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Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 299 – Thomas G. Moses’ Float for Chicago Day at the Columbian Exposition

A photograph of activities surrounding Dedication Day for the Columbian Exposition.

There were many parades held in conjunction with the Columbian Exposition. One of the first parades accompanied the dedication ceremonies for the Columbian Exposition World’s Fair in Chicago on October 20-21, 1892. Even though the fairgrounds would not be open to the public until May 1, 1893, approximately 75,000 people participated in the event, representing a variety of groups and organizations. Some of the participants included the Independent Order of Foresters (10,000 men), Italian Democratic Club (500 men), Grecian Brotherhood Association (300 men), Patriotic Order of Sons of America (8,000 men), Chicago Turners Society (2,500 men), Croatian Benevolent Society and Polish Societies (5,000 men), Swedish and Scandinavian Societies (10,000 men), Ancient Order of Hibernians (2,000 men), Catholic Knights of America (1,000 men), and many others.

But there was anther event with a parade that surpassed this – Chicago Day.

Poster for Chicago Day at the Columbian Exposition on October 9, 1893.

Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld asked the state’s citizens to observe Chicago Day on October 9, 1893. The day marked the twenty-second anniversary Chicago’s great fire. Newspapers published Altgeld’s proclamation in its entirety. He wrote, “In the short time which has elapsed since that day the people of the city have not only rebuilt it on a scale of magnificence and grandeur which astonishes the world, but they have carried most of the burden and been moving and directing force in creating that great White City by the lake is attracting the nations of the earth to our gates. It has been decided to make October 9 Chicago day at the World’s Columbian Exposition and to hold the anniversary celebration there” (Chicago Tribune 22 Sept., 1893, page 5).

The Chicago Tribune further reported there would also be a “brilliant pageant” with elaborate floats showing the “ history of a great city from obscurity and ruin to celebrity and affluence” in the article “As Victor Over Fire, Proud Chicago Burns Living Tableaux into the Night” (10 Oct 1893, page 3).

One of the Chicago Day floats for the Night Pageant on October 9, 1893.

Thomas G. Moses recorded his working on the wagons for the Night Pageant, including the Thomas Edison float. He wrote, “I had a number of floats to do for Chicago day. I shall never forget it. We had everything ready to go when the dragon on the Edison float broke and we had to fix it, and by the time we got in line again, the crowd had got in between the floats. A howling mob of 750,000 people – everyone happy and tired, and what a time the trains had to get the mob home.” The parade was interrupted half way through, causing great chaos as the second half frantically attempted to catch up with the first half.

The Edison Float that Thomas G. Moses helped to create for the parade.

Moses was referring to the wagon designed for General Electric Company that contained over 3,500 electric lights. During February of 1892 the Edison Company had merged with General Electric. Sosman & Landis were very aware of ample opportunities provided by the ever-advancing field of lighting technology. This was highlighted by the fact that the Western Electric Manufacturing Company was across the street from their scenic studio on Clinton Street.

The Western Electric Manufacturing Building on Clinton Street in Chicago.

They developed the electric scenic theatre at the fair and later created two electric scenic theatres for the roof top garden on top of the Masonic Temple. In 1893, Perry Landis was one of the three incorporators for the American Reflector & Lighting Company. His scenic studio partner Joseph S. Sosman was an investor. Sosman and Landis were deeply involved in the use of electric light for applications beyond the mere illumination of theaters. It was natural that their scenic studio would embrace the new technology and create an illuminated pageant wagon for Chicago Day. The Edison Float was a perfect opportunity.

Chicago Day was a massive event, one that the newspapers covered weeks in advance. The committees, participants and designs were presented in detail. Various groups and organizations met and presented their intended floats to the public. They were generating excitement for the big day. When evening rolled around on Chicago Day, buildings along the parade route tuned on their light, illuminated pageant wagons rolled down the streets, and fireworks completed the evening.

Newspapers reported in detail how various companies would show their support on Chicago Day as part of the build up to the event. The Chicago Tribune reported on “cordial expressions of support,” such as that from the Chicago Opera House. David Henderson, manager of the Chicago Opera-House, placed the theater’s wardrobe that was not in use at the disposal of the Chicago Day Committee. Other businesses expressed their support by decorating buildings, giving the employees a holiday, or offering employees free tickets to attend the fair if their doors remained open on October 9.

The admission numbers for the Columbian Exposition reported for Chicago Day reached 713,646 with total attendance for the day at 751,026. Chicago Day was one of four days during the duration of the World’s Fair when attendance exceeded 300,000. In 1893, Benjamin Cummins Truman wrote about the event, reporting “there were parades by military and other organizations during the day and a procession of floats and fire-works at night – the latter surpassing anything ever before attempted in the way of pyrotechnic effects” (History of the World’s Fair Being a Complete and Authentic Description of the Columbian Exposition, 1893, page 597). What an amazing event to not only attend, but also work as a scenic studio employee.

