S. Mayer was the salesman for The Fabric Studio of Chicago (“Wellington Daily News,” 25 August 1922, page 1). That same year, The Fabric Studio also secured a substantial contract for Wichita’s Orpheum Theatre. The “Wichita Eagle” reported the Fabric Studio’s scenery included the original asbestos curtain depicting a gold gauze curtain with an exterior garden scene, a Spanish market scene; a silk velour for the valance; a grand drapery; a silver gauze tableaux curtain; a picture sheet; “two exterior oleos and drops;” a complete conservatory set; and a complete Gothic set (3 September 1922, page 48).
The Orpheum Theatre in Wichita, Kansas with scenery by the Fabric Studios of ChicagoP. T. Blackburn, from the “Daily Times,” Davenport, Iowa, 17 May 1922, page 10.
The chief scenic artist associated with the Fabric Studios at this time was P. T. Blackburn. He is quite an interesting individual. Blackburn was the head of the artistic staff for several stock companies over the years, including the Grand Players from Davenport, Iowa. Max Schroeder was another scenic artist who represented painted for the firm 1922, specializing in landscapes. Blackburn and Schroeder greatly contributed the studio’s colorful aesthetic. The firm’s head installation expert was J. A. Bannon, an older gentleman with extensive experience with stage machinery and the installation of stage systems.
Blackburn was credited as specializing in fine plushes, satins, and velours, such as the gold gauze front curtain and the silver gauze tableaux curtain for the Orpheum. Of the gold curtain delivered by the Fabric studio. The “Wichita Daily Eagle,” reported, “Scenery in the Orpheum theater ranks with that any vaudeville theater in the entire country, according to J. A. Bannon, who came to Wichita from Chicago, to install the scenery for the Fabric Studio, the makers. Bannon should be an authority since he is an old timer in the show business and has installed scenery in theaters in nearly every city in the United States. Bannon is very enthusiastic about the gold gauze curtain which he says is an unusually fine production. It portrays an exterior garden scene and was painted by Max Schroeder. A wonderful work has been accomplished in the floor perspective of the scene in the curtain. The perspective is only twenty-five inches in extent but gives the floor appearance of being twenty-five feet.” Of Bannon, the article reported, “Bannon started ‘trouping’ as a property man with Karafe’s Water Queen in the eighties. He soon became stage carpenter and traveled as such for years, visiting Wichita many times.”
In 1923, the “Quad City Times” include a portrait of Blackburn and reported, “Mr. Blackburn, scenery artist at the Grand theater is a star never seen by the audience. All of the scenery is painted by him. ‘It is an endless job – this business of being a scenery painter of a stock company – but I like it anyway,’ opined Mr. Blackburn yesterday, He had been with the Grand company for more than a year” (18 March 1923, page 21). In 1923, Blackburn was also producing scenery for productions, such as “Nice People” in 1923 (The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, 27 Jan 1923, page 8). Blackburn was mentioned as a scenic artist when he married in 1923 (The Daily Ties, 21 April 1923, page 7). The article announced, “Miss Erma Hermiston, youngest daughter of Mrs. Fred Hanson of DeWitt, was married to P. T. Blackburn, scenic artist for the Grand Players, now appearing at English’s Opera house, Indianapolis. Mr. Blackburn has for over a year and a half been artist for the company during the stay at the Grand in Davenport. Both he and his bride, who had made her home in this city, are very well known. The wedding took place at the First Presbyterian church, Rev. Milner officiating.” The couple was listed in the Colorado Divorce index on Sept 3, 1930.
By 1931, Blackburn was credited with the settings for Loew’s and Paramount’s “Lysistrata” ( “Los Angeles Record,” 28 Dec 1931, page 8). He also did the sets for “Shanghai Gesture” (Los Angeles Evening Express, 1 Sept 1931, page 10). In 1932 he was noted as a “well known Hollywood stage designer and artist,” associated with the comedy “Just Married” (Honolulu Star 7 July 1932, page 8). By 1949, Blackburn was the head artist for Paramount Studios and a weekend resident of the San Jacinto mountain resort area (“The Desert Sun,” Palm Springs, California, 17 May 1949, page 4). In addition to scenic art, Blackburn and his department also developed new stage equipment and curtain tracks for scenery painted by Paramount artists.
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses worked at Flagg’s studio in Los Angeles, California. Sosman & Landis rented the paint frames for Moses to finish a large project for an upcoming event.
From Flagg, the “Los Angeles Evening Express,” Feb 19, 1921, page 75.
Sosman & Landis was nearing the end of its existence by 1921. Even though Moses would soon purchase the firm’s name, it would never regain its former glory as a nationwide leader in theatrical manufacturing and supply. Sosman & Landis competitors continued to win projects by underbidding the Chicago firm; one project after another. The studio’s position as one of the largest scenic studios in the United States was rapidly slipping. By 1920 six employees left to start Service Studios, taking with them knowledge regarding the strengths and weaknesses of their former employer. In addition to their departure, many other scenic studios were run by former Sosman & Landis employees. Competitors used their intimate knowledge of Sosman & Landis to their advantage. All the while, Moses kept plugging along, hoping for a resurgence of work and continuing to set his sights on large Masonic contracts. He bet on the wrong horse.
Meanwhile, Moses still had to rely upon an existing network of scenic artists and studios. There is always an interesting balance between maintaining business alliances and being taken advantage of by your competitors. Such was the case between Sosman & Landis and Flagg Studios in 1921.
Edwin H. Flagg pictured in the “Los Angeles Evening Post-Record,” on Mar 12, 1919.
Edwin H. Flagg ran two scenic studios; one in Los Angeles and the other in San Francisco. In 1921 the firm advertised that “90% of all stage equipment on the coast was provided by their studio” (“Los Angeles Post-Record,” 10 August 1921, page 16). They marketed themselves as the largest scenic studio west of Chicago.
The theatre industry is fickle, often forgetting its visionaries or innovators associated with what may be perceived as passing fancies. Unless scenic artists or leading studios were written about in history books, they disappeared; future generations never even learned of their existence. The life and career of great individuals were lost as time passed, erased from all institutional knowledge. Such was the case with Edwin Harvey Flagg (1878-1927).
Flagg was at the top of his career when Moses rented his paint frames in 1921. At the age of forty-three years old, he was a theatre producer, movie producer, designer and artist, running two massive scenic studios in California. Both of Flagg’s studios would be destroyed between 1923 and 1924, an inconceivable loss. His lifetime of work simply went up in smoke within the course of a year and he never regained his footing. Only three years after this devastation, Flagg passed away in Hollywood on September 19, 1927. He was only 49 yrs. old at the time and his contributions were quickly, fading from memory. In short, his legacy was lost.
