Scenic Studio – Page 27 – Drypigment.net

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 231 – Thomas G. Moses and the Broadway Theatre in Denver, Colorado

Moses returned to Chicago on April 20, 1890 after being away from for seven months. Moses wrote, “My little family was certainly glad to see me back, as I was to get back. Seven months is a long time to stay away – a big change in all of the children. I was strange to them for some-time.” The four children were still little and must have grown considerably during his absence. Seven years earlier Moses had already commented on his extended absences, writing in 1883, “It was hard on Ella and I felt I was neglecting her a good deal, but I couldn’t see any other way to progress.” At the time, he was referring to his working in the scenic studio, taking art classes, and leaving for sketching trips. I often wonder about his regrets later in life when he realized just how many moments he missed while his children were growing up.

Even after his seven-month absence, however, Moses could only remain in Chicago for a few days rest. Soon the studio sent him to Denver, Colorado. He was sent there to close a contract with the Broadway Theatre. The theatre was to be part of the new Metropole Hotel. Designed by Chicago architect Col. J. W. Wood, the hotel was one of the first “fireproof” hotels in the country, employing hollow clay fired tile units for all partition, floors, ceilings, and walls.

The Metropole Hotel and Broadway Theatre where Thomas G. Moses painted scenery in 1890. Photograph by Louis Charles McClure, Denver Public Library/Western History Collection, MCC-1055.

Part of the hotel included a performance venue. The Broadway Theater was also advertised as the first “fireproof theatre” in the West and opened on August 18. Look’s Opera Company performed the “Bohemian Girl.”

The Broadway Theatre where Thomas G. Moses painted scenery in 1890. Photograph by Louis Charles McClure, Denver Public Library/Western History Collection, MCC-6

The Broadway Theatre where Thomas G. Moses painted scenery during 1890. Photograph of interior from 1895.

When Thomas G. Moses later went to paint scenery for this theatre, he took his entire family along. Renting a furnished house with a big yard for $50.00 per month, they got settled in very quickly. Moses recounts a story about the transportation of his art and modeling supplies at the beginning of the journey. While packing for their departure in Chicago, Moses’ model trunk had fallen 54 feet from his paint room window when it was being hauled outside. It struck a pile of loose planks (as they were having some work done on their stairway) and only manage to break a hinge. That’s very little damage for such a substantial drop! Then I thought back to my trip last fall when I looked at his Masonic theatre model and traveling trunk in the Harry Ransom Center. I was impressed with its sturdy construction and now understand why it was built that way.

Thomas G. Moses trunk and designs for Masonic model theatre, 1931.

In his typed manuscript Moses commented that the Broadway Theatre project was “an ideal one” and they had “good facilities to work.” For this project he had made all new scenery models for a presentation. On of his designs the included a cyclorama drop that measured 36 feet high and 250 feet long. The large cyclorama curtain ran on a track and they could create three distinct backings; a plain sky, a cloudy sky and a moonlit sky. Moses wrote about the stage, commenting, “No borders. We trimmed the front stuff down to low enough to mask. All rows were profiled; very effective.”

For the Broadway Theatre project, Moses’ painting crew included Ed Loitz, William and Charlie Minor, and Billie Martin. Nearby in Pueblo, Colorado, Walter Burridge and Ernest Albert were also painting on a project and called on Moses while he was working at the Broadway. During the visit, all three all took a day off and enjoyed each other’s company and went on a sketching trip. Early in 1891, “Albert, Grover & Burridge” established their new studio at 3127 State Street in Chicago. Their establishment as a marked departure from previous studios as they implemented advancements in the methods of mounting and presenting stage plays. Just prior to founding their new business venture, Albert was the scenic artist for the Chicago Auditorium, Burridge was the scenic artist for the Grand Opera House and McVicker’s, and Oliver Grover was a professor Chicago’s Art Institute. I wonder if Albert and Burridge had approached Moses in Denver about being their third business partner before selecting an academician. Albert, Moses and Burridge would have made quite a painting team.

During Moses’ stay in Denver, he took his family on several trips into the mountains.

He recorded that on one trip they traveled fourteen miles from Denver to Manitou and enjoyed seeing the scenery at Ute Pass, Williams Canyon and Garden of the Gods. All three were already popular tourist destinations, drawing throngs of visitors in horse-drawn wagons.

Visitors on tour in Garden of the Gods, September 19, 1890.

Moses wrote, “We enjoyed these trips.” It had to have been one small way to make up for his seven-month absence. Sadly, a telegram soon called Moses back to the studio in Chicago for some special work. As it was nearing the time for school to start anyway, they decided to all head home at the same time. Moses wrote, “Ella packed up everyone in a day.” They gave up their Denver house and arrived in Chicago by early September.

Loitz and the Minor brothers remained in Denver to complete the painted interiors for the Broadway Theatre in Denver. Moses stayed in Chicago until November 4, and then returned to Denver to complete their contract. This means that scenic work had continued on the Broadway Theatre for three months after opening with “Bohemian Girl.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 218 – Thomas G. Moses at Plack’s Opera House in Altoona, Pennsylvania

Moses wrote, “The year 1888 found me rather blue.” It was a combination of family and work troubles. His father was quite sick and would continue to decline until his passing in 1891. He was also still determined to make Burridge, Moses & Louderback work, but there was one hug problem – no Walter Burridge. Burridge had left he partnership after differences with Louderback and returned to the Grand Opera House where was once again on salary.