Inside of the Electrical Building at the Columbian Exposition in 1893.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 292 – The American Reflector and Lighting Company

The American Reflector and Lighting Company has appeared in many of my searches over this past year. I first encountered the name of the company when looking through the papers of John R. Rothgeb at the Univeristy of Texas, Austin – Harry Ransom Center. As I was quickly compiling an inventory of the contents in this primarily unprocessed collection, I noticed the name American Reflector and Lighting Company. It was listed in the the paperwork for the final estate of Joseph S. Sosman’s wife, May P. Sosman. 25 shares of American Reflector and Lighting Company stock were noted and valued at $100 each. I was intrigued.

Photocopy made by John R. Rothgeb for his research pertaining to the Soman & Landis scenic studio of Chicago. His collection (John R. Rothgeb Papers) is at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas – Austin.

A year later, while I was examining the rigging in the Yankton Scottish Rite with Rick Boychuk, I saw the name American Reflector and Lighting Company again. We were crawling around the building, then – “Lo and Behold!” – I noticed the company’s name on a metal cover.

American Reflector and Lighting Company metal cover found in the attic of the Yankton Scottish Rite during November 2017.

By the way, one of my favorite things to do is explore the attics of Masonic buildings. They are treasure troves that contain a variety of artifacts providing information about the past. Luckily, few Masons take it upon themselves to organize a cleaning day for the attic, or space above the stage and auditorium. If they did, even more valuable artifacts would end up in a dumpster. I finally decided to continue the research concerning the American Reflector and Lighting Company that I started while in Texas during 2016.

American Reflector and Lighting Company opened its doors just before the Columbian Exposition in 1893. Pretty smart move, considering that the fairgrounds would need and extensive amount of street and specialty lighting – all done at the last minute. The world fair opened a few months after the American Reflector and Lighting Company. Sosman and Landis had also opened the annex studio in anticipation of the increased workload and were greatly diversifying their product.

Advertisement for the American Reflector and Lighting Company in a Sosman & Landis Catalogue from 1894-1895. Collection of Wendy Waszut-Barrett.

Lighting fixtures advertised in a Sosman & Landis Catalogue from 1894-1895. Collection of Wendy Waszut-Barrett.

On March 24,1893, The Chicago Inter Ocean included the American Reflector and Lighting Company of Chicago as a newly formed business under the heading “Licensed To Do Business.” The company’s incorporators were listed as Perry Landis, William A. Toles and Robert Latham. The capital stock was valued $100,000. Charles Landis was listed as the treasurer. The Chicago salesroom was located at 271-273 Franklin Street where the company advertised 150 styles of reflectors for users of electricity, gas and oil. 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.” The 1897 issue of “Western Electrician” included a plate with American reflectors manufactured by the company (Vol. XX, Jan. 2-June 26, page 505 and 518). “Paragon reflectors” were a specialty line of the company’s product, also made in a variety of forms.

Some of the lighting fixtures manufactured by the American Reflector and Lighting Company in 1897. Included in the December issue of Western Electrician, 1897.

William A. Toles, was the second of three incorporators to found the American Reflector and Lighting Company. He had a history with the reflector business in Chicago as he had also helped found and manage the Wheeler Reflector Company of Chicago. The two other incorporators for that company the Willard L. Gillam and George E. Plumb. The Wheeler Reflector Company sold the reflector designs of civil engineer and inventor, William Wheeler (1851-1932). Wheeler was widely known for his innovative patents that included not only lighting, but also water and sewage systems. In 1880, Wheeler filed a patent for a novel form of lighting. He commercialized his invention through the Wheeler Reflector Company of Boston, Massachusetts. The company was extremely profitable and remained an important manufacturer of street lighting until the mid-twentieth century.

One of many inventions by William Wheeler to reflect light for increased visibility.

An ex-employee in Chicago later accused Toles of bribing city officials to select their company when contracting work for streetlights during 1886 (The Inter Ocean, 4 April 1887, page 1). After the excitement of this accusation ended Toles created another business – the Western Wheeler Reflector Company.

The Western Wheeler Reflector Company was located at No. 88 Lake Street in Chicago. On April 13, 1888, the Chicago Inter Ocean reported the company’s incorporators as William A Toles, Willard L. Giliman, and George E. Plume. Same individuals, slightly different spelling of names in the newspaper announcement. This time, the company started with $50,000 in capital.

During the 1880s Toles started two reflector companies. By 1893, he was involved in a third – The American Reflector and Lighting Company. The Western Wheeler Reflector Company was also still in business at the time his third company opened. There were a lot of potential contracts to provide city lights, stage lighting and illuminate the Columbian Exposition. For Toles, it was a win-win. For Sosman & Landis, it was diversifying their interests and ensuring a healthy profit at the end of the day.

When Landis left the Sosman & Landis in 1904 and after Sosman passed away in 1914, Thomas G. Moses was primarily responsible for the running of the studio. Unfortunately, he was a scenic artist who mainly focused on the painted scenery and not all of the other areas of the company. The scenic studios who continued to thrive were those who diversified into fabric curtains, rigging and other stage hardware. As Moses continued to focus on a painted aesthetic, the world began to pass him by, as well as the Sosman & Landis studio. The entire aesthetic for the entertainment industry began to change and a company had to be willing to let certain products surpass existing favorites – like painted illusion. This was especially important as the Great Depression began.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 291: Back to 1892

For several installments I took a sidetrack to examine cycloramas, the American panorama Company and women scenic artists. These are all intricate pieces of a puzzle that mark a unique time in the history for visual entertainment. Prior to that, I was looking at Thomas G. Moses’ projects during 1892, as I continue to present his typed manuscript from 1873 to 1934, year by year. “Tales of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Acquiring the Fort Scott Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center” is about the significance of this acquisition and the career of the collection’s artist – Thomas G. Moses. The purpose of this discourse is to provide context concerning its significance. Although much of the collection has been damaged beyond repair due to ill handling, this collection was once internationally significant in the world of theatre history and Masonic history. I’m providing a glimpse of why I recommended the purchase of the painted scenery collection while working as the Curatorial Director for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center during 2015.

