Scottish Rite Scenery – Page 14

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 631 – Original and Reliable – E. A. Armstrong

Part 631: Original and Reliable – E. A. Armstrong

E. A. Armstrong Regalia Company began in Detroit, Michigan, during 1868

Those first theaters created for the Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry were secured by the E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. and subcontracted to Sosman & Landis. Both companies were in Chicago and both companies were run by Scottish Rite Masons. The key figure was Bestor G. Brown, a traveling salesman for E. A. Armstrong who was in charge of their Masonic Department. Brown was also involved in multiple fraternal orders and understood all necessary degree requirements. Brown opened the door to this enterprise, E. A. Armstrong provided the financial backing, and Sosman & Landis created something remarkable for staged degree work. Let’s look at the E. A. Armstrong company first, a fraternal supply company that got its start in Detroit during 1868. By the 1890s, they were building a new manufacturing plant in Chicago.

Armstrong Regalia label attached to a coat

The E. A. Armstrong Company, manufacturers of and dealers in society and military supplies, were located at Nos. 149 and 151 Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, during 1893. The company had already run a successful business for two decades in Detroit, Michigan, moving to Chicago during the summer of 1892. At the time, the officers of the company were E. A. Armstrong, President; F. S. Armstrong, Vice-President; and F. C. King, Secretary (Chicago Tribune, 6 June 1893, page 3). In 1893 while finishing the construction of their factory, the company encountered some financial trouble. Newspapers across the country reported that the company would close its doors due to money owed and a court ruling.

The “Indianapolis Journal,” commented, “Mr. Armstrong said that the cause of the trouble was due to the drawing out of more money than they anticipated in the building of their new factory at Ninety-second street and the Grand Trunk road. ‘Every dollar’s worth of property that we owe on earth,’ said Mr. Armstrong, ‘is here in this business, and every dollar of it is in the hands of our assignee for the protection of our creditors. This suspension is only temporary at most” (6 Jun 1893, page 1). The company managed to survive, becoming the E. A Armstrong Manufacturing Company. They managed to corner the market on a significant client in the years to follow– Scottish Rite Consistories. Keep in mind that the Scottish Rite consists of four bodies: the Lodge of Perfection (4-14 degrees), Chapter of Rose Croix (15-18 degrees), Council of Kadosh (19- 30 degrees) and the Consistory (31-32 degrees). It is the Consistory that often led the construction of a theater that all of the Scottish Rite bodies used to stage degree productions.

Advertisement from the “Railroad Telegrapher,” 1 June 1893, page 35

By 1902, “Masonic Voice-Review” included an article about the E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company that included the “Eminent Sir Bestor G. Brown” as working in the Masonic Division of E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company of Chicago (page 282) Brown would later go onto become the western sales representative of the M. C. Lilley & Co., with his regional offices in Kansas City, Missouri, bringing all of his Scottish Rite contacts with him. He was the catch of the day when it came to securing Scottish Rite theater business.

Here is the article “Original and Reliable” from “Masonic Voice-Review:”

‘Made on honor; is a legend that every manufacturer should be ambitious to have justly applied to his product, and is certainly an evidence of the good faith, integrity and courage of the concern that brands every article turned out with the significant sentiment in question as its trademark and guarantee. The right to use this protective designation as applied to Masonic supplies has been earned by E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company, of Chicago, by more than thirty years of continuous production of the most reliable and serviceable articles to be found in the market. The business was organized in Detroit, Michigan in 1868 by Mr. E. A. Armstrong, who has been in charge of the business without interruption since the date. The business was removed to Chicago in 1893, and in the following year was reorganized, additional capital invested, and a stock company formed under the name of E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company.

The worthily popular products of this house have made the name “Armstrong” famous as the equivalent for reliability. None of the rights, patents or patterns employed in the production of “Armstrong Goods” and the “Armstrong Uniforms” have passed to other hands, and the Masonic requisites so long familiar to the Craft are still produced upon the same plans of superiority that originally secured favor for them, and are manufactured solely by this company. The guarantee that goes with every sale is that the goods will give perfect satisfaction and are absolutely as represented.

The E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company is entitled to point with pride to the preferment it has secured among the various bodies of the Scottish Rite throughout the country. Excepting the Consistory at Columbus, Ohio, they have furnished the equipment and paraphernalia for every Consistory in the United States that has been in the market for an outfit in the past five years – certainly a phenomenal showing, and one that commends the output of the concern in unmistakable terms. The Consistories that have been equipped within the period mentioned by the company are located at Indianapolis, Ind.; Little Rock, Ark.; Galveston, Tex.; Kansas City, Miss.; Wichita, Kan.; Guthrie, Okla.; Fargo, N.D.; and St. Louis, Mo.

The equipment of the St. Louis Consistory which represented an order of $6,200, was delivered in May of the present year. The secret of this practical monopoly of the Scottish Rite patronage by the Armstrong house is the inherent excellence of its goods and the uniformly courteous and honorable treatment accorded its patrons. The Eminent Sir Bestor G. Brown has special charge of the Masonic Department, and his intelligence and energetic methods coupled with a thorough knowledge of the requirements of the Craft has much to do with the notable success of this branch of the business.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 630 – Bestor G. Brown and the E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co.

Part 630: Bestor G. Brown and E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co.

In 1909, Moses wrote, “The Dallas Masonic work came in early, so did San Francisco and Cleveland, Ohio.” That year, Moses also supervised scenery collections for Scottish Rite theaters in Kansas City, Kansas, Winona, Minnesota, and Atlanta, Georgia. Today we look at the Kansas and Bestor G. Brown (1861-1917) before looking at the Scottish Rite installation in Kansas City, Kansas, during 1909.

