Drop Curtain – Page 5 – Drypigment.net

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 915 – Detroit’s Temple Theatre and “Detroiter Abend-Post,” 1915

Detroit’s Temple Theatre between the Opera House and the Elk’s Building.

Sosman & Landis delivered scenery to Detroit’s Temple Theatre in 1908 and 1915. The Temple Theatre was not a Masonic structure, but a performance space constructed by the Benevolent and Protected Order of Elks for both public and private performances (BPOE).

The Elks Temple and Temple Theatre opened on Dec. 23, 1901. The entertainment complex originally hosted the Wonderland Theatre Company and curiosity museum of oddities. John Scott designed he building, with Col. J. M. Wood designing the 1500-seat theater. It was located next door to the Detroit Opera House, on the north side of Monroe Street in the Campus Martius area.

The Detroit Opera House and the Temple Theatre to the right.

In 1908, the Temple Theatre closed for three weeks during July to complete the renovation of the theater space. The “Detroit Free Press” described the imminent renovation plans in an article in July 2 (page 7):

“The Temple theater will close at the end of the week to permit decorators to transform the interior. The work will take three weeks, artists working in two shifts, night and day. When the theater is thrown open to the public, Monday afternoon, July 27, the many patrons will marvel at the transformation. It is said that the decorations, with carpets, tapestries, drop curtain and incidentals will cost in the neighborhood of $20,000. The entire decorations will be in the Italian Renaissance period, and William Wright company has guaranteed Manager J. H. Moore the richest vaudeville theater interior in this country. The ceilings and cornice work will be in light Italian blue and ivory, this scheme being carried throughout. The proscenium boxes will be draped with rich brocatelle hangings of light blue, with heavy cords and tassels, and fine old Roman gold chairs will replace the mahogany ones now in use. Artists and designers have been at work on the preliminary plans for the last three months, and all that is left now is to complete the actual work. The carpets have been made from a special design by the decorators, and Sosman & Landis, the scene painters of Chicago, are in consultation with the William Wright artists carry out in the new drop curtain, to cost $1,000, the color scheme of the auditorium. The double baize doors, leading from the foyer to the right proscenium boxes will be replaced with Roman gilt and gold plate glass doors, with gold columns. New and beautiful electrical effects will be seen in the ceiling of the foyer. On account of the reopening of the Temple falling the revival of the famous Blue Ribbon meeting in Detroit, the bill of vaudeville for that week will be designated the “Blue Ribbon” bill. It will contain the names of artists, not the least of whom will be Loie Fuller, the celebrated fire dancer. The Temple Theater has not been closed, summer or winter, since it was thrown open to the pubic eight years ago. The many hundreds of patrons who have reserved their seats throughout the seasons will call for them during the week preceding the opening when the regular sale will go into effect.”

The “Detroit Free Press” described the 1908 drop curtain by Sosman & Landis in detail: “Beyond all this the proscenium arch a mass of burnished gold and set within like a picture in its frame is the new drop curtain – a splendid thing the product of Sosman & Landis scenic studios in Chicago. It pictures an old Italian garden, the spirit of the joy-seeking Renaissance caught here in every other part of the theater. Here too the predominating note is blue with only the suggestion of green in the foliage and a hint of old rose in the costumes of the grand dames, which lend the desired touch of life to the stately old garden. It’s all brightly beautiful and happy thought and ideal as a playhouse should be, and proves with subtle insistence that those responsible for it are artists in a very substantial and satisfying sense” (July 26, 1908, page 7).

I recently discovered another article pertaining Sosman & Landis scenery delivered to Detroit’s Temple Theatre in 1915. The new scenery was for the reopening of the redecorated theater on July 19. My fourth-grade German classes and Google translate helped me understand the gist of the German article in “Detroiter Abend-Post.” However, I still needed help and turned to my friend Art de Hoyos. Below is the translation of what was published in “Detroiter Abend-Post” on July 11, 1915 (page 12):

“English stage. Temple Theatre. This popular Vaudeville house will remain closed this week, but next week it will be reopened with new outfitting, and a few years will pass before the theater has to be temporarily closed again. Certain repairs and improvements were urgently needed in the theater room, but they will be completed later this week, so that nothing will stand in the way of reopening on July 19. The American Seating Co. was entrusted with the contract for the delivery and laying of new carpets in the parquet and the so-called ‘mezzanine floor.’ New scenery for the stage will be supplied by the well-known theater company Sosman & Landis Co. Chicago. The Temple Theater will reopen with an exceptionally rich, good program.”

