E. A. Armstrong – Drypigment.net

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…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 678 – The 1899 Guthrie Scottish Rite Contract for Costumes

Part 678: The 1899 Guthrie Scottish Rite Contract for Costumes

E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of secret society, military and band supplies, was located at 300-302-304 Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Their letterhead noted that the company was located “Next to Auditorium.” That was the Chicago Auditorium, previously discussed in detail in regard to the development of Brown’s special system.

A copy of the E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. contract with the Guthrie Lodge Scottish Rite

On January 13, 1899, just a few days before a three-day reunion where degrees were conferred by all four Scottish Rite bodies in Guthrie, Oklahoma, the E. A. Armstrong Mfg. Co. filled a large purchase by the Guthrie Lodge of Perfection, No. 1. A.A.S.R. Order No. 1-272 for the Masonic department received a cash payment for costumes, a stereopticon and lantern slides. The head of the Masonic department at E. A. Armstrong was Bestor G. Brown. $1,187.35 worth of costumes and props were purchased for the 4, 5, 6, 9, 14, 15, 18, 21, 30, and 31 degrees. $1,187.35 in1899 is the monetary equivalent of $36,000 today. In addition to costumes, one “double stereopticon with electric lamps and rheostata, mechanical dissolver was purchased for $120.00.” For use with this device, lantern slide subjects included one set “Rock of Ages,” containing twelve slides, one “Ark of the Covenant” and two 18^th degree banners, adding another $51.70 to the total.

Here are a few examples of costumes in the 1899 contract, listing degree characters, as it gives a scope of necessary items at the time:

FOURTH DEGREE

Costumes with head-dresses for Venerable Master, two Wardens, and master of ceremonies 30.00

FIFTH DEGREE

Two (2) Costumes – in white- for King Solomon & Hiram King of Tyre – with head-dresses 30.00

SIXTH AND NINTH DEGGREES

Costume for King Solomon – yellow and purple pluch

Costume for Hiram King of Tyre – red plush

Costume for Heardsman – leggings Greek

Shirt, fillet – with sheep skin mantle 85.00

FOURTEENTH DEGREE

Costume for King Solomon – in cashmere 50.00

Two costumes for Wardens in white-

With headdresses, at $15.00 30.00

Costume for Master of Ceremonies

With head-dresses 10.00

Crux Ansata, 1.50

Pentateuch 1.75

Seven branch candlestick 12.00

Gilt triangle for altar 2.75

Embroidered triangle for altar cover 3.75

Cubical stone with pedestel 18.00

FIFTEENTH DEGREE

Costume for Cyrus 40.00

Costume for Satrap Assyria 25.00

Costume for Satrap Persia 25.00

Costume for Master Calvary 20.00

Costume for Master Infantry 20.00

Two (2) Costumes for Persian Guard

Tunic, helmet, hose, armlet, sandals

Spurs and shields at $12.00 24.00

Garb of slavery 2.75

Costume for Zerubbubel 10.00

EIGHTEENTH DEGREE

Costume for Wise Master-cassock,

Cassock, chasable, and biretta for first

Apartment 32.00

Altar cover – black 24.00

Crucifix 2.75

Crosses – two – black 2.00

TWENTY-FIRST DEGREE

Complete costumes for the following

Lieut. Comdr.

Richard

Alphonso

Isadore

Altandorf

Reinfred

Adolph

Thaddeus

Phillippe Augustus

Warder 225.00

THIRTIETH DEGREE

Four (4) Papier mache skulls, 5.00

Triple tiara, regel crown

Roman cap of Liberty 10.00

Four (4) black cowls 5.00

Four (4) white beards 3.60

THIRTY-FIRST DEGREE

Costumes with wire masks, and head-

Dresses for the following:

Osiris

Atum

Thoth

Anufu

Isis

Nephthys

Har

Four (4) Genic 150.00

Twelve (12) White sateen robes – with

Bald wigs, and white beards, 55.00

Mummy and bier 60.00

Scale, weights and vase 17.00

Four (4) Incense vases 20.00

Looking at the costumes listed about makes me think of the degree performers. It was that western men from a variety of backgrounds who would portray biblical characters, Egyptian gods, and medieval knights. From bankers and lawyers to rancher sand oil men, each had the opportunity to become a star on the Scottish Rite stage.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 674 – Henry Wallenstein and the Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas

Part 674: Henry Wallenstein and the Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas

In 1898, Little Rock Scottish Rite purchased more scenery, effects and lighting for their degree. That same year another Scottish Rite building with stage was dedicated in the region – Wichita, Kansas. “The Wichita Daily Eagle” commented on the rapid growth of the Scottish Rite in Wichita, a very similar situation to the Little Rock Scottish Rite from 1891 to 1899. (6 Nov 1898, page 13). The newspaper article reported, “The pyrotechnic career of the local organization of Scottish Rite Masonry is so really marvelous and brilliant that a brief recapitulation must be of interest to all readers. Its embryonic state was commonplace and primeval enough. Eleven years ago the co-ordinate bodies in this valley were organized with twelve charter members. They then met in the Hacker and Jackson block corner Douglas Avenue and Fourth, in lowly quarters. In January, 1891, having 92 members, the Cathedral property, corner of Market and First streets, was purchased of the First Baptist church society, and fitted up for exclusive Scottish Rite purposes. From that date, the advancement was so rapid that it was very soon it became evident that those accommodations were entirely inadequate and it was talked among members to erect a new edifice on that site….The result is that right here in Wichita is located one of the most completely equipped and magnificent Temples entirely devoted to Masonry any where in the southern jurisdiction.” By 1908, there were 412 members,

