Category: J. M. Wood

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 605 – The Wonderland Disaster Investigation in Detroit, 1898, first section

Part 605: The Wonderland Disaster Investigation in Detroit, 1898, first section

I have been exploring the Temple Theatre in Detroit and Detroit’s “Wonderland,” an entertainment company that offered everything from live theatre and minstrel shows to moving pictures and vaudeville acts; from aerial acts to talking dogs, everything was part of the vaudeville mainstream. From the time it opened in 1901, the Elks Temple theatre hosted the Wonderland Company, offering four vaudeville shows every day. Ticket prices included admission to the show, as well as a visit to see the oddities in the curiosity museum. In later years, Harry Houdini, W. C. Fields, Buster Keaton. Jack Benny, George Burns, Fred and Adele Astaire, were included among the stars that appeared on the Temple Theatre stage. As Vaudeville fell out of favor, the Temple closed about 1930, other than showing a few fly-by-night films.

Postcard detail depicting the Detroit Opera House and Temple Theater located next door.

The original Wonderland Theatre, known as Detroit’s “palace of amusement,” included both a variety show and oddities museum. Founded by Enoch “Pop” Wiggins, the Wonderland Theatre started on Woodward Avenue in 1886 in Merrill Hall, later known as the Avenue Theatre. Its popularity caused the company to move further up the road to Campus Maritus. Unfortunately, disaster struck on Nov. 5, 1898, when the roof of the theater collapsed during construction, crushing 12 workers to death and injuring nearly 20 others. In the end, fifteen lives were lost. The company temporarily used the Detroit Opera House until the new Temple Theatre was completed.

 

There is an interesting article about the Wonderland building and theatre architect J. M. Wood after the roof collapsed. It puts theatre construction within a historical context. Due to the length of the article, it will be posted over several installments. Published in the “Detroit Free Press,” the article “Positive Denial!” detailed the description of events surrounding the Wonderland Disaster investigation (2 Dec 1898, page 2). Here is the first section of the article:

 

POSITIVE DENIAL!

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COL WOOD FLATLY CONTRADICTS SCOTT BROTHERS’ TESTIMONY.

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DID NOT HAVE CHARGE OF STRUCTURAL IRON AND STEEL WORK.

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SIMPLY HAD TO LOOK AFTER THEATRICAL ARRANGEMENTS.

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THINKS THERE WAS A GENERAL WEAKNESS IN THE ROOF.

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ALSO A GENERAL LACK OF ATTENTION TO DETAILS.

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THE FIVE-INCH ROOF BEAMS WERE OVERLOADED.

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Arthur Scott Concluded His Testimony Yesterday Morning.

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“Col. J. M. Wood. The theatre architect was the main factor in the investigation yesterday, and he was on the stand nearly the entire day. He entered a positive denial of the statements of John and Arthur Scott that he had charge of the work, designed the truss and was responsible for figuring loads. Col. Wood stated that he had not only not designed the truss, but that he had not paid the least attention to it, being out of the city most of the time when it was being constructed and erected. He also displayed plans of every truss he ever used in fire proof theater buildings, showing that they were of the suspension type and nothing like the one used in the Wonderland building.

At the request of Prosecuting Attorney Frazer, he calculated the load carried by the Detroit Opera House truss, which weighs over eight tons, showing that he had figured many tons within the safety factor. He also showed that be computing the truss of the Wonderland building by the same method as that used for the opera house truss, the former, which weighs over eight tons, showing that he had figured many tons within the safety factor. He also showed that by computing the truss of the Wonderland building by the same method as that used for the opera house truss, the former which weighed three and a half tons, carried forty tons, while the eight and a half ton truss in the opera house carried forty-eight tons for the safety load. He indicated at some length the designing he did for the Wonderland building, stating that he had nothing whatever to do with the steel work, but had to indicate the lines of vision and general lines within which John Scott & Co. would have to keep the steel work.

