Salaries – Page 2 – Drypigment.net

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 972 – Collecting Payment from H. Robert Law, 1918

Sosman & Landis were still waiting for the final payments related to government cantonment theater work in January 1918. In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We closed a contract with H. Robert Law of New York City for a lot of scenery for the Government Cantonment Theatres. First contract was $12,600.00, second $3,600.00, and third $980.00 for installing one job. All to be completed November 7^th – some hustling. I went down to the studio on five Sundays – something I haven’t done in fifteen years, and every night until 8:30. Some of the boys slept in the studio. Everyone hustled. We completed the work on the day set and inside of a week it was all out of the studio.” This was a project to help the war effort; a big one that brought in $17,180 in a short period of time. That is the monetary equivalent of $364,438.00 today; no small project.

On January 3, Moses left Akron, Ohio, and headed to New York City, where he planned to “settle up with the Government work with Law.” Of the trip between Akron and New York, Moses wrote, “All day a cold car. The first time I ever had to keep my overcoat on in a sleeping car. Very cold all night – no lights in the car, everything was frozen. Nine hours late. After leaving Philadelphia, we passed a bad wreck. A passenger train had run into another one standing on the side track. The engine had plowed through the rear coach, which happened to be a “dead head.” No one in it. The coach settled down on the engine, covering it completely. Strange to say, no one was badly hurt. Transacted my business in one day.” Unfortunately, the trip was not a success. Sosman & Landis would have to send another representative to New York later that year to collect the final payment. Of this second trip, Moses wrote, “Lester Landis went to New York and finally got a settlement with Law for our government work. It has cost us a good bit to get it settled.”

This becomes a reoccurring theme in the final years of Sosman & Landis, one that directly contributes to the eventual closure of the firm.

At the end of 1917, Moses wrote, “The greatest handicap to a profit sharing business is procrastination among the managers. The eleventh hour idea of getting scenery, we can either take it, or work night and day to get it out on a close margin, or let it alone and allow someone else to creep in and steal our business.” This represented one hardship the firm was repeatedly encountering. Add on collecting funds on projects with a “close margin,” such as the Law project. It took two trips to New York, sending a Sosman & Landis representative to meet with Law in person to collect the owed funds. Two trips, with train fare, lodging expense and meals, plus the loss of time on other projects to collect money for completed work. I then look at the career of H. Robert Law, who was in and out of courts for much of his career, also trying to collect payment for his work (see past post #962). What a mess.

The theatre industry, like any other business, is based on trust; the understanding that you will be paid for your work as identified in contractual agreements. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Many of us have weighed the options when trying to collect money from clients for completed work. For Sosman & Landis in 1918, additional project-related expenses included two trips to New York and the loss of time. Much remains unknown about the work contracted with H. Robert Law Studios in 1917. It is possible that Sosman & Landis were simply subcontractors to Law, and he was also waiting for payment from the US government.

The point of this tale in the big picture for the studio is money owed for completed work. The delayed payment in 1918 did not cause Sosman & Landis to crumble in the same way that might have been the case with a smaller firm. However, it did leave a mark, and those marks turned into a major scar. A series of projects with delays and non-payments eventually took a toll on the studio. Keep in mind that Sosman & Landis financed the stage portions of many Scottish Rite theater projects for almost two decades – 1/3 upon delivery, 1/3 a year later and the final 1/3 a year after that. That work made up approximately 25% of all projects for twenty years. I the end, Sosman & Landis had consistent difficulties in collecting the final payment from many Scottish Rite Valleys; this was well after the client had received the contracted goods in their entirety. The continued absence of money owed added up in the end. It became the perfect storm to cause a studio’s downfall. This occurred at the same time that demand for painted scenery began to diminish. And in the midst of these difficulties, studio founder Joseph S. Sosman passed away and a series of internal struggles began. Times were certainly changing for the major theatrical supplier.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 946 – Losing Money, 1917

In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Trip to Indianapolis – March 16^th we were awfully late. Left my pocketbook with $25.00 on the window. Didn’t miss it until I started to get my breakfast. I had 75¢ in silver. Wired to Chicago for money.” He lost the equivalent of $505.00 today, no small amount, then or now.

Many of us have lost money over the years, leaving a purse or wallet in the store, library or classroom. I have many stories of my purses being returned, or going back to find them on a park bench, untouched. The most memorable, however, happened on our honeymoon in 1993.

Andrew and I spent two weeks in the Canadian Rockies, with our first three nights at the Green Gables Inn in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. On the first morning after our arrival, we went for a walk downtown; a nice little stroll along the river. There was a lovely dirt path with a few benches along our way. For whatever reason, we decided that I would carry all of the money and our credit cards that morning. Needless to say, we have never done that since. At some point the purse disappeared. We strolled along the river, sat on a bench and headed back to the hotel. I may have left my purse by a bench, or the strings were cut by a thief. A few weeks after we returned, however, the purse was returned with my ID and credit cards, just minus the cash.

We were also fortunate that my parents could wire money, but we had saved up for months. It was a devastating at the loss. In the end, we tried to find some humor saying that we were a great Western Union ad – “Please send money soon or we won’t have a honeymoon.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 820 – Fire, 1912

From 1905 until Al Ringling’s passing in in 1916, Thomas G. Moses completed several designs for the Ringling Bros. grand circus spectacles. In 1912, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Went to Sterling to catch Ringling to collect $1,200.00. As I went to the tent to find Al Ringling, I discovered everyone watching a fire – a stable at least four blocks away. A spark was blown towards the tent, the top of which is prepared with paraffin to make it waterproof. It soon ignited from the sparks and in less than thirty minutes the big tent was destroyed. The rest of the tents were saved. It was mighty fortunate there were no people in the tent. Some of the animals in another tent started some noise when the smelled the smoke, but they were soon quieted. I sneaked away without making myself known. There was no money for me, that I guessed.” This would not be the first or last fire for the Ringling Bros. On July 6, 1944, a huge fire engulfed the Ringling Bros. Circus tent in Hartford, Connecticut. The tragedy killed 167 people and injured hundreds more.