Starting in the 1890s, Kansas became a hot bed of Scottish Rite activity. Theatre construction, new degree productions, and Masonic celebrations drew men together from across the region. It was during this time that both fraternal and business alliances were formed. Bestor G. Brown became the central hub on a spinning wheel of fraternal activity. As I have discussed in recent posts, Brown, would become the future western sales representative of the M. C. Lilley & Co., with his regional offices in Kansas City, Missouri. Brown joined Siloam Lodge No. 225, on March 11, 1884, where he served as Master in 1887 and 1888. Brown was also involved with other Masonic orders, such as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, York Rite, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and Order of the Eastern Star. In fact, Brown’s outstanding fraternal service gained him title to Kansas Lodge No. 433 A. F. & A. M. Lodge on March 1, 1923. It is now the Bestor G. Brown Lodge No. 433. Brown was involved with other non-Masonic fraternities, such as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protected Order of Elks. I have to ask myself where the guy found enough time to do it all as he traveled so much.

Bestor G. Brown pictured in the American Tyler, 1908, page 471.

Brown became a traveling salesman, peddling supplies for E. A. Armstrong during the 1890s. This was before Brown became the western sales manager for M. C. Lilley & Co. in 1904. From 1897 until 1902, Brown had special charge of the Armstrong’s Masonic department and secured ALL of the consistory contracts except one. That one was in Columbus, Ohio, however, by 1909, he would secure that Consistory contract too. In the 1902 publication “Masonic Voice-Review,” an article titled “Original and Reliable” commended the quality of products manufactured by the E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company of Chicago and Brown’s contribution. The article noted, “Excepting the Consistory at Columbus, Ohio, they have furnished the equipment and paraphernalia for every Consistory in the United States that has been in the market for an outfit in the past five years… The Consistories that have been equipped within the period mentioned by the company are located at Indianapolis, Ind.; Little Rock, Ark.; Galveston, Tex.; Kansas City, Miss.; Wichita, Kan.; Guthrie, Okla.; Fargo, N.D.; and St. Louis, Mo.” The article continued, “The Eminent Sir Bestor G. Brown has special charge of the Masonic Department, and his intelligence and energetic methods coupled with a thorough knowledge of the requirements of the Craft has much to do with the notable success of this branch of the business.”

This is a big deal, as it suggested that E. A. Armstrong captured the Scottish Rite theater business of the entire Southern Jurisdiction after Pike’s passing; remember, Pike, was not a supporter of stage degree productions and he was in charge of the Southern Jurisdiction until his death in 1891.

Brown was there when the Southern Jurisdictions first designed and installed their new scenery. He would be there again when these Masonic venues grew and needed new scenery a decade later. The only difference was that Brown would later be representing M. C. Lilley & Co. Consider this…the Valley’s were repurchasing scenery thru Brown. This did not necessarily mean that they were going with another company; they were going with the same man who just happened to now work for a new company. Brown knew what they wanted and what they already had. In other words, the Consistories believed he would take care of them as a fellow 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason.

The April 15, 1908, issue of “The American Tyler” would credit Brown as “the only Masonic stage manager in the country.” The article would further explain, “This is because he has a national reputation among scenic artists and builders of stage appliances, and because he created and developed the application of modern scenic properties to the dramatic presentation of all Masonic degrees. More value is probably attached to his opinion in such matters than to that of any other man in the country, and he is almost invariably consulted in regard to the construction of stages for the work of the Scottish Rite, everywhere throughout the United States.”

Each Scottish Rite Valley’s loyalty was to Brown and not necessarily the company he represented – M. C. Lilley. The scenic studio of Sosman & Landis was closely linked to Brown and his business. Brown and Sosman were both Scottish Rite Masons. After Sosman died in 1915 and Brown died in 1917, the Masonic connection dried up and much business went to Toomey & Volland who had been steadily building up their Masonic repertoire. And guess what? Volland was a Scottish Rite Mason and in charge of the stage direction at the Scottish Rite in St. Louis; the same as Brown who had been in charge of the stage direction in Wichita, Kansas. Volland was the “shiny new thing” on the Masonic playground. Volland got his Masonic scenery start in 1902, when Toomey & Volland were subcontracted by E. A. Armstrong to deliver $6,200 worth of scenery and stage equipment to the St. Louis Consistory during May and Brown was the one to negotiate the contract.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 629 – The Cleveland Scottish Rite, 1909

Part 629: The Cleveland Scottish Rite, 1909

The Valley of Cleveland consists of a ten-county area in northern Ohio. The four Scottish Rite bodies included the Eliadah Lodge of Perfection, Bahurim Council, Ariel Chapter and Lake Erie Consistory. I have uncovered very little information about the building occupied by the Cleveland Scottish Rite before their move to their new home at 3615 Euclid Avenue. The previous Masonic Temple was built in 1883 and located at Superior Avenue and East 6^th St.

Masonic Temple in Cleveland where the Scottish Rite met before the 1921 Masonic Auditorium was constructed.

Of this first home for the Scottish Rite, the “Akron Beacon Journal” noted that eight Akron Masons received the 32^nd degree at the Spring Scottish Rite reunion in Cleveland (10 March 1910, page 4). The article reported, “The territory covered at this meeting is of northeastern Ohio. Several hundred are expected from the cities. Between 50 and 100 from Akron intend to go. There will be a class of 95 who will take their degrees up through the 32^nd degree.” The first Masonic Temple was obviously a sizable space.

Masonic Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. Occupied by the Scottish Rite form 1921-2017.

Construction for the new Masonic building commenced during 1918. Interestingly, in 1919, Toomey & Volland scenic studio records indicate that they created scenery for the Cleveland Scottish Rite Temple. Ten years earlier, Sosman & Landis created the scenery for degree work in Cleveland. After 1915, it was not uncommon for Toomey & Volland to underbid Sosman & Landis on Masonic projects, especially in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. The Masonic connection provided by Joseph S. Sosman, of Sosman & Landis, disappeared when he passed away in 1915. Thomas G. Moses had taken over the company but was not yet a Mason.