At the beginning of February, Moses went to Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was painting for the new “Plack’s Opera House,” dedicated the Mountain City Theatre. In 1887 Louis Plack began construction on the Mountain City Theatre on Eleventh Street and Twelfth Avenue. Amazingly, the Masonic Temple was also on that same corner – Eleventh Street and Twelfth Avenue too. The Mountain City Theatre opened in February 1888 with the Emma Abbott Opera Company.

Emma Abbott (1849-1891) in advertisement for Virginia Brights Cigarettes.

On March 5, 1889, the building was destroyed by fire. Plack then built the Phoenix Block, a business building, on the theatre’s site. In 1906 this was remodeled to include a theatre named the Lyric. This building was also destroyed by fire on February 24, 1907. It was again rebuilt and subsequently named the Orpheum, then the Embassy, and finally the Penn. Whew – lots of theatre names for one site.

Moses’ painting for Plack was briefly interrupted as he needed to return to Chicago and complete some “special work.” It was “Lights and Shadows,” a new play that was going to tour.

Program for 1888 production of “Lights and Shadows.” From scrapbook attributed to the Whalley family. It provides a rare and unique glimpse into Nashville’s theatrical history. https://library.nashville.org/blog/2016/10/nashville-theatrics-1888

Scenic design for “Lights and Shadows.” From scrapbook attributed to the Whalley family. It provides a rare and unique glimpse into Nashville’s theatrical history. https://library.nashville.org/blog/2016/10/nashville-theatrics-1888

Billie Marin was sent to Altoona until Moses could return. Moses completed the painting, headed to Philadelphia for the rehearsal of “Lights and Shadows,” and then returned to Altoona.

Area in Altoona near the Mountain City Theatre.

By May 12 Moses was once again in Altoona and hoping to close a contract with Balzell and Rouss for the 11^th Street Opera House. Interestingly, Perry Landis also showed up after the same job. Moses recalled that after their meeting at the theatre, they went to the hotel and sat up long after midnight to talk over business. Moses wrote, “Sosman and Landis wanted me to come back with them, and I agreed to do so as soon as I could finish my work. I was to receive my old salary of $50.00 per week, and a chance to do contract work, which would increase my salary to $4000.00 per year. Balzell gave Sosman and Landis the contract on the strength of my going back.”

Moses then had to settle up with Louderback, finish all of their remaining work, and then started back at Sosman & Landis’ studio. His first studio project was on the West Coast. He tried to get out of the California trip as he was tired of traveling and wanted to remain at home with Ella and his children. Regardless of his desire to remain in Chicago for a bit, he left for California on June 10. On his way, he stopped by to see Lem Graham at Kansas City Scenic and recorded that his friend was doing well.

Lemuel L. Graham’s company, Kansas City Scenic Co. of Kansas City, Missouri. They made hardware in addition to painted scenery like many scenic studios.

Moses enjoyed the trip though New Mexico and Arizona, but noted that it was awfully hot during the day, about 110° in the train car. Luckily it cooled down at night. Overall, the trip took four days and five nights and Moses wrote, “On arriving in Los Angeles, I was very surprised to find such a hustling large city, about 50,000 population. I took in everything in the vicinity while I was waiting for my paint frame to be completed.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 217 – Thomas G. Moses Leaves Sosman & Landis Studio

In 1887, Moses wrote, “My discontent with studio work got the upper hand and I quit on February 11, and joined Burridge, Moses and Louderback.”

Burridge, Moses, & Louderback was short-lived and lasted until 1888. During that time it provided Moses with a wonderful opportunity to be associated with two other individuals who were well-respected in the fine art world. The company focused on stage production work and had their office and several frames in the Chamber of Commerce building in Chicago. Their main studios were at the Columbia Theatre and Grand Opera House.

Newspaper article listing Burridge, Moses & Louderback as scenic artists for the Columbia Theatre, previously Haverly’s Theatre.

Illustration of the Columbia Theatre’s front entrance.

Previously known as Haverly’s Theatre, the Columbia’s stage was 70 by 54 feet. Advertisements listed Louderback as the business manager. He was well-respected owner of an auction house with fine art galleries, carrying a variety of high-end fine products in the Chicago area. It was Louderback & Co. that had previously hosted the first Scene Painters’ Show in 1885 at 215 Wabasha Avenue.

Burridge was a year younger than Moses, born in 1857. He initially trained with Harley Merry at his Brooklyn Studio during the early 1870s. By 1876 he worked with Phil Goatcher for the Philadelphia Centennial World Fair, painting the “Seige of Paris.” He would later paint a the “Battle of Gettysburg” panorama. After working in Philadelphia, he returned to New York and painted at the Bijou and Fourteenth Street theatres. Then he headed for Chicago where work was plentiful and his skills were in demand. From 1882-1885 Burridge worked with John A. Havlin at Chicago’s Grand Theatre. He was also listed as the scenic artist for the Standard Theatre before partnering with Moses and Louderback. Burridge’s skill and connections would have been an asset to the newly formed studio.

