Scottish Rite Scenery – Page 12

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 691 – The Fort Scott Scottish Rite, 1904

Part 691: The Fort Scott Scottish Rite, 1904

I have been exploring the lighting specified for Scottish Rite stages during the first decade of the 20^th century. Another example of a Scottish Rite stage using white red and green lights was Fort Scott, Kansas. The Fort Scott Tribune and the Fort Scott Monitor published an article on April 30, 1904 describing the opening of the Scottish Rite Cathedral and dedication ceremony.

Postcard depicting the 1904 Fort Scott Scottish RIte

Bestor G. Brown, Past Grand Master for the state of Kansas, gave an address during the event. Nespapers reported, “He made a fine impromptu talk which reflected great credit on his ability as an entertainer. He amused the audience and kept the guests in good humor all the time. In addition to his princely proclivities in this respect Mr. Brown is an orator and has a fine command of English.

“A Temple of Liberty.

Scottish Rite Cathedral Dedicated Last Night.

Fitting Ceremonies.

Hundred of People in Evening Dress Astonished at Magnificence of Structure and Furnishing.

The Scottish Rite Cathedral, the existence of which is due largely to the unceasing efforts of the officer of the Scottish Rite bodies and the members at large, was fittingly dedicated last night. The services were impressive and the program carried out consisted of a couple of impromptu addresses by members of the Consistory and several musical selections, all of which was hugely enjoyed. The door of the cathedral for the reception that preceded the short program opened at 8 o’clock and the scene that was afforded by the hundreds of guests that crowded into the spacious building was one of attractiveness, and everybody was so surprised at the luxury that predominated and was seen at every nook and corner and all expressed delight and congratulations for so magnificent a place. The dining room and kitchen, which apartments are in the south wing of the third floor of the building, and also the small lodge room on the second floor and in the back part of the north wing were not completed and consequently was not furnished, but the principal parts of the cathedral wer e furnished in elaborate style. The parlor, lobby, ant-roooms, and the main auditorium were carpetd with fine velvet carpet of exquisite pattern. The stage and scenery was the delight of all. Never did the people of Fort Scott suspect that such finery could be crowded into a place like the Rite cathedral, but all know the members of these bodies. Nothing is too good for them and never do they do things in halves. The decorations in the auditorium are simply fine. The hall is finished in white and gold with panel sides and the walls and ceiling are studded with rows of incandescent lights, surrounded with individual mirrors. On either side of te auditorium near the stage there are two imitation boxes, and while one of these is used for the music room the other is simply there to complete the architectural beauty. The balcny is one of the nice features of the auditorium. It has a large seating capacity and this, together with the auditorium, was jammed with humanity. When the auditorium is lighted up the scene is a rare one. Of the guests that were present last night from out of this city all expressed themselves most forcibly on the arrangement of the cathedral. To some extent the hall was patterned after the Little Rock cathedral, which is one of the finest in America. The magnitude is not so great but the arrangement and decorations are as fine.

The scenery which was installed at a cost of several thousand dollars, is the finest in the west beyond all question. The electrical effects are even greated and this arrangement was the work of Freeman Martin, who wired the building. The lights used on the stage are white, red and green and the effect is caused by their use is most brilliant to the eye. During the program last evening a half dozen scenes were displayed to the audience, and they excelled in effect and grandeur even the best opera houses in Kansas City and St Louis. Over 400 lights are used on the stage. All of the curtains are drops and this is not only more convenient than the slide scenes but is more satisfactory in other respects. The scene of hades was elaborate.”

The original Hades scene for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite was enlarged for their second stage.

Detail of 1904 Hades drop for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite

On the eve of the Scottish Rite Cathedral dedication, a Mr. C. E. Benton gave a brief history of the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Bodies. He explained that the Fort Scott Consistory had only been established six years prior to the building. Those instrumental in getting a permanent home of the Fort Scott Scottish Rite bodies included Dr. C. A. Van Velzer and Joe Liepman. The current building was purchased for $20,000 by the Scottish Rite Association in Fort Scott. $40,000 was spent remodeling the hall after the purchase.

The newspaper reported, “He stated that the temple of all that is good and noble, the temple of justice and liberty and brotherly love would stand after we are dead; our children’s children are dead, as a school for Masonry. In closing he stated that the cathedral is a credit to the city and state and everybody should well feel proud of the undertaking.”

The building was home to the Scotttish Rte for only two decades. Grander plans began and the final Scottish Rite home was planned and constructed from 1924-1925. Again Thomas G. Moses of Sosman & Landis provided the scenery. The old scenery was returned on credit for the purchses of a new collection. However, a few scenes were reerved and enlarged for the new stage. One of the refurbished scenes was the scene of hades that the newspaper described as “elaborate.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 689 – M. C. Lilley & Co. Lighting for Scottish Rite Stages

Part 689: M. C. Lilley & Co. Lighting for Scottish Rite Stages

Any painting can be destroyed in an instant with poor lighting. It does not matter how beautiful the composition, or the painted aesthetic; if the person designing ot running the lights does not understand two-dimensional scenes it doesn’t matter.

Lighting for the Scottish Rite stage in Austin, Texas.

During a 1913 New York Dramatic Mirror interview with scenic artist Ernest Albert, he explained that a scenic artist’s function did not cease until the scenery was all installed and the lighting arrangements completed. He commented, “Lighting is within his province, just as groupings are in a measure. An unexpected orange light on violet, for instance, will produce a russet brown that will make everything look dirty. It is true that in the days of gas lighting much softer effects were possible, but I will sacrifice all of the advantages of mellow light for safety…Anyway, we are now avoiding many of the hard qualities of the electric light by greater use of ambers, straw colors, and pinks.”

A pamphlet produced by the M. C. Lilley & Co. for Scottish Rite stages during the early twentieth century commented, “The lighting equipment of a stage used for Scottish Rite purpose is very important. No matter how well the scenery may be executed, much of its effect will be lost without proper lighting. The equipment should be complete and in no department should a false economy produce a lack of capacity.”

