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Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 896 – The Omaha Scottish Rite, 1914

Photograph from my visit to the Omaha Scottish Rite during June 2018.

In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Some new Masonic work for Omaha, Nebr.” Moses was referring to the new scenery and stage machinery purchased for the Omaha Scottish Rite Temple on Twentieth and Douglas streets. The firm previously delivered some scenery for Scottish Rite degree work for the Masonic Temple on Sixteenth and Capitol Avenue. The 1914 work mentioned by Moses was an addition to an earlier collection delivered by Sosman & Landis.

Omaha was one of four Scottish Rite meeting places in the state, with the other three located in Lincoln, Fremont and Hastings. In 1914, Sosman & Landis also worked on other Scottish Rite projects that Moses recorded, “furnished a lot of work for the boys.”

On May 18, 1914, the “Omaha Daily Bee” reported:

“Scottish Rite Initiation to Be in Last in Old Building. A class of fourteen will receive the twenty-first degree in Scottish rite masonry Monday evening at the Masonic temple, Sixteenth street and Capitol avenue. This is the last class which will receive the preceptor degree in the old Masonic temple, as it is believed that the new Scottish Rite temple at Twentieth and Douglas streets will be completed and occupied by the order at the time of the initiation of the next class. Refreshments will be served following the initiation Monday evening” (page 10).

The Spring Reunion boasted a class of forty-cone candidates who received the fourth to eighteenth degrees, using Sosman & Landis scenery previously purchased for degree productions. During the two-day reunion, Scottish Rite degree work for the fourth to fourteenth degrees were completed on Tuesday and degree work for the fifteenth to eighteenth degrees were completed on Wednesday. This means that the original Scottish Rite stage in Omaha only had scenery to use for the fourth to eighteenth degrees. A list of all the candidates was published in the “Omaha Daily Bee” on 25 March 1914 (page 3). By the next spring reunion, there were one hundred Scottish Rite candidates in the class at the new building (Omaha Daily Bee, 25 March 1915, page 8).

Images of the Omaha Scottish Rite before it was dedicated in 1914.

The dedication ceremonies in the new building were held on November 16. The Omaha Scottish Rite was erected at a cost of over $225,000. Of the Omaha Scottish Rite’s new home, the “Omaha Daily Bee” reported, “The new Scottish Rite Cathedral is a three story structure, with high basement, built of Bedford granite, with imposing Ionic columns and porticos. The auditorium on the second and third floors where the initiations will take place, is an attractive modern theater, with a stage 30×40 feet and a seating capacity of about 1,000. It is tinted in cream with pink decorated panels and has all the arrangements for lighting, stage settings and precautions against fire, of the most up to minute theater. It has a wardrobe and paraphernalia room adjoin” (1 Nov. 1915, page 25). The size and scope of the project increased over course of the year.

M. C. Lilley & Co. of Columbus, Ohio, received the contracted for Omaha’s Scottish Rite theater. They subcontracted the 1914 set of scenery to Sosman & Landis. Keep in mind that by 1914, Moses had been associated with Sosman & Landis since 1880. He was the current vice-president of the firm and supervised all design, construction, painting and installation. He also negotiated many of the contracts. After Landis’ passing, Moses’ role in the company continued to expand, while Sosman’s responsibilities diminished. It was not easy sailing for Moses during this time; especially when studio projects continued to increase, necessitating the use of annex studios and regional offices.

In 1914, the Omaha Scottish Rite project also encountered a series of snags during planning and production. First and foremost, there was a misunderstanding concerning who was responsible for the structural work necessary to support the scenic drops. It was unusual for anyone else besides M. C. Lilley or Sosman & Landis to install the stage machinery, so I m perplexed that this was an issue. Part of the standard procedure for Scottish Rite scenery installations at that time was that they were suspended from “Brown’s special system.” There was always a company representative who was there during the first reunion to help supervise the operation of the system.

Furthermore, the Omaha Valley Scottish Rite reduced the number of drops to less than half due to the expense, likely deciding to reuse much of the original scenery collection; a common practice for many Scottish Rite’s at the time, but this bit into the expenses expended by the studio during the planning and designing process. The original plan for eighty line sets sixty line sets was reduced to sixty, greatly affecting the final workload and anticipated profits. These two factors, contributed to a delay in the final delivery of the scenery, so it was not until the Spring Reunion of 1915 that everything was in place. That scenery remained in place for the next eight decades.

In 1980, Dr. John R. Rothgeb of the University of Texas in Austin inquired about the original scenery. He received a response from the Secretary D. William Dean that April. Dean responded that the Omaha Scottish Rite currently owned 47 “beautiful curtain drops.” He then wrote, “…and they are all originals. They are remarkably in good condition considering their age as is also the Building which we have tried to keep in the very best of repair.” Over the course of the next sixteen years, however, someone would make the decision to get rid of these drops and purchase a the used scenery from the Kansas City Scottish Rite.

The Omaha Scottish Rite purchased from the Scottish Rite scenery collection from Kansas City, Kansas in 1996 for $40,000. The Kansas City, KS, Scottish Rite scenery dates from the 1950s. It was painted by Maj. Don Carlos DuBois, representing the Great Western Stage Equipment Co. I was able examine all of the current backdrops at the Scottish Rite Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 15, 2018, while driving south for “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” book signing.

The Kansas City Scottish Rite sold their scenery to the Omaha Scottish Rite in 1996.

The used scenery was available for purchase because the Kansas City Scottish Rite put it’s building on the market in 1996 and moved to a new location. I initially learned of the collection’s relocation to Omaha while researching Scottish Rite compositions for my doctoral dissertation. For a while, the entire set of backdrops was posted online at the time. In the end $140, 000 was spent to purchase, remove, transport, and install the new drops in Omaha. Stylistically, the painted aesthetic of each collections was decades apart.

I still don’t know what happened to the original 1914 Sosman & Landis scenery, as only bits and pieces of stage machinery remain in lobby display cases.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 814 – The Second Scottish Rite Stage in Bloomington, Illinois.

The Bloomington Scottish Rite membership dramatically increased during the second decade of the twentieth century. Within less than a decade, a larger facility and grander stage were need for degree work. Sosman & Landis first delivered scenery to the Bloomington Scottish Rite in 1911 and 1912. They would not deliver any scenery for the 1921 stage. The Director of Works, Delmar D. Darrah ordered a second set of scenery from his good friend John Becker of J. C. Becker & Bro. in Chicago. Darrah, an active member of the Supreme Council, was the author and director of the Passion Play. He also was the Director of Works and managed many of the production that won fame in the local Scottish Rite Consistory.