Let’s venture back to 1892.

This is two years before Grace N. Wishaar’s scenic art career began in Seattle and thirty-two years before Moses would paint the Scottish Rite scenery for Fort Scott, Kansas.

Moses’ typed manuscript personally documents his involvement in scenery for a variety of productions that included “The Outsider,” “Columbus” for Mr. Leavitt, “Fabio Romana,” “The Black Crook,” “A Day in the Swiss Alps,” “South Sea Islanders,” “Kansas State Exhibit,” “The Laplanders,” “Streets of Cairo,” Javanese Theatre, Chinese Theatre, a dozen big floats, “Lady of Venice” for Buffalo Bill, W.F. Cody and many others. He also worked on productions that were nearby the fairgrounds such the Trocodevs, the Empire Theatre and the Isabella Theatre. There were many other projects completed by Sosman & Landis artists. Each of these projects is a worthwhile story to understand and appreciate Moses contributions to the Columbian Exposition. It is important, however, to recall that the Sosman and Landis studio was situated across the street from the Western Electric Building in Chicago. Their work for Western Electric and other scenic electric theatre displays makes complete sense. “Being in the right place at the right time” could have been their motto.

In the larger context of Chicago and the world of theatrical manufacturers, businesses were popping up all over the place and the Columbian Exposition gave many the “push” that they needed to not only survive, but also thrive in the following decades. For many scenic studios, panorama studios, fresco studios, and other decorative art firms, the formation, running, changing hands, and longevity were all up in the air. The individual artists would get together for a year or two, maybe five, and then split, quickly regrouping with another group of individuals.

So what made Sosman & Landis last so long? They partnered in 1877 and the business continued into the 1920s. They rapidly grew during the 1880s and by the 1893 World Fair started to soar. There success? They paired new technology with old – looking forward, but diversifying and branching into other areas – draperies, lighting, rigging, and scenery. Unlike many artists, they sold the whole package to theaters. If there was a product that they needed, they began to manufacture it, started a new company, or bought stock in in it. One of the side businesses of Joseph S. Sosman was a company specializing in lighting products – the American Reflector and Lighting Company. When I stumbled across the stamp up in the attic of the Yankton Scottish Rite, all I could think of was, “Of course, you sold it here too. Your biggest client – the Masons.”

Up in the attic of the Yankton Scottish Rite I noticed the American Reflector and Lighting Company stamp. Photograph from November 2017.

Detail of the stamp from another company that Joseph S. Sosman was involved in during the 1890s.

Advertisement for the American Reflector and Lighting Co. in a Sosman and Landis catalogue from 1893-1894.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 265 – The Masonic Temple’s Electric Theaters – The Court of Honor

Image from the website “Chicagology” that notes the location of the Chicago Masonic Temple, built in 1892.

There were two scenic electric theaters on top of the Chicago Masonic Temple in 1894. Both were created and managed by the Sosman & Landis scenic studio. Joseph Sands Sosman was a Scottish Rite Mason and member of the local Oriental Consistory.

View of the Chicago Masonic Temple (1892-1939).

Roof top of the Chicago Masonic Temple where Sosman & Landis managed two electric theaters in 1894.

The first production was an imitation of “A Day in the Alps,” an attraction that had been popularized at the Columbian Exposition in 1893. The second production depicted a specific scene from the Columbian Exposition – the “Court of Honor.” The view of the setting was from the agricultural building, looking northwest. As with “A Day in the Alps,” it included a transformation scene.

The Court of Honor electric scenic theatre, designed, produced, and managed by Sosman & Landis scenic studio in 1894. It was one of two shows on top of the Chicago Masonic Temple.

The “Court of Honor” opened with a vision of the world fair in the morning. Sunrise transitioned into brilliant sunlight that illuminated massive white buildings surrounding a lagoon. In front of the administration and electricity buildings, gondolas and electric launches added to the charm to the scene while band music played in the background. As evening approached, electric lights outlined the White City and were reflected in the water’s surface.

The February 24, 1894, issues of “Western Electrician” described, “Searchlight effects flash from one building to another, and administration building, with its handsome decorative lighting scheme, shines resplendent under these streams of light.” The article also noted that some of the illumination was achieved using a Packard mogul lamp (300-candle power), that produced the scenic changes and color shifts.