In 1900, the following lighting equipment was delivered to the Scottish Rite stage in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Four (4) Borders

Four (4) portable ground rows

Two (2) Strip rows

Two (2) Bunch lights

One (1) Slate switch board, full fused, containing 1 main, 3 Service and 32 subordinate double contact knife switches – 36 switches in all; connections on board all made

In 1912, the following lighting equipment was delivered to the Scottish Rite stage in Santa Fe, New Mexico:

Six (6) Border Rows

Six (6) Ground Rows

Two (2) Strip lights

One (1) Dimmer plant

One (1) Switch board

One (1) Arc spot light

One (1) Arc reflector

Two (2) Metal bunch lights

Eight (8) Framed gelatins

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 688 – The American Reflector and Lighting Co., 1900

Part 688: The American Reflector and Lighting Co., 1900

Yesterday, I examined some correspondence about footlights between Frank A. Derr, of the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and Charles E. Rosenbaum, of the Scottish Rite in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The original stage lighting for Guthrie was listed in a contract between the Guthrie Scottish Rite and E. A. Armstrong Mfg. Company of Chicago, dated April 28, 1900. The Armstrong company was located at 300-302-304 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, and listed as “Manufacturers of Secret Society, Military and Band Supplies.” The lighting, scenery and stage work for the new Guthrie stage was provided by through M. C. Lilley and Co. The companies western sales manager, well-known Mason Bestor G. Brown, subcontracted the new work to Sosman & Landis.

In 1900 the Guthrie Scottish Rite hired E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing C. of Chicago to outfit their new stage, lighting was included in the purchsse. The Scottish Rite bodies spent a total of $694.50 on lighting for the stage, the equivalent of $20,811.19 today.

Here is what the contract specified:

STAGE LIGHTING

Four (4) Borders, each 24 feet long, each containing 60 lights wired for three color; sockets and wiring complete but no lamps-

Four (4) portable ground rows, each 10 feet long, each containing 15 lights, wired for three colors, sockets and wiring complete – but no lamps-

Two (2) Strip rows, each 16 feet long, each containing 24 lights, wired for three colors; sockets and wiring complete but no lamps-

Two (2) eight light, porcelain lined, swing head, iron stand bunch lights; complete with extension cord and plug, but no lamps-

Six (6) cast iron floor pockets

Twenty-four (24) Slate receptacles

Fourteen (14) Plugs for receptacles

Fourteen (14) Plugs for receptacles, three lights attached to each of ground rows and one each to bunch lights-

Four (4) 40 Ampere dimmers, German silver wire wound

Three (3) 20 Ampere dimmers, German silver wire wound

One (1) Slate switch board, full fused, containing 1 main, 3 Service and 32 subordinate double contact knife switches – 36 switches in all; connections on board all made

Sockets all of Edison pattern

MISCELLANEOUS LIGHTING APPARATUS

One (1) lamp and chaser

One (1) 4,000 c/p focusing lamp and reflector, stand and rheostat included.

Large and small carbons – no charge

One (1) Lighting box, Complimentary

NOTE- Goods packed and shipped by American Reflector and Lighting Co. Charges collect, but to be paid and applied on bill.

For Scottish Rite theaters in 1900, scenery and lighting went hand in hand. The same would be true over a decade later, as the scenic studios still had great influence over the lighting systems used to light their painted scenery on Scottish Rite stages. Sosman & Landis were involved with the manufacture of painted scenery, stage machinery, and rigging for the stage. They were also heavily invested in the lighting industry. They designed and manufactured electric scenic theatres, electrical floats and other spectacular electrical effects for a variety of performance venues.

The American Reflector and Lighting Company opened its doors just before the Columbian Exposition. On March 24,1893, the “Chicago Inter Ocean” listed Perry Landis as one of the company’s incorporators and Charles Landis as the treasurer. Joseph S. Sosman was a major investor for the enterprise.

A floor pocket produced by the American Reflector and Lighting Co. found at the Scottish Rite theater in Yankton, South Dakota.

In 1894, the Sosman & Landis studio catalogue offered stage hardware and lighting for other projects than the stage. Actually, an entire page was devoted to the American Reflector and Lighting Company in their catalogue. They offered “a full line of improved lighting fixtures for electricity, gas or oil, specially adapted for the lighting of theatres, halls, assembly rooms, and churches.”

The American Reflector and Lighting Co. salesroom was located at 271-273 Franklin Street where the company advertised 150 styles of reflectors for users of electricity, gas and oil. Their products included lighting fixtures for art galleries, display windows, orchestra shades, street lights, stage dimmers, theatre lamps, silver plated mirror reflectors for incandescent cluster with prisms, and many other products. Their lighting fixtures used crystal glass lined with pure metallic silver to provide “the best practical reflecting surface.” The company advertised that their reflectors, for both indoor and outdoor lighting, “promised that the power of light was fully utilized, as its rays are saved from waste, strengthened and thrown in the desired direction.” In 1904, the American Reflector Co. was located at 199 Van Buren St. in Chicago. By 1914 various advertisements listed a new address for the company at 517 Jackson Blvd.

In addition to standard lighting for the stage, the Guthrie Scottish Rite ordered fifteen special lighting fixtures that included:

Four fixtures, two lights each – one above the other-

Four fixtures, four lights each, each fixture the shape of a circle – 12 inches in diameter-

Three fixtures, nine lights each, the lights in each fixture arranged in the shape of three equilateral triangles with the apexes joined – 18 inches square

One Fixture containing nine lights, eight in the shape of an octagon, and the remaining light in the center fixture 18 inches.

One Fixture containing three lights in the shape of an equilateral triangle – 12 inches

One Fixture of seven lights, arranged in the shape of a triangle, four in the bottom row, three in the next, two in the next, and one in the apex.-fixture 32 inches-

One fixture of five lights in the shape of a square, 5^th light in the center.

With the foregoing fixtures are 116, 8 candle power 110 volt frosted, and colored lamps, also 7 receptacles.

NOTE: – Foregoing is billed at $31.25 less than the estimate.

The price for the above-listed special light fixtures was $419.75, making the total lighting purchase of $1114.25, todays equivalent of $33,389.30.

In 1910, the Guthrie Scottish Rite border lights were mentioned in a letter from Bestor G. Brown (western sales representative for M. C. Lilley & Co.) to Frank A. Derr (Secretary of the Oklahoma Consistory, in Guthrie, Oklahoma). Guthrie was enlarging the stage in their existing building, a project that necessitated the purchase of new scenery, stage machinery, and lighting equipment. The used stage systems were being returned for credit on the purchase of a new scenery collection. On July 26, 1910, Brown wrote, “I shall probably go to Lawrence some time within the next few days and if I can dispose of your electrical equipment, I will be very glad to do so. It is old and will not pass inspection. The borders have a wooden strip on the top and that disqualifies them under the present regulations. If the Lawrence people want to buy them with the full knowledge of the facts, I shall be very glad indeed to see them get them.”