 

Col. Wood testified that in the first interview with John Scott, the latter told him that his firm would insist on having control of the construction of the building and would consult with him regarding the arrangements of the theater. The witness had a book showing a record of all material used in all the theaters he had built of the fire-proof type, and he was able, without any hesitation, to answer any question regarding them. His answers were all s direct and positive that there was no chance to quibble with him. He asserted that he was employed to look after the stage, the seating acoustic conditions, line of vision, boxes and other matters pertaining strictly to the Wonderland theater, while with the architectural and steel construction he had nothing to do; and paid no attention to it.

 

Regarding the fact that he had loaned John Scott & Co., a set of plans of the Detroit opera house, he said that he did it simply as an act of courtesy, to a brother member of the profession, thinking that it might give him some idea of theatrical construction. He denied that he told Arthur Scott to follow those plans, saying that he had no authority to order him and had not been asked to have anything to do with the construction of the building. He also denied that he had given Arthur Scott the load the trusses would have to carry, or that he had anything to do with the designing or construction of the roof. Incidentally, Col. Wood stated that the DeMan system was not used on the Detroit Opera House.

 

Col. Wood showed his willingness to give his opinion regarding the cause of the accident, but Mr. Frazer spoiled a full answer by breaking in with another question. It was his belief that there was a general weakness of the roof and the construction, and he also thought that the 5-inch roof beams were overloaded. As to the truss, he did not feel competent to give an opinion, but stated that an engineering company had given him an opinion that steel members of the sizes mentioned for the Wonderland truss would probably hold the load intended, if properly detailed and constructed.”

 

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 222 – Thomas G. Moses and the Tacoma Theatre

On arriving in Tacoma, Washington, Thomas G. Moses and Ed Loitz checked into the Fife Hotel.

Postcard of the Fife Hotel in Tacoma, Washington where Thomas G. Moses and Ed Loitz stayed while painting for the Tacoma Theatre.
Photograph of the Fife Hotel in Tacoma, Washington.

The Fife Block was finished in 1888 and was considered to be one of the largest multi-storied structures in Tacoma. It lasted until 1925 when it was demolished to build a parking lot for the new Winthop Hotel.  Moses and Loitz’s lodging accommodations were only located only two blocks from the theatre and an easy walk in this bustling area. The Tacoma Theater would become one of the city’s main downtown attractions after opening in the spring of 1890.

Advertisement showing the Tacoma building complex with the theatre.
The complex housing offices and the Tacoma Theatre.

The Tacoma Opera House Company commissioned a group of architects to design an office and theatre block in downtown Tacoma. At this time, Tacoma was experiencing a building boom. It began shortly after the Northern Pacific Railroad first reached Tacoma in 1883. Chicago theatre architect James M. Wood (see my previous installment #214 ) designed the Tacoma Theatre. Wood was a native of New York City, born in 1841. Early in his career, he moved to Chicago and eventually opened an architectural firm for himself. He completed many designs for theaters, opera houses and concert halls throughout the United States. In Tacoma, Wood was assisted by local architect August F. Heide (1862-1943). The architect who had a hand in the theatre design was John Galen Howard (1864-1931). Galen had previously worked in Los Angeles (1887-1888) and would later return to the East Coast after Tacoma. Howard also worked with Sydney Lowell, who completed the larger building’s interior design. Others involved in this portion of the project were Moore and Clark, (building contractors), Spierling & Linden (interior decorators), Thomas Moses (scenic artist), Charles H. Smith (stage carpenter) and the Peterman Manufacturing Company (manufacturer of the carved woodwork).

Tacoma Theatre sign in later years. It opened in 1890 with scenery painted by Thomas G. Moses and Ed Loitz.
Postcard with Madame Butterfly advertisement for the Tacoma Theatre.

