Scenic Studio – Page 5 – Drypigment.net

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1181 – The Passing of Hugo R. Volland and Patrick J. Toomey

A business can change in the blink of an eye, especially when there is a change in command. From Nov. 1921 to March 1922, the Toomey & Volland lost both of its founders; the death of each one was a surprise.

On Nov. 14, 1921, the “St. Louis Star” announced Hugo R. Volland’s passing. His obituary notice reported, “Hugo R. Volland, president and treasurer of the Toomey & Volland Scenic Company, died at his home, 5865 Enright avenue, at 4:40 a.m. today. Volland was a 33d honorary degree Mason. Two weeks ago he suffered a nervous collapse. He is survived by the widow, Mrs. Laura Volland, two sons, Louis J. and Victor, and a daughter, Rose. Keystone Lodge, of which he was a member, will be in charge of the funeral Wednesday, from the Scottish Rite Cathedral, Seventeenth and Locust street. It will be preceded by the Knights of Kadosh funeral service at the cathedral tomorrow midnight.”

On November 16, 1921, the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” reported, “More than 1,000 persons last night witnessed the unusual midnight, or Kadosh, services of the Scottish Rite Masons over the body of Hugo R. Volland, 55 years old, scenic artist, thirty-third honorary degree Mason and Knight Templar, who died last Monday night at his home 5865 Enright avenue. The services took place in the Scottish Rite Cathedral, Seventeenth and Locust streets. The cathedral auditorium was packed to capacity by the time services began. Many persons, unable to obtain seats, found there was into the balcony. At 11:58 o’clock the lights in the auditorium gradually dimmed until the entirely extinguished, except nine candles placed at the head and foot of the bier. The coffin rested directly in front of an iron cross, behind which was the stage. The only remaining lights were in the choir loft, where red lamps burned for the singers. At midnight a deep booming gong, hidden behind curtains on the stage, sounded, and marked the entrance of the first of thirteen knights, each clad in black gown and hood and carrying a lighted candle. As each minute was marked on the gong a knight advanced until thirteen hooded men surrounded the coffin of their late brother. Silence Follows a Bugle Sound. As the last k night sounded from the gallery, and this was followed by a period of silence. Jesse N. Watson, commander, then recited services for the dead and called on the knights who might feel so deeply moved, to step forward and accuse the dead brother of any wrong done prior to his death. One by one three knights addressed the commander, who stood between the stage and the cross, and, in grave tones, declared themselves, were not perfect. Watson then grasped a small hammer and struck three times on the main shaft of the cross, uttering the words, “Then let the grave be ready to receive its dead.” Two knights stepped forward, lifted Volland’s sword from the lid of the casket, and removed the lid. During the ceremony a violin solo by Fred Sultan, accompanied by O. Wade Fallert, organist, was played softly. Two knights surrounding the bier were called upon to advance and relieve the body of ‘petty baubles and cords that bind the hands and his feet. This part of the service was explained, is symbolic of the soul taking flight to another world. At 1:35 a.m. the hooded knights advanced to the bier and, after dipping their fingers in pure water, touched the breast of the dead brother, at the same time pronouncing the farewell: ‘My brother, now thou art dead to this world and livest in the Lord.’ The choir then sang ‘Nearer, My God, to Thee,’ and the nights, extinguishing their candles departed from the auditorium.”

Patrick J. Toomey. From the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” on March 13, 1922.

Six months later, on March 13, 1922, Volland’s business partner and friend also passed. On March 13, 1922, the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” announced “P. J. Toomey, Pioneer Scenic Painter Dies.” The newspaper reported, “P. J. Toomey, 71 years old, one of the pioneer scenic painters of St. Louis, died suddenly at 10 a.m. yesterday as the result of an illness with which he was attacked while at mass in St. Roch’s Catholic Church. Rosedale and Waterman avenues. Physicians said death was due to cerebral hemorrhage. Worshipers sitting near Toomey said they did not observe anything unusual in his actions or appearance during the services, until he began breathing heavily and slumped forward in his seat. Several men who were sitting nearby carried him to one of the schoolrooms, next door, and a physician was summoned. Toomey’s son, Dr. Noxon Toomey, was sent for, but Toomey was dead when he arrived. The son said his father complained of feeling ill. Toomey painted the scenes for the first floats of a Veiled Prophet’s parade. He continued this sort of work for 25 years, giving it up recently, when a corporation formed to do the work took it over. He also did most of the painting for some of the old theaters in St. Louis, among them Pope’s, the Olympic and the Century. He at one time painted scenes for the Knickerbocker Theater, New York City. Toomey was one of the founders of the firm Toomey & Volland, scene painters 3127 Cass avenue. His first studio was opened in St. Louis in the Olympic Theatre Building, in 1867. The room in which this studio was located was destroyed recently. Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Louis County, Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery. Toomey is survived by his widow, Mrs. Mary Vogt Toomey, and the son.”