A lighting fixture by the American Reflector and Lighting Co. included in the “American Electrician,” Vol. 16

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 686 – Meanwhile, in the Northern Jurisdiction

Part 686: Meanwhile, in the Northern Jurisdiction

I am in the midst of examining the progression of Scottish Rite stage construction in the Southern Jurisdiction, before I return to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses in 1909. 1908 to 1910 is when Sosman & Landis reach their peak production period of fraternal theater production and Brown’s special system. There is little documented evidence of degree productions in the Southern Jurisdiction before 1896, with the earliest stages being constructed in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Oakland, California, much flew under the official radar.

The major aspect to the evolution of theatrically interpreted degree work in the Southern Jurisdiction is a systematic marketing plan by a relatively small number of individuals that included Bestor G. Brown as the spokesman for the movement. Brown created demand for a particular product manufactured by Sosman & Landis studio. The development of Brown’s special system directly increased the amount of painted scenery that was able to be installed in a Scottish Rite theaters. Although Sosman & Landis scenic artists and stage carpenter David Austin Strong (1830-1911) was credited by Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934) as the “Daddy” of Masonic design, the theatrical staging of degree work had long been occurring in the Northern Jurisdiction for decades before the Southern Jurisdiction.

Before moving forward with the expansion of Scottish Rite stages throughout the Southern Jurisdiction, from 1896 onward, here’s a brief recap of what was already occurring in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction (NMJ) of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Keep in mind that the NMJ is located east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio River. At the time the geographical demarcations were established, the NMJ included many of the United States’ major metropolitan areas, including Boston, and Philadelphia. These were vibrant theatrical hubs during the mid-nineteenth century when the NMJ began staging portions of their degree work, not to mention the Masonic Opera Houses that were constructed during the time.

The Baldwin Building used by the Indianapolis Scottish Rite in 1873

The Indianapolis Scottish Rite remodeled a pork slaughterhouse to include two stages for degree work in 1882.

In the 1860s the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Bodies used movable scenery and a small stage in their 1863 space of the Yohn Building, before moving to the Baldwin Building in 1873. Increasingly elaborate stage productions of degrees continued until 1882 when the Indianapolis Scottish Rite purchased and remodeled an old pork slaughterhouse, installing two stages for degree work. Originally a five-story brick building, the back half was raised an additional story to accommodate a theatrical fly system. Theatre spaces occupied both the fourth and fifth floors and were of similar size, each including galleries on three sides with 450-seat capacities. The fourth-floor and fifth-floor auditoriums measured approximately forty by eighty feet. The fourth-floor auditorium included a twenty-eight foot proscenium opening that was primarily used for scenic effects in connection with the conferring of degrees. The fifth-floor proscenium stage opening was twenty by thirty feet and included a forty-five-foot high fly loft.

Despite the popularity of Scottish Rite stages, the Southern Jurisdiction did not follow suit because of Grand Commander Pike. The same year that the Indianapolis Scottish Rite building was completed, Grand Pike addressed the dissimilarity of degree work in each jurisdiction in his 1882 Allocution, stating, “The Rite in this jurisdiction is a Rite of Instruction, and not of scenic pomp and stage-show. We do not indulge in melodrama or pantomime. It is the firm conviction of hundreds of our zealous workers that our books are well worth being studied, and that the Rite, as developed in our Degrees, is destined by God to be in our future one of the chief benefactors of humanity…I can not conceive of a more useless occupation than the arranging and performing of degrees, neither the effect nor the purpose of which is to make men wiser or better, but which are acted as melodramas, to gratify an æsthetic taste and please the imagination, like the pageantry of cardinals and orioles. It is not Masonry.”

The 1886 Cincinnati Scottish Rite stage with scenery painted by E. T. Harvey.

As in Indianapolis, Cincinnati also constructed a series of early stages before building a full Scottish Rite cathedral. Cincinnati’s first Scottish Rite cathedral was destroyed by fire during 1884. The New Scottish Rite Cathedral was described in the Masonic Column of Cincinnati’s Commercial Gazette on July 5, 1885. The article boasted, “When fully completed the Cathedral will constitute the most complete and elegantly fitted building devoted to any one branch of Masonry in the World.” It was competed by 1886 at a cost of $82,500. (Democratic and Chronicle, 16 May 1886, page 2). The Cincinnati Scottish Rite auditorium contained a three-tiered balcony and a thirty-two-foot proscenium opening. The entire scenic installation for their newly constructed Scottish Rite building was credited to E. T. Harvey. His scenery included a tomb, interior palace, palatial chamber, landscape, fiery underworld, ascension of Christ, and a cathedral interior to name a few. As an itinerant artist, Harvey worked at a variety of theatres throughout the region, including Heuck’s New Opera House where the Scottish Rite scenery had been painted. E. T. Harvey would create 18 new sets of scenery for the Cleveland Scottish Rite in 1901 too after they suffered the loss of a previous building to fire (Cincinnati Enquirer, 31, Oct 1901, page 3). Harvey (1843-1918) was an Englishman who immigrated to America in 1860 and worked extensively as a scenic artist in the east. He also worked at the Grand Opera in Cincinnati for 25 years. Harvey was a member of the Scottish Rite and Shrine, as many of the first scenic artists to create Masonic scenery,

Painted scene by E. T. Harvey for the Cincinnati Scottish Rite.

In 1886, the same year that the second Cincinnati Scottish Rite Cathedral was completed, another one was finished in Columbus, Ohio. The “Fort Wayne Daily Gazette” included an article “Gorgeous Quarters. The Magnificent Scottish Rite Cathedral at Columbus, Ohio” (5 Dec. 1886, page 8). The Third Street Universalist church was purchased and remodeled for $12,000. The renovation included a stage and property room. At the time, the newspapers proclaimed the building to be “one of the most complete in the country.” Indianapolis, Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati were only a few examples of a wave sweeping through the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction a full decade before the first small Scottish Rite stages appeared in Little Rock and Oakland.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 685 – The Scottish Rite in Portland Oregon, 1902

Part 685: The Scottish Rite in Portland Oregon, 1902

By 1902, Sosman & Landis studio had delivered Scottish Rite scenery and stage machinery to Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite Valleys in Little Rock, Arkansas; Oakland, California; Wichita, Kansas; Guthrie, Oklahoma; Fargo, North Dakota; and Salina, Kansas. Some of this early scenery is still available for examination. The collections from Little Rock, Guthrie and Fargo share many similar compositions, indicating that Sosman & Landis were in the process of developing Masonic stock scenery options.

