Information about historic theaters, scenic art and stage machinery. Copyright © 2026 by Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD
Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Advertisement Curtain (Ad Drop) in the Twin City Scenic Co. Collection, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota.
Here is a link to more Ad Drop designs in the digital database: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&facets%5Bcollection_name_s%5D%5B%5D=Scenic+Collections&sort=&q=ad+drop
The digital database is a wonderful resource, especially for students.
Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
By the end of 1923, Thomas G. Moses wrote: “On December 26th, Megan and I met Sosman and Landis Company at Richard’s office and paid our first installment for the name and good will of Sosman and Landis Company, which we now own and will operate, but for a while we will have to use our names of Moses and Megan, until the old company can liquidate. We will then get a new charter.” In the end, it cost Moses $20,000 for that “name and goodwill.”
When the Sosman & Landis Co. was liquidated, the name was purchased by Moses & Megan; the studio’s contents were purchased by the Hoyland-Lemle Co.; and Chicago Studios leased the space. In one fell swoop, Sosman & Landis was split into three parts – name, contents and address, each going to a different firm. Each of the players has a unique story. I am starting with the Hoyland-Lemle Co.
By 1923, the Hoyland-Lemle offices were listed at 6751 Sheridan Rd, but they rented various studio spaces to paint advertising curtains (ad drops). Interestingly, 6751 Sheridan Rd was the same address listed by Moses & Megan when they sent out letters to prospective clients in 1923 while Moses was still working for Sosman & Landis. Keep in mind that Chicago Studios was using the official Sosman & Landis address by late summer 1923, citing 417 S. Clinton Street – this was immediately after preliminary discussions about the closure of Sosman & Landis. At this same time, Hoyland-Lemle were actually renting the Sosman & Landis main studio at 417 S. Clinton St. To briefly recap, Chicago Studios sent out letters during the summer of 1923 to prospective Sosman & Landis clients, explaining that they were the successors to Sosman & Landis – citing the same address, 417 S. Clinton St.
Moses and Megan immediately disputed the fact that Chicago Studios was the successor to Sosman & Landis, sending out their own letters on Sosman & Landis stationary. They explained that Sosman & Landis was only moving to a better location – 6751 Sheridan Rd. in Chicago, the Hoyland-Lemle offices. This, combined with Moses’ delay in securing the new business charter, was disastrous. Moses and Megan were put in a difficult position with any future iteration of Sosman & Landis looking weak.
It was an interesting time in the theatre industry. By the 1920s scenic studios were often short-lived, opening and closing like clover plants every day. This was not especially new, but there were now many more players in Chicago. Names were changed, with scenic artists hopping from one firm to another. There were still major players, with long histories and impeccable reputations; Sosman & Landis was one of those companies, and that was something that Moses was relying upon for his own future success.
The Hoyland-Lemle Co. has an interesting, albeit short-lived, history. The company’s namesakes were Charles L. Hoyland and William Lemle. Hoyland-Lemle officially entered the scenic studio game in 1922, but really was the result of a name change, not a start-up company. Previously, the Hoyland-Lemle Co. was known as the Allardt Advertising Co., run by the Allardt Bros. who established the Allardt Circuit in the Midwest.
On May 29, 1922, the “Tulsa Daily Legal News” announced “Allardt Adv. Co, changing name to Hoyland-Lemle Co., Chicago, Ill. C. L. Hoyland, Wm Lemle, Maybelle Shearer & C. M. Hoyland, Chicago, Ill. Capital $50,000” (page 1). State business filings in 1922 listed the Hoylund-Lemle address as 417 S. Clinton Street, the same as Sosman & Landis where they were renting paint space. Hoyland-Lemle also rented frames at the newly founded Service Studios, in the renovated spaces of the old Jewel Tea Co. barns. The company provided many different addresses for various government records, such as 32 West Monroe Street, listed in the “Second Annual Report of the Tax Commission of the State of Illinois” in 1921 (page 304).
The key figure in the formation of Hoyland-Lemle was Hoyland. It was the result of Hoyland’s relationship with the Allardt Bros. He was working for them by 1910. In Jan. 9, 1911, “The South Bend Tribune reported that Hoyland was initiated into the Theatrical Mechanical Association, South Bend Lodge, No. 120. At the time, he was treasurer of the Lyric Theatre in Danville, Illinois. He was the guest of Messrs. C. J. and Louis F. Allardt of the Orpheum. The article went on to state that Danville’s Lyric Theatre was part of the Allardt Circuit (page 4). Hoyland continued to work at other Allardt venues, including the New Orpheum Theatre in Racine, Wisconsin by 1913. In 1914 Hoyland’s primary focus became the Allardt Advertising Co. Much of the Allardts’ energies were focusing on marketing. They invested in theatrical agencies, venues and advertising curtains. On Feb. 1, 1914, the “Inter Ocean” listed Charles L. Hoyland as the head of the Allardt Advertising Company, and treasurer of Allardt Bros.