From the “Los Angeles Evening Express, 1921, Nov 10, page 16.
Flagg’s obituary provides only a glimpse into his life and career. On September 20, 1927, the “Los Angeles Times,” announced,
“Edwin H. Flagg Artist, Expires.
Edwin H. Flagg, scenic artist and president of the Edwin H. Flagg Scenic Company, died Monday afternoon at Hollywood Hospital following an illness of three months. He came here from Denver about eighteen years ago and built an extensive business. He made the scenery for some of the largest and most important theatrical productions and at one time produced scenic work for all the houses of the Pantages circuit of theaters. Flagg leaves his widow and a young son, besides Mrs. Genevieve Chain, a daughter, Mrs. Margaret Olinger and Mrs. Hattie Hyde, both of Denver, sisters, and J C. Flagg, a newspaper publisher of Baltimore, a brother, formerly of Los Angeles.The funeral and will be conducted in Los Angeles and arrangements will be announced later (page 18).
For the past week I have reconstructed the life and career of Flagg, as told in newspaper articles and historical records. In a very short period of time, Flagg created a national identity and studio that eclipsed many other firms across the country, including Sosman & Landis. Unlike some studio founders, Flagg was always looking towards the future and reinventing himself, peddling a popular product to the next generation of clients. He was continually adapting during a time of unprecedented change in the theatre industry. As fabric draperies increasingly replaced painted versions, he expanded his services to secure the best and most unique textiles available; suspending them and lighting them in unique ways. He embraced innovative technology and incorporated it into new stage systems. During WWI, many on his staff worked for the newly developed camouflage trade, thus securing additional work as other projects diminished. Flagg Studios dominated new theatre construction immediately after WWI, always keeping an eye out for other projects on the horizon.
Flagg’s studios did camouflage work during WWI. From the “Los Angeles Times,” Sept 2, 1917.
The story of Flagg becomes symbolic of many scenic artists, those born the generation after Thomas G. Moses. His generation had to adapt to the ever-changing times, in many ways much more so than the generations of scenic artists before him. He was born during a unique period in American theatre. Flagg was not paralyzed by the “before-and-after” mindset, the same that plagued Moses and many of his colleagues. Flagg represented of an ever-evolving artistic mindset, constantly adapting to new demands in popular entertainment and figuring out how to make even more money.
Flagg was born on June 29, 1879 in Point Edward, Ontario, Canada. He emigrated to the United States in 1891 at the age of twelve years old. Beginning his career as a scenic artist, Flagg soon moved into theatre management. By 1897, he was listed a manager in an advertisement for “Bridget O’Brien, Esq.” at the Lyceum Theatre in Salt Lake City (Salt Lake Herald, 5 May 1897, page 4). Not much is known of his early career at this time, but he primarily remained in the Chicago area. Newspaper articles until 1904 would note Flagg as a Chicago artist.
Management – Edwin H. Flagg. From the “Salt Lake Herald,” 5 May 1897, page 4.
Flagg’s early history is difficult to decipher at best. On Jan 11, 1899 Flagg married his first wife, Harriet Myrtle Shriner (1878-1976) in McDonough, Illinois. That same year the couple moved west to Colorado and celebrated the birth of Harriet “Genevieve” Flagg, born in Denver on October 12, 1899. Despite their move to Denver, Flagg was still listed as a Chicago artist until he took up residency in Alexandria, Louisiana in 1903.
The earliest mention that I have located of Flagg as a scenic artist is from the “Pomona Daily Review,” in 1902. An article in the California newspaper reported, “Edwin H. Flagg had just completed his scenery painting at the Pomona Opera house, after a week of artistic work in scene painting and the production of clever advertisements. He left with his wife for Chicago this morning (“Pomona Daily Review,” 6 Sept 1902, page 2). His drop curtain, “The Harbor of Venice,” was described in detail; a Royal Palace towering above a river, with marketplace and gondolas below. While in Pomona, Flagg also painted a drop curtain for the Armory house (“Pomona Daily Review,” 4 Sept 1902, page 1).
Between 1903 and 1904, the “Edwin H. Flagg Company” was credited with delivering scenery and stage machinery to both the Old Concordia Theatre and New Park Casino in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1903, the “Arkansas Democrat” reported that the Edwin H. Flagg Company was putting the finishing touches on the Old Concordia’s new stage equipment during a renovation (Arkansas Democrat, 12 Jan 1903, page 2). Flagg would return to Little Rock the following year and paint scenery for the New Park Casino (“Weekly Town Talk,” Alexandria, Louisiana, 21 May 1904, page 7). As with many scenic artists at this time, he ricocheted from one project to another across the country, constantly on the road
By the fall of 1903, however, he worked at Louisiana theatre that would forever alter the trajectory of his career. That October, Flagg painted scenery for the Rapides Theatre in Alexandria, Louisiana. He painted an asbestos drop and drop curtain, as well as a street scene, palace interior, kitchen interior, parlor, plain chamber, prison, garden and wood scene; standard fare for a small theatre at the time (Weekly Town Talk, Alexandria, 24 Oct 1903, page 12). Jack Auslet was stage manager for the Rapides Theatre, but by 1905 Flagg was listed as lessee and the manager of the venue; a position that he would retain until 1908 (The Town Talk, Alexandria, Louisiana, 15 March 1905, page 8).
Flagg settled in Alexandria, Louisiana between 1903 and 1904. He initially invested in a publishing company while continuing to paint. Alexandria’s News Daily listed Col. John C. Tipton as the editor and Mr. Edwin H. Flagg as the publisher for the new firm. (Weekly Town Talk, Alexandria, 28 1903, page 4).This is not really a surprise, as his brother, J. C. Flagg, also entered the publishing profession early on. At the time of Edwin’s passing in 1927, his brother was still noted as a newspaper publisher in Baltimore, Maryland. The News Publishing Company, Ltd. Of Alexandria was listed as a company specializing in the printing of newspapers, books and other works (Weekly Town Talk, Alexandria, 1 Dec 1903, page 1). This speaks to Flagg’s continued desire for diversification in work; an aspect of his career that would continue for the remainder of his life. This had also been the key for Sosman & Landis Studio from 1890 to 1900. Both Joseph Sosman and Perry Landis invested in a variety of endeavors, including lighting companies, stage machinery, touring productions. In a sense, Flagg picked up where Sosman & Landis left off, soon setting his sights on California. In hindsight, the future of Sosman & Landis was in California, but the company remained firmly planted in the Midwest. Even Moses recorded the pull, writing, “Letters from the Pacific Coast, which offered me all kinds of inducement to come west are all very good, but when I consider my age, I hesitate to make the plunge.”