The work of Burridge, Moses & Louderback during 1887-1888 included “Gypsy Baron” for the Conried and Hermann Opera Company, 2 panoramas for Joe Murphy for “Donah,” and 2 complete productions of “Kerry Gow.” They also stocked the Grand Opera House in Columbus, Ohio and Foster’s Opera House in Des Moines, Iowa. They also worked in New York City and Moses noted that they produced scenery for the Duff Company’s production of “Dorothea” at the Standard Theatre. Moses wrote, “This was a great experience for me, for the production came out fine. The 1^st Act was a scene in County Kent, England – grain fields and fine rolling country. Stage right a lot of hop vines on poles. Left, a wayside inn. All very sunny, but inclined to be grey. At rehearsal, on came the Inn Kepper with a pair of the brightest scarlet satin knickerbockers. What a yell Burridge gave out. They killed the whole set. Burridge insisted on a change of color, which was done. “ During this same time, Burridge, Moses & Louderback stocked six city theatres with all of the necessary scenery. Of this busy period, Moses wrote, “We worked day and night.”

On November 20, 1888, Burridge pulled out of business because he and Louderback couldn’t agree on the running of their company. Louderback came from a “managing art” background while Burridge came from a “creating art” background. Moses was caught in the middle. As Burridge’s replacement, Howard Tuttle was brought on board. He joined Moses and his assistant (Ralph Terwilliger) at their loft studio on Lake Street. Tuttle would remain with Moses for the next few years, traveling to Riverside, CA, San Francisco, CA, Evansville, IN and Corvallis, OR. He would later be responsible for scenery at the Davidson (Milwaukee, WI), the La Crosse Theatre (La Crosse, Wisconsin), Grand Opera House (Oshkosh, WI), Illinois Theatre (Rock Island, IL), Calumet Theatre (Calumet, MI), and Stone’s Theatre (Flint, MI).

Without Burridge, however, Moses’ business venture was not nearly as successful. Moses wrote, “I would have been better off had I remained at Sosman and Landis’, as my share of salary only amounted to $42.00 per week. Not very much of a hustler. While I was not pleased, I was anxious to keep on.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 216 – Thomas G. Moses and Jacob Litt

Thomas G. Moses travelled a bit more than usual after completing the panorama with David A. Strong. One of his “short trips” was to Toronto, Canada. There he had a scenery painting project where he had to really “hustle” in order to meet the impending deadline. Moses wrote, “I enjoyed my short stay there, as I liked the city very much, so much like the U.S.”

Interior of the Academy of Music in Milwaukee. Image from John Beutner and posted online at www.urbanmilwaukee.com

Exterior of the Academy of Music in Milwaukee. Image from John Beutner and posted online at www.urbanmilwaukee.com

Moses also went to Milwaukee to paint some scenery for the Academy of Music. For this project, he was working for Jacob Litt and recalled that one piece was a wire fireproof curtain that was “hard to paint.” Moses never liked painting woven wire asbestos and would complain about them in later years too. Yet they were a permanent fixture in many collections. Occasionally they would be poorly shipped or hung, adding to his exasperation. He would reiterate that the curtains should never be folded, but always rolled, to prevent the huge dents that would ruin the painted compositions.

The scenery that Moses painted for the Academy of Music in Milwaukee was in the second-generation space. Milwaukee’s first Academy of Music performance venuewas an exact model of the Philadelphia Academy of Music. The auditorium was 100’-0” deep by 64’-0” wide, and was divided into a parquetted, dress circle and upper tier. It was furnished with patented seats arranged with “a view to comfort” (“The Chronicles of Milwaukee: Being a Narrative of the Town From Its Earliest Period to the Present, 1861” page 285). The newspaper article noted “it is impossible for the spectator to so locate himself that a full and comprehensive view of the stage cannot be obtained.” The stage was thirty-six feet and flaked by two private boxes. There were dressing rooms and an orchestra box in front. William P. Young was the builder and it was inaugurated on March 16, 1860. In 1876 a second Academy of Music was built in Milwaukee between Wisconsin and Michigan. The design was a commission of Edward Townsend Mix and had a 1,600 seat capacity. This was the stage that Moses provided scenery for in 1886.

Letterhead from the Theodore L. Hays Papers collection at the Minnesota Historical Society. Image used in Twin City Scenic Company catalogue.

My interest traveled briefly to Litt as I recalled an image of a letterhead with his name on it (Twin Cities Scenic Co. collection catalogue, Brockman, 1987). I started to scan newspaper archives for Litt in both Milwaukee and Minnesota. There is mention of Litt in 1886 when he ventured to Minnesota with his sister. On July 31 the St. Paul Daily Globe published, “Jacob Litt, the dime museum proprietor and manager of the academy of music, Milwaukee accompanied by his sister, is in the city, expecting to spend a week at Minnetonka” (page 3). It is possible that his trip was as much for business purposes as pleasure.

Jacob Litt is recorded as being “the first theatrical manager to amass a great fortune and reach the millionaire class solely as a result of his own labors” (“The Stage in the Twentieth Century” by Robert Grau, 1912, page 135). He began his theatre career in the box office of Milwaukee’s Grand Opera House. He soon became the first manager to arrange a circuit of theatres for theatrical combinations in the Northwest and became wildly successful. He leased theatres in Milwaukee, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Chicago, every endeavor becoming a lucrative success.

