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Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 553 – The 1906 Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

Part 553: The 1906 Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

Yesterday’s post was about the White City Amusement Park near Chicago in 1906. Attractions included “The Last Days of Pompeii” and the “Chicago Fire.” It is important to keep in mind that although these two disasters were not recent, two similar ones had just occurred that year. A devastating fire raged throughout San Francisco after an earthquake, and Mount Vesuvius erupted again. They both occurred during April 1906. Disasters fascinated the public and were quickly incorporated into publications and amusements.

Image from “The Chicago Tribune,” 8 Aug 1906, page 3

While researching the San Francisco Fire, I was reminded of a gift I received years ago; it was the 1906 book – “The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire Horror, the complete Story of the Greatest American Disasters, Horrors of the Vesuvius Eruption.” Written by Charles Eugene Banks and Opie Read, there was a poignant passage in the preface: “Strike one section of the world a terrible blow and all other sections have their deepest sympathies immediately centered in that spot. It is this fact that keep’s alive man’s belief in the universal brotherhood of the race.” At few paragraphs later, the authors continue, “Following close upon the eruption of Vesuvius on the other side of world the San Francisco disaster found the country busy raising funds for the homeless Neapolitans. The Golden Gate City was involved in this work when of a sudden it became the subject of the world’s bounty.”

There were many from the entertainment community who dipped into their personal funds or performed at benefit concerts to send funds to those recovering from a disaster. Buffalo Bill donated $5000 to the Neapolitan relief effort. After all, he had performed in front of a smoldering Vesuvius while on his 1889 European Tour. But there were many theatre manufacturers who directly benefited from staging spectacles that depicted these devastating events.

The Volcano setting at the Scottish Rite in Salina, Kansas

The Volcano setting at the Scottish Rite in Salina, Kansas. This section was painted partially translucent to simulate lava spilling down the mountain side.

Stage machinery for the effect. The Volcano setting at the Scottish Rite in Salina, Kansas. This section was painted partially translucent to simulate lava spilling down the mountain side.

The theme of erupting volcanoes became a popular staged spectacle at Scottish Rite theaters after 1906. Instead of Mt. Vesuvius erupting, however, it was a volcano on the isle of Patmos. Patmos (Greek: Πάτμος) is an island in the Aegean Sea, the most well-known of the smaller Dodecanese islands. Patmos was known as the location where a vision was given to the disciple John in the Book of Revelation and where the book was written. The degree production relates to the breaking of the seven seals. Cataclysmic events occur and a variety of painted visions are magically revealed in transparent sections of the composition.

Scottish Rite Vision scene for the 17th degree for Fort Scott, Kansas. The stage right temple collapses and is transparent to reveal a “vision” from the Book of Revelation.

The revelation of a “vision” stage right. Scottish Rite Vision scene for the 17th degree for Fort Scott, Kansas.

This scene had the potential to be one of the most exciting degree productions on a Masonic stage. Lighting flashed, thunder rumbled, the ground trembled, and a volcano exploded. Classical buildings that were painted on a cut drop toppled as a red plume of lava spewed high in the sky. Then red rivulets streamed down the mountainside, soon spilling into a lake and turning it blood red. This scenic illusion was a new popular design option for the seventeenth degree on many Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite stages after 1906.

Backside of painted volcano for scenic illusion. The Scottish Rite in Omaha, Nebraska

The first time I staged the action for this setting was in Winona, Minnesota. During the evaluation, volunteers assisted in successfully presenting the collapse of two-dimenional buildings for photographic documentation. The Winona scenery was produced in 1909 by Sosman & Landis. As these drops were sold at auction, it is unlikely that Humpty Dumpty will ever be put back together again. What was really interesting about the Winona Volcano scene was the hardware. Much was formed from cut metal canisters and adapted for a specific task. Very little was pre-manufactured other than the batten holders that secured the bottom of a drop to the stage floor so it would not shift.

Batten hardware to anchor bottom of cut drop to stage floor. This prevented the scene from moving when ropes were lowered painted facades on drop to simulate collapsing classical temples.

Batten hardware to anchor bottom of cut drop to stage floor.

Previously, this seventeenth degree composition depicted ancient ruins were a series of visions were revealed to the audience. This remained the case with Northern Masonic Jurisdiction Scottish Rite scenery. It was only degree work in the Southern Jurisdiction that adopted volcanic explosion on Patmos. Sosman & Landis labeled their design either“17^th degree Vision” or simply, “Volcano.”

Design from the Twin City Scenic Co., in the Performing Arts Archives at the University of Minnesota.