Between 1914 and 1921, Hoyland remained with the Allardt company until he and William Lemle purchased the firm and changed the name. The company lasted less than five years, and by 1927, Hoyland was running the new Charles L. Hoyland Co. Much of the Hoyland-Lemle Company’s demise was due to lack of payment. Like Sosman & Landis, clients’ were not always prompt with final payments. The firm was involved in several court cases to collect money owed from clients throughout the mid-1920s.
On Sept. 8, 1926, the “Paducah Sun-Democrat” reported, “The Hoyland-Lemle company, an Illinois corporation, is the plaintiff in five suits filed against Paducahans in McCracken county circuit court yesterday afternoon. The company alleges in each suit that the defendant owes a balance on a contract price for advertising displayed on the Orpheum theater circuit curtain. The suits were brought on behalf of Hoyland-Lemle by Attorney W. A. Berry” (Paducah, Kentucky, page 2).
The advertising curtain business was extremely lucrative, but risky. Businesses would rent ad squares on a curtain, paying a monthly, or annual, fee for the space. These curtains were often placed independent of the scenery contract, front curtain or asbestos curtain. In many cases, they were painted and installed at no cost to the theatre owner. The fees collected from the businesses paid for the piece’s construction and then provided a substantial profit, as long at the curtain was used.
Advertising curtains functioned like commercials; they were contracted to be lowered at specific times during a show. Advertising companies even sent representatives to various theaters to ensure that the advertising curtains were being lowered at the appropriate times. This all worked well, unless the clients renting the ad space didn’t pay the contracted fee. This meant not only losing the anticipated income but finding a new business to rent the ad space and repainting the square. The best-case scenario was never having to repaint a square and just collecting the payments. The worst-case scenario was what happened at the Orpheum Theatre in Paducah, Kentucky. Five businesses not paying for an advertisement curtain was a significant loss. It is no wonder that 1926 was the last year of the Hoyland-Lemle Co.
When the Hoyland-Lemle Co. ended, two new studios sprung up: the Charles L. Hoyland Co. and William Lemle, Inc. In an odd twist of fate, the newly listed “spacious studio of William Lemle Inc.” was located at 417 S. Clinton St – the old Sosman & Landis main studio.
To be continued…
Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1923 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Joe Bren’s work came in early this year, and we will try and give him a good job. It is not apt to be paid for very soon as usual.”
The Joe Bren Company was a Chicago-based theatrical production company that partnered with fraternities and civic groups to stage fundraising shows. Bren became a Sosman & Landis client in 1916 and continued to order scenery on an annual basis until the early 1920s. By 1922, however, the amount of scenery purchased by Bren from Sosman & Landis began to dwindle.
Bren Company representatives traveled from town to town, working with local talent to organize minstrel reviews, vaudeville frolics and “Jollies.” They were especially popular with the Kiwanis Club, Lions, American Legionnaires, United Commercial Travelers, Elks, and Shriners. The Bren Company provided sketches, jokes, and songs, even supplementing some of the local talent with professional acts. The Joe Bren Company not only provided instruction, but also all of the technical trappings, including scenery, lighting equipment and costumes.
By 1922, however, the Bren company began purchasing much of their scenery from another source – Service Studios, also known as the Scenic Service Studio of Chicago. On Dec. 10, 1922, the “Leader-Telegram” included a announcement about a Bren production reporting, “Scenery for the Bren company constructed and painted by the Scenic Service Studio of Chicago” (page 8). The Service Studios was completely composed of previous Sosman & Landis artists, so they new what Bren needed for his production. In 1920, a group left Sosman & Landis to form Scenic Studio. Service Studios rapidly made inroads in the theatre industry, winning projects from many competitors, including Sosman & Landis. Here is a past post about Service Studios: https://drypigment.net2020/05/05/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-part-981-john-hanny-and-the-chicago-service-studios-1918/
The primary Bren production for 1922 to 1923 was a musical revue in two acts and six scenes, under the direction of Ralph Hamilton and Alex Robb of the Joe Bren Production Co., Chicago. The production staff for the event included: Delos Owen (orchestrations and musical direction), Joe Bren (Dialogue and Lyrics), Geo. L. Ownes (staged musical numbers), Scenic Service Studios, Chicago (scenic design and execution), and New York Costume Co., Chicago (costumes).
In 1925, Scenic Services Studios was still producing scenery for Joe Bren, now the “Jollies of 1925” (Hamilton Evening Journal, 10 March 1925). This all changed in 1926 when Service Studios sold out to Art Oberbeck of ACME Studios. Interestingly, Oberbeck had also started out at Sosman & Landis scenic artist in 1904.
By the early 1920s, Bren hired Sosman & Landis for production elements, no longer the main design for the primary stage show. With Sosman & Landis struggling, clients may have hesitated, fearing the fir would closed before their scenery was delivered. In 1923, Sosman & Landis provided booths and lighting fixtures for a Bren-produced Shriner charity event; it did not end well.