The large lamp in the center is a Packard Mogul Lamp – the same type used in the scenic electric theatre. This image is from Mount Vernon Museum of incandescent lighting. It is a picture of the Thomas Houston Case in the Carbon Room. Here is the link: http://www.angelfire.com/pe/pasttech/tour1.html

The Court of Honor lighting also included a luxauleator, or “a curtain of light.” This creation consisted of a border of incandescent lights around the four sides of the stage opening. An invention credited to Steel MacKaye, newspapers reported it as “a peculiar optical illusion” originally created for the Spectatorium in Chicago (The Wichita Eagle, May 26, 1893, pg. 6). Unfortunately, the construction of this massive scenic electric theater was never completed for the Columbian Exposition and the project was abandoned (see past installment #187). MacKaye’s luxauleator used rows of lamps that were placed in conical shaped reflectors. The newspaper article further reported, “The modus operandi was very simple, the mere turning of a switch being all that is necessary; the same movement of the switch that throws the current of electricity into the lamps of the luxauleator, also turns out all the lights upon the stage and the effect produced the same as if one were sitting in a brilliantly lighted room and endeavored to look out into darkness.”

MacKaye’s patent claimed, “In combination with the proscenium opening, a series of lamps bordering the same and provided with backings adapted to throw the space back of the lamps and the opening into complete shade, while flooding the opposite portion of the space with light so as to form in effect a vivid curtain or screen of light that will intercept all sight of persons or things occupying the shaded portion of the space, substantially as described.”

The Sosman & Landis electric scenic theater attractions in the roof top garden only lasted a year. The venue changed hands by May 1895 and reopened with “several new novelties” under the management of George A. Fair. The Chicago Tribune reported, “Everything connected with the roof garden is new, and the visitor last night saw but little to remind him of the same place last year. The electric scenic theater still remains, but the other stage has been moved around to the northeast corner of the roof. The present location affords a good view of the entertainment from every part of the roof. Directly In front of the stage are 3,510 opera chairs, while the rest of the floor space is given up to refreshment tables. A new feature of the garden is the concrete walks built around the dome of the roof, where an excellent view of the city and surrounding country can be obtained. It is the intention of the management to remove part of the glass roof, affording an opportunity of enjoying the view and listening to the entertainment going on below” (May 20, 1895).

View of the street from the top of the 1892 Chicago Masonic Temple.

I have to question the use of 3510 opera chairs. That was a dramatic increase from the original 150 for the two original theaters.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 264 – The Masonic Temple’s Electric Theatre – A Day in the Alps

The Chicago Masonic Temple (1892-1939) with two electric scenic theaters manufactured by Sosman & Landis. They were place on the roof top venue during 1894.

“A City Under One Roof – The Masonic Temple” was an article in “Scientific American” (Feb. 10, 1894). It reported, “Of all the buildings of our Western sister Chicago, none is more remarkable than the Masonic Temple, a structure which, in its functions, dimensions and construction, is one of the unique buildings of the world. In spite of its name, it is proudly claimed to be the “highest commercial building in the world.” In it we find exemplified the union of Freemasonry and commerce, a four and one-half million dollar building supplying beautiful halls and parlors for Masonic rite, as well as an unequaled collection of business offices.”

One of the theaters for the Chicago’s Scottish Rite. The stage scene depicts the 15th degree setting for the palace of King Cyrus.

The Masonic Temple was situated on the corner of Randolph and State Streets and measured three hundred and two feet high. The architects were Burnham & Root, with Burnham also being selected as the Columbian Exposition’s Director General of Works. The general dimensions were 175’ (front) by 113’ (depth). The building was eighteen stories high with fourteen elevators. The seventeenth and eighteenth floors being occupied by Masonic rooms, York Rite Drill rooms and Scottish Rite stages.

View looking down at the main lobby in the first floor of the 1892 Chicago Masonic Temple.

The main entrance was a granite arch that measured 45’ high by 38’ wide, larger than most proscenium arches for Scottish Rite theaters at the time.

Main entrance to the 1892 Chicago Masonic Temple.

A “Western Electrician” article reported, “Upon entering the building a visitor’s attention is attracted by a large sign composed of incandescent lamps in the form of a hand pointing upward and the words ‘Electric Scenic Theaters.’ From the tip of the forefinger of the hand a row of lights extends upward the entire height of the building to the garden. This is called a “chaser,” and the lamp globes are of different colors. By means of a switch light passes along the line, changing in hue as it ascends, until it reaches the glass roof of the building.” This switch, as well as many of the devices in the Masonic Temple theaters, was designed and built by C. D. Baker, the electrical engineer for Sosman & Landis. There is much more information about the technical aspects of the lighting system posted at Chicagology. Here is the link: https://chicagology.com/goldenage/goldenage026/

When the Columbia Exposition closed during the fall of 1893, Sosman & Landis began plans to convert the Masonic Temple roof into two electric scenic theatres. Articles noted that the new theatre went beyond the mere imitation of “A Day in the Alps” with “extended improvements and with more attention paid to detail.” The roof garden space atop the Masonic Temple was 302 feet from the ground, an incentive to draw any audience to see a show. It was Sosman & Landis of Chicago who designed and managed the venue.

Advertisement depicting the roof top garden on top of the Chicago Masonic Temple in 1894.

