Drop Curtain – Page 11 – Drypigment.net

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Reflections on the Tabor Opera House and Royal Gorge, June 20

We left Leadville, Colorado, and headed to Taos, New Mexico, on the morning on June 20. My plan was to stop by the Salida Opera House on our way down. By the sixth day of our trip, I was just about burned out on historic scenery. Over the course of five days, I had documented over 200 backdrops, 18 painted borders, 60 set pieces and a dozen wings. I needed a day off before arriving at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite theatre.

Instead of the Salida Opera House, we opted to go to Royal Gorge. My incentive was not only the inspirational vista, but also Eveleyn E. Livingston Furman’s mention of Royal Gorge as a subject for one of the 1879 opera house settings. In “The Tabor Opera House: A Captivating History,” Livingston mentioned that one of the original settings for the Tabor Opera House depicted Royal Gorge; the expense for this sole scene was $1000.

The last time I visited Royal Gorge was on my way to USITT for the “Theatre of the Fraternity” touring exhibit and conference at Long Beach during 1998. I traveled part of the way with my father and my daughter Isabelle, who was less than a year old at the time. In Arizona, I picked up my husband from the Phoenix airport. This was the last time we were able to wind our way through the western United States. At the time, we only gazed at the gorge from the parking lot as I held my daughter in her baby carrier. This was my last glimpse of the old park, as it was destroyed during a fire in 2013. Since then, the entire site has been rebuilt; it is stunning and well laid out. It was well worth the side trip yesterday!

We rode the gondola that crosses Royal Gorge.

Me and my travel companions for the trip, Andrew and Aaron

The bridge at Royal Gorge. During the fire, only a few of the timbers for the walkway were singed.

A view from the walking bridge at Royal Gorge

Now back to the scenery at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville. According to Furman, the original scenery for the 1879 Tabor Opera House was credited to J. B. Lamphere. Furman recorded that Lamphere provided ten sets of scenery, including a drop curtain, a forest scene, a mountain waterfall, a view of the Royal Gorge, a street scene, a formal garden scene, a Palace scene, a “Light Fancy,” a plain chamber scene, a new England kitchen scene and a Baronial Hall. She also noted that each scenes had three sets of wings.

I decided to track down this scenic artist and the technical specifications for the original 1879 venue. My first historical source was Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory for the season of 1884-1885. Miner’s provided a variety of details about the 1879 stage in Leadville. At this time, the town was listed as having 20,000 residents. The seating capacity for the theater was listed as 800. The stage measured 34×60; the size of the proscenium opening, 17×23; height from the stage to grooves, 16; the height from the stage to rigging loft, 19. The depth under the stage 4 1/2, traps, 3; number of scenery sets, 12. The space was illuminated with gas. In 1896-1899, however, Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide noted that the Tabor Opera House had five grooves.

Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory listed the scenic artist for the painted settings at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville as “Burkey, of Tabor Grand, Denver.” To clarify, these dramatic directories did not always list the scenic artists for a particular year, just those responsible for the painted settings at the venue. I noticed this aspect of the touring guides as I traced the venues that listed Thomas G. Moses, as well as Sosman & Landis, scenery and their names as the “scenic artist” for the venue. Dozens of theatres would list Moses as their scenic artist while he was working elsewhere in the country and years after he had painted the scenery. The designation of “scenic artist” in this context was to advertise who painted the stage scenery, not necessarily who was on staff.

So for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville Colorado, “Burckey” was credited as the creator of the painted scenery. Burckey is also noted in Harry Miner’s Directory as the scenic artist of the Tabor Grand in Denver. This credits Burckey with the scenery for both Tabor theatres, constructed within the space of a year.

I was curious to discover more about the scenic artist named Burckey. First of all, Burckey is also published as “Berkey” and “Burcky.” I have encountered this in the past with “Sosman & Landis” as “Sausman & Landes,”among many other variations. I believe that the scenic artist who created the scenery for the 1879 Tabor Opera House was Henry E. Burcky, also known as H. E. Burcky. Interestingly, the 1890 Ballenger & Richards annual of the Denver City Directory still listed Harry E. Burcky as the scenic artist for the Tabor Opera House. Again, they would still be using the stock scenery painted by Burcky.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 407 – “Scenery and Scene-Painters” 1871, Fifth installment

Part 407: “Scenery and Scene-Painters” 1871, Fifth installment

E. L. Blanchard wrote the article “Scenery and Scene-Painters” in 1871, reflecting on the history of English scenic artists. I divided this fifth and final section into two parts due the detail. This final installment describes the contributions of David Roberts, RA, and his contemporaries.

“The late David Roberts, who died November 25, 1864, won his spurs by painting scenery for an al fresco theatre at Venice, and for years displayed his mastery of architectural perspective in the Rialtos, Piazzettis, and Grand Canals, which enriched the Italian pictures presented on the boards of both Drury Lane and Covent Garden. He made his metropolitan debut at the Drury Lane, where he commenced his career in 1822, in conjunction with his friend and brother academician, Clarkston Stanfield. David Roberts was also famous for his dioramas, but he never produced works which equaled Stanfield’s moving dioramas, he never produced works which equalle Stanfield’s moving diorama of Alpine scenery, or the memorable views of Windsor and the neighbourhood, which included the sparkling tableau of Virginia Water, wherin the real element was so effectively introduced.

Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare at Hampton, by John Zoffany

In 1828, the principal Covent Garden artists were David Roberts, and the famous scenic triumvirate, Messrs. Grieve, and T. and W. Grieve. The drop scene painted by Roberts for this Theatre, the Interior of a Temple to Shakespeare, consisting of fluted Corinthian Sienna columns, supporting a soffite dome, the perspective terminating with a monumental group introducing the immortal Bard, with St. Paul’s Cathedral in the distance, will be vividly remembered by the mature playgoer. The Grieves had long been famous for their Pantomime scenery, and in the brilliancy of their style, the strong feeling of reality which they communicated to the spectator, and in the taste and artistic beauty of their landscape compositions, they have since had few rivals and never been excelled. To Mr. T. Grieve, and his son Mr. Walford Grieve, the modern stage has been largely indebted. Several drop scenes for the late Theatre known as Her Majesty’s, though coloured by the later William Grieve, were drawn by Pugin, the great restorer of ecclesiastical Gothic architecture in this country.