In 1902, another Scottish Rite scenery collection was being prepared for installation the western region of the United States – Oregon. That year, the Scottish Rite in Portland began the construction of their new home that would later be dedicated in 1903. Portland was just one on many Scottish Rite buildings being constructed during this period to included a theater and scenery.

As with many early-twentieth-century Scottish Rite Valleys, membership rapidly outgrew existing spaces As the size of candidate classes increased, so did the necessary regalia, paraphernalia and stage requirements.

In 1892,The Masonic Temple association of Portland filed articles of incorporation, with the following incorporators: F. A. Moore, J. C. Moreland, John McCracken and D. C. McKercher with a capital stock of $250,000. The purpose of the association was to erect a Masonic Temple at the metropolis (Statesman, 6 Sept. 1892, Page 1).

Postcard of the Scottish Rite in Portland, Oregon.

Later the Scottish Rite began planning for the construction of a cathedral on the corner of Morrison and Lownsdale Streets. The grounds were purchased in 1902 by Oregon Consistory No. 1. Measuring 100 feet by 120 feet, the price of the lot was $18,000. Bonds were issued for the construction of a $100,000 building. Architect and Scottish Rite Mason, Martin Beck, designed the edifice.

Interior of the Portland Scottish Rite in Oregon

The grand opening of the Portland Scottish Rite occurred on May 19, 1903. For the event, there was an grand concert organ recital and ball. By this time, the public attending events was becoming increasingly common. In 1886 an interesting article was published in the “Cincinnati Enquirer” in regard to a public music concert at the Cincinnati Scottish Rite Cathedral (16 Dec. 1884, page 4). The article reported, “It is not a usual thing in the long history of Scottish Rite Masonry that he Cathedrals are thrown open for concert purposes. The first incident of the kind that comes to mind occurred last night in the new Scottish Rite Cathedral on Broadway, between Fourth and Fifth Streets.” That year, the new Scottish Rite Cathedral had been completed at a cost of over a quarter million dollars as was said to be the “finest building for Masonic purposes in the world” (South Haven New Era, 15 May 1886, page 8).

Today, many Scottish Rite buildings host public events as a way to generate revenue, allowing the public a peak at their historic stages.

Scenic artist and final president of Sosman & Landis, Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934), recorded in his memoirs that he was in charge of producing the Scottish Rite scenery collections for Little Rock, Salina, and Portland between 1901 and 1902. However, during these two years, Moses had left Sosman & Landis to establish a studio of his own – Moses & Hamilton. Moses & Hamilton operated out New York from 1901-1904. It was studio founder Joseph S. Sosman who maintained close ties with Moses and his family, finally luring him to return to Chicago during 1904. It is unclear whether Moses returned to Sosman & Landis to paint on any project from 1900-1904, but it would not be unusual as Moses was hired y a variety of other studios during this time. Regardless, Moses takes credit for scenery collection delivered to Portland, Oregon and the 1912 scenery collection delivered to Portland, Maine.

The 1902 drop curtain designed for Portland (Oregon) Scottish Rite is very similar to that created for the Wichita Scottish Rite in 1908. As the two compositions are very unique, I wonder about a possible connection between Wichita and Portland, and the sale of used scenery. Although the majority of 1898 Wichita scenery was resold to the Yankton Scottish Rite, I wonder if certain used pieces made their way west to Oregon. This was the case with the second Little Rock scenery collection being divided between the Scottish Rite theaters in Miami, Florida, and Pasadena, California.

This drop curtain for the Scottish Rite in Portland, Oregon, is similar to that delivered to the Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas

Drop curtain at the Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas. Like the curtain for the Portland Scottish Rite in Oregon, it was delivered by Sosman & Landis studio.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 684 – Scottish Rite Stages in Salina –1901 and 1927

Part 684: Scottish Rite Stages in Salina –1901 and 1927

In Salina, Kansas, the “Daily Union” published an article that almost read like an advertisement for the upcoming Scottish Rite reunion. The heading stated “THE SCOTTISH RITE. Interesting Facts About Bodies Located Here. Spring Reunion in June” (Salina Daily Union, 14 April 1900, page 1). The amount of information provided in this 1900 article is quite intriguing:

“The Bodies of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, located at Salina, Kan., acknowledge and yield allegiance to the Supreme Council, 33d degree, for the Southern Masonic jurisdiction of the United States of America, whose grand East is in Charleston, South Carolina, and is in fraternal communication with every legitimate Supreme Council in the world.

“The various degrees as conferred by these orders are divided in a series as follows:

The first series comprises the degrees from the 1^st to the 3d inclusive and are termed symbolic, being conferred in the Blue Lodge, actual membership in which is the obligatory qualification for the advancement to the succeeding series.

The second series comprises the several degrees form the 4^th to the 14^th inclusive, are termed ineffable and are conferred in a “Lodge of Perfection.”

The third series comprising the several degrees from the 15^th to the 18^th inclusive are termed the historical and philosophical degrees and are conferred in a “Chapter of Rose Croix.”

The fourth series comprises those from the 19^th to the 30^th inclusive, are termed the modern historical, chivalric and philosophical degrees, and are conferred in a “Council of Kadosh.”

The fifth series comprises the 31^st and 32d degrees, are allegorical and philosophical, and are conferred in a Consistory.

“The work is very solemn and impressive in nature, calculated to improve the mind and character of all coming in under its influence, there by causing them to become better members of the commonwealth.

“The bodies here are thoroughly equipped with all the paraphernalia required for the proper rendition of the work and have among their members several who cannot be excelled in exemplifying the characters required to be taken in conferring the several degrees and are favored with a very competent leader. Owing to the number of applications lately received and a larger number having signified their intention to apply for admission, it has been decided to hold a spring reunion, commencing the 11^th day of June, continuing for four days, at which time the several degrees from the 4^th to the 32^nd will be conferred; the greater majority in full ceremony and form.”