Masonic Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio, built in 1921

The new Masonic Temple in Cleveland was designed by Hubbell & Benes, the same firm that designed the Cleveland museum of art in 1916. Home to many Masonic Orders, including the Scottish Rite, the massive Masonic structure covered 102,000 square feet of space, with a 2200-seat auditorium. Acclaimed for its acoustics, the Masonic Temple was once home to the Cleveland Orchestra for a decade, before their move in 1931 to Severance Hall.

Smaller theatre in Cleveland Masonic Auditorium building

Smaller theatre in Cleveland Masonic Auditorium building. View from stage

As with many other Masonic buildings of this scope, declining membership after World War II and escalated expenses from deferred maintenance cause the Cleveland Masons to put their building on the market in 2017. The corporate secretary of the Cleveland Scottish Rite admitted that it cost $400,000 a year to maintain the building, “an outlay that would soon exhaust the operating endowment.” There is an article from 6, August, 2015 that includes some lovely photographs of the building. Here is the link to many of the attached pictures (https://www.cleveland.com/architecture/index.ssf/2015/08/landmark_masonic_auditorium_-.html).

Nearly one hundred years after construction began on the Masonic Auditorium in Cleveland, it was sold to a private developer. An affiliate of Arkansas-based Beaty Capital Group, Inc. paid only $725,000 for the complex on March 31, 2017. Cleveland’s Masonic building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the property is eligible for preservation funding including state and federal tax credits.

This is the same group that purchased the Scottish Rite in Forth Smith, Arkansas.

Scottish Rite Temple in Fort Smith, Arkansas

A subsidiary of the Beaty Capital Group, TempleLive (https://www.templelive.com/about/), also purchased the Zembo Shrine building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 2018 (https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/01/zembo_shrine_sale_shriners_ple.html).

Zembo Shrine in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

In Cleveland, Fort Smith and Harrisburg, the Fraternity will never be able to afford the expense of constructing anything comparable. The materials and craftsmanship necessary to build these types of buildings are often no longer available. In Cleveland, the chandeliers are made from pieces of shell and hobnailed doors lead to the auditorium. The ones who lose are future generations of Masons who will never experience the space, or the physical sense of heritage. The buildings were planned and constructed by men with vision. It also takes vision to place Freemasonry in the context of today and contemplate how these venues can be saved. The winners in the end are those who are able to purchase these jewels for less than market price and turn a profit.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 628 – The San Francisco Scottish Rite, 1909

Part 628: The San Francisco Scottish Rite, 1909

In 1909, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The Dallas Masonic work came in early, so did San Francisco and Cleveland, Ohio.” These were only three of six Scottish Rite installations supervised by Moses in 1909 while he was working at Sosman & Landis. Others included Kansas City, Kansas, Winona, Minnesota, and Atlanta, Georgia.

The San Francisco Scottish Rite built in 1909. It is now called the Regency.

The first San Francisco Scottish Rite outfitted with scenery by Sosman & Landis was destroyed during the fire after the San Francisco earthquake. The original 1906 collection was contracted with M. C. Lilley & Co., and subsequently subcontracted to the Sosman & Landis scenic studio. In 1906, the western sales representative for M. C. Lilley & Co., Bestor G. Brown, was in town attending a meeting at the San Francisco Masonic Temple when the earthquake struck. During the first tremors early in the morning of April 18, 1906, Brown was sleeping at the Union League Club. The San Francisco earthquake triggered several fires that burned the city for the next two days. Brown’s eyewitness account of his experience was first published in the “Topeka Daily Capital” (April 25, 1906, page 7).

The article reported, ““The Grand Chapter of Masons met in the forenoon at the Masonic temple and were holding their meeting when the military came in and said it was time to move as they were going to dynamite the Palace hotel.” Brown elaborated, “I went out to the street and saw the fire creeping up from two sides. I saw it creep up to the back door off the meat market on Market Street and the minute it touched the rear of the building it seemed to sweep through and bulge out into the street in front. About the time I took to the woods, I started for the waterfront and got there in about an hour and a half.”

Cornerstone laying ceremony took place after the building was constructed, on October 12, 1909. From “The San Francisco Call,” Oct. 13, 1909

The cornerstone for the second San Francisco Scottish Rite Temple was laid on October 12, 1909, by the Grand Master of California, Oscar Lawler. The “San Francisco Call,” reported “Cornerstone of Scottish Rite Cathedral Lowered Into Place Before Big Throng.” The trowel was a “handsome beaten silver blade of which the insignia f the order was an appropriate inscription” and presented to Grand Master Lawler by W. P. Filmer in behalf of the Scottish Rite Temple Association. Lawler was retiring and being succeeded by W. Frank Pierce. Remember that Pierce was also the Inspector General of California and the Grand Grand Chancellor of the Scottish Rite instrumental in advocating for the new House of the Temple. As part of the Finanace Committee, Pierce introduced the 1904 resolution that paid each SGIG and Deputy $2 per each incoming 32^nd degree Mason for each respective jurisdiction

The “San Francisco Call” article continued, “The dedication of the building itself was as a house erected to God, and destined to stand as a symbol of truth, intelligence, honesty and integrity in the pursuit of the highest ideals of mankind.” The time capsule placed under the cornerstone included a roster of the members of the San Francisco bodies of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, a copy of the Trestle Board for October, 1909, the bulletin of the San Francisco lodges of perfection for August and September, 1909, the latest bulletins of the chapter, council, and consistory, the bulletin of the reception to Sovereign Grand Commander James Daniel Richardson, the notice of laying of the cornerstone, samples of the stationary used by the San Francisco bodies of Scottish Rite, the San Francisco morning daily papers of yesterday, the proceedings of the grand lodge of California for 1908, coins minted in 1909, a copy of the New Age for September of this year and business cards of the architects and contractors in charge of the construction of the building.”

Located on the northeast corner of Sutter Street and Van Ness avenue, the block was cemented in the foundation wall of the new building. The final cost of this four-story building was $330,000 and was home to the San Francisco Bodies No. 1, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. As part of the ceremonies on October 12, 1909, the “San Francisco Call” noted that “many members of the grand body attended a meeting in King Solomon’s Hall, where Berkeley lodge exemplified the work in the apprentice, or first degree.”