In 1917, a new building was proposed and land purchased at East and Mulberry taking place by May 1918. Necessary building contracts were authorized during November 1919, with the building being completed by 1921. The new Scottish Rite Temple was located at the north edge of the Bloomington’s business district, at 110 E. Mulberry Street. The first Fall Reunion in 1922 included 353 candidates. Owned by the Bloomington Scottish Rite Consistory, the building soon became host to a public theatrical event – “The American Passion Play.”

The stage of the Bloomington Scottish Rite.

Auditorium of the Bloomington Scottish Rite.

I first learned of Bloomington’s Passion Play while cataloguing the Great Western Stage Equipment Co. collection as part of an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) grant in 1989. The collection included a 1928 Bloomington Passion Play program. Beginning in 1923, the Bloomington Scottish Rite Masons presented “The American Passion Play,” an elaborate annual production that was over three hours in length, with fifty-six scenes and up to two hundred and thirty actors.

The success and popularity of the production was immediate for both the Fraternity and local community. On April 18, 1927, “The Panatgraph” reported, “Leon M. Abbott, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, Praises the Passion Play” (Bloomington, Illinoi, page 3). Abbott traveled 1500 miles expressly for the purpose of attending the Passion Play. He also explained to the audience that about five years ago it had been his privilege to see the original Passion Play as portrayed by the inhabitants of the little Bavarian city known as Oberammergau. The Oberammergau Passion Play had been performed since 1634. A staging of Jesus’ passion, covering the short period of his life from his first visit to Jerusalem and leading to the crucifixion, the play was the result of town residents vowing in 1633 that if God spared them from the Bubonic plague they would produce the play thereafter for all time. Of Bloomington’s American Passion Play, Abbot stated, “Today, [Darrah] took me back to that place in the little Bavarian village with a population of 19,000, some 5000 of which take part in the Passion Play. It was a wonderful experience.”

Some of the scenery by J. C. Becker & Bro,. for the Passion Play.

The article continued, “Highest officials in Masonry with other active members of the Supreme Council from Eastern States and from Illinois, witnessed Bloomington’s gigantic production Sunday evening when more than one thousand Consistory men and their wives assembled to honor the distinguished guests – Honor guests lauded work of Delmar D. Darrah, active member of the Supreme Council and Director of Work in Bloomington Consistory and also the Consistory Players.” Abbot as quoted complimenting Darrah, saying, “It almost staggers belief that one man can be responsible for the intricate preparation of all that necessary to present the work which we witnessed this afternoon.” A photograph was included with the article, picturing (left to right) Delmar D. Darrah of Bloomington, C. R. Spillman of Chicago, Leon M. Abbott of Boston, S. O. Spring of Chicago, and Leroy Goddard of Chicago.

(left to right) Delmar D. Darrah of Bloomington, C. R. Spillman of Chicago, Leon M. Abbott of Boston, S. O. Spring of Chicago, and Leroy Goddard of Chicago.

For Bloomington’s Scottish Rite stage and for Darrah’s Passion Play, J. C. Becker & Bro. provided all of the scenery instead of Sosman & Landis.

Why Becker and not Sosman & Landis?

The switch is because John Becker cultivated a close friendship with Darrah. This connection would give Becker an advantage for many 1920s Scottish Rite projects throughout the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, especially those in Illinois. After becoming a Mason in 1912 (Maywood Lodge 869 F&AM), Becker also became a 33^rd degree Scottish Rite Mason [the final and honorary degree of the AASR]. He was a life member in the Valley of Bloomington and also active in Chicago. Becker joined Chicago’s Medinah Temple Shrine and was a past watchman of White Shrine of Jerusalem. These Masonic connections were a necessity when bidding on Masonic scenery contracts for both the Northern and Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

Becker’s approach is exactly the same of Joseph S. Sosman. Sosman’s connections were how Sosman & Landis secured the majority of scenery contracts for the Southern Jurisdiction. Sosman enjoyed close friendships with key Southern Jurisdiction representatives, especially Bestor G. Brown of Kansas. Brown was the Past Grand Master of Kansas who became head of many other Masonic Orders, as well as being the western representative of M. C. Lilley in Kansas City. M. C. Lilley was a massive fraternal regalia and paraphernalia manufacturer who supplied many fraternal organizations with necessary products that ranged from paper documents and ritual books to lodge room furniture and costumes. M. C. Lilley, represented by Brown, also outfitted Scottish Rite theaters. Although M. C. Lilley did not manufacture any stage scenery, lighting systems or stage machinery, they subcontracted the work to firms such as Sosman & Landis. Both Brown and Sosman were prominent Freemasons, the key to their success within the Fraternity and theatre industry.

From the mid-1890s until the passing of Sosman in 1915 and Brown in 1917, M. C. Lilley had a close relationship with Sosman & Landis, almost solely using their services for Masonic theater contracts. This rapidly changed after the passing of both Sosman & Brown, leaving Sosman & Landis without a close fraternal connection. Furthermore, the company’s second president, Thomas G. Moses, did not become a Mason until the mid-1920s. By this point it was too late. Moses was well known and his work well respected, but he could not compete with other scenic studios represented by a Mason, such as J. C. Becke & Bro.

So…by 1915, Sosman & Landis does not have a Mason representing the firm, however, both of their major competitors do – J. C. Becker & Bros. and Toomey & Volland. Therefore, Becker Bros. and Toomey & Volland rapidly gain ground during the second decade of the twentieth century, eventually eclipsing Sosman & Landis by 1920. J. C. Becker & Bro. began to secure many of the contracts for Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. With the backing of key Scottish Rite figures, such as Darrah, they began to increase their contacts across the country.

The strength of the Bloomington Scottish Rite could not survive declining membership and aging buildings. In 20, the old Bloomington Scottish Rite became the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. In an amazing turn of fate, the Bloomington Scottish Rite moved back to their first home. The original Bloomington Masonic Temple is once again the home and meeting place for the Valley of Bloomington. They went full circle, but lost so much along the way. The 1912 Bloomington Masonic Temple continues to be the meeting place not only for the Scottish Rite, but also other Blue Lodges, the York Rite, Order of DeMolay and Rainbow Girls.

