In 1924, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Met Fulton at Denver and were soon on our way to San Jose. Arriving in San Francisco, we soon reached the 3rd Street Station just in time to catch a train for San Jose…It took us eight days to close a $7,000.00 contract.” Moses was working with Fitch Fulton to land Scottish Rite contracts in 1924. In addition to San Jose, California, their projects included Scottish Rite scenery for Fort Scott, Kansas and Pasadena, California.
Ground breaking for the Scottish Rite building in San Jose, California.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the San Jose Scottish Rite was announced in the “Salina Daily Index” on Feb. 20, 1924. The article reported, “Work on Scottish Rite Temple Progressing Rapidly.” The construction went quicker than the contract negotiations. Like most Scottish Rites at this time, discussions were drawn out until the last possible moment. This never worked well for either the scenic studio or client. In the end it everything was rushed through, greatly taking its toll on the artists and installers.
In 1925 that Moses recorded, “We finally received out contract back from San Jose after they had it a month, which settled the matter of our going there immediately after we completed Pasadena.” The San Jose Scottish Rite was scheduled to open at the beginning of May.
The San Jose Scottish Rite.
That spring, Moses wrote, “I started for San Jose on March 27th and found Naile had everything in good shape. Fulton and I got busy immediately, got a good start and pounded away pretty steadily until April 18th”. It was at this point that Moses’ health troubles came to a climax and he was rushed to hospital by Dr. Moore and Fitch Fulton. He wrote, “All through my illness, I had to keep work going and had to ask the Madam to see that the salaries were paid and the work at the Consistory did not stop. It was opened on time and we were through on April 27th, a few days before my second operation.” Moses’ second operation was on May 1, 1925, with him recovering at the hospital all month. He was not released until May 30.
The San JoseScottish Rite.
The San Jose Scottish Rite Temple opened on May 8, 1925. On May 10, 1925, the “Oakland Tribune” announced, “Masons Dedicate San Jose Home.” The article reported, “Formal dedication of the new $450,000 San Jose Scottish Rite Temple was made last evening with Sovereign Grand Commander J. H. Cowles, highest ranking Mason in the United States, as guest of honor. The dedication ceremony followed a banquet in honor of Cowles and Sovereign Grand Inspector W. P. Filmer. Scottish Rite Masons and their ladies only were in attendance, and the big new temple at Third and St. James streets was packed to capacity for the rites.”
By 1926, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “During this year, I have had the opportunity to paint several large canvases to be presented to Masonic Temples and school boards. I presented one large canvas to the San Jose Consistory.” He also presented paintings to the Tacoma Scottish Rite, the Board of Education at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and Saint Francis Academy of Joliet.” His paintings included the inscription “Compliments of Sosman & Landis.” Of his gifts to various clients, Moses wrote, “While these are all in the line of business, it gives me the opportunity of painting them.”
Between 1924 and 1925, Thomas G. Moses, Fitch B. Fulton and Harry E. Naile delivered scenery to several Masonic theaters. The Pasadena Scottish Rite project began on the heels of the Fort Scott Scottish Rite project. It all started with Fort Scott, Kansas.
In August 1924, Moses wrote, “Fulton is now in Fort Scott getting ready for our big work. I bought a round trip ticket for a long western trip and started on the 16th of August arriving in Fort Scott on the 17th. Put in one day with Fulton, leaving on the 19th.”
Fulton was on site setting up the paint space in the theater and was already painting when Moses arrived for a day in Fort Scott. The two worked on a platform twenty-feet above the stage-left side of the theater. The project would be completed in spits and spurts that year.
After leaving Fort Scott and stopping in Salt Lake City, Moses arrived in Los Angeles on the afternoon of the August 22, He wrote, “Got busy immediately at Pasadena for ten days. As a final deal, I offered the Little Rock drops for $8,500.00, closed the deal and at Los Angeles for a big interior for the Consistory.”
So, while Fulton began the Fort Scott job, Moses landed the Pasadena job.
Moses returned to the Fort Scott Project, finished the work with Fulton, and then headed back to Chicago. By November 1924, Moses wrote, “I must get back to Pasadena as they want to open on the 24th of February, so we put the house in perfect shape for cold weather and got our tickets via the D.R.G. through Colorado. Met Fulton at Denver and were soon on our way to San Jose. Arriving in San Francisco, we reached the 3rd Street Station just in time to catch a train for San Jose. Went to the Vendome Hotel and Mrs. Fulton came up. It took us eight days to close a $7,000.00 contract and get to Los Angeles where we spent two days, finally securing a fine apartment at the 159 S. Los Robles Avenue in Pasadena, where we will remain for two months. Had a delightful Christmas day at Walters.”
Moses and Fulton planned on preparing the used Little Rock scenery for installation and painting a few new scenes for the Pasadena Scottish Rite.
Scene by Sosman & Landis for the Scottish Rite theater in Little Rock, Arkansas, 1902. It was sold to the Pasadena Scottish Rite and installed in 1925.Scene by Sosman & Landis for the Scottish Rite theater in Little Rock, Arkansas, 1902. It was sold to the Pasadena Scottish Rite and installed in 1925.Backdrop painted by Thomas G. Moses and Fitch Fulton in 1925 for the Pasadena Scottish Rite.Painted detail. Backdrop painted by Thomas G. Moses and Fitch Fulton in 1925 for the Pasadena Scottish Rite.
On February 14, 1925, the “Pasadena Post” reported, “The magnificent scenic drop curtains which have been hung in the new Scottish Rite cathedral to be dedicated Tuesday evening, are a gift of Major Charles M. Skillen, in memory of his son, the later Dr. Ralph G. Skillen. Both father and sone were charter members of the Pasadena Consistory.“The 73 drops represent some of the finest work of the artists of Sosman & Landis company of Chicago have ever produced, according to Thomas G. Moses, president of the firm, who is in Pasadena to personally supervise the work of installing them. “Each of the drops was especially designed and finished for the Pasadena cathedral. Months were spent in the preparation of then, it is said. About half were painted in the Chicago studios of the company and the reminder finished in this city. While Mr. Moses has watched carefully the painting of the curtains, much credit for their final perfection must go to the assistant and scenic artist, F. B. Fulton. Mr. Fulton believes the scenic work to be some of the finest he has ever produced. The final work of hanging and installing the curtains will be under the supervision of Harry Nail, a member of the Sosman & Landis company. This work demands such expert workmanship that Mr. Nail [sic.] was brought from Chicago so that no mistakes in installation could be made.”
