Scenic Artists – Page 22

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 148 – The Rochester Art Club and John Z. Wood

Part 148: The Rochester Art Club and John Z. Wood

John Z. Wood (1846-1919) was born in England and moved to London, Ontario as a small child. The family moved again when he was eleven years old and took up permanent residence in Rochester, New York. As many young men did in the region, Wood enlisted in the Union’s 54^th Regiment during the Civil War. He returned to Rochester afterwards and began a career in art. Wood initially worked as decorative painter at Lang’s Children Carriage Factory and later as a sign painter for Fran Van Doorn.

In the late 1860s, he joined a local art club called the Goose Grease Club, attending informal gatherings at the studio of William Lockhart in the Palmer building. By the 1870s, Wood opened a private art studio at the Baker building with Lockhart. Seth C. Jones later joined their studio. During this same time he also worked for the Mensin, Rahn, and Stecher Lithographic Co., later known as Stetcher Lithographic Co.

The company was most known for its beautiful fruit crate labels and nurserymen crates. After becoming a fairly recognized artist, Wood began teaching at the Mechanics Institute in Rochester.

In 1872, the Rochester Sketch Club was organized by a group of artists that included John Z. Wood, James Hogarth Dennis (1839-1914), J. Guernsey Mitchell (1854-1921), James Somerville (1849-1905), Harvey Ellis (1852-1904), and William Lockhart (1846-1881).

Wood was the instigator, organizer and promoter of the group. Five years later, the sketch club would morph into the Rochester Art Club, with charter members: Dennis, (president), Emma E. Lampert (vice-president), John Z. Wood (treasurer), W. F. Reichenbach (secretary), Ellis, Mitchell, Lockhart, Anne H. Williams, Joseph R. Otto, E Kuichling, Julius W. Arnoldt, Libbie S. Atkinson, Helen W. Hooker, Mary G. Hooker, Sara A. Wood, Ellen L. Field and Horaio Walker. The club incorporated in 1882. Wood not only served as Treasurer (1877-1882), Vice President (1889-1891) and President (1894). He seems to be quite successful as a fine artist, also working as an instructor and advertising his classes in the Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY).

Advertisement listed by John Z. Wood for art classes.

The inclusion of so many women surprised and delighted me.

1934 Newspaper recalling the Powers Gallery in Rochester, New York.

In 1874, the Rochester Academy of Art, also emerged as an offshoot of the Rochester Sketch Club. It soon received a collection of paintings purchased by Hiram Sibley in Italy. This became the core of their permanent collection. It was later displayed in the Powers Art Gallery, founded by Daniel F. Powers in 1876. This gallery also promoted and sold works by members of the Rochester Art Club.

For the educational training, a room was secured at the Rochester Savings Bank Building. This became their headquarters with a small faculty consisting of Horatio Walker (water color), James H. Dennis (oil), John Z. Wood (drawing), Harvey Ellis (composition), and Ida C. Taylor (painting). It is important to note that Ellis was primarily an architect who designed several of Rochester’s buildings and would later design in the mid-western region of the United States.

Harvey Ellis designed the Mabel Tainter in Menonomie, Wisconsin.

Harvey Ellis designed Pillsbury Hall for the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities campus.

Unfortunately, the Club soon lost the first of its resident members, Walker. His renowned as a watercolor artist soared and he left the region to accept a variety of commissions across the country. Mitchell was the next president, but also soon departed. His sculpting career lured him away to Paris where he opened a studio. Dennis became the club’s third president in 1885 and remained in the role until 1889. It is exiting to examine the convergence of personalities and talents, watching their careers part and reconnect over the decades. I am always amazed to see how frequently these early artists travelled throughout the country. Forming brief partnerships and then amicably parting for new adventures.

During the 1880s, it was the annual art exhibition and sale of pictures that established a successful course for the Rochester Art Club.

The event drew in artists from throughout the region and resulted in profits to keep their venture going. By the 1890s, the club was sending representatives to New York City to secure additional works for their annual exhibition. A series on the history of the Rochester Art Club was published in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle during June of 1934. In 1893, Wood traveled to the Chicago World Fair with fellow artist James Somerville. Around that same time, he became a member of New York’s Salmagundi Club, the same fine art group that Moses joined in 1904. Their paths possibly crossed during the turn-of-the-century in New York as this was before Wood left the region to primarily work as a scenic artist.

In 1907, Wood began traveling throughout the country and working as a scenic artist at various theaters. He travels brought him to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Los Angeles, California. In 1917 he returned to Rochester and was “recognized as a scenic painter for the Masonic Temple and other theaters in the city” (Rochester Art Club history records). His work was for the new 1917 Masonic Temple building that included a theatre on the third floor. I am currently corresponding with the Club’s historian to see if this is one of the primary reasons for Wood’s return to the area.

Interior view of 1917 Masonic Temple theatre in Rochester, New York.

Only two years after his return to Rochester, Wood was reported as suffering from cardio vascular renal at the Sellwood hospital in Portland, Oregon, as reported by the Oregon Daily Journal. However, this would not be a contributing factor to his death two years later. In 1919, Wood’s name would appear in the newspaper one final time when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident. On November 13, 1919, George C. Newel caused the death of John Z. Wood, residing at No. 144 South Ave. Wood was hit by Newell’s automobile when crossing the street. The court ruled against Newell as he was driving too fast and unable to stop in time. Wood was only 72 years old.

The Rochester Art Club records that Wood was “known for his sense of humor, ability at mimicry, and telling a good story.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 147 – The Search for John Z. Wood

There is that certain feeling that I get when looking for something that I have misplaced. I can see it so clearly in my mind’s eye, repeatedly going back to the same spot over and over again. Eventually I locate the lost object, often in the exact same location where I knew it had to be!

I experience this same feeling while doing research, whether it be on scenic artists or Masonic scenery. There are certain places and times that I keep returning to, expecting something to finally appear. It was this same intuition that worked well for me at Fort Scott, Kansas, when we were removing the historical scenery collection for transport. It was one of the reasons why I crawled on my hands and knees through the filth digging in the crack between the wall and floor that was twenty feet above the stage. I am usually successful if I follow my instinct, whether it is research or painting. This persistent search resulted in the discovery of Thomas G. Moses’ personal artifacts. I knew that something was up there waiting to be found, so I just kept looking.