The stage was outfitted with scenery by Sosman & Landis, and Moses supervised the production of the backdrops for the West Coat. These drops area still used on the same stage, but the building is now known as the Regency Center. It is no longer owned by the Fraternity and odd to see the Masonic settings as thematic backings for a variety of public events, including cabaret shows. The current stewards of the building now advertise the edifice as a unique venue with three separate event spaces. The Scottish Rite theater is now marketed as “The Lodge.” Generations of San Franciscans have now performed on the stage, worked the fly lines, or applauded from the audience, all marveling at the painting from years ago. Moses’ scenery, especially his forest scene, continues to thrill both spectators and performers.

Landscape scene by Thomas G. Moses (1856-1909) in the 1909 Scottish Rite building, now called the Regency

The Lodge of the Regency, once the 1909 San Francisco Scottish Rite

Scenery at the 1909 Scottish Rite building used for a cabaret show

In 1964 the San Francisco Scottish Rite moved to new building, new scenery constructed by the Western Scenic Studio, of Oakland, California. The backdrops were designed and painted by member Gus R. Schneider, an MGM artist. The third Scottish Rite constructed for the San Francisco Bodies is a sign of the times when it was built. I have included some images that from their Facebook page that give a sense of the degree work now being performed in the space with Schneider’s scenery.

Scenery at the San Francisco Scottish Rite

Scenery at the current San Francisco Scottish Rite

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 627 – The Dallas Scottish Rite, 1909

Part 627: The Dallas Scottish Rite, 1909

Postcard of the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Dallas, Texas, completed in 1913.

Sosman & Landis delivered 119 drops and stage machinery to the Scottish Rite at 500 S Harwood Street, Dallas. This Temple was not completed until 1913, however, degree productions took place on the stage by 1909. The scenery contract for the stage was negotiated by Bestor G. Brown of M. C. Lilley & Co.

On April 26, 1913, the “Dallas Morning News” described the Masonic Cathedral and Architect Herbert M. Green’s contributions. Keep in mind that the theater of the building was referred to as “the great degree room.”

The article reported, “On the second floor one will find the lobby, which is in Roman Ionic; the Corinthian lodge room is green and gold: candidates lounging room, modified Colonial with color scheme of brown and blue and smoking foyer in the same effect. In the great degree room are columns copied from those in the Temple of Karnak at Thebes. Over sixty shades of color are used harmoniously in the ornamental beams and columns supporting the ceiling of sky blue – a ceiling whereon the stars of the twelve signs of the Zodiac are so cunningly constructed, and with such ingenious electrical attachments that when the great hall is in total darkness, the constellations seem to blaze in all reality from the very heavens above.

The largest stage in Texas is in this degree room – and the largest pipe organ. There are offices restrooms, wardrobe rooms, bowling alley, grill and kitchen – heating, ventilating and lighting systems which are unsurpassed, push button elevator and house telephone system – In short every device by which modern ingenuity can add to beauty and comfort and convenience.”

The article further described that the theater, “a proscenium arch 28×22 feet is the largest stage in Texas, 24 feet deep and 60 feet in width. One hundred and nineteen scenic drops are so delicately counterweighted that the stage picture can be changed in two seconds, and if necessary in the dark. These drops are hung over the entire ceiling of the stage, being spaced three inches apart from the proscenium arch to the rear wall of the stage. Each degree has its own scenery, some degrees three and four scenes, all forming an extensive and complete equipment that it is possible to produce more different scenes than on any stage in the country. Fifteen hundred white, blue, red and amber lights, controlled from a switchboard seven feet high and twelve feet long are required to light the stage properly. These are subdued and softened as necessary by bank after bank of dimmers arranged by interlocking devices to control the degree of light at any one point of en masse. The dawn of day, a nightfall or a moonlight effect can be reproduced with marvelous fidelity…To the rear of the stage are property rooms, etc. and on the third floor a large wardrobe room, with cases for the various costumes.”

The 1913 article concluded, “”The complete cost of the building has not been, as yet, made public but it is expected to be close to $230,000. Other items not included in the building cost are:
Organ $23,000.00
Stage Scenery $28,000.00
Furnishings $21,000.00
Ground $34,000.00
Making an estimated cost of the complete equipment of about $350,000.”

The article ended here.

Today’s monetary equivalent of $28,000 spent in 1909 for a Scottish Rite scenery collection is $773,024.62. Dallas was only one of six Scottish Rite collection supervised by Thomas G. Moses that year. The others were in San Francisco, CA, Cleveland, OH, Kansas City, KS, Winona, MN, and Atlanta, GA. Keep in mind that Masonic work only made up 25 -30% of all work at the Sosman & Landis studios. The firm, like the Scottish Rite, was accumulating a massive amount of money at this point.

In a letter from Brown to William G. Bell at the Austin Scottish Rite, dated July 7, 1912, Brown provided further information pertaining to the Dallas Scottish Rite stage. This correspondence was to help Austin Scottish Rite bodies understand the design and delivery process; Sosman & Landis could not provide estimates or cost and installation without knowing how much scenery was needed and the structural condition of the building. Brown used the Dallas Scottish Rite as an example, writing, “the Dallas stage has in the neighborhood of 25,000 lineal feet of wire and rope in its installation; the quantity of wire and rope necessary, is determined by the heighth of the gridiron, the location of the fly gallery, and the general dimension of the stage. We would also have to look into the question of freight charges and be advised as to what prices we could obtain common gray iron castings in Austin for use as counterweights. We would have to determine on the correct number of drops to be used, because each drop requires eight pulleys besides counterweight frames and eye bolts.” These costs all needed to be estimated prior to providing a number, yet the Austin Scottish Rite kept asking, “but how much will it cost?”