Flagg, however, did make the plunge. In 1908, Alexandria’s “Town Talk” reported, “Mr. Edwin H. Flagg formerly manager of the Rapides Theatre, now of Los Angeles, Cal., was in the city last night and left this morning for New Orleans. (25 July 1908 page 6). Flagg moved to California and immediately invested in a scenic company, and then did the unthinkable; something that should have resulted in the end of his career.
In the spring of 1909, Flagg became a major shareholder in the newly incorporated Thompson Scenic company. He then immediately established a competing firm. In Thompson’s company was incorporated in April 1909. Shortly after incorporation, Flagg ceased active participation in the business and organized Edwin H. Flagg Scenic company. By Dec. 23, 1909, Thompson was ousted as president of the Thompson company, also establishing another firm – Charles F. Thompson Curtain Company. Both the Edwin H. Flagg Scenic Co. and Charles F. Thompson Curtain Co. were direct competitors with the Thompson Scenic Co., while still holding controlling interest in the firm (Los Angeles Herald, 26 Jan 1910, page 5).
A. J. Charlotte and J. D. Pitts sought an injunction against Edwin H. Flagg and Charles F. Thompson to prevent them from holding a meeting of the board of directors while engaged in completing businesses. However, within a year A. J. Charette was employed at the Edwin H. Flagg studio, representing the firm and even closing a drop curtain contract with the Pastime Theatre in New Mexico (“Albuquerque Journal,” 9 Feb 1911, page 6). In two years, the Edwin H. Flagg scenic company was one of the best-known scenic studios in the country, installing over $100,000 worth of theater scenery a year and employing a workforce of 30 artists.
Worked poured into Flagg’s studio and the company completed a series of contracts, decorating theaters and delivering stage scenery and stage fittings across the country. Projects included San Bernardino’s new playhouse, the Duval Theatre (Jacksonville, Florida), the Daisy Theatre (Montgomery, Alabama), the Pantages Theatre (Winnipeg and Oakland), Modesto Theatre (Modesto, California), Kinema Theatre (Los Angeles), Strand Theatre (Portland), New Billings Theatre (Montana), the Rialto (Phoenix), the Nile Theatre (Phoenix), the New California Theatre, and the New Yost Theatre. He also began working as a producer, establishing the Edwin H. Flagg Musical Company Stock organization at the Hip theatre, investing in a series productions elsewhere too.
Flagg completed projects and life at a rapid pace, even while driving. On October 18, 1913, the “Los Angeles Evening Post-Record” reported, “When Flagg isn’t manufacturing breath-snatching extravaganzas he’s doing some breath-snatching auto driving. As a result, he claims the record of having been pinched 57 times for speeding in 48 states” (page 12). Newspapers also reported that Flagg drove a Buick (Bakersfield Morning Echo, 22 May 1913, page 3). There is nothing quite like living life in the fastlane, until you encounter that first major bump in the road that results in a catastrophic accident.
The period of 1919 to 1921 was a highpoint for Flagg and his studios. He married his second wife, Patricia Manners. Manners was a musical comedy star and pupil of Mme. Aldrich (Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 1919, page 20). She was part of Flagg’s production “Did Doris Do It?” starring alongside Eddie O’Brien, Phillis Gordon and the Rader Bros. Manners also starred in Flagg’s “Too Many Wives” and “Maid of Waikiki” during 1919 (Long Beach Press, 7 Aug 1919, page 8). She was advertised as “the girl with an angel voice,” a stunning coloratura soprano. Flagg’s divorce from his first wife remains shrouded in mystery, but their daughter remained in the spotlight.
Patricia Manners. From the “Long Beach Press,” August 7, 1919, page 8.
In 1921 Miss Genevieve Flagg married James Delmore “Dell” Chain (1887-1963). Chain was a performer and one of the principals in the cast of “Sun-List.” (“The Town Talk,” Alexandria, 19 Oct 1921, page 1). Dell’s career continued to flourish in the 1920s, with frequent mention of his famous father-in-law. The same cannot be said for Flagg and his studios, as his life began to implode.
In 1923, Flagg’s Los Angeles studio was destroyed by fire. Two boys lit a small fire that grew, burning down an entire city block (“Sacramento Bee,” 14 July 1923, page 7). Flagg’s second studio went up in flames the next year, when a grass fire got out of control. Ironically, this second fire was intentionally set by city firemen (“Santa Cruz Evening News,” 4 June 1924 page 1). What’s the possibility of two unrelated and accidental fires destroying your life’s work? Three years after the second studio fire Flagg passed away. He was in the midst of rebuilding his enterprise but ran out of time.
Flagg Studio advertisement in 1922. From the “Los Angeles Evening Express,” Feb 27, page 71.
His work for the Rialto Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1921 deserves mention as it says a lot about Flagg and his business. For the 1921 project, newspapers reported that Flagg was given carte blanche with the venue(Arizona Republic, 2 July 1921, page 18). The article additionally noted that Flagg pulled his best, Ted Lange, from a Marcus Loew project at Seventh and Broadway, to work at the Rialto. The article reported, “Flagg took him off the job and sent him out to Arizona to get the Rialto up in shape so that his old-time pals “Rick” and “Harry” could say, “Boys, this is a Flagg House.” The article continued, “Edwin H. Flagg started life as a scenic artist so long ago…But Ed Flagg has not lagged behind all these years. He has kept abreast of the times, and 1921 sees him as the biggest decorator and stage expert in the west. Flagg even goes to Europe to show them how to equip stages. That’s the kind of man the R. and N. [J. E. Richards and H. L. Nace] firm brought in to add his bit to make a real theater…Edwin Flagg takes a lot of pride in what he has done for the success of the new house and the local firm is loud in their praise of him and his firm” (Arizona Republic, 2 July 1921, page 18).
From the “Arizona Republic, July 2, 1921, page 19.
The Tabor Opera House was purchased by the Leadville Elks in 1901 and renovated in 1902. Renamed the Elks Opera House, new scenery was purchased for the enlarged stage. Old shutters, wings, borders and roll drops were stored in the attic.