Bestor G. Brown set his sites on this new project after outfitting the stage at the 1896 Albert Pike Cathedral in Little Rock, Arkansas. The scenery for the stage was subcontracted to Sosman & Landis. In addition to representing E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. of Chicago in 1898, Brown was the stage director for the Wichita Consistory. This allowed him to speak with his Scottish Rite clients in Kansas from a unique position and deep understanding of the demands for various degrees. Even though Brown’s his primary residence was in Chicago from 1892 to 1898, he remained active in Kansas Masonry. As a traveling salesman, Brown’s returning to Kansas for a Scottish Rite reunion twice each year helped fraternal sales.

Wichita Scottish Rite before the addition.

In Wichita, Brown recommended the purchase of a building for their Scottish Rite, just a he had in Little Rock, Arkansas. The renovation of an existing building was far less costly than the construction of an entirely new structure. As with Little Rock, the renovation included a theater space. The Valley of Wichita purchased the Young Men’s Christian Association for during January 1898, and extensively remodeled the space to include a 300-seat auditorium. $15,000 was spent on the inclusion of a stage, scenery and other necessary paraphernalia.

Brown was not alone in this endeavor. There was a second Scottish Rite Mason from Wichita to greatly aided in promoting the theatrical interpretation of Scottish Rite degree work- Henry Wallenstein, a 33rd degree and Grand Cross. In Wichita, Wallenstein was the Director of the Work. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wallenstein moved to Wichita at the age of twenty-seven and entered the mercantile business, becoming a co-owner of the business by 1886. He came from a city that was well-known for staged degree productions and beautiful Masonic theaters. As with Brown, Wallenstein became a well-known “staging expert” for the Scottish Rite degrees. His contributions to the successful dramatization of degree work were recognized as an outstanding achievement in Masonry.

Wallenstein was a Deputy of the Supreme Council in Kansas during 1909 when the second Scottish Rite building was dedicated on November 19. From the modest 300-seat auditorium of 1898, the Wichita Scottish Rite constructed a 1500-seat auditorium. Located on Seventh Street and Ann Avenue in Wichita, the dimensions of the complex were 138 feet long, 65 feet wide, and 78 feet high. Towering four stories over the area, the building was exclusively constructed for Masonic uses. By 1910, there were 2,400 Scottish Rite Masons holding membership in Wichita Consistory No. 2. That same year, the “Wichita Daily Eagle” reported, “Wichita Consistory is now without peer throughout the southern grand Masonic jurisdiction in the high quality of the dramatic work placed and staged before yearly increasing classes; and in numerical membership, and ranks high among other cities of the world. It boasts the costliest cathedral exclusively dedicated to Masonry, in the world” (3 July 1910, page 5). The article continued, “To Henry Wallenstein as to no other one man, belongs the most credit for any single individual…For ten years Mr. Wallenstein has been the Director of the Work, his fine dramatic personality, rare histrionic conceptions, pecularly [sic.] fitting him for this trying position.”

Auditorium and stage after the addition at the Wichita Scottish Rite

The 1909 stage measured 60 feet wide by 35 feet deep, necessitating all new scenery and stage equipment, including Brown’s special system. By this time, Brown was the western sales manager for M. C. Lilley and a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas. He was well-respected throughout the country and known as the only Masonic stage carpenter in the United States.

The 1898 scenery and stage machinery in Wichita were returned to M. C. Lilley & Co. for credit on the purchase of their new collection. Only a few pieces were retained; the seventeenth degree visions drops were enlarged and are still used today. Keep in mind that in 1909 Brown’s special system was the standard counterweight system delivered by Sosman & Landis, subcontracted by M. C. Lilley & Co. It likely replaced their previous counterweight system. The used system and stage machinery were then sold to another Scottish Rite Valley – Yankton, South Dakota.

Original counterweight system at the Wichita Scottish Rite, now in Yankton, South Dakota

Brown’s special system now used at the Wichita Scottish Rite

Fabric-wrapped counterweight form the original system at the Wichita Scottish Rite stage

Counterweight from Brown’s special system

It remains uncertain as to what the 1896 stage machinery delivered to Little Rock, Arkansas looked like, but it likely was similar to what was delivered to Wichita in 1898 and is now at the Scottish Rite in Yankton, South Dakota. The rigging system delivered to the Yankton Scottish Rite is an interesting blend of elements, including a pinrail and cloth-wrapped iron weights, resembling sand bags. There is no question that the scenery delivered to the Scottish Rite in Yankton was the original Wichita Scenery. As is the case in Pasadena with the Little Rock collection, the Wichita scenery was clearly marked with shipping notes on the sandwich battens and “Wichita” as the first destination written on the back of many drops. The same writing is still apparent in Wichita on a few enlarged scenes that remained at the venue. This makes the scenery in Yankton, the earliest known example of a counterweight rigging system used in the Southern Jurisdiction.