Brown continued, “In our original correspondence, Mr. Green of Dallas, indicated that he was preparing plans for remodeling an old building [in Austin] and that when these plans were determined upon, he would send us the dimensions of the stage. Mr. Green understands what would be wanted, as he had the experience on the Dallas Temple.” Again, Brown was referring to Herbert M. Green, the architect and a member of the Scottish Rite and the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 626 – Photographing Scottish Rite Scenery

Part 626: Photographing Scottish Rite Scenery

There was another significant moment that occurred during the 1909 Biennial Session of the Supreme Council of the Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the Thirty-third Degree of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America.

It was an attempt to regulate the use of photograph images of Scottish Rite scenery in publications throughout the Northern and Southern Jurisdictions. Both Supreme councils would implement legislation to limit the amount of visual information that was released to the general public. In other words, they were trying to keep certain elements “secret,” noting that too much was being “shared” with the general public. Up to that time, pictures of Scottish Rite scenery were included not only in souvenir programs for Scottish Rite reunions, but also in newspaper articles. For example, there were photographs of two degree settings published in the “Topeka State Journal” depicting the Egyptian and Peristyle settings for the 31^st and 18^th degrees, respectively ( 30 Oct. 1909, page 6). In 1909 Grand Commander James D. Richardson called for a stop to this practice at the Biennial Session, citing legislation that had already been implemented in the Northern Jurisdiction. From this point on, the publishing of photographs depicting Scottish Rite degree productions or scenery was strictly forbidden.

Egyptian setting published in the Topeka State Journal

Peristyle setting published in the Topeka State Journal

This legislation mostly worked until the 1970, and is now impossible in the age of social media where most Scottish Rite Masons have a camera on their phone. Today there are photos of degree work all over social media – scenes from reunions on Facebook posts, tweets and instagrams of Masons in costume. It is just too tempting for members not to post pictures of things they love.

One example of social media depicting a Scottish Rite class in front of the Peristyle scene for the 18th degree

Similar scene form 1909 with Grand Commander James D. Richardson seated in the center – also showing the Peristyle scene for the 18th degree.

Image of a Scottish Rite degree team posed in front of scenery

Scottish Rite Masons posed in front of scenery at the Yankton Scottish Rite

However, 110 years ago, it was an entirely different issue when Grand Commander James D. Richardson realized that they needed to pull on the reigns of something that was becoming a runaway issue. In the section “Programmes of Reunions. Etc.” of the 1909 Transactions of the Supreme Council (page 64) Grand Commander Richardson commented,

“The inspection of the programmes published by some of our subordinate bodies announcing reunions, etc., and which are sent broadcast throughout the country, I think, will show that the form or ceremony conferring Degrees is advertised by illustrations in these programmes to an improper extent. Many of them are works of art and of exquisite taste. I have no desire to stop, or even discourage this attractive style of advertising, but am of the opinion that greater care should be exercised in the matter than is at present observed. When I was at the session of the Northern Supreme Council, September 1908, I heard with interest the discussion on this subject by Bro. Palmer in his Allocution. He had had his attention called to it by a request for permission to publish in a programme the photographs of the casts of some Degrees. I quote a portion of his reply to this request, as follows:

‘I have to say in reply that the rituals of the Scottish Rite Degrees, like those of all other Degrees in Freemasonry, are secret in all respects. The rituals of Freemasonry constitute its methods of teaching great truths to those who apply for and are found worthy to receive them. These rituals and methods of communicating them to those who have been duly chosen to receive them, in my judgment, rank with secrets of Freemasonry and should be most carefully guarded. No part of the forms or ceremonies connected with the conferring of Degrees, or any of them, or any part thereof, should be published or exhibited to those Masons, either by photographs, written or printed circulars, or advertisements in newspapers, either before or after the Degree or Degrees shall be conferred, and being of this opinion, I was obliged to decline to comply with the courteous request.’

This portion of the address was referred to committee. The committee reported the resolution which was adopted, and which declared, “That it is not permissible to print, publish, distribute, or exhibit any illustration of any part of the rituals, form, or ceremonies, connected with the conferring of degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, or any of them, or any part, or synopsis, in any manner of form, to the public, or to any one entitled thereto.”

I think it would be wise for the Council to adopt this, or a similar resolution. I am of the opinion that it would be well to require that all programmes and announcements of reunions should be submitted to the Inspector General, or Deputy of the Supreme Council in a jurisdiction where there is no Inspector-General for his approval before they are published and distributed.”

Fast forward ahead eight decades. A small troupe of theatre professors cross the country, documenting historic scenery collections in Scottish Rite theaters. This group, partially funded by USITT travel grants, included Lance Brockman, Larry Hill, Rhett Bryson, and Bruce Brockman. Whether together, or separate, each of the men spent hours gaining access to these significant historic scenery collections and documenting the painted scenery and stage effects.

Their visits caused quite a stir and soon a letter was sent out to every Scottish Rite Valley in the Southern Jurisdiction with the following announcement from the Grand Secretary General:

March 6, 1984

“TO ALL ACTIVES, DEPUTIES AND SECRETARIES

Dear Brother:

It has been brought to our attention that requests have been made in several Valleys in the Southern Jurisdiction to take photographs of the backdrops used in our ritualistic work. Further information has indicated that the individuals pursuing this project have no knowledge of Masonic ritual and consequently have engaged in useless and ignorant speculation concerning the uses to which these backdrops might be put. These discussions lead to derogatory criticism of Masonry.

My suggestion would be not ever to let anyone take photographs of any of the backdrops used in ritualistic work for other than Masonic purposes. This policy should eliminate future problems of this type.

With best wishes,

Cordially and fraternally yours,

Fred Kleinknecht

Grand Secretary General”

This action may have been the equivalent to throwing water on a grease fire. It was not out of spite that the men continued their documentation, but out of an understanding that the historic scenery collections were valuable cultural artifact shared by both the Fraternity and American public; each had a place within American history as well as Masonic history. Thankfully, the photographic documentation continued as Brockman trudged along with his research, soon facilitating the acquisition of two primarily Masonic scenery design collections – the Great Western Stage Equipment Company collection and the Holak Collection – for the Performing Arts Archives at the University of Minnesota from 1988-1991. These were the two collections that I processed with two Undergraduate Research Opportunity Grants while working on my undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota.