Last month, I finally tracked down a scenic artist that I have been searching for since receiving an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program grant to process the Great Western Stage Equipment Company collection for the Performing Arts archives. At this same time, I was introduced to the Twin City Scenic Company collection and the art of John Z. Wood. I immediately was under the spell of Wood’s paintings and enthralled with his designs and painting techniques. Since then, I have spent thousands of hours of my own time searching telephone directories, census documents, and fine art books to track him down. I wrote letters to historical societies and museums, made onsite visits to peruse various archives, and even traveled across the country to view fine art.

Wood’s paintings were unique and very different from all of the other scenic art designs from the other historical scenery collections. There was a greater depth to his compositions and the color palette was much richer. Wood’s paintings also incorporated an interesting finish, giving each painting a slight sheen. This suggested that he was using either a different binder, applying a final warm glaze, or sealing his final product. However, it was his foliage painting that absolutely captivated me as a nineteen-year-old artist and a technique that allowed me to identify even unsigned his art works. There was a lacey quality to the foliage painting that I had never seen in any other fine art piece – except once at a thrift store. I immediately bought that battered print because it reminded me of his work. It now hangs on a wall where it is one of the first images I see every morning.

Detail of John Z. Wood foliage painting. John Z. Wood design for a drop curtain. Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Twin City Scenic Company collection (PA43).

Wood’s paintings were very romantic. He painted large soft areas of warm color and then allowed individual leaves to magically emerged from these welcoming masses. For me, this was absolute magic. As artists, we always talk about developing our own individual style. I desperately wanted to develop a style like John Z. Wood.

Over the years, I kept going back to many of the same places to continue my research and was able to track down a few bits and pieces of Wood’s fine art pieces. However, his personal life or professional appointments remained shrouded in mystery. His fine art primarily hung on walls at residences along the east coast and I had to wonder what had brought him to work in the Midwest at the Twin City Scenic Company in Minneapolis. Why leave an obviously successful career in fine art for the theatre career much later in life?

John Z. Wood design for a drop curtain. Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Twin City Scenic Company collection (PA43).

In 2001, I tracked down another Wood painting at a private residence in New Jersey. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to make a side trip to see the painting while visiting close friends in the area. Melissa Semmes-Thorne and made a special trip to Chatham, New Jersey.

Mrs. Glover in front of her John Z. Wood painting in Chatham, New Jersey.

There, Mrs. Glover offered us a cold drink and explained everything she knew about the artwork and the artist – which was virtually nothing. My heart sank when she started the conversation with, “Well, I actually know very little about him.” She had no idea that Wood also designed for the theatre and my trip seemed to be a waste. Mrs. Chatham could only explain that her father purchased the painting from the actual artist, known to be a very famous painter in the region. That was really my only clue – he lived in the area – at some point. So Wood was a resident of New Jersey or New York? Based on her story, he was also still living when her father bought the painting around the turn of the century.

Since that trip, I have discovered very little additional information – until last month. The continuous scanning and uploading of historic documents have changed everything for my research. In many ways, Wood’s story paralleled that of Thomas G. Moses, just ten years earlier as he was born in 1846. He was a prolific fine artist and had connections with Minnesota artists.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 140 – Merry and the Flatbush Studio

Harley Merry secured employment at the renovated Brooklyn Atheneum after being dismissed from the Brooklyn Theatre. Merry painted settings for the venue that included four sets – a parlor, kitchen, wood and garden scene. He also painted a new drop curtain with an Italian scene. The stage carpenter from the Academy of Music (Jonathan Newman) made the alterations to the original space from 1853. One noted improvement in the August 12, 1874, issue of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (page 3) was that Mr. Newman introduced “a sliding beam, or derrick, which can be rolled in and out through the back wall of the building, near the roof, to the end of which a tackle is rigged sufficiently to hoist up from the ground a weight of several tons. This will obviate the necessity of carrying pianos, heavy baggage and other unwieldy objects up the front stairs, as has heretofore been necessary.”

The Brooklyn Atheneum where Harley Merry works after being dismissed from the Brooklyn Theater.

Merry also painted and performed for the Brooklyn Academy of Music (located at 176-194 Montague Street). He participated in a benefit of the Szegedin Fund at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in a production entitled, “Forty-Niners, or the Pioneer’s Daughter; A Tale of the Great Sierras.” Merry performed in the cast with Adelaide Roselle (Mrs. H. Merry), Josey Brittain (Merry’s daughter, Josephine), and T. W. Hanshaw (Merry’s travel companion to London in 1874). An advertisement noted, “The scenery will be entirely new, covering thirty thousand square feet of canvas, painted by Harley Merry (at his Flatbush Studio) and from sketches made by him in the Sierra Mountains.”

Harley Merry as both an actor and scenic artist for this production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

He had an extensive career painting for a variety of venues throughout New York and the eastern region. Here are a few highlights from his career during the late nineteenth century. In 1883, Merry primarily worked from his studio in Flatbush. There, he putting the finishing touches on the drop curtain that measured 27’ x 48’ for a Passion Play. The drop curtain composition was titled “Jerusalem is Holy, noted” in Hebrew characters on the frame. Gold-trimmed crimson draperies surrounded the composition. A second layer of blue draperies included a lily pattern to suggest the verse “Judah shall bloom like the lily.” The exotic composition depicted a seated priestess, sphinx, a tall censor of gold and blue marble, clouds of purplish smoke, papyrus, palm trees, and Egyptian harp, a Jewish psalter, Oriental horns, and an Egyptian scroll. Above, the angel of peace and cherubs ringing golden bells floated high above the cross. His painting was noted as a success.

In 1884 Harley Merry created the scenery for a new Romantic spectacle entitled, “The Devil’s Auction.”

In 1884 Merry created the scenery for a new Romantic spectacle entitled, “The Devil’s Auction” that was described as a “Dramatic Pantomine and Terpsichorean Artists” with the Grand English Ballet from the Alhambra, London. It Music Hall, the production for a cost of $20,000. Merry entered various partnerships over the years, including one with Henry E. Hoyt in 1888 to create scenery for the new comic opera, “The Queen’s Mate” at the Broadway Theatre.