On March 30, 1923, the “Chattanooga Daily Times” reported, “Booths and fixtures at the Shriner’s fun festival, now in progress at the Billy Sunday tabernacle, were attached yesterday through a chancery court action started by Sosman, Landis & Co., of Chicago, Ill., for the collection of $2,000 due by reason of an alleged breach of contract. The bill asserts that Joe Bren, named as defendant with the local Shriner’s organization and others, acting as purchasing agent for the fun festival management, contracted to buy certain supplies from the plaintiff. This contract, according to the bill, was breached to complaintant’s damage. The attachment was run merely to prevent the sale or removal of the fixtures attached and will not interfere with the operation of the show (page 4). Bren was branching out beyond his musical reviews and directing all kinds of events, including trade shows and circuses.
By the late 1920s, Bren Production company events began to dwindle, and by 1930 Bren became department head for the Music Corporation of America.
To be continued…
Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Here are two examples of a garden drop design by Twin City Scenic Co. artists. The design was used for the Brown Grand Theater in Concordia, Kansas, and St. Patrick’s Parish Hall in Shieldsville, Minnesota. I restored the Brown Grand garden drop in 2002 and the Shieldsville drop in 2017. It was fun to see the shift in technique and color palette by Twin City Scenic Co. artists over the course of a decade.
Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Wood backdrop by the Twin City Scenic Co. 1907. This is part of a collection that I restored in 2002.
Here is a link for more information about the the history of the theater: http://www.browngrand.org/support
Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1923, Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Binghamton, NY. He was assisted by Edward Loitz, earning $2,500 to paint forty drops for the stage. Moses and Loitz were subcontracted by New York Studios for the work.
On October 17, 1923, the “Binghamton Press and Leader” reported, “Thomas G. Moses of Chicago. Representing New York Studios, who is painting scenery, curtains and drops for the stage in the auditorium of the Masonic Temple under construction at Main and Murray streets.” On Nov. 21, 1923, the “Binghamton Press and Leader” reported, “The scenery for the auditorium was painted by the Sosman & Landis Co. of Chicago at a cost of $12,000. Much of this scenery was painted in the temple by Thomas G. Moses, scenic artist of this concern” (page 17). So why did the newspaper change from crediting associating Moses with New York Studios to Sosman & Landis over the course of a month?
Well, between Oct. 17 and Nov. 21, Moses realized that Hunt of New York studios had royally screwed him over. My guess is that Moses walked to the newspapers office and said, “When you mention my name again, make sure to add that I am representing Sosman & Landis.”
To briefly recap…Moses and Megan were in the process of purchasing the Sosman & Landis name, but could not until the company was liquidated (which would be in December). By the summer of 1923, Chicago Studios began using the Sosman & Landis address before just after negotiations with Moses stipulated that he could not use the company name until after the firm was completely. Moses’ negotiations were with Hunt of New York Studios, who was also running Sosman & Landis at the time. Chicago Studios started using the address, they sent out letters to Sosman & Landis clients announcing that they the successors to Sosman & Landis, just under a new name. Furthermore,
Moses & Megan immediately disputed the information circulated by Chicago Studios once they became aware of the deceit, sending out letters of their own and explaining that firm had not closed, just moved to a new location. On November 13, 1923, Moses and Megan sent a letter to the Scottish Rite in Salina, Kansas, writing “Dear Sir: It has recently some to our attention that a certain studio is advertising our old customers that they have bought the Sosman & Landis Company and are now operating same, combining it with their original company. We wish to assure you this is not a fact and that our original organization is intact, but our studio has been moved to better quarters.”
So, in the midst of the massive Binghamton Scottish Rite project, where Moses was painting on site for Hunt, Moses realized that Hunt had betrayed him. This is likely the reason that the second article about the scenery stated Sosman & Landis as the firm, and not New York Studios. Moses knew what Hunt was trying to do; Hunt was trying to discredit the new iteration of Sosman & Landis, the one that Moses and Megan would run. In the end, the scenery was credited to New York Studios. Moses never listed the Binghamton Scottish Rite in his resumé.
The Binghamton Scottish Rite was a massive undertaking and significant job, a credit to any studio. The Temple boasted 1,000,000 cubic feet, built at an expense of $400,000 The architects of the endeavor were Walter H. Whitlock and Charles H. Conrad of Binghamton, with the general work being done by the Mitchell Construction Co. On Nov. 21, 1923, the “Binghamton Press and Leader,” described, “Upon entering the main portal on Main street, one finds a large hall, or foyer. From this foyer one may enter the auditorium, the secretary’s rooms, a stairway and the elevator which reaches all floors. The auditorium, which is in the form of an amphitheater, occupies the greater part of the ground floor, first floor and first floor mezzanine. It has 4,700 square feet of floor space, in 28 feet in height and will seat 800 persons. It is connected with the stage by an opening 32 feet wide by 22 feet high. The stage, 1,720 square feet in area, is 30 feet deep, 57 feet wide and 58 feet high. There are 50 complete sets of scenery. At the sides of the stage, on three levels, are robing rooms representing 2,400 square feet of space” (page 17).
The fifty-seventh annual reunion of Otseningo Bodies, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, in the Valley of Binghamton, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, United States of America, was held from Nov. 20-22. It was held in the new Masonic temple at Main and Murray streets. The Reunion was held in conjunction with the dedication of the new Temple.
The Scottish Rite class for the reunion was composed of 350 candidates from the six counties in the jurisdiction. Present membership at the time was approximately 1,800 members.