Studio label noting Wichita as destination location for backdrop in Yankton, with “Wichita” clearly visible.

Studio label noting Wichita as destination location for backdrop in Wichita, with “Wichita” clearly visible.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 674: Henry Wallenstein and the Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas

Part 674: Henry Wallenstein and the Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas

The Wichita Scottish Rite before the addition

The Wichita Scottish Rite after the addition

Postcard of the completed Wichita Scottish Rite

Stage machinery currently at the Wichita Scottish Rite

The original counter weight system for the Wichita Scottish Rite now in Yankton, South Dakota.

Brown’s special system currently in Wichita, Kansas

Fabric wrapped counterweight that was originally used at the Wichita Scottish Rite, now in Yankton, South Dakota

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 673 – Charles E. Rosenbaum and Little Rock, Arkansas

Part 673: Charles E. Rosenbaum and Little Rock, Arkansas

Bestor G. Brown arrived in Chicago during 1892, and by 1894 he was working as a traveling salesman for fraternal supplier E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. of Chicago. 1892 was also a significant year for the Little Rock Scottish Rite as the Bodies were reorganized. At the time, their was a total membership of only 18. Over the course of three years the Little Rock Scottish Rite would gain 84 32^nd degree Masons in their Consistory, with a total membership of 115.

When the Little Rock Bodies reorganized in 1892, there was not a single piece of paraphernalia to confer the degrees. Within a very short time, the Little Rock Scottish Rite went from nothing to fully-staged degree productions with hundreds of members. During the period from October 23, 1891, until February 21, 1895 the Little Rock Scottish Rite received $11,357, of which $3,627.46 was spent for paraphernalia and another $367.10 for fixtures and furniture. For the 1895 Fall Reunion in Little Rock, the Scottish Rite announced, “We are well equipped with paraphernalia for the proper conferring of these beautiful degrees.” That year the Little Rock Scottish Rite would plan for the construction of a new home. The last reunion held in the Masonic Temple was during the summer of 1896, with the plan that the fall reunion would be held at their new home.

Scottish Rite stage pictured in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1899 Reunion Program

In 1896 an existing Little Rock building was renovated to include a stage. Located on Center Street between Third and Fourth Street, the structure was constructed as a Jewish synagogue. The building was remodeled and equipped for a total of $12,000, allowing the growing membership room to expand and stage portions of their degree work. By 1898 changes continued to be made to the building, especially in the areas of additional scenic and electrical effects.

Little Rock’s Fall Reunion program of 1898 praised the new scenery acquisitions, commenting, “The building has the same appearance outside as when you saw it last, but when you enter the auditorium, don’t beat a retreat – thinking you are in the wrong place – it may take you a moment or two to become accustomed to the great change in the interior, but you will soon feel home again, and will enjoy a will enjoy to a much greater extent the exemplification of the various degrees, assisted so materially by additional scenic and electrical effects, on which neither labor or expense have been spared, to the end that it might be the most perfect to produce” (“Fall Reunion Program” Albert Pike Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1898). This second scenery collection was again delivered by Sosman & Landis. As with many Valleys, the skyrocketing membership demanded a larger facility, so a second building was constructed, moving the Scottish Rite from Center Street to the northwest corner of 8^th and Scott.

Backstage area picture in 1904 Little Rock Scottish Rite Reunion program.

Brown’s special counterweight system from Little Rock, Arkansas, now still in use at the Pasadena Scottish Rite.

Looking up at Brown’s special system arbors (left) and bottoms of backdrops (right)

The Albert Pike Consistory Building was dedicated on September 18, 1902, With Charles E. Rosenbaum, as Sovereign Grand Inspector General in Arkansas, presiding over the dedication ceremonies, with Bestor G. Brown giving an address. At the time, Brown was the Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas. By 1905, the Little Rock Consistory building was christened the “Gem of the Southern Jurisdiction.” Within the first decade of use, however, the Little Rock Scottish Rite Bodies were already outgrowing their home. The Albert Pike Consistory was remodeled and enlarged by 1913. The expansion of the Albert Pike Consistory Building incorporated the 1902 building into the complex, but added a projecting front bay and triangular pediment, supported by four fluted Ionic columns. The Little Rock Scottish Rite remained in this space until their move to the Albert Pike Memorial Temple in 1924.

In 1919, the Grand Lodge of Arkansas building burned, prompting discussions concerning a new home to house the Grand Lodge of Arkansas, two Blue Lodges, the Scottish Rite and the York Rite. This magnificent edifice would span an entire city block and contain 156,00 square feet.
On May 12, 1924 the new building was dedicated the “Albert Pike Memorial Temple.” This is the current home of the Little Rock Scottish Rite.

When the Scottish Rite left the Albert Pike Consistory building for the Albert Pike Memorial Temple building, the 1902 Little Rock scenery collection was split between the Valley of Pasadena and the Valley of Miami. It is possible that elements from the original 1896 and 1899 installations made up a portion of the collection. At the time, many Scottish Rite theaters retained certain scenes, even when purchasing brand new collections. The stage aesthetic remained constant, and certain scenes were cherished by the membership.