“Getz, Merry & Reid” were credited with painting the scenery for Wm. J. Gilmore’s “The Twelve Temptations.”

The same year “Getz, Merry & Reid” was formed and were credited with painting the scenery for Wm. J. Gilmore’s “The Twelve Temptations.” This was extensively advertised as “a scenic, ballet, and pantomimic spectacle.” The settings included sixteen full stage pictures with a moving panorama that cost $35,000 to produce.

By 1892 Merry was painting with John H. Young and creating a new scenery installation for the Columbia Theatre. Merry focused on the stock sets while John H. Young primarily the front curtain. An article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle noted that the 2,000 electric lights illuminated the new stage (Feb 14, 1892, pg. 20). Merry again joined forces again with John H. Young in 1894, for James W. Harkins, Jr.’s “A Man Without a Country” at the American Theatre (New York Tribune, Sept 23, 1894, pg. 19). The creation of the scenery also involved Lafayette W. Seavey and Frank Rafter. In 1895, Harley Merry, Joseph Clare and E. P. Dodge created the settings for Springer & Welty’s revival production of “The Black Crook.”

In 1897 Harley Merry, John H. Young, Walter Burridge, Richard Marston and Homer Emens produced the scenery for Margaret Mather’s production of “Cymbeline.” An article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle (September 28, page 7) commented that the group was noted as the “foremost scene painters of their time. They are artists and not mere grabbers after striking effects by cheap and easy means, and that in this instance they have presented a picture of the first century which is well worth seeing.”

Here is a detail from “Cymbeline” with scenery produced by Harley Merry, John H. Young, Walter Burridge, Richard Marston and Homer Emens.

In his later years, Merry became a collector of pictures and a “student of art,” residing at 949 Franklin Avenue. He passed away in 1911 and a September 3 issue of the New York Times reported, “Harley Merry, a well-known scenic artist and forty years ago the well-known actor, died yesterday at his home, Avenue Z and Ryder Avenue, Brooklyn, from causes due to old age.”

Merry’s wife passed a mere three years later. Her obituary was published in “The Sacramento Union” (No. 59, February 28, 1914). It noted, “Louise M. R. Brittain, widow of E. J. Brittain, known as Adelaide Roselle to theatre goers of a generation ago, who was the first woman of English birth to take out naturalization papers here died yesterday at the home of her daughter in Flushing, aged seventy years. Mrs. Brittain was leading woman with Edwin Booth, William H. Crane and John McCullough.” Her stage name was noted as Adelle Roselle Merry in The Sun (NY, NY), June 9, 1914 page 9.

Adele Roselle is credited as one of the talented singers.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 139-Harley Merry and the Brooklyn Theatre

Both Ernest Albert and Walter Burridge worked for Harley Merry at his Brooklyn Studio. Burridge started in 1870, just prior to Merry’s involvement with the Brooklyn Theatre. Albert started in 1877, after Merry had been let go from his position at the Brooklyn Theatre.

Merry was well-known as both a performer and scenic artist in England and Scotland. His birth name was Ebenezer J. Britton, and he performed with his wife Louise M. R. Britton (1844-1914). There is some confusion about the spelling of their last name as historic records use both Britton or Brittain. Louise used the stage name of Adelaide Roselle, and also later Adele Roselle Merry. She was a fairly successful actress, having performed with many well-known personalities, including James O’Neil and William Crane. Merry first traveled to the United States in 1869, permanently moving his family by 1871. He initially worked in New Orleans and Chicago before settling in Brooklyn, New York, where he became associated with the Brooklyn Theatre and Academy of Music. He produced scenery for a variety of well-known actors and producers in New York, including Conway, Sothern and Marlowe.

Merry became known for his painted illusions and spectacular stage effects the included the 1872 production “The Son of the Night.” It was advertised as a “Grand Marine Panorama and Sea Fight between the Pirate and the Spanish Fleet, painted expressly by Harley Merry, covering 5,000 square feet of canvas” (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Vol. 33, No. 287, pg. 1). He also provided all of the new scenery for “The Naiad Queen, or the Mysteries of the Lurleiburg,” a production that ended with “the grand transformation scene [that] designated the Silver Temple of Brilliant Plummage in the Elysium of Air Songstresses” (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, vol. 33, No. 135, pg. 1). This design was dedicated to Conway “as a farewell souvenir” prior to Merry’s departure for London. He returned the following year and resumed both his acting and artistic career, performing as Mr. Barnaby Bibbs in the farce, “The Quiet Family.”

From 1871 until 1874, Merry designed for Conway at the Brooklyn Theatre. The company had initially performed at the Park Theatre, but early in 1870 Kingsley, Keeny and Judge McGue (who owned the property on the corner of Washington and Johnson Streets) decided to build a theatre.

The Brooklyn Theatre was designed by the architect T. M. Jackson and opened on October 2, 1871 with the comedy “Money.” We know much about the history of the theater from an article published after its fiery destruction in 1876. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle described the interior and those who contributed to the ornate structure during its 1871 opening (Dec. 7, 1876, pg. 2). Five years later, a horrific fire took the lives of 238 individuals when the scenery quickly ignited during a performance of “The Two Orphans.”

The paper recorded that “one of the pieces of canvas out of which trees and so forth are made was broken from its fastenings and hung from the flies immediately over the border lights near the center of the stage. The canvas had begun to smolder and the paint on it to crackle, and the carpenter was directed to ascend to one of the grooves and remove the dangerous object. He could barely reach it with his hand and he drew it hastily up. The rapid motion through the air of the half ignited and highly inflammable canvas, caused it to burst into flame which rapidly spread to the adjoining material, equally susceptible. All efforts to extinguish the flames were aborted, and the carpenter had to retire to save his own life.” Although the actors became aware of the fire, they continued to play their parts, hoping it would pass. This makes me wonder how many fires spontaneously occurred during performances at that time. History records that Mr. Studley, Mr. Farren and Miss Claxton went on with their parts even after flames became distinctly audible. However, sparks began to show overhead and the “unmistaken crackle of fire was heard. Then an ember dropped to the stage, and the canvas which formed the roof of the hut in which the scene was enacted burst into flames.”