Ringling Bros. Tent fire on July 6, 1944.

Fire was a constant threat for not only circuses but also theaters. Theatre practitioners still site the horror of Chicago’s Iroquois Theatre tragedy as an impetus for many of today’s fire codes. It is not that we were unaware of how to prevent theatre fires. As an industry, there were fire curtains and other preventative measures in place at many nineteenth and twentieth century theaters. The architectural firm of McElfatrick & Sons placed most of their theaters on the ground floor and increased fire exits. By 1876, Dion Boucicault was testing various methods to fireproof scenery.

The problem was a lack of regulation and safety enforcement. I always think back to the Triangle Shirt Factory and all of the women leaping to their deaths to escape the flames; profits remained a priority over people for many companies, even after court-appointed safety measures were demanded of business owners. This is when the reinforcement of state and government regulations to ensure public safety is a necessity, as some companies refuse to spend money on safety. For the theatre industry, it took the seeing piles of dead women and children on the streets of Chicago after fire broke out during a matinee performance.

I have several books about the Iroquois Theatre Fire, one being “The Great Chicago Theatre Disaster” by Marshall Everette published in 1904. The publication included “the complete story told by the survivors” and was “profusely illustrated with views of the scene of death before, during and after the fire.” The Publisher’s Preface noted, “While the embers are still all but glowing of one of the most heartrending fires of modern times, its history has been caught from the lips of the survivors and embalmed in book form. The deep and far-reaching effects of the Iroquois casualty will not be eradicated, if much softened, for another generation. That this is true must be realized, when it is remembered how large a majority of the victims were in the early dawn or flush of life, and their friends and closer kindred can the less readily be reconciled to the sad reality than the loss had fallen among the mature, whose end, in order of nature, would not be far away.” Everett added, “While this book is intended to be a fitting memorial in commemoration of that tragic and historic event, I am in firm in the conviction that its wide circulation will be instrumental in accomplishing much good. It calls special attention to the defective and dangerous construction of theaters, public halls, opera houses and other public buildings all over the land; bold evasions and reckless disregard of life-saving ordinances by managers and owners whereby thousands of precious lives are constantly in imperiled. It will thus arouse public sentiment and emphasize the supreme importance of safeguarding people who congregate in such buildings and prevent the possible loss of thousands of lives in the future. What has happened in Chicago is liable to occur in other cities and towns unless precautionary measures are adopted.”

Image from the “The Great Chicago Theatre Disaster,” 1904.

Mrs. Emma Schweitzler described the first appearance of the fire, stating, “As soon as the drop curtain came down it caught fire. A hole appeared at the left-hand side. Then the blaze spread rapidly, and instantly a great blast of hot air came from the stage through the hole of the curtain and into the audience. Big pieces of the curtain were loosened by the terrific rush of air and were blown into people’s faces. Scores of women and children must have been burned to death by these fragments of burning grease and paint. I was in the theater until the curtain entirely burned. It went up in the flames as if it had been paper and did more damage than good.”

When Moses visited Ringling in 1912, he had already witnessed his share of burned stages. Sosman & Landis frequently provided replacement scenery for venues that replaced previously burned theaters. It was not until I began researching the life and times of Moses that I began to understand how frequently fires cured in the United States. We all know of their existence, yet many of us cannot comprehend the frequency of the events. And yet, people kept walking through the doors of early twentieth century theaters, hoping that all precautions to prevent fire had been implemented for their safety.

By 1908, the “Manual of Inspections, A Reference Book for the Use of Fire Underwriters” by William Dennis Matthews included a section on theaters:

“THEATERS. Heating? Footlights, border-lights and overhead stage lights – open? How guarded? Scenery – painted with watercolors or oils? Arrangement of switchboard, dimmers, etc.? Spot Lights? Sciopticons? Stereopticons? Smoking on stage? Dressing rooms – candles? Swinging gas jets? Heaters? (Fires are caused frequently by electrical apparatus carried by traveling companies, which is generally poorly constructed and installed). Carpenter and paint shops – care of oils, paints, refuse, etc.? Space under auditorium used as a catch-all of old papers, etc.? Posters- where stored (subject to spontaneous combustion when stored in piles, owing to the oxidation of printer’s ink)? General care and cleanliness?

Note: The spread of fires in theatres is usually very rapid, owing to the height of ceilings and the arrangement and nature of scenery and flies in stage end. Fires occurring during performances nearly always cause panics in which more or less people are injured or killed. It should, therefore, be plain to all concerned that devices which might cause fires should be eliminated as far as possible and that those which are necessary should be safeguarded in every practical way. The question of protection is a most important one – some cities require the stage end to be of fireproof construction, all scenery to be fire-proofed, the opening in proscenium wall to have a fireproof curtain, and the dressing rooms, property rooms and paint and carpenter shops equipped with automatic sprinklers. There should be a good supply of chemical extinguishers on the stage and working galleries, in dressing rooms, paint and carpenter shops and property rooms, and throughout the basement; large stationary chemicals with piping to these various rooms and hose attached would, of course, be preferable.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 819 – Scenic Art Sundries, 1912 to Now

Scenic art case with brushes. From the Waszut-Barrett Theatre Collection.

In 1912, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “June 1^st, Sosman agreed to pay me what I wanted, $5,200.00 per year besides my dividends, which will make my income not less than $6,500.00 – not quite as good as the New York venture, but I will be satisfied.” $6500 in 1912 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $171,920.31 in 2019. Of that number, $137,526.25 was Moses’ salary without his dividends.