While examining the scenery in the attic this fall, I documented three textile mill stamps. In past posts, I explored the history of Stark Mills (https://drypigment.net2020/11/07/travels-of-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-stark-mills-and-drillings-for-scenery-at-the-tabor-opera-house/) and the history of Boott Mills (https://drypigment.net2020/11/04/travels-of-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-boott-mills-standard-sheeting-for-stage-scenery-at-the-tabor-opera-house-in-leadville-colorado/). The third textile mill with fabric that made its way to the Tabor Opera House attic is the New Vaucluse Mills. Fabric manufactured at the New Vaucluse Mill in South Carolina was wrapped around a drop roller.
New Vaucluse Mill Stamp on a drop roller at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.New Vaucluse Mill fabric on a drop roller at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.New Vaucluse Mill fabric on a drop roller at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.New Vaucluse Mill fabric on a drop roller at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.
This small piece of cotton fabric connectsthe history of a Colorado opera house with that of the southern textile industry.
In Dec. 1833, the General Assembly of South Carolina granted Shultz Breithaupt and his associates a charter for the Vaucluse Manufacturing Company. This was only the second charter of incorporation granted to a textile factory in South Carolina. By 1834 operations commenced, and by 1836, the new mill was producing from $250 to $300 worth of goods daily. That is today’s equivalent of $7,000-$8400 worth of goods daily, or 2.5-3 million annually.
For me, it is difficult to explore the history of nineteenth-century textile mills without contemplating the poor working conditions and reliance upon child labor. Nineteenth-century textile mills are one example of an American industry that did not always prioritize the safety of their workers over profits. Without local, regional and national oversight, many factories considered their employees dispensable, and treated them as such. If ever there was a reason to support American labor unions, we just need to look at history of mill workers; so many were lives were sacrificed for the profits of a few.
The drop roller with the New Vaucluse Mill stamp at the Tabor Opera House likely dates from 1879 to 1882, indicating that this may be some of the earliest scenery delivered to the Tabor Opera House. This lone roller connects a small western opera house to the South Carolina textile industry. Vaucluse was located near the small towns of Graniteville and Aitken in South Carolina. Now, there are many histories written about the Graniteville Manufacturing Co. and Vaucluse Mills as well as the rise of capitalism in the south. Some historians describe the works of visionaries; rags to riches tales of white men developing manufacturing industries. Others explain that their initial success was a direct result of slave labor; they were only paying for materials in the manufacturing process. This initial jumpstart gave them an immediate advantage over their northern counterparts.
As I read the history, I was reminded of one line from the musical “Hamilton.” It is from an I am exchange between Hamilton and Jefferson in Cabinet Battle #1 . Hamilton says:
All stories that revolve around the Vaucluse Mills include William Gregg (1800-1867), founder of the Graniteville Manufacturing Company and investor in Vaucluse Mills in the Edgefield District. Vaucluse was a mill town, one of many in the area. The first large-scale cotton mill was constructed in nearby Graniteville by Gregg in 1845, immediately after his return from touring the northern textile mills the year before. Many consider Gregg to be the father of the textile industry in the South. After he returned for his 1844 trip, Gregg wrote a series of articles about his visit, calling upon southern investors in to support southern industrialization. In short, Gregg believed that southern mills could effectively compete with their northern counterparts, citing labor was cheaper in the south. Well, in some cases it was slave labor, so free. The Graniteville Manufacturing Co. was organized in 1855, situated on Horse Creek in the town of Graniteville (Keowee Courier, Pickens, SC, 26 June 1879, page 2). In 1869, a larger mill was proposed on the Vaucluse site. An article about the Vaucluse Manufacturing company asked, “It becomes the citizens of the State, therefore, to take hold upon this enterprise. Into what can our planters better put their surplus funds, the safe investment of which is to so many of them so great a puzzle? In what way can any citizen do more for the general interest of the State?” (The Charleston Daily News, 26 March 1869, page 1). Graniteville mills and Vaucluse mill later became part of the Graniteville Manufacturing Co. Graniteville was the home office and central location to a collection of textile plants in South Carolina and Georgia.
The new Vaucluse mills complex continued to grow and integrate new technology for an ever-increasing output of products. Even after a Vaucluse Mill waterpower burned in 1874, it was soon replaced with a new mill of granite and brick. By 1877, Vaucluse Mill completed the completed the construction of a 342-foor long dam (Keowee Courier, 26 June 1879, page 2). In 1880, Vaucluse Mill even generated 197,000 yards of cloth over a two-week period (Austin American-Statesman, 3 Oct 1880, page 2). By 1884, Vaucluse mill processed 70,738 pounds of cotton that produced 1,423,926 pounds of cloth, or 5,264,500 yards, consuming 1,675,211 pounds of cloth, or about 3,723 bales (Montgomery Adviser, 29 April 1884, page 2).
Buildings from the Vaucluse mills are now part of the Vaucluse historic district, but little is left of textile legacy in terms of products. No handy dishtowels in a museum gift shop as at Boott Mills in Lowell, Massachusetts.
The Vaucluse Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on May 7, 1996, and includes an 1832 granite wheel house and foundation, the 1877 mill complex (main mill, tower, connecting building, and picker house), 83 former company dwellings the 1952 northside expansion, and the 1955 warehouse. The New Vaucluse mill complex from 1877 was designed by architect Amos D. Lockwood. His design was one of the earliest examples of a New England prototype mill to be built in South Carolina. Lockwood’s later firm, Lockwood, Greene & Co. later designed approximately fifty of South Carolina’s textile manufacturing facilities.
Much of the New Vaucluse Mill history is included in “Planting a Capitalist South: Masters, Merchants, and Manufacturers in the Southern Interior, 1790–1860” by Tom Downey (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2005).
From September 21 to 27, 2020, I led a group of volunteers to document scenery in the attic of the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado. Of the many wings, shutters and set pieces uncovered, one particular border curtain caught my eye. On the back of the piece was a mill stamp that read, “Stark Mills Improved Standard Drillings A.” To fully appreciate this artifact, one must understand the significance of Stark Mills and use of drillings for nineteenth-century scenery.
Stark Mills textile stamp on the back of a border curtain at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.
Stark Mills was located in Manchester, New Hampshire, just thirty-six miles away from Boott Mills in Lowell, Massachusetts. Both mills were situated along the Merrimack River, supported by power canals. Both mills produced textiles used by scenic artists for scenery at the Tabor Opera House.
Stark Mills produced some of the heaviest cotton fabrics shipped from mills in Manchester, New Hampshire, during the nineteenth century. Their products included sheetings, drillings, denim, duck and much more, each shipped to thousands of distant dry goods stores. Stark Mills products were even sold in Hawaii by 1870. Newspaper advertisements for Honolulu listed bales of Stark Mills A Sheeting, B Sheeting and A Drilling for sale.