The Little Rock collection included approximately 100 drops and over 100 scenic pieces (flats, profile pieces and ground rows). When the scenery was divided for Miami and Pasadena, additional scenes were added at the time. Over the years, Pasadena continued to add scenic elements, yet seldom removed any backdrops. They also did not replace their entire counterweight system. Brown’s special system only remains in Pasadena, the Miami Scottish Rite having replaced their stage machinery and original drops.

There is no question that many of the backdrops in Pasadena came from the Albert Pike Consistory building. Original charcoal labels and shipping stencils denote “Little Rock” as the delivery destination. Furthermore, one bottom batten includes the Scottish Rite recipient, Charles E. Rosenbaum. There are also two scenes in the current Pasadena collection that exactly match two photographs included in the 1904 Little Rock Scottish Rite spring reunion program- King Cyrus’ throne room and the camp scene. This makes the Pasadena Scottish Rite extremely significant in not only theater history, but also the history Scottish Rite Freemasonry. It holds some of the earliest stage elements used in the Southern Jurisdiction. The collection in Pasadena is part of Charles E. Rosenbaum’s and Bestor G. Brown’s legacy.

Kin Cyrus scene pictured in Little Rock Scottish Rite Reunion program, 1904

Same Little Rock backdrop with fabric extensions in the Pasadena Scottish Rite

The “Scottish Rite Orient of Arkansas” website explains, “Brother Rosenbaum’s service to the Scottish Rite remains unmatched since his death. Successive generations and thousands of Masons have enjoyed and continue to enjoy the many improvements and innovations that he infused into our great fraternity. The Scottish Rite of Arkansas has always felt honored and privileged to have had Albert Pike as one of our own and his contributions are countless but we are also thankful to have had Brother Rosenbaum for his innumerable contributions to our Craft.” One of the greatest contributions that Rosenbaum personally oversaw still exists – the stage machinery and scenery now in Pasadena.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 633 – Revisiting Brown’s Special System

Part 633: Revisiting Brown’s Special System

I am still exploring the development of Scottish Rite stages and degree productions, specifically the implementation of “Brown’s Special System.”

An example of Brown’s special system from 1912.

An example of Brown’s special system from 1904

I left off yesterday with a new counterweight system being developed in the Midwest with a unique client – the Scottish Rite. This innovation allowed more drops to be crammed into a limited amount of space, resulting in the sale of even more stage machinery and scenery. This development and sale of this new counterweight system involved three entities – a fraternal supplier (E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co.), a salesman (Bestor G. Brown), and a scenic studio (Sosman & Landis). It happened sometime between 1896 and 1904. I am aware of only one example that exists, as originally installed from 1904. This system would be still be installed by Sosman & Landis in the 1920s, as used stage machinery was recycled for future Scottish Rite installations. In other words, during a time when metal frames became the standard, Sosman & Landis was still installing used wooden arbors.

So lets look at the major players: E. A. Armstrong Co. is the fraternal supply company secures the stage contract and then subcontracts the scenery, rigging and lighting portions to other firms. They move to Chicago in 1892 and construct a new factory in 1893. Bestor G. Brown, who leads the Maosnic Department at E. A. Amstrong and Co., moves to Chicago and begins working as a traveling salesman in 1894. Joseph S. Sosman and Perry Landis who establish a scenic studio, manufacture stage hardware, and install Brown’s special systems. These two also establish the American Reflector and Lighting Company in 1894.

An advertisement for the American Reflector and Lighting Co. in the 1894 Sosman & Landis catalog

Who may have been responsible for the design of “Brown’s special system?” Obviously, someone who understands the mechanical needs of stage houses. After examining Bestor G. Brown’s education, training and early career choices, there is nothing to suggest that he had any mechanical experience as a stagehand or worked backstage at a theater. If would be unlikely for someone devoid of any backstage experience to intimately understand a stage house and come up with an innovative new system to improve it.

If we interpret the “Brown” in Brown’s special system to designate the salesman peddling the new technology and not the designer of the system, one needs to look at potential candidates in the region, especially those at the Sosman & Landis studio, who may have designed the system. We do not know who was in charge of delivering Brown’s special system at Sosman & Landis. Here are the known individuals who we know worked with development, construction and installation of stage machinery at Sosman & Landis:

W. H. Clifton, a Sosman & Landis stage machinist sent to superintend installations at opera houses, theaters and Elks auditoriums. The first mention of Clifton working for the company is 1889, and he continues into the first decade of the twentieth century. Newspaper articles report that Clifton was sent to superintend the work, requiring him to spend time on site – often about four weeks. His duties on site included fitting the stage carpets and conducting a final run through of all items with the client.

Charles S. King, often listed as C. S. King, was listed as both a stage mechanic and stage carpenter in the same article! King began his career in 1859, and by 1887 had installed 200 stage systems. In 1889, he mentioned that he began working for Sosman & Landis fifteen years earlier – in 1874 – the same year that Sosman arrived in Chicago. Sosman & Landis did not officially form until 1877. The date of King’s death is currently unknown. Both Clifton and King are the only stage carpenters/stage mechanics who I have discovered being publically mentioned as installing scenery and stage machinery on site. Both appear in article during the late 1880s.

