Rigging – Page 5 – Drypigment.net

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 635 -The Era of Brown’s Special System and the Role of Stage Carpenter

Part 635: The Era of Brown’s Special System and the Role of Stage Carpenter

The “Star Tribune” article “Experts Behind the Scenes” (Minneapolis, January 13, 1901) noted that the “ruler of this realm behind the footlights” was titled “stage carpenter.” Titles have changed over the decades, as they are fluid and defined by a specific time or place. Titles may designate specific roles in the larger makeup of the theatrical trades, differing a century later. Today, some may identify the title “stage carpenter” as a “builder” and a “scenic artist” as a “painter.” There was a time when these two distinctive titles designated “stage visionaries” who brilliantly engineered and lit a variety of scenic effects and staged illusions, thrilling nineteenth-century audiences. During the late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth century, it was not uncommon for a stage carpenter to paint scenery or a scenic artist to engineer mechanical effects. Furthermore, many scenic artists controlled the lights on their painted scenes, visually guiding the intended stage aesthetic from conception to performance. It was a time of great possibility in America, when we were neither limited to a single trade nor skill.

Behind the stage scene at a theater, published in “Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly,” 1893 Vol 36, Nov. No 5

By 1907, there was an article that defined the stage carpenter, using John Bairstow (also printed as Barstow) as an example. John, and later his son William H., were two of the Chicago Auditorium’s stage carpenters. While researching stage carpenters during the spring of 2017, I discovered a wonderful article about their work and the contribution of John Bairstow and the design of the Auditorium stage.

On September 28, 1907, the “Oregon Daily Journal” included an article written by Jonas Howard in their Sunday Supplement about stage carpenters. It provides a historical context for the title of “stage carpenter,” as it was perceived during the first decade of the twentieth century. This was printed at the same time that Sosman & Landis were delivering Brown’s Special System to Scottish Rite theaters across the country. Here is a section from the article:

“The only jack of all trades who has mastered them all is the stage carpenter. What the stage carpenter doesn’t know or can’t find out could be written in a small book. He must be not only a carpenter of the first rank, but a plumber, machinist, painter, blacksmith, sailor, tailor, artist and common laborer as well. In fact, the stage carpenter must be an all around genius or he wouldn’t hold his job five minutes.” [We’ll pause right here to look at two things. The first is that they distinguish between a painter and artist. The second circles back to the 1901 “Star Tribune” article that describes how the stage carpenter ruled the “realm behind the footlights.” No kidding, because if you are capable of doing it all, you understand the process and details that could prevent and foresee a catastrophe]

Howard’s 1907 article continues, “Stage carpenters begin their careers as assistants to the property men or scene painters. During the first year of their apprenticeship they do nothing but the rougher jobs around the stage, such as moving scenery, repairing frames and helping the electrician. Later they are allowed to work some of the ropes that are used to manipulate the scenery and gradually work into the positions as fly men. It is not until a stage carpenter can make and repair “trick” stuff that he is called proficient in his business, and as “trick” stuff is as intricate and varied as the tricks themselves it is only the keen witted carpenters that reach the front of their profession.

‘Trick’ stuff is that part of the stage machinery that is used to bring about various spectacular scenic effects that are so common on the present day stage. Sometimes there is an automobile race to be brought off, and it is up to the stage carpenter to devise a scheme that will make an automobile run a mile or more at top speed in the space of 20 or 30 feet. To do this there must be a set of rollers under the floor to turn the automobile’s wheels. The country through which the race is run must be painted on canvas and wound up on upright rollers so it can whizz by at the rate of 90 miles an hour or so. All of this arrangement must be put together with skill or it would not endure through the performance. Stage tricks are so numerous that there could be no accounting of them. Nearly every show has some mechanical device to produce its stage effects and the stage carpenter must be enough of a mechanic to be familiar with all of them.

In the Auditorium theatre in Chicago which has one of the largest stages in the world, there is 2,000,000 feet of rope and cables. To handle these and keep them in repair requires the services of a man who knows as much about ropes as a sailor. In the producing houses more stage carpenters are employed that are used in the theatres where the stage productions are shown after they are once set up. When a play is produced all of its scenery must be made and painted and the work is under the supervision of the stage carpenter. Each piece of scenery must be made so that it can be used in the average theatre throughout the country, for it would not do to make the scenery to fit any one house. John Barstow, former stage carpenter at the Auditorium, the stage of which he built, has been in the business nearly fifty years. He began his career in Europe, coming to this side shortly after the civil war. Before the Auditorium was built Mr. Barstow was sent to Europe to learn all he could about the stage arrangements of the best theaters and on his return he incorporated all of the best features of these houses in the Auditorium stage. His son, William H. Barstow, is the present stage carpenter at the Auditorium.”

Of all the stage carpenter’s in the world, the author uses Bairstow and the Chicago Auditorium as an example. I’ll look start with the venue tomorrow.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 634 – Revisiting Brown’s Special System with William Knox Brown

Part 634: Revisiting Brown’s Special System with William Knox Brown

Scenic studios went far beyond painting drops. Scenic artists, stage carpenters, and stage mechanics were visionaries; those who combined painted illusion, lighting innovations, and new stage technology on a daily basis. They were at the forefront of technological innovation, integrating old trades and new technology, often registering their designs with the patent office.