Design from the Twin City Scenic Co., in the Performing Arts Archives at the University of Minnesota. Notice the translucent section for the revelation of “vision” scenes placed behind the drop.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 543: Bestor G. Brown and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, continued

Part 543: Bestor G. Brown and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, continued

The San Francisco earthquake struck in the early morning hours on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. Bestor G. Brown provided an eyewitness account for the “Topeka Daily Capital” (April 25, 1906, page 7). Here is the second half of the article.

“Thursday is the day when the real horror of the situation came. The boats which came across the bay from San Francisco were packed with people who looked like they had fought to get on the boats. I left Oakland on the Southern Pacific on Thursday and all the tracks could be seen the effects of the earthquake. Every water tank along the line had been thrown down. I suppose that the vibration from the earthquakes set the water to slopping from side to side in the tanks and as the affairs are ordinarily top heavy they went over.

“This is not the first earthquake I have felt in San Francisco. I went through a small one there last August. I understand that they are comparatively common there. I am no scientist and do not claim to be able to tell why San Francisco is so frequently visited by earthquakes, but I am inclined to think that the peninsula on which the city s located has been thrown up by some volcanic forces. The Indians, so I was told some years ago, have a tradition that some monster of the ocean built it for a place to rest. The Indians never landed there from their canoes and never camped there. So I am inclined to think that they knew hundreds of years ago that this region was subject to earthquake shocks.

“What impressed me was the supreme confidence the people had in San Francisco. There was no excitement on the streets after the earthquake. Most of the people were in the streets but they were all cool. There was no panic in San Francisco on Wednesday, at least. The cars were not running. It never occurred to me to wonder why. I suppose it was on account of the power being cut off.

Looking up Market Street from Ferry in San Francisco.

Market Street on Fire, looking east to the Ferry building from Fremont Street.

“I saw Market street shortly after the first shock. There seemed to be three distinct waves or swells in that part of Market street which I saw. The car tracks, asphalt pavements and sidewalks seemed to have been left in dips and swells. There was some debris in the street, broken glass, cornices, etc., but the damage would have been small if it had not been for the fire.

Street damage after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake

The remains of the Monadnock building in San Francisco after the earthquake and fire in 1906

“The Monadnock building, west of the Palace Hotel, seemed to have had its pillars shoved out from the walls of he buildings but did not seem to be greatly damaged. The Palace hotel on the outside showed no effect form the shock except that a few bits of cornice had been shaken to the street below.

“The city hall was the worst wrecked building of any I saw. They say that political jobbery figured largely in its construction and the complete ruin of the building seemed to bear that out. The framework of the dome was still standing when I saw it and did not seem greatly damaged. But the rest of the building at the base of the dome was twisted and smashed and totally wrecked by the earthquake.

Damage to City Hall after the San Francisco earthquake and fire, 1906

Postcard showing damage to City Hall after the San Francisco earthquake and fire, 1906

“The Palace hotel did not look like it had received a scratch while a saloon across the street had its entire front thrown out into the street. The sidewalks along the streets were covered with loose bricks, broken glass and cornices. I saw the Call Chronicle and Examiner buildings and they did not appear to be even damaged. It was the fire which destroyed them.

“From Market street I could see the flames starting on Montgomery and Mission streets and closing in towards the center of town. One fire seemed to me to start in, or near, the Grand opera house. The origin of those fires is something they have not satisfactorily explained. Many seem to think that they were started by crossed wires but from what I know of crossed wires I do not agree with that theory. I do not think that the fires could have started so quickly from crossed wires, if they could have started at all. I think that probably the power houses were wrecked as soon as any and that the current would have been shut off before the crossed wires could have started any fire. I am rather inclined to think that the fires were caused by the individual power and electrical light plants which some of the buildings are contained. Most of these places were operated by steam and the earthquake occurred at a time in the morning when the fires would have just been started under the boilers. The earthquake seemed to throw down anything built of brick and as most of these boilers were bricked in I think that their brick walls were thrown down and the destructive fires started from the debris thrown into the fires which had been lighted under the boilers.

The San Francisco Scottish Rite after the earthquake and fire in 1906

“The brick buildings were the ones that suffered most from the earthquake. The earthquake seemed to throw the four walls of the brick buildings outward. I saw one man in Los Angeles Thursday night who had gone through the earthquake at Santa Rosa. He said that he was afraid to go to bed that night and I asked him why. He said that the night before he had gone to sleep in the third story of a hotel in Santa Rosa and had waked up in the street. I didn’t believe him and so he explained. He said that he had gone to bed in the third story of a three story hotel. He woke up all covered with plaster and rubbish and ran to the window of his room. He had said that he thought the building was on fire and that the roof had partly fallen in, so he called for someone to bring him a ladder so that he could get out. Someone in the street asked him what he wanted with a ladder and told him was in the street and to walk out of his window. He did and climbed over a pile of rubbish that had formerly been the first and second floors of the hotel into the street. He climbed back into the room again and found and put on most of his clothes. He told me that he did not know what happened to the people who were asleep on the lower floors of the hotel but that he supposed they must have been killed.