Stage where the Bloomington Scottish Rite now meets.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 786 – The Main Studio at Sosman & Landis

Sosman and Landis built their main studio at 236 and 237 S. Clinton Street. The street numbers later changed to 417 and 419 S. Clinton Street, yet the studio did not change locations. The change was due to the renumbering of Chicago streets, also known as the Brennan System.

“The Encyclopedia of Chicago” explains this street name change at the turn of the twentieth century. The publication specifically describes the history prior to the 1901 Brennan System:

“The street names of Chicago offer a rich record of the city’s spatial and social development. In 1830, southern Illinois mapmaker James Thompson created Chicago’s first official map. Commissioned by the federal government to bring order to the city, Thompson platted the small downtown area bounded by Kinzie, Jefferson, Washington, and Dearborn streets. Departing from the tradition of naming streets for their destination, Thompson initiated the enduring practice of naming streets after figures of national and local significance.

“In the decades that followed, explosive urban growth, annexation, and the popular political favor of honorary street naming resulted in multiple streets of the same name and streets known by several different names. In 1901, building superintendent Edward P. Brennan confronted the confused state of affairs. He suggested that Chicago be ordered as a large grid with a uniform street numbering system, and proposed State and Madison Streets as the city’s primary north-south and east-west axes. In 1908, the “Brennan” system was officially adopted by the city council and became the basis of modern Chicago’s street naming system.

“Over the next decades, Brennan’s system incorporated not only the principle of having street address numbers register distance and direction, but also the ideas that all portions of the same street should go by a uniform name and that north-south streets should be named alphabetically as one moved west from the Chicago/Indiana border. Led by Brennan and Howard C. Brodman, superintendent of the city’s Department of Maps and Plats, the city council and business community continued through the 1930s to replace duplicated street names in order to simplify navigation and economize postal service and merchandise delivery. Of the more than a thousand streets within Chicago’s city limits today, the greatest number—more than 170—bear the names of real-estate developers. English towns and Chicago’s former mayors and aldermen have provided the next most popular sources of names.” The street numbering system revision was completed in 1909.

A business address really does matter when it becomes part of a firm’s identity. Sosman & Landis were at their main studio for over three decades, becoming a landmark on Clinton Street. When the company dissolved, three things happened: the liquidation of company assets, a new lease in the old studio space and the purchase of the “Sosman & Landis” name. For a while, the new address became home to Chicago Studios. This caused a problem for Thomas G. Moses and Fred Megan, especially after they purchased the Sosman & Landis name. You see, Chicago Studios began marketing itself as the new owners of Sosman & Landis. They used the space, but had not retained the Sosman & Landis staff or designs.

The problem became a significant one, forcing Moses to send out letters to many previous clients. In 2010 I discovered a letter during the evaluation of the Scottish Rite scenery collection in Salina, Kansas.

Sosman & Landis letter that I discovered during the Salina Scottish Rite scenery evaluation

A Nov. 13, 1923, letter from Sosman & Landis to the Salina Scottish Rite stated:

Dear Sir,

It has recently been brought to our attention that a certain studio is advertising out old customers that they have brought the Sosman & Landis Company and are now operating same, combining it with their original company. We wish to assure you that this is not a fact and that our original organization in intact, but our studio has been moved to new and better quarters. Mr. Thomas G. Moses, our Art Director would like the opportunity of meeting with your scene committee to submit our designs and specifications covering your requirement. You will perhaps recall that we were favored with your original scenery order, working through the M. C. Lilley Co. and therefore, it is not necessary for us to give you any reference as to our ability and quality of workmanship.

Sosman & Landis relocated their offices to 6751 Sheridan Road in 1923. Moses’ role with the firm had shifted from being the company president to its artistic director. In 1923, Moses and Fred Megan bought the name “Sosman & Landis,” continuing to produce scenery as before, just in a new location; they retained the studio designs. At first, they rented space at other shops, such as the Fabric Studio.

To be continued…

Note included:

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Part 776 – Thomas G. Moses and the Memphis Scottish Rite, 1911

The Scottish Rite in Memphis, Tennessee.

In 1911, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Some more work at Memphis, Tenn., Masonic.” Sosman & Landis delivered additional scenery two years after the initial installation. In 1909, Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis produced a scenery collection for the Scottish Rite in Memphis, Tennessee. At the time, scenery was purchased through M. C. Lilley and work subcontracted to Sosman & Landis.

The auditorium and drop curtain at the Memphis Scottish Rite. Scenery was delivered by Sosman & Landis in 1909 and 1911

Photograph posted online by the Memphis Scottish Rite of their spring reunion work.

The auditorium at the Memphis Scottish Rite.

Architectural ornamentation at the Memphis Scottish Rite auditorium.

The first reunion in the Memphis Scottish Rite building was held from November 15 to 19, 1909. Over the years, a variety of Masonic activity at the Memphis Scottish Rite Temple was reported in newspaper articles, personal correspondence, and business letters.

In 1916, a letter from Charles Rosenbaum of Little Rock, Arkansas, to Frank A. Derr of Guthrie, Oklahoma, addressed the use of footlights in Scottish Rite theaters. The letter noted that the Scottish Rite in Memphis Tennessee employed the use of footlights for their degree productions. The Guthrie Scottish Rite was considering the installation of footlights for their stage.

Rosenbaum responded to Derr’s query on June 10, 1916:

“I note what you say about footlights, but what use are they? In our old synagogue [the Albert Pike Cathedral, 1896], we had footlights; we found them sort of a nuisance. When we built on 8^th and Scott [the Albert Pike Consistory Building, 1902] we left them out entirely.

While in New York several years ago talking to Stage expert equipment people they showed me foot light equipment they were building for a High School building and it had a nice disappearing arrangement, which was all right.

I asked what was the necessary for foot lights, and why they were used.

The answer was —You have to have them to throw up the light on the people on the front of the stage to light up and destroy the rawness of their makeup, which means the paint and stuff they use on their faces, they said you can’t get along without them for that reason.

I said —Suppose there is no makeup, and I described our use of a stage, and they said it would be foolish to have footlights at all, and only in case we rented the building for theatrical purposes would it be necessary, because when Actors and Actresses made up the necessity would it be evident.

So —as we don’t rent for any such purpose and don’t make up our faces, and have no business very far out toward the front of the stage, or for that matter in front of the curtain line, we have no use for ‘foot lights, to high light our faces and they have no use for them in Memphis either unless they rent for shows of one kind or another.’”