Each electric scenic theater was designed with a seating capacity of 75. The first theatre replicated “A Day in the Alps” from the Columbian Exposition’s Midway Plaisance, presenting an alpine scene where a mountain stream formed a motion picture screen. Upon the river’s banks were houses and a nearby chapel. A mill in the foreground and bridge were included, allowing villagers to cross. High upon a snow-peaked mountain was a lovely castle. The production was also called “A Day in the Alps.” The show started with the midnight toll of the bell. The gloaming of dawn was followed by a brilliant. As on the midway, a thunderstorm approached, passing over the scene with vivid flashes of lightning and loud rolling thunder. Dusk soon appeared and the moon rose into the night sky until the clock struck midnight again. Twenty-four hours of in an alpine setting. Focusing lamps, rheostat boxes, switches, reflectors and other devices for the atmospheric effects were placed behind the scene.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 263 – Thomas G. Moses Paints “A Day in the Alps” for the Electric Scenic Theatre

The Electric Scenic Theatre in the Midway Plaisance at the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The scenery for “A Day in the Alps” was painted by Thomas G. Moses.

Thomas G. Moses records that he painted the scenery for “A Day in the Alps” at the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The concessionaire for the Electric Scenic Theatre at the Columbian Exposition was Mr. Arthur Schwarz. Located in the Midway Plaisance, a beautiful Swiss Alpine stage scene transitioned from day to night for each performance. Placards were placed outside of the theater’s entrance. They advertised, “Do not miss this chance of a lifetime” and “The Most Intellectual, Absolutely Interesting Spectacle of the Midway Plaisance.” They were competing with Freak shows and other spectacles. Other signs described the show: “Every phase of an Alpine Day is produced with startling realism.” These were supported by testimonials such as “The most beautiful sight I have seen at the fair!” The price for admission was $0.25 per adult or for two children. Single children were provided free admittance with an adult’s admission.

The outside ticket stand near the Electric Scenic Theatre at the Columbian Exposition Midway. Placards and outdoor signage advertised for the production, “A Day in the Alps.”

World Fair guidebooks reported, “The stage picture is a beautiful Swiss Alpine scenery, depicting in a realistic way every change of nature shown from dawn to night, as each gradually appears, and representing some of the most wonderfully realistic light effects ever produced by electric lamps. It is almost beyond belief that the visitor is not looking at a marvelous production of nature itself, instead of a picture created by an ingenious and artistic display of electric lights. The scene represents “A Day in the Alps.” Tyrolean warblers perform on their various instruments, and sing their tuneful lays. Their renowned “yodels,” as sung at each performance, are applicable to the scenery. The entire scenic effects are produced by about 250 electric incandescent lamps, operated from in front of the stage, in full view of the audience, by switches. The interior of the theatre is handsomely furnished with comfortable chairs. There are nine electric fans, producing a permanent current of fresh air, keeping the whole room at a low temperature and as refreshing as a sea breeze, it matters not how hot it may be outside.”

Flyer for the 1893 Midway Plaisance attraction.

Other guidebooks noted that the scenic production “begins with sunrise, and over the mountain top appears the ruddy glow of early sunlight. Then, as morning advances, and the volume of light increases, the beauties of the mountain become more apparent until their full glory flashes upon the beholder. The shepherd boys and girls are seen with their herds, and every feature of Alpine life is faithfully portrayed. Then a storm arises, and the effects here produced by electricity are surprisingly beautiful. After the storm dies away and the clouds vanish Nature smiles again. Then the day begins to fade, and at last it is night, with the stars brooding over all.”

Franz Reilhofer and the Tyrolean Warblers provided music during “A Day in the Alps” at the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

“Western Electric” (vol. 12, pg. 322) published that the mechanical apparatus used red, blue and white lamps that were arranged alternately. The article reported, “Each color and each locality in the setting was wired on a separate circuit, so that, by the introduction of resistance, it only becomes a question of skillful manipulation to give light of any shade or intensity desired. Of course, none of the lamps are visible, as they are arranged in the footlights and wings as well as overhead and behind the setting. The motion of the moon is produced by a tiny motor.” Just like for the 21st Scottish Rite degree production with the ruined abbey and moon that tracks across the sky.

Advertisement for the Electric Scenic Theatre’s “A Day in the Alps” at the Columbian Exposition in 1893.

This presentation was so popular that Sosman & Landis immediately created a replica for the new Masonic Temple’s roof top garden after the fair closed. Over the years the studio would create many more electric scenic studios, including the 1908 “A Day in Japan,” created for the Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Exposition. It had value.

Sosman & Landis listing another Electric Scenic Theatre for sale after the Pittsburg Exposition. Their hands would have been full with filling Scottish Rite scenery requests by this point.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 262 – It’s Electric!

The Columbian Exposition in 1893 introduced many new concepts and products. From a culinary standpoint, new products included Cracker Jack, Juicy Fruit gum, Quaker Oats, Cream of Wheat, shredded Wheat, and Milton Hershey’s version of chocolate. But there was another product featured at the fair, and it was not contained to any one building – electricity. Not only was there an official building dedicated to electricity, but it dominated the White City. The mammoth white buildings gleamed and glistened with electric lights under evening skies.

A view of the Columbian Exposition in Chicago at night during 1893.

The Columbian Exposition at night with the Midway Plaisance and iconic Ferris Wheel in the distance.