When the article was published in 1900, Salina Masons had already enjoyed their Masonic Temple for four years. They were in the process of planning a major expansion that would result in an even larger stage, complete with fly loft and horseshoe balcony.

*Plans for Masonic Temple stage in Salina during 1901. From the “Salina Daily Republican,” 17 July 1901, page 4*

By 1901, the “Topeka State Journal,” reported the substantial number of Scottish Rite Masons in Kansas, the newspaper reported “Kansas boasts the largest membership in the Scottish Rite of any state in the southern jurisdiction of the United States and the fame of the Topeka officers for their thoroughness and perfection displayed in conferring the degrees is not confined to the borders of the state. No order makes use of as elaborate paraphernalia and so dramatic a ritual as the Scottish Rite and with each succeeding reunion the classes to take the sublime degrees increase in numbers.”

In 1902, the “Junction City Republic” reported about the Fall Reunion at the Salina Scottish Rite noting, “A large number of candidates from this part of the state will be present to take the degrees. This is the fountainhead of all the beautiful allegories and work of freemasonry throughout the world” (24 October 1902, page 1). Membership continued to grow in Salina, as well as the rest of the country and what was once though ample space became cramped quarters.

By 1919, Salina Masons planned for Masonic Temple, referred to as the million-dollar to reflect the expense. Work began in that year, but the concrete design, however, collapsed in 1920 due to faulty construction, occasioning a loss of approximately $250,000 (The Kansas Workman, 1 Sept. 1926, page 6). The arched concrete ceiling of the auditorium gave way. The building was partially re-erected with structural steel and Carthage limestone. The original year scheduled for completion was 1923, until the collapse. During this time, the Masonic bodies were still meeting in their old home when disaster struck again.

*The Masonic building gutted by fire, pictured in the “Salina Evening Journal,” 30 Jan 1922, page 1*

In 1922 the old Masonic Temple was practically destroyed by fire. This was the 1896 building that had been expanded in 1902. Two decades later, the two upper stories of this building were burned out (The Salina Evening Journal, 30 1922, page 1). The Blue Lodge, Order of the Eastern Star, the Royal Arch, the Knights Templar, the Scottish Rite and Shrine all suffered heavy losses of degree paraphernalia. The article reported “Thirty-nine curtains for the stage, used in the ritual work of the lodge and the presentation of degrees, were included in the loss also.” After the fire, the Masonic bodies negotiated with the proprietor of the new theatre building until the Masonic temple was finished. The new scenery collection purchased for the new Masonic Temple was far larger than that in the old building or their temporary theater space.

*From the “Salina Daily Union,” 11 June 1921, page 1*

*The 1927 Masonic Temple in Salina, Kansas*

For their new building, the Salina Scottish Rite would purchase a used scenery collection in 1927. Scenic artist for this collection, Thomas G. Moses, included pasted a newspaper clipping in his scrapbook. It was about the used McAlester Scottish Rite scenery collection purchased by the Salina Scottish Rite Bodies in 1927. The article reported, “The one hundred and seventeen drops of scenery that has been in use on the old stage for twenty-five years, has been sold to the Scottish Rite Bodies of Salina, Kansas, and it has been shipped to them. There was nearly a carload of it. Brother John T. Leibrand, 33°, Wise Master of South McAlester Chapter of Rose Croix, negotiated the sale to the Salina brethren who came to McAlester to inspect it. The scenery was painted by Brother Tom Moses under the direction of that great Scottish Rite Mason and student Bestor G. Brown, and was said to be the finest in the Southern Jurisdiction at the time.” The article also noted, “the Salina brethren are negotiating with Brother John G. Redpath, who had charge of the old stage for years, to superintend the hanging of the drops in their temple.”

*The scenery purchased by the Salina Scottish Rite from the Scottish Rite stage in McAlester, Oklahoma.*

*The painted front curtain for the Salina Scottish Rite*

*The stage at the Salina Masonic Temple for the Scottish Rite*

*The stage at the Salina Masonic Temple from 1927*

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 683 – Scottish Rite Stages in Salina – 1896 and 1901

Part 683: Scottish Rite Stages in Salina – 1896 and 1901

The first Masonic lodge in Salina, Kansas was organized during 1866. A small group met in what was known as the Goddard house located on the corner of Iron and Santa Fe. A second meeting location was on the second floor of J. F. Hanna’s store in the Probert building. By 1886, Salina Masons constructed their first Temple. Keep in mind that during this same year, Scottish Rite cathedrals with stages were already used in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction cities of Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Fort Wayne.

The 1886 Masonic Temple in Salina cost $25,000, and by 1888 an addition was added to the south. In 1895, this Temple in caught fire and was severely damaged along with much of Salina’s business district. The Salina Masonic bodies immediately began to rebuild their home at South and Santa Fe Avenues (Salina Evening Journal, 30 Jan 1922, page 1). The Masonic losses at he time were recorded to be nearly $150,000. The Salina Daily Republic reported, “the Masonic Temple was ablaze, the flames leaping over the high south wall and making sad havoc with the substantial building and the elegant and costly paraphernalia of the different orders of Masons. The greedy flames devoured the draperies and curtains speedily and torn down the high cupola” (Salina Daily Republic, 4 March 1895, page 1). Note the mention of costly paraphernalia, draperies and curtains. This suggest the possibility of a stage, especially with differentiation between draperies and curtains. Theatre terminology of the time of differentiated between fabric draperies and painted curtains.

The next 1896 Masonic Temple in Salina definitely included a stage. After the fire, a larger temple was built on the old site. Five years after completion, plans were published in a local newspaper, describing the intended improvements that included a three-story addition to the alley. The 1901 extension included a larger stage across tat now covered the entire east end of the main lodge room. A horseshoe gallery also replaced the existing stage a gallery (Salina Daily Union, 28 May 1901, page 3). The “Salina Daily Republican” proclaimed, “The new edifice now being enlarged to the most handsome home of Masonic Bodies in the West —$11,000 Improvements, Making a total cost of $43,000” (17 July 1901, page 4). Of the new improvements, the article reported, “By the work now going on, the Masonic Temple will be remodeled throughout.” The article cited the attached illustrations, “By Fig. 1 it will be seen that a handsomely decorated horseshoe balcony will replace the present affair and that the stage space will be enlarged by the removal of the organ from the corned at the left to the position at the rear, as observed in Fig 2. The new stage is to be equipped with a complete set of new scenery, shifted by regular traps and flys to be put in…With the additions made to the stage and scenery the Scottish Rite ceremonies can now be given the same advantages as in the larger cities.”