Mr. Studley, Mr. Farren and Miss Claxton performing despite the flames overhead.

Miss Claxton was reported to have crawled over the heads of audience members to later escape. There were 1,200 people in the house before panic ruled and bodies became crushed in the corridors.

The charred remains of the Brooklyn Thearter after the 1876 fire.

Luckily for Merry, he was no longer painting for the venue. His position as scenic artist was terminated upon his return from London in 1874. This incident is an interesting story in itself, one that probably altered his perception of the industry, stage managers, and the artists’ need for representation. Merry brought action against the Brooklyn Theatre’s stage manager Edward F. Taylor. He was attempting to recover $5,000 in damages, stating that Taylor had procured his discharge by false representations that he made to Mrs. Conway of the Brooklyn Theatre. A February 19, 1875, article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Harley Merry, late scenic artist at the Brooklyn Theatre, has begun an action through Messrs. Carson & Hirsch, against Edward F. Taylor, stage manager for having procured his discharge by complaining to Mrs. Conway that he neglected his duties” (page 4).

I thought back to Merry’s involvement in establishing the Actors’ Order of Friendship and the American Society of Scene Painters, specifically their complaints against stage managers. Did his involvement all stem from this particular incident?

UPDATE: Since my initial posting, I have been in contact with Merry’s descendants. Here is a wonderful article about the the Merry’s stage name:

https://heritagefound.com/tag/http-heritagefound-com-harley-merry-lousia-rowe-merry-article-ancestors-with-multiple-names-a-case-study-of-an-19th-century-theatrical-family/

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 136 – “Supremacy of the Sun” and Ernest Albert

Thomas G. Moses partnered with a variety of scenic artists throughout the duration of his career from 1873 to 1934, including Ernest Albert. As with Walter Burridge, both artists first worked for Harley Merry at the Park and Union Square Theatres in New York. Much of what is known of Albert comes from an article in the New York Dramatic Mirror, Vol. LXX (Nov. 19, 1913). He explained in 1913 that he had avoided many interviews due to “frequent misquoting and misrepresentation.”

Ernest Albert Brown (1857-1946). Changed his name to Ernest Albert in 1882. Image from scrapbook of Thomas G. Moses, currently held in the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, with the Sosman & Landis collection.

Ernest Albert Brown (1857-1946) was born to Daniel Webster and Harriet Dunn (Smith) Brown in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a member of a clothing merchants firm, Whitman & Brown in New York City and Albert attended public schools. He later entered the Brooklyn Institute of Design, winning an award in 1873. During his time at the Institute, he also worked as a newspaper illustrator and later began painting for the theatre.

Albert started working for Harley Merry 1877, seven years after Burridge worked for Merry. In 1879 he painted the settings for the Wilcox Opera House in West Meriden, Connecticut and began to spread his wings a bit. By 1880, he was working as a scenic artist and art director at Pope’s Theater in St. Louis with his work attracting much attention. This became the springboard for Albert’s career and, like many of his contemporaries, he began to travel throughout the country, producing scenery for a variety of locales in St. Louis, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston.

Albert married Annie Elizabeth Bagwell (daughter of Edwin Bagwell of Brooklyn) on June 6, 1881 and officially changed his name to Ernest Albert the following year. They had four children: Ruby Frances, Elsie (M. Rodney Gibson); Edith Dorothy (m. Thaddeus A. V. Du Flon) and Ernest Albert. When first married, Albert worked in St. Louis and formed a partnership with Thomas C. Noxon and Patrick J. Toomey Noxon. Noxon & Toomey had started a studio in 1869. Noxon, Albert & Toomey expanded and ran studios in St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, Illinois & Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The partnership dissolved in 1885 and Albert moved to Chicago, furnishing the settings for Thomas W. Keene’s production of “Hamlet” at the new Chicago Opera. Between 1885 and 1890, he mounted Shakespearean productions for Edwin Booth and Lawrence Barrett that included “Julius Ceasar,” “The Merchant of Venice” and Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The Sunday, April 8, 1888, issue of the Inter Ocean newspaper noted “Noxon, Albert & Toomey have just completed the curtain for the Warder Grand Opera House in Kansas City. Their frames at the Haymarket are now burdened with the scenery for Booth & Barrett production of The Merchant of Venice for the next season.

Albert also created a transformation scene for “Babes in the Wood,” a Christmas Pantomime from Drury Lane Theatre in London, called “The Supremacy of the Sun.” The Chicago Tribune (Nov. 9, 1890, pg. 36) noted the producers of the scenery as Messrs. W. Telbin, T. E. Ryan, W. Perkins, E. J. Banks (all of London), Herr Kautsky (of the Imperial Opera-House, Vienna), John Buss and Ernest Albert of Chicago. On page 34 of the Sunday, Nov. 26, 1890 issue, the Chicago Tribune describes’ Albert’s transformation scene in great detail under the heading “It Appeals to the Eye. Babes in the Wood must be judged chiefly as spectacle.”

The Christmas pantomime ran at the Chicago Auditorium where Albert worked as the resident scenic artist. It presented “a series of magnificent stage pictures, testing for the first time the multitude of resources of the great stage, pictures sumptuous in quality, carefully toned in color, and singularly graceful in effect.” It continued to note that “These pictures have a certain marked advantage over any efforts of the painter’s brush; where his colors are stationary these are winged.” The final transformation scene, called “Supremacy of the Sun” was divided into five parts: Spirit of Snow, Ice Bound, Home of the North Wind, A Summer Idyll, and The Radiant Realm of the Sun God.