“The great damage in San Francisco was caused by fire. I suppose that it could have been successfully checked almost before it got started but the water supply gave out completely. I don’t know why it was but I know that it did and that I couldn’t get a drop of water to drink until I got to Oakland in the afternoon. I should judge that the failure of the water supply was due to the earthquake breaking the mains. I know that this was the cause of the water supply failing in Oakland. The big mains which carried the water from the pumping plant into Oakland were broken and disjointed by the shock so that Oakland was without water for a large part of the day and would have been completely at the mercy of fire as San Francisco of a fire had started. But 1,500 people of all classes turned out and mended the Oakland mains so that they had water again in the afternoon.

“The thing that impressed me the most as I waked through the streets of San Francisco after the earthquake was the absolute confidence the people seemed to have in their city. They were perfectly cool, probably on account of having gone through so many slighter shocks. The shock occurred at 5:30 o’clock. It wasn’t difficult to know the exact time as every clock in the city stopped on the minute that it happened. The people came down town at the usual tie and many of them entered their offices as though to do their usual work. Some of the merchants opened their stores.” The end.

Damage after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 542 – Bestor G. Brown and the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906

Part 542: Bestor G. Brown and the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906

Map showing the range of the San Francisco earthquake in 1906

I discovered an interesting article about Bestor G. Brown and the San Francisco earthquake while researching Freemasonry in Kansas during 1906. It is a fascinating eyewitness account of the natural disaster and subsequent fire. Brown was in town attending a meeting at the San Francisco Masonic Temple. It was while lodging at the Union League Club that Brown experienced the first tremors during the early morning hours on April 18, 1906. The earthquake triggered several fires that burned the city for two days. This article really gives you a sense of Brown’s personality, story-telling ability and charisma, much more so than any published history. The article was first posted in the “Topeka Daily Capital” on April 25, 1906, page 7.

Here is the first half of the article:

“Bestor G. Brown who is in Topeka attending the Scottish Rite Masonic reunion, was in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake, and puts in the time at the Masonic hall, when he is not helping with degree work, in relating his experience. Most of yesterday afternoon he sat in a big armchair in the smoking room and lodge quarters and told the story of the disaster. His audience changed continuously and he would finish the story to one party, some fresh listeners would drop in, and he would have to tell the story over again for their benefit.

The San Francisco earthquake as reported by the Cincinnati Post

The fires that raged for two days after the San Francisco earthquake on April 18, 1906

The same area after the fires swept through San Francisco from April 18-20, 1906

He stated that if it had not been for the fire, the damage to San Francisco would have been comparatively slight. Many of the buildings were destroyed by the earthquake, but the largest and finest structures stood through the successive shocks, only to be consumed by the flames which swept over the unfortunate city. He left San Francisco in the afternoon of the day on which the disaster occurred and remained in Oakland until the next days before he started for Kansas. He arrived in San Francisco late Tuesday evening and his baggage was left at Oakland to be brought across the bay the following morning. What personal baggage he had with him at the time of the earthquake he saved so he lost nothing on account of the earthquake except his breakfast and dinner which he did not get.

“‘I can’t describe an earthquake of the feelings one has who experiences one,’ said Mr. Brown. ‘The best description I have heard of the earthquake, I heard from a Los Angeles man. He said that it was like he was a nice red apple in the top of a tree with a crown of husky boys around the tree trying to shake him down.

“All I can say is that I felt frightened and couldn’t tell why. I felt eight shocks. They say that there were forty-eight. I don’t know what became of the other forty. Eight was more than a plenty for me. I suppose that the first shock was the most severe, but it was the later ones that frightened me. I suppose that was because I was not thoroughly awake when the first one was in progress, and did not realize how severe it was until I got downstairs. The real horror about an earthquake shock is the uncertainty of it. You never feel just sure about how it will end or what it will do. A cyclone you can see and can form some idea of what will happen next, but with an earthquake it is all mystery and uncertainty.

“I got into San Francisco late Tuesday night and went to the Union League club. I was sleeping soundly at the time of the most disastrous shock. I got up, dressed and went out with my overcoat and grip. The destruction in that part of town had not been extensive. The fire that came afterward was the horrible feature. [The Union League Club is located at 1000 California Street and along with the Fairmont Hotel across the street, the only structure to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire in the area].