There was battle across the country for who would light this land and the interior of every business. One of the first major battles for light occurred during the Columbia Exposition. Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse both put in bids to light the fair. Westinghouse, armed with Tesla’s new induction motor submitted an extremely low bid and eventually won the contract. Originally, Tesla planned on using GE bulbs, but Edison who was still irked would not sell to Tesla and Westinghouse. In the end, Westinghouse came up with an even more efficient double-stopper light bulb. Tesla’s 12 thousand-horsepower AC polyphase generators created the City of Light. Some even referred to Tesla’s machines as “Teslas’ animals.” On May 1, 1893 approximately 100,000 lamps illuminated the White City. Electricity and AC current would soon spread across the country. In the next few years, AC power would become the standard for 80% of the country.

One of the most visited exhibits at the Columbian Exposition was the Electricity Building. It was one seven buildings that enclosed the Great Court of the Entrance. The Manufacturers building and the Electricity building were on the north end, the Machinery and Agricultural building on the south end, the railway station on the west end, and the Peristyle with its pavilions on the east end. The Administration Building was in the center of the group. Each had a common height of sixty feet to the top of its cornice with a foot print of 350’ x 700.’

Proposed drawing for the Electricity Building at the Columbia Exposition in 1893.

Electricity Building for the Columbian Exposition with over 700 exhibits inside from all over the world.

The Electricity Building offered a variety of possibilities for the future of mankind with over 700 displays from all over the world, including exhibits from Germany, France, England, Canada, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Sweden, Mexico and Russia. General Electric, Fort Wayne Electric, Brush Electric, Germania Electric, La Roche Electric Co., Akron Electric Co., Eddy Electric Co., Crocker-Wheeler Electric, Hansen & Van Winkle Electric, National Electric Co., Heisler Electric Co., Detroit Electric Works, Excelsior Electric, Electric Forging Co., Jenney Electric Motor Co., C & C Motor Co., Munsen Belting Co., Hornell Iron Works, Riker Motor Co., Perkins Lamp Co., New York Insulated Wire Co., E. S. Greeley & Co., Belknap Motor Co., Arnold Motor Co., A.C. Mather, Swan Lamp Co., were just a few of the business represented in the building.

However, no one anticipated exactly how much noise would be emitted from displaying all this new technology. Bright lights came at a price in a confined space! A deafening noise from the machinery accompanied the electrical displays. It was recorded that many people left after just a few minutes when they encountered the noise from the machines.

A guidebook explained “The next most prominent exhibit in the [Electrical] building is that of the Western Electric Company, of Chicago, immediately to the east of the main south entrance. This company has three pavilions, one an Egyptian temple paneled on the outside most uniquely with Egyptian figures and groups associated with electricity. For instance, there is a group of Egyptian maidens, of the time of Ramses the Second, operating a telephone board, and another group of men of the same period laying telegraph lines. The conceit is very popular.”

The Egyptian Temple in the Electricity Building as part of the Western Electric Company exhibit. This display was created by Sosman & Landis scenic studio of Chicago.

This Egyptian Temple was created by Sosman & Landis and painted by Thomas G. Moses and his crew. Even though there was another Egyptian Temple on the fairgrounds, the Temple of Luksor that was located on the Midway Plaisance, Western Electric Company created “Hello Central.” Western Electric’s intention was to clash the past with the present – ancient hieroglyphs with the modern telephones.

The Egyptian Temple of the Midway Plaisance for the Columbian Exposition.

Another part of Western Electric’s pavilion in the Electricity Building was a painted stained glass window illuminated by incandescent lamps. As on the stage, the stained glass composition was panted with dye on a piece of fabric. When the translucent material was lit from behind, it took on a magic of its own – glowing for all to see.

Stained glass window created by Sosman & Landis for Western Electric Company’s display in the Electricity Building at the Columbian Exposition, 1893.

Western Electric contracted Sosman & Landis to design not only the Egyptian pavilion and this stained glass translucency, but also a small electric stage. They created a small stage diorama that would demonstrate the use of electric light for theatre productions. There was a switchboard with a combination of arc and incandescent lights to illuminate the small display. But this was not the only electric theatre at the Fair.

The switchboard for the electric theatre by Western Electric Co. in the Electricity Building at the Columbian Exposition. The small stage was created by Sosman & Landis. The Scenic studio’s office were across the street from Western Electric Co. on Clinton Street in Chicago.

Another gained immediate popularity on the Midway Plaisance – the Electric Scenic Theatre where “A Day in the Alps” was presented. This was also the product of Sosman & Landis Studio and painted Thomas G. Moses. That will be the topic for tomorrow.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 252 – Thomas G. Moses at the Yo Semite Theatre in Stockton, California

Thomas G. Moses and Ed Loitz traveled to Stockton, California, on June 23, 1892. Moses wrote, “The weather was immense. Even when we were passing through the Humboldt Desert.” They went through San Francisco and visited “the boys.” They then continued onto Stockton by steamer, nearly missing it as they went to the wrong dock. Moses recalled that the boat had to “crawl through the rushes as there was no good channel.” In Stockton they met with Harrington who had been “hustling” to complete the painting framework for the drops. Sosman and Landis had contracted to paint an act for “Lost Paradise.”

Yo Semite Theatre in Stockton, California, in 1892. Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery for “Lost Paradise” at this theatre in 1892 when it opened to the public.