Now, consider his statement. “not quite as good as the New York Venture.” Moses was referring to his four-year partnership with Will F. Hamilton in New York City – Moses & Hamilton Studio. He left a successful business venture to return to Chicago in 1904. When Moses returned to Sosman & Landis he assumed the role of vice-president, shareholder, and controlled all design, construction, painting and installation. In a sense, Joseph S. Sosman handed all artistic control of the firm over to Moses. In 1904, Moses had been working as a scenic artist for three decades and was not only well-known, but also in high demand across the country. He brought credibility, as well as past clients, when he returned to Chicago.

By 1912, Moses was responsible for the successful delivery of at least two dozen Masonic scenery installations, hundreds of stock settings, all of Ringling Bros. grand circus spectacles, Frederick C. Thompson’s most successful amusement park attractions, and scenery for many premiere productions by Joe Jefferson, Edwin Booth, Helena Modjeska, Sarah Bernhardt, John McCoullough, Julia Marlowe, Katherine Clemmons, Buffalo Bill, and many others. He had closely worked with dozens of theatrical producers, such as Wm. A. Brady. John J. Murdock, Joseph Litt, Gus Hill, Kohl & Castle, H. H. Frazee, Thos. W. Prior, and the list goes on. Moses was a very valuable asset to Sosman & Landis, but his primary obstacle would remain Sosman & Landis stockholders. While Sosman was alive, he acted as a buffer for Moses, being one of the company’s founders. After Sosman’s passing in 1915, Moses faced continued challenges presented by not only stockholders, but also one-time company treasurer and secretary, David H. Hunt. Hunt ran the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis – New York Studios,

There are a few factors to consider about Moses’ salary in 1912. First of all, the theatre industry was booming and Sosman & Landis Studio was at the top of their game. They really reigned supreme in regard to painted settings for theatre, opera, music academies, social halls, fraternal stages, public pageants, grand circus spectacles, amusement park attractions, and more. Everywhere you turned, it seemed as if there was a need for scenic art, whether on the stage or at a world’s fair. My exploration of the period from 1890 to 1920 suggests that there was a greater demand than supply. Competition between scenic studios was almost jovial, as there was always another job just around the corner. This dynamic seems to shift during the 1920s when the number of suppliers dramatically increases and the demand for painted scenes begins to wane.

There are many factors that contribute to this decrease, too many to mention in one post. However, it is important to note that there is an increased demand for fabric curtains in lieu of painted stage settings. There is also the emergence of the lighting designer; atmospheric effects once created by paint are now created with light on three-dimensional objects. Whether you want to site realism and naturalism on stage or the Bauhaus movement in theater, the demand for painted illusion diminishes. Scenic art remains, but there is a shift from art to craft in many cases, There is also the increased popularity of film, transitioning the artistic medium as a snippet for vaudeville to a full-length silent film at a movie house. The rise of film shifts many live performance theaters to cinemas, also decreasing the need of stock scenery in some venues. In short, there are too many factors to identify any one thing that directly decreased the demand for scenic art, yet it starts.

Just as two schools of scenic art developed in American during the nineteenth century (English and European traditions), two new schools become associated with live theatre and film during the twentieth century. This is similar to the 19^th century shift when scenic art for the stage was painted in either the English tradition of glazing or the European tradition of opaque washes. By the 1920s, scenic art on stage adopts a much more colorful palette, although the two schools of scenic art continue. Shadows are saturated with ultramarine blue and spatter covers painted compositions for the stage, all to interact with light. At this same time, scenic artists who paint for film develop a tighter style as movie cameras improve, branching off in a very different direction of increased realism that transitions into the dimensional. Scenic art for Hollywood and scenic art for grand opera are two completely separate schools, necessitating different techniques.

There is also a shift in the perception of scenic art labor and subsequent wages, more specifically how scenic art is regarded by the various industries. For historical context, many 19^th century scenic artists did more than simply paint. They controlled scenic illusion on stage; designing both stage machinery and painted elements, also lighting their creations. Many scenic artists also belonged to the Theatrical Mechanics Association (est. 1866). Similarly, stage carpenters and stage mechanics were also accomplished scenic artists; the titles were not solely based on skill or any one trade. Even in a 1910 interview, Broadway scenic artist and designer John H. Young explained that he always needed to set the lights, being the sole individual who truly understood how his set should be lit, explaining that light can destroy a painted composition in an instant.

There is also the rise of both the modern scenic designer, reducing the role of many mid-twentieth century scenic artists to painters. This trend continues throughout the twentieth century, with more obstacles for scenic artists including the rise of digital technology. This is not meant to say that scenic art declined, the skills evaporated, or the trade died. The perception of scenic art simply began to change. If an industry’s perception of a trade shifts, so will the wages. What the United States experienced by the late twentieth century was a dip in scenic art wages, especially in non-union towns. This has trend has continued into the twenty-first century.

There is one other factor that must be included, and that is the shift of gender within the scenic art industry going from predominantly men to predominantly women. The rise of women in the field of scenic art parallels the decline of salaries in the field of scenic art. There is no disputing that many women, whether they are teaching at a university or in a professional industry, still make less than their male counterparts. The Equal Rights Amendment did not pass in the United States, therefore women are not legally entitled to equal pay; and, yes, this does matter in a lawsuit.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 809 – The Moonlight Olio

Today’s post continues with the story of New York Studios for one more post. In 1912, the firm brought suit against the owners of the Colonial Theatre. In court they tried to recovered money that was due from F. & H. Schweppe for a “Moonlight Olio.”

A moonlight effect drop at the Scottish Rite in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Backside of drop for the moonlight effect.