At the present time [1871] the stage is richly supplied with scenic artists whose reputation needs no better security than the production they are constantly giving to the public. With a remembrance of the old days of Tomkins and Pitt at the Adlephi, or Philip Phillips at the Surry, and of the clever artist, Brunning, who died a mere youth, and yet figured conspicuously among the scenic corps of twenty years ago, we may pass confidently to the catalogue of our present distinguished representatives of the scenic art.

Drop curtain by William R. Beverly for the Memorial Theatre, 1879. Here is the link to the image: The act drop curtain painted for the 1879 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre posted online at: http://theshakespeareblog.com/blog/page/8/

Poster for the Christmas Annual with scenery by William R. Beverly. Here is a link to the image: The act drop curtain painted for the 1879 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre posted online at: http://theshakespeareblog.com/blog/page/8/

Mr. William Beverly, on his own ground at the Drury, is the unrivalled delineator of the fanciful region in which fairies may be imagined to dwell. Mr. William Callcott is a richly-endowed and skillful artist, whose “Transformation Scenes” have long won for him a special celebrity. Mr. John O’Connor, Mr. Lloyd, the late Mr. Charles James, Mr. Hawes Craven, Mr. J. Johnson, Mr. George Gordon. Messrs. Brew, Mr. Frederick Fenton, and his brother Mr. Charles Fenton, have severally produced works of art which will long keep their names vividly impressed on the memory of the playgoer.

Mr. Marshall, though not now before the public as a scenic artist, is not likely to be forgotten by those who can appreciate the services he has rendered to this important department of the stage; and Mr. Telbin has so distinguished himself by the triumphs he has achieved in the highest region of the Scenic Art that it is only to be regretted, for the sake of playgoers, his pencil is not now as frequently employed as heretofore for their own gratification.”

The end.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 402 – “Scenery and Scene-Painters” 1871, first section

Part 402: “Scenery and Scene-Painters” 1871, first section

E. L. Blanchard wrote the article “Scenery and Scene-Painters” in 1871 for “The Era Almanack.” Blanchard was an author of Drury Lane Pantomimes from 1852-1888. He established a style of rhyming verse and wit that was often topical. Contemporary pantomimes seldom have rhyming couplets beyond the prologue. I find it fascinating that he wrote a substantial article about the history of scenery and scene-painters in 1871 – right in the middle of his pantomime-writing career.

This article is one of three that I transcribed a few months ago as I examined a series of newspaper publications describing the scenic art and design process for the theatre. I just completed a five-section series titles “A Gossip about Scenery and Scene-Painters” that was published in “The Era” (February 4, 1866). This second article gives another viewpoint of scenic art five years later. Much of the information is the same about the history of theatre scenery and scenic artists as in the previous article – almost a little too similar, but it is a delightful addition for historical context. I am posting it in four sections, as there are lovey gems of information about our craft.

“The ancient scenery employed for open-air representations at first consisted of mere boughs, but afterwards of tapestry, not painted canvas. The Greek stage consisted of three parts,- the scena, across the Theatre, upon the line of the curtain in our Theatres; the proscenium, where the actors perform; and the postscenium, the part behind the house. To form parts of the scenes there were prisms of framework, turning upon pivots, upon each face of which was stained a distinct picture, one for tragedy, consisting of large buildings, with columns, statues, and other corresponding ornaments; a second face, with houses, windows, statues, and balconies, for comedy; a third applied to farce, with cottages, grottoes, and rural scenes. These were the scenes versatiles of Servius.

Besides these there were scena ductiles, which drew backwards and forwards, and opened a view of the house, which was built upon the stage, and contained apartments for machinery and retirement of actors. As to the patterns of the scenes in comedy, the most considerable building was in the centre, that on the right hand was a little less elevated, and that on the left generally represented an inn. In satirical pieces they had always a cave in the middle, a wretched cabin on the right, and on the left and old ruined temple or landscape. In these representations perspective was observed, for Vitruvius remarks that “the rules of it were invented and practiced from the time of Æschylus by a painter names Agarachus, who has even left a treatise upon it.”

After the downfall of the Roman Empire these decorations for the stage were neglected till Peruzzi, a Siennese, who died in 1536, revived them. Classical scholars will readily understand the various opportunities for scenic effect afforded by the Greek dramatists, and there is some reason for believing the illusions of the ancient stage were much more perfect than has been generally supposed. There were three entries in front, and two on the sides. The middle entry was always that of the principle actor; thus, in tragedy, it was commonly the gate of a palace. Those on the right and left were destined to the second-rate actors; and the two others on the sides, one to people from the country, and other to those from the harbor, or any other public place.

Sipareum was the significance of the tapestry curtain; it was let down, not raised, when the performance commenced, and at the beginning of new acts. The auleum was probably a drop scene or curtain, to draw before doors, and contract the stage; choragium, the property room, where were kept the dresses, scenes, and musical instruments, and where were sometimes disposed the choir of musicians. In the Greek Theatre it was a place behind the scenes, used also for a dressing-room. This was an inner dressing-room named postsceniun. Thus even at a remote period we see that attention to the comforts of the performers was by no means overlooked by the theatrical architects of that period.

That the scene-painter’s accommodations has been, down to very recent times, completely lost sight of by those who have had the arrangement of our theatres, may be mentioned in curious contracts with the reliance now placed on the result of the artist’s powers. According to Malone, moveable scenes were not in use in England till 1605, when three plays were performed at Oxford before James I, thus described by a contemporary writer:- “The stage was built at the upper end of the hall, as it seemed at the first sight, but, indeed, it was but a false wall, faire painted; which pillars would turn about, by reason whereof, with other painted clothes, the stage did vary three times in one tragedy.” It was observed the writer was not acquainted with the word scene, but used “painted clothes” in that sense. In the early part of Shakespeare’s time, as is well known, the want of scenery was supplied by writing the names of the different places of action on the boards, which were so placed as to be visible to the audience. Thus [Sir William] Davenant, in the introduction to The Siege of Rhodes, 1656, says, “In the middle of the freeze was a compartment wherein was written Rhodes.” Movable scenes were first used in Rome in 1508. The first who painted moveable scenery in England was Richard Aggas, a specimen of whose work may be seen at Painter-Stainers’ Hall, in Little Trinity-lane.”