On Nov. 21, 1923, the “Binghamton Press and Leader” reported, “This is the largest class of the Scottish Rite in the history of Masonry in Binghamton.” The class was named the Longley-Wear class in honor of the Rt. Rev. Harry S. Longley of Des Moines, Iowa, suffragan bishop of Iowa, a former rector of Christ church in Binghamton, and D. Walker Wear, one of the most prominent Masonic in Binghamton who had a large part in the erection of the new temple.
The ceremony of consecrating the new consistory was followed by several speeches, including Bishop Langley. On Nov. 23, 1923, the “Binghamton Press and Leader” reported, “Bishop Longley told the members that those who have in the present week taken the degrees that teach the ideals of Scottish Rite Masonry must have come to realize what a tremendous force and power masonry can wield in a world crying out for leadership. These masonic ideals must sway any movement for the reconstruction of the destruction that was started nine years ago in Europe, He declared that it is becoming more and more realized that any solution of world unrest must have as a foundation the spiritual truths taught in masonry. Civilization is at stake and he urged all to do their part by standing up for their ideals and maintaining and abiding faith in the omnipotence and goodness of God.”
The structure opened to great fanfare, with numerous articles about the endeavor, announcing “Masonic Temple is in First Rank of State Fraternal Buildings” (Binghamton Press and Leader, 17 Nov 1923 page 17). Unfortunately, this was Moses’ last painting for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. The rest of his fraternal work would shift to solely the Scottish Rite’s Southern Jurisdiction.
To be continued…
Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett
A leg drop and cut drop painted by Toomey & Volland Scenic Studio for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Richmond, Virginia. These two pieces were relocated to the Scottish Rite in Tucson, Arizona last month (Jan 2021). When the Richmond Scottish Rite moved to a new building in 1968, one-third of the scenery collection was placed in storage. These two drops were rolled and placed in storage, high above the properties room, stage-left. However, the backdrop to accompany the scene is missing.
All three pieces formed a classical rotunda setting for the 30th degree (Scottish Rite degree setting). We know what the missing backdrop looked like, as this same scene was delivered to the Louisville Scottish Rite.
Unfortunately, the two leg drops were repositioned at the Louisville Scottish Rite and the setting can no longer be viewed as originally installed. The two leg drops were erroneously placed on neighboring lines.
Here is a link for more information about my preliminary site visit to the Richmond Scottish Rite in October 2020 https://drypigment.net…/travels-of-a-scenic-artist-and…/
Here is the link to my post about the January 2021 relocation project: https://drypigment.net…/travels-of-a-scenic-artist-and…/
For more Richmond Scottish Rite drops, keyword search “Richmond Scottish Rite” at www.drypigment.net.
Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1923, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “I put in fully a week in Binghamton at the Arlington Hotel on designs for Masonic work and I believe we will get the contract.”
Sosman & Landis didn’t get the contract but Moses still painted the scenery. Somehow, David Hunt of New York Studios landed the profitable contract. Keep in mind that New York Studios was the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis, and Sosman & Landis was preparing to close.
By summer, Moses wrote, “I have arranged to go to Binghamton, N.Y. for Hunt, $2,500.00 for the job. Sent Loitz on ahead, September 5th.”
Moses was referring to Ed Loitz. Loitz, who had worked with Moses since the 1883. He was a loyal painting assistant and friend who had followed Moses across the country, working alongside him wherever he went. Whether Moses had established a partnership, or was working at Sosman & Landis, Loitz was there. Loitz traveled one step ahead, preparing the next jobsite for Moses’ arrival and then workied on site. Loitz was almost a decade younger than Moses, being born in 1865. In 1923, they had been working together for forty years together. At the time, Moses was sixty-seven years old and Loitz was fifty-eight years old. Loitz was both a scenic artist and carpenter, taking care of everything needed before Moses arrived on site to paint.
Moses was still splitting his time between painting for Hunt (New York Studios) and Sosman & Landis. Sosman & Landis were in the process of liquidating all assets and closing their doors. Moses and Fred Megan were waiting to purchase the name.
The New York Studios project was the stock scenery collection for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Binghamton, New York. This project was completed was just before Moses realized that Chicago Studios was sending out letters to Sosman & Landis clients, explaining that they were the successor to Sosman & Landis, already having secured the same address. David S. Hunt was behind the establishment of Chicago Studios, as well as running both New York Studios and Sosman & Landis. Even though he knew Moses was going to purchase the Sosman & Landis name after the company liquidated their assets, Hunt was using his position at Sosman & Landis to his advantage to discredit any new iteration of Sosman & Landis. This would all happen in November 1923 while he was on site in Binghamton.
On October 17, 1923, Binghamton’s “Press and Sun-Bulletin” featured Moses and his work. The article was entitled “Vies with Nature in Realms of Beauty,” and stated, “Thomas G. Moses Wields a Well-nigh Magic Brush in Painting Scenery, Curtains and Drops for New Masonic Temple.” Here is the article in its entirety:
“Thomas G. Moses of Chicago. Representing New York Studios, who is painting scenery, curtains and drops for the stage in the auditorium of the Masonic Temple under construction at Main and Murray streets, need no assistance of Brownies or other mystical helpers in making things beautiful in the opinion of those who have seen examples of his work.