The transformation scene is described in great detail:

“The Supremacy of the Sun is proved by the disappearance of Arctic ice under its smile and the creation of a flowery golden world. Gradually through shifting scenes and lights the silver changes to gold, the cold greens and blues to warmer tones. A polar bear appears garlanded and driven by fairy-like children. Cupids descend from the golden skies, figures of nymphs and graces from below, and beyond a sunburst formed by the shimmer of brilliant lights on fluttering gold-leaf and pendent moving threads of gold. In the midst of this splendor rises a gay butterfly, and out of its wings the radiant Sun God himself, clad in shining garments and crowned with electric lights. In the meantime golden fans in the foreground have risen and collapsed, disclosing flowery groups of figures. The reducing curtain has disappeared, lending the full curve of the arch as a frame for the brilliant picture, whose gorgeous colors are shaded from the golden frieze down to the soft reds at the base. The color scheme of this last tableau is an effective completion of the house, the ivory and gold arches dotted with lights leading down with exquisite harmony to the stage indescribably radiant with iridescent gold and flowery colors. Ernest Albert, the talented scenic artist, is to be congratulated upon the beauty of this work. Certain of its effects would be unattainable on a stage of less elaborate mechanism.”

It was soon after this performance that the new studio of Albert, Grover & Burridge would be constructed with its twenty paint frames and display a display theatre to light completed scenes. The last line of the above article “certain effects would be unattainable on a stage of less elaborate mechanism” was one of the incentives for this innovate scenic studio and their subsequent participation in the Beckwith Memorial Theatre. The state-of-the art mechanism at the Chicago Civic Auditorium changed everything and set a new standard for scenic artists and stage machinists.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 135 – And I’ll Keep on Changing Partners (Walter Burridge)

Horace Lewis recalled a visit with Burridge in 1900 writing, “every object, from his devoted wife to the pictures upon the walls, and his den in the garret, is indicative of the genial, most modest nature and simple poetry of the man who finds his greatest wealth within that home.” Burridge was well liked by many, including Thomas G. Moses. Despite the ups and downs of their business relationships, this friendship lasted for decades.

In Chicago, scenic artists constantly swapped partners and painting positions. One might think that this would have caused strained relations in the workplace, but work was plentiful and life was good. Regardless of where they were employed, scenic artists also continued to escape with each other on numerous sketching trips across the country. After two failed business partnerships (Burridge, Moses & Louderbeck and the Albert, Grover & Burridge), Burridge started one more partnership that it may also have been short-lived. They painted “An American Heiress,” “New Blood,” and the new McVicker’s drop curtain that depicted the World’s Fair Court of Honor.

Burridge later received a solo commission to make sketches for Margaret Mahler’s production of “Cymbeline,” travelling to London for historical research. His accuracy for many of the notable scenes received praise. I wonder if the quality of his work eclipsed those around him, to the degree that maintaining any successful business relationship was difficult. He was obviously a strong personality, visionary and leader. These traits may have become challenging for any business partner.

By 1900 we know that Burridge was the Chicago’s Auditorium scenic artist. He was also engaged by Henry W. Savage to prepare the scenes for the Castle Square Opera Company at the Studebaker Music Hall.

Studebaker Music Hall, 1898. Chicago, Illinois.

Interior of Studebaker Music Hall, 1898. Chicago, Illinois.

Studebaker Hall had opened September 29, 1898 and was primarily used for popular music, meetings and plays. It was noted as exceptionally beautiful and acoustically superior. Originally, it had an arched proscenium like the neighboring Chicago Auditorium Theatre with 34 box seats across three levels. In its early days it was used for light opera by the Castle Square Company of Boston.

We also know that Burridge designed the scenery for the premiere of “The Wizard of Oz” at the Chicago Opera House. This production later moved to the Majestic Theatre in New York. A show with a tornado scene, the glittering Emerald City, a lovely all-girl poppy field and more! In looking at pictures of the original scenery used at the Grand Opera and Majestic, you can see some metallic foil strips glittering on the drops.

Original design from “The Wizard of Oz” by Walter Burridge depicting metallic foils strips used on scenery.

It reminded me of the foliage scene and metallic foils that I had encountered at the Wichita Scottish Rite during 2015 and the St. Louis Scottish Rite during 2017. Although both were used for Scottish Rite degree work, the designs were possibly intended for another non-Masonic venue.

Metallic strips on St. Louis Scottish Rite scenery. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.

Metallic strips on Wichita Scottish Rite scenery. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.

The original “Wizard of Oz” program notes are as follows:

Act I
Scene 1: A Kansas Farm (Painted by Fred Gibson from designs by Walter Burridge)
Scene 2: The Country of the Muchkins (Painted by Herbert Martin from designs by Walter Burridge)
Scene 3: A Road through the Forest (Designed by Walter Burridge, painted by Fred Gibson)
Scene 4: The Poppy Field (Painted by Walter Burridge)

Postcard depicting the original scene for “The Wizard of Oz.”

Scene 5: (Transformation) The Poppy Field in Winter (Painted by Walter Burridge)

Poppy fields with snow from original setting in “The Wizard of Oz.”

Act II
Scene 1: The Gates of the Emerald City (Designed by Walter Burridge, painted by Daniels Scenic Co.)

Original design by Walter Burridge for the Gates of the Emerald City setting for “the Wizard of Oz.”

Scene 2L Courtyard of the Wizard’s Palace (Painted by Walter Burridge)

Program from the Grand Opera House, listing Walter Burridge as designer.

This program and others are available online at the Chicago Public Library site. Here is the link: http://cdm16818.contentdm.oclc.org/…/Grand%20Ope…/mode/exact

Interestingly, images of a toy theatre model based on the 1903 production have recently posted online. Although it is not quite there stylistically, the compositions give you a sense of what Majestic audiences might have experienced. Here is the link: http://theozenthusiast.blogspot.com/

Poppy fields setting. Recent model that depicts the 1903 production (designed by Walter Burridge) for “The Wizard of Oz.”

Recent model that depicts the 1903 production (designed by Walter Burridge) for “The Wizard of Oz.”

Emerald City setting. Recent model that depicts the 1903 production (designed by Walter Burridge) for “The Wizard of Oz.”

Snow on poppy fields setting – transformation scene designed by Walter Burridge for “The Wizard of Oz.”