A few comments about Davenant’s production:

“The Siege of Rhodes” was actually titled, “The Siege of Rhodes Made a Representative by the Art in Prospective in Scenes, and the Story Sung in Recitative Musick.” The plot was based on the 1522 siege of Rhodes, when the island was taken by Suleiman the Magnificent’s Ottoman fleet. The score was by five composers; the vocal music by Henry Lawes, Matthew Locke and Captain Henry Cooke, with the instrumental music by Charles Coleman and George Hudson. Davenant is credited with the first attempt to revive English drama after Oliver Cromwell’s ban closed dramatic performances and closed public theaters.

He secured special permission from Cromwell for his production for his first dramatic work was “The First Day’s Entertainment,” a work disguised under the title “Declamations and Musik” and labeled the production as recitative music. He then created the first public opera in England, “The Siege of Rhodes” and is credited with introducing three innovations to the public stage: opera, painted stage sets, and a female actress singer.

The opera was first performed in a small private theatre constructed in the back portion of Davenant’s home at Rutland House in the upper end of Aldersgate-Street, London. The 1659 reprinting gives the location at the Cock-pit in Drury Lane. Although the score has been lost to time, the original designs by John Webb, a pupil of Inigo Jones are extant. They are available at https://restorationstaging.com/2014/01/26/john-webb-scene-designs-for-the-siege-of-rhodes/

‘The Siege of Rhodes’: shutter, prospect of Rhodes. Image from https://restorationstaging.com/2014/01/26/john-webb-scene-designs-for-the-siege-of-rhodes/

‘The Siege of Rhodes’: shutter, Rhodes besieged. Image from https://restorationstaging.com/2014/01/26/john-webb-scene-designs-for-the-siege-of-rhodes/

‘The Siege of Rhodes’: relieve, Solyman’s throne and camp. Image from https://restorationstaging.com/2014/01/26/john-webb-scene-designs-for-the-siege-of-rhodes/

‘The Siege of Rhodes’: relieve, Mt. Philermus. Image from https://restorationstaging.com/2014/01/26/john-webb-scene-designs-for-the-siege-of-rhodes/

‘The Siege of Rhodes;: shutter, the general assault. Image from https://restorationstaging.com/2014/01/26/john-webb-scene-designs-for-the-siege-of-rhodes/

‘The Siege of Rhodes’: frontispiece and wings. Image from https://restorationstaging.com/2014/01/26/john-webb-scene-designs-for-the-siege-of-rhodes/

For more information about Davenant, here is a link to the online “Encyclopædia Brittanica” https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Davenant

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 398 – “A Gossip about Scenery and Scene-Painters,” 1866, second section

Part 398: “A Gossip about Scenery and Scene-Painters,” 1866, second section

While researching the English scene painting families, I came across an interesting article from 1866. It seems an appropriate time as we are preparing for a Masonic Symposium this weekend, allowing me to reunite with some of my favorite people in the world. My evenings will be occupied with other activities instead of preparing a post.

The article “A Gossip about Scenery and Scene-Painters,” was published in “The Era” on February 4, 1866. Here is the second of five installments.

“Classical scholars will readily understand the various opportunities for scenic effect afforded by the old Greek dramatists, and there is some reason for believing the illusions of the ancient stage were much more perfect than has been generally supposed. There were three entries in front, and two on the sides. The middle entry was always that of the principal actor; thus, in tragedy, it was commonly the gate of a palace. Those on the right and left were destined to the second-rate actors; and the two others on the sides, one to people from the country, the other to those from the harbour, or any other public place.

Sipareum was the signification of the tapestry curtain; it was let down, not raised, when the performance commenced, and at the beginning of new acts. The auleum was probably a drop scene or curtain, to draw before doors, and contract the stage. Choragium, property room, where were kept the dresses, scenes, and musical instruments, and here were sometimes disposed the choirs of musicians. In the Greek Theatre it was a place behind the scenes, used also for a dressing room. There was an inner dressing room named post-cenium. Thus even at a remote period we see that attention to the comforts of the performers was by no means overlooked by the theatrical architect of that period.

That the scene-painter’s accommodation has been, down to very recent times, completely lost sight of by those who have had the arrangement of our Theatres may be mentioned in curious contrast with the reliance now placed on the result of the artist’s powers.

According to Malone, moveable scenes were not in use in England till 1605, when three plays were performed at Oxford, before James I., thus described by a contemporary writer: “The stage was built at the upper end of the hall, as it seemed at the first sight, but, indeed, it was but a false wall, faire painted; which pillars would turn about, by reason whereof, with other painted clothes, the stage did vary three times in one tragedy.” It will be observed the writer was not acquainted with the word scene, but used “painted clothes” in that usage.

In the early part of Shakespeare’s time, as is well known, the want of scenery was supplied by writing the names of’ the different places of action on the boards, which were so placed as to be visible to the audience. Thus Davenant, in the introduction to The Siege of Rhodes, 1656, says, “In the middle of the freeze was a compartment wherein was written Rhodes.”

[George] Jameson, called the Scottish Vandyke, designed the scenery for the private theatricals at Holyrood House for his patron, King James VI. This monarch, when celled to the English throne, elected Inigo Jones, his renowned architect, to design the scenery for his Theatre at the palace of Whitehall. His successor, Charles I, and his tasteful Queen, Henrietta, during their happier days, gave a new character to the stage.

George Jameson (1589/1590-1644) was known as the Scottish Van Dyke. Here is a link to the image: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/2866/george-jamesone-1589-1590-1644-portrait-painter-self-portrait

All was elegance at their youthful Court. There Ben Jonson presented his Masques, and Inigo Jones was still retained as scene painter and Machinist. Charles spared no expense in the decorations for these romantic pieces, in which himself and his Queen and the young lords and Ladies of the Court took an active part in the performance. The skill and ingenuity displayed in these scenic contrivances seem to have been remarkable. Streater, a painter of eminence and who sketched many views of old buildings for his royal patron, Charles II., designed the scenes for Dorset Gardens Theatre and the Phoenix. When this house fell under the management of Fleetwood he employed his gay friend, Frank Hayman, as principal scene-painter to the Theatre.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 381 – The Artistic Legacy of Phil W. Goatcher

Part 381: The Artistic Legacy of Phil W. Goatcher

Phillip W. Goatcher has repeatedly appeared in my searches over the past few years, often as the mentor to various artists that I was tracking down. In 1892, the Chicago Sunday Tribune reported Phillip Goatcher as “a well-known artist of the old school, famous for his oriental color and tropical foliage” (Dec, 18, 1892, page 41). Goatcher instructed numerous scenic artists who gained national reputations during the late-nineteenth century, including Homer Emens and Walter Burridge. Burridge trained with Goatcher at the Chestnut Theatre during the mid-1870s and by 1876, Burridge and Goatcher worked on the “Siege of Paris” for the Philadelphia Centennial World Fair.