Fairyland in all its mystical wonderfulness could not surpass the beauty that is represented on the canvas with the paint from the brushes carefully wielded by Moses. Mechanical curtains on which a moon may be seen rising, Persian temple interiors and water, wooded and open scenes are all in the new temple to bring admiration from all the Masons who are privileged to see them all.
Forty drops are being painted by Mr. Moses.”
[Moses was being paid $2,500 dollars for the project, so we can estimate that his average painting fee per drop was no more than $62.50/each, assuming he wasn’t paying for travel, lodging or meals out of that amount. The money equivalent of $62.50 in 1923 is $952.02 in 2021.The contract was for $12,000]
“Each set is used for some one of the 32 degrees prescribed in the ranks of the fraternity. Each degree is exemplified in a different setting. Some are on the plains, others in a temple painted from Biblical descriptions of King Solomon’s temple, extensive Egyptian quarries and water scenes.
The full equipment will be used for the first time on Nov. 18, 19 and 20, when the annual reunion of Otseningo Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, will be held. Exemplification of degree work at that time will be the first that it has been done in full form in four years. Equipment of the Masonic body was destroyed four years ago in a fire in the temple on Chenango street.
All paintings of the scenery are done by Mr. Moses from scale drawings which he completed several months ago. The small scale drawings were drawn from outlines by officers of lodges here. Mr. Moses on a platform suspended from the top of the loft sketches in charcoal on the canvass the scene which he wishes to paint.
Mr. Moses is assisted by Edward Loitz, who has traveled from coast to coast with Mr. Moses working on many contracts. Installation of the drops is supervised by H. E. Naile. The three men have worked together in many cities, their last contract being in Little Rock, Ark.
The stage in the temple here and the scenery and drops being painted are the largest ever handled in a Masonic Temple by Mr. Moses. He says he is well satisfied with the progress of his work and in a short time it will be finished. He expects to remain here to paint some work for another temple.
Products of the brush of Mr. Moses and his assistant, Mr. Loitz, are not entirely new to Binghamton. Mr. Moses painted the landscapes and architectural exteriors for the State hospital theater and Mr. Loitz did the interiors. Mr. Moses painted the original scenery for the Stone Opera House and upon visiting that place a few days ago he found some of the equipment still in use.
Tom Moses, as he is nationally known, was found today busily engaged in painting a drop 21 feet by 40 feet representing an interior of an old German chapel. The picture is complete with stained glass windows and the chapel is profusely decorated with flags, shields and bits of armor.
Tom Moses’ father was a captain of a sailing vessel and when he left the bounding main he started a leather business. He intended his son should follow his footsteps. The world might have been richer with a reliable captain or an expert on leather, but Tom had ideas for a different vocation, and thus the world has not been deprived of a master painter who transfers the sometimes unreal to the real with an intricate movement of his paint brush.
All this was 45 years ago. During the 45 years he has been painting scenery, Mr. Moses has gained much praise throughout the land. His friends are legion. He is short and stocky and has a radiating personality that brings a friendly reception wherever he goes and he has no enemies.
Born in Liverpool, England, in 1856, more than 67 years ago, of English parentage, Mr. Moses came to America with his father and mother but when a little child and settled in Sterling, Ill. His father was a sea captain and later a tanner. Tom’s mother, who died when he was but a youngster, possessed an exceedingly artistic nature and did much to install into her son the love of artistic.
Tom’s father was strict and was certain that the boy would be “better off” as a tanner with his brawny arms wrestling with a piece of hairy hide and covered with tannin. Use of a hickory switch proved to Tom that this would probably be much after his father declared only starvation faced the starving artists.
One try at the tanning game convinced Tom that he would rather be an artist. At the age of 17 he left home “with a forwarding address.” He hired out as a paint boy in the Chicago studio of P. M. Almini. Louis Malmsha, director of the company, recognized the ability in the recently hired paint boy. In a year he had advanced in wages from $4 a week to $21, but the rapid rise was due to his persevering work.
Robert Hopkin, a scenic artist in Detroit, Mich., was the next person to obtain the services of the rising artist. At the age of 20 he returned to his home and married Miss Ella Robbin. The couple lived there until 1880 when they went to Chicago where Mr. Moses started working for the Sosman & Landis Co. He painted the first work of this concern.
In his long and varied career, Mr. Moses has done work for many famous artists and for many famous productions. It was he who designed and executed the original “Floradora” sets for John C. Fisher. He did them, not only once, but four times. The work of Tom Keene, John McCullough, Booth and Barrett, Col. Cody (Buffalo Bill), Julia Marlowe, Robert Lober, Joseph Murphy, Conried and Herman, Emma Abbott, Emma Juch, Sarah Bernhardt, Mme. Modjeska, and score of other greater and lesser figures of the American stage was enhanced by scenery executed by Thomas G. Moses.