In 1909, Brown’s Special System system was the Sosman & Landis’ “standard” when installing scenery and stage machinery in Scottish Rite theaters. For the past two days, I have examined possible candidates who may have been involved in the conception phase, design, and installation of Brown’s special system during the first decade of the twentieth century. I am now compelled to look at a few close connections in the Midwest – other stage carpenters, stage mechanics and scenic artists who may have been involved with this new counterweight system. I realize that it will be impossible to pinpoint, but that contributes to the enjoyment during this particular quest.

During the 1890s, scenic studio employees drifted from one studio to another. It was an intricate network propelled by an ever-increasing demand for scenic illusion and stage effects. In fact, it greatly benefitted studio owners to not only know their competition, but also maintain close ties to their competitors; they may need to draw upon another’s labor pool if a large project came along. During this period massive projects would appear, requiring a legion of theatrical suppliers and manufacturers to complete the projects on time. Projects requiring complicated stage machinery and painted illusion ranged from huge outdoor pyrotechnic events and grand circus spectacles to word fair amusements and electrical parades. There was a shared material culture between the general public and multiple entertainment industries.

Minnesota’s Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) were a short railway ride away from Chicago, the central shipping hub. Sosman & Landis completed many projects in Minnesota and the degrees of separation in the theater world were far less than the presently allotted six. It would be an anomaly to think that the movers and shakers of the theater world in Chicago were not in constant contact with those in the Twin Cities. There is one well-known stage mechanic and stage carpenter, William Knox Brown, who traversed the country throughout the late-nineteenth century. In 1888, the “Saint Paul Globe” reported, “W. K. Brown of New York, the stage carpenter, deserves credit for the clever mechanical effects to be seen at the People’s [Theatre]. He is enthusiastic, a skilled mechanic and an artist in his line” (Saint Paul Globe, 19 Feb 1888, page 10).

William Knox Brown, the stage mechanic, pictured in the “St. Paul Globe,” 19 Feb 1888, page 10

William Knox Brown engineered brilliant stage effects, and was a well-known stage carpenter and stage mechanic who traversed the country. Brown was an up and coming inventor during the late nineteenth century.

An article written by Geo. W. Welty, titled, “Experts Behind the Scenes,” included a brief synopsis of Brown’s career as a stage carpenter (The Star Tribune, 13 January 1901). The article noted that Brown was a “mechanic of experience” and “one of the best stage carpenters in the country” with a “thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the art of stage mechanism.” It then went on to describe his experience since first arriving in Minneapolis as a stage carpenter in 1882. Beginning in 1883, he was employed at the Grand Opera House in St. Paul. By 1887, he was connected with the People’s Theatre when it opened. He then took charge of the stage in Burd’s Opera house, in Davenport Iowa. From Iowa, he moved to the Harris theatre in Louisville, Kentucky,and by 1890 was connected with the Henrietta theater in Columbus Ohio.

By 1901, Brown had acquired the reputation for being one of the best stage carpenters in the country, being called “a mechanic of excellence” (Star Tribune, 13 Jan 1901, page 27).

Brown was also credited with “that rare quality of being able to control men without trouble, and while a strict tactician, he is yet extremely popular with all his employees.” These qualities landed Brown a position as master mechanic with the Hanlon Bros. spectacle “Superba.” Brown not only directed the staging of the production on tour, but also was engaged to direct the building, repairing and testing of new effects and “featured stage mechanisms” at their private stage and workshop in Cohasset, Massachusetts. The Star Tribune reported, “Mr. Brown, during his years of travel, with his splendid powers of grasping facts, has been able to acquire a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the art of stage mechanism. This knowledge he has put to good use at the Bijou, for the stage of that theater today is conceded to be one of the most complete in the country; traveling managers sending many compliments for the excellent manner in which it is conducted” (Star Tribune, 13 Jan 1901, page 27).

William Knox Brown, the stage mechanic, pictured in the “Star Tribune,” (Minneapolis, MN) 13 Jan 1901, page 27

In 1894, the Hanlon Brothers lost $100,000 worth of “Superba” scenery during a fire at the “Globe” in Boston. It was the third time that the Company had been “burned out,” in other words losing their scenery, to fire in eighteen months (Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan 1894, page 1). If I were the stage mechanic, this may be my sign to leave the touring world and start my own studio. That year, Brown returned to Minneapolis to take charge of the Metropolitan stage in 1894 when it was opened by W. F. Sterling. Consider that there is a “Brown” who is testing new stage effects, developing machinery, and applying his know-how to the theater that he is working at by 1894. At this same time the Brown special system is likely in the early stages of conception.

By 1895, William Knox Brown enters a partnership with Theodore Hays and William P. Davis, starting the Twin City Scenic Studio. The three initially work out of the Bijou Opera House in Minneapolis and later construct their own studio on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. Each partner had a specific role: Theodore Hays was the business manager, Brown was in charge of the stage mechanics, and Davis, who had previously worked at the Chicago Auditorium, led the painting.

By 1904, however, Brown is heralded for a new invention that pertains to rigging. (Star Tribune, 7 Jan 1904, page 7). The fire at the Iroquois theater prompted many cities and theater managers to contemplate fire safety in their theaters. The “Star and Tribune” quoted then manager of the Bijou Theodore L. Hays. Hays stated, “The Chicago catastrophe has emphasized the importance of asbestos curtains and the Girard Avenue theatre fire in Philadelphia, where an asbestos curtain was lowered in proper time, demonstrated their worth by keeping the fire from the auditorium proper fully fifteen minutes, ample time for any audience to be dismissed, evening in a panic… Appreciating the necessity of its quick operation in an emergency, W. K. Brown our stage carpenter, has already perfected and put in practical operation an arrangement which permits the lowering or raising of the asbestos curtain from either side of the main stage floor, as well as from the fly gallery.” Later Hays added, “We want safety and not ingenious inventions that nobody understands but the inventor. Safety in this matter lies in the things that ones fingers out of habit would operate automatically no matter how excited the brain might be.”