I have read many tales of honest and hard-working people who were not paid for their work. They all seem to share a similar story. Only twice, have I had the misfortune of being “stiffed;” pretty good for being in the business more than thirty years. However, for me that was twice too many. I think that the first time was the hardest as I didn’t see it coming. It concerned painted ceremonial settings for the Ancient & Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine – go figure.

While researching the life and times of Thomas G. Moses, I have repeatedly read the letters of correspondence between scenic studios and various Masonic organizations, begging for money owed from scenery that was already designed or installed. In many ways, I feel quite fortunate with only suffering from two dishonest clients.

Not being paid from a Masonic organization is similar to not being paid from a religious institution; they know better. I always think back to Thomas G. Moses quote, “My experience with Church Committees, of all denominations was such that I almost promised myself never to enter another Church. I found a lot of dishonest men that were pillars of the church and naturally I looked upon them as good Christians, and their word should have been as good as their bond.”

There is an interesting dance that often occurs with a client, or organization, owes money for completed work and has no intention of paying. After a series of delays, a lame excuse is often presented as justifying nonpayment. It really doesn’t matter to the client at this point, as the vendor has already delivered everything promised; they are simply waiting for compensation. So the client just sits, gambling in a way, and hoping that no legal action will ensue. The person owed the money contemplates whether the amount is large enough to incur additional legal fees. In 1912, New York Studios decided the amount was worth it. Their particular story had to do with a client paying for scenery that was not returned in 1911.

On March 18, 1912, the “Star-Gazette” reported “The New York Studio, painters of stage scenery of all sorts has begun action against Schweppe Brothers, owners of the Colonial Theatre on Main Street to recover $90, claimed to be due on a “moonlight olio drop” which was furnished that theater. It is alleged that settlement made with Schweppes at a certain figure providing the local firm would return the drop. The studio says the drop has not been returned” (Elmira, New York, page 3). In other words they rented a drop and decided to keep it. The first time round they lost the case in city court.

On September 4, 1912, the “Star-Gazette” reported “The New York Studios Company, through their attorneys, Baldwin & Allison, have appealed from a jury’s verdict in city court which was rendered in favor of Fred and Henry Schweppe, owners of the Colonial Theatre block. The action has been tried in a city court to recover $90, which the New York Studios Company alleged was due them for a ‘Moonlight Olio.’ The jury held that the Schweppe Brothers were justified in their position. The jury rendered that verdict on July 25” (Elmira, New York, page 11).

Now there is the basic question here: “What is a Moonlight Olio?” There is an ongoing discussion about “olio, the machine” versus “olio, the scene.” In this particular case it is painted scenery, more specifically a backdrop that depicts a moonlight scene or has a moonlight effect. Olio likely refers to the studio design label. Examples of “olio” drop compositions can be found in the Performing Arts archives at the University of Minnesota. The Twin City Scenic Co. collection has an entire box of olio designs, with each label using an “O” for olio, for example, O-89. Olio drops were musical numbers placed between the scenes of a play/melodrama and were independent of the main storyline. Back to the court case…

By 1915, The “Star-Gazette” published the ongoing 4-year saga of the moonlight olio, reporting, “The action grows out of the furnishing scenery for the Colonial. The original claims were settled at 75 cents on the dollar and in the settlement the Messrs. Schweppe were to return a moonlight drop, which is one of the canvas painted drops which make the background of the stage setting. The studios had furnished two olios and it is claimed that the wrong one was returned. From this incident, four years ago, grows the present action for $90. It was tried once in City Court and Messrs. Schweppe were successful. The studios appealed” (1 June 1915, page 7). On June 2, 1915, the verdict was published – $90 was awarded to the New York Studios. The “Star-Gazette” commented, “The $90 is the full amount of the claim but it is not so much the money as a vindication of lawyers that was being fought for” (1, June 1915, page 7).

The $90 fee for the Moonlight Olio is the equivalent of $2,380.44 today. Although this was not a great amount of money for a scenic studio to lose in product, they had to fight this battle in a very visible arena. Their legal actions sent a signal to other theaters and clients that New York Studios would not back down; they would collect money owed, regardless of the amount.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 756 – Ralph Terwilliger, 1910

In 1910, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Fox Lake appealed to me all summer. I went up as much as possible and made good use of my time. How I wished in vain for time and money to spend all summer sketching. I know I could do something worthwhile.” The Palette & Chisel Club kept an artists retreat at Fox Lake. Numerous Sosman & Landis artists travelled to the camp during their time off each summer, including Moses.

Palette and Chisel clubhouse at Fox Lake, donated by Thomas G. Moses

Moses continued, “Mr. Ralph Terwilliger was at Fox Lake – I hardly knew him. He was President of a city bank. He was with Burridge, Moses and Louderback as a paint boy for $4.00 per week. He had prospered. With his wife and two daughters he enjoys a cottage near our camp.”

R. J. Terwilliger, from the “Liberal News,” 27 April 1911, page 11

Moses pasted a picture of R. J. Terwilliger in his scrapbook years later. It noted that Terwillger was the founder and first president of the North-West Side Commercial Association. On the clipping, Moses wrote, “Paint boy for Burridge, Moses and Louderbeck during the years of 1887 and 1888.”

Clipping pasted in The scrapbook fo Thoms G. Moses.

Burridge, Moses & Louderback only laster from 1887 to 1888. The company’s offices were located at 22 Chamber of Commerce in Chicago, Illinois, on the corner of Clark and Division Streets. Burridge, Moses & Louderback used the paint frames at the Columbia Theatre. Located at the corner of Dearborn and Projects completed by Burridge, Moses & Louderback included “Gypsy Baron” for the Conried and Hermann Opera Company, 2 panoramas for Joe Murphy’s “Donah,” and 2 complete productions of “Kerry Gow.” The firm painted the scenery for the Duff Co.’s production of “Dorothea” at the Standard Theatre in New York, as well as Steele MacKaye’s “A Noble Rogue” at the Chicago Grand Opera. During these two busy years, Burridge, Moses & Louderback stocked six theatres with all of the necessary scenery, including the Grand Opera House in Columbus, Ohio, and Foster’s Opera House in Des Moines, Iowa.