Some of the famous productions, in addition to “Floradora,” which Mr. Moses has made are “Shenandoah,” and “Old Kentucky,” famous melodramas; “Marie Antoinette,” “Mary Stuart” and “Macbeth” for Mme. Modjeska; “Judas” for Mme. Bernhardt. Joseph Jefferson’s last “Rip Van Winkle”; “The Holy City,” “By Right Sword,” “Lost in the Desert,” “Quo Vadis,” “The Witch,” “Robinson Crusoe,” “Ben Hur” and scores of other big productions.
He has also produced some of those famous Luna Park spectacles at Coney Island, such as “Fire and Flames,” “The War of the Worlds,” “Trip to the Moon,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” “The Streets of Delhi” and others. “The Streets of Delhi” was produced at a cost of $100,000.
In the art world outside of scene painting he has received much recognition. He has the distinction of being a member of the world-famous Salmagundi club, that noted organization of artists in New York. Mr. Moses is also a member of the Chicago Society of Arts, the famous Palette and Chisel Club, the California Art Club of Los Angeles and the Laguna Art association of Laguna Beach, Cal.
Rapid advance of motion pictures has crimped the scenic painting industry, Mr. Moses says. “Because of the fewer number of dramatic shows now there is a less demand for drops. Movies take the place of the dramatic productions that one time held sway.”
To be continued…
Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Sosman & Landis’ main studio was located at 417 – 419 S. Clinton Street in Chicago. Constructed by the firm’s founders in 1880, it was an ideal space to design, build and paint scenery. Over the years, they supplemented this main studio with a variety of annex studios, but the firm’s address was always on S. Clinton Street. As with other large scenic studios, they rented space to not only other scenic artists, but also other scenic studios. After WWI and a general decline in demand for painted scenery, they continued this practice, renting to former employees and associates. In short, it helped reduce overhead. In 1922, Sosman & Landis rented space to Charles L. Hoyland and William Lemle of the Hoyland-Lemle Company. State business filings in 1922 listed the Hoyland-Lemle address as 417 S. Clinton Street, the same as Sosman & Landis.
Here is where it starts to get interesting, although a bit complicated. In 1923, Sosman & Landis closed its doors and liquidated their assets. Thomas G. Moses partnered with Fred R. Megan to purchase the Sosman & Landis name, planning to charter a second iteration of the company. Until Sosman & Landis was completely liquidated, however, Moses and Megan could not officially begin their new business venture. Therefore, they temporarily conducted business under the name Moses & Megan. All the while, Moses was still working at Sosman & Landis, finishing up contracts before the company closed.
While waiting to secure the Sosman & Landis name, Moses recorded that they leased the “old Fabric Studio,” adding that they plenty of work in sight, but intended to “hustle for more.” Initially, I believed that Moses and Megan rented Fabric Studios shop, located at 117 N. State Street in Chicago. The Fabric Studios of Chicago was a firm that appeared at this same time. My current research, however, suggests that that they actually rented the fabric studio in the Sosman & Landis shop at 417 S. Clinton street, simply biding their time until they officially opened the new Sosman & Landis Company. It would make sense, as it provided a separate space in the same building that Moses worked at every day, and a business address.
Enter, David Hunt and the Chicago Studios. Hunt had worked at Sosman & Landis since 1889 in various capacities. He helped establish the theatrical management firm of Sosman, Landis & Hunt in 1894, as well as found New York Studios, an affiliate of Sosman & Landis. Over the years, Hunt was identified as a Secretary, Treasurer and President of Sosman & Landis. It is Hunt’s establishment of New York Studios, partially funded by Sosman & Landis, that is of import as it shows a pattern.
Hunt’s second wife, Adelaide A. Hunt, was involved with New York Studios from the beginning, and became president of the company. Adelaide was also involved with establishing the Chicago Studios. This meant that David Hunt was intimately involved with three companies, Sosman & Landis, New York Studios and The Chicago Studios. Although it looked like three separate firms, they were not entirely independent of each other, and there was one man running the show behind the screen.
In 1922, the Chicago Studios was located at 15 W. 20th St. The officers of the firm on file with the State were Frank Cain of 139 N. Clark St., Chicago and A. A. Hunt of 328 N. 39th St., New York, NY. After Sosman & Landis was liquidated, Chicago Studios moved into the old Sosman & Landis space acquiring the well-known address 417-419 S. Clinton St. At this same time, the studio contents were purchased by Charles L. Hoyland and William Lemle of the Hoyland-Lemle Company. This made sense, as Hoyland-Lemle leased the space for over a year and likely had their own stock mixed with that of Sosman & Landis.
However, in 1923, Moses also mentioned trying to get Hoyland and Lemle “out.” This suggested that he was considering renting the main studio space for himself and Megan. At this time Moses also wrote “D.S. Hunt is also bobbing about for the lease of the studio.” Hunt was banking on the studio space too. In the end, Hunt did acquire the lease for the studio under the guise of the Chicago Studios. And this is what prompted a series of obstacles for Moses, as Hunt saw an opportunity took advantage of it.
Keep in mind that Hunt was part of the negotiations that requested Moses wait until the company was liquidated before he officially started working under the Sosman & Landis name. He also tried to get Moses on board with his own endeavor; asking him to stay in the studio.