I re-read this section several times seeing what I had known all along to be the whole point of Brown’s special system. It was easily operated and relatively safe; no locks, sand bags or belaying pins. Whoever pulled the line was in complete control of the speed, it could go as fast, or slow, as needed. Whoever designed the counterweight system that is still used by many Masonic stage hands every year realized that “Safety in this matter lies in the things that one’s fingers out of habit would operate automatically no matter how excited the brain might be.”

Think of the cowboys and bankers waiting off stage before a scene change at a Scottish Rite Reunion – first-time stagehands. Their brains were excited, but all they had to do was pull a rope.

The earliest functioning example of Brown’s special system still n the original venue is located in Duluth, Minnesota. The Sosman & Landis installation of the system is dated 1904. In 1905, the “Minneapolis Journal,” advertised, “general stage apparatus and appliances designed, manufactured and modeled by the Twin City Scenic Studio, leading scenic contractors of the northwest” (Minneapolis Journal, 25 Feb 1905, page 18). Brown was listed as the stage mechanic for the company in the ad. That meant W. K. Brown was designing special stage stage apparatus. At the time, stage apparatus was the word designating rigging systems. So W. K. Brown was designing special systems for the stage, like Brown’s special system.

Advertisement for the Twin City Scenic Studio from the “Minneapolis Journal,” 25 Feb 1905, page 18

To be continued…

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

Part 633: Revisiting Brown’s Special System

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

An example of Brown’s special system from 1912.

An example of Brown’s special system from 1904

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued…

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

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

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

Looking up at drops suspended by Brown’s special system

Detail of wooden arbors in Brown’s special system

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

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

Lines for moving wooden arbors in Brown’s special system

Notched weights in wooden arbor of Brown’s special system

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sosman & Landis scenic studio was established in 1877

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 627 – The Dallas Scottish Rite, 1909

Part 627: The Dallas Scottish Rite, 1909

In 1909, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The Dallas Masonic work came in early, so did San Francisco and Cleveland, Ohio.” These were only three of six Scottish Rite installations supervised by Moses in 1909 while he was working at Sosman & Landis. Others included Kansas City, Kansas, Winona, Minnesota, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Postcard of the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Dallas, Texas, completed in 1913.

Sosman & Landis delivered 119 drops and stage machinery to the Scottish Rite at 500 S Harwood Street, Dallas. This Temple was not completed until 1913, however, degree productions took place on the stage by 1909. The scenery contract for the stage was negotiated by Bestor G. Brown of M. C. Lilley & Co.

On April 26, 1913, the “Dallas Morning News” described the Masonic Cathedral and Architect Herbert M. Green’s contributions. Keep in mind that the theater of the building was referred to as “the great degree room.”

The article reported, “On the second floor one will find the lobby, which is in Roman Ionic; the Corinthian lodge room is green and gold: candidates lounging room, modified Colonial with color scheme of brown and blue and smoking foyer in the same effect. In the great degree room are columns copied from those in the Temple of Karnak at Thebes. Over sixty shades of color are used harmoniously in the ornamental beams and columns supporting the ceiling of sky blue – a ceiling whereon the stars of the twelve signs of the Zodiac are so cunningly constructed, and with such ingenious electrical attachments that when the great hall is in total darkness, the constellations seem to blaze in all reality from the very heavens above.

The largest stage in Texas is in this degree room – and the largest pipe organ. There are offices restrooms, wardrobe rooms, bowling alley, grill and kitchen – heating, ventilating and lighting systems which are unsurpassed, push button elevator and house telephone system – In short every device by which modern ingenuity can add to beauty and comfort and convenience.”

The article further described that the theater, “a proscenium arch 28×22 feet is the largest stage in Texas, 24 feet deep and 60 feet in width. One hundred and nineteen scenic drops are so delicately counterweighted that the stage picture can be changed in two seconds, and if necessary in the dark. These drops are hung over the entire ceiling of the stage, being spaced three inches apart from the proscenium arch to the rear wall of the stage. Each degree has its own scenery, some degrees three and four scenes, all forming an extensive and complete equipment that it is possible to produce more different scenes than on any stage in the country. Fifteen hundred white, blue, red and amber lights, controlled from a switchboard seven feet high and twelve feet long are required to light the stage properly. These are subdued and softened as necessary by bank after bank of dimmers arranged by interlocking devices to control the degree of light at any one point of en masse. The dawn of day, a nightfall or a moonlight effect can be reproduced with marvelous fidelity…To the rear of the stage are property rooms, etc. and on the third floor a large wardrobe room, with cases for the various costumes.”

The 1913 article concluded, “”The complete cost of the building has not been, as yet, made public but it is expected to be close to $230,000. Other items not included in the building cost are:
Organ $23,000.00
Stage Scenery $28,000.00
Furnishings $21,000.00
Ground $34,000.00
Making an estimated cost of the complete equipment of about $350,000.”

The article ended here.