Burridge tragically died during a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico ten years later, in 1913. He was visiting the area to make sketches for the upcoming 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. His funeral was at Grace Episcopal Church in Oak Park, Illinois. He is buried at the Forest Home Cemetery in a family plot that contains his wife Jane Anne (1860-1938) and son Walter C. (1886-1916). Jane Burridge lost both her husband and son in only three short years of each other.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 128 – The Düsseldorf School and David A. Strong

When I stumbled across the newspaper article where Walter Burridge commented on David A. Strong being the “only survivor of the Düsseldorf School,” I started to wonder what other scenic artists from his era might have been associated with the group. Burridge’s comment was made in 1892, and although the movement was not over, what was considered its “golden age” had certainly passed. I wanted to see if I could find some connections between the Strong’s painted scenes for the theatre and artists from the Düsseldorf movement. As I studied hundreds of works, numerous stage settings came to mind, especially for Scottish Rite degree productions. The rise of this movement occurring during the early development of Masonic degree productions appeared to be a perfect pairing.

The Düsseldorf School referred to a group of painters who either taught or studied at the Düsseldorf Academy (now Düsseldorf State Academy of Art). An extension of the German Romantic movement, it had a significant influence on nineteenth century landscape painting from the 1830s through the 1860s. The artists’ works were characterized by dramatically lit landscapes, often with historical subjects or allegorical stories. What a wonderful foundation for Masonic degree productions and the artists that created the stage settings!

The focal point of their compositions often fell in the middle ground with dark framing masses placed at the sides, using a realistic and detailed treatment for the forms. Roads, trails, streams, and other visual paths also drew one into the composition. I immediately recalled the forest compositions, the Road to Jerusalem, and the bridge scenes. As on the commercial stage, this was a popular method used in many theatrical settings.

Those associated with the Düsseldorf School also supported plein air painting, where you leave the four walls of your studio and work from nature. This remained a continued practice for many artists, including Thomas G. Moses and his contemporaries. I thought back to his numerous sketching trips where he sat in meadows, rocky mountain landscapes, and beside babbling brooks, to not only capture the beauty of nature for his future fine art works, but also record these same subjects for his future stage compositions. Moses’ trips to the Catskills, Colorado, New Mexico, California, Canadian Rockies, and many other picturesque locations were all incorporated into his small-scale and large-scale artworks.

When the Düsseldorf School was under the direction of Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow (1789-1862) from 1826-1859, many American painters flocked to the school during this time. The methods taught there were spread to many other academies throughout Germany and other countries. Those connected to this artistic movement would also have a significant influence on the later Hudson River School artists of the United States. For more information about this school within an international context from romanticism to impressionism, please see “The Düsseldorf School of painting and Its International Influence 1819-1918” (Bettina Baumgärtel, Editor, 2012).

One example of the Düsseldorf School produced by Andreas Achenbach.

In looking back at some of the Scottish Rite compositions, such as the rocky seacoast, they are extremely reminiscent of both the Düsseldorf and Hudson River artists. The compositions remain basically the same, but the painting of the scene by the same hand at the Austin Scottish Rite, Fargo Scottish Rite, Salina Scottish Rite, Winona Scottish Rite and some others are truly unique. I believe that they are all the work of Strong.

Austin Scottish Rite. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2016.

Painted detail. Austin Scottish Rite. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2016.

Fargo Scottish Rite. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2005.

Painted detail. Fargo Scottish Rite. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2005.

There is a distinct departure from this “Düsseldorf approach” post-1911 as depicted in the setting for the Grand Forks Scottish Rite.

Painted detail. Grand Forks Scottish Rite. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2013.

The Austin (original Guthrie scenery 1900), Salina (1901), Fargo (1903), and Winona (1909) settings have what Burridge suggested of Strong’s work as the only survivor of the Düsseldorf school with “the quality of opaqueness peculiar to his school.” I believe that the “opaqueness” referred to is the dark framing masses that make the middle for he composition glow, especially effective in the rocky seascapes. There is an underlying depth and rich quality to the masses. When compared with similar compositions across the country manufactured by Sosman & Landis studio artists after Strong’s passing, there is a much more even distribution of values throughout the seascape, even on the rocky shores.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 127 – David Austin Strong

David Austin Strong was born on January 20, 1830 in East Windsor, a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, to John Strong and Mary Curtis. As a young man, Strong moved to New Haven, Connecticut and became known as a decorative painter. By 1851, he began painting theatrical scenery. The following year, he entered the Fraternity, becoming a member of Hiram Lodge. That same year, Strong advertised as a sign painter, residing at Bishop’s Hotel.

In 1854, he began to partner with an artist named Thaddeus Frisbie. Frisbie & Strong advertised as sign and ornamental painters, residing in various residences in New Haven over the next few years. Interestingly, they would eventually end up sharing a grave plot at the end of their lives, so close was their friendship. In 1863, Frisbie married Huldah and the partnership seems to have dissolved. For a year, Strong disappeared from the New Haven directories.

In 1864, Strong briefly popped up in a Washington D. C. directory, living at 334 E Street N. This particular appearance of Strong in the Capitol City is fascinating as Thomas Moses mentioned Strong in his typed manuscript as being employed at Ford’s Theatre the night that Lincoln was assassinated. His memoirs recorded, “The Doctor who attended Lincoln was a personal friend of Strong’s, and as the Doctor was cutting Lincoln’s hair to get at the wound, he put hair in his coat pocket instead of throwing it on the floor. He forgot until sometime next day. He gave Strong a bit of it, which he kept to his dying day.”

It was not until 1864 that Strong moved to New York City and immediately fell in with a successful group of scenic artists producing sets for a variety of productions. He stayed in the region until 1874. Strong was part of the technical crew that created the original scenery for the production of “The Black Crook” in 1866 at Niblo’s Garden Theatre.

View of auditorium from Niblo’s Gardn stage, New York City.

View of stage from auditorium at Niblo’s Garden, New York City.

His fellow scenic artists included, Richard Marston, Robert Smith, Lafeyette W. Seavey, and William Wallack. That same year, he also painted “Rip Van Winkle” with E. Hayes. By 1868, he painted another act for “The White Fawn” at Niblo’s.

“The White Fawn” at Niblo’s Garden in New York City.