When the Tabor Opera house opened in 1879, Stark Mills textiles were readily available from many western merchants. Drillings were also a familiar product known to many theatre artists and worked well for painted scenes. Keep in mind that before the railroad arrived in Leadville, products were shipped by stage over the mountains, including a variety of necessary textiles for everyday life. Stark Mills Improved Standard Drillings were a necessary fabric for the mining community, primarily used in dress and vest linings. The shipping of the product by stage to Leadville signaled a continued commercial relationship with east coast industry. The Tabor Opera House opened its doors before the railroad arrived in town.
Several scenic pieces at the Tabor Opera House were produced using Stark Mills, listing the product as grade “A” drillings. A “40” on the stamp indicated the number of yards in a bolt. The popular plain weave cotton fabric was a sturdy, inexpensive, and paintable fabric. In 1890, “best drillings” were advertised at a price of eight cents per yard in Leadville, today’s equivalent of $2.29/yard. (Herald Democrat, 22 Jan 1890). Scenic artists working on site in remote western towns, such as Leadville, relied on local materials. Unlike their metropolitan counterparts, scenic artists working in Leadville did not have the luxury of access to an array of variety of goods, wit varying quality and price points.
Detail of the Stark Mills standard drillingsused for a border curtain at the Tabor Opera House.
Drillings are fabric with a twill weave, characterized by diagonal lines made from the filling threads. Also referred to as “drill,” this fabric was marketed as a stout twilled fabric, and traditionally used in summer-weight clothing, such as trousers. Drill was especially popular for uniforms and other military goods during the nineteenth century, as well as being used as lining for dresses and vest. Although the date of manufacture for the border curtain fabric remains unknown, the fabric was likely produced between 1879 and 1887.
Stark Mills products for sale in Hawaii, from the “The Pacific Commercial Adviser,” Honolulu, 26 Feb 1870, page 4
Stark Mills was a massive complex in Manchester, New Hampshire. By 1881, Stark Mills manufactured 17,000,000 yards of cotton goods that were shipped across the country (Vermont Farmer, 21 Oct 1881, page 2). In 1882 Stark Mills produced 8,567,000 pounds of product; the goods including sheetings, drillings, duck and bags (The Boston Globe, 18 Oct 1881, page 6). This was an increase over the previous year by 230,000 pounds, indicating an increased supply to meet increased demand.
Stark Manufacturing Co. was an affiliate of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company. In 1831 the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. was incorporated along the banks of the Merrimack River after engineers determined that the east bank of the Merrimack River was deemed best for the establishment of mills and tiered canals. In short, the company planned an extensive mill town, purchasing much of the land on the east bank of the Merrimack in 1835. Early in 1838, several individual with interests in the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. submitted a petition to the legislature for a charter of incorporation under the name of the Stark Manufacturing Company. The name Stark was selected in honor of John Stark. Stark was a Maj. Gen. in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, widely known as the “Hero of Bennington” for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777. Immediately upon the organization, the Stark Manufacturing Company entered into an agreement with the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. and began building the first Stark Mill.
The Stark Manufacturing Company purchased fourteen acres of land from the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, and secured an agreement for water usage from the Amoskeag Canal. Stark Mill opened in 1839, with the new building measuring 50’-0 wide by 150’-0” long. Six tenement buildings provided nearby lodging for mill workers. Raw cotton entered the building by a three-story picker house at the south end of the building. Picker machines both cleaned and processed the cotton fibers for further processing prior to using in looms.
Soon a second mill was erected nearby the original structure, exactly the same size as the first. By 1844, a third mill was added, placed between the two buildings. The three mills formed a large complex that became known as Stark Mill No. 1. This six-story structure was 526 feet long and contained 20,000 spindles and 660 looms. In 1844, the Stark Manufacturing Co. processed three million pounds of raw cotton and employed 540 people. Stark Mill No. 2 was built in 1846. This factory had 19,564 spindles with 560 looms.
In 1850 fire broke out in Stark No. 1, the refitting of the mill included Cyrus Baldwin’s invention to manufacture seamless bags. Of the 660 new looms, 260 were now dedicated to the production of bags; the 260 Baldwin produced 2,000,000 bags each year. The seamless grain bags were identifiable by the word “Stark” over a semi-circular arch, with the letter A below. This was an extremely popular product, quickly imitated by competitors. In 1871, a Philadelphia firm was accused of making and selling similar goods with the word “Star” over a semi-circular arch and the letter A below. The court eventually granted an injunction to restrain the use of the imitative mark (Buffalo Weekly Courier, 3 May 1871, page 6).
By 1875, the number of mills associated with the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. had increased to nine. The mills were outfitted with 125,000 spindles and 3,500 looms. 2700 individuals were employed, with 1,800 of that number women. The mills were powered by 14 water wheels, transforming 225,000 pounds of cotton into 600,000 yards of textiles each week. From 1874 to 1875 Stark Mills manufactured 12,579,734 yards of cotton and linen goods, as well as 1,738,547 lbs. of bags (“Boston Daily Globe,” 8 Oct. 1875, page 2). In 1875 the Stark Mills payroll was a little over $20,000 a week, or about $1,250,000 a year.). By this time, half of all goods manufactured by the mills were colored goods, consisting of tickings, denims, fancy shirtings, sheetings, and bags. The “white” goods remained drillings, flannels, sheetings and bags.
From 1879-1890 the Tabor Opera House purchased new scenery at least three times: 1879, 1888 and 1890. New scenery was added to existing collections, as well as refurbishing and repainting scenes. The fabric for many of these scenes are stamped with either Stark Mills of Boot Mills.
Over time, some of the Tabor Opera House border curtains were repainted to accompany new productions, yet the mill stamps remained visible. As subsequent collections of scenery were purchased and painted for the Tabor Opera House stage, standard sheetings were selected in lieu of older drillings. This preference was also reflected in products marketed by scenic studios. By the late 1880s, the preferred fabric for American scenic artists became cotton sheeting. The smooth finish of the fabric especially helped with scenic illusions, such as transparencies. At this time thicker products, such as Russian linen, were reserved for painted front curtains (drop-curtains), grand teasers and grand tormentors.
Border curtain constructed with Stark Mills drillings in the attic of the Tabor Opera House, 2018.Border curtain constructed with Stark Mills drillings for the Tabor Opera House.Painted detail. Border curtain constructed with Stark Mills drillings for the Tabor Opera House.Detail of border curtain showing color from an overpainted composition. Detail of border curtain showing color from an overpainted composition.