Today’s monetary equivalent of $28,000 spent in 1909 for a Scottish Rite scenery collection is $773,024.62. Dallas was only one of six Scottish Rite collection supervised by Thomas G. Moses that year. The others were in San Francisco, CA, Cleveland, OH, Kansas City, KS, Winona, MN, and Atlanta, GA. Keep in mind that Masonic work only made up 25 -30% of all work at the Sosman & Landis studios. The firm, like the Scottish Rite, was accumulating a massive amount of money at this point.

In a letter from Brown to William G. Bell at the Austin Scottish Rite, dated July 7, 1912, Brown provided further information pertaining to the Dallas Scottish Rite stage. This correspondence was to help Austin Scottish Rite bodies understand the design and delivery process; Sosman & Landis could not provide estimates or cost and installation without knowing how much scenery was needed and the structural condition of the building. Brown used the Dallas Scottish Rite as an example, writing, “the Dallas stage has in the neighborhood of 25,000 lineal feet of wire and rope in its installation; the quantity of wire and rope necessary, is determined by the heighth of the gridiron, the location of the fly gallery, and the general dimension of the stage. We would also have to look into the question of freight charges and be advised as to what prices we could obtain common gray iron castings in Austin for use as counterweights. We would have to determine on the correct number of drops to be used, because each drop requires eight pulleys besides counterweight frames and eye bolts.” These costs all needed to be estimated prior to providing a number, yet the Austin Scottish Rite kept asking, “but how much will it cost?”

Brown continued, “In our original correspondence, Mr. Green of Dallas, indicated that he was preparing plans for remodeling an old building [in Austin] and that when these plans were determined upon, he would send us the dimensions of the stage. Mr. Green understands what would be wanted, as he had the experience on the Dallas Temple.” Again, Brown was referring to Herbert M. Green, the architect and a member of the Scottish Rite and the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 541 – Fifty Years of Freemasonry in Kansas, 1906

Part 541: Fifty Years of Freemasonry in Kansas, 1906

There were a few significant events that occurred during 1906; the same year that Sosman & Landis delivered new scenery and stage machinery to the Scottish Rite in Topeka, Kansas. 1906 marked the fiftieth anniversary of Freemasonry in the state of Kansas.

From the “Topeka Daily Capital,” 12 Feb 1906, page 6

The event was celebrated at the newly constructed Scottish Rite auditorium. The Scottish Rite bodies of Topeka spent over $20,000 furnishing their lodge room and stage. The stage measured thirty-five feet in depth and housed 110 new backdrops produced by Sosman & Landis (Topeka Daily Capital, 21 Feb. 1906, page 5).

“The Topeka Daily Capital” reported, “the fiftieth anniversary of the organization of the Most Worshipful grand lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Kansas will be celebrated at the Auditorium February 22 during the session of the grand lodge in Topeka (The Topeka Daily Capital, 12 Feb. 1906, page 6). The article continued, “The semi-centennial celebration of the Masons will bring to the city the largest gathering of Masons that has been held and the Topeka bodies have prepared elaborate entertainment for the visitors. A. K. Wilson, grand secretary of the grand lodge, has secured the history of the first Masonic lodge in the state and relics of historical interest. The relics will be exhibited at the auditorium and will consist, among other things, the first Masonic seal used by the Kansas lodge. John W. Smith, who organized Smithton lodge No. 1 in Doniphan county and was the first master of the lodge in Kansas, made with his own hands the quaint seal, the square and compass and the candlestick, al made by Smith are now in the possession f Secretary Wilson and he also has three of the charters of the first five lodges organized in Kansas.

Smithton lodge No. 1 was organized in Doniphan county and met in six different places in the county and is now the lodge at Highland. When Mr. Smith organized Smithton lodge it met under a burr oak tree, east of Troy, on the Missouri river. A stump was used for the altar and the lodge was tiled by a man on horseback. A photograph of this tree has been secured and a complete history of the lodge from persons who knew about it. The veteran Kansas Mason who is to be present at the semi-centennial meeting is William Yates of Lawrence, the only living charter member of one of the first five lodges organized in Kansas. He belongs to the Lawrence lodge which was the fourth to be organized. The anniversary meeting at the Auditorium is open to the public. The main floor will be reserved for Masons and the gallery will be open to the public. The Art Music club, led by Prof. G. B. Penny, will furnish the music. Grand Master Samuel R. Peters of Newton will speak and Thomas E. Dewey will deliver the address of the evening. The week of February 19, will be devoted to the fiftieth communication of the grand lodge, the fifty-first convocation of the grand chapter and thirty-eighth assembly of the grand council.” The article included a schedule of events and officers for the semi-centennial celebration, school of instruction, chapter work, order of high priests, and council work.

Bestor G. Brown, from the “Topeka Daily Capital,” 14 February 1904, page 6

Bestor G. Brown moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1904. He was the western sales manager for M. C. Lilley

Bestor G. Brown (1861-1917) led the special committee on history and museum. Brown was the western representative of M. C. Lilley. Brown worked for M. C. Lilley in Chicago from 1892 to 1898, and then in Topeka, Kansas, starting in 1899. Brown moved to Kansas City by 1904, continuing as the western sales manager of M. C. Lilley Company in their new offices. Brown was instrumental in promoting the staging of degree work and Scottish Rite theaters in Little Rock, Arkansas (1896), Wichita, Kansas (1898), Guthrie (1900), Salina, Kansas (1901), McAlester, Oklahoma (1901), Fort Scott, Kansas (1904), and many others.