Temple Theatre article in the “Detroiter Abend-Post” (Detroit, Michigan), 11 July 1915, page 12.

I also found a newspaper advertisement pertaining to the old chairs being removed from the Temple Theater in 1915. The opera chairs were listed for sale in the “Detroit Free Press” on June 6, 1915 (page 30). The listing announced, “Attention, Theatre Managers. THEATRE CHAIRS FOR SALE CHEAP. All parquet and balcony seats now in use in Temple Theatre must be sold to make room for new seats to be installed soon. CHANCE OF A LIFETIME. Inquire Temple Theatre Offices.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 889 – Thomas G. Moses and Shea’s Theatres in Buffalo, New York, 1914

Shea’s Hippodrome, from the “Buffalo Courier,” 30 August 1914, page 8.

In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Did a drop curtain and two gardens for Shay’s Theatre, Buffalo. “ In 1914, Buffalo was home to Shea’s Theatre and Shea’s Hippodrome. Shea’s Hippodrome on Main Street in Buffalo, a venue that opened in 1914. It is likely that the drop curtain and two garden settings were for Shea’s Hippodrome, as garden scenes were frequently used as a setting to frame a projections screen. Shea’s Hippodrome is not to be confused with the 1926 Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, a 4000-seat venue that is now known as Shea’s Performing Arts Center and features touring Broadway musicals. Shea’s Theatre hosted vaudeville acts and kinetograph pictures. Shea’s hippodrome opened in 1914 and is the focus of today’s post. The namesake for both venues, however, was an interesting man in his own right.

Michael “Mickey” Shea was born on April 17, 1859 to Daniel and Mary (Griffin) Shea. After graduating from public schools, Shea first worked on the docks as a labor. He soon found employment as a structural ironworker at the Union Iron Works before trying his hand at entertainment. It was not until 1884 that Shea started his own business, opening a saloon at 535 Elk Street in Buffalo. By 1892, he opened the Shea’s Music Hall at 11 Clinton Street in the Arcade building. Unfortunately, fire destroyed the complex the following year. This did not deter him from continuing in the entertainment business, and in 1898 he opened Buffalo’s first vaudeville theater, Shea’s Garden Theatre. By 1905, he opened another venue called Shea’s Vaudeville House on Court Street, advertising as “Shea’s – Devoted to the Highest Class of Exclusive Vaudeville Attractions.”

In 1914, Shea opened Shea’s Hippodrome on Main Street near Chippewa in Buffalo, New York. He purchased the property from B. F. Keith, who had abandoned it as a theater site some years before. The “Buffalo Courier” reported, “As soon as Mr. Shea came into possession immediate plans were made for the erection of a theater, although the policy of this house was not decided upon until the present season. (Buffalo Courier, 30 Aug, 1914, page 8). The article continued, “The photo play is attracting world-wide attention at present and Manager Shea, ever abreast of the times, has secured for his Buffalo patrons for Shea’s Hippodrome the exclusive rights to screen the dramas of the famous players.”

This was during a time when Shea expanded from vaudeville into motion pictures. When it opened, Shea’s new venue was considered one of the finest picture houses between New York City and Chicago. Theaters opened after this one by Shea included Shea’s North Park Theatre on Hertel Avenue, the Great Lakes Theatre, the Seneca Theatre, the Century Theatre, the Community Theatre, the Park Theatre, the Bailey Theatre and the Riviera Theatre in Tonawanda.