By 1889, Jacob Litt had taken over the People’s Theatre of Minneapolis that had opened on October 31, 1887 (20 Washington Avenue North). The venue was first owned by Lambert Hayes W. E. Sterling of Buffalo, New York as the theater’s first manager. By March of 1889,

Kohl and Middleton leased the theater. In July Jacob Litt took over, renaming it the ” Bijou

Opera House.” Unfortunately, a gas jet behind the scenes started a fire and burned the building to the ground on December 28, 1890. A second “Bijou Opera House” was built on that same site in 1891. Twin City Scenic Company began in the Bijou Opera House in Minneapolis. There were three principle employees who opened the scenic studio. Theodore Hays, manager of the Bijou, became the first president of Twin City Scenic Co. William P. Davis and William Knox Brown supervised the scenic art and stage mechanics departments. The company would later expand into St. Paul’s Grand Opera House for additional studio space.E. Sterling (the first manager of the People’s Theatre) returned to Minneapolis to open the New People’s Theater at 322 Marquette Avenue on March 24, 1894. By December 16 of that same year the theater was acquired by Jacob Litt, who renamed it the ” Metropolitan Opera House.” As a director and producer, Litt’s Broadway credits include “The Diplomat” )1902), “The Proce of Peace” (1901), “Caleb West” (1900), “The Ghetto” (1899), “Shall We Forgive Her” (1897), “The Last Stroke” (1896) and “Yon Yonson” (1894.)

It is important to recall what was also happening in the Twin Cities prior to the establishment of Twin City Scenic Company. In 1881, Charles S. King was brought in to install the stage machinery for the Grand Opera House in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the time, he was thirty years old with seven years of practical experience in the industry. Keep in in mind that Moses had been working for Sosman & Landis since 1880. There is mention in the Minneapolis Tribune that “Mr. C. S. King, the stage carpenter at the Grand Opera House, was initiated into some of the mysteries of stage mechanism as exemplified in our new temple of amusement. Mr. King who was summoned here from Chicago, is regarded as one of the best stage-carpenters in the country, having had wide experience and possessing perfect knowledge of his progression. He says that our opera house will have the finest stage, the easiest worked, and will be the best appointed theatre west of Chicago, or of many large eastern cities” (page 5). When King was working on the stage at the Grand Opera in Minneapolis, the local stage carpenter for the venue was William Knox Brown, one of the three founders of Twin City Scenic Company.

Scenic artist John H. Young recalled in 1912, stating, “Jacob Litt always gave carte blache order for scenes, asking for the very best that could be painted, but if any breakaways were to take place in the scene such as a falling bridge carrying a man or woman with it, he always demanded that I be the first one to try it. This naturally had the tendency to make me arrange a safe fall. This method was adopted by the great Salvini at Wallack’s old theatre when he produced ‘Samson’ and the breaking away of the temple as he pushed aside the great stone columns, causing the entire building to collapse, was rather a trying test of my nerves” (Grau, page 230-231).

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 191 – The Sandstorm Scene for the “The Garden of Allah” by Gates & Morange

I encountered a wonderful historical article while researching Edward A. Morange. It was posted in a blog about costumes, history, and social ephemera, called “Miss Daffodil Digresses.”

“Staging a Sandstorm” by Wendell Phillips Dodge (1912) explores onsite research for Gates & Morange’s “The Garden of Allah” designs. The stage version of Robert Hichens’ drama, “The Garden of Allah,” opened at the Century Theatre in 1912. To stage the sandstorm in “spirit and in truth,” George C. Tyler, of the firm of Liebler and Company, went into the heart of the great Sahara Desert, accompanied by Hugh Ford, general stage director, and Edward A. Morange, of the firm of Gates and Morange, scenic artists. The article provides some interesting descriptions for nineteenth-century sandstorm effects on stage.

Here is a small excerpt as it is just delightful to read. I will post the full article in its entirety at www.drypigment.net

The Theatre, Volume 15, 1912

“The question now was how to transfer the real, living sandstorm to the stage of the Century Theatre. Stage sandstorms date back more than twenty years, when one was introduced in Fanny Davenport’s production of “Gismonda.” This sandstorm, naturally, was very crude, since in those days there was no such thing as light effects nor stage mechanism. The players themselves created the sandstorm by tossing handfuls of Fuller’s earth over their heads to the accompaniment of the rubbing of sandpaper in the wings to give the suggestion of wind blowing. Belasco put over the first realistic sandstorm in “Under Two Flags,” causing Fuller’s earth to be blown through funnel-like machines from the wings, while at the same time stereopticon cloud storm effects were played on gauze drops. Mr. Belasco also introduced the now famous bending palm to stage sandstorms, to convey the idea of motion. Once when “Under Two Flags” was produced in San Francisco the local stage manager told the property man to get something that could be blown across the stage, to be used in the sandstorm scene. There was not time for a scene rehearsal, but the property man connected a “blower” made out of a soap box with the ventilating system, and as the cue was given, tossed heaps of flour into the box to be blown over the stage. The play ended right there, with scenery and everything covered as if a blizzard had struck the place! It required weeks to get the flour off of the scenery, to which it stuck and hardened. Last year Frederic Thompson introduced a sandstorm in a scene showing the Western Bad Lands, sawdust being blown from the wings. But the sawdust scattered everywhere, even into the orchestra.”

Ah, the trials and failures of show business. “The Garden of Allah” would use cornmeal for their sandstorm scene.

*Souvenir book from the production designed by Gates & Morange in 1912.*

I did locate another article New York Times on July 13, 1911 (page 9) called “Return From The Desert.” It was titled “Ford and Morange Visited Scenes of ‘The Garden of Allah.’”