The stage machinery at the Pasadena Scottish Rite installed by Harry E. Naile in 1925. This is the same system that was previously used at the Little Rock Scottish Rite from 1902 to 1923.The Pasadena Scottish Rite theater became known as the Cobb Auditorium in 1935.The original decor at the Pasadena Scottish Rite from 1925.The renovated Pasadena Scottish Rite, ca. 1965.The Pasadena Scottish Rite, c. 2017.
Only if you were standing backstage at the Pasadena Scottish Rite and saw “Little Rock” written all over the back of many of the scenes would you suspect that they scenery was not new. That a good portion of the collection was previously designed and installed at the Little Rock Scottish Rite in Arkansas.
“Little Rock” written on the back of a drop at the Pasadena Scottish Rite.“Little Rock” written on the back of a drop at the Pasadena Scottish Rite.Also included is information about the size, composition, scenic piece, and degree.
When the Scottish Rite in Little Rock purchased new scenery in 1923, their old scenery was returned on credit, applied toward the purchase of new scenery. This used collection was stored and then split between the Miami Scottish Rite and the Pasadena Scottish Rite. When some of the old Little Rock scenery arrived in Pasadena, Moses and Fulton touched up the scenes and then added some drops.Over the decades, the scenery collection was expanded, touched up, and repositioned. A complete remodel of the auditorium took place from 1964-1965, greatly altering the overall aesthetic and proscenium opening that showcased the scenic artworks.https://www.pasadenascottishrite.org/about-us/history/
In 1923 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We had some very good work for the Public Schools of Dubuque, Iowa, and we put in extra effort to please them as it was a $6,000.00 contract.” $6,000 in 1923 is today’s equivalent of approximately $92,000 – a sizable project for a studio that was preparing to close.
Dubuque Senior High School in Dubuque, Iowa.
The 1923 Sosman & Landis project was for the Dubuque Senior High School auditorium. The newly-constructed building was formally dedicated on February 9, 1923. It was an impressive structure, albeit looked somewhat like a fortress.
On March 9, 1923, the Gazette reported,
“PUBLIC TO INSPECT NEW DUBUQUE SCHOOL TONIGHT.
Dubuque’s new senior high school building, erected at a cost of $715,000, will be formally thrown open to the public tonight. Classes have been conducted in the building since Feb. 20. An interesting program will be staged in the auditorium, which seats 1,200 persons” (page 2). The High School’s dedication ceremonies drew a massive crowd of approximately 4000, twice the number that would fill the new theater. Attendees at the event had to be split between the auditorium and gymnasium, with program speakers going from one location to the other.
That year 733 students were enrolled at Dubuque’s new high school, and the number kept climbing over the decades. The building has survived, and today is home to more than twice that number. The high school’s current theater is known as the Lamb-Hedeman Auditorium. In 2006, the space was completely renovated. None of the original features or décor of the 1923 auditorium remain. Any Sosman & Landis scenery installed in the Dubuque Senior High School in 1923 is long gone.
There 1920s were a turning point for many scenic studios and other theatre manufacturers. They began to target a new client – schools. As the demand for painted scenery continued to decline, studios desperately searched for other opportunities and projects. In the 1920s, school contacts offered the much-needed income for struggling firms. High school theaters also offered an affordable space for many community productions. Some studios formed entire departments to deal with school projects. The Twin Cities Scenic Co., even published an entire brochure about their completed stage installation for schools and high schools.
A list of schools and colleges equipped with stage scenery by the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.A list of schools and colleges equipped with stage scenery by the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.A list of schools and colleges equipped with stage scenery by the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Many academic stages were constructed fo multipurpose use and there was in increased demand for fabric draperies. In some cases, draperies were used in lieu of painted scenes, reducing the overall expense of school productions.
Stage setting incorporating fabric draperies into the design.
Sosman & Landis delivered scenery to another another high school stage in 1923. It was for a two-night production by the Y. W. C. A. in Shamokin, Pennsylvania. On April 11, 1923, the “Shamokin News-Dispatch” reported:
“BETTY WHO
Two-act Modern Musical Comedy
to be Given at the High School April 23 and 24.
Scenery – New scenery made by Sosman & Landis of Chicago.”
Advertisement from the “Shamokin News Dispatch,” 19 April 1923, page 5.
Big names were brought in for this fundraising event. In addition to Sosman & Landis, Eaves of New York and Lester of Chicago were responsible for the costumes. Wigs were attributed to Schmidt of St. Louis. On April 24, 1923, the Shamokin News-Dispatch” reported, “The musical comedy, produced under the personal direction of Madame Mabel Chenault, was arranged for the benefit of the building fund of the Y.W.C.A.” (page 2). 300 locals were included in the cast. The show was advertised having catchy music, spectacular dances, splendid scenery and gorgeous comedy” (Shamokin News-Dispatch, 21 April 1923, page 7).
I am including a few high school designs by the Twin City Scenic Co. in the 1920s. They are part of the Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota.
Twin City Scenic Co. design for scenery delivered to Logan High School in, LaCrosse, WI, 1928.Twin City Scenic Co. design for scenery delivered to the Mays Landis High School in Hamilton Township, NJ, 1928.Twin City Scenic Co. design for Garnet High School in Charleston, West Virginia, 1929.Twin City Scenic Co. design for draperies at the Peekskill High School in Peekskill, New York, 1929.Twin City Scenic Co. design for high school stage draperies.Twin City Scenic Co. design for high school stage draperies.