The Tacoma Opera House was also called the Tacoma Theatre. Vintage photographs have captured images of the “Tacoma Theatre” sign. The building overlooked Commencement Bay and its tide flats to Mt. Tacoma (called Mt. Rainier by out-of-town visitors) Two months after opening, a fire occurred on March 7, 1890. Over the years, its name changed as the theatre underwent a series of renovations: the “Malan-Magrath Theater” in 1905, the “Orpheum” in 1918, the “Broadway” from 1927-1933, and the Music Box Theatre after 1933.. Performers at the Tacoma Theatre included Sarah Bernhardt (1891 and 1918), Mark Twain (1895), Alla Nazimova (1910), Al Jolson (1915) and Harry Houdini (1924). Much of the above information was located at: http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/4751/ Sadly, the Tacoma Theatre was destroyed by fire on April 30, 1963.

1889 photograph of downtown Tacoma, Washington.

While Moses and Loitz were working on the scenery, visitors would stop buy and watch the two paint. Moses wrote, “The drizzling weather that followed for some weeks made me feel blue and homesick. We finally got started and was over-run with visitors.” One of the many locals that went to watch the progress was Mr. Blackwell, President of the Tacoma National Bank and also President of the Opera House Company. Moses recorded that Mr. Blackwell liked his woodland scene so much that he received a commission for a landscape. Blackwell offered Moses $200.00 to paint a watercolor like it.

View of Mount Rainier. Notice the Tacoma Theatre building (far right side) on the waterfront.
Painting of Mount Rainier by Thomas G. Moses, 1926. Private collection of W. Waszut-Barrett.

I own a Moses oil painting of Mount Rainier from 1926. This is just one example that Moses would return many times to this area for both theatre work and sketching trips.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 214 – Thomas G. Moses at Wood’s Theatre in Bay City Michigan

In 1886, Thomas G. Moses promised to remain another year at Sosman & Landis. This regular line of studio work involved travel and it kept him busy all year.  His typed manuscript notes that he completed two “short trips” to paint scenery in Bay City, Michigan and Toronto, Canada. Putting on my detective hat, I started to search for possible venues. In a relatively short time, I was able to determine that Moses had likely been sent to outfit the newly constructed Wood’s Opera House. Here is what I uncovered about Bay City:

Most of Bay City’s early theaters were housed in multi-purpose facilities. For example, Sidney Campbell’s “Globe House” was initially built as a hotel. By 1865, the “Globe House” was purchased by A.N. Rouech who added a performance space on the building’s upper level. Various records indicate that this was considered the community’s first permanent theater. Similarly, James Fraser’s “Fraser House” also included a multipurpose room that functioned as both a ballroom and a theater on its upper level. Without any form of permanent seating, each space was more like a performance hall (or Masonic hall) with a stage located at the end of a long rectangular room.

Westover Opera House in Bay City, Michigan. This was the structure prior to Wood’s Opera House where Thomas G. Moses painted scenery in 1886.

The 1869 Westover Opera House was constructed and considered to be the first standard theater facility for Bay City residents with fixed seating. Unfortunately, fire destroyed the opera house in January of 1886. This building had been located on William Westover’s business block, utilizing the third and fourth floors. At that time, it was reported as being the finest theater facilities north of Detroit. I always read between the lines of “finest theatre” as it often appeared to be a marketing ploy.

In 1885, Westover planned to renovate the opera house as it was considered unsafe and badly in need of repairs.  He hired J.M. Wood to oversee the renovation project as he had initially designed the structure when the Westover block was built. Westover’s manager, John Buckley, even made arrangements with the “Washington Avenue Rink” to temporarily construct a performance space for productions during the renovation. However, the attendance at the temporary location was poor and the remodeling of the facility did not start right away.

In the “Bay City Tribune” the future performance space was described as being a “three story building in front, with stores and offices on each side of the main entrance and a large hall or assembly room on the third floor.” The opera house would have a large gallery, a fire wall, and an iron drop curtain between the stage and auditorium. The space would seat 1,200 individuals under a 48’-0” high dome. The article went on to describe the design in detail. The stage would be larger than that at the Academy of Music and thoroughly equipped with scenery and stage machinery. The building would include “more artistic effects than can be found in any opera house in the state.”