Moses wrote, “Hunt wants me to remain in the studio, but I can’t see it.” In hindsight, this meant that Hunt wanted Moses to work for Chicago Studios and not pursue purchasing the Sosman & Landis name. If Moses and Megan opened a new “Sosman & Landis Company” they would directly compete with Chicago Studios.
In short, there were two firms going after Sosman & Landis clients – Moses and Hunt. Each were planning to use their institutional memory of the company to succeed in landing future projects.
This also meant that two scenic studios were going to market themselves as the successor of Sosman & Landis. Moses purchased the Sosman & Landis name. Chicago Studios purchased the Sosman & Landis address.
It was never a fair contest. By the fall of 1923, the Chicago Studios began advertising that they were continuing Sosman & Landis under a new name. They jumped the gun, and this move put Moses on the defensive; he never stood a chance to win. Hunt cheated and used Moses abiding by the criteria established in the negotiations to win. Chicago studios sent out letters and estimates to past Sosman & Landis clients, well in advance of the studio final liquidation. What this move did is make and new iteration of Sosman & Landis appear fraudulent and weak.
Moses & Megan immediately disputed the information circulated by Chicago Studios, sending out letters of their own. Their letters tried to explain that firm had not closed, just moved to a new location. That an unrelated studio was leasing the space and falsely marketing themselves. There was no way to make this look good, and they knew it. Keep in mind that the main studio on Clinton Street had remained the official Sosman & Landis address for over thirty years. This created a very awkward situation, as there is no way to state leaving the Sosman & Landis “home” to a better location. The studio was well known as one of the best in the country. It cast a negative light on all potential business dealings. In short, it looked like they were downsizing due to lack of work.
On November 13, 1923, Moses and Megan sent a letter to the Scottish Rite in Salina, Kansas. There was a stamp at the top in red ink: “MOVED Executive Offices. Now located at 6751 Sheridan Road.”
Moses and Megan wrote:
“Dear Sir:
It has recently some to our attention that a certain studio is advertising our old customers that they have bought the Sosman & Landis Company and are now operating same, combining it with their original company. We wish to assure you this is not a fact and that our original organization is intact, but our studio has been moved to better quarters.”
This was likely the beginning to every client, before taking on something personal. For the Salina Scottish Rite, the letter continued:
“Mr. Thomas G. Moses, our Art Director would like the opportunity of meeting with your scenery committee to submit our designs and specifications covering your requirements. You will perhaps recall that we were favored with your original scenery order, working through the M. C. Lilley Co, and therefore, it is not necessary for us to give you any reference to our ability and quality of our workmanship.”
To be continued…
Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1923 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “As I have very little time to paint, I feel that I am not producing what I should, and I am not feeling very jubilant over money affairs. I am not drawing enough to keep my small house expenses going; our only extravagance is the movies, which we attend twice a week either at home or downtown…The studio is not doing well, and the prospects are anything but encouraging. We all cut our salaries (the office only). That wouldn’t be so bad if we could draw it every week, but when our current bills and salaries are taken care of there is very little left for the officers… Hunt wants me to remain in the studio, but I can’t see it.”
By the end of 1923, Moses wrote: “On December 26th, Megan and I met Sosman and Landis Company at Richard’s office and paid our first installment for the name and good will of Sosman and Landis Company, which we now own and will operate, but for a while we will have to use our names of Moses and Megan, until the old company can liquidate. We will then get a new charter.” When the company liquidated, Hoyland & Lemle purchased the studio’s contents.
Moses selected Fred R. Megan for his business partner in 1923. Megan was not only a scenic artist, but also a very successful salesman for the Kansas City Scenic Co. He was a good pick, as Moses needed partner who understood all aspects of the business from sales to installation. Megan drummed up business in 1923 while he and Moses waited to officially claim the name of Sosman & Landis. Although Moses made a name for himself over the decades, his designs and painting were integrally linked to the Sosman & Landis brand. It is not surprising that Moses believed that he needed the Sosman & Landis name to continue.
Although I have written about Megan in the past, here is a brief recap of this incredibly interesting individual.
Frederick Rishel Megan (1873-1939) was the son of a Dr. James W. Megan and Cornelia Wookey. Like many in the medical profession during the nineteenth century, Dr. Megan traveled throughout a region, establishing one practice after another as the family moved from one small town to the next slightly larger town. The Megan’s early residences in Kansas included Pawnee Rock, Little River and Home City.
In 1893 the Megans moved from Home City to Olsburg before continuing on to Leonardville. On October 18, 1894, the “Olsburg News-Letter” reported, “Dr. J. W. Megan expects to move to Leonardville after election and will practice medicine there as well as look after editorial duties of the Monitor” (page 8). Their time spent in Olsburg signified a turning point, as Dr. Megan began to branch out beyond the medical profession. After Olsburg, the Megans moved to Leonardville, Kansas, where father and son commenced a new business venture – a publishing company. On October 25, 1894, the “Clay County Star” reported, The Leonardville Monitor has changed hands, assuming editorial charge, F. R. Megan, assuming editorial charge, and Dr. Megan & Son appear as publisher. From appearances they start in with an excellent patronage and will no doubt keep the paper up to its former high local standing” (25 Oct. 1894, page 3). Frederick R. Megan was listed as the editor for Dr. Megan & Son, publishers. The publication was advertised, “a spicy 5-column quarto, neatly printed and is Republican in politics” (Leonardville Monitor, Leonardville, Kansas, 8 Nov. 1894, page 4).