In 1992, the symposium “Theatre of the Fraternity: Staging the Sacred Space of the Scottish Rite” was held from September 10 – 12 in Minnesota. This event was supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the University of Minnesota. Activities included a presentation at the Minneapolis Scottish Rite and even a trip up north to visit the Duluth Scottish Rite. The support for the “Theatre of the Fraternity” continued and by 1996, the touring museum exhibit “Theatre of the Fraternity: Staging the Ritual Space of Freemasonry, 1896-1929” opened at the Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota before crossing the country. The exhibit was conceived and curated by Prof. C. Lance Brockman. A catalog was published in conjunction with the exhibit, including contributions by Kenneth L. Ames, William D. Moore, Mary Ann Clawson, Mark C. Carnes, C. Lance Brockman and Lawrence J. Hill. A few more years went by and many of these Masonic Designs became available for the general public in an online database (https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch). This was the project that I helped with in both the design, selection and entering of metadata for each item.

In additional to archival work, I entered into the fray thru the back door of the Scottish Rite – the stage door – restoring deteriorating scenery and replicating historic compositions for various Scottish Rite theaters across the country. However, it was never simply about the art, restoration, or historical scene painting techniques. Working as an assistant to Prof. Brockman, provided me with the incentive to use the subject for my doctoral dissertation: “Scenic Shifts Upon the Scottish Rite Stage: Designing for Masonic Theatre, 1859-1929” (UMN 2009). All the while, membership in the Scottish Rite continued to decrease. Scottish Rite Valleys began closing their buildings and moving to alternative locations. If the new space did not permit the use of their old scenery, entire collections were abandoned or disposed of over the years. In some cases, photographs of Scottish Rite scenery taken by a handful of theatre professors and practitioners are the only thing that remain of these glorious collections. More will disappear in the decades to follow and I have to wonder which ones will survive.

My concern for this loss of this history is one of the reasons that I now daily publish digital images of Scottish Rite scenery to my public FB group Dry Pigment. I hope to raise awareness of this valuable resource for not only theatre practitioners, but also historians. It is also why I pushed so hard to include a degree portfolio, featuring the twenty-nine settings of the 1912 Santa Fe Scottish Rite stage in “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018). Full-page color plates of Scottish Rite degree productions, complete with costumed actors and props, may be all that is left someday. Believe me, convincing a secret society to publically share images of their scenery for all the world to see is no small feat, especially when I was very familiar that this fight had been occurring since 1909.

However, I am not alone, as many Scottish Rite Valleys across the country are attempting other ways to increase membership and sharing their stage. Opening up their doors to the public is one option to increase revenue with rentals. Here is an article in South Dakota magazine that explains why declining membership is prompting some Masons to shed the mystery. This is quite an interesting article that reads a bit like an advertisement:

https://www.southdakotamagazine.com/masons-losing-the-mystery

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 623 – “Patron Saint” of the Scottish Rite, Albert Pike

Part 623: “Patron Saint” of the Scottish Rite

There was an interesting article that I stumbled across while looking for information about Scottish Rite theaters in Kansas. It concerned Gen. Albert Pike, Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction from 1859 until his passing in 1891. Born in 1809, Pike revised the Scottish Rite rituals in 1857, unifying the degrees. For those unfamiliar with the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry’s theaters and degree productions, this may help clarify why scenery was added during the mid-nineteenth century. Part of Pike’s ritual revision included specific decorations for the various apartments, or necessary settings for each degree. You see, the degree work often included dramatic sections.

Pike’s “Magnum Opus” was replicated in the Northern Jurisdiction by Charles T. McClenachan in his “The Book of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.” There is some debate regarding how much McClenachan directly copied from Pike that I won’t get into today. What McClenachan did add into his publication was illustrations of the various apartments, providing visual reference for those purchasing painted settings and draperies for their Scottish Rite lodge room, or stage.

Over time Scottish Rite legislation in both the Southern and Northern Jurisdictions mandated that five of the Scottish Rite degrees had to be conferred in “full form.” This indicated the mandated use of costumes, props and scenery to stage dramatic enactments of certain scenes. At first five in number, these degrees were referred to as “Indispensable” or “Obligatory” degrees and included the 4, 14, 18, 30 and 32. Increasingly theatrical interpretations with scenic elements were used in the center of the lodge room. This was similar to a “theatre in the round” production, with audience members on all four sides.

Soon, small elevated stages were added to include even more elaborate backings for the dramatic sections. For example, a cut out tomb might first be introduced as a profile piece, complete with flip jack, or booked sides. On a stage, the tomb would be painted on a backdrop, maybe even with wooden supports for a practical opening. Each tomb had the same characteristics, yet the presentation changed as the lodge room space was altered, eventually becoming a state-of-the-art theater with hundreds of seats. Simultaneously, the ritual work transitioned from initiating a single candidate to using an exemplar to represent an entire class of candidates in the various staged degree productions.

Pike was adamant, however, that the dramatic portions of each degree were NOT meant to be big melodramatic and theatrically staged affairs. After his passing in 1891, however, plans for Scottish Rite theaters throughout the Southern Jurisdiction immediately commenced with two of the first full-fledged stages being completed in Little Rock, Arkansas and Oakland, California during 1896. The Northern Jurisdiction (geographic region north of the Ohio River and East of the Mississippi) had been constructing Scottish Rite theaters since the 1860s. The degree productions proved time and time again to be an incentive for Blue Lodge Masons to join the Scottish Rite.

With that little bit of background about Grand Commander Pike, here is a wonderful article published in the “Evening Kansasan-Republican on Dec. 29, 1909, celebrating the 100^th birthday of Pike (page 1).