David A. Strong was a scenic artist and stage mechanic. We know the most about his scenic art work at Sosman & Landis in the memoirs of Thomas G. Moses. Moses worked with Strong in the beginning, assisting him as an “up and coming young artist.” Strong also works as the lead scenic artist in the beginning at Sosman & Landis, painting much of the Masonic scenery orders as he is a Scottish Rite Mason and has a wide artistic range of subject matter.Moses later refers to Strong as the “Daddy” of all Masonic design, yet he does not differentiate whether the design was solely painted composition or the entire stage aesthetic and scenic effects. We know that brown was a member of the Theatrical Mechanics association and the in same Theatrical Mechanics Association Chicago Lodge No. 4 was John Bairstow who worked on the stage house for the Chicago Auditorium. Brown unexpectedly passed away at in early February 1911.

By 1904, Moses supervises the production of most Masonic work at Sosman & Landis. We know that he did not simply paint scenes, but also designed scenic effects and some of the necessary machinery needed for a variety of spectacles. He had done this for many clients, whether he was representing Sosman & Landis or himself. He also designed amusement park rides after briefly working for Fred C. Thompson.

“Mr. Brown” was a Sosman & Landis stage carpenter who worked for the company during the first decade of the twentieth century, maybe before. Thomas G. Moses mentions the unexpected death of their foreman carpenter– Mr. Brown, who died during late February of 1911.

Now this is where the stage carpenter and stage mechanic can get confusing. Throughout the nineteenth century, the term is somewhat fluid, as stage carpenters are credited with the design and construction of mechanical effects and stage illusion. Stage mechanics are also credited with the design and construction of mechanical effects and the engineering of metamorphosis on stage. Newspapers will refer to the same person associated with the same production as both a stage carpenter in one article and a stage mechanic in another. Although there may be specific duties applied with each, they did not seem to be uniform when used in programs, newspaper articles, or handwritten memoirs.

There were many other stage carpenters and mechanics who filtered through the Sosman & Landis shops from 1877 until 1904. But only one was recognized as being “the only one” who was thoroughly familiar with Brown’s special system by 1912. A statement made by Bestor G. Brown in written correspondence with the Austin Scottish Rite during 1912 states that there was one specific stage mechanic who supervised the installation of the stage machinery for all Scottish Rite installations. At the time, this mechanic was currently working at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite on their new stage. Brown explained that the mechanic’s anticipated timeline was three weeks on site during the fall of 1912. This statement about timeline corresponds with information pertaining to the stage mechanic Clifton superintending an installation.

A later letter from Brown to the Austin Scottish Rite reported that their “superintendent and installation expert” died from an accident, commenting that their deceased employee was the “only one thoroughly familiar with the special method of installing Scottish Rite scenery.” Then he continued, “We do not mean that it is impossible to follow the same methods as heretofore, but it will take a longer time to do it because of a lack of familiarity with the work.”

It may not be the case that this he was the only person who knew the special method – ever. He may have been the only one remaining who was familiar with the special method. If we consider that two potential candidates unexpectedly died during 1911, a team of three could have rapidly been depleted to a team of two in one month. Scenic artist and stage mechanic David A. Strong died on February 5, 1911. Sosman & Landis’ foreman carpenter “Mr. Brown” died on February 27, 1911. It is possible that the only remaining individual who understood the system was Charles S. King. We do not know that the expert was King, but we also don’t know when King died. In 1912, King’s age could have been 69 years old. I use this as a baseline, since many in the technical theatre industry started their profession at the age of 16. Would the expert be sent out on the road at an advanced age? Yes as we know that Moses worked well into his seventies; not solely from an office, but he worked in the studio and on site.

Now there was another “superstar stage mechanic” in the region when Brown’s special system was developed and installed…William Knox Brown. Same name even. Brown was also a Scottish Rite Mason. As a stage mechanic, he had certainly proved his worth and ingenuity time and time again. Brown would also found a scenic studio with two others in the mid-1890s. We’ll look at what Brown was doing in the Midwest tomorrow.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 632 – Tying Up Some Loose Ends and Flying It Out

Part 632: Tying Up Some Loose Ends and Flying It Out

The development of the counterweight system installed at Scottish Rite theaters by Sosman & Landis between 1904 and 1917 was called “Brown’s special system.”

Looking up at drops suspended by Brown’s special system

Detail of wooden arbors in Brown’s special system

At first glance it appears to be the brainchild of traveling salesman Bestor G. Brown, or someone he was working with at the time, possibly a stage mechanic at the Sosman & Landis scenic studio. There was one potential client who would benefit in the end– the Scottish Rite. This new technology allowed more drops to be crammed into a limited amount of space, resulting in the sale of even more stage machinery and scenery. It was a win-win for the manufacturer, distributor, and client.