Burridge, Mosess & Louderback letter, from the Waszut-Barrett collection.

Moses and Burridge were two successful and well-known artists when they partnered in 1887. Advertisements listed Louderback as the firm’s business manager. He was and established and well-respected owner of an auction house and fine art galleries. In November of 1888, Burridge pulled out of the studio because he and Louderback couldn’t agree on the running of the business. Louderback came from a “managing art” background while Burridge came from a “creating art” background.

Burridge, Moses, and Louderback’s paint boy Terwilliger eventually left the theatre profession, finding success in the banking industry after moving to Kansas. The year after Moses reunited with Terwilliger in Fox Lake, the “Liberal News” pictured R. J. Terwilliger as president of T-W Land and Mortgage Co. (April 27, 1911, the (page 11). The article noted the firm was “one of the oldest and one of the most active real estate concerns of the city of Liberal.” T-W Land and Mortgage Co., was described as “the first and last [business] encountered from the Rock Island depot on South Kansas Avenue.” Terwilliger was President, while C. M. Cole was Vice-President and M. F. Eidson, Secretary and Treasurer; Eidson was his son-in-law. The article continued, “The firm is the oldest and largest concern of its kind in Liberal. They do a general real estate business in farm, ranch and city property, and handle real estate loans of all kinds. Every member is a substantial business man of the town and all are well and favorably known to its citizens as men who are reliable in every way.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 559 – Thomas G. Moses and Ansel Cook

Part 559: Thomas G. Moses and Ansel Cook

In 1907, Thomas G. Moses wrote, ““We opened our annex studio at 19 W. 20^th Street in July, and Ansel Cook went there as a manager.” Moses commented on Cook as a scenic artist, “He did some very good work but was a long time doing it, which, of course, didn’t pay us.” Moses divided his time between Sosman & Landis’ main and annex studios that year, in addition to being on the road a lot. After one extended absence from the annex studio, he wrote, “Took charge of the 20^th Street Studio on my return weeks. Cook did $750.00 of work in three weeks. My first three amounted to $3,500.00, some difference. I hustled while he talked art and what the firm ought to do to get business.” This is a pretty interesting observation made by Moses about Cook, as Moses was known for his speed. Anyone that dawdled or didn’t pull his weight was criticized by Moses.

I have found no information about Ansel Cook beyond his scenic art. Moses records that he was primarily a drapery painter who began working at Sosman & Landis studio during 1904. Prior to his time at Sosman & Landis, Cook worked as a scenic artist with stage mechanic Ben W. Craig for the Castle Square Theatre Company. Together they designed and built many shows from 1896 to 1902. Some of their projects included “The Ensign,” “Captain Swift,” “Rosedale,” “The Heart of Maryland,” “The New South,” “The Prisoner of Zenda,” “Caste,” “Men and Women,” “Mignon,” “Tannhäuser,” “The Prodigal Daughter,” “Darkest Russia,” “A Social Highwayman,” Cumberland 61,” “Col George of Mt. Vernon,” “Nell Gwyn,” “Cyrano de Bergerac,” “The Little Minister,” “Jim the Penman,” and “Quo Vadis.”

Castle Square Theatre production of Erminie with scenery by Ansel Cook. From the “Boston Post,” 6 Sept 1896, page 10

By 1905, Cook was working in Chicago, establishing Ansel Cook studios. In addition to painting under his own name, he was also working in the Sosman & Landis studio. This is similar to what Moses did at Sosman & Landis, taking many projects after hours. It also explains his advertisement in White City Magazine where he includes, “All the scenery in beautiful Canals of Venice at White City painted my me.”

Ansel Cook advertisement in White City Magazine, 1905

The Ansel Cook studio was mentioned in “Minneapolis Journal” as producing the accompanying painted backings for the first formal American production of Lorenzo Perosi’s La Risurrezione di Cristo, the Resurrection of Christ, at the Minneapolis Auditorium in 1905 (2 Sept. 1905, page 14). Perosi’s oratorio was part of the Banda Rossa program performed at the Auditorium during State Fair week, and included Gina Ciaparelli (soprano), Bessie Bonsall (contralto), Albert Quesnel (tenor) and Salvatore Nunziato (baritone) for the solo parts.

30×40 paintings for the American premiere of Pelosi’s oratorio were created by Ansel Cook. From the “Star Tribune,” 3 Sept 1905, page 31

Cook’s compositions included “Mary at the Tomb, the meeting between the Savior and Mary Magdalene, the meeting of the Saviour and the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus, the Savior in the Multitude and the Ascension Scene” (Minneapolis Journal, 2 Sept. 1905, page 14). The “Minneapolis Journal” article described, “As the music progresses, these views, each 30×40 feet, with the wonderful electric lighting effects, are dissolved one into another. The effect is intensely interesting, and the mind, acted upon alike by the music and the pictures, is almost overwhelmed by the reality, the beauty and the solemnity of the scenes thus depicted by tone and brush.” The “Star Tribune” added, “These are exquisite works of art and when lighted by the different electrical devices used in their presentation are wonderful, beautiful, and fantastic, illuminating the music as it progresses” (Star Tribune, 3 Sept 1905, page 31). In 1905 Cook’s office was in room 60 of the Grand Opera House Building in Chicago. He was listed as a scenic artist, designer, originator and constructor in The White City Magazine. The Banda Rossa had also performed for four weeks at White City Amusement Park where Cook had painted the scenery for the attraction, “Venice.” The water ride included 90,000 square feet of painted panoramas depicting the sites of the city.