Here is the article: “Hugh Ford, general stage director for Liebler & Co., and Edward Morange, scenic artist for the same firm, returned to New York yesterday on the Minnetonka, after spending some time in the Desert of Sahara with George C. Tyler, general manager of the firm. They, with Mr. Tyler, made a trip to visit the scenes of Robert Hichins story, “The Garden of Allah,” a dramatization of which is to be the first Liebler production next season at the Century Theatre. The party made its headquarter at Biskra, the Beni-Mora of the novel, and made many expeditions into the desert. Several Arabs were engaged to come to America to take part in the production. After leaving Algiers Mr. Ford and Mr. Morange visited Berlin to obtain material for “The Affair in the Barracks,” an adaptation of “Barrackenpluft,” which is to be another Leibler production next year. While in Paris the party spent several days in consultation with Mme. Simone, who will begin her first American tour next Fall, appearing in English in Louis N. Parker’s adaptation of Rostand’s “The Lady of Dreams.”

*A Scene from the Gates & Morange design for “Garden of Allah.”*

Finally, the scenic designs for “The Garden of Allah” (Sketch of North African Expedition), 1912, are located in the Gates and Morange Collection (Billy Rose Division) of the New York Public Library. The designs for the production include a color sketch on stock depicting an exterior scene with camels.

To be continued…

Here is Mrs. Daffodil’s link: https://mrsdaffodildigresses.wordpress.com She has covered several interesting topics, including “How to Make Stage Thunder and Lighting: 1829-1900” and “The Great Grampus Bath-house Tragedy: 1875.” According to the site, it is a blog where “you will find a feast of fashion hints, fads and fancies, and historical anecdotes.”

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 190 – Gates & Morange – Creators of Things Novel and Beautifully Interesting

It was in Chicago during 1894 that Edward A. Morange would meet his eventual business partner, Francis “Frank” Edgar Gates. During the day, they would study fine art and in the evenings they would paint theatrical shows. Later, his brother Richard Henry Gates would join the team. Frank and Richard Gates received their academic training at the School of Fine Arts, Washington University, St. Louis. “The Scenic Artist,” Vol. 1, No. 8 (December 1927, page 8), noted “they were practically brought up on theatre from almost infancy, being in a family of theatrical managers, musicians and actors, it was natural that the stage should appeal to them.”

This is an image from a website that is no longer accessible. The creators suggest that they have many designs created by the brothers, Richard and Francis Gates. These are the only two images that I have found of the pair.

By 1897, Frank, Richard, and Morange, founded Gates and Morange Studio. Although Gates and Morange had worked on many projects together, their first Broadway credits date from 1897. Thhe scenic studio of Gates & Morange was to become one of the premiere scenic studios during the early twentieth century. Although starting in Chicago, they soon moved their company to New York to produce settings for dozens of Broadway shows. Their first Broadway credit in 1897 was “Straight from the Heart” by Sutton Vane and Arthur Shirley. Other clients included Liebler Co., Florenz Ziegfeld and George C. Tyler. Artists that worked for their firm included Thomas Benrimo, William E. Castle, Charles Graham, Alexander Grainger, Arne Lundberg, and Orestes Raineiri. The New York Public Library holds the Gates & Morange Design Collection (1894-1953), containing original set designs, curtain designs, olio designs, trade show designs, and several exhibitions.

*Gates and Morange Design Collection (1894-1953) at the New York Public Library. Here is the link: http://archives.nypl.org/the/22927*

Although many of the designs are undated, the bulk of the collection appears to be from the 1920s. Among the more than seventy-five production designs are “The Daughter of Heaven” by Pierre Loti (c. 1912); “Dolci Napoli” (c. 1913), “Earl Carroll Vanities” (1923), “For Valor” by Martha Hedman and H. A. House (1935), Gridiron Club productions (1935), “An International Marriage” by George Broadhurst (c. 1909), “The Lady of the Lamp” by Earl Carroll (1920), “Music in the Air” with music by Jerome Kern and Designs by Joseph Urban (1932), “Nancy Brown” (c. 1903), “Song of the Flame” by Herbert Stothart ad George Gershwin, with designs by Joseph Urban (1926), and a number of Ziegfeld productions. Of particular note is “Rose-Marie” by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II (1924), which includes three photographs, showing development from an initial concept to the scenery in place on the stage (1924).

*Program for “Rose-Marie” listing Gates & Morange as the scenic artists for the production.*

There are also a few studio plans and research materials in the collection. The collection is located in the Billy Rose Division on the third floor at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center. Here is the link for the collection overview: http://archives.nypl.org/the/22927

Gates & Morange’s non-theatrical projects included reproductions for the United States Government of Yosemite, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, the Grand Canyon, Alaska, Kilauea and many other National Parks.

Design and reference library for Gates & Morange. This shows their research files that were a result of countless sketching trips. Undated image pasted in Thomas G. Moses’ scrap book, Harry Ranson Center, University Texas, Austin.

The studio’s artists constantly took advantage of painting from nature, to attain primary information for various commissions. They had research files from trips throughout the United States, Alaska, Europe and Africa. This provided the artists opportunities to observe various landscapes, customs, and people. They made colored studies and sketches to collect valuable data that was used for their theatrical productions. In 1912, Gates and Morange traveled to the Sahara Desert, accompanied by Hugh Ford, general stage director, to research an actual and ferocious sandstorm for their upcoming show at the Century Theatre in New York.