On June 19, 2018, I first examined the historic scenery collection in the Tabor Opera House attic. It was rumored to be the original installation from 1879, and I wanted to find something that supported this speculation. I was traveling with my family from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. In Santa Fe, I was scheduled to participate in a book signing event for the “Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre,” published by the Museum of New Mexico that spring. Here is a link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Scottish-Rite-Temple-Architecture/dp/0890136335/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=waszut-barrett&qid=1604502787&sr=8-1_. The book signing was scheduled for June 24 at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite, so we only had a few days to linger on trip there.
While traveling across the country, I documented historic scenery at several venues, including the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. We pulled into Leadville on June 18, having scheduled a quick stop at the Tabor Opera House, before heading to Twin Lakes and Independence Pass. The next day was my 49th birthday, and I decided to treat myself to a morning in the attic at the Tabor Opera House. Although this greatly excited me, I did not ask my husband and son to join me, as their excitement for historic theatres was rapidly waning. In the attic, I carefully shifted flats piled against a far wall, encountering a surprise as each layer was unveiled. My husband and son were scheduled to pick me up at noon, so I had only a few hours to get a sense of what was hidden below piles of dust and debris.
In addition to marveling at the painted compositions, I examined the back of many pieces for clues. Often, there is more information on the back than the front. I look at fabric weave, construction techniques, mill stamps, studio stencils and basic graffiti. A “Boott Mills” stamp appeared several times on the backs of both borders and wings.
Boott Mills Standard Sheetings stamp on the back of scenery at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, ca. 1879-1880.
One particular piece caught my eye – a stage right wing. Additional information on the Boott Mill stamp included “Standard Sheetings. FF. 40 yds.”
Back of a grand tormentor, once stored in the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.The same grand tormentor lowered from the Tabor Opera House attic to the stage floor.
The painted composition and construction indicate that the wing functioned as a grand tormentor in the 1880s. It was part of a pair; the stage left wing now missing. The wing was constructed to roll, unlike other wings in the attic. Also, the corresponding shutters for the wings that did not roll, commercial flat sheaves dating from 1888. The rolling hardware on the wing was unique, using a sash pulley to roll the unit. Unlike flat sheaves, sash pulleys were readily available from local suppliers for standard building construction. Keep in mind that when the Tabor opera house was built, all of the materials where shipped in by stagecoach; the railway had yet to reach Leadville. On January 22, 1880, the Denver and Rio Grande was the first railroad to reach Leadville, with the Tabor Opera House officially opening in November 1879.
One of two sash pulleys at the bottom of a grand tormentor (wing). Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado.One of two sash pulleys at the bottom of a grand tormentor (wing). Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado.
Furthermore, the quality of the fabric, the frame construction, and hardware of the extant wing, all indicate that this piece was part of the original collection, prior to the arrival of the railroad in Leadville. Regardless of the exact manufacture date, the wing pre-dates most other attic scenery that was painted and signed by T. Frank Cox in January 1888.
There is a second factor to consider about the orphaned wing. The painted composition dates from later than its original construction. The painting matches a complete interior setting that was also stored in the attic, with some flats showing signs of repainting. Repainted scenery was commonplace throughout the nineteenth-century. Wings, shutters and borders were “washed down,” effectively removing the water-based paint from an existing flat before being repainted with a new scene. Scenic Studios also advertised shipping painted scenes for existing frames. This saved the travel and expense of an artist working on site at a theater, as well as the expense of new frame construction. Repainting existing scenes avoided the exorbitant costs associated with purchasing an entirely new stock scenery collection.
The grand tormentor and matching interior set pieces at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.Four flats on the stage floor at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. These match the grand tormentor with the Boott Mills stamp.Painted detail on grand tormentor (wing) at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.Painted detail on grand tormentor (wing) at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.Painted detail on grand tormentor (wing) at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.
As far as the history of Boott Mills…
Boott Mills was established in Lowell, Massachusetts, along the Merrimack River. Located twenty-five miles northwest of Boston, Boott Mills initially operated with hydropower, a waterwheel powering the line shaft that ran the length of the factory floor. Leather belts that operated each loom were attached to the line shaft. Steam engines soon replaced the original water turbines, and mill operations later transitioned to electricity.
The Lowell area boasted an extensive group of cotton mills, built alongside power canals constructed during the early nineteenth century. Boott Mills was situated near the Merrimack Canal, the first of many power canals in Lowell. By the mid-nineteenth century there were approximately 150 mills operating in Lowell, an astounding number that specialized in a variety of products.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, most American mills were designed to produce a turnkey product, specializing in only one aspect of textile manufacturing. Raw Cotton had to be cleaned, spun, carded and wove into cloth. Once the cloth was completed, the material was shipped to other companies that manufactured specific products. Later, cotton bales arrived at a mill and were turned into cloth in the same location, going through the process of cleaning, spinning, carding, rolling and weaving on site. Technological advancements in the weaving industry resulted in the power loom. The power loom was responsible for the mass production of textiles.
In America, Paul Moody developed the first successful power loom by 1816, working for Francis Cabot Lowell at Waltham mills. Moody later ran the Merrimack Manufacturing Co. in Lowell. Kirk Boott (1790-1837), namesake of Boott Mills, was the first agent and treasurer for the Merrimack Manufacturing Company. Boott later built his first mill, initially constructing four buildings in 1835. Over the decades, Boott Mills expanded into a massive complex, shifting from hydropower, to steam, and finally electricity for operations. Like other companies, Boott Mills constantly incorporated new technology to increase overall output.
Ira Draper improved Moody’s design, allowing a mill worker to operate two machines simultaneously. By the mid-nineteenth century, improvements continued and now one mill worker would operate a dozen of machines, greatly increasing the amount of product produced at a mill. As with most factories, profits increased substantially as worker wages stagnated. In short, mill workers assumed more responsibilities for the same wage, allowing overall production costs to decrease while profits dramatically increased.
As with other industries, the textile industry transitioned from an economic system of independent craftsmen to a factory system of mass-produced goods where the role of craftsman was often reduced to that of common laborer. This shift in the textile industry was accelerated during the post-Civil War era when much of the textile industry moved south. New mills were established in areas where labor was much cheaper and cotton more accessible. This meant that southern millworks collected greater profits, investing additional funds in newer technology. Many northern mills did not have the equivalent returns to equip their factories with comparable machinery. By the 1920s, northern mills, including those in Lowell, began to close as they were unable to compete with their southern counterparts.