Floor plan of proposed 1901 Masonic Temple in Salina, Kansas. From the article “Temple of Masonry,” in the “Salina Daily Republican,” 17 July 1901, page 4.

That same year, the “Salina Herald” noted, “The Scottish Rite bodies in Salina are holding a reunion this week and ‘breaking in’ their new scenery. It is the silver anniversary of the institution of the Mackay lodge of Perfection in Salina and therefore of more than ordinary interest. A class is also being initiated into the mysteries of the different Scottish Rite degrees. This is the first reunion since the Masonic Temple was remodeled and several thousand dollars spent in fixing it specially for the Scottish Rite” (3 Oct 1901, page 3). “The Independent” reported, “The sets of scenery for the stage cost $2,400” (26 Sept. 1901, page 2). The “Salina Daily Union” described “The Temple is now supplied with finer scenery than in any opera house in Kansas and is equaled by no Masonic Temple in the state with the possible exception of Wichita, the scenery is simply superb while the electrical effects heighten the beauty of the stage settings is a hundred fold” (24 Sept. 1901. Page 3). By 1904, the “Salina Evening Journal” published that the Masonic Temple in Salina was one of the finest in the state, “owning a complete set of magnificent scenery painted from the latest designs.” (14 Nov. 1904, page 4). The article continues “The stage is fully equipped with a most complete arrangement of electric lights and the effect produced exceeds most of the large spectacular representations on the stages of the larger theaters in the country.”

As with the rest of the state, the scenery was provided by Sosman & Landis.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 681 – The Second Scottish Rite Stage in Little Rock, 1902

Part 681: The Second Scottish Rite Stage in Little Rock, 1902

By 1901, Sosman & Landis had successfully delivered Scottish Rite scenery and stage machinery to the following valleys in the Southern Jurisdiction: Little Rock, Arkansas (1896 and 1898), Oakland, California (1896), Wichita, Kansas (1898), Guthrie, Oklahoma (1900) and Fargo, North Dakota (1900).

On April 17, 1901, the Wichita Scottish Rite reunion included a class of two-hundred candidates, the large Scottish Rite class size to date. The day before, newspapers across the country shared the news from Wichita, “The largest class of candidates for the mysteries of Masonry in the history of the Scottish Rite in the country will be given the degrees here tomorrow, the special occasion being a twentieth century jubilee” (“San Francisco Examiner,” April 16, 1909, page 3). Biggest candidate class? Sure, but the Guthrie Scottish Rite had already boasted of something else– a bigger and better building for bigger and better degrees. And so the American comparison begins – “Mine is better than yours.”

That same spring, the “Guthrie Daily” announced, “The Scottish Rite at Guthrie has the distinction of being the only building erected exclusively for the Masonic Fraternity, and its equipment in stage scenery, electrical lighting devices, robes and general paraphernalia, is the most complete in the United States” (15 March 1901, page 5). That would soon change as the Little Rock Scottish Rite entered into the fray again with the construction of a new home; their second theater.

By September 1901, an article in the “Arkansas Democrat” about the new Little Rock Scottish Rite building reported, “The stage will be the special feature connected with the auditorium and will be the largest and most thoroughly equipped in the United Sates and used for Masonic purposes. The fact there are few stages in theaters in the larger cities than this one will be and none in the United States more perfectly equipped with scenery and electrical appliances, and few its equal. The scenery will of course be all specially designed for the building and for the use of conferring degrees, but that some idea of the magnitude of the scenic effects may be obtained it is proposed to place on this stage nearly one hundred different drops, at least forty complete sets of scenery each entirely different from the other in design and thought” (18 Sept. 1901, page 2).

By November 28, 1901, the “Arkansas Democrat” commented, “The stage equipment will be the most magnificent that can be secured, and it is contemplated that not less than $5,000 shall be expended upon this feature alone. It will be the largest and most equipped in the United States for Masonic purposes – in fact there are few theater stages more perfectly supplied and arranged, and fewer that can equal for scenery and electrical appliances” (page 1).

Sosman & Landis studio delivered a second scenery installation to Little Rock in 1902, after having installed two other scenery orders at their previous stage in 1896 and 1899. Little Rock’s Albert Pike Consistory building and stage were prominently featured in “New Age Magazine” (later becoming “Scottish Rite Journal”). In the article, Rosenbaum proudly claimed, “…the stage equipment in Little Rock is the most perfect in America – not only for Masonic purposes, for which it is used exclusively, but from any other point of view…nowhere else in America, with the possible exception of one theatre in New York, and one in Chicago, is it possible to produce either the scene or electric effects that can be produced on this stage.”

This Little Rock scenery and stage machinery was replaced when the Scottish Rite built its third stage in the 1920s. The used collection was then sold to the Scottish Rite in Pasadena, California. In Pasadena, the scenery and stage machinery began a new life where it is still used to this day. The scenery collection in Pasadena, Austin and Fargo are extremely significant in the scope of both theatre history and Masonic history. These three valleys are stewards to some of the earliest scenery in the Southern Jurisdiction. This is what their predecessors witnessed when they first stepped foot in a Scottish Rite stage to experience a new form of degree work.

This Scottish Rite scenery and stage machinery was delivered to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1902, is now used at the Pasadena Scottish Rite.

An arbor originally installed on line 89 at the Little Rock Scottish Rite now hangs on line 55 at the Pasadena Scottish Rite. Both line numbers are still visible.

Looking up above the Scottish Rite stage in Pasadena, California, at Brown’s special system, originally installed in Little Rock, Arkansas, during 1902.

A backdrop painted by Sosman & Landis studio, installed at the Little Rock Scottish Rite. It is now used at the Pasadena, Scottish Rite.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 680 – The Scottish Rite in Fargo, North Dakota, 1900

The Scottish Rite in Fargo, North Dakota, 1900

The past few posts examined early Scottish Rite contracts between the Guthrie Scottish Rite and E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing company between 1899 and 1900. Another Scottish Rite theater project occurred during this same time in Fargo, North Dakota. It also included a scenery collection manufactured by Sosman & Landis.