There is something to consider beyond the topic of footlights that Rosenbaum discusses in the letter. When many Scottish Rite stages were constructed, they were never intended for public use or rentals. Times have changed and public rental income is a necessity. This mean that many stages have been altered to accommodate a renter, or make it more appealing for public rentals.

Over the years, the Memphis Scottish Rite altered their building for a variety or reasons, including a movie set. While examining the history of the building, I discovered an article that reporting the theater was “expanded and refurbished” when used to film performance scenes for the 2005 movie “Walk the Line,” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspon.

Still from 2005 film, “Walk the Line” at the Memphis Scottish Rite posted at
http://masoniccontemporary.org/welcome#/id/i9190912

Note proscenium side lights at the Memphis Scottish Rite. Still from 2005 film, “Walk the Line” at the Memphis Scottish Rite posted at
http://masoniccontemporary.org/welcome#/id/i9190912

Backstage at the Memphis Scottish Rite. Still from 2005 film, “Walk the Line” at the Memphis Scottish Rite posted at
http://masoniccontemporary.org/welcome#/id/i9190912

The counterweight system, Brown’s Special System, is picture in the background of this film still. Note the wooden arbor frame. Still from 2005 film, “Walk the Line” at the Memphis Scottish Rite posted at
http://masoniccontemporary.org/welcome#/id/i9190912

In some ways, the rental of Scottish Rite buildings and stages for filmwork has provided much necessary income for many Scottish Rite Valleys. However, the money comes at a price. Damage inevitably occurs over time as various lighting systems and other equipment are installed for a specific film scene, or temporary structures are anchored to existing walls.

I think of the continued television and film work that occurs in the Santa Fe Scottish Rite and recognize the recent changes that have compromised a once unique system. The original counterweight system, known as Brown’s Special System, has been irreparably altered from its original state. Photographs of this system that were published in “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (2018, Museum of New mexico Press) depict a pristine system, one that remained unaltered since its installation in 1912. No matter the historical significance, or words of caution, nothing could have prevented its alteration over the past two years.

I understand that change is inevitable as the Fraternity responds to declining membership. In many instances, the loss of membership means a loss of annual revenue, prompting Scottish Rite Valleys to respond in various ways, such as public rentals. Some renovate the space that generates the greatest rental income; in many instances it is the stage and auditorium. For an organization that remained locked in time for decades, a few individuals are irreparably altering their spaces. Stage houses, specifically the scenery, stage machinery and other systems, are often repaired, altered, or renovated, without any undertstanding of the system. Furthermore, these alterations are often completed without the knowledge of the membership or staff. Sadly, a few members consider these historic buildings as their personal playgrounds, completing one “home-improvement” projects after another and using unrated hardware, duct tape, contact cement, and other inappropriate products for their work.

Go visit your nearest Scottish Rite theater now, as change is coming and it might be different by tomorrow.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 709 – “Installation Shall be Under the Direction of Bestor G. Brown”

Part 709: “Installation Shall be Under the Direction of Bestor G. Brown”

By 1910, the process of manufacturing and installing Scottish Rite scenery collections operated by Brown’s special system was running like a well-oiled machine. M. C. Lilley & Co. landed the work and subcontracted the scenery, stage machinery and lighting portion to Sosman & Landis. M. C. Lilley & Co. provided the costumes, regalia and other necessary paraphernalia.

Up to this point, I have discussed the scenery produced for Little Rock, Oakland, Wichita, Guthrie, Fargo, Salina, Portland and others at the turn of the twentieth century. Let’s jump ahead a decade at the peak production of Scottish Rite scenery in the Sosman & Landis studio, 1909-1910. During that two-year period, Sosman & Landis produced scenery and stage machinery for Kansas City, Kansas; Winona, Minnesota; Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Memphis, Tennessee; Guthrie, Oklahoma (second installation); St. Paul, Minnesota; Denver, Co; and Indianapolis, Indiana. Keep in mind that at this time the studio also refurbished the Wichita scenery from 1898 and delivered it to Yankton, South Dakota. There are other collections from this period that remain unidentified at this time.

I have also looked in detail at the promotion of Brown’s special system, a method of counterweighting the scenery, that was marketed by well known Mason, Bestor G. Brown. For Masonic context, Brown was a Past Grand Mater of the Grand Lodge of Kansas (1903) and a member of numerous Masonic orders, including the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in both the Northern and Southern Jurisdiction. Brown also belonged to the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and Improved Order of Redmen. His profession was that of western sales manager for M. C. Lilley & Co., a supplier of fraternal, military and band goods. He was also considered the only Masonic Stage carpenter in the United States.

There is an interesting section in the 1910 contract between M. C. Lilley & Co., represented by Brown, and the Guthrie Scottish Rite:

“The installation shall be under the direction of Bestor G. Brown who will take charge of and handle the stage during the first reunion, without compensation or expense of any kind, provided of course, sickness or other preventing circumstances shall not operate and abridgement of any in terms of this contract or the pecuniary liability expressed therein.”

This is big, and I doubt that this is an unusual occurrence. It also explains why Brown was considered the Masonic stage carpenter, ruler of the realm behind the footlights. This single sentence in the contract places Brown on site during the first Scottish Rite Reunion that uses the new stage machinery and scenery. It means that at the completion of each Scottish Rite project there is an individual on site to supervise the initial operation of the system, keeping an eye on Masonic stagehands that are unfamiliar with the backstage aspects of a theatrical production.

There are two significant things to consider:

First of all, after most Sosman & Landis theater installations, the company representative superintending the site work remained on site as the theater opened, or at least operated the system to familiarize the client with the new products. In fact, Sosman & Landis had several employees who traveled from location, to location, installing scenery and stage machinery. The supervisor of each installation worked with a crew of carpenters and then operated the system for the client upon completion. Often after an installation – the superintendent of the work would show how everything worked upon completion. In 1887, newspapers reported that Sosman & Landis would, “complete everything, ready for the rise of the curtain, and will run the stage for the first performance.”

We also know that certain that at least one Sosman & Landis stage carpenter traveled without drawings. In the case of Charles S. King and the Crump Theatre project during the late nineteenth century, he was the only individual who was personally held the knowledge pertaining to the carpentry work and installation of the stage machinery and scenery. to install the stage systems. This was a smart move and may have prevented information from being shared with Sosman & Landis’ competitors, keeping new innovations safeguarded, just as guilds protected trade secrets. The knowledge of a new method for installing counterweight systems placed Sosman & Landis ahead of their competitors to deliver more scenery, as Brown’s special system placed the rigging lines close together.