Shea’s Hippodrome opened its doors on August 31, 1914, and was advertised as “the handsomest and most complete photo-play house in America” (The Buffalo Times, 30 August 1914, page 47). The “Buffalo Times” reported, “Manager Shea has always given his patrons the best and the latest in the field of amusement that money could procure, and he is now placing in this magnificent theater the great photo-plays from the world’s greatest producers. Within the few years that the screen drama has been attracting attention of theater-goers that form of amusement has undergone a great change and that rapidly growing business is now placed on the high plane its merit deserved. Manager Shea has secured for Shea’s Hippodrome patrons the output of the Paramount Picture Corporation, which represents the best element of the various interests involved in photo-play production, Through this corporation the public is promised the best plays and the best stories, interpreted by the best talent; presented in the best theaters for the entertainment of the best people. The famous plays to be seen at Shea’s Hippodrome have been produced by such master artists as David Belasco, Daniel Frohman, Charles Frohman, Henry W. Savage, Jesse L. Lasky and Hobart Bosworth; famous stories from the pens of such popular writers as Jack London, George Barr McCutcheon, Hall Caine, Anthony Hope, Thomas Hardy, Harold McGrath and others of equal note. Those attractions from the Paramount Corporation will only be seen in Buffalo – Shea’s Hippodrome – and after their production here will not be shown at any time in any other house in the city; and for this service and privilege of exclusive use, Manager Shea is paying the sum that has that has made this same service prohibitive in any other theater in the city. The great seating capacity of Shea’s Hippodrome makes the use of this service possible, as patrons will see these great productions for the low price of admission of 10, 15 and 25 cents.”

Shea’s Hippodrome was under the management of A. R. Sherry and George Bouchard. Among the great features was the $25,000 orchestral organ that played at every performance.

To be continued…

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

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

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

Design by John Z. Wood for the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 865 – Chicago’s Great Northern Hippodrome Theatre, 1913

In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “A new set for the Hippodrome, city.” Moses was referring to a cityscape setting for Chicago’s Great Northern Hippodrome Theatre. Later that year he added, “I did a drop curtain for the Great Northern Theatre. A very delicate Italian Landscape.” For such a popular space to see live entertainment, little is known of the actual venue.

Postcard with Great Northern Theatre, date unknown.

Postcard of Great Northern office building with theater next door to Great Northern Hotel.

Here is all that I could track down:

The Great Northern Hippodrome was located in a massive high-rise building at 26 West Jackson, between State and Dearborn Streets. The Great Northern Office and Theatre Company building was designed by D. H. Burnham and Co. in 1896 and adjoined an earlier Great Northern hotel building. Burnham & Root designed the Great Northern Hotel before John W. Root’s passing.

Great Northern Hotel with theater and office building.

Opening on Nov. 9, 1896, Great Northern Theatre productions included legitimate theatre, vaudeville, movies, and stock company productions. During February 1910, the Schuberts took over the building, redecorating the theater and renaming it the Lyric Theatre. The theater was again renamed, becoming the Great Northern Hippodrome.

The new theater offered a variety of continuous performances from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. daily. Advertisements promised, “All that’s great in circus, vaudeville, hippodrome, and novelty features” (Chicago Tribune, 23 May 1913, page 10).

From the “Chicago Tribune,” 28 Dec 1913, page 49

From the “Chicago Tribune,” 5 Oct 1913, page 20

From the “Chicago Tribune,” 13 Oct 1913, page 8

From the “Chicago Tribune,” 23 May 1913, page 10

When Sosman & Landis delivered scenery to the Great Northern Hippodrome in 1913, it was part of a program change, the venue now focused on live entertainment. On July 27, 1913, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “The Great Northern Hippodrome, having discontinued motion pictures, is now offering fourteen acts of vaudeville divided into two bills of seven acts” (page 14). Moses’ drop city setting and drop curtain were part of this makeover.

Like many historic venues of the time, the Great Northern Office and Theatre Building were demolished, in 1961 to make room for the Dirksen Federal Building.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Twin City Scenic Co. in Milton, North Dakota

For well over a year I have posted a historic stage setting every day to my Facebook group “Dry Pigment.” This post is then shared with other groups for digital dissemination, but not here. I often group stage compositions on a theme, posting one version after another over the course of a week. In the past I have covered landscapes, seascapes, palaces, dungeons, hell scenes, cathedrals, and much more. The images are often from scenery evaluations that I completed over the past few decades while traveling throughout the United States of America.

While I take a break from the life and time of Thomas G. Moses until November 11, 2019, I am going to share my Dry Pigment FB Group posts. It helps illustrated the scenic aesthetic that I have been writing about for over three years.

I primarily post daily pictures of historic backdrops each day for my fellow scenic artists, many of whom were not exposed to this history during their training, or friends who are completely unfamiliar with this form of American popular entertainment. I always hope that this small and consistent gesture will help others with their future projects and research.