This system does not use sandbags and pin rails, like those iconic backstage scenes depicted in movies. For those unfamiliar with the counterweight system, let me explain a few characteristics in laymen terms. “Brown’s special system” raises and lowers scenery completely out of sight, necessitating a fly loft to accommodate the full height of each drop. The counterweights are located off stage and match the weight of the scenery onstage (it is balanced like a big teeter totter when both kids are the same size). The counterweights (little metal blocks of varying sizes with notches to keep them in from falling out) are held in wooden frames, called arbors. Brown’s special system requires no locking mechanism at all, as each line is perfectly balanced. In other words, one can easily raise or lower the scenes without any effort; whenever I stop pulling on a line, the drop will stop moving and stay put. This is an deal system for stagehands without any knowledge of technical theater or rigging. Problems only occur when some well-intentioned person starts messing with the system; adding weight, moving drops to other lines; or doing in-house maintenance and repairs.

Lines for moving wooden arbors in Brown’s special system

Notched weights in wooden arbor of Brown’s special system

Looking down at a notched weight in a wooden arbor of Brown’s special system. Stage machinery manufactured by Sosman & Landis

Back to the salesman who sold this system. From 1894 to 1917, Brown represented two separate fraternal supply companies – E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. and M. C. Lilley & Co. During that time, Sosman & Landis received the majority of subcontracted work from Brown. The Sosman & Landis studio consistently worked with Brown during his time, manufacturing and installing the stage machinery and scenery at Scottish Rite temples. This means that someone at Sosman & Landis worked with Brown to design the counterweight system called Brown’s special system. It may have been a stage mechanic at Sosman & Landis who conceived and developed the counterweight system that would become the standard for Scottish Rite theaters. The earliest existing example of Brown’s Special System, still working as originally installed in 1904, is located in Duluth, Minnesota. Earlier examples exist, but the scenery and stage machinery were removed from the original venue and installed in another Scottish Rite theater over the years. Earlier examples include scenery originally installed in Little Rock Arkansas (1896-1901) and later installed at Pasadena California; scenery originally installed in Wichita, Kansas (1898) and later installed in Yankton, South Dakota; and scenery originally installed in Guthrie, Oklahoma (1900) and later installed in Austin, Texas.

E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company contract for Scottish Rite Bodies in Guthrie, Oklahoma

There is another player who enters into the fraternal mix with Bestor G. Brown, Sosman & Landis, and E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. That would be the veteran Sosman & Landis stage mechanic, Charles S. King. Let’s briefly review the first few players before throwing King into the mix.

Brown was a very successful traveling salesman, representing two different fraternal supply companies (E. A. Armstrong and M. C. Lilley) after he left an investment banking career in 1893. For each firm, he promoted the outfitting of fraternal lodges and staging of Masonic degrees. He was a prominent member in many fraternal organizations that included Freemasonry, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, and Benevolent and Protected Order of Elks. He also was renowned for his worked as the Wichita Scottish Rite stage director and heralded as the only “Masonic stage carpenter” and “Masonic stage manager” in the United States. Brown was a member of both the Northern and Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish rite of Freemasonry, so he fully understand the staging requirements and possibilities for the degrees.

E. A. Armstrong Company (est. 1868 in Detroit, Michigan), like M. C. Lilley & Co. (est. 1865 Columbus, Ohio), was a supplier of regalia and paraphernalia for all societies, including fraternal, military, and band. They manufactured uniforms, costumes, banners, badges, flags, lodge furniture, and other accessories for various organizations and lodge rooms. Costumes and other fraternal regalia were essential elements to all rituals, especially after ritual revisions. E. A. Armstrong established their offices and manufacturing plant in Chicago, as the city became a central shipping hub for the western United States. Lavish clothing and the addition or even more elaborate décor transformed many lodge room degrees into fully tsgaed spectacles. Neither company, however, specialized in theatre scenery, stage machinery or lighting. For theater installations, they subcontracted all part of the stage portion to scenic studios, such as Sosman & Landis (Chicago).

E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. of Chicago hired Bestor G. Brown as a salesman

The scenic studio of Sosman & Landis was established in 1877 by Joseph S. Sosman and Perry Landis. Sosman arrived in Chicago as a young assistant to the successful scenic artist T. B. Harrison in 1874; keep that date in mind when we circle back to King working for Sosman. Little is known of Sosman’s scenic artwork in Chicago before establishing Sosman & Landis, yet the firm successfully ran until the mid-1920s. Sosman passed away in 1915, and the company president became long-time scenic artist Thomas G. Moses. Moses credit Brown with the development of Masonic scenery.

Sosman & Landis scenic studio was established in 1877

Joseph S. Sosman was the scenic artist at Sosman & Landis

Enter Charles S. King, a well-known stage mechanic and Sosman & Landis employee. Before I start connecting the dots, there is a link between C. S. King and E. A. Armstrong during 1890 that appeared in the “Courier-Post” (Camden, New Jersey, 6 Jan 189, page 1). There were two cases in the circuit court involving E. A. Armstrong (plaintiff) and C. S. King (defendant). Each case pertained to a contract dispute between the two, suggesting that E. A. Armstrong was involved in theater before Brown. At the time, C. S. King was working for Sosman & Landis as a stage mechanic and E. A. Armstrong was operating his regalia company.

King’s name was first brought to my attention by Rick Boychuk, He detailed King’s contribution as a stage carpenter during the construction of the Crump Theatre in 1889, a project with scenery and stage machinery delivered by Sosman & Landis and a drop curtain painted by Moses. This is only one year before the abovementioned court case with E. A. Armstrong.