As the scenery and stage machinery were subcontracted Sosman & Landis, it also makes sense that Brown would be on site, representing M. C. Lilley & Co. and directly communicating with the client. After all, the one installing the scenery may not be a Mason or hold that necessary “charm” when the client became a challenge. Also, keep in mind that it was M. C. Lilley & Co. who directly contracted the entire theatre portion of the project with each Scottish Rite.

The second article of note in this clause is that Brown would “take charge of and handle the stage during the first reunion.” He had to, especially if the Sosman & Landis stage carpenter was not a Mason. Fortunately for M. C. Lilley & Co. Brown was a Scottish Rite member in the Northern and Southern Jurisdiction, as well as a fraternal salesman. An active Scottish Rite Mason had to be the onsite eyes during that first reunion; and that was Brown, ensuring that everything operated as promised.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 696 – The San Francisco Scottish Rite, Feb. 6, 1905 – April 18, 1906

Part 696: The San Francisco Scottish Rite, Feb. 6, 1905 – April 18, 1906

The cornerstone for the Albert Pike Memorial Temple in San Francisco was laid on July 9, 1904 by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, F. and A.M. of California. The name causes a slight problem, as nearly two decades later an Albert Pike Memorial Temple would be built in Little Rock, Arkansas. In Little Rock, the Scottish Rite Masons left their previous home in the 1902 the Albert Pike Consistory Building to join other Little Rock Masonic orders at the Albert Pike Memorial Temple.

Cornerstone laying ceremony for the San Francisco Scottish Rite, 1904.

The San Francisco Scottish Rite’s Albert Pike Memorial Temple was located at 1859 Geary Street in San Francisco, between Steiner and Filmore Streets, the building occupied a 86 feet by 137 feet lot. On February 6^th, 1905, the new home of California Scottish Rite bodies was dedicated and a Scottish Rite Reunion commenced..

Fred J. H. Rickon was the president of the Albert Pike Memorial Temple Association, a group that consisted of some of the most prominent Masons in San Francisco. Other memebers were Frank B. Ladd, William Crocker, W. I. Brobeck and W. C. Ordway. Bestor G. Brown, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas and western sales manager for M. C. Lilley & Co., not only outfitted the new theater with scenery, stage machinery, lighting and costumes, but also “made the presentation speech, paying a graceful tribute to the energy of local fraters” (San Francisco Call, 7 Feb 1905, page 2). Other than the costumes, the theater’s scenery, stage machinery, and lighting were subcontracted to Sosman & Landis of Chicago, Illinois.

In “The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Free-Masonry Transactions of the Supreme Council of the 33^rd Degree for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America” from 1905, there was a report from W. Frank Pierce, Sovereign Grand Inspector General, Valley of San Francisco. He stated:

“Only one reunion has been held in this jurisdiction, This one was at the dedication of the Albert Pike Memorial Temple, San Francisco, and held for the purpose of allowing the brethren from various parts of the State to witness the conferring of all degrees in a temple equipped with the most modern paraphernalia and stage fittings to present their dramatic part of the work.”

On February 6, 1905, the San Francisco Call included the article “Albert Pike Memorial to be Dedicated.” The article reported, “On this occasion the degrees will be conferred with full scenic effects and historically correct paraphernalia for the first time in California. Over $100,000 has been invested in this magnificent structure, of which fully $25,000 is in scenery and costume alone. It is anticipated that many of the craft from all over the State will take advantage of this occasion to receive these degrees, and it is thought that many prominent and distinguished visitors from other jurisdictions will grace the meeting with their presence” (“Albert Pike Memorial to be Dedicated.” 11 Dec. 1904, page 50).

Like many buildings in San Francisco, the Albert Pike Memorial Temple was destroyed during the fire that followed the 1906 earthquake on April 18. By April 22, 1906, the San Francisco Chronicle described the Masonic ruins after the fire: “On Geary street between Filmore and Steiner, two large, new, partly constructed brick and stone buildings, one the Albert Pike Memorial Temple and the other the Congregation Beth Israel Church, both practically collapsed, the roofs falling in. Not far away, on Sutter and Steiner streets, a large new building being constructed for the Golden Gate Commandery of the Scottish Rite fell with a crash” (page 6).

Image of the San Francisco Scottish Rite after the earthquake in 1906, from the San Francisco Public Library.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 689 – M. C. Lilley & Co. Lighting for Scottish Rite Stages

Part 689: M. C. Lilley & Co. Lighting for Scottish Rite Stages

Any painting can be destroyed in an instant with poor lighting. It does not matter how beautiful the composition, or the painted aesthetic; if the person designing ot running the lights does not understand two-dimensional scenes it doesn’t matter.

Lighting for the Scottish Rite stage in Austin, Texas.

During a 1913 New York Dramatic Mirror interview with scenic artist Ernest Albert, he explained that a scenic artist’s function did not cease until the scenery was all installed and the lighting arrangements completed. He commented, “Lighting is within his province, just as groupings are in a measure. An unexpected orange light on violet, for instance, will produce a russet brown that will make everything look dirty. It is true that in the days of gas lighting much softer effects were possible, but I will sacrifice all of the advantages of mellow light for safety…Anyway, we are now avoiding many of the hard qualities of the electric light by greater use of ambers, straw colors, and pinks.”

A pamphlet produced by the M. C. Lilley & Co. for Scottish Rite stages during the early twentieth century commented, “The lighting equipment of a stage used for Scottish Rite purpose is very important. No matter how well the scenery may be executed, much of its effect will be lost without proper lighting. The equipment should be complete and in no department should a false economy produce a lack of capacity.”

In 1900, the following lighting equipment was delivered to the Scottish Rite stage in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Four (4) Borders

Four (4) portable ground rows

Two (2) Strip rows

Two (2) Bunch lights

One (1) Slate switch board, full fused, containing 1 main, 3 Service and 32 subordinate double contact knife switches – 36 switches in all; connections on board all made

In 1912, the following lighting equipment was delivered to the Scottish Rite stage in Santa Fe, New Mexico:

Six (6) Border Rows

Six (6) Ground Rows

Two (2) Strip lights

One (1) Dimmer plant

One (1) Switch board

One (1) Arc spot light

One (1) Arc reflector

Two (2) Metal bunch lights

Eight (8) Framed gelatins

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 688 – The American Reflector and Lighting Co., 1900

Part 688: The American Reflector and Lighting Co., 1900

Yesterday, I examined some correspondence about footlights between Frank A. Derr, of the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and Charles E. Rosenbaum, of the Scottish Rite in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The original stage lighting for Guthrie was listed in a contract between the Guthrie Scottish Rite and E. A. Armstrong Mfg. Company of Chicago, dated April 28, 1900. The Armstrong company was located at 300-302-304 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, and listed as “Manufacturers of Secret Society, Military and Band Supplies.” The lighting, scenery and stage work for the new Guthrie stage was provided by through M. C. Lilley and Co. The companies western sales manager, well-known Mason Bestor G. Brown, subcontracted the new work to Sosman & Landis.