The Boott Mills Museum features a Weave Room and several informational exhibits. The Weave Room is a scaled-down reproduction of a mill factory floor, complete with working looms. The machinery on display are primarily Draper machines, dating from the early twentieth century. The Weave Room still manufactures cloth for dish towels that are sold in the gift shop. Here is a lovely video of the looms working: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/From_line_shaft_to_power_looms.ogv
Other Boott Mill buildings were converted into shops, apartments, condos and offices.
I have already contacted the Boott Mills Museum to confirm the mill stamp usage dates on the Tabor Opera House wing, and am currently awaiting a response. This post at www.drypigment.net will be updated once I have any additional information.
In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“Another ‘Katz’ show, $1,050.00, and one vaudeville act from Brazee $300.00, and
one from Banda Rosa for $445.00, a big act.”
Yesterday, I explored J. C. Brazee’s production of “The Honey Bees” with scenery by Sosman & Landis. Today I am looking at “Banda Rosa.” Moses was referring to Signor Guiseppe Sirignano’s “Banda Roma” that toured the country with thirty-five musician and soloists during the early twentieth century.
Banda Roma pictured in the “San Francisco Call,” 11 Jul, 1909, page 40.
Sirignano was later noted as “the
former musical dramatizer of Ziegfeld and Fine-Arts Theatres, Chicago, and of
the Banda Roma” (Des Moines Register, 9 Oct. 1918, page 10). Sirignano’s Banda
Roma also performed music for silent films. For “Cleopatra,” his 15-piece orchestra
played a special overture.
This brings up another type of
client for Sosman & Landis – musicians. Many musical acts ordered decorative
and distinct scenery for their touring productions. This demand also drove a new aesthetic for the
stage during the second and third decade of the twentieth century. There was no need to have traditional scenic
art provide the backing for a band, or musical vaudeville act.
Photograph in sales book from Acme Studio of Chicago, Illinois.
Decorative painting of specialty fabrics became increasingly popular. Instead of providing a series of painted layers on cotton sheeting that suggested an exterior or interior setting, musical acts used a series of decorative layers that simply suggested a subject, and not realistically represented. There were no cumbersome bottom battens that stretched scenes taut, just fabric suspended from any system. In many ways, this type of painting was intended to work with fabric that would bunch.
Detail of photograph in sales book from Acme Studio of Chicago, Illinois.Photograph in sales book from Acme Studio of Chicago, Illinois.
The painting of fabric was
popular at many new firms, such as the Service Studios, the Fabric Studios and
Acme Studios in Chicago. Studio sales books
began to include an increasing number of these decorative scenes for clients.
The use of stencils created an interpretive view for both exteriors and
interiors. These soft goods were easy to
transport and hang. Many were even interchangeable.
Photograph in sales book from Acme Studio of Chicago, Illinois.
The downside was that this type
of painting was that it altered the type of labor required to staff a shop;
these projects did not require the same skill set as those realistically painting
a subject. The use of repetitive
patterns and stencil work was quickly taught and did not necessitate years of
study or training. Aspects of the scenic industry became a craft, with many projects
requiring artists with minimal skill sets.
I look at some of the curtains with
stylized donut-shaped flowers, hundreds of them throughout compositions,
thinking about the basic instruction:
“Bob, they don’t need to be
perfect, they just need to be little circles with dots in the center. Just do
your best and paint as many as possible. Remember, it ships tomorrow.”
Detail of donut flowers. Photograph in sales book from Acme Studio of Chicago, Illinois.Detail of stylized leaves and flowers. Photograph in sales book from Acme Studio of Chicago, Illinois.
Foliage painting for stylistic
scenes demanded very little from an artist. Instead of building up mass on a
branch, there was just repetitive pattern. What once destroyed scenic illusion
was now popular.
Stage designs that highlighted the technical skill of the scenic artist began to shift during the second decade of the twentieth century. A new vision and stage aesthetic began to appear; one with the increased use of draperies and three-dimensionality objects. New lighting accentuated this type of setting, taking on its own importance. By the 1920s, the demand for beautiful painted visions of pictorial landscapes continued to diminish, an in its stead were a variety of abstract interpretations that defined the stage space. Contrasting fabrics with minimal paint application suggested interior and exterior settings rather than replicating them. In some cases, curtains even replaced cumbersome flats for interior walls, with only the use of a fireplace, window or door.
Traditional interior setting, advertised in the Service Studios sales book. Service studios was established in 1920, and later acquired by ACME Studios, also of Chicago.Backside of Service Studios photograph, ca. 1920-1925. The company was acquired by ACME Scenic Studios in 1926.Real fabric interior setting, advertised in the Service Studios sales book. Service studios was established in 1920, and later acquired by ACME Studios, also of Chicago.Real fabric interior setting, advertised in the Service Studios sales book. Service studios was established in 1920, and later acquired by ACME Studios, also of Chicago.Exterior setting with real fabric and minimal painted illusion, advertised in the Service Studios sales book. Service studios was established in 1920, and later acquired by ACME Studios, also of Chicago.
I explored the popular
production and setting of “Daddy Long Legs” prior to the holidays. In 1914,
Thomas G. Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis delivered scenery for the
production. Of the stage setting, he wrote, “It was a very delicate interior,
real fabric walls.”
There are two ways to look at
Moses’s comments: “real fabric walls.” The
first is the use of fabric panels as in residential homes. In that regard,
fabric panels were falling out of favor for home use by 1914. Newspaper
articles reported, “Not so many years ago the walls of the boudoir would have
been silk panelles, but sanitary specialists have pronounced fabric covered
walls uncleanly abiding places for germs” (New York Tribune, 6 May 1914, page
7). It is possible that the “delicate interior, real fabric walls” referred to
the use of actual draperies on stage, another type of setting that was gaining
popularity on the stage by 1914. Real fabric walls for interior settings
instead of painted backdrops or flats.
Artistically patterned and
draped fabrics were becoming a popular alternative for painted backdrops, both
exterior and interior sets at this time. Scenic studio sales books would
promote this cost-effective trending interpretation for modern stage settings. This
is where scenic art quickly becomes a craft, requiring a different skill set.
The once thousands of painted settings that created scenic illusion for a
variety of entertainment venues begin to disappear. Delicate landscapes painted
with skilled hands give way to contrasting fabrics and minimalist stencil work to
suggest a setting. It was new, fun, more versatile for the stage, and in many
cases cheaper.