Moses did the drop curtain first, and the principle scenes, so he wouldn’t have to hustle at the opening. He wrote, “I got a good color scheme for the curtains. I met a number of old Sterling people who were in business here.” Within a month they completed the project and headed home on July 25, arriving in Chicago on August 1, 1892.

Theatre arrived to Stockton, California in the 1850. The first theatrical performances in Stockton were given in the assembly room of the Stockton house at El Dorado and Channel Streets. Known as the Stockton House Theatre this space was converted into a makeshift theatre for entertainment. This was a large building constructed at an expense of $100,000. The venue only lasted three years.

In 1853, Emiele Hestress, a Frenchman, also renovated a portion of his own brick building to include a 700-seat theatre. His space was on the corner of Main Street and El Dorado. He also had a stock company – the George Ryer Company. His venue opened with the productions “The Lady of Lyons” and “Pretty Sadly.” The opening engagement lasted for two month time and was followed by such famous acts as Laura Keane, Helena Modjeska, Lotta Crabtree, George Marion, James O’Neil, John McCullough, Lawrence Barrett, Clara Morris and other well-known starts. This theatre only lasted until 1890 when it was destroyed by fire on the evening of July 4. By 1883, the Avon Theatre opened with “Hazel Kirke” and the following decade the Yo Semite Theatre opened.

The Yo Semite Theatre was dedicated on July 12, 1892 with the production of “Lost Paradise,” starring Maud Adams as Little Nell. This was the show Moses was in town to paint. The Yo Semite theatre was located on 22 North San Joaquin in Stockton as a complex with theater and offices. In addition to offices, it housed the Yo Semite Club from 1892 until 1908. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Weeks and Day (William Penn Day and William Henry Weeks). The theatre was on the ground floor with a seating capacity of 1,350. The illumination of the auditorium and stage was alternated between gas and electricity. The proscenium measured 36 feet wide by 40 feet high with a distance of 40 feet from the footlights to the back wall. There was three feet between the footlights and the front curtain. The height to the fly galleries was 28 feet with the height to the rigging loft measuring 60 feet. The depth under the stage was 10 feet and accommodated three traps.

Image of an Ad drop at the Yo Semite theatre, date unknown.

The venue was closed in 1920 and was later converted into a movie house called the Fox State with a new entrance on Main Street. In 1955 it became the “new” Esquire Theatre. It survived until 1971 when it was razed for a parking lot.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 249 – Men Who Found Fame in the Wing and Drop Curtains, the Scenic Artists

The same year that the Sosman & Landis Annex studio opened, an article appeared in the Chicago Sunday Tribune, “Paint Mimic Scenes, Men Who Have Found Fame in the Wing and Drop Curtains” (Dec, 18, 1892, page 41). Here is the continuation of that article started in installment #245.

“H. J. Buhler is another artist whose interiors are excellent examples of careful drawing, in which projection and shadow are most skillfully handled. Still other rising lights in this circle are John Young and F. E. Gates. The latter averages two drop-curtains every week. He is a rapid worker and has been known to complete a curtain with forty-eight figures in three days. Such rushing gives small chance for detail. The latest addition to the scenic fold is Deneth [Oliver] Grover, formerly an instructor in the Art Institute and winner of the Yerkes prize in the last exhibition. Grover has no rivals in drawing the human figure and his work promises to make artistic sensation.

Fred Dangerfield, a new comer, has been talked of considerably, and his work as the artist at the Chicago Opera House burlesques the last two seasons variously estimated. Thanks to Martin Kruger, he has one of the best lighted stages in America, and light gives wonderful witchery to scenery. It would be interesting to know just how much of “Ali Baba” was painted by Dangerfield, and how much by Gates, Williams, and Burky, who are concealed in that vague word “assistants.”

Manager James Hutton of Havlin’s is the only person holding a similar position in this city who can paint scenery. He has painted the drop curtains for all of the Havlin theaters and is one of the best judges of this class of work in the city.”

Illustration of John H. Young painting in a scenic studio.

Looking at the artists above, I was very familiar with John H. Young’s work.He worked and went on sketching trips with Thomas G. Moses during the 1880s. Later, he found success as a Broadway designer (see past installments # 131, 140, 171-3, 181, 184, 186, 189, 192-3, 195-8, 202, 203, 205-11, and 215-16.) F. E. Gates was also a well-known persona. Like many, he would branch into other areas of painting and interior decoration. Gates came from a family of theatrical managers, musician, and actors and eventually partnered with E. A. Morange to form the studio Gates & Morange (see past installments #149, 171, and 189-91). Gates would also win the Medal of Honor as a painter in 1918 during the Architectural League of New York Exhibition, held in the Vanderbilt Gallery. This exhibition was unique, the idea of an architectural exhibition in collaboration with the building crafts.

F. E. Gates would won the Medal of Honor as a painter in the 1918 Architectural League of New York Exhibition. It was held in the Vanderbilt Gallery.

In “Real Estate Records and Builders Guide, Vol. 101,” the article covering this exhibition noted, “It may seem as though the scenic effect had been deliberately made to dominate over the more serious and ‘architectural’ quality of the exhibition. However, by looking beneath the surface, it will be noted that the exhibition represents the spirit of the times. We do not live with Greek simplicity. We are avid in our eagerness for progress.”