In 1900 the Guthrie Scottish Rite hired E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing C. of Chicago to outfit their new stage, lighting was included in the purchsse. The Scottish Rite bodies spent a total of $694.50 on lighting for the stage, the equivalent of $20,811.19 today.

Here is what the contract specified:

STAGE LIGHTING

Four (4) Borders, each 24 feet long, each containing 60 lights wired for three color; sockets and wiring complete but no lamps-

Four (4) portable ground rows, each 10 feet long, each containing 15 lights, wired for three colors, sockets and wiring complete – but no lamps-

Two (2) Strip rows, each 16 feet long, each containing 24 lights, wired for three colors; sockets and wiring complete but no lamps-

Two (2) eight light, porcelain lined, swing head, iron stand bunch lights; complete with extension cord and plug, but no lamps-

Six (6) cast iron floor pockets

Twenty-four (24) Slate receptacles

Fourteen (14) Plugs for receptacles

Fourteen (14) Plugs for receptacles, three lights attached to each of ground rows and one each to bunch lights-

Four (4) 40 Ampere dimmers, German silver wire wound

Three (3) 20 Ampere dimmers, German silver wire wound

One (1) Slate switch board, full fused, containing 1 main, 3 Service and 32 subordinate double contact knife switches – 36 switches in all; connections on board all made

Sockets all of Edison pattern

MISCELLANEOUS LIGHTING APPARATUS

One (1) lamp and chaser

One (1) 4,000 c/p focusing lamp and reflector, stand and rheostat included.

Large and small carbons – no charge

One (1) Lighting box, Complimentary

NOTE- Goods packed and shipped by American Reflector and Lighting Co. Charges collect, but to be paid and applied on bill.

For Scottish Rite theaters in 1900, scenery and lighting went hand in hand. The same would be true over a decade later, as the scenic studios still had great influence over the lighting systems used to light their painted scenery on Scottish Rite stages. Sosman & Landis were involved with the manufacture of painted scenery, stage machinery, and rigging for the stage. They were also heavily invested in the lighting industry. They designed and manufactured electric scenic theatres, electrical floats and other spectacular electrical effects for a variety of performance venues.

The American Reflector and Lighting Company opened its doors just before the Columbian Exposition. On March 24,1893, the “Chicago Inter Ocean” listed Perry Landis as one of the company’s incorporators and Charles Landis as the treasurer. Joseph S. Sosman was a major investor for the enterprise.

A floor pocket produced by the American Reflector and Lighting Co. found at the Scottish Rite theater in Yankton, South Dakota.

In 1894, the Sosman & Landis studio catalogue offered stage hardware and lighting for other projects than the stage. Actually, an entire page was devoted to the American Reflector and Lighting Company in their catalogue. They offered “a full line of improved lighting fixtures for electricity, gas or oil, specially adapted for the lighting of theatres, halls, assembly rooms, and churches.”

The American Reflector and Lighting Co. salesroom was located at 271-273 Franklin Street where the company advertised 150 styles of reflectors for users of electricity, gas and oil. Their products included lighting fixtures for art galleries, display windows, orchestra shades, street lights, stage dimmers, theatre lamps, silver plated mirror reflectors for incandescent cluster with prisms, and many other products. Their lighting fixtures used crystal glass lined with pure metallic silver to provide “the best practical reflecting surface.” The company advertised that their reflectors, for both indoor and outdoor lighting, “promised that the power of light was fully utilized, as its rays are saved from waste, strengthened and thrown in the desired direction.” In 1904, the American Reflector Co. was located at 199 Van Buren St. in Chicago. By 1914 various advertisements listed a new address for the company at 517 Jackson Blvd.

In addition to standard lighting for the stage, the Guthrie Scottish Rite ordered fifteen special lighting fixtures that included:

Four fixtures, two lights each – one above the other-

Four fixtures, four lights each, each fixture the shape of a circle – 12 inches in diameter-

Three fixtures, nine lights each, the lights in each fixture arranged in the shape of three equilateral triangles with the apexes joined – 18 inches square

One Fixture containing nine lights, eight in the shape of an octagon, and the remaining light in the center fixture 18 inches.

One Fixture containing three lights in the shape of an equilateral triangle – 12 inches

One Fixture of seven lights, arranged in the shape of a triangle, four in the bottom row, three in the next, two in the next, and one in the apex.-fixture 32 inches-

One fixture of five lights in the shape of a square, 5^th light in the center.

With the foregoing fixtures are 116, 8 candle power 110 volt frosted, and colored lamps, also 7 receptacles.

NOTE: – Foregoing is billed at $31.25 less than the estimate.

The price for the above-listed special light fixtures was $419.75, making the total lighting purchase of $1114.25, todays equivalent of $33,389.30.

In 1910, the Guthrie Scottish Rite border lights were mentioned in a letter from Bestor G. Brown (western sales representative for M. C. Lilley & Co.) to Frank A. Derr (Secretary of the Oklahoma Consistory, in Guthrie, Oklahoma). Guthrie was enlarging the stage in their existing building, a project that necessitated the purchase of new scenery, stage machinery, and lighting equipment. The used stage systems were being returned for credit on the purchase of a new scenery collection. On July 26, 1910, Brown wrote, “I shall probably go to Lawrence some time within the next few days and if I can dispose of your electrical equipment, I will be very glad to do so. It is old and will not pass inspection. The borders have a wooden strip on the top and that disqualifies them under the present regulations. If the Lawrence people want to buy them with the full knowledge of the facts, I shall be very glad indeed to see them get them.”

A lighting fixture by the American Reflector and Lighting Co. included in the “American Electrician,” Vol. 16

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 680 – The Scottish Rite in Fargo, North Dakota, 1900

The Scottish Rite in Fargo, North Dakota, 1900

The past few posts examined early Scottish Rite contracts between the Guthrie Scottish Rite and E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing company between 1899 and 1900. Another Scottish Rite theater project occurred during this same time in Fargo, North Dakota. It also included a scenery collection manufactured by Sosman & Landis.