*Advertisement for Gates & Morange, Scenic Artists, in Julius Cahn’s Theatrical Guide (1902-1903).*

The 1927 “Scenic Artist” article about Gates & Morange concluded with, “It is refreshing to know that here is one studio housing a large staff of academically trained artists that has kept pace with the insurgent movement with its radical and liberal tendencies, which has been at work in recent years in the theatres of Europe and America. That Gates & Morange have accepted what is sane and beneficial of this movement is readily seen by the numerous beautiful compositions covering the walls of their design rooms and bulging out their portfolios. Through them all is seen the sureness and artistic simplicity that only an artist of thorough and correct draughtsmanship, with a fine decorative feeling, a profound knowledge and delicate sense of color and imagination could create. The present possibilities of producing pleasing or bizarre effects with the highly perfected and easily operated electric equipment of the modern stage, has opened the theatre to the many experiments and fadist illusions that none but an experienced scenic artist could endow with poetical beauty and mystery they exhibit. With all these the stage has not lost its glamour for these artists as the many new ideas and effects around which authors and composers may write plays or revues, upon the initiative of these creators of things novel and beautifully interesting.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 184 – The Marengo Opera House, 1883

Thomas G. Moses worked in Racine, Wisconsin, at the Belle City Opera House until in March of 1883. During March, he also worked for another opera house. The Journal Times (Racine, Wisconsin) reported that “Thomas Moses, the scenic artist, who painted all the handsome scenes at the Blake Opera House, departed for Illinois to-day. During his stay here Mr. Moses has made many warm friends, who wish him every success, wherever he may go” (14 March 1883, page 2). He then headed to Marengo, Illinois for another painting project. Initially named Pleasant Grove, Marengo was a city in McHenry County. The present name originated from the Battle of Marengo fought on June 14, 1800 between the French and Austrians.

Thomas G. Moses’ family was able to join him during his final weeks in Marengo. Although his typed manuscript does not specify his project in Marengo, it was for the opening of the town’s first opera house. In April of 1883, the Marengo Opera House was completed at the expense of $30,000. Julius Cahn’s Official Theatre Guide listed “Thos. Moses” as the scenic artist responsible for the painted settings. The theatre was located on the second floor with a proscenium opening that measured 20’ high by 25’ wide. There were three sets of grooves that measured 16’ high. There was one portable bridge and the grooves could be taken up flush with the fly gallery. The depth under the stage was 5’ with two traps, located back of center stage.

Marengo Opera House with scenery by Thomas G. Moses, 1883. Property of the McHenry County Historical Society.

Detail of painted setting by Thomas G. Moses, 1883. Marengo Opera House in Marengo, Illinois. Image from the McHenry County Historical Society.

Advertisement for the Marengo Opera House. From the Marengo Republican-News, June 22, 1883, page 4.

On August 3, 1883, “The Marengo Republican” published, “Few people are aware that Marengo has one of the finest opera houses to be found in the country. Not so large as Rockford, yet it has six hundred and sixty opera chairs, besides two handsome opera boxes (not mere shelves) and space for one hundred and fifty camp chairs in the spacious aisles. It is in all its appointments a model of neatness, convenience and comfort; is easy to access; well lighted; the private boxes elegantly finished; the acoustic properties excellent, and arrangements for heating and ventilation first class.”

After a lecture by Mr. Henry Ward Beecher in the Marengo Opera House, the newspaper published, “Wednesday evening, the house was crowded with as select an audience as we ever saw anywhere, at least 800 persons being present, and the scenery, the beautiful frescoing on the wall and ceiling, the variety of color and figures, all brought out with startling boldness under the brilliant glow of seventy-five gas jets, presented a scene highly pleasing and attractive, and one at which even the most prominent preacher in America felt gratified and honored.”

Beecher expressed “his delight and surprise at finding so elegantly appointed an opera house in a town the size of Marengo, and agreed with what must be a universal verdict of all who visit it, that the Marengo opera house, erected by the unaided private liberality of one citizen – R. M. Patrick – is a monument to his good taste and public spirit, of which every citizen of Marengo should be proud.”

After Marengo, Moses and Graham traveled to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, here they were going after a contract.

Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery for this venue when it opened in 1883.

Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery for this venue when it opened in 1883. Postcard property of the Oshkosh Public Museum.

Interior of the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery for this venue when it opened in 1883.

Auditorium of the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery for this venue when it opened in 1883.

This would have been for the Grand Opera House located at the corner of High Avenue and Market Street. It first opened its doors on August 9, 1883 and the first production here was called “The Bohemian.” Perry Landis of Sosman & Landis in Chicago was also providing an estimate for the job. Moses and Landis rode back together on a train bound for Chicago. Sosman met them upon their arrival. The studio wanted Moses and Graham in the Sosman & Landis studio and each were offered $45.00 a week.

Moses wired Graham their proposal as he was in Burlington. Graham was not so eager to accept, however and countered “$50.00 and extras.” The studio agreed and May 1, Moses. Graham and John H, Young were painting in the Sosman & Landis studios. Ed Loitz also joined their team and the studio continued to expand. Unfortunately, the boys were given a lot of “road work” to paint, and were not thrilled with this particular type of project, but the money was steady. Moses was able to rapidly increase his salary as he started to accept after-hour projects, averaging $70.00 per week.

Moses wrote that he accepted a lot of night work, although it was mostly piecework. He soon was sent on the road to complete a job in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Grand Opera House in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, built in 1883. Thomas G. Moses and Sosman & Landis Studio bid on this same project that year.