By 1887, King was credited as working in more than 200 theaters across the nation, yet very little is known about this prolific stage mechanic beyond a few newspaper articles. Let me summarize what I know about this individual. King began his career as a stage carpenter and stage machinist in 1859, With the exception of serving in the Union Armey during the Civil War and managing a large touring company, King solely functioned in these two roles his entire career. King notes that he began working for Sosman & Landis in 1874, yet the firm did not officially open until 1877, suggesting that King began working with Sosman upon his arrival in Chicago during 1874. King installed stage machinery in theaters throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. A “Star Tribune” article from January 27, 1881, reported, “Mr. C. S. King, the stage carpenter at the Grand Opera House, was initiated into some of the mysteries of stage mechanism as exemplified in our new temple of amusement. Mr. King who was summoned here from Chicago, is regarded as one of the best stage-carpenters in the country, having had wide experience and possessing perfect knowledge of his progression. He says that our opera house will have the finest stage, the easiest worked, and will be the best appointed theatre west of Chicago, or of many large eastern cities.” The stage carpenter who would manage the venue after King’s departure was William Knox Brown, one of the three founders of Twin City Scenic Company. Another Twin City Scenic Co. founder was William P. Davis who previously worked as the primary scenic artist at the Chicago Auditorium. Brown’s stage mechanic flourished with the Hanlon Brothers who hired William Knox Brown as one of their stage mechanics to develop scenic effects in their Massachusetts studio (see past installment #155). The Hanlon Brothers engineered amazing mechanical effects for their staged spectacles.

In 1889, an article about the Crump Theatre reported, “Mr. King Came to Columbus Sept. 11, and commenced on the bare floor of the new theatre to construct the various stage machinery, mount scenery, and everything connected with stage settings, all without drawings or specifications, except those stored in his head from long experience. How well he succeeded in his work is there to speak for itself, and is pronounced by the profession to be the most modern, convenient and elaborate.” The 1881 and 1889 articles suggest two things: 1. King possessed techniques pertaining to the design and construction of stage machinery that others did not and, 2. King’s keeping everything connected with stage settings in his head, “all without drawings or specifications,” suggests he maintained trade secrets. Think back to guilds and cathedral builders, complete with lodges, masters, passwords, and secret signs. Being able to do something that others can’t gives you the leading edge. Now think of King being “initiated into some of the mysteries of stage mechanism.” It is possible that these were more than common ceremonies associated with the rise of American fraternalism.

What new innovations pertaining to stage machinery could be occurring at this same time? Lets look back to Chicago where Sosman & Landis are running a successful studio, Detroit fraternal supplier E. A. Armstrong is contemplating a move to Chicago, and the Chicago Auditorium is being planned. Add in the possibility of a world fair, with the potential of untold networking and future projects.

One particular event examined at this time is in Rick Boychuk’s “Nobody Looks Up: The History of the Counterweight Rigging System, 1500-1925” (https://www.amazon.com/Nobody-Looks-Up-History-Counterweight/dp/1508438102/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548878503&sr=8-1&keywords=rick+boychuk) – the Chicago Auditorium of 1889. Boychuk writes, “The first counterweight rigging system in American was state-of-the-art technology when it was installed in 1889 in the Auditorium Building in Chicago – commonly referred to as the Chicago Auditorium” (page 167). Boychuk explains how Ferdinand Peck, the visionary for the Chicago auditorium, traveled to Europe to examine opera houses, later joined by architect Dankmar Adler (Adler & Sullivan) and Chicago stage carpenter John Bairstow. Boychuk suggests, “Chicago borrowed the sheave design and configuration from Budapest and the balance of the counterweight system from Vienna” (page 172).

Now consider that John Bairstow was a member of the Theatrical Mechanics Association, an organization established in New York during 1866 (see mentions in past installments 125, 153, 215 and 384). By 1891, there were 28 lodges represented at the Theatrical Mechanics Association convention in Chicago, including members from Chicago Lodge No. 4. Lodge No. 4 – John Bairstow and David A. Strong. Strong was a well-known scenic artist and stage mechanic working at Sosman & Landis, Strong provided scenery for the original “Black Crook” at Niblo’s Garden in 1866. He later moved to Chicago where he joined the Scottish Rite and continued work as a scenic artist, eventually joining the studio of Sosman & Landis, working alongside another Sosman & Landis stage mechanic – King. Thomas G. Moses would credit Strong in his memoirs as the “Daddy” of Scottish Rite design; he did not specify that Strong solely designed the painted aesthetic. Two other Theatrical Mechanics Association Chicago Lodge No. 4 members who attended the 1891 convention would also later become Scottish Rite Masons – F. V. Sauter (joined Oriental Consistory in 1892) and Wallace Blanchard (joined Oriental Consistory in 1899).

So lets look at the players who were known Scottish Rite Masons when this all began – E. A. Armstrong (regalia supplier), Bestor G. Brown (salesman), William Knox Brown (stage mechanic), Joseph S. Sosman (scenic artist and studio owner), David A. Strong (stage mechanic and scenic artist).