The Union League building where Bestor G. Brown stayed the evening of April 17, 1906. James C. Flood Mansion, 1000 California St., San Francisco

“It was curious to note the different effects the earthquake had on the buildings in different sections. In some sections the buildings were twisted and out of shape or totally destroyed and in others they did not seem greatly affected.

“The terror of each severe shock is something that cannot be forgotten. The longest shock I felt probably continued five seconds, but it seemed much longer. The earth seemed to rise and fall and rock back and forth and then finally the shock ended with a sudden jar. It felt like the rising up of some huge animal in an effort to shake something off its back. That is as near as I can describe it.

The ruins of the San Francisco Masonic Temple after the fire in 1906. This was where Bestor G. brown met with other Masons on the morning of April 18, 1906, after the earthquake.

“The Grand Chapter of Masons met in the forenoon at the Masonic temple and were holding their meeting when the military came in an said it was time to move as they were going to dynamite the Palace hotel.

I went out to the street and saw the fire creeping up from two sides. I saw it creep up to the back door off the meat market on Market Street and the minute it touched the rear of the building it seemed to sweep through and bulge out into the street in front. About the time I took to the woods, I started for the waterfront and got there in about an hour and a half.

“When I left the Masonic temple I saw the fire creeping into the center of town. I decided that the town was doomed and that I could do no good so I decided to get out. It was not so hard to get out if one used head and feet. It took me about an hour and a half to reach the waterfront, but I got there. I had to take a rather roundabout route, though, I would start down one street until I was stopped by fire. I would cross over the next street and maybe meet the military there being ordered to move on. And so dodging fires and military from street to street I finally reached the dock.

“My route took me down through the poorer part of town and it was almost ludicrous to see people trying to get out with their effects. They seemed to use anything that had casters on it and haul their things on. I saw one man shoving an old carpet lounge with some small articles on it down the streets. I wondered how long the cheap casters and legs of the lounge would last. I saw another man shoving a cheap piano stool ahead of him and all there was on it was a brass birdcage with a canary in it. It was funny, and still it was rather pathetic.

“At the ferry boat landing there was no confusion. I got there in time to catch the 2 o’clock boat to Oakland. The boat was greatly crowded. In fact it was not a larger load that can be frequently seen in the evenings at San Francisco. The crowd on the boat was not excited. The Southern Pacific was very nice about taking people out of San Francisco, but they would not take anybody into it. They ran their boats across the bay on schedule time and carried all who came to the dock without saying a thing about fares or trying to charge. At the Oakland docks the people were allowed to get into the suburban trains for Berkley, Alamdeda or Oakland, according as they chose to go, and they were carried free.

“When I got to Oakland I had not had breakfast or dinner so about the first thing I did was hunt up a restaurant. I ordered two poached eggs on toast. They were very fine. I had just eaten one of the eggs when I saw the chandeliers of the dining room begin to shake and I decided to eat another egg some other time. Everybody else left the dining room at the same time I did and without completing their meals so that I do not feel the least ashamed.

San Francisco on fire after the earthquake

“From Oakland I saw the most magnificent spectacle I ever witnessed in my life. The papers stated that the flames at San Francisco were fanned by a high wind. That is a mistake. The great clouds of smoke and flame floated straight up into the sky. I saw the Palace hotel catch fire and burn. It made a beautiful blaze. Wednesday night I went down to the pier to see about my trunks which had not been sent over to San Francisco the night before and so were never taken over. I loitered about the pier talking to the baggage man as he looked for my trunks. I looked across the bay and the sight was wonderful. The boats were still bringing people from San Francisco and I managed to slip into one of them before it started back to San Francisco. I remained on the boat as it came back across the bay to Oakland it looked like great waves of flames were following the boat an account of the reflection from the fire in the waves which were caused by the boat. The fire lit up the bay so that it looked like it was afire. It looked like a sea of fire.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 423 – Coney Island – “Fire and Flames”

Part 423: Coney Island – “Fire and Flames”

Besides “Trip to the Moon,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” and “The War of Worlds,” Moses & Hamilton produced several smaller attractions at Luna Park. Thomas G. Moses recalled, “At Luna Park I had a big show of ‘Fire and Flames,’ a very effective amusement park show. Real fire, real engines and an awful mob of street vendors and loafers. A lot of good comedy and it did good business.”

Thomas G. Moses and William F. Hamilton helped create the spectacle “Fire and Flames” for Fred Thompson at Luna Park in 1903.

