Scenic design by Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio of Chicago, Illinois. This painted setting was designed for a Masonic clientele; the Masons used theatre as an instructional tool for members. Scottish Rite theaters were constructed to produced dramatic productions, teaching a specific lessons, similar to a morality play.
Cut drop design by Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio. Holak Collection, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries.
Here is the link to the cut drop design on the scenery collections database: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll116:1585?facets%5Bcollection_name_s%5D%5B%5D=Scenic+Collections&page=2&q=masonic
Backdrop design by Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio. Holak Collection, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries.
Here is the link to the backdrop design on the scenery collections database: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll116:2115?facets%5Bcollection_name_s%5D%5B%5D=Scenic+Collections&page=2&q=masonic
The backdrop and cut drop design are part of the Holak Collection, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries. The Holak Collection, Twin City Scenic Co. Collection, Northwest Studios Collection and Great Western Stage Equipment Co. Collection are all part of an online searchable database. Here is the link to the database with over 3000 images of historic designs produced by American scenic studios: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/search?facet_field=collection_name_s&facets%5Bcollection_name_s%5D%5B%5D=Scenic+Collections
I post a historic scene every day to my FB Group Dry Pigment and my FB Page Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett.
Painted detail from cut drop design.Painted detail from cut drop design.Painted detail from cut drop design.Painted detail from backdrop design.Painted detail from backdrop design.Painted detail from backdrop design.
The front of the Collingswood Scottish Rite includes the original mansion that was built on the property in the 1850sThe design for the Collingswood Scottish RiteMy visit to the Collingswood Scottish Rite on July 13, 2019
In 1991, I encountered a series of Scottish Rite scenic designs
with “Camden, NJ” written on the back. This was while I was processing the
Holak collection for the University of Minnesota Performing Arts Archives as
part of an Undergraduate Opportunities Program grant. The Holak collection was
the second of two Masonic scenery collections that I processed between 1989 and
1991. The Holak collection included a
variety of designs created by “Sosman & Landis” and their eastern affiliate
“New York Studios.”
By 1992, I journeyed to the East Coast for the first time,
newly engaged and visiting my fiancée’s family in Delaware. Unfortunately, there
never seemed to be any opportunity to track down the Camden Scottish Rite, so
it sat on the back burner for a few decades until this month.
Over the years, I would think of the Camden designs every
time we visited friends or family in New Jersey. Opportunity finally presented
itself while I was attending the League of Historic America Theatres national
conference in Philadelphia. I was on my
way back to New Jersey with our eldest child’s godparents when we decided to
stop by and take a look. I had not
scheduled a visit or checked if the building would even be open, just hoping to
catch a glimpse of the fly tower. The Collingswood Scottish Rite was only two
blocks away from the Camden city line and bustling with activity when we
stopped.
There were cars in the parking lot and many exiting the
building – score! This meant that I
might be able to venture in far enough to see the lobby, and possibly the theater. Unbelievably our arrival coincided with the
break between the matinee and evening performances of “Seussical” – not by the
Masons, but by a local community theater group. Although, the idea of a Masonic
version of “Seussical” does make me giggle – “Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!” But
I digress…
Once inside the building, I met with an enthusiastic woman
who eagerly listened to my connection with Masonic theater and then introduced
me to Mary, the woman in charge. She was also delighted to hear my history about
Scottish Rite scenery and promptly offered us a tour of the stage, patiently waiting
while I climbed up to the fly gallery. “Seussical” had not been presented in
the theater due to lack of central air. Instead, it was being presented in the
only air-conditioned space below- the banquet room.
Postcard depicting the auditorium and one stage setting at the Collingswood Scottish Rite.The Collingswood Scottish RiteThe proscenium line at the Collingswood Scottish RiteThe fly gallery at the Collingswood Scottish Rite
After examining the toasty auditorium and stage, we wandered
up to another room where some of the backdrops were stored. I would later learn
that local riggers working touring shows at the Collingswood Scottish Rite demanded
the removal of the historic drops. All this seems very odd and I sincerely hope
that I have misunderstood the chain of events leading up to the removal of the
scenery. In the end, some of the scenes were
gifted to the community theater for productions. The gifted drops have been
repaired and repeatedly used in local theatre productions.
Without being able to unfold any of the drops, or see a
stage book, I had no way of knowing if the Holak designs were ever realized for
this particular venue. The designs may
have simply been for a preliminary proposals.
My host suggested that I contact the Scottish Rite Secretary the next
week and meet with him, specifically asking to see the stage book.
It was not until after the conference ended, that I returned
to the Scottish Rite, scheduling a meeting with the Scottish Rite secretary and
bringing a few LHAT friends. I enjoyed a second tour of the theater before
examining the stage book and chatting with the Scottish Rite representative.
Before the scenery collection was removed, each backdrop had been photographed
and placed in a packet, noting the original line sets. As I slowly flipped
through the packet, I recognized many of the compositions from the Holak
collection.
Folded backdrops at the Collingswood Scottish RiteA design from the Holak Collection, with “Camden, NJ” written on the back.Photograph of the same scene in the Collingswood Scottish Rite stage book
Although the scenery collection is folded up and in storage,
it still exists – for now. There is also
a greater possibility that the historic backdrops may avoid a final resting
place in a dumpster if there is any perceived value of the artifacts; I did my
best and even left a copy of “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Theatre: Freemasonry,
Architecture and Theatre” for the Scottish Rite Valley library.