Banda Rossa featured as entertainment for four weeks at White City Amusement park, 1905

There is little mention of Cook again until 1908 when he is working in California. The “Los Angeles Times” reported, “Ansel Cook, late scenic artist for Henry Miller, has just been engaged for the same position at the Belasco Theatre here. ‘The Great Divide’ settings were made by Mr. Cook. He was for six years with the Castle Square company of Boston” (27 July 1908, page 7). Also that summer, Cook was mentioned as providing new scenery for the Weyerson & Clifford’s Southern Thorne and Orange Blossoms Company (Billboard, Vol. 20, 8 August 1908, page 25).

By fall 1908, the “Los Angeles Times” announced, “Belasco Theatre has a new scene painter, Ansel Cook. He has the reputation of being one of the country. His “Exterior of the Black Snake Ranch,” in Acts II and III, is a Texas landscape, beautiful in color, and one of the most effective backgrounds ever seen on the Belasco stage” (Los Angeles Times, 30 Sept. 1908, page 17). By winter, Cook was also credited with also decorating the green room of Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles (Los Angeles Herald, 13 Dec. 1908, page 32).

I have been unable to locate any information of Ansel Cook beyond 1908, only brief mention of Mrs. Ansel Cook’s attendance at social gatherings. Interestingly, however, a Vaudeville palace drop sketch by Cook sketch was donated to the Morgan Library & Museum by Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Oenslager in 1982. As with many designs, notes were scribbled all over the back of this painting the Scollay Square Theatre in Boston in 1900. There is a New York Studios stamp on the back: “THE NEW YORK STUDIOS / 1004 TIMES B’LDG, – NEW YORK.” New York Studios was the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis managed by David Hunt. This would have been the initial connection between Cook and Sosman & Landis. Moses was also working in New York from 1900-1904. The design also includes a note in pencil, along top edge: “Palace Drop Ansel Cook, Scollay Squ. Theater. Died aft 1915.”

This notation suggests that Cook passed away by 1915, however, I have been unsuccessful in locating any obituary for him during that year.

To be continued…

Here is the link to the Cook design at the Morgan Library & Museum: https://www.themorgan.org/drawings/item/187745

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 486 – Ringling Brothers’ “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba”

Part 486: Ringling Brothers’ “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba”

1914 poster for the Ringling Brothers’ spectacle “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba”

I now understand why people ran away to join the circus during the early twentieth century. If I were born a century ago, the circus would have been too tempting to resist as it passed through my hometown; it offered escape from a mundane existence. In 1914, the “Indianapolis Star” reported, “Nero has watched his Rome burn to a cinder beneath a circus tent. Pompeii has fallen to ruins in the scattered sawdust of the ring and Cleopatara has taken her last look at Egypt before the clown’s entry. And now the wise King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba have been made the hero and heroine of the circus spectacle, surrounded with all the gorgeous pageantry and lavish costumes a showman can devise” (4 May 1914, page 3).

That same year, Thomas G. Moses was still designing scenery for the Ringling Brothers’ Grand Spectacular productions, also advertised as “great wordless plays” (The Evening News, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 16 May 1914, page 9). Moses designed and led the scenery production at the Sosman & Landis studios. The completed settings were then delivered to Baraboo, Wisconsin, as the production was prepared at the circus’ winter quarters.

In 1914, Moses wrote, “Jan. 6^th, went to Baraboo, Wisconsin, to see the Ringling’s for the new spectacle, “King Solomon.” Another big show. Made a model for one scene and got $2,900.00.” Of the final production, Moses observed, “Ringlings’ work came out very good. Everyone was pleased and that is saying a good deal.” Moses was referring to the 1914 Ringling production “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” that toured throughout the United States.

Of the circus with Moses’ scenery, the “Star Gazette” reported:

“Nearly half of the entire train section is used to transport the scenery and costumes used in the massive spectacle, “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” The spectacle includes a cast of more than 1,250 characters and a ballet of 300 dancing girls under the personal direction of Ottokar Bartik, balletmaster of the Metorpolitan Opera House, New York, and late of La Scala, Milan. The music for this spectacle has been written by Faltis Effendi, formerly bandmaster of Khedive of Egypt, and is rendered by an orchestra of 90 musicians, 400 trained singers and a chorus of 1,000 voices accompanied by a cathedral pipe organ, costing $100,000. The Ringling Brothers’ have expended $1,000,000 in the production of this mammoth spectacle which faithfully and accurately portrays the pomp and ceremony, life and wisdom of a period a thousand years before Christ, and introduces Solomon in all his glory and Balkis, Queen of Sheba, the most interesting woman of her day” (Elmira, NY, 21 May 1914, page 3). The US Inflation Calculator measures the buying power of $1,000,000 in 1914 to be the equivalent of $25,200,600.00 in 2018. Fifty men were needed to handle scenery and special effects (Dayton Daily News, 26 April 1914, page 31).

Advertisement for the Ringling Brothers’ “King Solomon” spectacle, from “The Reading Times,” 16 May 1914, page 9,

Advertisement for the “King of Solomon and Queen of Sheba,” from “The Chicago Tribune,” 21 April 1914, page 16.

When the circus arrived in Elmira, New York, the “Star Gazette” included a large article about the early morning arrival and events, advertising:

“The big circus is almost here. Tomorrow morning in the small hours just before dawn, four long red and yellow trains, made up of 86 cars will roll quietly into Elmira coming from Binghamton, over Lackawanna railroad. They will be unloaded immediately and within a few hours the big aggregations of world wonders which comprises Ringling Brothers’ ‘world’s greatest shows’ will be safely sheltered under twenty acres of white canvas on the show grounds.”