The attraction that Moses referred to involved the burning of a four-story brick building over the space of a city block. In 1903, the New York Times described this upcoming attraction at Luna Park, reporting that the setting for “Fire and Flames” was to depict “the greater part of Manhattan Island below Forty-fifth Street, with millions of lights in the tall buildings” (New York Times, 28 Sept 1903, page 7). The article continued, “A hotel is to catch fire, when all the paraphernalia of the Fire Department, the ambulances, and police reserves are to be exhibited.”

Detail of a scene from “Fire and Flames” at Luna Park.

The Peninsular Club Public Opinion journal advertised “Fire and Flames” as “the most realistic and stirring of all the shows.” The article explained, “Hundreds of supers take part in this, with many horses, cabs, wagons, several real trolley cars, fire engines, hook and ladder outfit, life net and water tower. The street scene is so life-like that it doesn’t seem like a show at all, and the flames bursting from the house-windows, the people at the windows screaming for help, the firemen scaling the walls with their ladders to bring down some, while others leap into the life-net, are all so terribly real that the audience feels that it has assisted at a bona-fide holocaust. The heat and ashes from the flames are sufficiently genuine to give all the thrills an ordinary mortal requires” (The Peninsular Club Public Opinion, August 12, 1905, Vol. XXXIX, No. 7, page 200).

In 1904, the former chief instructor of the New York City Fire Department, Henry W. McAdam, left his position after twenty-one years to become the director in charge of Luna Park’s “Fire and Flames” (Fire and Water Engineering, Vol. 37, 1905, page 248). McAdam was one of sixty fire fighters cast in three engine companies employed to work for Thompson for this one spectacle. The actual burning of the block involved four hundred people (Broadcast Weekly, page 7).

Moses recalled, “It was so popular that a similar attraction called ‘Fighting the Flames’ immediately appeared at “Dreamland,” the nearby amusement park also on Coney Island. Extant photographs documenting the two shows reveal almost identical spectacles.

Detail of painted backdrop next to three-dimensional building for “Fighting the Flames” at Dreamland.

Amusement park attractions, such as “Fire and Flames,” inspired early filmmakers to record the excitement and action of the spectacle. They left small snippets of popular culture that we are able to still explore when studying the past. Thomas Edison made a short movie depicting the 1904 “Fire and Flames” attraction at Coney Island, giving us a glimpse at the scene Moses describes above. Here is a link to the short film that Moses helped create for Luna Park: https://vimeo.com/165556307

I noticed something wile watching the film of “Fire and Flames;” the scenery is identical the “Fighting the Flames” as depicted in postcard s and photographs. “Fire and Flames” used a much bigger set. I wonder the film was incorrectly labeled at time of production since both attractions were filmed at the same time.

Postcard depicting the Dreamland attraction “Fighting the Flames”

Similarly, the competing attraction “Fighting the Flames” was also filmed and is available to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJylhIhtrlA

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 288 – Grace N. Wishaar at Ye Liberty Playhouse

Grace N. Wishaar was listed as the scenic artist at Harry W. Bishop’s Ye Liberty Playhouse in Oakland when it opened to the public in 1904. That was ten years after her scenic art career began and forty years before she would win the Ladies World Championship for chess.

Ye Liberty Playhouse was located at 1424 Broadway in a portion of the Realty Syndicate Building. Twin arched entrances at the front led to the Syndicate Realty offices (left) and the theatre (right).

Entrance to Harry W. Bishop’s Ye Liberty Playhouse in Oakland, California.

“Henry’s Official Western Theatre Guide” (1907-1908) listed the seating capacity for the venue as 1,980.

1905 seating map for Ye Liberty Playhouse in Oakland, California.

It was a sizable house for Oakland and the space was illuminated with both gas and electric lights. The proscenium opening measured 36’ wide by 36’ high. The depth of the stage was 80’ with a 75’ revolve conceived by Harry W. Bishop. The height to the gridiron was 65’-0.” Ye Liberty was also considered to also possess an extremely fine stock company and present remarkable productions.

Harry W. Bishop’s Ye Liberty Playhouse, 1910. This is where Grace N. Wishaar was the scenic artist from 1904-1909.

Ye Liberty later became a movie theatre in 1917 and was renamed the Hippodrome. At this time, the venue advertised “High-Class Vaudeville Feature Photo Plays and Animated Weeklys.” Then the venue became known as the MacArthur Theatre before briefly reverting to its original name. By 1930 the space was renamed – again – the Century Theatre, and then finally became the Central Theatre. Sadly, the section of the Syndicate Realty Building that held Ye Liberty Playhouse was torn down and rebuilt into a retail space during 1961. A southern entrance to a Footlocker Store now marks the original site.