That would have been the Grand Opera House (1883-1930). In 1883, an opera house was planned for this bustling city of 15,000 serviced by telephone, gas and electric. Streets were lit with both gas and incandescent lamps and four railways serviced the city. Eau Claire was the major stop between Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Wayne R. Wolfert wrote “Theatre in Eau Claire, Wisconsin: A History of the Grand Opera House (1883-1930)” published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison 1972.

Moses’ family visited him in Eau Clair and they all ventured north for a family trip to Minneapolis.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 155 – W. K. Brown

The stage effects that were discovered in Fort Scott, Kansas, at the Scottish Rite theatre were just a few common examples in a long history of designing spectacle for the stage. The 1924 version of Pepper’s Ghost for the 30^th degree and the volcanic eruption for the 17^th degree were relatively tame when compared with the commercial touring shows from the early twentieth century.

Fort Scott Scottish Rite setting for Pepper’s Ghost illusion in the 30th degree. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.

The man changing into the skeleton. Pepper’s Ghost illusion for the 30th degree in Fort Scott, Kansas, at the Scottish Rite. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.

Stage carpenters and scenic artists, such as David A. Strong, initially designed scenic spectacles for Masonic degree productions. C. S. King of Sosman & Landis and W. K. Brown of Twin City Scenic repeatedly constructed certain stage effects for Scottish Rite theaters when degree productions initially appeared in the Southern Jurisdiction. They were just two individuals of the hundreds employed by scenic studios throughout the country. Today I look at Brown who was responsible for designing the stage machinery for many Scottish Rite Valleys, including the Minneapolis Scottish Rite where he was a member.

Twenty years after Charles S. King installed the stage machinery at the Grand Opera House in Minneapolis, a newspaper article discussed the venue’s first stage carpenter, William Knox Brown.

William Knox Brown, stage carpenter and Scottish Rite Mason in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Published on January 13, 1901, the article was titled, “Experts Behind the Scenes.” It included a brief synopsis of Brown’s career as a stage carpenter. The main title line was followed by a subheading that stated, “Ability of Men Who Are Not Visible to the Audience is Tested by Such a Production as Hanlon Bros. Le Voyage En Suisse.” A series of illustrations followed, exploring the duties of stagehands, examining “Who They Are and What They Do – Some of Their Peculiar Experiments.” It was the image of stagehands working the lines that initially caught my eye.

Stage hands moving the lines in the 1901 article that described “Le Voyage en Suisse.”

1901 article, “Experts Behind the Scenes” with summary of W. K. Brown’s experience as a stage carpenter.

Brown, Theodore Hays and William P. Davis started the Twin City Scenic Company, initially working out of the Bijou Opera House in Minneapolis. A wonderful history has already been written about the company and was published in the 1987 exhibition catalogue, “The Twin City Scenic Collection: Popular Entertainment 1895-1929.” It was Brown’s connection to touring spectacles and Davis’ history at the Chicago Civic Auditorium that I would like to highlight today as I continue to examine those who engineered stage effects. Theodore Hays was the business manager, Brown was in charge of the stage mechanics, and Davis led the painting at Twin City Scenic. All three had the necessary connections to make their endeavor a success. Brown had worked extensively for the Hanlon Bros. while Davis had functioned as the primary scenic artist at the Chicago Civic Auditorium.

The Star Tribune article noted that the “ruler of this realm behind the footlights” was titled “stage carpenter,” then proceeded to explain all of the different jobs associated with the technical elements of many productions. What really caught me eye was the description of the Bijou stage space in 1901.

Illustration in 1901 article depicting scene change for “Le Voyage en Suisse.”

Here is an excerpt that I found fascinating:

“The stage proper was divided by the old system of grooves, which were used to hold up the scenery into divisions, one, two, three and four, where the stage was extra deep, sometimes five and six. Grooves are a mechanical contrivance in which the scenes slide back and forth. This methods of stage setting is very seldom employed at the present time, the more modern arrangements of setting scenes in a box shape, supporting them with braces and connecting them by lash lines, being more common use. One as styled above is the first space back of the curtain line, and is five or more feet in depth, according to the size of the stage. Spaces two, three and four are equal to the distances from one, towards the rear. There are few theatrical productions that require more extensive stage room than the Hanlon Brother’s greatest spectacle, ‘A Trip to Switzerland.’”

The article noted that Brown was a “mechanic of experience” and “one of the best stage carpenters in the country” with a “thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the art of stage mechanism.” It then went on to describe his experience since first arriving in Minneapolis as a stage carpenter in 1882.

He was in his second year of presiding over the Bijou and credited with “that rare quality of being able to control men without trouble.” Brown started his career in Minneapolis as stage carpenter at the Grand Opera House in 1882. He also worked at the Grand Opera House in St. Paul before eventually transferring to the Bijou and the People’s Theatre. Brown left the area for work at a variety of opera houses by 1887, including Burd’s Opera House in Davenport, Iowa, Harris Theater in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Henrietta Theatre in Columbus, Ohio. He was later hired by the Hanlon Bros. as their master machinist for the production of “Superba.” Brown not only directed the staging of “Superba,” but also was engaged at the Hanlon Bros. for their private stage and workshop in Cohaset, Massachusetts. At this facility, Brown repaired and tested new stage effects and machinery.

The production of “Superba” by the Hanlon Brothers. This is the show where W. K. Brown was the stage carpenter.

I immediately thought of the “Albert, Grover and Burridge Studio” in Chicago where they had a space to light and display the completed scenes. Were the studios in Chicago and Cohaset part of a movement to construct spaces with theatrical stages to design, test and market new products for their clientele.