The circus included an elaborate parade that traversed the principal streets of each town on the morning of their arrival. The “Star Gazette” announced, “The cavalcade which, it is promised, will be the longest and most gorgeous display ever seen in the streets of this city, will start from the show grounds promptly at 10 o’clock. It will be more than three miles in length and will include all the performers and animals, in addition to the long procession of handsome tableau wagons and allegorical cars, filled with pretty dancing girls in gay costumes. Six bands and two calliopes will furnish the music for the cavalcade and the fifty famous Ringling clowns will be on hand to keep the sidewalk spectators in good humor. A striking feature of the procession will be the long line of elephants, forty in all, and a team of sixteen camels, broken to bit and harness driven the same as horses. These beasts draw a huge parade wagon and this is the first instance on record where the ‘ship of the desert’ has ever been successfully broken to harness and bit.”

The “twenty-four hour man” arrived a day ahead of the circus to set up the infrastructure needed to feed an enormous amount of people and animals. Other circus staff that arrived a day early included “a number of stage and electrical experts who precede the show to make arrangements for the staging and lighting of the big spectacle “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.” It is important to remember that the King Solomon spectacle was just one of the principal features for the Ringling Brothers’ program that season; it was not the whole show. This makes theatrical touring shows, such as “Ben-Hur,” seem like child’s play when compared with the logistics of a touring circus with thousands of moving parts.

Unloading the Red Wagons for the Ringling Brothers’ Circus from the “Sheboygen Press,” 7 July 1914, page 1

The first train to arrive was the commissary department and the first tent to be pitched on the show grounds was the “cook house.” The second and third trains pulled the heavy red wagons, loaded with canvases, properties, the elephants, the 730 horses and the other animals. On the last train, composed entirely of sleeping cars, arrived all of the performers and ancillary staff members for the show.

“King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” was presented in a series of dramatic pantomimic pictures staged with “all the lavish splendor and opulence that marked the period when the wise Solomon ruled the Kingdom of Israel, the action of the spectacle is laid in Jerusalem, at the time of the historical visit of Balkis, Queen of Sheba.” The Star Gazette continued, “The spectacle is presented on an enormous, specially constructed stage, which occupies nearly one entire side of the main tent. The tent measures 560 by 320 feet and seats 14,000 people at a performance.” Remember that two shows were given daily; one at 2pm and one at 8PM, and the doors opened an hour before show time, allowing spectators to visit the 108 cages in the Ringling zoo and purchase candy and souvenirs!

The Star Gazette concluded, “Despite the enormous cost of the spectacle, no expense has been spared to make the arena program the most thrilling and novel entertainment that has ever been presented. In the three big rings and two stages more than 400 performers will appear in a series of new and sensational, riding acrobatic and aerial acts, nearly all of which have never before been witnessed in America. Such famous foreign performers as Charles Augustus Clark, England’s foremost bareback rider; the Mirano brothers, wonderful perch artists; the Balkani troupe of the Far East equestrians; the famous four Lloyds, daring Indian riders; Mijares, the Mexican wire wizard, and the world famous Clarkonians, who turn triple somersaults in mid-air and are a few of the host of performers who will furnish the spectators with an abundance of thrills.”

The Queen of Sheba was played by Mme. Bartik, a Russian actress and a pupil of M. Pierre Devereau, the French teacher of pantomimic art.

A Russian actress played the Queen of Sheba in the Ringling Brothers’ spectacle “King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba,” from “The Indianapolis Star,” 4 May 1914 page 3

Who wouldn’t get caught up in this excitement and plan their escape from the doldrums of everyday life? But this was just the 1914 show. Another would be planned for 1915. By the end of 1914 Moses wrote, “Took a trip to Rockford to see Ringling’s about more work for the next season.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 467- Curtain and Scene Painting

Part 467: Curtain and Scene Painting

Painted drop curtain by the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here is the link to the University fo Minnesota Performing Arts Archives scenery collection database: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch

While researching scenic art projects by Thomas C. Noxon and Patrick J. Toomey, I came across an interesting article about curtain and scene painting from 1884. It was published in the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” (21 Jan. 1884, page 8). Here it is in its entirety as there is a wealth of information about the scenic artists of the time who specialized in drop curtains:

“Curtain and Scene Painting

The Leading Artists of the Country and the Prices Paid for Their Work.

“The return to drapery in drop curtains,” said Mr. Thomas C. Noxon of the art firm of Noxon, Albert and Toomey, employed at the Grand Opera House and Olympic, is a return to the old style. Drapery was very common twenty-five or thirty years ago. Now very few curtains are painting any other way; and while some artists adhere to simple combinations of rich materials, without any suggestion of life in the composition, the most popular and the prettiest curtains are those which present views or figures in which there is a suggestion of animation.

The new curtain at the Grand Opera House which was painted by Messrs. Noxon, Albert & Toomey is an example of the latter work. It is a composition presenting a profusion of rich drapery, warm in color, and minutely perfect in technique, drawn back and looped at the side, so as to reveal a bright Florentine picture with a pair of lovers in the foreground, moving toward the polished marble steps that fill the lower portion of the view. No handsomer curtain hangs in any theater in this country.

“What does a new drop curtain cost?” the Post-Dispatch reporter asked.

“About $500 or $600,” was Mr. Noxon’s reply. [The equivalent purchasing power in 2018 is approximately $12,000-$15,000]

“And how long does it take to paint one?”

“All the way from two to three days to five to six weeks. I painted a drop for Tootle’s Opera House, Sedallia, some years ago, in one-half days and got $500 for it, but an artist now seldom turns out a piece of work of this kind in less than three weeks. He can put that much time on it with a great deal of profit.”

“What will it cost to stock a new theatre with scenery?”

“From $2,000-$3,500.”

“And that will include how many sets?”

“Thirty-five. Enough for putting on any legitimate piece.”