The history of the Collingswood Scottish Rite complex is quite
unique and fascinating. The Masons purchased the parcel of land with the intent
of leveling the existing 1850s mansion that remained on the property at the
time of sale. At some point, plans changed and the mansion was not leveled,
just abbreviated; the front portion was left standing to be used as Scottish
Rite offices. The new theater building was then connected to the back of the old
mansion.
Recently, the Scottish Rite sold its building to the city,
reserving the right to maintain the offices and use the lodge room. This arrangement is becoming more common
across the country, as Scottish Rite Valleys sell their buildings for pennies
on the dollar and negotiate with the new owners to still meet in the space. I
remain unsure as to how much the theater is used for Scottish Rite degree
productions, if it is used at all. Remember that the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction
has mostly transitioned from degree productions to video presentations for
instruction. The Collingswood Scottish Rite auditorium hosts a variety of
touring shows, including an upcoming performance by Pink Martini, my new favorite
musical ensemble. The current bookings at the Collingswood Scottish Rite remain
limited to spring, fall and winter due to the lack of any central air.
It is exciting to identify the work of individual scenic artists. Looking for specific colors, brush strokes and other identifying marks is similar to a treasure hunt. Charcoal lines, pounce marks, and lining work can all provide clues.
Unlike the Fort Scott collection, most Scottish Rite installations were the work of multiple artists. However, all of the drops still needed to blend together as a unified whole once the collection were assembled on site. This is similar to choral singing when you don’t want any one voice to stand out too much. However, even when a single studio solely produced a collection there could be variations. Sometimes the work of an individual artist will become apparent upon close inspection. Even if the identities of these artists are unknown, we can still identify their artworks in a collective whole.
One discovery at the Moline Scottish Rite would bring my back to my first days as a scenic artistic and scholar while processing the Holak collection for the Performing Arts Archives at he University of Minnesota Libraries. Primary made up of Sosman & Landis designs, the Holak collection was the third of four scenery design collections acquired by Professor Emeritus C. Lance Brockman. Again, here is the link to the scenery collection database: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch. My work at the archives as a student, research assistant, employee, and returning scholar would prove invaluable throughout the course of my career.
In 2000-2001, I assigned every word of metadata for each artifact in the scenery collection database containing the three collections: Twin City Scenic Company, Holak (Sosman & Landis and New York Studios), and the Great Western Stage Equipment Company. My duties involved determining five key words that best identified each of the 3000+ images in the online collection. At the same time, I was also assigning the subject, media, stage term and masonic degree for each image. Crosschecking my entries provided an opportunity to compare and contrast all three collections over and over again. At the time, I also requested the addition of another category that would identify the specific artist, or “creator,” of many designs. Only a few of the artworks were signed or linked to a specific scenic artist. This meant that I had to do a final inspection of all three collections to look for stylistic similarities that could link unsigned works with signed works. Remember, many of the artists worked at multiple studios, so all three collections had to be examined simultaneously.
In 2012, I returned to the archives as a volunteer and did metadata entry for a new acquisition -the Northwestern Studio collection. This work was completed over one term while I taught scene painting class at the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. For me, it was another way to give back to my alma mater, but there was also a personal reason that I wanted to help process this collection; it was to familiarize myself with this new acquisition. There is something to be said about individually handling each artwork or document as you become intimately familiar with not only each artifact, but also the scope of the entire collection.
In addition to working with incoming acquisitions, I also completed a series of technical studies over the years to fully understand the compositional layout, color palettes, and painting techniques. Whether as an undergraduate student, graduate student, or professional, it was always a form of practice to improve my own painting skills. It also allowed me an intimate familiarity with some of the works – such as the gates of the city for the 15th degree.
University of Minnesota Performing Arts Archives, PA49, box 2, MSSCH027.
University of Minnesota Performing Arts Archives, PA49, box 2, MSSCH027.
Twenty-eight years after first replicating this small design from the Holak collection, I encountered a similar painting style at the Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral during March 2017. I was photographing various painting techniques and noticed the unique painting of blocks for the Gothic Cathedral setting. The painting technique was almost identical to those rendered by the designer for the city gates. I copied this design as a nineteen-year-old because I was enthralled with the pink stonework.
University of Minnesota Performing Arts Archives, PA49, box 2, MSSCH026.
It was very different from everything else that I had encountered in either the Holak or Great Western Stage Equipment Company collections at the time. Portions of the light base coat remained visible in the final composition, providing a texture for each stone. This base also forms some of the grouting before the addition of sparse lining.
As I photographed the painted details during the Moline evaluation, I finally understood what I had missed when originally replicating the pink stones. My own brush strokes were too formulaic. It made me think of the approach to painting foliage. There needed to be an organic feel when painting each stone – like the placement of leaves on a vine. I tucked this bit of information away for future painting projects. There is always something to learn from these historical collections.
Replica of Holak Sketch from Performing Arts Archives by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 1990.
Replica of Holak Sketch from Performing Arts Archives by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 1990.