Some of Wishaar’s 1904 productions at Ye Liberty included “Frou Frou,” “Hamlet,” “A Gentleman of France,” “Merchant of Venice,” “Pudd’nhead Wilson” and “Held the Enemy.” Newspaper articles mentioned the combined efforts of the scenic artist Miss Grace Wishaar and Ye Liberty’s stage carpenter Walter Woener (Woerner). Woerner was also in charge of the mechanical department and later worked at the Fulton Theatre.

In 1905, Wishaar painted scenery at Ye Liberty for “Juanita of San Juan” and “The Light Eternal.” Grace Wishaar’s sets for “Juanita of San Juan” (Oakland Tribune, Oct 17, 1935) were held up with high acclaim. This same year, she was featured across the country in the article “Clever Woman Invades Scene Painting Field” (Albuquerque Citizen, 21 July 1905, page 3). The article reported “A woman sitting on a bridge at a dizzying height in the rear of the stage in an Oakland theatre, painting in with bold strokes skies and trees and castles, proves the ability of her sex to keep pace with the masculine gender in the following of any profession.”

1905 article about Grace N. Wishaar, scenic artist.

The article continued, “While Miss Wishaar has gained fame and a good living from her scene painting, she is devoting herself to a branch of art that no doubt in time will bring her fame of the highest type. Her miniature painting shows the most exquisite appreciation of the value of colors. A rare skill in catching her subjects likeness, combined with a most subtle blending of tones make her miniature work worthy of the praise of the most critical of critics.” Wishaar’s miniature portraits included the young daughters of author Jack London (1876-1916). London was an American novelist, journalist, and social activist. He is considered to be a pioneer in the world of commercial magazine fiction and became quite a celebrity.

Grace N. Wishaar painted miniatures of Jack London’s daughters.

Wishaar’s relationship with London and other California socialites would provide a variety of future opportunities. As in New York, she remained a curiosity to many who met her, captivating people with both her talent and intelligence. Wishaar also exhibited and won awards many art exhibitions, chairing a variety of artistic clubs.

Illustration of Grace Wishaar in the 1906 Oakland Tribune.

By 1906, Wishaar was again featured in the Oakland Tribune with a lovely illustration of her straddling a beam and painting scenery in bloomers – attire that she did not paint in. By 1907, Wishaar painted the elaborate scenery for “Cleopatra” at Ye Liberty and “The Toy Maker” at the Idora Park Opera House, resulting in rave reviews. For “Cleopatra,” an article described her stage settings in detail: “The play opened with the meeting of the beautiful queen of Egypt and the Roman conqueror at Tarsus. This scene was gorgeously set. Cleopatra entered in her brilliantly decorated barge seated beneath a canopy of gold. But this first scene was no more splendid than the other five that followed” (San Francisco Call, 31 December 1907, page 4). Wishaar’s career continued to soar in California, recognizing her artistic achievements on both the stage and in fine art galleries. Three failed marriages were behind her and Wishaar’s future looked bright. It was at this point that tragedy struck the Wishaar home, but once again life would provide new opportunities.

The San Francisco Call (3 July 1909, page 12) reported that Miss Grace Wishaar “narrowly escaped death” when her home at Piedmont Heights was burned to the ground. This was the same area where Harry W. Bishop also lived in his famous home. Wishaar’s home at Folkers and Lake Shore Avenue was burned to the ground. Piedmont had no fire protection, so the Oakland fire department was called to battle the blaze. However, the Oakland fire department was already responding to a small fire at the Empire foundry on Third and Broadway.

Wishaar’s fire was attributed to a defective grate, but she lost everything; her home valued at $5,000, all of her furniture and prized collection of paintings. Inhabitants of the Wishaar home were listed as Grace’s mother Mrs. M. I. Wishaar, her brother Louis Wishaar, and her son Carroll Peeke.

Despite the tragedy, Wishaar persisted with work for a variety of venues. On Oct. 10, 1909, she created a float “Where Rail and Water Meet” to represent Oakland in the grand Portola pageant in San Francisco. The float was 27 feet long by 14 feet wide and 9 feet tall, drawn by six dapple-gray horses in white harnesses.

But the fire, debts from her third failed marriage and loss of her home proved to take its toll on the young scenic artist. That following month, the “San Francisco Call” (6 Nov. 1909, page 9) reported that Wishaar “collapsed from overwork.” The article noted that she was compelled to take a “rest cure.” Enter the California socialite and ward of the “Borax King” who was also battling ill health and prescribed a “rest cure.” Ahhhh. To have permission to escape everything. With a doctor’s orders for rest and a wealthy friend to foot the bill, extended travel plans were in Wishaar’s future. This is when the already interesting life of Grace N. Wishaar becomes REALLY interesting.