In June 1923, Thomas G. Moses presented a model to the Binghamton Scottish Rite for their new theater. He painted the scenery during September and October of that year. Moses’ payment for painting the scenery was $2500. It remains uncertain if this amount also covered travel and lodging expenses.
In June 1924 Moses wrote, “On June 2nd, I received $365.00 balance due from Binghamton. I had about given up all hopes of getting it.” Moses completed his work for the Binghamton Scottish Rite scenery project seven months earlier, just before the building opened in November 1923.
$365 was approximately 15% of the project, likely the amount due upon installation. To put this in perspective, $2500 in 1923 is the equivalent of approximately $38,080.99 today. The amount that Moses was waiting for ($365) was today’s equivalent of $5,559.83.
It is hard enough when a payment is past due, and there is no indication of when those funds will appear. Then there is the additional time you spend on a project trying to collect. Creating each additional invoice, letter, email or phone call all adds up, pecking away at your salary. I think of Sosman & Landis representatives traveling across the country to collect final payment, the additional travel fees and lodging. When several clients decide to not pay in a timely manner, it becomes a big problem.
For Moses, this was an ongoing problem during the early twentieth-century with Scottish Rite projects. They would not pay that final payment, no matter how large or small. I have to wonder how the Masons justified non-payment for the craftsmen. It flies in the face of what Masonry teaches.
In 1923, Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Binghamton, NY. He was assisted by Edward Loitz, earning $2,500 to paint forty drops for the stage. Moses and Loitz were subcontracted by New York Studios for the work.
Home to the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in Binghamton, New York.
On October 17, 1923, the “Binghamton Press and Leader” reported, “Thomas G. Moses of Chicago. Representing New York Studios, who is painting scenery, curtains and drops for the stage in the auditorium of the Masonic Temple under construction at Main and Murray streets.” On Nov. 21, 1923, the “Binghamton Press and Leader” reported, “The scenery for the auditorium was painted by the Sosman & Landis Co. of Chicago at a cost of $12,000. Much of this scenery was painted in the temple by Thomas G. Moses, scenic artist of this concern” (page 17). So why did the newspaper change from crediting associating Moses with New York Studios to Sosman & Landis over the course of a month?
Well, between Oct. 17 and Nov. 21, Moses realized that Hunt of New York studios had royally screwed him over. My guess is that Moses walked to the newspapers office and said, “When you mention my name again, make sure to add that I am representing Sosman & Landis.”
To briefly recap…Moses and Megan were in the process of purchasing the Sosman & Landis name, but could not until the company was liquidated (which would be in December). By the summer of 1923, Chicago Studios began using the Sosman & Landis address before just after negotiations with Moses stipulated that he could not use the company name until after the firm was completely. Moses’ negotiations were with Hunt of New York Studios, who was also running Sosman & Landis at the time. Chicago Studios started using the address, they sent out letters to Sosman & Landis clients announcing that they the successors to Sosman & Landis, just under a new name. Furthermore,
Moses & Megan immediately disputed the information circulated by Chicago Studios once they became aware of the deceit, sending out letters of their own and explaining that firm had not closed, just moved to a new location. On November 13, 1923, Moses and Megan sent a letter to the Scottish Rite in Salina, Kansas, writing “Dear Sir: It has recently some to our attention that a certain studio is advertising our old customers that they have bought the Sosman & Landis Company and are now operating same, combining it with their original company. We wish to assure you this is not a fact and that our original organization is intact, but our studio has been moved to better quarters.”
So, in the midst of the massive Binghamton Scottish Rite project, where Moses was painting on site for Hunt, Moses realized that Hunt had betrayed him. This is likely the reason that the second article about the scenery stated Sosman & Landis as the firm, and not New York Studios. Moses knew what Hunt was trying to do; Hunt was trying to discredit the new iteration of Sosman & Landis, the one that Moses and Megan would run. In the end, the scenery was credited to New York Studios. Moses never listed the Binghamton Scottish Rite in his resumé.
The Binghamton Scottish Rite was a massive undertaking and significant job, a credit to any studio. The Temple boasted 1,000,000 cubic feet, built at an expense of $400,000 The architects of the endeavor were Walter H. Whitlock and Charles H. Conrad of Binghamton, with the general work being done by the Mitchell Construction Co. On Nov. 21, 1923, the “Binghamton Press and Leader,” described, “Upon entering the main portal on Main street, one finds a large hall, or foyer. From this foyer one may enter the auditorium, the secretary’s rooms, a stairway and the elevator which reaches all floors. The auditorium, which is in the form of an amphitheater, occupies the greater part of the ground floor, first floor and first floor mezzanine. It has 4,700 square feet of floor space, in 28 feet in height and will seat 800 persons. It is connected with the stage by an opening 32 feet wide by 22 feet high. The stage, 1,720 square feet in area, is 30 feet deep, 57 feet wide and 58 feet high. There are 50 complete sets of scenery. At the sides of the stage, on three levels, are robing rooms representing 2,400 square feet of space” (page 17).
The fifty-seventh annual reunion of Otseningo Bodies, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, in the Valley of Binghamton, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, United States of America, was held from Nov. 20-22. It was held in the new Masonic temple at Main and Murray streets. The Reunion was held in conjunction with the dedication of the new Temple.
The Scottish Rite class for the reunion was composed of 350 candidates from the six counties in the jurisdiction. Present membership at the time was approximately 1,800 members.
On Nov. 21, 1923, the “Binghamton Press and Leader” reported, “This is the largest class of the Scottish Rite in the history of Masonry in Binghamton.” The class was named the Longley-Wear class in honor of the Rt. Rev. Harry S. Longley of Des Moines, Iowa, suffragan bishop of Iowa, a former rector of Christ church in Binghamton, and D. Walker Wear, one of the most prominent Masonic in Binghamton who had a large part in the erection of the new temple.