By 1896, Fred Megan set out on his own and relocated to Kansas City (“The Topeka Daily Capital,” 9 April 1896, page 8). It is unclear what prompted the move and resulted in his career in theatre. By 1897 Megan was touring with the Barrett & Barrett Company (The Leonardville Monitor, Leonardville, Kansas, 2 Dec. 1897, page 8). Within the next decade, Megan would work as a salesman, scenic artist, installer. Megan married Thenia Jones, in Jackson, Missouri, on April 14, 1898, likely while Megan was touring. The couple celebrated the birth of a daughter Anabel L. Megan in 1900.
Megan is first associated with the Kansas City Scenic Co. in 1901. On June 27, 1901, the “Rooks County Journal” of Stockton, Kansas, reported, “F. R. Megan of Kansas City, spent Saturday in the city soliciting advertising to place on a new drop curtain which he will place in the opera house. We were told he sold Mr. Bigge about $300 worth of theatre supplies of various kinds”(page 50).
The next year, Megan secured the scenery contract for the Tabor Opera House’s newly renovated stage in Leadville, Colorado. He also landed another scenery contract for the Columbus opera house. His visits to Colorado that were fortuitous, as the Kansas City Scenic Co. completed multiple contracts in the region over the next decade, including West’s Theatre in Trinidad. On July 10, 1902, “The Columbus Courier” reported, “Fred R. Megan, representing the Kansas City Scenic Co., is in the city today with full samples of scenery. He sold a good-sized order for the LaRue Investment Co. for the Opera House” (page 5).
Like Moses, Megan not only contracted the work to produce new scenery for a variety of entertainment venues, but also designed and painted the contracted settings. A few years later he represented the firm in Lead, South Dakota, working as a scenic artist on site. On October 8, 1906 the “Lead Daily Call” reported, “Fred R. Megan, who has the work of painting the scenery and decorations was on arrival on the Burlington last evening. He comes from Kansas City, and is an artist in his line, one of the best in the country. He will begin just so soon as the carpenters give him room, which will be in a day or so, to erect his stagings and make other preparations for doing the work of adornment, and when he has finished the interior of the little opera house will be one of the handsomest in the west, and no pains will be spared to make it so. Mr. Megan will have his work well under way before the week is over, and will have it completed before the winter season really begins.”
Megan also worked as an installer for Kansas City Scenic Co. In 1908, Megan installed the scenery at the Haydn-Parke theatre in Gadsden, Alabama (“Gadsden Daily Times-News,” 26 Sept. 1908, page 2).
Megan represented the Kansas City Scenic Co. until 1918. The last record of his involvement is in his WWI draft registration card. The card still listed Megan’s occupation as a traveling salesman for the Kansas City Scenic Co., located at 24th and Harrison Streets in Kansas City, Missouri. That same year, Megan was appointed to the Liberty Theatre office in Washington as Supervisor of Maintenance and Construction (Variety, Vol. LII, No. 10, page 19). By 1920, Megan was simply listed as Government Supervisor in Washington D. C. Keep in mind that many scenic artists began working for the government on painting projects during WWI, especially at Liberty Theaters and in the newly established camouflage trade. Many continued their government service in the post-war years, finding more security there than in commercial theatre endeavors. The 1920 US Census listed Megan and his wife at 16th Street in Washington, D.C. This was a second residence for the couple, as the still lived part-time in Kansas City, Missouri.
It was in 1923 that Megan teamed up with Moses to purchase the Sosman & Landis name, initially leasing the old Fabric Studio in Chicago. While waiting for the firm to liquidate and officially secure the Sosman & Landis name, the two briefly established Moses & Megan. This meant that Megan returned to work as a traveling salesman, representing both Moses & Megan, as well as the second iteration of Sosman & Landis. When they secured the Sosman & Landis name, Megan became the vice-president and treasurer for the firm. While Megan was on the road, Moses made models and painted scenery. This is how Sosman & Landis started, successfully operated from 1877 until Landis’ passing in 1905. Landis was on the road and Sosman was on site or painting in the studio. This is also how Kansas City Scenic Co. functioned, with J. V. Bronaugh on the road securing work and B. F. Dunn painting scenery. As project loads increased for each of the aforementioned studios, additional staff members were added, with more salesmen on the road and more scenic artists painting in the shop on new projects. However, each just started with two individuals and an established labor pool.
Moses and Megan continued working together throughout the 1920s.
By 1933, Megan was listed as the manager at Sosman & Landis, residing at 819 Dobson in the Evanston, Illinois. Moses passed away the following year in 1934, with Megan following in 1946. At the time of Megan’s death, his occupation was listed as a “paint contractor.”
To be continued…