The first steps toward a new Masonic building in Fargo began during 1894. Land was not purchased until February 1898, with the contract for work being finalized during May 1899. On June 7, 1899, the cornerstone was laid for the Masonic Temple at 501 First Avenue North in Fargo. It would be the home to several Masonic orders in Fargo. The building was first occupied on June 6, 1900, but not fully completed. This building would include a Scottish Rite theater, lodge rooms, banquet hall, kitchen, billiard room, armory, reception room and offices. In 1914, an addition was made on the west side of the building. A library, museum, gymnasium, and swimming pool were included in the work. All told, this massive complex included 55,155 square feet of total floor space. The building would be home to the Scottish Rite until 1968 when it was razed as part of an urban renewal plan. In 1968, the Masonic Temple was purchased by the Fargo Parking Authority with the intent to construct a parking lot. Demolition began on June 19, 1968.

The Scottish Rite auditorium in the Fargo Masonic Temple pictured in a 1903 Reunion program

The Scottish Rite stage in the Fargo Masonic Temple pictured in a 1903 Reunion program

Scene created by Sosman & Landis for the Fargo Scottish Rite stage

The turn of the twentieth century is a period at Sosman & Landis produced some absolutely stunning work. The nineteenth-century aesthetic still dominated Scottish Rite scenery, as scenic artist and stage carpenter David A. Strong (1830-1911) was still actively involved with its production. Thomas G. Moses was on his way out the studio door again; this time to start a new business with Will Hamilton, establishing Moses & Hamilton in NYC during 1900. Back in Chicago, Strong still reigned as the “Daddy of Masonic Design” and was still very active as a scenic artist at the Sosman & Landis studio. My research suggests that Strong was very involved in the production of scenery for Little Rock (1896, 1899, 1901), Oakland (1896), Wichita (1898), Guthrie (1900), and Fargo (1900). After 1900, his contributions to Scottish Rite scenery begin to diminish.

Fellow scenic artists referred to Strong as “Old Trusty” and a member of the Dusseldorf School. Of Strong, Moses wrote, “His color was deep and rich and his drawings very correct.” In “Paint Mimic Scenes, Men Who Have Found Fame in the Wing and Drop Curtains” Strong was included as a well-respected scenic artist with the article reporting, “David Strong, “Old Trusty,” still at work in this city, is the only survivor of the good old Dusseldorf school. Everything that comes from his facile brush – and he could walk over miles of canvas of his own painting – has the quality of opaqueness peculiar to his school and seldom found nowadays. (“Chicago Sunday Tribune” article, Dec, 18, 1892, page 41). It is the comment “seldom found nowadays” that rings true. Even in 1892, the artistry of Strong’s generation was diminishing. The last vestiges of this art form are likely still hanging in a handful of Scottish Rite stages across the country.

Sosman & Landis scenery produced for Little Rock, Wichita, Fargo and Guthrie, have a unique aesthetic and compositional approach to the painting. Like a person’s signature, it is easy to identify that a particular scenic artist worked for all four collections. Artworks associated with the Dusseldorf school included an active middle ground, with the primary not taking place in the fore ground. The 1892 “Chicago Tribune” article comment about the “quality of opaqueness” to Strong’s work; this was in direct contrast to the English practice of glazing (Chicago Tribune, Dec. 18, 1892). The opaque application of solid color for Strong also meant that a subject could be worked up from dark to light, the approach of the slapdash tradition. The use of glazes often meant that the composition was painted up in the reverse, from light to dark. Each was a successful method, yet supported differing approaches to color mixing and paint application. That being said, most audiences would be unable to identify the differing techniques or aesthetic nuances as they both read well from a distance.

Sosman & Landis setting for the Scottish Rite stage in Fargo, North Dakota.

Sosman & Landis setting for the Scottish Rite stage in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

A second scenic artist also contributed scenery to the Little Rock, and Wichita collections during this time, approaching the subject matter in the English tradition of glazing. However, this style is only apparent in a few settings, such as the Egyptian scenes and Royal Chamber. Overall, the majority of the scenery for Scottish Rite collections during the late nineteenth century at Sosman & Landis has in identical feel and aesthetic approach to the subject matter. My research suggests that it was Strong who was the main artist; he would have been in his mid to late sixties at the time. Few pieces beyond the 1904 Sosman & Landis scenery installation for the Duluth Scottish Rite remain and are, what I believe to be, indicative of Strong’s work. The floral wreaths for the 1909 setting of Darius’ Festival Palace created for the Scottish Rite in Winona, Minnesota, was another example. However, by 1909, Strong was 79 years old, and likely unable to contribute as much painting to each Scottish Rite project. Keep in mind that Storng was one of the artists for the original production at the “The Black Crook” at Niblo’s Garden in 1866. “The Black Crook” is considered by many to be America’s first musical.

For more posts about Strong, see past installments #127, 215, 248, and 382.

Sosman & Landis setting for the Scottish Rite stage in Austin, Texas, using glazing techniques.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 679 – The 1900 Guthrie Scottish Rite Contract for Scenery

Part 679: The 1900 Guthrie Scottish Rite Contract for Scenery

On April 28, 1900, the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, purchased $2,190.00 worth of painted scenery and stage machinery from E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. The firm subcontracted the creation of the leg drops, cut drops, backdrops and set pieces to Sosman & Landis in Chicago. The contract specified that all drops would be “counter-weighted and installed in working order.”

The order included a painted front drop (drop curtain) and white lantern curtain (picture sheet), 22 backdrops, 6 cut drops, 18 leg drops, and 11 other scenic elements.

Much of this collection was later sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas in 1914, although contract negotiations began as early as 1912.

Original drop curtain for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Original wood setting for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Original Ruins setting for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Detail of Original Treasure drop for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

What this contract clarifies, however, is how the scenery was described and the designation titles for composition. The descriptions would change over the years. For example, a “Royal Chamber Setting” becomes “Solomon’s Throne Room” as more painted detail, symbolic objects and emblems are added.

Original Royal Chamber drop for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Here is a portion of the 1900 contract between the Guthrie Lodge of Perfection and E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co.-

FOURTH DEGREE

One drop with gates in opening; backing which is also used elsewhere being made reversible

FIFTH DEGREE

One stone interior set, consisting of one back drop with scrim panel and one leg drop – one tomb drop with practical doors

SIXTH DEGREE

One Royal chamber set, consisting of one backdrop and one leg drop; leg drop to be used with other sets.