Marston, Sachetti and Thorpe also produced scenes for this same production. In Chicago, Strong painted at Crosby’s Opera House where some of the New York Scenery was brought in for other performances of “The White Fawn.” The show was a lavish production of a burlesque pantomime and ran for seven weeks.

In 1871, he painted for a variety of venues and different entertainments, including the “Panorama of Ireland” that first was displayed at the Apollo Theatre. By 1874, Strong moved permanently to Chicago and joined the Scottish Rite two years later (Oriental Consistory). It was here that Strong met a fellow scenic artist named Walter Burridge (1857-1913), who initially worked with Harley Merry in New York. In later years, Burridge would affectionately refer to Strong as “Old Trusty” and a member of the Dusseldorf School. In a newspaper article, fellow artists heralded Strong’s skill, his “facile brush,” and “the quality of opaqueness peculiar to his school” (Chicago Tribune, Dec. 18, 1892).

Austin Scottish Rite scene possibly painted by David A, Strong (1830-1911). I believe that this scenery, later re-sold to the Valley of Austin, is the work of Strong, based on company records and technique. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2016.

From 1880-1885, Strong was working for a variety of venues that included Haverly’s Theatre in Chicago. He also worked with Malmsha at McVickers Theatre, painting “The Two Orphans,” “Danities,” and “Unknown.” At this time, he would began working for the Sosman & Landis Studio and remain there until his death in 1911.

His wife, Esther Hosmer (b. 1835) preceded him in death during 1894. She had also been born in New Haven, Connecticut, but little is known about her background. Strong’s last residence was at 78 Van Buren Street. The “Inter Ocean” reported that Strong dropped dead of a heart attack in front of 34 Washington. At the time he had been living at the Best Hotel.

Moses lamented the loss of Strong, writing, “Our beloved David Strong fell dead on the Street February 5th. He was a grand old man – past 80 years…His color was deep and rich and his drawings very correct.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 124 – David A. Strong on Louis Malmsha’s Passing

Part 124: Memories of Malmsha

When Malmsha passed away, scenic artists from across the country bemoaned the loss of his painting skills for the stage. Although he died in Chicago, the New York Times on 21 October, 1882 (page 4) published comments by a fellow artist, “Mr. David A. Strong, scenic artist at Haverly’s theatre, says that Mr. Malmsha, as a scenic artist, had no superiors and only two equals in the country – Marston and Roberts.” Remember, Strong was credited by Moses as the “Daddy” of Masonic stage design in his typed memoirs (see previous installment #65). He was a well-recognized artist himself and one of the original artists for the 1866 production of “The Black Crook” at Niblo’s Garden. The two artists that Moses credits Malmsha as the only two equals are Richard Marston (1842-1917) of New York and David Roberts (1796-1864), the famous English artist and scene painter.

One of David Roberts images from his portfolio depicting the Hold Land.

Henry C. Tryon also wrote a tribute to Malmsha that appeared in the Salt Lake City Herald on October 22, 1882. Tryon was born in Chicago in 1847. At the age of seventeen, he enlisted in the army in a regiment attached to the Second Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, serving until the close of the Civil War. He later became a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Design, intending to become a landscape painter and was a pupil of Thomas Moran and William Hart. Tryon work with Malmsha at Wood’s Theatre in Cincinnati and later at McVicker’s Theatre in Chicago.

The title of Tryon’s article was “Louis Malmsha. A Tribute to the Great Scenic Artist.” Here is the article in its entirety:

“Editors Herald: Malmsha scenic artist of McVickers Theatre, Chicago, reputed the best in his profession, died last night. The above appears in the Associated Press reports in the morning papers.

As an humble follower, ardent admirer, friend, and confrere of this dead artist I felt it my duty to render tribute and homage to his transcendent genius. He was “the best in the profession.” Every artist who has seen his work has without qualification given him this position as a matter of simple fact. I have seen samples from the hands of the best scenic artists in England, France, and Italy, and from what I have seen and learned. I am convinced that Mr. Malmsha was the greatest scenic painter in the world. His identity appeared to be unbounded. The most familiar with his work could not guess how he would paint next. Week after week and year after year his productions were a constant succession of surprises. He was entirely an artist, and used none but purely art means to accomplish even a mechanical object. His compositions (the motive of which was ever noble and elevated) were entirely original, and were produced with astonishing rapidity. He united power and strength with the sweetest, tenderest delicacy, dignity with grace, sublimity with loveliness. I have yet to see in American any art example which manifest the wealth of genius that this man proved that he possessed. I am quite certain that had he turned his attention to the painting of pictures, that he would have ranked as the greatest artist that our country has ever produced, for his genius was certainly preeminent. His position in his profession was an isolated one. He had no peers. His place, vacant now, there is none can fill. We have great artists among our scene painters, but no Malmsha; just as there was but one Charlotte Cushman among many great actors.

Mr. Louis Malmsha commenced his career as a scenic artist at Crosby’s opera house, Chicago, in 1865. He was then a mere boy, and while working in the auditorium under the employ of a fresco painter, he saw the scenic artist painting the scenery for the stage. He became so infatuated with this (to him) new art, that he could not be kept at his work, spending all of his time from his employers. From this time forth fresco painting was distasteful to him, and he accompanied the artist to New York. He there improved his advantages to such a degree that in a few years he was the peer of the best of his brother artists.

Examples of the boat races at Hammersmith Bridge.

He returned to Crosby’s Opera House about the year 1869, producing “Hammersmith Bridge” and an English boat race at Putney. This scene astonished Chicago –(no easy matter) as it was the finest of the kind that had ever been painted there. He remained at Crosby’s for several months, until engaged by Mr. McVicker to paint the entire stock of his rebuilt theatre. (It was by the study of his beautiful work at this time that I drew my own first impressions of the possibilities of scenic art.) He remained at Mr. McVicker’s until the destruction of the theatre by the great fire in 1871.

Illustration of the great fire of Chicago in 1871.

The following fall and winter he was engaged at Woods’ theatre, Cincinnati, returning the next summer to Chicago to paint scenery for Aiken’s Theatre and for Myers’ Opera House.