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 631 – Original and Reliable – E. A. Armstrong

Part 631: Original and Reliable – E. A. Armstrong

E. A. Armstrong Regalia Company began in Detroit, Michigan, during 1868

Those first theaters created for the Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry were secured by the E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. and subcontracted to Sosman & Landis. Both companies were in Chicago and both companies were run by Scottish Rite Masons. The key figure was Bestor G. Brown, a traveling salesman for E. A. Armstrong who was in charge of their Masonic Department. Brown was also involved in multiple fraternal orders and understood all necessary degree requirements. Brown opened the door to this enterprise, E. A. Armstrong provided the financial backing, and Sosman & Landis created something remarkable for staged degree work. Let’s look at the E. A. Armstrong company first, a fraternal supply company that got its start in Detroit during 1868. By the 1890s, they were building a new manufacturing plant in Chicago.

Armstrong Regalia label attached to a coat

The E. A. Armstrong Company, manufacturers of and dealers in society and military supplies, were located at Nos. 149 and 151 Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, during 1893. The company had already run a successful business for two decades in Detroit, Michigan, moving to Chicago during the summer of 1892. At the time, the officers of the company were E. A. Armstrong, President; F. S. Armstrong, Vice-President; and F. C. King, Secretary (Chicago Tribune, 6 June 1893, page 3). In 1893 while finishing the construction of their factory, the company encountered some financial trouble. Newspapers across the country reported that the company would close its doors due to money owed and a court ruling.

The “Indianapolis Journal,” commented, “Mr. Armstrong said that the cause of the trouble was due to the drawing out of more money than they anticipated in the building of their new factory at Ninety-second street and the Grand Trunk road. ‘Every dollar’s worth of property that we owe on earth,’ said Mr. Armstrong, ‘is here in this business, and every dollar of it is in the hands of our assignee for the protection of our creditors. This suspension is only temporary at most” (6 Jun 1893, page 1). The company managed to survive, becoming the E. A Armstrong Manufacturing Company. They managed to corner the market on a significant client in the years to follow– Scottish Rite Consistories. Keep in mind that the Scottish Rite consists of four bodies: the Lodge of Perfection (4-14 degrees), Chapter of Rose Croix (15-18 degrees), Council of Kadosh (19- 30 degrees) and the Consistory (31-32 degrees). It is the Consistory that often led the construction of a theater that all of the Scottish Rite bodies used to stage degree productions.

Advertisement from the “Railroad Telegrapher,” 1 June 1893, page 35

By 1902, “Masonic Voice-Review” included an article about the E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company that included the “Eminent Sir Bestor G. Brown” as working in the Masonic Division of E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company of Chicago (page 282) Brown would later go onto become the western sales representative of the M. C. Lilley & Co., with his regional offices in Kansas City, Missouri, bringing all of his Scottish Rite contacts with him. He was the catch of the day when it came to securing Scottish Rite theater business.

Here is the article “Original and Reliable” from “Masonic Voice-Review:”

‘Made on honor; is a legend that every manufacturer should be ambitious to have justly applied to his product, and is certainly an evidence of the good faith, integrity and courage of the concern that brands every article turned out with the significant sentiment in question as its trademark and guarantee. The right to use this protective designation as applied to Masonic supplies has been earned by E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company, of Chicago, by more than thirty years of continuous production of the most reliable and serviceable articles to be found in the market. The business was organized in Detroit, Michigan in 1868 by Mr. E. A. Armstrong, who has been in charge of the business without interruption since the date. The business was removed to Chicago in 1893, and in the following year was reorganized, additional capital invested, and a stock company formed under the name of E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company.

The worthily popular products of this house have made the name “Armstrong” famous as the equivalent for reliability. None of the rights, patents or patterns employed in the production of “Armstrong Goods” and the “Armstrong Uniforms” have passed to other hands, and the Masonic requisites so long familiar to the Craft are still produced upon the same plans of superiority that originally secured favor for them, and are manufactured solely by this company. The guarantee that goes with every sale is that the goods will give perfect satisfaction and are absolutely as represented.

The E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company is entitled to point with pride to the preferment it has secured among the various bodies of the Scottish Rite throughout the country. Excepting the Consistory at Columbus, Ohio, they have furnished the equipment and paraphernalia for every Consistory in the United States that has been in the market for an outfit in the past five years – certainly a phenomenal showing, and one that commends the output of the concern in unmistakable terms. The Consistories that have been equipped within the period mentioned by the company are located at Indianapolis, Ind.; Little Rock, Ark.; Galveston, Tex.; Kansas City, Miss.; Wichita, Kan.; Guthrie, Okla.; Fargo, N.D.; and St. Louis, Mo.

The equipment of the St. Louis Consistory which represented an order of $6,200, was delivered in May of the present year. The secret of this practical monopoly of the Scottish Rite patronage by the Armstrong house is the inherent excellence of its goods and the uniformly courteous and honorable treatment accorded its patrons. The Eminent Sir Bestor G. Brown has special charge of the Masonic Department, and his intelligence and energetic methods coupled with a thorough knowledge of the requirements of the Craft has much to do with the notable success of this branch of the business.”

To be continued…