By 1903 Brown was credited with the creation and development of “the application of modern scenic properties to the dramatic presentation of all Masonic degrees and in this work is almost invariably consulted everywhere throughout the United States.” He was also the Grand Master of Kansas in 1904, and had been extremely active since his admission to the Fraternity in 1884.

Brown was praised for his devotion of Masonry and the article reported, “Mr. Brown is called the only Masonic stage carpenter in the country” (Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 12 June 1903, page 3). Less than a decade later, the counterweight system installed in Scottish Rite theaters by M. C. Lilley subcontractors (Sosman & Landis) was referred to as “”Brown’s special system.”

The first year after Brown passed away, members of the Wichita Consistory organized an annual pilgrimage to Topeka, Kansas, to honor of his memory (The Kansas City Kansan, 11 July 1918, page 1). The paper reported that Brown was “one of the most scholarly and best loved Kansas Masons. All of the Scottish Rite bodies in the state were invited to join in the placing of a floral tribute on the grave of ‘their best loved brother.’” Brown remained incredibly close to all Masonic activities in Topeka, and in 1906 the Topeka Scottish Rite stage was the crown jewel of the Southern Jurisdiction.

There are two significant moments to consider when examining the construction of any early-twentieth century Scottish Rite stage, as the production of Masonic scenery escalates. The first is that Brown is a fabulous salesman and extremely active member of the Fraternity; many Masons help promote his vision work. The second is that SGIGs have a monetary incentive to help Brown with this vision; starting in 1905, SGIGs personally received a $2 payment per incoming 32^nd degree Scottish Rite Mason. This practice lasted until 1909 when plans for the House of the Temple were implemented. Those lost funds were needed elsewhere. Setting the aesthetics and entertainment, there was already a dual incentive to build massive auditoriums that would accommodate ever-increasing candidate classes at Scottish Rite reunions.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 475 – Brown’s Special Counterweighted System

Part 475: Brown’s Special Counterweighted System

Brown’s Special Counterweighted System at the Scottish Rite in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

M. C. Lilley’s western sales representative, Bestor G. Brown, subcontracted Sosman & Landis for the painted scenery, props, and stage machinery for their large Scottish Rite Theatre contracts. By 1912, many of the counterweight rigging systems installed in Scottish Rite theaters by Sosman & Landis were referred to as “Brown’s Special Counterweighted,” such as the one at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite.

Brown’s Special Counterweighted System at the Scottish Rite in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1912.

So what do we know of the system referred to as “Brown’s Special Counterweighted” style of installation and how many are left? There are still examples of Brown’s Special Counterweighted System, however, some are slowly being removed and replaced with other rigging system. I first came across the designation in a series of letters between Bestor G. Brown, and the Austin Scottish Rite representative of Austin William G. Bell. Brown used the Dallas Scottish Rite as one example.

Wooden arbor cage with counterweights. Brown’s Special Counterweighted System at the Scottish Rite in Pasadena, California. This system was originally manufactured for the Scottish Rite Little Rock, Arkansas, during 1901.

Let me provide a little context for why the counterweight system came up in their discussion. Brown was trying to explain the intricacies of the installation process to a client who was completely unfamiliar with theatre. The Austin Scottish Rite was in the process of purchasing some of the Guthrie Scottish Rite’s old drops. Guthrie had been returned the old drops for credit on the purchase of new scenery when their stage was enlarged in the first building. M. C. Lilley had approximately 70 used Guthrie drops on hand to sell to another venue; they measured 15 feet high by 30 feet wide. A $1400.00 credit was given for the return of their 1901 scenery. The scenery collection was originally purchased for $8,000; today’s monetary equivalent is approximately $250,000, a significant purchase at the time.

Looking up into the flies. Brown’s Special Counterweighted System at the Scottish Rite in Pasadena, California.

On January 23, 1913, Brown also reported, “The [used] scenery is in very good shape – infinitely better that the average theatrical scenery used on the road. The writer personally went over the scenery at the studio last week. While our contract does not contemplate it, we are touching up some of the scenery and if it be properly lighted, you will have a handsome set of scenery that we would not undertake to paint and install for less than, at least, $8,000.00.”

View from under the fly rail. Brown’s Special Counterweighted System at the Scottish Rite in Pasadena, California.

The Austin Scottish Rite was initially interested in purchasing fourteen of the used drops, but wanted a definitive price for installation before determining the final number. Reading several letters of correspondence between Brown and Bell, it is obvious that Brown’s patience was wearing very thin as he had to repeatedly explain the final installation cost was based on the number of drops purchased. The continued correspondence, however, provides a wealth of information pertaining to the manufacture and installation of Scottish Rite scenery.

Brown’s Special Counterweighted System at the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas, 1914.

As Brown negotiated, the Valley of Austin was purchasing and renovating the old 1821 Turner Hall. Brown mailed a scene plat to the Austin Scottish Rite. This was to reference while determining the final arrangement of scenes. Of this process, Brown wrote, “The arrangement of drops is one of the most difficult things.” Brown further explained that they would arrange the used scenery so that it could be “properly adapted to the different Degrees and the sequence of Degrees.” However, he warned that even after careful preparation, some modifications would still need to occur once the scenery was hanging. This was all an art of the haggling between the Austin Scottish Rite and M. C. Lilley. Bell, representing Austin wanted to pay as little as possible for the used scenery. The process was taking longer than expected and Brown was trying to get the Austin Scottish Rite to contractually commit so that the project could be scheduled. Finally, the Austin Scottish Rite committed to the purchase, but wanted an unrealistic timeframe. At this time, a much larger project was driving M. C. Lilley’s installation schedule – the Santa Fe Scottish Rite. Santa Fe’s new building, stage and scenery were delaying all other installations, such as the Austin Scottish Rite