The last line of Toomey’s obituary noted, “Hugo R Volland, the other member of the firm, died Nov. 14, following a paralytic strike.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1180 – Volland’s Studio, 1924

In 1924 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “On the [March] 30^th, I stopped at St. Louis, where Kirke met me at the station and we went to Volland’s studio. It is some studio.” Toomey & Volland built a new studio in 1922. Work was pouring in, especially Masonic scenery orders.

Moses continued, “They were very anxious to have me come down and help them out, as they had more work that they could handle.” I bet, as they had kept winning bids from Sosman & Landis over the past few years. Moses’ bid for the Chicago-based firm was always higher than their St. Louis competitors, especially in the post-WWI years. Moses was a close friend both Patrick J. Toomey and Hugo R. Volland. He repeatedly mentioned stopping by the Toomey & Volland shops whenever he was in St. Louis, Missouri.

There was another issue at play when Moses’ mentioned stopping by Volland’s in 1924. Both of the studio founders passed away within six months of each other, and Toomey & Volland transitioned into Volland Scenic Studios. Volland’s son Victor was now running the business with his own ideas. The two founders, both skilled scenic artists in their own right, were gone.

It has been a while since I covered the history of the Toomey & Volland Studio, so I’ll do a brief recap. Then I’ll cover the collapse of the original firm between 1922 and 1923.

Volland Studios evolved from an earlier partnership known as Toomey & Volland. Moses was close friends with Toomey. Toomey & Volland evolved from an earlier scenic art partnership called Noxon & Toomey. Thomas C. Noxon and Patrick Joseph Toomey joined forces in approximately 1867. Interestingly, Volland Studio would claim 1869 as their establishment, but Noxon was the firm’s first president and senior partner in the company.

Noxon and Toomey expanded in 1881 and changed its name to Noxon, Albert & Toomey. The famed Ernest Albert was added to the company, while Toomey was reported to be “the itinerant member of the firm” (Richmond Dispatch, 24 Jan 1886, page 3). The company ran regional offices with studios in St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, Illinois & Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Noxon, Albert & Toomey lasted for almost a decade, but Albert eventually returned to Chicago to partner with Walter Burridge and Oliver Dennett Grover, forming Albert, Grover & Burridge. This was immediately after Moses partnered with Burridge, forming Burridge, Moses and Louderback. By 1891, Albert, Grover & Burridge partnered and built an innovative scenic studio in Chicago with twenty paint frames and a display area to fully light and stage completed sets for clients. Although there was much promise, the firm went bankrupt in two years.

The majority of late-nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century scenic art partnerships formed quickly; they came and went. In some ways, they were like the type of fire-works that make a big boom and then quickly fizzled to the ground. Very few companies lasted the test of time, with both Sosman & Landis and Volland Studios being the exceptions. However, Toomey & Volland really did not withstand the test of time, as the partnership only lasted two decades. Volland Studios certainly lasted longer, but that it wasn’t a partnership; Volland became a family firm.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1178 – Thomas G. Moses and the San Antonio Scottish Rite

In 1924, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “I left home on the 5^th of January for a southern trip.”

He was heading south to San Antonio, Texas, to bid on another Scottish Rite theatre contract; one that he would not get. Regardless, the trip was quite eventful. Moses continued, “I reached St. Louis quite late on the Alton road. Found our connecting line had gone on. Awfully cold and storming badly. Managed to bluff my way onto another train and was fortunate in securing the same berth number. Travelled all the next day on our way to Paris, Texas, where we had to remain overnight. We left Paris early the next morning and arrived in San Antonio at 8:21 in the evening, where I spent several days with my old friend Herbert Barnard. We had quite a good showing at his studio.”

Barnard had quite a reputation in San Antonio and should have been the local favorite, but he was not a Mason. Barnard was well known as a designer and director of outdoor festivals. In 1923, the “Tulsa Tribune” reported, “Barnard stands almost unrivaled in America. Despite the number of years that he has been engaged in scenic decoration, his work displays ever-increasing ingenuity and originality. He builds the floats in keeping with the spirit and nature of the event for which they are designed, and in some of his former connections has produced carnivals and festivals of bewildering lavishness and startling originality” (July 22, 1923).