The ceremony of consecrating the new consistory was followed by several speeches, including Bishop Langley. On Nov. 23, 1923, the “Binghamton Press and Leader” reported, “Bishop Longley told the members that those who have in the present week taken the degrees that teach the ideals of Scottish Rite Masonry must have come to realize what a tremendous force and power masonry can wield in a world crying out for leadership. These masonic ideals must sway any movement for the reconstruction of the destruction that was started nine years ago in Europe, He declared that it is becoming more and more realized that any solution of world unrest must have as a foundation the spiritual truths taught in masonry. Civilization is at stake and he urged all to do their part by standing up for their ideals and maintaining and abiding faith in the omnipotence and goodness of God.”
The structure opened to great fanfare, with numerous articles about the endeavor, announcing “Masonic Temple is in First Rank of State Fraternal Buildings” (Binghamton Press and Leader, 17 Nov 1923 page 17). Unfortunately, this was Moses’ last painting for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. The rest of his fraternal work would shift to solely the Scottish Rite’s Southern Jurisdiction.
Plans for the Binghamton Scottish Rite theaterPlans for the Binghamton Scottish Rite theaterPlans for the Binghamton Scottish Rite theater
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Made a side trip to Little Rock to settle on the Scottish Rite Temple. I hope to be able to close the contract very soon.” He returned to Little Rock later that summer to close the contract for $9,548.00. However, it was only a verbal agreement that year. The original contract specified, “When our designs are completed, submitted and accepted, it is agreed that the painting can be started during our dull season soon after January 1, 1922. We agree to store the finished work covered by insurance until such time that it can be taken care of in Little Rock.”
Later in 1922, Moses wrote, “Went to Little Rock to see Mr. Rosenbaum.” He was still trying to finalize a written agreement with Little Rock, although some painting had already begun on the project. In the end, the contract would not be signed until 1923; two years of watching, waiting and starting the work. Those two years made all of the difference in the world for the life of the studio.
Charles E. Rosenbaum
It was not until the spring of 1923 that Moses finalized the Little Rock contract under his own name, and not that of Sosman & Landis. He wrote, “I arrived on the 16th of May with the contract of $10,040.00 in my name, out of which I am to get enough to pay Sosman and Landis’ indebtedness to me. I hope I will be able to do it.” Sosman & Landis had closed its doors by the time Little Rock finalized the work. In 1923, Moses was trying to buy the Sosman & Landis name after all of the studio’s assets were liquidated.
The 1902 Scottish Rite stage and auditorium in Little Rock, Arkansas. Illustration in a 1904 Souvenir program.
From the beginning, Sosman & Landis financed the majority of the Masonic stage projects, with clients paying nothing up front, one-third upon delivery and then the remainder over the next few months, or years. It made sense, as the studio landed the work with an appealing payment plan, winning out over their competitors. However, this only worked if the Scottish Rite Valleys honored the contractual obligations and made all of the agreed upon payments in a timely manner; many did not. Inevitably, that final payment always seemed to be a battle to collect. On top of everything else, Masons did not always understand what they were purchasing or receiving, so the numbers of scenic pieces in final contracts went up and down as specific settings were added or removed during contractual negotiations. Initially, a studio representative was sent to help supervise the scenery during its first use at a Reunion.
Scenic studios constantly waited in fear of not receiving that final payment, making both artists and studios left begging for what was contractually owed. Masonic work made up approximately 25% of all Sosman & Landis studio projects for over two decades. I believe the constant battle to collect funds owed by the Masons created a perfect storm that contributed to the studio’s financial downfall. Unfortunately, this occurred at the same time that the demand for painted scenery also began to plummet. Moses learned much from these experiences at did not offer similar terms of payment once Sosman & Landis closed.
Scottish Rite scenery projects were massive undertakings, often taking months to paint. Masonic stock scenery collections were frequently more than twice the size of those delivered to commercial theaters.
It was not until the late spring of 1923 that the Little Rock contract was signed. Moses wrote, “Went to Little Rock early in April, had my designs O.K. and had made an agreement with Rosenbaum to do the work on the ground… I got settled at the Marion Hotel, Loitz and Naile got quarters up near the Temple. The Marion is a good-sized hotel, and I had a good room and bath. After some trouble getting our bridge and frame, Loitz and I ran through 30 drops in the first 3 weeks. Of course, these were not our hardest ones, as I wanted to make a showing, we worked hard and to good advantage. Early in June the weather got quite warm and the rain did not help us. The high-water mark soon reached in the Arkansas River and I had a wonderful view from my window. My first duty in the morning was to take a look at the river, for I expected it to rise over the banks and that meant to the foundation of the hotel.”
Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923Scenery by Thomas G Moses for the Little Rock Scottish Rite, 1923
The project took longer than Moses hoped, and not due to his own failings. Mid-project Moses wrote, “Naile and his men are not giving me full service and I am getting desperate, as to my ability to pull the contract through with profit.” In the end, Moses completed the project in less than three months. He wrote, “Finished my work at Little Rock on the 4th of August, got a settlement in full. The last check was $4,995.00 and the $700.00 in old scenery that I am still holding, and I hope I will realize at least $1,500.00 out of it.” I would bet that Moses refused to leave town until receiving the final payment; there was too much on the line and a pattern of non-payment.
In regard to the old scenery that was removed from Little Rock in 1923. Accepting old scenery as credit on a new purchase was always a risky proposition. Unless there was a Masonic client waiting in the wings, the return of an old scenery collection was never advantageous to the studio, only to a future client. Storing an entire scenery collection demands a sizeble storage space. It would take another year before Moses located another Valley to purchase the old scenery – the Pasadena Scottish Rite. During 1924 negotiations with Pasadena, he wrote, “As a final deal, I offered the Little Rock drops for $8,500.00.” Although the Pasadena contract was for $8,500.00, Moses only paid himself $700.00 for the Little Rock scenery.