Goatcher was unique, working all over the world from New York to Melbourne. His 1931 obituary in the West Australian reports that he, “followed the calling of scene painter for nearly 60 years in America, England and Australia…He had resided in Western Australia for 30 years and was known as perhaps the finest scene painter whoever worked in this State. Going from America to England early in 1873, he painted the scenes for several of the leading theatrical productions in Manchester, Birmingham and London in the next few years, including scenes for the operas of Mr. Rupert D’Oyley Carte’s companies. He also worked in Paris, and for some time was engaged in decorating the London house of Lord Londonderry. He leaves three sons and a daughter, one son, Mr. James Goatcher, being at present in Perth. Another son is in New South Wales, and his daughter and third son are in America” (Perth, WA, 9 October 1931, page 18)

I first discovered this interesting scenic artist when I was researching drop curtains and came across the Goatcher Curtain in the Boulder Town Hall. At the time, I was looking at theatre history in Boulder, Colorado – never expecting to discover a drop curtain in the gold-mining region of Western Australia attributed to Goatcher. The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a major mining center and current home to over 30,000 people working in a wide range of businesses servicing the community and the mining industry.

The Boulder Town Hall with a painted front curtain by Phil W. Goatcher

As a piece in the puzzle of Goatcher’s legacy, it is an appropriate time to add in this information about historic scenery and the need for conservation. The painted curtain in the Boulder Town Hall depicts the scene of the Bay of Naples, showing Vesuvius in the background. Some historians suggest that the composition was designed in recognition of the Italians working in the Eastern Goldfields at that time. The drop measures 20’ high by 26’ wide. Signed and dated “Phil W. Goatcher 1908,” it is believed that this is the only surviving backdrop by Goatcher left in the world. Interestingly, the original 1908 stage machinery is still used to raise and lower the curtain.

Inside the Boulder Town Hall with Phil W. Goatcher’s painted front curtain.

Phil W. Goatcher’s 1908 painted front curtain at the Boulder Town Hall

As with many painted scenes, the Goatcher curtain was forgotten over time as the hall and stage scenery were used less and less. The canvas was severely deteriorated when it was rediscovered in 1990. There were cuts, tears, water damage, and vandalism. The canvas had been partially over-painted with white for use as a movie screen sometime in the 1940s.

An 1994 conservation report estimated the cost of restoration at $224,000. Funds were immediately raised to carry out the work as the community saw value in their large-scale artwork. Once again, pride in ownership saved one more piece of theatre history!

Detail from Phil W. Goatcher’s 1908 painted front curtain at the Boulder Town Hall

There are several sites that depict some of Goatcher’s surviving fine artworks, most notably a 1916 oil painting of ‘The Annunciation” at St. John’s Anglican Church in Freemantle. There is also a 1922 mural painted for the Anglican Church in Collie, a coalmining town in Western Australia’s south-west. It is wonderful to see that a piece of a theatre history will live forever in Australia.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 344 – Forest Seabury, Scenic Artist

Part 344: Forest Seabury, Scenic Artist

There were a few newspaper articles from 1895 that caught my attention, as they concerned scenic artists. The scenic artist S. Forest Seabury (Sr.) died at the Grand Opera House on July 17, 1895, in Oakland, California. Newspapers reported that the celebrated artist fell dead after expressing to the stage manager, “You drop is finished, and it’s a wonder” (The San Francisco Call, 18 July, 1895, page 4). Seabury had just placed his brush in a pot of water before he uttered his final words, having just completed the drop curtain for Morosco’s Opera house. He then turned to speak to the manager, Tom Andrews. It was 4:35 PM when Seabury took a few steps toward the washstand, staggered and fell, before taking his last breath. Only a few minutes earlier, Seabury’s son had shouted up from the stage floor, inquiring about his father’s health. After hearing a positive response from the flies, his son left.

An illustration of Forest Seabury accompanied his death notice in the San Francisco Call (18 July 1895, page 4)

Seabury was a busy man and had completed another drop curtain for the Grand Opera House the previous week. For the opera, his 38’-0” x 40’-0” painting depicted a colossal American flag against a cloudy sky; it was received with applause (San Francisco Call, 5 July 1895, page 7). Dr. Barrett conducted an autopsy on the body and determined that the cause of death was heart disease. Seabury was only forty-four years old. His young age reminded of another scenic artist from Chicago – Lou Malmsha. Malmsha has passed away at the age of 35. A talented scenic artist, he was at the top of his career when he suffered a similar fate after work.

Seabury’s obituary reported that his funeral was attended by many members from both the Actor’s Association of America and the Theatrical Mechanic’s Association of Oakland. Like many other scenic artists, Seabury was also a stage mechanic, having the ability to engineer and create all of the scenic effects for a production. At Seabury’s funeral, floral arrangements sent from his fellow artists included banners stating, “The Drop is Done,” “The Gates Ajar,” and “The Last Scene of All.”

Another obituary for Forest Seabury reporting the presence of “many prominent theatrical” people form the Oakland area.

Seabury was a Pacific Coast artist and decorator whose work was known throughout the region. He had painted drop curtains and decorated prosceniums in all of the principal playhouses in California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada. However he primarily worked in the Oakland area. In 1892 he created a drop curtain, “The Dawn of Spring” for Stockwell’s Theatre in Oakland that the newspaper reported was “a beautiful work of art” (Oakland Tribune 2 July 1892, page 7). During the 1880s, he had been the scenic artist for the Baldwin Theatre in San Francisco. However, he also painted scenery for other venues, such as the Pasadena Opera House (Los Angeles Herald, 28, Oct, 1887, page 12). His obituary commented that one of his best works was a scene of the Golden Gate on a drop curtain in the opera-house in Sonora, Tuolumne country.