Part of the initial delay was caused by the Austin Scottish Rite, not M. C. Lilley; this concerned the ongoing negotiation pertaining to the estimated expenses of the final installation. The Austin Scottish Rite wanted M. C. Lilley to provide a firm number for the installation cost without specifying the number of drops that they were purchasing from M. C. Lilley. Brown explained that the final expense was directly tied to the number of drops purchased to be installed. The carpenter’s expense of transportation and maintenance were figured from the time he left home until he returned. So, if he were to install only fourteen drops, that part of the expense would be proportionately greater than if he were to install twice that number of drops. Brown also explained that there was a difference in transportation charges directly relating to number of drops purchased and installed, either a full carload of scenery or less than a carload lot. Brown also explained that M. C. Lilley could also furnish the hardware, such as pulley blocks and counterweight frames if the Scottish Rite wanted the installation done locally; this was the salesman trying to be accommodating.

Brown’s Special Counterweighted System at the Scottish Rite in Salina, Texas.

There was another complication; Brown noted that they had only one specific carpenter who was sent to direct a Scottish Rite installation which was why multiple installations could not simultaneously occur; this individual was actually a Sosman & Landis employee as they installed their scenery. Brown commented that the one who would be “superintending the installation” for the Austin project was currently occupied in Santa Fe at the Scottish Rite, installing an entirely new stage there. This necessitated that their expert stay on site for approximately three weeks. Shortly after Brown’s correspondence with Bell, Brown wrote that their superintendent and installation expert had died from an accident, causing another delay. Brown explained that this employee was the “only one thoroughly familiar with the special method of installing Scottish Rite scenery.” Brown wrote, “We do not mean that it is impossible to follow the same methods as heretofore, but it will take a longer time to do it because of a lack of familiarity with the work.” Thomas G. Moses also mentions the death of their head stage carpenter, writing, “Mr. Brown, our foreman carpenter” died very suddenly.

As Brown later explained, M.C. Lilley used only one employee who specialized in Scottish Rite scenery installation. I believe that this individual was the stage carpenter who Thomas G. Moses referred to in his memoirs – Brown. In 1892, the “Carlisle Weekly” reported that a “Stage Carpenter Brown” worked for the Metropolitan Opera House at the time it burned (Carlisle, Pennsylvania, 1 Sept. 1892, page 4). This may have been the same individual before he became associated with Sosman & Landis, as this is the same time when additional staff was added to Sosman & Landis’ studio for Columbian Exposition and other large projects.

Stage carpenter Brown was likely the individual who developed the counterweight system, and that the salesman Brown was mistaken for the namesake of the design. Newspapers would therefore erroneously refer to Bestor G. Brown as a “Masonic stage Carpenter.” In 1903 one article noted that Brown “created and developed the application of modern scenic properties to the dramatic presentation of all Masonic degrees and in this work is almost invariably consulted everywhere throughout the United States.” My findings suggest that “Brown’s Special Counterweighted” was credited to the salesman of the product and not the actual designer; this is understandable if they both shared the same last name.

In the end, the Austin Scottish Rite Bodies purchased 64 drops, not 14, on February 25, 1913, from M. C. Lilley. Thomas G. Moses would list the Austin scenery as one of the collections that he supervised while working at Sosman & Landis. The price for these used drops and their later installation was $1,650. The contract specified that a third of the amount was due upon installation (cash), a third due the following year, and the final third due in two years. Surprisingly, this financing was standard for Scottish Rite Theaters. Brown wrote, “In fact, if we had not been able to carry the Bodies in the Southern Jurisdiction as we have, we believe that fully one half of the development of the past ten years would not have been possible.” This is big as it presents how Scottish Rites were able to purchase state-of-the-art scenery, props, lighting and costumes – they were buying everything on credit and only had to pay a third upon receipt of goods. To pay off the rest meant increasing membership numbers that would generate even more income.

Brown died in 1917 at the Battle Creek Sanitorium after a relapse following an operation for kidney complications. At the time Brown was 56 years old and survived by his daughter, Mrs. Dana L. Davis of Topeka. It is sad to think, that a mere 14 years earlier he was a soaring star in both the Fraternity and fraternal supply business. Change can come so quickly.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: A Visit to the Tabor House in Leadville, Colorado on June 18, 2018

A Visit to the Tabor House in Leadville, Co. June 18, 2018

We left Denver at 7am and headed to Leadville, Colorado. I had a 10am appointment with the executive director of the Tabor Opera House. Normally a two-hour trip, we planned on an extra hour for sightseeing, stopping several times along the way for “scenic overlooks” and “points of interest.” As we left Denver, overcast skies turned into puffy clouds scattered across brilliant blue skies.

One of our stops was in the town of Frisco. The name rang a bell and I soon realized that it was because Thomas G. Moses mentioned the town during his 1884 sketching trip to Colorado. This was his trip with tree other scenic artists to see the mountains.

The town of Frisco, Colorado, where Thomas G. Moses visited in 1884.