Honor “Patron Saint”

—-

Scottish Rite Masons Observe Centenary of General Albert Pike

Washington, D.C., Dec. 29:-Scottish Rite Masons everywhere unite today in paying honor to the memory of Gen. Albert Pike, known as the “patron saint” of Scottish Rite Masonry, on the one hundredth anniversary of his birth. Plans for a widespread observance of the centenary were perfected at the meeting of this city last October of the supreme council of Scottish Rite Masons for the Southern jurisdiction. In further commemoration of the anniversary the supreme council has distributed among its members two hundred medals, bearing an image of the head and bust of General Pike and with an appropriate inscription.

Though General Pike is best remembered for his services to the Masonic fraternity, these do not by any means constitute his only claim to fame. In the course of his stirring career he fought with distinction in two wars, attained national prominence as a journalist and was known as one of the most able lawyers in his day. He also found time to write much credible poetry.

General Pike was a product of Massachusetts and in his youth attended Harvard University and subsequently taught school at Newburyport. At the age of 21 he went West and engaged in exploring the country. In 1832 he located in Arkansas, where he taught school for a time and then engaged in newspaper work. In 1835 he was admitted to the bar. Upon the outbreak of the Mexican war he recruited a company of cavalry, which he led at the battle of Buena Vista. He returned to his extensive law practice in 1849, and in 1853 transferred his office to New Orleans, returning to Arkansas in 1857. As attorney for the Choctaw Indians, he obtained the award of nearly $3,000,000 from the United States Government.

At the beginning of the Civil war, he was appointed Confederate commissioner to negotiate treaties of alliance with the Indians. He was appointed a brigadier-general in the Confederate

Army and took the leading part in the battles of Pea Ridge and Elkhorn. In 1866 he removed to Memphis, where he edited a newspaper and two years later he came to Washington to practice law.

General Pike was grand commander of the supreme council of the 33^rd degree of Masons, and was also grand commander of the royal order of Scottish Rite Masons. He compiled numerous Masonic rituals and also wrote a famous reply to Pope Leo XIII’s tirade against Masonry.”

Not everything in the article is correct, by it paints a pretty picture of Pike. Keep in mind that 1909 was a period of unprecedented membership growth in the Southern Jurisdiction and Scottish Rite theater construction was booming throughout to country. Scottish Rite Valleys in the Western region of the Southern Jurisdiction were surpassing their eastern counterparts in terms of membership and funding, especially in Kansas. There was space to build massive structures in a region of seemingly unlimited resources. For Scottish Rite Masonry, theatrical interpretations of degree work became the proverbial “goose that laid the golden egg.” Would Pike have approved of the ever-increasing stage effects and settings to accompany the degrees? No.

Pike spoke out against the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction’s performance of staged degree productions throughout his lifetime. In his 1882 Allocution, Pike stated, “The Rite in this Jurisdiction is a Rite of instruction, and not of scenic pomp and stage-show.” Pike also said, “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 aesthetic taste and please the imagination, like the pageantry of cardinals and orioles.”

That being said, men joined in droves and loved the Scottish Rite productions. After all, everyone had a chance to become a star.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 622 – Leftover Lights for Lawrence, Kansas

Part 622: Leftover Lights for Lawrence, Kansas

In 1909, the Scottish Rite Masons in Lawrence, Kansas, were planning for the construction of a new home. By 1911, their Egyptian-Revival style building included a stage with 55 backdrops produced by Sosman & Landis studio in Chicago, Illinois. Between the initial planning stages and final dedication ceremony, several things were in play in regard to stage, scenery and lighting. Let’s start with lighting.

Letterhead for M. C. Lilley & Co. with Bestor G. Brown as manager in Kansas City, ca. 1910.

In 1910, the Scottish Rite in Lawrence was 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 of their building, requiring all new scenery and stage machinery.

The home for Scottish Rite Masons in Guthrie, Oklahoma, 1901.

The building in Guthrie, Oklahoma, after the addition. This building included the new stage with scenery by Sosman & Landis of Chicago.

The used scenery was returned for credit on the new scenery. The Guthrie bodies were upgrading all of their equipment, including the border lights. 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.” In other words, “these could catch on fire, but if they know that we’re all good.”

Brown continued in his letter, “The battens on the scenery could be left there if you want to use new battens for your job. In that event, however, the people at Lawrence would have to pay us more than we allowed you for your scenery because you will remember we were to retain the battens at Guthrie and use them in your new scenery. It is impossible to get lumber that is the equal of the lumber in your own battens. I do not think you will have a great deal of trouble with the new lumber, but at the same time, the old battens will curl less in Guthrie than the new battens would curl in Lawrence on account of the difference in climate.” This is the first mention that I have ever encountered about warping battens. The lumber that was always specified noted white pine. This meant old growth, first cut pine.

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.

E. A. Armstrong <fg. Company letterhead, 1900

The original stage lighting order from Armstrong for Guthrie included:

“Four (4) Borders, each 24 feet long, each containing 60 lights wired for three colors; 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, three attached to each of the ground rows and one each to bunch lights

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

Three (3) 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

$620.00 (Today’s equivalent in approximately $18,200 – pretty good deal).

A portion of 1900 contract between the Guthrie Scottish Rite and E. A. Armstrong Mfg. Company that includes some of the lights.

Sockets all of Edison pattern

MISCELLANEOUS LIGHTING APPARATUS

One (1) Lamp and chaser 32.00

One (1) 4,000 c/p focusing lamp and reflector, stand and rheostat included 42.50

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.”

Keep in mind that Abraham Perry Landis, of Sosman & Landis, was one of the founders for the American Reflector and Lighting Co. Joseph S. Sosman was also an investor in the company.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 621 – Meanwhile in Lawrence, Kansas

Part 621: Meanwhile in Lawrence, Kansas

In 1909, the Topeka Scottish Rite membership was soaring and the scenery provided by Sosman & Landis to the Valley in 1906 was still an unprecedented success. Meanwhile in Lawrence, Kansas, there were new plans a brewin’…

“The Lawrence Daily World” included the article “Scottish Rite Temple Here” (29 April 1909, page 1). The first four lines printed in bold included:

Plans Are Underway for a $20,000 Building

AN OLD MUSIC HALL CORNER

Secured Option on Property Today for $10,500.