Unfortunately, they were bidding against Toomey & Volland, another southern studio with quite a reputation. Unlike Barnard, however, Toomey & Volland were well-respected for their Masonic Scenery production.

Moses wrote, “Barnard is really entitled to the contract and I did all I could to throw the work at him with the understanding that our company would be sharer in the profits. We finally got our estimate submitted. It was $38,000.00 Volland took the contract at $26,000.00.” It was a big project -114 drops.

This was a pattern that would continue to plague Moses for the next decade. No matter how he figured the numbers, Moses often came in as the highest bidder, the projects quickly slipping thru his fingertips.

The Scottish Rite Cathedral of San Antonio was completed in 1924 at a cost of $1.5 million.

*The stage at the San Antonio Scottish Rite Cathedral*

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1176 – 416 S. Kedzie Avenue in 1924

In 1924 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Our small studio on Kedzie Avenue has certainly got my ‘goat’ as it seems almost impossible to move our large drops and wings.” This was the beginning of Moses’ continued struggle for space, a problem that would plague him for the remainder of his career. In the end, it became easiest for him to paint on projects on site, or rent a nearby theatre. It must have been a logistical mess.

*The address was still listed for the studio in 1931*

Moses & Megan were renting space at 416 S. Kedzie Ave. as they waited to finalize their purchase of the Sosman & Landis name. They would remain at that address throughout the decade. The site is now a parking lot.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1175 – The Illini Theatre in Sterling, Illinois, 1924

In 1924 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Some small work has filled in very nicely. We secured the contract for my old hometown theatre.” Moses was referring to the Illini Theatre in Sterling, Illinois. The 1,200-seat venue was a combination house, built by George Greenough and W. A. Weeks. Moses & Megan delivered both fabric draperies and painted curtains, each now considered necessary for venues featuring both live entertainment and film. This project was secured and completed while Moses and Fred R. Megan were waiting to purchase the Sosman & Landis name.

From the “Sterling Daily Gazette,” 10 March 1924.

On March 19, 1924, The “Sterling Daily Gazette” described the stage of the new theater. The article reported, “The stage, 28 feet deep and 52 feet wide, an arch opening which is 30 feet wide. The stage is equipped with appropriate drops to harmonize with the color and decorative scheme of the theater. The asbestos curtain is plain but for the letter “L.” Back of that are beautiful tobacco brown velour drapes which operate on tracks so that they may be gathered back in drape effect. Furnishing an outline setting for the silver picture screen is a lavender and gold drape of sateen. An advertising olio curtain, a wood scene and the usual interior and exterior boarders are included in the stage drops. All of the curtains were designed and furnished by Tom Moses of the firm Moses and Megan. Mr. Moses is a former Sterling resident and has many friends among the older citizens.”

From the “Sterling Daly Gazette,” 10 March 1924.

After a brief nod to the scenic elements, the article described the new “beautiful lighting effects” at the Illini Theatre. The article continued, “The lighting effects comprise a tribute to the highest genius of electrical science. It is doubtful if Fairyland with its pale, delicate hues – the pinks and purples, the reds and yawning yellows, balmy blues and gentle greens of the most resplendent imaginative array – could be more adequately illuminated to reveal its hidden charm. An ingenious system of lighting operated by a new type of remote-controlled switchboard and cleverly adjusted dimmers, whose levers may be operated with piano touch, is the source of the subtle brilliance in the reflector boxes under the organ screen on both sides of the proscenium arch and throughout the auditorium. The seven primal colors of the rainbow may be blended and diffused by this artful scheme to suit the whims of the picture upon the screen, with unerring faithfulness to plot suggestion. There can be pink dawns, golden noons and purple twilights, bleak breaks-o’-day, cheerless noontimes and drab sunfalls, sombre nights shot with silvery moonlight; yellow hazes simmering in the summer in the summer sun; mountain blues and grey flecked with snowy whites, the vital greens of meadow and hillside, the pinks of rose and the red glows of pulsating life whichever the theme of the picture suggests.”

From the “Sterling Daily Gazette,” 12 June 1924, page 2.

From the “Sterling Daily Gazette,” 24 May 1924, page 2.

From the “Sterling Daily Gazette,” 10 June 1924, page 2.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Leadville, Colorado.

Scenery by Sosman & Landis for the Elks Opera House (Tabor Opera House) in Leadville, Colorado, 1902. The Sosman & Landis Studio was subcontracted by the Kansas City Scenic Co. for the project.

*Scenery by Sosman & Landis for the (Elks Opera House) Tabor Opera House in 1902*

For more scenes from the Tabor Opera House, visit www.drypigment.net and keyword search “Tabor Opera House.”