To be continued…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued…

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

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 229- Crab Louis in Spokane Falls

Thomas G. Moses and Howard Tuttle joined Ed Loitz in Spokane Falls, Washington, on March 29, 1890. They were itinerant artists, traveling from town to town to paint theatrical scenery and decorate halls. Instead of working for themselves and reaping the profits, however, they represented the scenic studio of Sosman & Landis. Each received a weekly salary for their necessary skills, such as those needed on site at the Auditorium Theatre in Spokane Falls.

Spokane Falls in 1889 before the devastating fire.

During the early years, the spelling of the city varied from Spokan, Spokane and Spokane Falls. By 1891, the “Falls” of Spokane Falls was mostly dropped in maps, advertisements, and many public records. Fur traders and missionaries were the first wave of individuals who invaded the region. The trickle of those seeking land and opportunities became a flood, altering the landscape by cutting down the forests.

By 1871, a sawmill was constructed at the falls on the south bank of the Spokane River and lumber became an incentive for additional settlers to venture west. By 1873 James N. Glover and Jasper N. Matheny arrived from Oregon seeking land and contemplate the establishment of the town. They purchased “Downing’s Mill,” the surrounding 160 acres, and started a settlement. Soon a gristmill was constructed at the falls and the existing sawmill was expanded to include a general store. Families continued to arrive and 1880 ushered in a period of rapid growth and prosperity. By 1883, the Northern Pacific Railroad was completed and Spokane Falls became an economic center in the region.

Spokane Falls after the great 1889 fire.

One of the first tents to pop up in the ruins.

A devastating fire destroyed much city’s downtown area on August 4, 1889. Fire razed more than thirty blocks. The citizens were resilient and a tent city popped up in the city center only a few days later to serve the population as the area was rapidly rebuilt. While the three scenic artists worked in the Auditorium, they ate at one of these tent establishments.

Moses recorded that the weather was quite bleak and a cold theatre did not make easy for easy painting. During their first week on site, the scenic artists sought warmth during mealtime in one of the dining tents. Moses described the establishment “It was very long, possibly one hundred feet, including the kitchen. The first waiter we had smoked a cigar, wore a Prince Albert coat and apron and a battered silk hat. We never knew why this comedy make-up. It was a hit. The tent was run by a man named Davenport, now the owner and manager of the big new Davenport Hotel.” Moses was describing Llewellyn “Louis” Davenport.

Image of Davenport’s tents in 1890 on top of Davenport’s poster and later establishment from 1892 below.

Davenport arrived in Spokane Falls during March of 1889. He first worked at his uncle Elijah’s restaurant, called the Pride of Spokane. Like many other downtown establishments, it burned to the ground during the great fire. In the midst of devastation, Louis started his own business with two tents and salvaged furniture three days after the fire. He called his tent business Davenport’s Restaurant. After moving his enterprise to a more permanent location, it soon became one of the most renowned restaurants in the region. He was so successful that by 1914, Davenport entered into another business venture, this time with other Spokane businessmen to construct a hotel. Overseeing the entire endeavor at the corner of Post Street and Sprague Avenue, Davenport became the first proprietor of the Davenport Hotel. Architect Kirkland Cutter had designed the building and it was the first hotel in the United States with air conditioning, a central vacuum system, pipe organ, and dividing doors in the ballrooms. It is also the place where “Crab Louis” (named after Louis Davenport) originated. The Davenport Hotel is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1912 photograph showing the construction of the Davenport Hotel in Spokane Falls.

Interior view of the Daveport Hotel’s Hall of Doges.

Current view of the Hall of Doges. The hotel was designed to emulate the elegance of the Doge’s palace in Venice, Italy. Diners were transported into the world of Renaissance art and gilded scrollwork. Here is a pretty awesome sight that shows a before and after version of the Hall of Doges: http://www.spokesman.com/then-and-now/davenport-hotel-hall-doges/

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 141-The Old Harley Merry Studio

Four months after Harley Merry’s death his old studio was destroyed by fire. I find this fascinating as the story reads like a mystery. The January 9 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported a substantial loss for the current occupants.

It published, “The Harley Merry scenic studio in Franklin avenue, near Malbone street, in which the scenery for many of the greatest dramatic productions was painted, was destroyed by fire today. The entire contents of the building, including the completed scenery for one production and the partly finished scenery for another play, was lost. The building loss is estimated at $3,000, while the loss of the contents will amount to $10,000. The building and contents were uninsured. The fire was discovered at 10:30 o’clock by Michael Stabile of 27 Coffey street, who, with Frederick Snell of 8905 Fifth avenue, was in the building at the time.