The first steps toward a new Masonic building in Fargo began during 1894. Land was not purchased until February 1898, with the contract for work being finalized during May 1899. On June 7, 1899, the cornerstone was laid for the Masonic Temple at 501 First Avenue North in Fargo. It would be the home to several Masonic orders in Fargo. The building was first occupied on June 6, 1900, but not fully completed. This building would include a Scottish Rite theater, lodge rooms, banquet hall, kitchen, billiard room, armory, reception room and offices. In 1914, an addition was made on the west side of the building. A library, museum, gymnasium, and swimming pool were included in the work. All told, this massive complex included 55,155 square feet of total floor space. The building would be home to the Scottish Rite until 1968 when it was razed as part of an urban renewal plan. In 1968, the Masonic Temple was purchased by the Fargo Parking Authority with the intent to construct a parking lot. Demolition began on June 19, 1968.

The Scottish Rite auditorium in the Fargo Masonic Temple pictured in a 1903 Reunion program

The Scottish Rite stage in the Fargo Masonic Temple pictured in a 1903 Reunion program

Scene created by Sosman & Landis for the Fargo Scottish Rite stage

The turn of the twentieth century is a period at Sosman & Landis produced some absolutely stunning work. The nineteenth-century aesthetic still dominated Scottish Rite scenery, as scenic artist and stage carpenter David A. Strong (1830-1911) was still actively involved with its production. Thomas G. Moses was on his way out the studio door again; this time to start a new business with Will Hamilton, establishing Moses & Hamilton in NYC during 1900. Back in Chicago, Strong still reigned as the “Daddy of Masonic Design” and was still very active as a scenic artist at the Sosman & Landis studio. My research suggests that Strong was very involved in the production of scenery for Little Rock (1896, 1899, 1901), Oakland (1896), Wichita (1898), Guthrie (1900), and Fargo (1900). After 1900, his contributions to Scottish Rite scenery begin to diminish.

Fellow scenic artists referred to Strong as “Old Trusty” and a member of the Dusseldorf School. Of Strong, Moses wrote, “His color was deep and rich and his drawings very correct.” In “Paint Mimic Scenes, Men Who Have Found Fame in the Wing and Drop Curtains” Strong was included as a well-respected scenic artist with the article reporting, “David Strong, “Old Trusty,” still at work in this city, is the only survivor of the good old Dusseldorf school. Everything that comes from his facile brush – and he could walk over miles of canvas of his own painting – has the quality of opaqueness peculiar to his school and seldom found nowadays. (“Chicago Sunday Tribune” article, Dec, 18, 1892, page 41). It is the comment “seldom found nowadays” that rings true. Even in 1892, the artistry of Strong’s generation was diminishing. The last vestiges of this art form are likely still hanging in a handful of Scottish Rite stages across the country.

Sosman & Landis scenery produced for Little Rock, Wichita, Fargo and Guthrie, have a unique aesthetic and compositional approach to the painting. Like a person’s signature, it is easy to identify that a particular scenic artist worked for all four collections. Artworks associated with the Dusseldorf school included an active middle ground, with the primary not taking place in the fore ground. The 1892 “Chicago Tribune” article comment about the “quality of opaqueness” to Strong’s work; this was in direct contrast to the English practice of glazing (Chicago Tribune, Dec. 18, 1892). The opaque application of solid color for Strong also meant that a subject could be worked up from dark to light, the approach of the slapdash tradition. The use of glazes often meant that the composition was painted up in the reverse, from light to dark. Each was a successful method, yet supported differing approaches to color mixing and paint application. That being said, most audiences would be unable to identify the differing techniques or aesthetic nuances as they both read well from a distance.

Sosman & Landis setting for the Scottish Rite stage in Fargo, North Dakota.

Sosman & Landis setting for the Scottish Rite stage in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

A second scenic artist also contributed scenery to the Little Rock, and Wichita collections during this time, approaching the subject matter in the English tradition of glazing. However, this style is only apparent in a few settings, such as the Egyptian scenes and Royal Chamber. Overall, the majority of the scenery for Scottish Rite collections during the late nineteenth century at Sosman & Landis has in identical feel and aesthetic approach to the subject matter. My research suggests that it was Strong who was the main artist; he would have been in his mid to late sixties at the time. Few pieces beyond the 1904 Sosman & Landis scenery installation for the Duluth Scottish Rite remain and are, what I believe to be, indicative of Strong’s work. The floral wreaths for the 1909 setting of Darius’ Festival Palace created for the Scottish Rite in Winona, Minnesota, was another example. However, by 1909, Strong was 79 years old, and likely unable to contribute as much painting to each Scottish Rite project. Keep in mind that Storng was one of the artists for the original production at the “The Black Crook” at Niblo’s Garden in 1866. “The Black Crook” is considered by many to be America’s first musical.

For more posts about Strong, see past installments #127, 215, 248, and 382.

Sosman & Landis setting for the Scottish Rite stage in Austin, Texas, using glazing techniques.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 679 – The 1900 Guthrie Scottish Rite Contract for Scenery

Part 679: The 1900 Guthrie Scottish Rite Contract for Scenery

On April 28, 1900, the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, purchased $2,190.00 worth of painted scenery and stage machinery from E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. The firm subcontracted the creation of the leg drops, cut drops, backdrops and set pieces to Sosman & Landis in Chicago. The contract specified that all drops would be “counter-weighted and installed in working order.”

The order included a painted front drop (drop curtain) and white lantern curtain (picture sheet), 22 backdrops, 6 cut drops, 18 leg drops, and 11 other scenic elements.

Much of this collection was later sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas in 1914, although contract negotiations began as early as 1912.

Original drop curtain for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Original wood setting for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Original Ruins setting for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Detail of Original Treasure drop for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

What this contract clarifies, however, is how the scenery was described and the designation titles for composition. The descriptions would change over the years. For example, a “Royal Chamber Setting” becomes “Solomon’s Throne Room” as more painted detail, symbolic objects and emblems are added.

Original Royal Chamber drop for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Here is a portion of the 1900 contract between the Guthrie Lodge of Perfection and E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co.-

FOURTH DEGREE

One drop with gates in opening; backing which is also used elsewhere being made reversible

FIFTH DEGREE

One stone interior set, consisting of one back drop with scrim panel and one leg drop – one tomb drop with practical doors

SIXTH DEGREE

One Royal chamber set, consisting of one backdrop and one leg drop; leg drop to be used with other sets.