Today’s Dry Pigment post looks at the source, design and final backdrop created at the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the opera house in Milton, North Dakota

Twin City Scenic Co. design, now part of the Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Drop curtain in Milton, North Dakota, by the Twin City Scenic Co. This was a slide taken by Prof. Emeritus Larry Hill.

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Twin City Scenic Co. Scenery in Virginia, Minnesota

I primarily post daily pictures of historic backdrops each day for my fellow scenic artists, many of whom were not exposed to this history during , or friends who are completely unfamiliar with this form of American popular entertainment. I always hope that this small and consistent gesture will help others with their future projects and research.

Today’s Dry Pigment post depicts an asbestos curtain produced by a the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the opera house in Virginia, Minnesota.

Peep hole for actors. Scene by the Twin City Scenic Co.

Standard stencil to identify manufacturing studio. Scene by the Twin City Scenic Co.

Have a great day!

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 841 – Detroit Again, 1913

I transfer planes in Detroit today on my way to teach at Cobalt Studios in White Lake, New York. It seems an appropriate time to include this particular post about Thomas G. Moses before taking a week off from writing. I will return to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses on Monday, November 10, 2019.

In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Detroit again. New contract with Temple Theatre Company.” Sosman & Landis first delivered scenery to Detroit’s Temple theatre in 1908. The Elks Temple and Temple Theatre originally opened on Dec. 23, 190, and was next door to the Detroit opera house. Located on the north side of Monroe Street in the Campus Martius area, the building boasted a 1500-seat theater designed by Col. J.M. Wood. The Temple Theatre originally hosted the Wonderland Theatre Company and curiosity museum of oddities before the 1908 renovation. Sosman & Landis painted a drop curtain as part of an extensive renovation.

In 1908, the Temple Theatre closed for three weeks during July to complete the renovation of the theater space. On July 2, 1908, the “Detroit Free Press” reported, “Sosman & Landis, the scene painters of Chicago, are in consultation with the William Wright artists carry out in the new drop curtain, to cost $1,000.” The same newspaper further described the new drop curtain on July 26, 1908: “Beyond all this the proscenium arch a mass of burnished gold and set within like a picture in its frame is the new drop curtain – a splendid thing the product of Sosman & Landis scenic studios in Chicago. It pictures an old Italian garden, the spirit of the joy-seeking Renaissance caught here in every other part of the theater. Here too the predominating note is blue with only the suggestion of green in the foliage and a hint of old rose in the costumes of the grand dames, which lend the desired touch of life to the stately old garden. It’s all brightly beautiful and happy thought and ideal as a playhouse should be, and proves with subtle insistence that those responsible for it are artists in a very substantial and satisfying sense” (page 7).

In 1909 and 1910, Sosman & Landis again completed a large scenery projects for Detroit’s Temple Theatre, as the venue hosted touring productions. Much of the firm’s success was based on repeat customers, the return of satisfied customers who ordered additional scenery over the years. Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio was a well-known entity by the first decade of the twentieth century. The fact that the Temple Theatre ordered more scenery in 1913 is not a surprise, especially with Sosman & Landis’ continued work in the city at various venues.

From the very beginning of Moses’ scenic art career, he had completed many projects in Detroit. Later in 1913, Moses reminisced, “I made a business trip to Detroit and Cleveland in July. I left Detroit for Cleveland by the night boat. As I sat on the upper forward deck enjoying a good cigar, my thoughts ran back to 1875, when I was in Detroit broke with no place to go, nothing to do. I sat down on the dock, just below where I was now sitting and wondered if I would be missed and forgiven for falling off the dock. I was either too much of a coward or had a sudden change of heart, for I went on the road very soon afterwards as a ‘butcher’ another name for candy or newsboy on the railroad. A young man was sitting near me and to open the conversation for the evening, I told him the above. He was very much interested, and I found that he knew some of my Oak Park friends, so we put in a very pleasant evening as we sailed or steamed towards Cleveland.”

Our minds often wander back to trying times, whether past events, places or friends. Past obstacles that seemed unbearable became our defining moments. Challenges can provide an opportunity for growth. In 1875, Moses made a choice; he refused to give up and end it all on the docks of Detroit. Thirty-eight years later, he recognized that moment as a defining one in his life.