Seabury was also a member of the Republican Alliance and presented a decorative banner (12×12) of Harrison and Morton and an artisan at work. “Around the boarder are pictures of flags and other ornamentations. A shield bears the name of the club” (Oakland Tribune, 2 Oct 1888, page 1).

One of Seabury’s major accomplishments was his work for the Kiralfy Bros. He was listed as one of the scenic artists for the 1887 production of “The Black Crook” (Chicago Tribune, 13 March 1887, page 6). The others were Harley Merry, Geo. Bell, Porter Robecchi of Paris, and Magnani. This interesting group of artists was credited with creating “all new scenery” for a production that was “exactly as reproduced in January at Niblo’s Garden.” The show opened at McVicker’s Theatre in Chicago. The scenery for the production was estimated at $15,000. (The Times, Philadelphia, 19 Nov 1887, page 3). Advertisements reported that there were two entire carloads of scenery for the production “with all its glittering grandeur” (The Ottawa Journal, 21 May 1887, page 1).

Poster for the Kiralfy Bros. production of “The Black Crook,” painted by Forest Seabury and other well-known scenic artists.

Poster for the Kiralfy Bros. production of the “The Black Crook,” painted by Forest Seabury and other well-known scenic artists.

One of the sets for the Kilrafy’s production. Posted at https://actonbooks.com/2016/12/13/kiralfy-brothers/

Advertisement listing the scenic artists for the 1887 production of “The Black Crook.” 2 (Chicago Tribune, 13 March 1887, page 6).

Not everything was perfect in Seabury’s world. Two months before his death, Seabury’s second wife committed suicide by taking carbolic acid. The San Francisco Chronicle reported, “She was found dead in her room by her husband. A photograph of him was clasped to her breast” (18 July 1895, page 8). There had been trouble in the Seabury family and for some time the wife and husband had been separated. Mrs. Mary Jane Seabury of Massachusetts (second wife) was found dead in her bed at 917 Larkin Street. The autopsy by Dr. J. S. Barrett showed that her death resulted from carbolic-acid poisoning. The article noted that a dose of carbolic acid causes great pain and those who swallow it involuntarily will groan in their agony or scream, but no sound was heard from her room; her husband did not occupy the same apartment, yet he was the one first one on the scene.

When discovered, she was clutching a photograph of her husband, a letter written to him from another woman (from 1891) and a suicide note. Her written request stated, “Make sure that I am dead before burying me, as I do not want to be buried alive.” She was 24 years old and had only been married to Seabury for three years.

Seabury had two sons, Arthur and Forest Jr., from his first marriage. Both sons also worked at Morosco’s Grand Opera House as scenic artists and actors at the time of his death. There is more to the Seabury story as newspapers covered the continued troubles of the Seabury family. His second son Arthur was found in a mentally unhealthy state and returned to his mother in 1907. His mother’s concern increased as she observed Arthur did not sleep well. Then he started to explain that he had visited hell, frequently accosting people and stating, “How do you do. I’ve seen you in hell.” His mother eventually bought her son brought before Judge Hall to determine his sanity. The physicians decided he was on the verge of insanity and he was sent to the Stockton.

Of Arthur the paper reported ,“Young Seabury was with his father most of the time and was considerable as an artist himself. He worked on the paint-frames and filled in many a fine piece of artistic work from his father’s brush” (Oakland Tribune 19 April 1897, page 2). But the story is a little more complicated as some articles suggested that Seabury never remarried and only had one wife.

Throughout all, his second son and namesake, Forest Jr., continued to paint and act, doing fairly well in the theatre profession.

Forest Seabury, Jr. with the Allen Stock Co. This image was taken the same year that his brother went insane and was committed to the Stockton sanitorium. Morning Register (Eugene, Oregon), 22 Sept 1907.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 337 -The Jacques Opera House in Waterbury, Connecticut

Part 337: The Jacques Opera House in Waterbury, Connecticut

In 1895, Thomas G. Moses wrote that he secured “a good $1,000.00 job at Hillsboro Theatre at Waterbury, Conn.” During my research I found no mention of any performance venue in Waterbury called the Hillsboro Theatre – either before, during, or after Moses’ visit in 1895. Keep in mind that Moses’ painting project in Waterbury, Connecticut, occurred thirty-six years before he created his 1931 manuscript. Moses based this manuscript on his handwritten entries from annual diaries. It is important to understand that Moses was preparing a book, “Sixty Years Behind the Curtain Line.” Looking at some of the very few existing diaries and his 1931 translation, a lot was omitted from the final manuscript. Subjects were glossed over, or presented with a much more optimistic outlook. He was reflecting on his career at the age of seventy-five. In addition to misspelled names, there were variations for the titles of the productions that he worked on. I think that some details were fuzzy and he simply improvised.

Here is what I did discover while researching Moses’ stay in Waterbury during 1895, as there was a stock scenery collection created for a refurbished opera house at that same time. The newspapers document a painting of drop curtain and scenery that coincides with Moses visit to the area.

Interior of Jacques Opera House, 1896. Illustration is from “Town and City of Waterbury, Connecticut,” written by Joseph Anderson and Anna Lydia Ward, 1896.

Waterbury is located on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, and 77 miles northeast of New York City. The town was associated with the manufacture of brass during the nineteenth century, as factories harnessed the waters of the Naugatuck and Mad Rivers. By 1853, Waterbury was incorporated and known as “the Brass Capital of the World.” Later the clock making industry also became linked associated with the town.

During the summer of 1895, the interior of the Jacques Opera House was thoroughly remodeled and new scenery purchased for the stage. I believe that this was the theatre project that drew Moses to Waterbury to paint $1,000 worth of stage settings. Up until the time that Jacques opened his opera house, there was only the People’s theatre. This early performance venue had provided marginal entertainment in mediocre accommodations. Jacques wanted a larger, and much more impressive home, to host touring shows for his community. I was curious to learn more about this ambitious individual.

Jacques Opera House was founded by Eugene “Jean” Jacques (1855-1905). Jacques initially worked for his father, a physician and pharmacist. He was involved in many business ventures, such as the Jacques & Fenn skating rink that was later transformed into the Casino and eventually into the People’s Theatre. Jacques and the community recognized the limitations of the venue, prompting him to construct his new opera house during the summer of 1885. Located at on the corner of Abbott and Phoenix Avenues, it was constructed for $50,000.

Program for 6th Dramatic Season of Jacques Opera House, estblished in 1885.