NINTH DEGREE

One cave set, consisting of cave backing and one cut drop for front of cave; also one set for the water-fall.

FIFTEENTH DEGREE

One set showing ruins at Jerusalem; also used in 16^th Degree, consisting of one backdrop, and two leg drops, One drop for Cyrus’ Palace; the leg drop of 8^th Degree being used with this – One Treasure House set consisting of back drop and one leg drop- One bridge set, consisting of horizon drop; one profile fore-ground.

SIXTEENTH DEGREE

One Palace set, for Darius, consisting of one back drop and two leg drops

EIGHTEENTH DEGREE

One constellation set, consisting of one transparent spangled drop; one gauze cloud drop three light boxes showing “Faith”, “Hope”, and “Charity”.

One crucifixion set, consisting of one backdrop, one cut drop, and one leg drop.

One Calvary set, consisting of one back drop with set rose – One peristyle drop, with light box for words “Infinity”, “Nature”, “Reason”, “Immortality”.

One Cathedral set, consisting of one back drop, and one leg drop; One Ascension Scene, consisting of one back drop, One cut drop, one gauze cloud drop, one movable figure. One Hades set, consisting of one back, one cut, and one leg drop.

TWENTY-FIRST DEGREE

One interior wood set, consisting of one back drop, one cut and two leg drops; leg drops are also used in the 9^th & 15^th Degrees.

THIRTIETH DEGREE

One Egyptian Interior set, consisting of one back drop, and two leg drops.

THIRTY-SECOND DEGREE

One camp set, consisting of one backdrop and one leg drop

One white interior, consisting of one back drop and two leg drops, also a transparency of Great Symbol

MISCELLANEOUS

One drop curtain with emblematic devise

One pair of tormentors

One grand drapery

One White lantern curtain

One pair flipper wood wings

All drops counter-weighted and installed in working order in Guthrie.

Besides scenery, the Guthrie Scottish Rite ordered additional costumes, regalia, stage lighting, lighting apparatus, props, stage carpets, and other stage appliances. $1,319.05 worth of costumes and $419.75 of special light fixtures were added to the order in April 1900. The contract noted, “Goods were sent collect, but freight bills receipted are to be valid vouchers against the account.”

Records indicate that the Scottish Rite bodies needed a few more things… by May 15, 1900, an order was placed for belts, bronze pedestals, one table of Shrew-bread, one altar of incense, one brazen laver, one electric bell, three electric buzzers, one dozen small sized plain Mason’s trowels, and ten alcohol torches. A day later on May 16, another order was placed for 74 ½ yards of stage carpet for $46.74. On on April 21, they ordered a full papier mache skeleton for $12.50.

The orders to E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. continued. In September 1900 the Guthrie Scottish Rite purchased a white altar cover, a black velvet cover with tears, a laurel and olive wreath, cast iron floor pocket, 3 extra switches, 14 standards, spears and pennons, 6 extra flags, 4 extra receptacles for $49.75.

In November they purchased an additional two pairs of Flipper wings [book flats], two Ground rows, a 16×24 ground cloth, a gauze cloud drop, a stone altar [likely for JBM] and eight stone blocks and column for $225.50. By the end of the month on November 20, 1900, the Guthrie Scottish Rite placed a large order for $250.10 worth of regalia; various officer jewels, aprons, banners, and lodge furniture from E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. The orders continued, sometimes weekly, monthly, and yearly.

In less than a decade the Valley of Guthrie was outgrowing their theater space, and planned an expansion; one that would necessitate the purchase of all new stage machinery and scenery for a larger stage and proscenium opening. The scenery and stage machinery from 1900 were returned for credit on the purchase of a new collection. However, Brown was working for a different company – M. C. Lilley & Co. The scenery still found its way back to the Sosman & Landis studio, where they stored the collection until it was ready for another sale. The used collection was eventually sold the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas, for approximately $1500, where it is still in use today; sometimes providing the setting for a children’s theatre production. Fortunately, the Guthrie scenery was never altered or replaced after it arrived in Austin. It did not suffer the fate of other collections as the Austin Scottish Rite continued to expand.

As membership increased in Scottish Rite Valleys across the nation, so did their stage needs. Additional settings were added, or entire scenery collections replaced, necessitating even more costumes, props and effects.

Once Scottish Rite stages were constructed, there were always elements that could be added or updated –as long as the membership recognized the theatrical interpretation of degree work as a priority. Over the decades, however, the priorities in some Scottish Rite Valleys shifted their attention away from stage improvement. This was especially common after membership the Rite began a slow descent. Incoming funds were funneled toward specialty projects, people and events. I have noticed that there was a definitive change in the direction of funds that occurred during the 1960s. It is hard to define the exact impetus or even define the change. You can spot it in the candidate classes, the building projects and charitable endeavors. I understand that at this same time, younger generations sought alternative forms of community and social groups. Some call it part of their struggle against the “establishment.” I wonder if it was simply an increase in social opportunities; there were more options for young people.

During the mid-twentieth century many Masonic buildings were also renovated, often given a “face-lift.”. Suddenly brown paneling concealed original ornamental plasterwork, as certain decorative elements were perceived as “dated.”

Occasionally elements would be added to the theater space, but it no longer was the norm to continually purchase scenic effects for the stage. Many of the changes had to do with individual comfort, such as new seating in an auditorium. Funds were also spent on new costumes, as the sizes of Americans continued to increase in height and girth. Original costumes were shoved to the back of the rack, replaced with larger polyester versions.

Stage crews began to see the wear and tear of scenic elements, often requesting funds that were denied as the work was perceived as optional. Therefore, the backstage crews began a series of in-house repairs. So far removed from the original theatre manufacturers, punctures in scenery could result in amateur patches using odd materials that ranged from fiberglass and plaster. I have even encountered sheet metal patches riveted on to a backdrop in Quincy, Illinois. Then came the contact cement and duct tape generation for in-house repairs. As the funds for maintenance and repair were limited or non-existent, few sought out any theatre professionals. Regardless of these amateur repairs, however, many collections remained untouched. Some were guarded by backstage stewards who yelled, “don’t touch it – leave it be!” These became the gems of the Southern Jurisdiction; the theatre time capsules that are so treasured today.

To be continued…