Many of these scenic artists became established and were recognized for work outside of the theatre. Whether fine art, interior design, or another visual entertainment, they continued to seek other artistic avenues. The impression that I am often left with after examining a late-nineteenth-century scenic artist’s career is their penchant for artistic growth. These men continually sought training in the arts, whether drawing or painting, and applied this knowledge to every upcoming project. So when I think about the article’s description of Moses as one “who has small opportunity to exercise his creative faculty,” there is an overwhelming sense of lost opportunities. I can’t help but feel sorry for him and share in his turmoil. He is too busy to really take time for sketching trips in 1892, such as those to Colorado and West Virginia a decade earlier. His primary travel is for the studio. It transports him all across the country, but his work continues at a manic pace. The long sketching trips with fellow artists are becoming less frequent. He might only get away for a day or so on location.

The Sosman & Landis studio is heading toward becoming a scenic factory; one that mass-produces stock scenery and drop curtains. This will remain true until the end, especially with Scottish Rite scenery entering the picture.

Even Moses’ speed is now overshadowed by potential attributed to the younger generation. F. E. Gates who is noted as averaging two drop curtains per week is heralded with completing a drop curtain with forty-eight figures in three days. In 1881, Moses had recorded, “The others were able to draw more, because they were better in the artistic end, but I had it over them when it came to speed.” He was losing his edge and others were already passing him by. In 1892 he was only thirty-six years old.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 242 – Thomas G. Moses and the Fisher Opera House

In November of 1891, Thomas G. Moses and Ed Loitz left for San Diego, California to paint scenery for the John C. Fisher Opera House. Moses wrote, ”Here was another fine job. The climate was great.” His heart would remain in California for the remainder of his career and he would seek out employment along the west coast many times.

The Fisher Opera House in San Diego where Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery in 1891. The venue opened in January of 1892.

Moses recorded that the supervising architect for the theater was Mr. Haupt, “a clever fellow” whom he became very “chummy” with throughout the duration of the project.

The opening show was performed by the William T. Calton Opera Company to a packed house in January 1892. Moses refers to this project as “the first real theatre build in San Diego.” He wrote “When I painted the curtain it was left wholly up to me to select the subject. I took a street scene in Verona, Italy. There was a life size figure on the very bottom of the curtain as there was no border or frame. The figure looked as if it was standing on the stage. One evening I was standing in the rear – the curtain was down. Two young men came up to it and one said, ‘Hurry up, the curtain is up.’ He had only glanced at the curtain and seeing the lower half thought my figure was a real one. Quite a compliment.”

Fisher opened his opera hose on January 11, 1892. The theater’s seating capacity for the space was 1400 (approximately 420 seats in the parquet and dress circle, 420 seats in the first balcony, and 70 seats in the twelve gallery boxes). The venue was promoted to be “one of the finest ever constructed in San Diego – probably the best theater on the West Coast in its time.” The building was situated on the entire block between Fourth and Fifth Streets for 200 feet. The entrance to the theater was Romanesque surmounted by a turret that rose 120 feet above the sidewalk. The first two stories were constructed of granite with the top three of pressed brick. The entrance was located on Fourth Street with the stage door on Fifth.

The Fisher Theater was also one of the first theaters in the country to use a complete electrical system. It is interesting to note, however, that space was also left for the use of gaslight on the stage. The inclusion this second system, although not practical at all, was intended as a precautionary measure. The electrical system consisted of 1,000 “sixteen-candle power” Edison incandescent lamps. This gave both the auditorium and the stage an illumination never encountered in a West Coast performance venue before this one.

John C. Fisher was described as “a rotund Kentuckian who came to town in 1887 as manager of a furniture store.” He was soon president of the Chamber of Commerce, an active in the cable-car company, and an owner of the Florence Hotel. Moses wrote that, “The Hotel Florence was on a high point overlooking the whole bay and the country was also fine. There were many ‘one lungers’ at the hotel, as the majority of guests were idlers. They had a lot of time to be very inquisitive as to my very active business and any of them called on me at the theatre. I more than enjoyed every moment that I was there. I met Miss Joy of Portland, Oregon, one evening in the hotel. I didn’t recognize her. Mr. Fisher called me to the veranda and she overheard it and spoke to me. She and her Mother were spending the winter in California. I didn’t have my overalls on and she had to remark at the difference it made in me.”

Moses continued, “I was strolling down town one December morning in my shirt sleeves – too warm for a coat. A battleship was coming into harbor, firing a salute. It was a fine sight. I afterwards went aboard the same ship. The last day of the year I finished the job and was forced to file a mechanics lien on the building to protect ourselves. I took a dip in the surf in December and enjoyed it. There was a good swimming pool at Coronado Beach Hotel, which was patronized quite often.” How very interesting. The mechanics lien was just tossed in there between leisure activities. I wonder what that was all about?

The Fisher Opera House changed hands in 1902 when it became the Isis Theatre. Later it was resold and renamed the Colonial Theatre as depicted in this photograph.

To be continued…

[Emphasis

Much of the history was from San Diego History online. Here is the http://www.sandiegohistory.org/collection/photographs/fisher/