For the installation of the new Pasadena Scottish Rite scenery, Moses rented an apartment at 159 S. Los Robles Avenue in Pasadena, where he remained for two months that winter after arriving on Feb. 24, 1925. Of the Pasadena Scottish Rite project in 1925, Moses wrote, “The Scottish-Rite Bodies are well pleased with the layout that we have arranged for their new stage, using the old scenery from Little Rock, Arkansas, which I took part payment when I put in the new equipment at the Albert Pike Memorial for Chas. Rosenbaum. The Pasadena contract was for $8,500.00, out if which I paid myself $700.00 for the Little Rock scenery. The settlement was quickly made, and everyone was highly pleased with everything we did. We had our plush curtains on from the studio in time everything arrived on time and was placed in position. The lighting effects were very good all through the 32nd Degrees. Everyone worked hard for a big success which it certainly was in every detail.”
It was in Pasadena that Moses became a Scottish Rite Mason..
In 1922 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The best contract we had this year outside of Masonic work, was the South Bend Orpheum Theatre for about $8,400.00.” This was certainly a sizable contract, today’s equivalent of $130,237.00. Moses was referring to the Orpheum Circuit’s new Palace Theatre in South Bend, Indiana. Located at 201 North Michigan Street, it is now known as the Morris Civic Auditorium.
The Palace Theatre in South Bend, Indiana.The Palace Theatre was featured in a souvenir program when the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis opened in 1928. Here os the link to the program: http://www.historic-memphis.com/…/orp…/orpheum-1928.html
This was the second Orpheum Theatre in South Bend, Indiana. South Bend’s first Orpheum Theatre opened in 1910; a vaudeville house with a seating capacity of 1,045. By 1921 plans were in place for a much larger venue, twice the size of the first Orpheum. That year businessmen from Chicago and Indianapolis established the Palace Theatre Corporation to develop the Palace Theatre in South Bend. The Palace Theatre and the adjacent Palais Royale were designed by Chicago architect, J. S. Aroner.
An announcement for the opening of the Palace Theatre, in the “South Bend Tribune,” 29 Oct 1922, page 27.
Announcements leading up to the opening referred to the Palace Theatre as “The Future home of Orpheum Theater Vaudeville, unrivaled in its ultra elegance, comfort and convenience.”” (South Bend Tribune 29 Oct. 1922, page 27).
On Nov. 2, 1922, South Bend’s Palace Theatre opened its doors at 7:00 pm on. Announcements described the Palace Theatre as “a colossal playhouse deluxe, dedicated to the patrons of wholesome and diversified amusement” (The South Bend Tribune, 29 Oct 1922, page 27). The Palace Theatre was a combination house, featuring not only live performances, but also photoplays. Photoplays were shown at 1:15, 3:45, 5:00, 7:45 and 10:15, with vaudeville acts at 2:30, 6:45 and 9:00 pm.
In 1928, the Palace Theatre in South Bend and other Orpheum Theaters across the country were included in a souvenir program published by the Keith-Albee-Orpheum Circuit for their newest theater in Memphis, Tennessee (Nov. 19, 1928). Of South Bend’s Palace Theatre, the program noted. “The Palace is the newest and most modern of the three theatres in South Bend operated by the Keith-Albee-Orpheum Circuit. This theatre, which is known as “The Pride of South Bend,” is a large, elaborate and singularly distinctive playhouse seating more than 2,600, with all the latest equipment, including a cooling plant, a playroom for children and many other innovations. It was opened November 2, 1922, supplanting the Orpheum Theatre, where vaudeville had been presented since 1910. Both Vaudeville and feature photoplays are offered on the Palace program. There are matinee and evening performances Monday to Friday, inclusive, and on Saturday and Sunday the performances are contiguous. South Bend is a thriving industrial center and the Palace is one of the most popular theaters on the Keith-Albee-Orpheum Circuit.”
I return to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses after a four-week break.
In 1922 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “… got a train for Davenport, Iowa. Some fine daylight ride. Met Lester Landis and we set our model up for the Scottish Rite Bodies. No chance to close for some time.” Work had started on the building during the spring of 1921 and was completed in the fall of 1923. The old Masonic temple that housed the Davenport Scottish Rite was located on the corner of Third and Main Streets, built in 1886.
Davenport Masonic Temple, home of the Davenport Scottish Rite until 1923.A picture of the old Masonic Temple in the “Daily Times,” Nov. 19, 1923.
Moses was representing Sosman & Landis Studio, whereas Toomey & Volland delivered the first Scottish Rite scenery to Davenport. In fact, a Toomey & Volland advertisement in “New Age Magazine,” listed the Davenport as one of sixteen Scottish Rites theaters using Toomey & Volland scenery by 1912.
By the spring of 1922, the foundation for the new Masonic Temple was completed, just in time for the Scottish Rite Reunion. There were nearly one-hundred candidates in the Cornerstone-Stone Class, named in recognition of the progress on the new temple. Six months later, the four-day fall reunion with the Zerubbabel Class was also very large. On Jan. 1, 1923, the membership strength of Zarephath consistory was 2,383. The building was dedicated during the fall reunion of 1923.
Moses wrote, “Made several trips to Davenport in hopes of getting the big contract of about $16,000.00, but we were too high.” It was a massive endeavor with scenery for two stages.
The main auditorium was located on the second floor. With a seating capacity of 2,700, it featured a pipe organ and motion picture booth. The main theater was not only intended for public entertainment but also Masonic ceremonial for the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine and the Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm (Grotto). There was also a smaller theater on the main floor, known as the Gothic Room. This secondary stage hosted ceremonials for the York Rite and Order of the Eastern Star.
Main auditorium in the Davenport Masonic Temple, 1923.Doric Lodge room in the Davenport Masonic Temple, 1923.Egyptian Lodge room in the Davenport Masonic Temple, 1923.
The new Masonic Temple was completed by the fall of 1923. When the building opened, the “Daily Times” announced, “Davenport’s new million-dollar Masonic temple is a monument to the faith and perseverance of a group of Davenport Masons who long ago conceived the idea of sheltering all of the local Masonic lodges and clubs in one large building. It has always been the hope of Davenport Masons that this city should eventually have one of the most beautiful temples in the state, representative of the prominent position occupied by Davenport in Iowa Masonry. More than 10 years ago progressive members of the various lodges began to study out plans whereby their ideal might be worked out, and October 1913, the first committees are said to have been named to consider the project and to report upon its possibilities. Strange enough, the earliest committees on the new temple project agreed upon the site at Seventh and Brady streets as one of the most ideal locations in the city for the new temple. Today the Masons are dedicating their new temple…The temple together with its site cost approximately $1,040,000 and this amount has been raised through subscription by the members of all the Masonic bodies of Davenport, in the form of stock in the New Masonic Temple association” (Nov. 19, 1923, page 9).