After opening the 1885 Jacques Opera House, he constructed another building with a stage called the Auditorium during 1891. It featured a hard-maple floor, measuring 5,000 square foot with a stage at the end of the room for dances and social events. The space was intended for dancing and also boasted a smoking room, a ladies room, a kitchen and other accessories. I found it interesting that historical records noted that no dramatic presentations of note took place at the Auditorium, but the space was used by a variety of fraternal groups, such as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.). Jacques also founded the Diamond Bottling Works.

The “Town and City of Waterbury, Connecticut,” written by Joseph Anderson and Anna Lydia Ward in 1896, provides much information about the interior of Jacques Opera House in both 1885 and 1895 (pages 1095-1096). Here is a brief description of the original 1885 interior:

“The auditorium was built in the shape of a fireman’s trumpet, with the stage at the mouthpiece, and the seats were so arranged that the stage was visible from all parts of the house. All corners were rounded, and all rails curved, no angles being visible to mar the general effect. The decorations were bright, warm and cheerful, the woodwork being Tuscan red, terra cotta and gold, and the tints of the walls, ceilings and draperies harmonizing with it. A unique feature was the scene of the drop-curtain, which was a view of the celebrated glen in High Rock grove. The stage was large and thoroughly equipped with modern appliances. The orchestra pit was below the level of the floor, separated from the house by a curved rail. There were sixteen boxes, four on each side of the stage. The dressing rooms, lobby, etc., are in the basement, under the stage.” The original seating configuration was reconfigured a few years later, when several rows of plush covered sofas were put in.

Here is a description of the 1895 interior after the remodel with the scenery that was likely painted by Thomas G. Moses during his visit to Waterbury that year:

“The tone of the decoration was entirely changed, lighter and more delicate tints replacing the old color scheme. Eight boxes, of new and graceful design, replaced the sixteen of former days, and new seats were added to parquet and balcony, the seating capacity of the house being thus increased. A new and handsome drop-curtain, new sets of scenery, improvements in lighting facilities, etc., made the opera house seem almost like a new building, and added much to the comfort and pleasure of theatre-goers.”

Jacques future wife performed at his theatre during 1887. He married the actress Annie Louise Ames (1865-1915) two years later in 1889, and she gradually withdrew from show business to raise their daughter. Jacques Opera House had no competition until Poli’s Theatre opened in 1897. Poli’s was located just around the corner on East Main Street.

Postcard of Poli’s Theatre, 1897. This was the first competition fo Jacques Opera House.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 334 – Thomas G. Moses and Pittsburgh’s Avenue Theatre

Part 334: Thomas G. Moses and Pittsburgh’s Avenue Theatre

In 1895, Thomas G. Moses provided scenery for the Avenue Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was also known as the “Family Avenue Theatre,” opening on Monday, November 11, 1895. The Avenue was one of three theaters on Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh: The New grand Opera House, the Avenue Theatre and Tivoli Gardens Theatre.

The Avenue was originally known as the Harris Theatre from 1888 to 1895. The performance venue originated as a hall for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall (I.O.O.F), located at 58-60-62 Fifth Avenue. By August of 1865, it was listed as an Opera House. Then another opera house appeared – the “new opera house,” or the Pittsburgh Opera House, opening in 1871. It was located directly behind the Harris Theatre (later known as the Avenue Theatre). The Pittsburgh Opera House was christened the “New Grand Opera House” in 1895, the same year that the Harris Theatre was renamed the Avenue Theatre.

Advertisement for Harry Davis’ Avenue Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Thomas G. Moses painted scenery for the venue when it opened in 1895.

From cellar to roof, newspaper reviews for the Avenue Theatre reported, “every vestige of the old Harris theater has been removed, and in its place is the coziest, prettiest and most convenient and best-appointed little theater in Pittsburgh.” (Pittsburgh Daily Post, 13 Nov 1895, page 9). Harry Davis was reported at spending over $30,000 to transform the property into “a delightful family theater.”

As with the Lowell Opera House in Massachusetts, architectural firm of J. B. McElfatrick & Sons provided the plans for the alteration, reporting “nothing but the four walls” would be left standing (New York Times, 29 May 1894, page 8). There was also an interesting comment made about the backstage area. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the new proprietor hoped to create a stage that would accommodate “any kind of show, from quiet comedy to a grand spectacle.” The new proprietor, Harry Davis, created a house “anew” at the expense of $50.000” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9 Nov 1895, page 5).

The Avenue’s seating capacity was increased to accommodate 2,600 people. 4,000 incandescent lights illuminated the auditorium and stage. The New York Times reported, “The scenery is the work of Thomas G. Moses, the celebrated Chicago scenic artist, and will compare favorably with his best productions found in the leading theaters of the country. The drop curtain is a beautiful work of art, agreeably harmonizing with the prevailing colors of the house. A fire-proof curtain has also been added to the equipment of the stage, and in the design of the building a sufficient number of exits has been included to make it possible to empty the house in two minutes” (New York Times, 29 May 1894, page 8).

The opening week performances included Alice Shaw, the famous ‘La Belle Siffleuse,” the “great Lady Whistler. Famed over two continents.” Other acts included A. O. Duncan, premiere ventriloquist; Lawrence & Harrington, the Bowery Spielers; Bryant & Saville, comedians; Dockstader, the black-faced comedian; and other “sterling vaudeville acts,” such as the Ariel ballet, John and Ella M’Carthy, M’Bride & Goodrich, Campbell & Evans, Minnie Lee, Edgar Seldon, and Carl Johnson.

Advertisement for the Avenue Theatre in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (20 Nov 1897, page 5).

Advertisements promised “continuous performances” and “ten hours of uninterrupted fun each day” from 1PM until 11PM (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9 Nov 1895, page 5). The Avenue Theatre was marketed as venue that presented “high-class vaudeville,” as well as the “best of drama” and “superb comic opera.” For the opening, Charles Drew headed the 40-member Mackery Opera Company in the revival of the “Mascot.”

Davis’ gamble proved to be a success and by 1902 the Pittsburgh Press reported “There will be hilarious times at the Avenue Theatre this week, for the management have engaged a company of vaudeville performers whose stock and trade is to make people laugh. There is scarcely a serious act on the bill which would seem to prove that Proprietor and Manager Harry Davis has discovered that people go to a continuous show house to be amused and not to worry over the intricacies [sic.] of plots and problems” (19 October 1902, page 34). By 1897, the Avenue Theatre would be advertised as “the Mecca of refined Vaudeville,” still showing continuous entertainment daily (Pittsburgh Post Gazette 20 Nov. 1897, page 5).