Westover decided to approach the city for financial assistance to help defray the high costs involved, requesting that the city donate $15,000. The city wasn’t that interested donating funds to a private endeavor, but did organize a committee to raise funds from the community for this purpose.

Amazingly, fate intervened and on January 17, 1886, the building caught on fire. In a very short time the entire block containing the opera house was considered a total loss. Sadly, only a small fraction of the damage was covered by insurance and any future theatre seemed impossible.

Wood’s Opera House in Bay City, Michigan.
Illustration of interior in Wood’s Opera House (Bay City, Michigan).

Regardless of the dire circumstances, a new Woods Opera House (1886-1902) replaced it that same year. It was considered Bay City’s first building solely devoted to theatre, positioned on the corner of Washington Ave. and Sixth Street. The first attraction at the newly constructed theatre appeared the first week of September. Inside the building, three levels comprised the performance space that included a main floor, balcony and gallery. There were three drop curtains and enough back drops that could create up to thirty different scene changes. This was the scenery collection that Moses had traveled to Bay City to paint on site.

The Washington Theatre was built on the same site as the Wood’s Opera House after a devastating fire destroyed the building.

Sadly, Woods Opera House would only live for sixteen years. Like it’s predecessor, it was destroyed by fire on August 29, 1902. “The Tide of Life” would be the opera house’s last performance as a fire would destroy the theater that evening. The financial lost was estimated at $113,000. Again, there was no hesitation to construct a new theater on the same site and the Washington Theatre opened the following year.

Historical note about J. M. Wood. Wood was a native of New York City, born in 1841. Early in his career, he moved to Chicago and started working as an architect. He eventually opened an office for himself and completed many designs for theaters, opera houses and concert halls throughout the United States. Projects include the New California Theater (Los Angeles), the Grand Opera House (Portland), the Tacoma Theater (Tacoma, Washington), New Broadway Theater (Minneapolis), Blake Opera House (Racine, WI), the Grand Opera House (Warsaw, WI), Rockford Opera House and Grand Opera House (Danville, IL), Academy of Music (East Saginaw),  Academy of Music (Kalamazoo, MI), Redmond’s Opera House (Grand Rapids, MI), Academy of Music (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), Academies of Music in Franklin, Oil City and Altoona (Pennsylvania), Academy of Music (Cedar Rapids, IA), and many others too numerous to mention. Wood was noted as “an enthusiast in this branch of his profession, and has devoted a great deal of time and study to the comfort, convenience, acoustic qualities and effect in the design and arrangements of opera houses, theaters and concert halls” (“The Bay of San Francisco,” Volume 1, 1892).

To be continued…

Much of the above information was posted online at the Bay-Journal. Here is the link: http://bay-journal.com/bay/1he/theater/woodsopera.html#thumb

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 179 – Thomas G. Moses and Will Davis, 1881

Moses traveled to Richmond, Indiana, during 1881. There, he and William P. Davis worked on a scenery project. Moses’ assistant, “Will” Davis, was later listed as the scenic artist for the Grand Opera House in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, by 1899. Davis was also listed that year in Julius Cahn’s Theatrical Guide as the scenic artist for the Metropolitan Opera House in St. Paul, Minnesota. Later, in the employ of Twin City Scenic Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota, he was just one of many artists to arrive in the Twin Cities seeking employment as the studio’s business dramatically increased.

“The Evening Item” noted Moses’ scenic art in Richmond, Indiana, at the newly refurbished Grand Opera House (Sept. 19, 1881, Vol. 5, No. 211), describing the refurbished venue.