The Masonic Temple in Davenport, Iowa.
On Nov. 19, 1923, “The Daily Times” included a series of articles about the new building. Of the theater, the newspaper reported, “The new Masonic temple has the finest auditorium in the tri-cities and offers exceptional facilities for public concert work and other forms of entertainment. The auditorium is built in the amphitheater style and is illuminated by the largest indirect lighting fixture in the United States……As an auditorium devoted to music and the art of dancing, the Masonic temple will in a large measure take the place of Davenport’s lost ‘legitimate’ theater.”
From the “Daily Times,” Nov. 19, 1923.
William J. Klinck was manager for the main auditorium. Of the new theater, Klinck reported, “We have gone to a great deal of additional expense to equip the stage for practical show purposes. Of course, there are over a hundred sets of stuff for the Masonic work alone, but aside from this, we will be able to accommodate any stage attraction, no matter how large. We are not planning any theatrical attractions this season, but for next year I am trying to line up Al Jolson, the Passing Show, the Greenwich Village Follies, the Barrymores and many other high-class attractions. We will have nothing whatever to do with mediocre shows and will not even listen to any proposition that does not include the binging here of performers regarded as real stars.”
One of the projects that I am working on right now is establishing artist provenance for each piece of scenery at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. This means creating a biography for scenic artists and stage mechanics who manufactured scenery and stage machinery for the Tabor Opera House and Tabor Grand Opera House. When possible, I link a specific creator with an extant artifact. This week, the focus of my search was J. C. Alexander, a well-known stage carpenter in Colorado from 1883-1908. The story of his life and career took shape as I read dozens of articles about his projects in relation to the Tabor Grand Opera House and the Colorado Circuit.
I doubt that H. A. W. Tabor understood much about theatre stages when Tabor Opera House was built in 1879. The architects and contractors failed to include experienced theatre professionals in the early planning; always a crucial and costly mistake. Although Tabor hired a very skilled fresco artist (J. E. Lamphere) and a capable carpenter (Mr. Barber), their stage arrangements failed upon repeated use. This did not mean that Lamphere of Barber were unskilled, they simply did not specialize in scenic illusion, stage machinery and stage transformations.
By 1882, the Tabor Opera House auditorium and stage underwent a pretty substantial rebuild. The roof was lifted up for acoustics and the stage appointments completely redone. Of the stage work, the “Leadville Daily Herald” reported, “there will be a change for the better in regard to scenery, scene shifting and drop curtains. Those ridiculous hitches in scene shifting that have heretofore occurred on one or two occasions will no longer take place. An experienced stage man has been secured in the person of Mr. H. C. Sprague, who has had extensive experience in the east” (August 23, 1882). H. C. Sprague became the stage carpenter for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, and J. C. Alexander became the stage carpenter for the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver. Of the two, Alexander became integral in helping mechanically prepare venues for inclusion in the Colorado Circuit.
At some point between 1879 and 1882, Tabor realized that the key to securing touring shows was the backstage appointments. A specific set of stage accommodations attracted touring shows; you can’t put on a successful production without the necessary equipment. Regardless of the extravagance spent on front of house accommodations, it was the backstage area that mattered and attributed to securing popular productions.
Getting class acts to Denver, let alone to Leadville, was expensive. The only way to increase profits was to have the same production tour several venues in the area, or stop on their way to another location. This meant that the traveling costs were divided among the various theaters, reducing the overall expense for each house. Ultimately, western theatrical circuits saved money by sheer volume of venues. Simply offering multiple stops on a tour, however, was not enough to engage a touring company. The stage accommodations had to technically support each show.
For example, when the Grand Central theatre opened in Leadville only a month after the Tabor Opera House, it became quickly apparent that the Grand Central had a far superior stage. The only way for the Tabor Opera House to overcome this deficiency was to connect with a larger metropolitan venue and become part of a circuit – the Tabor circuit. When Denver’s Tabor Grand Opera House opened in 1881, it became the life blood for Tabor’s much smaller venue in Leadville. Without the connection to the Tabor Grand, I doubt that the Tabor opera house would have weathered any of its Leadville competition. Even with featuring the same touring productions as the Tabor Grand, the Tabor opera house had to improve their scenic appointments, hence, the 1882 renovation. The improvements necessitated the involvement of a stage carpenter and scenic artist intimately familiar with the demands of touring companies. Enter Henry E. Burcky, J. C. Alexander and H. C. Sprague. Keep in mind that “stage carpenter” is interchangeable with stage mechanic and stage manager at this time.
After the 1882 renovation of Leadville’s Tabor Opera House, the Tabor Grand Opera House began to hire out the services of their stage carpenter and scenic artist (Burkey and Alexander). This was an attempt to improve regional stages, thus establishing appropriate stops on a western circuit – the Colorado Circuit. In 1885, Alexander and Burcky transformed DeRemer’s rink into the new DeRemer Opera House. One article published in the “Colorado Weekly Chieftain” on Dec. 29, 1885, interviewed Alexander about a possible stage renovation.
John Charles Alexander
The renovation would allow Pueblo to host the same touring shows featured at the Tabor Grand Opera House. There was incentive for both of Tabor’s theaters, as well as the Pueblo community. Here is the 1885 article in its entirety:
“On Sunday, Mr. J. C. Alexander, the stage manager and master mechanic of the Tabor Grand opera house, Denver arrived in the city for the purpose of taking a look at DeRemer’s rink and giving an unbiased opinion as to what could be done towards converting it into an opera house. Mr. Alexander was astonished and greatly pleased at the building, it was so much superior in every way to what he expected to see. The building is both longer and wider than the Tabor Grand, and all it lacks to make room equal to the Tabor Grand auditorium in every way is height. Desiring to get Mr. Alexander’s unbiased opinion regarding the proposed scheme, a Chieftan reporter tackled him yesterday afternoon. We inquired if he thought the rink could be converted into a first class opera house.