Stabile was in the cellar under the studio when he heard a noise which sounded like the drop of a heavy weight. He ran up to the second floor, and as he opened the door leading to the stairway a cloud of smoke burst into his face. He called for help and a policeman sent in an alarm. Batailion Chief O’Hare, who was in charge of the fire engine companies to arrive, feared that the fire would spread to the adjoining building, which are all of frame construction, and to the Consumers Brewery across the street, and he sent in a second alarm. Six engines and two truck companies were soon on the scene, but the fire was beyond control and their efforts were devoted to saving surrounding property.

The roof fell an hour after the fire was discovered. Ten foremen were in the building when the roof tottered and were warned by the call of Deputy Chief O’Hara. All escaped before the roof collapsed. The flammable nature of the contents and the high wind are given as causes for the building’s rapid destruction.

The building was originally used as a scenic studio by E. J. Britton, retired actor and scenic artist, who painted under the name of Harley Merry. After his death last September the building passed into the hands of his daughter Mrs. George Kennington. It has recently been rented as a studio to E. Van Ackerman and J. Katser.”

I wondered about the history of these recent renters, Ackerman and Katser.

Ackerman sounded familiar to me, so I checked my scenic artist database. I only found a very brief notation about P. Dodd Ackerman, so I started searching newspapers from the period. In 1897 E. Van Ackerman painted a new drop curtain for B. F. Keith’s Union Square Theatre, depicting a “handsome interior with a view of a drawing room and distant conservatory” (New York Times, Dec. 8, 1897, page 4). He also painted the scenery for “The Privateer” at the Star Theatre with P. Dodd Ackerman. In 1913, he designed “Mlle. Modiste” at the Globe Theatre.

Advertisement from Julius Cahn’s 1913 Theatrical Guide.

I then found an advertisement in 1913 of “E. Van Ackerman, Scenic Studio, successor to P. Dodd Ackerman.” This suggested a split in the partnership, or possible death. The advertisement also noted that the studio was established in 1890. He advertised services for the painting and building of productions at 1576-1578-1580 Bushwick Avenue, Borough of Brooklyn, New York City. It also noted that Ackerman’s studio was only “Thirty Minutes from Broadway.” The “Ackerman Bros. Scenic Studio” had been at the same location, yet the advertisement in Gus Hill’s theatrical directory was from 1914, a year later. This was curious. Ackerman Bros. Scenic Studio, however, mentioned their production of Motion Picture Theatre Settings.

Advertisement in Gus Hill’s 1914 Theatrical Guide. Other pages in the publication noted that Hill absorbed Cahn’s publication.

As I examined the production history for both E. Van and P. Dodd, they primarily functioned as a scenic artist and scenic designer, respectively. I was more familiar with P. Dodd as he had numerous entries of designs in the Broadway Database (https://www.ibdb.com/), being listed as a designer for ninety-one productions from 1897-1939. His career really took off in 1908 and I had to wonder if his success as a scenic designer caused the two partners, possibly brothers, to briefly part ways. Obviously, their time apart was short-lived as E. Van Ackerman’s rental of Merry’s studio could have only been for a few months. Maybe the disaster and lack of insurance has caused E. Van and P. Dodd to partner again?

Comparatively to P. Dodd Ackerman, E. Van Ackerman had only two productions listed in the Broadway database – 1897 and 1927. That was a thirty- year separation and he had almost a non-existent paper trail for theatrical productions. Very little was published about E. Van Ackerman’s scenic art or designs, but in 1927 he designed the setting for “Tia Juana,” a melodrama at the Schubert Playhouse. The November 5 Morning News (Wilmington, Delaware) reported, “The Company is capable, the scenery elaborate, and there are no dull moments” (page 13). Ackerman’s design for the show was built by the Vail Scenic Construction Company.

In the Old Harley Merry Studio fire during 1911, the newspaper article noted, “The contents included the completed scenery for the production of “The Real Girl,” a musical comedy which is to be produced on Broadway within a few weeks, and also the partly finished canvas for the farcical comedy, “Class,” which also has a Broadway booking.” I have been unsuccessful in finding that either of these productions was finalized. The article also noted “The loss of these two sets is estimated between $6,000 and $7,000.” That would have been a heavy loss at the time.

I then read the last line of the article and experienced butterflies in my stomach. It read, “The studio contained the original models of the “Johnston Flood,” “The Eruption of Mount Pelee,” “The Deluge,” and twenty-two other similar productions.” I knew those productions! But they weren’t Broadway shows – they were disaster spectacles for Coney Island! Maybe E. Van Ackerman’s focus had been producing attractions for amusement parks. They could also have been Merry’s work left over from previous years; items that had not been cleared out of the studio before the renters arrived on site.

To be continued…