“How long does it take to get up special scenery, say for a play like ‘The Silver King’?”

“That piece could be gotten up in two weeks. A fortnight’s notice is all we require to paint the scenery for any piece requiring sets that the theater has not in stock. In all such cases small models are complete reproductions in miniature of the original scenes.”

“There isn’t much work of this kind required of the artist nowadays?”

“No, not much; because many companies are now carrying their own scenery. Those playing melodrama invariably bring their own scenes with them.”

Mr. Noxon stands in front rank of curtain and scene painters, and for special features like Mardi Gras and Veiled Prophet pageants, is recognized throughout the Mississippi Valley as the most competent man in the profession.

Mr. Ernest Albert is a finished artist in the painting of interiors, and has displayed great originality in designing and executing curtains. He is particularly happy in reproducing draperies with a faultlessness of technique that challenges wonder and admiriation.

The other first-class curtain painters of the country do not number more than half-dozen. All enjoy national reputations, and their services are in demand to the other.

Russell Smith, formerly of the Academy of Music, Philadelphia, makes a specialty of landscapes.

Voegtlin, who went from New York to California where he was recently located, also takes to landscapes, but is an admirable figure painter, and will be at the top of the heap again should there be a revival of this style of curtains.

Phil Goatcher, formerly of Cincinnati, but now in New York, paints very pretty satin drops with medallion centers.

Henry E. Hoyt of Colvill’es, Fourteenth street, New York City, has lately started a boom in the direction of drapery without either figures or landscape views. His last curtain, which was of this character, was painted for the Euclid Avenue Opera House, Cleveland. He finished it is three weeks, and got $600.

Messrs. Noxon, Albert & Toomey painted a beautiful curtain and an entire stock of scenery for the new Park Theatre, in the same city, which was destroyed by fire a few weeks ago.

Last but not least is the prominent curtain and scene painters is Richard H. Halley, who came here at the opening of Pope’s Theater, then went to the Grand, and at the beginning of the present season began work at McKee Rankin’s Third Avenue Theater, New York. His silk curtain at Pope’s obtained instant recognition for its artistic abilities, and his later work, although lacking strength and color, has been marked by unusual merit. The curtain in the new Olympic is from his brush. As a painter of exteriors he holds high rank in the profession, and he is acknowledged to be without a peer in the reproduction of foliage.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 422 – Coney Island – Thomas G. Moses and “The War of Worlds”

Part 422: Coney Island – Thomas G. Moses and “The War of Worlds”

Postcard depicting the entrance of Luna Park

Amusement park attractions with massive spectacles provided a unique opportunity; new technology was integrated into established and successful scenic illusions. There were ample opportunities to experiment with visual spectacle. In some cases, already successful endeavors were tweaked, or revamped for even greater appeal. Luna Park showcased the work of many artisans, including the scenic art of Moses & Hamilton.

“A Trip to the Moon,” near the entrance of Luna Park.

Nearest the main entrance was Luna’s premiere attraction, “A Trip to the Moon.” The attraction was transported from Steeple Chase Park to Luna Park in 1902, then renovated and placed in a new building at the expense of $52,000. The new airship, Luna III, was also enlarged to accommodate more passengers. The show now ascended over a panorama of Coney Island, flying over Manhattan’s skyscrapers before continuing its journey to the moon, after rising into the clouds. Another change was that visitor’s would enter a moon dragon’s mouth, allowing them to walk into its stomach as the floor rocked to and fro as though alive. Descending to the dragon’s tail, visitor’s returned to earth, exiting safely on the streets of Luna Park.

Exterior of the building where the “War of Worlds” spectacle was located at Luna Park.

The building next to “A Trip to the Moon” was “War of the Worlds” and it resembled a monster submarine boat. The interior of the building depicted a small-scale version of Fort Hamilton and the New York Bay. This scenic spectacle depicted a naval attack on New York Harbor by foreign enemy invaders.

Painted scenery placed at the entrance of the “War of Worlds” show.

Moses and Hamilton also were hired by Fred Thompson to paint the scenery and engineer some of the scenic effects for “The War of Worlds” at Luna Park. For their services, they received $2,900.00. Moses noted that their final profit from Thompson’s project was $2,200.00, as they painted it in less that one half the time they thought it would take. Moses wrote, “It was all painted in oil as the scenes all worked through a tank of water. The attraction included battleships that were large enough to hold the “good-sized boy” who operated them during in battle scenes. Moses recalled this “big hit,” but one having “too much powder and noise.”

The audience was located in one of the batteries guarding New York Harbor, and watched forty ships sail toward Manhattan. The enemy fleet represented the combined navies of Germany, Britain, France and Spain. The ships appeared along a distant horizon, and slowly approached the audience, who were seated in one of Fort Hamilton’s turrets. As the enemy approached, battleships and destroyers fired their guns. An enormous shell blew up one of Fort Hamilton’s bastions. Then an enemy ship was blown into splinters. As the battle raged, the fort’s mighty guns shook the ground. Fortunately, Admiral Dewey’s American fleet sank the all of the foreign ship, before the enemy was able to lay siege to the city.

Historical accounts of the spectacle record that the show used a combination of electrically controlled models and small actors maneuvering the larger ships. The painted background by Moses & Hamilton was a huge canvas that depicted the harbor and Statue of Liberty.

Admission to every one of Luna’s attractions would cost just under two dollars. “A Trip to the Moon,” “War of the Worlds,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” Hagenbeck’s Trained Animals and the Infant Incubators were the most expensive attractions, priced at 25 cents each, today’s equivalent of $6.75. Dime attractions included “Shoot the Chutes,” “Wormwood’s Monkey Theater,” the Gondola Launches and the Japanese and Chinese Theaters. Rides on the miniature railroad called the Midnight Express or the Razzle Dazzle cost only a nickel.

To be continued…