When I read this passage as a young college student, it shaped my perspective for many future trials. I was nineteen years old and constantly working in between classes. Reading of Moses’ continued struggles made any of my own problems pale in comparison. Although there was that brief period where I lived out of my car and solely ate ramen noodles, I could always return home if I really needed help. Moses could not, yet persevered anyway. I also recognize that some people cannot overcome some obstacles, regardless of a support network.

I made a conscious choice to succeed, regardless of what life threw at me. For me success was never defined by acquiring a large fortune or living in a fancy house, but how I could make myself better and how I could clear the path for those who came after me. That is one of the reasons that I post so many pictures of historic scenes every day, for my fellow scenic artists who may have never been exposed to this history. I hope that this small and consistent gesture will help my colleagues.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 790 – The Costly Drop Curtain by Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier, 1911.

On January 25, 1911, an entertaining article was published in “The Columbus Journal” about a fine artist’s quote to paint a drop curtain.

Here is the article in its entirety:

“Costly Drop Curtain.

The One Meissonier Didn’t Paint For French Theatre.

The enterprising manager of a theater called upon the famous French artist Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier on one occasion and asked him to paint a drop scene for a certain theater and name his terms.

‘You have seen my pictures, then?’ asked Meissonier.

‘Oh, yes,’ exclaimed the manager, ‘but it is your name I want! It will draw crowds to my theater.’

‘And how large do your wish the curtain to be’ inquired the artist.

‘Ah, well, we will say 15 by 18 meters.’

Meissonier took up a pen and pencil and proceeded to make a calculation. At last he looked up and said, with imperturbable gravity,

‘I calculated and find that my pictures are valued at 80,000 francs per meter. Your curtain, therefore, will cost you just 21,600,000 francs. But that is not all. It takes me twelve months to paint twenty-five centimeters of canvas. It will take me just 190 years to finish your curtain. You should have come to me earlier, monsieur. I am too old for undertaking it now. God morning.”

Meissonier (1815-1891) was a sculptor and fine artist, known for his detail and precise brushwork. His realistic approach to painting meant that it took time to complete each composition; the same techniques could not be applied to the stage for many reasons.

Although Meissonier passed away two decades before the 1911 article was published, the story still resonates in the field of scenic art today. The precision required for photorealistic painting takes more time, and ultimately, these same techniques destroy illusion on the stage. An artist may excel at photorealism yet remain unable to produce a satisfactory backdrop or large outdoor mural.

Many artists struggle when they change exhibition spaces, for example, transitioning from small-scale watercolors to large-scale theatrical backdrops. Painting miniatures for an art gallery versus painting cycloramas for the stage require different techniques, tools and materials. Is the artwork intended to be viewed from several inches away or from several yards away? An automated billboard in Times Square is intended to be viewed from several blocks away. The basis of scenic art has always been learning how to see from the audience’s perspective. This skill is not necessarily taught in fine art schools.

Different painting techniques take an artist different amounts of time to complete. This is what is addressed in the 1911 newspaper article above. Meissonier based his estimate on a very realistic technique, one that he used for his many detailed military compositions. Painting techniques not only shift when transitioning from one type of artwork to another, but also one school of scenic art to another. Some techniques take more time. Here is one example: The majority of theatrical backdrops created at the turn of the twentieth century took between one and two days. The same compositions might now take a scenic artist one to two weeks to complete. It is not that contemporary scenic artists are untalented, or simply slow. Much has to do with the fact that many of the scenic art techniques have been lost or altered over the decades, whether intentional or not. In addition to the shift in painting techniques, the overall paint system changed from dry pigment to pre-mixed theatrical paints. Shifts in scenic art remain dependent on instruction, tools, and type of paint. Whether a student learns in a classroom or scene shop, the instructor/journeyman is the one to pass along a tradition and “preferred” type of painting system.

Dry pigment paint table used by Jesse Cox on display at the Mt. Pleasant Theatre Museum in Iowa

In the past, I have posted articles that examined why scenic artists more easily transitioned to a fine art gallery than fine artists transitioned to the stage. It all has to do with one’s ability to understand how painted compositions are intended to be viewed from any distance, whether far away or close up. In short, theatrical artists painted many compositions that were intended to be viewed from a distance of twenty feet or more, employing speed and economical brushwork. They incorporated specific painting techniques that allowed the audience’s “eye” to fill in the gaps. There needs to be a division of colors and separate of value. Keep in mind their work appeared at many other venues beyond the theatre, opera, and vaudeville stage. Scenic artists controlled the scenic illusion at world fair attractions, grand circus spectacles, and American pageants. The scenic artist could not create photographic realism for these venues as their paintings would appear fuzzy from a distance.