Wood’s Museum became known as Wood’s Theater, where Tryon worked with Malmsha. Note yellow highlight crediting Malmsha with the scenery

His drop curtain at Aiken’s Theatre (Dearborn Theatre) was undoubtedly the finest and most artistic of any in the country. He then left Chicago for a year or more returning to McVicker’s theatre where he remained until the time of his death.

Such is the brief career of this brilliant young man. He was (I judge about) 37 years of age. For the past ten or twelve years he had been afflicted with consumption so that it was difficult for him to exert himself violently or to do more that two or three hours a day, but as he was for the past few months required to do none but purely artwork, other artists doing all of the preliminary work possible to make his labor easier, he was enabled, no doubt up to a recent period to astonish and delight the audiences at McVicker’s with the exhibition of phenomenal genius. He will be sadly missed in Chicago, and now that he is dead the general public will join the artists in appreciating as he deserved to have been appreciated during his life.”

Detail of McVicker’s Playbill with scenery credited to Malmsha.

McVicker’s Theatre Playbill with scenery credited to Malmsha.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 123 – Louis Malmsha and James H. McVicker

Thomas Moses was initially exposed to the world of scenic art through the painting of Charles S. Graham. However, scenic art skills were introduced to him while working as an assistant to Lou Malmsha (1847-1882). Malmsha was the head designer at Jevne & Almini, having worked for the company since 1863.

Advertisements for Jevne & Almini (Fresco Painters) at 101 Washington Street in Chicago. From 1863, the same year that Malmsha started with the decorating firm.

In Moses’ typed manuscript, he commented on his work for Malmsha at the decorating firm, writing, “He had a number of small panels to paint on paper which were afterwards pasted onto the ceiling. I was certainly very fortunate, being to green to be fresh in my work. I was soon working on portions of his work.” It was Malmsha’s after hours work at McVicker’s Theatre that provided Thomas G. Moses with his first scene painting opportunity.

Jame Hubert McVicker, Scottish Rite Freemason and theatre owner, belonging to the Oriental Consistory in Chicago.

McVicker’s Theater was built by James Hubert McVicker and opened On November 5, 1857. It was remodeled in 1864 at a cost of $90,000 and destroyed in the great 1871 fire.

McVicker’s Theatre, 1866. Lithograph plate drawn by L. Kurz and printed by Jevne & Almini.

McVicker’s rebuilt the building at a cost of $200,000 and reopened on August 15, 1872.

McVicker’s Theatre built after the 1871 fire and published in “The Landowner.”

In 1883, the building Adler & Sullivan remodeled McVicker’s Theatre at a cost of $145,000, then again destroyed by fire on August 26, 1890. What is interesting to note is some of the technical specifications and information published in “Harry Miner’s Theatrical Guide” from 1884-1885. Rick Boychuk pointed this out the other day. At that time J. H. McVicker was still the manager. The scenic artist was Malmsha’s previous partner, J. H. Rogers and the stage carpenter was John Bairstow (also listed as John Barstow).

Adler & Sullivan remodel of McVicker’s Theatre in 1883.

Photograph of McVicker’s Theatre in 1890. Note the painted foliage work.

Photograph of MicVicker’s Theatre 1890. Note the painted foliage below the proscenium arch.

Painted curtain for McVicker’s, date unknown. I believe it is from the 1890s due to the proscenium arch detail.

Partial view of another front curtain in the McVicker’s space. I believe that this was also from the 1890s due to the proscenium detail.

For a third time, McVicker’s Theatre was rebuilt and reopened on March 31, 1892. McVicker died in 1896 and his widow assumed management until she sold the theater to Jacob Litt in 1898, for a term of ten years. The building was demolished in 1922 and again rebuilt. The last McVicker’s Theatre was owned by the Balaban & Katz theater chain and was demolished in 1985.

Balaban & Katz design for new McVicker’s Theatre in 1822.

Much of Malmsha’s history was published at the time of his death in the Inter Ocean from Chicago, Illinois (Saturday, October 21, 1882). The obituary noted that C. Louis Malmsha, the noted scenic painter of McVicker’s Theater, died at his residence on Thursday evening. Mr. Malmsha was suddenly seized with hemorrhage while at work on a watercolor at his home that evening and died before his wife could reach him from an adjoining room. This an other newspapers note that Malmsha “was ranked next to Marston of the Union Square Theatre.”

Born in Goetenburg, Sweden during 1847, he was only 35 years old at the time of his death. The Inter Ocean article notes that from an early age, Malmsha demonstrated a strong talent for painting, immigrating to America at he age of sixteen in 1863. He initially found employment with Jevne & Almini fresco painters in this city, but soon became interested in painting for the stage and assisted Mr. Arragon at Crosby’s Opera House.

Crosby’s Opera House, Chicago, Illinois. 1865.

Crosby’s Opera House, Chicago, Illinois. 1868, Harper’s Weekly.

Crosby’s Opera House, Chicago, Illinois. 1860s.

In 1866 Malmsha went to New York where he executed the first scene for “The Black Crook.” In New York he also was engaged multiple times at the Union Square Theatre, as well as Dan Bryant’s Old Hall on 23^rd Street and Kelly and Leon’s Minstrels. Leaving New York, Malmsha traveled through the country with fellow artist Barney MaCauley of Cincinnati. In September 1871, he returned to Chicago and began working at McVicker’s with J. Howard Rogers, who had already been there for twelve years. A few weeks into this job, the great fire of 1871 occurred and Malmsha returned to Cincinnati.

Returning to Chicago in 1874 he began working at McVicker’s and remained there until his death. It was noted that he ignored the advice of his physicians to “seek a more salubrious climate,” and remained in Chicago to continue his art. He was widely known for his exterior scenes at McVicker’s, including those for “Little Innocents” (1877), “After Dark” (1878), and “The Parson” (1880). It was when Malmsha returned from New York to work at McVicker’s Theatre that Moses began as his assistant.

In 1878 he ventured north to St. Paul, Minnesota, and painted the scenery for the Opera House. He possibly would have met Peter Gui Clausen at Jevne & Almini in 1866 before he departed to New York. Clausen also worked at the Opera House in St. Paul. He and Clausen’s paths might have crossed in the Twin Cities, if they did actually work on the job together.

To be continued…