The Pittsburgh Daily Post reported, “The auditorium is the temporary place of visitation for the public, and it has been shown that no pains have been spared to give pleasure and comfort. The same can be said for the world which lies behind Thomas Moses’ scene curtain – the stage” (10 Nov 1895, page 9).

Illustrations of the Boxes in the Avenue Theatre from the Pittsburgh Daily Post (10 Nov 1895, page 9).

Illustrations of the Avenue Theatre Lobby from the Pittsburgh Daily Post (10 Nov 1895, page 9).

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 332 – Thomas G. Moses and the Lowell Opera House in Massachusetts

Part 332: Thomas G. Moses and the Lowell Opera House in Massachusetts

In 1895, Thomas G. Moses recorded that he painted “a number of scenes and a drop curtain for Lowell, Mass. opera house.” This was one more stock scenery collection delivered by the Moses that year. I wondered how he made the initial connection and received the contract. After all, there were plenty of well-known regional artists who could have created the painted settings for any theatre in Lowell. It was a substantially-sized community. Was Moses that popular, or did he have an inside connection? I think that it was both.

The town of Lowell was founded in 1826. It is situated at the confluence of the Merrimack and Concord (Musketaquid) rivers, approximately 25 miles northwest of Boston. The major nineteenth-century business in the area was the Merrimack Manufacturing Co. (incorporated in 1822). It greatly contributed to the city’s dramatic growth over the decades and the area became primarily known as a manufacturing center for textiles. The industry wove cotton produced in the South and also shipped some of their product back to the south for slave garments. Both the bolts of fabric given to the slaves and the resulting clothing used the name “lowells.”

By the 1850s, Lowell boasted the largest industrial complex in the United States. Immigrants came in waves to Lowell; the Catholic Germans, French Canadians, Portuguese, Poles, Lithuanians, Swedes, Greeks and Eastern European Jews all established small communities and many worked in the Merrimack factory or for other businesses in the area. The town continued to thrive and by 1875, a Club Dramatique was established, providing come semblance of local entertainment. In the 1880s Lowell’s first opera house was constructed with a seating capacity of 1,500. Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory reported that the proscenium measured 30’ x 30’ and the stock scenery collection included 20 sets. The size of the stage was 45’ wide by 33’ deep.

By 1896, the population of Lowell had grown to 100,000. The Fay Bros. & Hosford became the proprietors and managers for the “new” Lowell Opera House. Their first season was announced during the spring of 1894 with the statement “The indications are that under the new and energetic management the Opera house next year will surpass all previous records” (The Lowell Sun, 19 May, 1894, page 1).

Advertisement for the Lowell Opera House when Fay Bros. and Hosford became the proprietors and managers of the venue in 1894. Lowell Daily (24 Aug 1894, page 2).

The new managers immediately began planning for the future, and began to renovate the venue. This included a new stage with new stock scenery collection by Moses. J. B. McElfatrick & Sons was the architectural firm responsible for the alterations of the space in 1895. The firm was located in New York and had previously worked with Moses.

The front entrance for the opera house in Lowell, Mass.

Located on the ground floor of the building, the Lowell opera house had a seating capacity of 1,500. The auditorium and stage were illuminated with a combination of both gas and electric lighting. The new space included a square proscenium opening that measured 34’-0” wide by 34’-0” high. The depth from the footlights to the back of the stage measured 45 feet with the distance between the footlights and curtain line at 3’-0.” The distance between the side walls of the stage was 60’-0” and 48’-0” between the girders. The stage to rigging loft was 80 feet with the depth under the stage at 10.’ The architects implemented a new spatial design, seating plan, and technology in their design. The venue desperately sought to attract popular touring productions to the area with an improved facility.

Advertisement in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the Lowell Opera House (1896).Stock scenery for this venue was painted by Thomas G. Moses.

So, how did Moses get this job? As suggested above, I believe that the theatre architects recommended him; they knew and respected him from previous projects. This was a similar to the situation for the New Lyceum Theatre in Memphis, when architect Frank Cox recommended Moses to create the stock scenery. The architectural firms recommended specific artisans for certain aspects of the designs. So I started to explore other theatres designed and constructed by J. B. McElfatrick & Sons during the late-nineteenth century. I was pleasantly surprised with my findings, thinking that I might be onto something with the evolutions of the backstage area too.

It was in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide (1896) where I noticed an advertisement for J. B. McElfatrick & Sons. They marketed theatre buildings as their specialty, listing seventy-one theaters and opera houses by 1896. This architectural firm was a significant contributor to the evolution and construction of “modern theaters.” I will discuss these characteristics in tomorrow’s post.

B. McElfatrick & Sons was especially prolific during the thirty-year period from 1880 to 1910. Although the founder had established offices in Philadelphia, Columbus, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis, the 1896 advertisement noted that their offices were located in the Knickerbocker Theatre Bldg., New York. J. B. McElfatrick & Sons were responsible for the new Lowell Opera House as well as many other venues where Moses had worked over the years. They designed and built theaters all across the country, including the English Opera House in Indianapolis. Interestingly, George H. Ketcham was the proprietor of the English Opera House, the Grand Opera House (Columbus), and the Valentine Theatre, all with stock scenery collections painted by Moses in the 1890s.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Part 326 – Thomas G. Moses, Gustave Frohman, and the Schiller Theater

Part 326: Thomas G. Moses, Gustave Frohman, and the Schiller Theater

In 1895, Thomas G. Moses was the scenic artist for the Schiller Theater. He painted several productions for the German Opera House, and used the paint frames to create scenery for outside projects.

Photograph of the Schiller Theatre, ca. 1900. Notice the Masonic Temple in the distance with roof top garden. That venue also had scenery contracted by Sosman & Moses.

In 1895, Thomas G. Moses was the scenic artist for the Schiller Theater. He painted several productions for the German Opera House, and used the paint frames to create scenery for outside projects. In 1895, Thomas G. Moses was the scenic artist for the Schiller Theater. He painted several productions for the German Opera House, and used the paint frames to create scenery for outside projects.