At the same time, these same scenic artists had to paint for intimate performance spaces and displays that placed audience members mere feet from their work. This requires an overall understanding of stage illusion and various scenic art techniques for any venue, in addition to basic artistic training in color, light, perspective, composition and layout. In the end, these trained, experienced and knowledgeable individuals understood how to make their artworks come to life from a distance or up close. Painting techniques placed well upstage of the proscenium line would “fall apart” when examined close-up. The same could not be said for a drop curtain that was within almost arms reach of the first row, as the techniques were different than those employed against the backwall.

Throughout the twentieth century the understanding of basic painting techniques that were dependent on the scenic piece’s stage position became a struggle, especially as some modern scenic designers failed to comprehend the complexity of the painted stage aesthetic, or the magic that could be produced by one. Simultaneously, the role of a nineteenth-century scenic artist who controlled the entire stage aesthetic transitioned to a twentieth-century scenic artist who painted another’s design (the scene designer). This transition compounded by scenic designers who were not trained as scenic artists became a challenge. In many cases it has continued to remain an obstacle when painted scenery is designed by those who do not paint, or fully understand painted illusion for the stage. It is not that these designers are unskilled, or that they are less valued by our industry, but it provides a challenge for many paint crews when a scenic designer visits a shop and sees a backdrop at close range, and not from the back of an auditorium. Simply stated, these designers are unable to fully comprehend either the possibilities or limitations of a two-dimensional composition and therefore, in many cases, avoid them. This lack of understanding has carried over into come current digital designs. In many cases a scenic artist should be used to help the designer translate his vision for the stage. One example is when computer renderings fail to depict a uniform light source, allowing random shadows and highlights to appear through the final product. With an inconsistent use of shadows and highlights, the dimensionality is destroyed, and the overall composition looks flat, or simply odd. The basic rules of scenic art for the stage still apply to digital backdrops.

Contemporary scenic art obstacles, however, are not solely the result of designers, lighting or technological innovations. Much has to do with training. All scenic art is not equal; it has never been equal, and America has supported two distinct schools of scenic art (see past posts about opaque painting versus glazing). In the end, whether it is hand-painted or digital the same questions need to be asked. Is the background or prop for live theater, film, theme parks, department store displays or some other exhibition space? Each one requires a different skill set. The individual designing and manufacturing the backdrop needs to understand that the final product is dependent on whether it is viewed from a distance or up close.

Another example of differing skill sets: backdrops for theatre and backdrops for film. Comparing these two is just like comparing apples to oranges. From the beginning, techniques used for scenic illusion on the stage did not successfully transfer to the movie industry, especially as the quality of film advanced throughout the twentieth century. This aesthetic shift for scenic artists was already in play during the first decade of the twentieth century – the early twentieth-century generation of scenic artists that had to figure artworks for a new format. They needed an even further division of value to help the painted scenery read on screen – in the beginning. When Harley Merry worked with Thomas Edison on some of the earliest films at the turn-of the century, new painting techniques were created to successfully read in this projected black and white format. Keep in mind that some of the early films also included Thomas G. Moses’ work for attractions at Coney Island. The distance from the camera to the painted setting, and from the screen to the audience, dictated the scenic artist’s painting technique at this time. By the mid-twentieth century, a scenic art system for film was partially in place for color.

Success in any form of scenic art is based on the continued study of the trade. There should never be a point when any artist says, “I have learned enough.” For centuries, scenic artists sought constant training, whether it is in the form of a class at the academy or a sketching trip with one’s contemporaries. We must continue to grow as artists, always studying the past while planning for the future. In many ways, today’s scenic artists are even closer to their nineteenth-century predecessors who successfully worked in a variety of industries throughout the duration of their career. Their income derived from many different venues, not simply painting backdrops for the stage, or working in a studio. It is an exciting time to be a scenic artist as change is the only constant thing we can expect.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Part 778 – Scenic Studios and a New Drop Curtain 1911

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 Theatre

Image 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 21

Hasselgren 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.

To be continued…