Frisco is situated on the shores of Lake Dillon, seventy miles west of Denver. Henry Recen founded the town after a mining boom in the 1870s and soon boasted two railroads, many businesses, hotels, and saloons. The town was the center of mining activity because of the railroads and a stagecoach stop, serving as the gateway to the towns and mines in Ten Mile Canyon. It later became the sleepy little town that Moses encountered during his 1884 sketching trip. Of Frisco, Moses wrote, “We soon came to a little cemetery. One rough head-board had the following epitaph, printed with black letters: ‘Here lies the body of John Sands. A Frisco miner, an honest man and an old timer.’ No dates nor age. Near by was the small town of Frisco, which at one time was a prosperous mining town of about three thousand inhabitants. The mines gave out, no one stayed, and homes and stores were left to the elements. As we struck the main street we looked about, but we couldn’t see a living thing, excepting a few chickens which convinced us, however, that someone must have stayed. The feeling we had among the deserted homes and stores was rater uncanny. The buildings had been hastily built; all very rough, and very few of them had been painted. The signboards were a hot, badly spelled and very typical of a frontier mining town; a regular mushroom town – it grew over night.”

After enjoying the bustling town, getting the contact for the city historian and walking about the marina, we headed to the Tabor Opera House in Leadville for our 10am meeting. I had asked Ziska Childs to join me on this particular adventure and we spent the morning looking at historic scenery produced by Kansas City Scenic Company. The drops are suspended by a hemp system – no counterweights or sand bags. As at the Brown Grand Opera House in Concordia, Kansas, the drops are raised and lowered by an individual pulling the full weight on the three ropes that are connected to the drop’s top batten. I was fortunate to help at one point and able to examine the pin rail and rigging. While assisting with one line, I was delighted to discover that the original paint frame that was still suspended from one of the lines. No, we didn’t lower it. I was told that it takes three men to handle the lines when either raising or lowering it!

Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado

The Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado

Wood scene with backdrop, two legs and a foliage border.

The four historic scenes at the Tabor Opera House include a drop curtain, a garden drop, a landscape and a street scene by Kansas City Scenic.

Front drop curtain at he Tabor Opera House

Detail of drop curtain at he Tabor Opera House

“Kansas City Scenic Co.” on bottom right corner of the front curtain in the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, CO.

Pin rail above the stage to raise and lower drops.

There are other historic scenery pieces along the back wall that were too buried to uncovered. There area also older roll drops, wings, and profile pieces are stored in the attic for both this stage and the previous stage before the Elks altered the building in 1901. Unrolling a few backdrops will be part of my morning adventures today. The Executive director explained that the scenery has been rolled up for over a century. I am curious to see what the original 1879 scenery in the attic looks like from the original stage.

The existing fly drops above the Tabor Opera House stage were produced by Kansas City Scenic. Lemuel L. Graham (1845-1914), a previous employee of Sosman & Landis, as well as one-time business partner of Thomas G. Moses founded this studio. Moses left the Sosman & Landis studio during May 1882 to partner with Graham. That year Moses recorded that while they were working on the Redmond Opera House project in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Graham boarded at a hotel and fell in love with the head waitress, eventually marrying her. Moses wrote, “she proved to be a good wife and good mother.” Moses wrote that Graham “was a regular Shylock, a good fellow and a hard worker, but altogether too close to please me.”

The partnership of Moses & Graham only lasted a little over a year. In 1883 they returned to the Sosman & Landis studio. After Moses and Landis encountered each other while bidding on the same job, they rode the train back together for Chicago. Sosman met them at the station and the three discussed a possible return. Sosman & Landis wanted Moses and Graham back, they were each offered $45.00 a week. Moses wired Graham their proposal, but Graham was not so eager to accept and countered “$50.00 and extras.” The studio agreed and on May 1, 1883, Moses and Graham were both painting in the Sosman & Landis studios again. It lasted less than a year for Graham, however, and in 1884, he left Sosman & Landis to form Kansas City Scenic Co.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: A Visit to the Hastings Scottish Rite on June 16, 2018

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: A Visit to the Hastings Scottish Rite on June 16, 2018

During the summer of 1930, “The Nebraska State Journal” reported that the new $400,000 Hastings Masonic Center building was nearing completion (24 August 1930, page 39).

Postcard of the Masonic Center in Hasting’s Nebraska. We visited the Scottish Rite theater in the building on June 16, 2018.

We left our hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska, at 6:30am yesterday and headed to Hastings. At 8:30am we were scheduled to meet Phil and some volunteers to look at the scenery. There were two volunteers to help with the scenery, John and Jim.

Lines at the Scottish Rite in Hastings, facing the stage from the stage right side.

Lines and old Frank Adam lighting board at the Scottish Rite in Hastings, Nebraska

The old light board for the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

The layout of the stage was intriguing. The drop lines were handled at stage level and caged off in the stage right area. There were 70 line sets, but not necessarily placed in numerical order, suggesting that a few lines had moved over the decades. The shape of the stage was bizarre; not a rectangle, but the shape of the letter “D” with the curve upstage. The back of the stage was angled and much smaller than the proscenium opening, almost as if it were the corner of the building. However, this area was perfect for storing musical instruments, as not drops could be hung from above. The original Frank Adam lighting board was still present, just no longer in use. It was located up a small flight of stairs, stage right.

My records indicated that the drops were produced by Volland Studios during 1929 and installed in 1930. Interestingly, it appears as if not all the drops were constructed for this particular stage at the same time, or for this particular venue. Some were much too wide – folded back at the sides to fit on the pipes. The backdrops were originally constructed with jute webbing and tie lines on top and pipes pockets on the bottom.