“Certainly, sir,” said Mr. Alexander, “It can be converted into an opera house second only to the Tabor Grand in Colorado. I have studied this hall thoroughly that last few hours, and I can tell you it can be made into a splendid theater – a theater where any company visiting Colorado can play and show all of their scenery. “Here,” said he, “you will see we have a working stage of 40×76 feet between walls, with the same width of proscenium opening as the Denver stage. It can be and will be furnished with five sets of working grooves, same as the Tabor, to fold back the fly galleries and give a clear working space in width of 48 feet. We also have a clear working height to the rigging loft of 26 feet, five sets of border lights and the footlights complete the same as we have at the Tabor. To start in with Mr. DeRemer proposes to put in eleven sets of complete scenery, besides a beautiful drop curtain. The eleven sets of scenery, as the house progresses towards completeness, can be painted on the reverse side, thus giving twenty-two sets of beautiful scenery. Here also we will have ample space for scene room, property room and eight dressing rooms. With these improvements any special bit of scenery painted for the production of a special play at the Tabor Grand, will be sent over the Colorado circuit, the completion of this improvement making it possible to set the Tabor scenes at Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Leadville, but Pueblo to the greater advantage that elsewhere on the circuit, because here you will have the largest and best appointed theater on the circuit, and be possessed of every facility to produce attractions as they should be produced. The people of Pueblo will never have such an opportunity to get a good opera house again. I will tell you why. They are only asked to make a temporary loan of $3,000 towards making all these improvements. Now the fact is the improvements contemplated will cost nearer $6,000 than $3,000, yet I understood Mr. DeRemer to say that if the people put up the $3,000 asked for the improvements will be made as contemplated regardless of the extra cost. He further tells me that he will expend every dollar of surplus earnings of the house in making improvements in the building. The fact is that people ought to advance $6,000 at once instead of $3,000.
“How many people can be seated in this building as now planned.” Asked the reporter.
“About 900,” replied Mr. Alexander, “or nearly 200 more than can be seated on the first floor of the Tabor Opera House. The seats will all be elevated and nicely arranged provided the project can be carried out, and there will not be a bad seat in the house. The height of the stage will be three feet ten inches from the floor and everything will be permanent about the stage, it can be dug out underneath after it is started and the pit and traps put in. In the same way the roof can be raised at any time, and these things I am assured will be done as fast as possible. If this scheme goes through the Tabor Grand has agreed to play all its attractions here permanently. That is why I am here and taking such an active interest in the way the work of improvement is to be done.
“Could a building about 130×52 feet be converted into a first class or even possibly good opera house, Mr. Alexander,” inquired the reporter.
“No, sir,” said Mr. Alexander; “it could not, and for the very obvious reason that such a building would lack one of the great things which a theater mush have – and width, What kind of a stage you put within fifty-two feet? What kind of scenery could you put up? Such a structure would be an abortion, so far as using it for theatrical purposes is concerned. The only way to convert a building fifty feet wide into a theater would be to tear down the structure, rebuild it and add about thirty feet more to its width.
Leaving Mr. Alexander the reporter hunted up Mr. J. R. DeRemer and Mr. George M. Haight, to find out what truth, if any, there was in the statement that the improvements to be made in the rink would cost $6,000.
“Yes,” said Mr. Haight, “Mr. Alexander thinks the improvement will cost much but if the people put up the three thousand dollars asked we will make the improvements at once.
“Yes,” said Mr. DeRemer, “and you can just tell the people that whatever Mr. George M. Haight says about this matter goes. He represents me in this matter fully and I will carry out whatever he agrees to do. It is estimated these improvements will cost $6,000, but we have only asked for $3,000, and as soon as that sum is subscribed we will commence this work with a vim. I will say further that every surplus cent of earnings of this house will be used to improve and beautify the structure until Pueblo has a first class opera house. I don’t think I can say any more, It now remains to be seen whether the people want an opera house. The people, however, are asked for but $3,000, as a temporary loan. The only feasible plan to secure an opera house is to make up this $3,000 fund at once. All other propositions are chimerical and impossible. If we can’t raise the sum asked by DeRemer we can’t raise anything for an opera house, but we believe this sum can be raised, and we hope to announce it has been subscribed before the week is out, Of the sum asked there only remains $1,000 to be raised. Now don’t refuse to put your name down when called upon. We can all afford to help this project along liberally and it is our duty as good citizens, with the prosperity of the town in view, to do so cheerfully and promptly.”
On January 7, 1886, the “Colorado Daily Chieftain” announced. “If the people of Pueblo want a first class opera house, let them wait on Mr. J. R. DeRemer or Mr. George M. Haight to-day and subscribe a loan of $525 towards the DeRemer opera house project, and our word for it, work will be commenced tomorrow. It this is not done very few of the Tabor Grand attractions will visit Pueblo in the future.” That almost sounded like a threat, but the money was soon raised and on February 3, 1886, DeRemer’s Opera House opened to the public. The “Colorado Daily Chieftain” reported, “During the past few weeks many people, of course, have visited what was formerly known as the finest skating rink in the west and watched the transformation in progress, but for all that there were few people present at the opening last night who were not surprised and astonished at the beautiful appearance of the interior of the new theaters…the stage is the largest in the state beside the Tabor Grand at Denver. It is furnished with all the scenery paraphernalia required in all first class opera houses. This work has all been done under the personal supervision of Mr. Maynard, assistant stage manager at the Tabor Grand…Pueblo is now accredited with the best equipped and largest opera house outside of Denver and in the state…Pueblo ought to be proud of DeRemer’s opera house; it is a first class place of amusement now, and in time we feel certain it will be excelled by few in style and finish.”