Miss Marie Prescott was the opening production in the space. An 1881 newspaper article title “Among the Shows” published, “the house is really a beauty, all the old dressing rooms, partitions and scenery have been removed, and new opera chairs will be put in as soon as they are finished. The old entrances to the gallery have all been taken out, and the stage brought forward several feet. At each end of the stage is a private box, with brass posts and rails in front, and curtains of rich crimson velvet and lace. They project fully three feet, and have on each a chandelier which lights the stage.” The newly added scenery included one fancy set chamber, four wings; one set plain chamber, four wings; one kitchen, and one prison, each four wings; one wood, six wings; one landscape, one perspective street, one rocky pass, one horizon, one ocean, one garden, one grand drapery border, one set tormentor wings and doors, three drapery borders, two kitchen borders, three foliage borders, one set cottage, one set bridge, four set rocks, one tree, two set waters, one foreground, one garden wall, one balustrade, two statues. The article published that “the scenic work was completed by Sosman & Landis of Chicago with Thomas G. Moses painting the drop curtain. The newspaper article specified that is was “the finest piece in the entire work and really a work of art.” The auditorium decoration work was done by John M. Wood, of Chicago, who also represented Spoor Mackey, who was a leading theatrical decorator of the West.

Thomas G. Moses’ scenic work for a drop curtain noted in “The Evening Item,” Vol . 5, No. 211, Sept. 19, 1881 (Richmond, Indiana).

It was later known as the Bradley Opera House (located at North Eighth and A Streets), the building was later remodeled by George J. Bradley in 1896 and then noted, “one of the prettiest ground-floor theatres in Indiana” (Logansport Pharos-Tribune, 2 Sept, 1898, page 18). Sadly, the building was destroyed by fire two years later; the cause believed to be from the “electric light wires, which entered the theatre building from the rear.”

This same year that Moses and Davis worked in Richmond, a new daughter was born. Mary Titcomb Moses arrived on September 7th, 1881. This was the second of four children for the couple. The remaining two would be Lillian Ella Moses in 1886 and Thomas Rupert Moses in 1889. Ella remained in Sterling with her Mother, who was now living in town instead of on Robbins Range. He noted that the arrival of a baby girl necessitated increasing his income. He wrote that Sosman & Landis increased his salary from $21.00 to $26.00 per week upon the arrival of his daughter. This increase was really overdue, as Moses had quickly become a valuable asset to the studio.

Moses explained the reason for the increase was his willingness to do “a great deal of extra work, all on the day rate, I never received more than straight time. I could never see why anyone ever earns any more.”

I want to take a moment to address his statement above, “I could never see why anyone ever earns anymore.” This belief would make Moses an extremely valuable employee, but not necessary a popular one, or a positive spokesman for any labor union. I previous research, Joseph Sands Sosman was curiously absent from any union records, especially during the formation and early years of any union activities. I find this interesting, as many of his contemporaries were the movers and shakers of early union activities. Moses certainly was not isolated in his work, friendships, or projects.

Moses returned to Sosman & Landis in studio for good 1904 to supervise the paint studios. This was a time when Sosman was forced to pay attention to more administrative duties after Perry Landis’ departure due to his failing health. The internal workings and attitudes of the Sosman & Landis Studio primarily originate with the memoirs of John Hanny (1890-1984) who worked at the studio from 1906-1920. It is his memoirs that describe the dynamics of the studio and will be presented after the tale of Thomas Moses.

The American Society of Scene Painters emerged in 1892 (see installment #138) and included some thirty members of the most prominent men in the profession. The objects of the society were “to promote the artistic and practical efficiency of the profession, and consolidate as a whole the dignity of the profession hitherto maintained by the individual artist.” Organized in Albany, New York, the executive staff included Richard Marston (Palmer’s Theatre), Henry E, Hoyt (Metropolitan Opera House), Homer F. Emens (Fourteenth Street Theatre), Sydney Chidley (Union Square Theatre), Harley Merry (Brooklyn Studio) Brooklyn and Ernest Albert (Albert, Grover & Burridge). Their chief grievance claimed that the stage manager was their worst enemy. They complained that scenes were set in accordance with the off-hand wishes of the managers and not with painters direct. Doing so caused many of the most artistic effects of each scene to be lost as they were not properly displayed.

This would make the appearance of a new fraternal client a dream come true. Scottish Rite theatres would not follow the standard hierarchy or the rule of the stage manager.

To be continued…