Like other studios of the time,
the Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio was not simply a firm that
specialized in painted backings; they manufactured all types of settings,
draperies and stage equipment for differing entertainment venues. It was this
diversity that helped the company expand over the decades, being able to offer
a variety of products and services for all types of stages. The mention of
fabric walls for a setting, instead of hard covered flats, was a cheap
alternative that could be quickly manufactured and shipped to any stage in a
matter of days, not weeks. No complex rendering or skilled scenic artist was
necessary to create this popular stage setting.
Scenic art branches off into two
separate directions at this point: increased realism for the film industry and
diminished realism for live theatre. Scenery for many films became increasingly
realistic, tightening the scenic art style and application of paint for
cycloramas. On the other hand, live theatre was moving in the opposite
direction, broader strokes and non-traditional approaches to interior settings.
The manufacture of scenic illusion, for projects other that moving pictures,
diminishes to such an extent that many studios no longer require a full staff
of highly-skilled scenic artists. The hiring of craftsmen becomes a prudent option,
as painted illusion was no longer required for every project. By the 1920s,
many master painters could be hired on a per project basis. This also allows
room for new studios to open across the country, replacing many of the main
studios that heavily relied on a legion of high-skilled scenic artists. The
painting work is still there, but the demand had decreased.
Fortunately for Sosman & Landis and other
well-established studios, certain social halls, fraternal theaters and other
public spaces continued to demand painted illusion for the stage.
When Western
Scenery Co. made an appearance in Lincoln, Nebraska, during 1911, the “Lincoln
Herald” reported, “In the past 10 years
the subject of scenery painting has attracted the attention of the most
skillful painters in the world. The demand is for a much higher grade of
artistic painting especially in localities where artwork is appreciated.
Lincoln is fortunate in having Western Scenery Co., formerly of Chicago,
located here, at 2042 O Street under the management of Mr. C. L. Dodson” (March
3, 1911).
A year earlier, the business directory section of the “New
York Dramatic Mirror” listed ten scenic studios: H. P. Knight Scenic Studios
(New York), Sosman & Landis Great Scene Painting Studio (Chicago), M.
Armbruster & Sons (Columbus), Ormston Scenic Construction Co. (New York),
the O. H. Story Scenic Co. (Boston), Inc., P. Dodd Ackerman Scenic Studio (New
York), Schell’s Scenic Studio (Columbus, Ohio), the Myer’s Company, Inc.,
Scenic Studio (Steubenville, Ohio), Howard Tuttle (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), H.
Fredericks (New York), and the C. Wash. Valentine Scenic Studios (Brooklyn,
NY). Individual advertisements included Edward Fourneir (Minneapolis, MN), W.
H. McConnell (Minneapolis), and H. Maurice Tuttle (Milwaukee).
There were many other scenic studios at the time not listed
in the “New York Dramatic Mirror,” such as Toomey & Volland, Lee Lash, and
New York Studios. Keep in mind that by
1910, Sosman & Landis studio was celebrating three decades of business,
having installed stock scenery collections in thousands of theaters nationwide.
During the period from 1880 to 1894 alone, they had delivered stock scenery
collections to 4000 theaters nationwide.
Although scenic art production was nearing its peak in the
United States, change was in the air. The same year that the Sosman &
Landis shops were manufacturing hundreds of painted scenes in Chicago, a new
type of drop curtain arrived at the Blackstone Theatre. One January 13, 1911,
the “Fremont Tribune” of Fremont, Kansas, reported, “The new Blackstone theater
in Chicago possesses the finest stage curtain in the United States, if not the
world. It is a solid piece of imported tapestry and cost $15,ooo without
including the duty” (page 5). $15,000 in 1911 is equivalent in purchasing power
to about $404, 436.32 in 2019. The article continued, “There are only two other
theaters in the world that have curtains of the same kind, and neither of
these, it is said, is a fine a piece of work as Blackstone’s. One of these
curtains is at Milan [Italy] and the other in [Moscow] Russia. No Paris
playhouse has such a curtain, and there is none in England. The curtain was
woven especially at Aubusson, near Paris. It is the largest single piece of
tapestry ever imported into this country, measuring 30 ½ by 42 feet.”
Postcard depicting the Blackstone TheatreImage of the $15,000 tapestry drop curtain, from “Fine Arts Journal,” Vol. 24, No. 4, pp.280-281
The work began in the studio of M. Lemaille in Montmartre,
Paris, two years prior to delivery. From a small cartoon, a full sign-painting
was created for the tapestry artisans. The actual weaving did not commence
until June 1910 at Aubusson. The tapestry was a partial reproduction of a
famous tapestry owned by Napoleon that depicted a group of young people dancing
on the green in the time of Louis XII.
The April 1911 publication of “Fine Arts Journal” included
the article “A $15,000 Tapestry Drop Curtain” (Vol. 24, No. 4, pp.280-281). The
Blackstone Theatre was credited as being “the most modern and the handsomest
playhouse in America,” erected by Chicago businessmen at a cost of $500,000 in
Hubbard Place between Michigan Boulevard and Wabash Avenue and adjoining the Blackstone
Hotel. Charles Frohman, Klaw and Erlanger were the lessees with Harry J. Power
as manager and Augustus Pitou, Jr. as business manager.
It was William J. Sinclair, director of the Hasselgren
Studios, who conceived the idea of having a drop curtain of tapestry. Hasselgren
Studios was a furniture company and celebrated interior-decorating firm that
operated between 1911 and 1937 in Chicago. The firm was famous for their fine
art work in mansions, hired for decorating. The artistic staff included scenic
artists who painted ceiling murals on canvas that were shipped and hung in
distant locales. They were also well known for their Oriental rugs, too, many
of which were woven in Persia and would take years to complete. (Quad City Times, 24 May 1953, page 4). The
company went bankrupt in the 1920s, with much of the stock being sold to John
A. Colby and Sons. The order for the Tapestry drop curtain was placed over two
years before delivery and necessitated a full-sized “cartoon” for the design. The piece was completed only a month before
its arrival in the United States and the duty was noted as “a small fortune.”
Hasselgren Studios advertisement in the “Chicago Tribune,” Feb 12, 1911, page 21Hasselgren Studios advertisement from the “Chicago Tribune,” Jan 31, 1915, page 44
What should be contemplated after thinking of this
substantial purchase is the significance of the proscenium opening. Although
the auditorium was ornately decorated with Ivory, dull gold and green, the
“Fine Arts Journal” explained that the color scheme was “specifically designed
to harmonize with and display the beautiful tapestry drop curtain.” As in many
cases with previously painted drops curtains, the entire auditorium functioned
as a frame for the artwork hanging in the proscenium. The architectural elements were simply
supportive to whatever was suspended in the focal point of the auditorium – the
proscenium.