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Fabric Studios of Chicago

I am currently exploring the life and times of scenic Thomas G. Moses in 1923. It seems a good time to share images from my visit to the Joplin Scottish Rite Theatre in 2018. The scenery was delivered by the Fabric Studios or Chicago in 1923. For more information about the Fabric Studios, visit https://drypigment.net…/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and…/

*Scenery by the Fabric Studios of Chicago, 1923*

For more information about the Fabric Studios, visit https://drypigment.net…/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and…/

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1168 – Herbert Barnard, Scenic Artist

In 1923, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Left El Dorado for Tulsa, Oklahoma, spent a day with Barnard and saw the city. Enjoyed it immensely.” The next year Moses wrote, “I spent several days with my old friend Herbert Barnard. We had quite a good showing at his studio.” Moses was talking about fellow scenic artist, Herbert Barnard (1880-1949).

By 1923, Barnard had gained quite a reputation throughout the south. On July 22, 1923, the “Tulsa Tribune” reported, “As director and designer of outdoor festivals with their floats and other spectacular trappings. Barnard stands almost unrivaled in America. Despite the number of years that he has been engaged in scenic decoration, his work displays ever-increasing ingenuity and originality. He builds the floats in keeping with the spirit and nature of the event for which they are designed, and in some of his former connections has produced carnivals and festivals of bewildering lavishness and startling originality.”

Herbert Barnard was born on August 20, 1880 in Chicago, Illinois. He changed his last name from Bernard to Barnard by 1918 when he registered for the draft in San Antonio. His draft registration listed his physical appearance as medium height and medium build, with dark hair and brown eyes. Herbert’s extended family was quite large. His grandparents, Martin and Elizabeth Bernhard, emigrated from Germany two years apart; Elizabeth arriving in 1849 with the first of their two children. The couple settled in Chicago, where their family expanded to thirteen children. They eventually moved to New Canada, Minnesota, after all but four children became adults. When Martin passed away in 1886, Elizabeth moved back to Chicago and began living with her children. In 1900, she was living with Phillip – Herbert’s father; the census, however, listed her as “head” of the family.

In regard to Philip Bernhard, he dropped the “h,” going Phillip Bernard. Herbert would further alter the name to Barnard (replacing the “e” with and “a”). In Chicago, Phillip Bernhard worked as designer, although I have to locate any firm or specifics. Regardless, Phillip encouraged his son’s artistic abilities, with Herbert entering the scenic art trade.

It is very likely that Herbert first met Thomas Moses in Chicago at the Sosman & Landis shops, staying with the firm until he moved south. By 1911, Herbert moved to San Antonio Texas, with his young wife Katherine. In 1913, the couple was boarding at 418 S. Press with Herbert’s brother Jacob. The City Directory listed Herbert as working at a studio located on Soledad St. Jacob was working for the architectural firm of Harvey L. Page Co. In 1918, he was still listed as an artist, now running his own business, and living at 610 St. Mary’s in San Antonio, Texas. The couple moved around in San Antonio during the 1920s, going from 310 W. Grammency Place in 1924, to rooming at 1508 Main Ave. in 1926, and finally settling on W. Woodlawn in 1927.

By 1929, the San Antonio City Directory listed Barnard as an art director at Walter J. Daly Studios. Walter J. Studios was responsible for the stage scenery and equipment for a reinforced concrete and stone open-air theater in the Lone Star Garden in San Antonio. I have not found out much more about that scenic studio yet.

The 1930 US Federal Census lists Barnard as an artist and decorator, living with his wife Katherine (42 yrs. old) and son Phillip (19 yrs. old). I have uncovered very little about his work in the 1930s to date. Barnard’s WWII Draft registration card listed a new employer – the WPA Engineering Department, specifically, “Mr. Steinfeldt at Randolph Field in San Antonio, 2036 Addison, Houston, Texas”.

On May 12, 1949, the “Abilene Reporter-News” reported “Texas Artist Dies. Houston, May 11 – Herbert Bernard, 68, San Antonio, died of a heart attack Tuesday night as the home of his son here.” (page 11).

The “Lubbock Morning Avalanche” published a longer obituary, noting “He came to Texas from Chicago in 1911, and since had been associated with the major festivals and parades in the Southwest, including the Battle of Flowers in San Antonio, the Tulsa Oil exposition, and the Mardi Gras celebration in Galveston. He exhibited many paintings of the Texas state flower, the Bluebonnet, and designed and decorated floats for numerous parades throughout the state.”

To be continued…