I have come to realize that pipe pockets don’t last over time, even when they are part of the original installation. The sewing for pipe pockets introduces weakness into the original fabric; these weak areas, where the needle pierced the original fabric, fail over time. After several decades, it is like a perforated page and the pipes will fall to the stage. Depending on the type of fabric used to construct the pipe pocket, the actual fabric may fail also start to fail if the pipe rusts. In humid environments, the pipes not only rust, but also adheres to the fabric.

In Hastings, the fabric used for the pipe pockets was incredibly thin. It was almost like a lightweight dressmaking muslin, just black. All of the pipe pockets have started to fail and my Scottish Rite representatives realized that this was becoming a liability. We talked about a variety of options for the future – options that could be done immediately by the Masons for safety precautions. In one case we removed a pipe, and as we did, the fabric had to be pealed off of the pipe as rust had bonded the two together in areas.

Detail from the treasure scene at the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

As far as the drop construction, there were several features characteristic of the late 1920s. Typical to Scottish Rite scenery dating from this era includes an abundance of spatter throughout the composition. Also, characteristic of the time, the sides of the drop were finished prior to the painting, with the original tack marks to secure the fabric placed 2 ½ to 3 inches apart. This meant that there was no scalloping along the edges.

Scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

Treasure scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

Egyptian scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

King Solomon’s apartments scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

Painted details from King Solomon’s apartments scene at the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

The painting is beautiful, but the new lighting system is not. A lot of money was spent for a system that does not work well for painted scenery, or is easily used by its members. The area lights are not even on the stage floor, and there are hot spots all over the scenery. Not for the first time, a Scottish Rite was talked into something that doesn’t work for a historic venue; this is always frustrating to encounter.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 414 – William F. Hamilton and the Sterling Opera House in Derby, Connecticut

Part 414: William F. Hamilton and the Sterling Opera House in Derby, Connecticut

In 1899 William F. Hamilton was listed as the scenic artist at the Columbia Theatre in Boston. He was working along the East Coast when he reconnected with Thomas G. Moses in New York City. Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide of 1899-1900 listed “W. F. Hamilton” as the scenic artist at the Sterling Opera House in Derby, Connecticut.

On a whim, I decided to see if I could locate any images or postcards of the Sterling Opera House. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across a whole series of current pictures by Darren Ketchum in an online article – “Sterling Opera House – Under Renovation.”

The Sterling Opera House proscenium opening and backstage. Photograph by Darren Ketchum’s “Sterling Opera House – Under Renovation.” Here is the link: https://darrenketchumphotography.wordpress.com/tag/derby/

View of the auditorium from the stage. Photograph by Darren Ketchum.

I was especially thrilled to find two images that depicted the backstage area with some of the original stage machinery – and a CLEAT rail! When I noticed the cleat rail, instead of a pin rail, I immediately contacted Rick Boychuk to share this discovery.

Notice the cleat rails on the stage left side. Detail in photograph by Darren Ketchum.

Here is a little information about this old opera house, now a mere shadow of its former glory. The building was constructed in 1889 on 104 Elizabeth St, across from the town green. The venue was designed by H. Edwards Fickens, co-designer of the famous Carnegie. The doors opened to the public on April 2, 1889, and remained open until 1945, when the curtain closed for the last time. The building was added to the National Register of Historic places on November 8, 1968, and there has been continued discussions about various renovations since 2011; anticipated restoration costs remaining a primary deterrent. U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro received a grant for $150,000 thousand dollars to go towards cleaning up the interior. Possible future plans include public tours and relocating City Hall back to the building.

The Sterling Opera House was also the setting for a 2011 episode of “Ghost Hunters.” This was the moment that really brought the old theater back into the public’s focus. “Ghost Hunters” was an American television series about paranormal activities that ran from 2004 to 2016. The Sterling Opera House hauntings reported on the show were like many covered in a variety of old theaters across the country. The examination of paranormal activities in old opera houses has also been a way to advertise these historic venues. During my recent visit to appraise a painted drop in Toledo, Iowa, I learned that the Wieting Opera House was included as a chapter in Adrian Lee’s publication “Mysterious Midwest: Unwrapping Urban Legends and Ghostly Tales from the Dead.” The opera house in Toledo was reported as being home to forty ghosts.

In Derby, local citizens reported witnessing un-explainable things in the opera house, such as shadowy figures and orbs of light. All though there were no deaths or tragedies recorded during the operation of the theatre, some believe that the haunting is the spirit of Charles Sterling, namesake of the opera house. Other sightings involved a little boy named “Andy” who played with a soccer ball in the balcony area. Throughout the building, people have reported a variety of children’s toys that periodically move or disappear. Why there were still toys scattered throughout an abandoned theater is anyone’s guess.

The Sterling Opera House is a second-floor theater with a seating capacity of 1,470; a combination of fixed and temporary seats. Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide reported that the proscenium measured 30 feet by 30 feet with a stage depth of 34 feet. The height to the rigging loft was 40 feet with a groove height of 18 feet. There were five grooves on each side of the stage; all could be taken up flush with the gallery. There was also one movable bridge above the stage. The depth under the stage was 8 feet, with four traps. Interestingly, there was also a jail beneath the stage. This might have come in handy during some productions. The two lower levels of the building, along with the basement, functioned as the town’s City Hall and police station. Almost as convenient as having a theatre building connected to a fire station!

Auditorium seating at the Sterling Opera House in Derby, Connecticut. Photograph by Darren Ketchum.

Some temporary seating at the Sterling Opera House, in Derby, Connecticut. Photograph by Darren Ketchum.

To be continued…