There were many more changes to go, including the raising of the roof to make it three stories high, but the house was open. Once the roof was raised, the seating would be divided into a parquet, dress circle, balcony and gallery.
Tomorrow, I will continue to explore the life and career of John C. Alexander.
For the past month, I have explored the lives and careers of various scenic artists who worked for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, and Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, Colorado. Last week, before I left for Richmond, Virginia, I was in the midst of exploring Tabor Grand Opera House scenic artist Henry C. Tryon. Beginning his life as Henry B. Hoornbeck, he officially changed his last name to Henry C. Tryon in 1882. This is similar to the British actor Ebenezer J. Britton, who painted under the alias Harley Merry.
It is important to recall the timeline for both Leadville’s Tabor Opera House and Denver’s Tabor Grand Opera House. The Tabor Opera House in Leadville opened on November 20, 1879. By March 1880, H. A. W. Tabor announced that he purchased land in Denver to build another opera house. The new venue was named the Tabor Grand Opera House, and designed by Edbrooke and F. P. Burnham of Chicago. Keep in mind that these the architects provide another concrete connection with Chicago scenic artists of the day. The Tabor Grand Opera House opened on August 1, 1881. That year, newspapers across the country described the theater:
“The stage is constructed and fitted up on a scale that would cause envy in many Eastern theatres. The decorations in the body of the theatre itself are of the most beautiful description, and one can see at a glance that expense was not considered in the least” (New Orleans, 6 Dec. 1881, page 9). “Harry Miner’s Dramatic Directory” described the Tabor Grand Opera House: “Size of stage, 45×75; size of proscenium opening, 34×33; height from stage to grooves, 20; height from stage to rigging loft, 66; depth under stage, 12; traps, 6, and 2 bridges; number sets of scenery, 50.”
Henry C. Tryon painted for the Tabor Grand Opera House. Various newspapers and theatrical directories identify Tryon as the scenic artist there from 1881 to 1882. In addition to working in Denver during 1881, Tryon also painted in Cincinnati, Minneapolis, and Chicago. Like other scenic artists at this time, Tryon was constantly on the go and zipping across the country at an amazing speed to complete numerous projects.
Interestingly, another artist was credited with the Tabor Grand Opera’s drop curtain – Robert Hopkin (1832-1909). At the age of 49 yrs. old, Hopkin was a well-known artist all across the country, but primarily lived in Detroit. On March 5, 1881, the “Detroit Free Press” reported “Robert Hopkin, the artist, and his son William G., left for Colorado on Thursday to paint the scenery and curtains for three opera houses. Before leaving “Bob” remarked to a scribe of THE FREE PRESS, “the boy is up to the old man with the pencil, and ain’t much behind him with the brush” (page 1). Even year later, article about Hopkin would recall, “He decorated and painted the drop curtain and scenery for Tabor’s opera house at Denver, at the time one of the finest theaters in America.
I have written about Hopkin in the past, as well as his connection to Thomas G. Moses. Both Tryon and Moses worked as assistants to Hopkin Sr. in 1875 on a production of the “Naiad Queen.” Moses kept in touch with Hopkin, and also admired his artwork. In 1884, Moses visited the Tabor Grand while on a sketching trip with three other scenic artists: Edward Morange, Hardesty Maratta, and John H. Young. The four traveled from Chicago to Breckenridge, Colorado, to gather source material and hone their artistic skills. While on their trip, the visited the Tabor Opera House in Denver to see the drop curtain by their friend Robert Hopkins. The next year, Moses went on another sketching trip to West Virginia with Young and Tryon. Of the Colorado trip, Moses wrote, “We all attended the theatre, the famous Tabor Grand, and we found it all we had expected it would be, nicely decorated and fine woodwork. The Drop Curtain was very good: an old ruin with some poetical feeling that pleased everyone. It was painted by an old friend of mine, Mr. Robert Hopkins, of Detroit, Michigan. This is a favorite subject of his, having done a similar one in Detroit” (The palette & Chisel, Vol. 1, No. 3, March 1928). A photograph remains of Hopkins’ drop curtain for the Tabor Grand Opera House, now part of the Denver Public Library’s online collection.
Years later, the “Detroit Free Press” interviewed Robert “Bob” Hopkin and touched upon the drop-curtain for the Detroit Opera House (23 Sept 1906, page 51). The article reported, “Bob tells me that he grew up on the Detroit wharves, passed through an apprenticeship in mixing colors for decorators, drifted to scene painting, and finally made easel pictures. As he fished around in his boxes and albums for souvenirs of his early life, as last he brought up a faded photograph of the first drop-curtain of the Detroit Opera House. The theme was an allegorical landscape, surrounded by Corinthian columns, supporting a flat arch – an arch that builders have always said was impossible. But a fig cared Bob, the scenic artist, for these mechanical criticisms. He also showed me a drawing of the second curtain bearing the familiar lines: “So fleet the works of men back to their earth again; Ancient and holy things fade like a dream.” Hopkin’s drop curtains for both the Detroit Opera House and the Tabor Opera Grand Opera House used the same inscription below the ruins of a Greek temple.
The front curtain was often considered a project in itself, sometimes taking much longer than most other scenery delivered to a theater. Many nineteenth century articles identified artists who specialized in drop curtains. In 1894, the “Philadelphia Inquirer” reported, “The drop curtain is the most expensive piece of furniture in any playhouse. Managers are more solicitous about the care of a handsome curtain that almost any other appointment in their theatres. They are usually painted by artists of wide fame in a particular branch of art which they represent, whose charges for the work range from $1,000 to $3,000.” That amount is today’s equivalent of $29,000 to $89,000 for the front curtain.
So, consider the 1881 drop curtain painted by Hopkins for the Tabor Grand Opera; an incredibly expensive items for a theater, possibly one of the most expensive appointments at a performance venue. Theatre owners, artists and patrons understood the importance of this large-scale artwork; a drop-curtain set the tone for the interior and was a culmination of the painted décor.
Drop curtain painted by Robert Hopkin for the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, Colorado.