Chicago studio of “Albert, Grover & Burridge.” The space had a place to stage competed scenes for clients after they were removed from the paint frames.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 151 – John Z. Wood and the Twin City Scenic Company Collection

Part 151: John Z. Wood and the Twin City Scenic Company Collection

John Z. Wood traveled extensively for work after the financial travesty caused by his stepson Horace C. Tuttle in 1896. After painting for the Winnipeg Theatre, Wood journey to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and painted scenery for a variety of venues. I often wondered what drew Wood to Minneapolis. It might have been the connections that another Rochester Art Club founder, Harvey Ellis, had to the area. Ellis settled in the St. Paul, Minnesota, during 1886 and worked throughout the region for seven years before returning to Rochester. Some of Ellis’ designs include the Mabel Tainter Memorial Building in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and Pillsbury Hall, at the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis (East Bank).

It was in Minneapolis that Wood worked for the Twin City Scenic Company. His designs for drop curtains are currently part of the Twin City Scenic Co. collection in the Performing Arts Archives at the University of Minnesota Libraries. The backs of some designs include the name Robert J. Mork, a salesman for the Twin City Scenic Co. A few of Wood’s paintings also have competitive scenic studio stamps and markings on the backs, such as the Great Western Stage Equipment Co.

John Z. Wood design with Twin City Scenic Co. stamp and “Mork,” the name of a salesman. Twin City Scenic Co. Collection (PA43), Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries.

John Z. Wood design with “Mork,” the name of a salesman. Twin City Scenic Co. Collection (PA43), Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries.

I keep referring to the scenery collections at the University of Minnesota and should explain its significance. Here is the link for the collections: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch

Here is what the scenery collection search page. To do a search for John Z. Wood, type his name in the keywords box.

This is one of the examples from the scenery collection search on John Z. Wood that will pop up during a search.

If it were not for Lance Brockman’s passion to pass on historical painting techniques and acquire these collections to preserve a disappearing heritage, I would be doing something else entirely today.

From 1989-1991, I processed two scenery collections (Great Western Stage Equipment Co. collection and the Holak collection) while attending the University of Minnesota as an undergraduate student. A decade later, I help design, write the text, and assign all of the metadata for the online scenery collection database while completing my graduate work. All the while, I replicated the painting techniques for both small-scale renderings and full-scale scenery, mainly on my own time. My introduction to this material at the age of nineteen shifted my focus from performance to scenic art and design. I was immediately hooked on this aesthetic and the scenic artists who painted visual spectacle for popular entertainment venues – especially Scottish Rite theatres.

Lance Brockman was instrumental in acquiring the Twin City Scenic Collection for the University of Minnesota as an educational tool for theatre students, artists and all others interested in this theatrical heritage. Portions of the Twin City Scenic Co. collection were displayed in a museum exhibit and catalogue titled “The Twin City Scenic Collection: Popular Entertainment 1895-1929.” The exhibit ran from April 5 – June 14, 1987 and was curated by Brockman at the University Art Museum, located in Northrup Auditorium on the east bank of the Minneapolis campus. Ironically, this was the year that I started my college career, so I never saw the exhibit!

The catalogue that accompanied the show was dedicated to John R. Rothgeb. He had passed away in December of 1986, just four months prior to the opening of the exhibit. Rothgeb was a theatre professor at the University of Texas (Austin) who first linked the significance of Scottish Rite collections with theatre history. He contacted many Scottish Rite Valleys throughout the country inquiring about their scenery collections. Rothgeb’s scholarly contributions are monumental and worth study in their own right. Much of his research is located in the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas, Austin. He was particularly interested in Thomas G. Moses and the Sosman & Landis Studio. This was one of major reasons that prompted my trip to Texas last fall after the Scottish Rite photo shoot in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The Twin City Scenic exhibit catalogue was dedicated to Rothgeb. Brockman wrote, “He will be missed, but the groundwork that he established will provide the necessary foundation ultimately to preserve for future generations both an integral link with nineteenth-century heritage of American theatre and an understanding of “the romantic tradition of painted scenery.”

As part of the dedication page, Brockman included two paragraphs from Rothgeb’s unfinished essay. It is well worth including in its entirety here, as his sentiment is even more significant at this particular point in time:

“The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in American are rich in theatrical history, but little remains of the romantic tradition of painted scenery. As each year passed, there are fewer who can recall the beauty and delight evoked by a finely executed painted drop. For the very nature of scenery implies its fugitive quality. One interesting aspect of this painterly tradition, the ad curtain is nearly gone and forgotten, for even those who remember seeing them in theatres have their memories dimmed. Theatrical history today tends to look upon turn-of-the-century through the eyes of the reformers of the “new Stagecraft” such as Hiram Moderwell: “We now rarely see and old-fashioned ‘drop’ scene, and have almost forgotten how absurd it looks.” [H. Moderwell, “Theatre of Today” (New York: John Lane Company, 1914), 21]. Today the ad curtain is occasionally used in revivals of melodramas so that the audience can hiss at the villain, smile at the scenery, and feed self-satisfied with the sophistication of the 1980s. The theatre of 1880, however, was vital almost beyond our imagination, consisting of perhaps 2,000 working theatres across the country with an audience made up of nearly every citizen. As a part of the scenic tradition of this period, the phenomenon of the ad curtain interestingly illustrates the commercial course of our cultural evolution. – John R. Rothgeb.”

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…