The exterior of the German Opera House in the Schiller Building, referred to as the Schiller Theatre, had extensive decorative terra cotta work. This is an advertisement by the Northwestern Terra Cotta Co. depicting their work on the Schiller tower.

This was a common practice for many scenic artists at the time, as the theater where they worked became their studio. On March 24, the Chicago Tribune reported, “Thomas G. Moses, the scenic artist of the Schiller Theater, has recently finished a new drop curtain for the Schiller Theatre. In his judgment a subject embracing foliage and water is restful to the eye in the act intervals and a relief from the high colors and action of dramatic scenes, so he selected a forest scene upon the Bronx River, New York, with a rustic bridge in the foreground and a perspective showing the windings of the river stream. It will be placed in position tomorrow evening” (Chicago Tribune, 24 March 1895, page 36). The Inter Ocean added that the drop was “painted from a sketch taken on the Bronx River in New York. The locality is a lovely one and is a favorite sketching point for New York artists, and the scene represented has been made the subject of three drop curtains in the country” (23 March 1895, page 3). Rivers were his signature pieces and he would even write a poem called, “The Brook.”

The German Opera House that was first called the Schiller Theatre. It would later be renamed the Garrick Theatre as noted on the postcard.

Here is a brief description of the Schiller Theater to provide context as I continue to discuss his work there. It was in a 7-story building designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, of the firm Adler & Sullivan, for the German Opera Company. With a 1,400 seat house, it was originally funded by German investors, including Anton C. Hesting, a former “Illinois Staats-Zeitung” publisher. It was intended for German-language operas and social gatherings, but ceased emphasizing German cultural events after some of the original investors backed out. The second story arcade also boasted a series of terra cotta busts depicting prominent German figures.

Link to the Schiller Building drawings: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schiller_Building,_64_West_Randolph_Street,_Chicago,_Cook_County,_IL_HABS_ILL,16-CHIG,60-_(sheet_7_of_11).png

Link to the Schiller Building draftings: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schiller_Building,_64_West_Randolph_Street,_Chicago,_Cook_County,_IL_HABS_ILL,16-CHIG,60-_(sheet_7_of_11).png

The venue would later be known as the Dearborn Theater from 1898 to 1903, and finally the Garrick Theater. “Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for 1885-1886” listed that the Schiller’s proscenium opening measured 28’-10” wide by 29’-8” high.

Page describing the Schiller Theatre in “Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide,” 1896.

Distance from the footlights to the back wall was 37’-7.” The measurement from the stage to the rigging loft was 76’-0” and there were nine bridges: the first was 15’-2” from the curtain line with the full length being 31’-9.” The depth under the stage was 16’-4.” There were 4 traps: two traps each 9’0” ft. on off center; one trap 6’-0” from the curtain line and a final trap 9’-0” ft. from the curtain line. The staff included G. E. Stephenson (electrician) and W. H. Bairstow (misspelled as “Bairston,”stage carpenter), Thomas G. Moses (scenic artist), Michael Coyne (prop man) and Ira La Motte (manager).

The only extant photograph of Gustave Frohman, taken by Raymond Patterson, Washington correspondent of the “Chicago Tribune.”

The Inter Ocean reported, “Gustave Frohman, through Ira J. La Motte, who will be resident manager of the Schiller Theatre after Aug 24, has expressed himself with respect to the policy which will govern that house in the future. The Schiller is to be made a purely dramatic house, playing the best combinations to be had, and probably at no very distant day supporting a stock company. It is Gustave Frohman’s intention, during the coming season, to make one or two productions by way of experiment, demonstrating at the same time his theory that actors should be engaged with respect to their personal fitness for certain parts, no less than in consideration of their reputation in a given line. The policy of the house will be opposed to Sunday night performances, and it is probable that the result will be a revival of the custom of presenting German plays by a local company on that night. During the six or seven months of his stay here last year, Gustave Frohman spent a large part of his time at the theaters and expresses great confidence in the future of the Schiller as a home of drama pure and simple” (15 August 1895, page 6).

Frohman and Moses were only two years apart in age and both entered the theatre business at the age of seventeen. Moses had a sibling who also found employment in the theatre – his sister, Illinois “Illlie” Moses. Frohman had two brothers who also led theatrical lives and formed the Frohman trio (Gustave, Charles and Daniel). In 1895 Gustave’s business alliance with his brothers was considered “the largest factors in the productive field” (Inter Ocean, 4 Aug. 1895, page 33).

All three rose to prominence in the industry as theatrical managers of numerous touring productions. Julius Cahn, of Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guides, was the Manager of the Charles Froman’s Booking Department at the Empire Theatre.

Advertisement for Charles Frohman’ Booking Department listing Julius Cahn as manager in the first issue of “Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide” 1896.

In the foreword to his theatrical guide, Cahn stated the “need of a complete and official Theatrical Guide that would give the managers of theaters throughout the country, the managers of traveling attractions and others closely interested in their affairs, a complete and exhaustive volume pertaining to the various braches of business, arranged in a concise and clear manner, so as to make it both valuable and available as a book reference” (Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide, 1896, page VII).

“Greeting” in first issue of “Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide” that notes the professional relationship between Julius Cahn and Charles Frohman.

Sadly, Charles was lost when the RMS Lusitania sank, but Daniel was still in working in the theatre at the time of Gustave’s death in 1930. Gustave retired from the profession in 1918.

The Frohmans are often credited with the originating the “road business” for complete theatre companies. Prior to this time, stock companies permanently resided in a city and supplemented hosted visiting theatrical stars. In other words, the “star” worked with local stock companies while touring from theater to theater. Managers discovered that taking an entire theatre company on tour was more economical that hiring a continuous line of costly “stars,” so the “star system” was gradually replaced with the “combination system.” Touring companies began their tour after spending the summer season in their home city. In 1895, Frohman had several touring productions that included “The Fatal Card,” “Mexico,” “The Wife,” “The New Boy,” “The New Dominion,” “Jane,” “The Lost Paradise,” “Sowing the Wind,” “The Girl I left Behind Me,” “The Colonel’s Wives,” and “The Witch.”

This was the secondary type of business venture entered into by Sosman & Landis with Hunt when they established their theatrical management firm Sosman, Landis & Hunt in the 1890s (see installment #304). The logistics were complex, but the endeavor could be very profitable.

To be continued…