NINTH DEGREE

One cave set, consisting of cave backing and one cut drop for front of cave; also one set for the water-fall.

FIFTEENTH DEGREE

One set showing ruins at Jerusalem; also used in 16^th Degree, consisting of one backdrop, and two leg drops, One drop for Cyrus’ Palace; the leg drop of 8^th Degree being used with this – One Treasure House set consisting of back drop and one leg drop- One bridge set, consisting of horizon drop; one profile fore-ground.

SIXTEENTH DEGREE

One Palace set, for Darius, consisting of one back drop and two leg drops

EIGHTEENTH DEGREE

One constellation set, consisting of one transparent spangled drop; one gauze cloud drop three light boxes showing “Faith”, “Hope”, and “Charity”.

One crucifixion set, consisting of one backdrop, one cut drop, and one leg drop.

One Calvary set, consisting of one back drop with set rose – One peristyle drop, with light box for words “Infinity”, “Nature”, “Reason”, “Immortality”.

One Cathedral set, consisting of one back drop, and one leg drop; One Ascension Scene, consisting of one back drop, One cut drop, one gauze cloud drop, one movable figure. One Hades set, consisting of one back, one cut, and one leg drop.

TWENTY-FIRST DEGREE

One interior wood set, consisting of one back drop, one cut and two leg drops; leg drops are also used in the 9^th & 15^th Degrees.

THIRTIETH DEGREE

One Egyptian Interior set, consisting of one back drop, and two leg drops.

THIRTY-SECOND DEGREE

One camp set, consisting of one backdrop and one leg drop

One white interior, consisting of one back drop and two leg drops, also a transparency of Great Symbol

MISCELLANEOUS

One drop curtain with emblematic devise

One pair of tormentors

One grand drapery

One White lantern curtain

One pair flipper wood wings

All drops counter-weighted and installed in working order in Guthrie.

Besides scenery, the Guthrie Scottish Rite ordered additional costumes, regalia, stage lighting, lighting apparatus, props, stage carpets, and other stage appliances. $1,319.05 worth of costumes and $419.75 of special light fixtures were added to the order in April 1900. The contract noted, “Goods were sent collect, but freight bills receipted are to be valid vouchers against the account.”

Records indicate that the Scottish Rite bodies needed a few more things… by May 15, 1900, an order was placed for belts, bronze pedestals, one table of Shrew-bread, one altar of incense, one brazen laver, one electric bell, three electric buzzers, one dozen small sized plain Mason’s trowels, and ten alcohol torches. A day later on May 16, another order was placed for 74 ½ yards of stage carpet for $46.74. On on April 21, they ordered a full papier mache skeleton for $12.50.

The orders to E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. continued. In September 1900 the Guthrie Scottish Rite purchased a white altar cover, a black velvet cover with tears, a laurel and olive wreath, cast iron floor pocket, 3 extra switches, 14 standards, spears and pennons, 6 extra flags, 4 extra receptacles for $49.75.

In November they purchased an additional two pairs of Flipper wings [book flats], two Ground rows, a 16×24 ground cloth, a gauze cloud drop, a stone altar [likely for JBM] and eight stone blocks and column for $225.50. By the end of the month on November 20, 1900, the Guthrie Scottish Rite placed a large order for $250.10 worth of regalia; various officer jewels, aprons, banners, and lodge furniture from E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. The orders continued, sometimes weekly, monthly, and yearly.

In less than a decade the Valley of Guthrie was outgrowing their theater space, and planned an expansion; one that would necessitate the purchase of all new stage machinery and scenery for a larger stage and proscenium opening. The scenery and stage machinery from 1900 were returned for credit on the purchase of a new collection. However, Brown was working for a different company – M. C. Lilley & Co. The scenery still found its way back to the Sosman & Landis studio, where they stored the collection until it was ready for another sale. The used collection was eventually sold the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas, for approximately $1500, where it is still in use today; sometimes providing the setting for a children’s theatre production. Fortunately, the Guthrie scenery was never altered or replaced after it arrived in Austin. It did not suffer the fate of other collections as the Austin Scottish Rite continued to expand.

As membership increased in Scottish Rite Valleys across the nation, so did their stage needs. Additional settings were added, or entire scenery collections replaced, necessitating even more costumes, props and effects.

Once Scottish Rite stages were constructed, there were always elements that could be added or updated –as long as the membership recognized the theatrical interpretation of degree work as a priority. Over the decades, however, the priorities in some Scottish Rite Valleys shifted their attention away from stage improvement. This was especially common after membership the Rite began a slow descent. Incoming funds were funneled toward specialty projects, people and events. I have noticed that there was a definitive change in the direction of funds that occurred during the 1960s. It is hard to define the exact impetus or even define the change. You can spot it in the candidate classes, the building projects and charitable endeavors. I understand that at this same time, younger generations sought alternative forms of community and social groups. Some call it part of their struggle against the “establishment.” I wonder if it was simply an increase in social opportunities; there were more options for young people.

During the mid-twentieth century many Masonic buildings were also renovated, often given a “face-lift.”. Suddenly brown paneling concealed original ornamental plasterwork, as certain decorative elements were perceived as “dated.”

Occasionally elements would be added to the theater space, but it no longer was the norm to continually purchase scenic effects for the stage. Many of the changes had to do with individual comfort, such as new seating in an auditorium. Funds were also spent on new costumes, as the sizes of Americans continued to increase in height and girth. Original costumes were shoved to the back of the rack, replaced with larger polyester versions.

Stage crews began to see the wear and tear of scenic elements, often requesting funds that were denied as the work was perceived as optional. Therefore, the backstage crews began a series of in-house repairs. So far removed from the original theatre manufacturers, punctures in scenery could result in amateur patches using odd materials that ranged from fiberglass and plaster. I have even encountered sheet metal patches riveted on to a backdrop in Quincy, Illinois. Then came the contact cement and duct tape generation for in-house repairs. As the funds for maintenance and repair were limited or non-existent, few sought out any theatre professionals. Regardless of these amateur repairs, however, many collections remained untouched. Some were guarded by backstage stewards who yelled, “don’t touch it – leave it be!” These became the gems of the Southern Jurisdiction; the theatre time capsules that are so treasured today.

To be continued…