Will Probably Erect New Building This Coming Summer – To Help Masonry Here.”

There you have it; big beautiful buildings incited men to join the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. The bigger, the better. Impressive edifices signaled a successful group of men doing exciting things.

Little did Lawrence Masons realize that their vision for the future would never last. Could they have even conceived that by the summer of 2018, the Lawrence Scottish Rite Bodies would move once again from a space in a shopping mall to a nondescript metal warehouse.

Home of the Scottish Rite in 1911. Lawrence, Kansas.

Home of the Scottish Rite in 2018. Lawrence, Kansas.

As we drove through Lawrence on our way home last summer, I desperately tried to find the current Scottish Rite location; we were making stops along the way from Santa Fe to Minneapolis. After making several circles around a shopping mall parking lot, we finally found the new building a few blocks over, and my expectations were crushed. I have never encountered any building with less character and I could not help think of the irony when reflecting on the degree work that heralded King Solomon’s Temple and the chief architect Hiram. I could hear the arguments to move to a smaller, and less-expensive location, citing declining membership and increasing building expenses. I am sure not all jumped on board as the Scottish Rite Masons left their magnificent home.

So lets go back to 1909 and see how these beautiful buildings ushered in a wave of membership and newspapers reported that new buildings were being constructed to “Help Masonry”

The Lawrence Daily World” reported,

“A committee of five from the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite lodge of Perfection visited J. B. Watkins this morning and secured an option for the old Methodist church at the corner of Berkely and Massachusetts street, for $4500 less than what Mr. Watkins figured was a reasonable interest on his investment.” Today’s monetary equivalent of $4500 in 1909 is $124,173.79. That is a lot of money to give up for a good cause, even if you are a Mason.

The article continues, “Mr. Watkins made this special price of $10,500 because he said he considered the property as sacred ground, and favored a Scottish Rite temple being built on the site.

This encouragement and the words of Governor Stubbs in Topeka yesterday, that the Scottish Rite body of Lawrence ought to have a temple, together with the enthusiasm of the fifty members present at the meeting last night, and the recent words of Grand Inspector General Thomas W. Harrison, of Topeka, encouraging the Scottish Rite bodies to press forward enthusiastically and increase their membership and build a building if they ever expected to have a consistory here, all seemed to make this an opportune time to seize this opportunity and start immediately effecting plans for the building, and raising the money from the members by subscription to stock to build a temple that would easily accommodate and enrolled membership of a thousand.

A Lawrence consistory of 32^nd degree, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Masons would have jurisdiction over the state of Kansas, except those countries in which there were already established consistories – like Topeka, Wichita, etc. Also it would have the added advantage of securing new members from among the student Masons attending K. S. U., besides the 500 Blue Lodge Masons in Lawrence, and all Blue Lodge Masons in adjoining towns, the insuring continued and rapid growth and assured success to the enterprise.

The plans are estimated to require an expenditure, all told, or some $20,000, and figured on a strictly business basis of income from the building, and increase in the membership to create a sinking fund expected to clean up its indebtedness in from five to seven years, as that has been the history of the success of every Scottish Rite body that has taken an aggressive stand and started to build a temple, as can readily be proven by the records of the many temples in Kansas.

It is eminently fitting that the Lawrence bodies should have a template of their own, as it was the first Scottish Rite organization in Kansas, and has installed the bodies of the Topeka, Fort Scott, and most of the other prominent lodges in the state.

This is also a good thing for Lawrence, and the Masonic bodies in general, as it is aiding to cement them all the more closely together, and is evidence of the rapid march of Lawrence to the front as one of the wide awake towns in the state.” The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Cathedral Committee of Lawrence Kansas, was listed as J. H. Cohn, C. W. Murphy, F. P. Smith, T. J. Edmonds, and Frederick Crowe.

In 2003, the “Lawrence Journal-World” included the article “Landmark sheds its wraps; Masons seek temple buyer” (14 May 2003). The executive secretary of the Scottish Rite commented that the Scottish Rite in Lawrence, Kansas, was “Faced with aging membership and ever-increasing costs.” Lawrence-area Freemasons decided to sell the majestic Scottish Rite Temple.

Executive Secretary of the Lawrence Scottish Rite in an article that reported the intended sale of the Masonic Temple. He is pictured in front of a Sosman & Landis backdrop. At the time, area Mason believed that nearby college students created the scenes.

The Scottish Rite auditorium pictured in 2003.

The asking price for the 1911 Egyptian-Revival style building was $775,000. At the time, the stage included 55 backdrops. It was another collection that Thomas G. Moses recorded being responsible for at Sosman & Landis. The fate of the scenery is currently unknown.

Sosman & Landis backdrop created for the Lawrence Scottish Rite, 1910.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 620 – 1909 Masonic Work – Topeka

Part 620: 1909 Masonic Work – Topeka

In 1909, Moses wrote, “The Dallas Masonic work came in early, so did San Francisco and Cleveland, Ohio.” He also commented, “I think we should turn out some work and we do. It is often a puzzle to me where it all goes, but the Masonic work requires a lot of time, and there is an average of eighty drops in each order so it makes plenty of work and is very interesting. The artists never grumble when they get it to do.” That year, Moses also supervised scenery collections for Scottish Rite theaters in Kansas City, Kansas; Winona, Minnesota; and Atlanta, Georgia. From 1906-1907, he had already supervised scenery for Scottish Rite theaters in Detroit, Michigan; Topeka, Kansas; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Salt Lake City, Utah; Wheeling, West Virginia; Dubuque, Iowa; Danville, VA; Wichita, Kansas; and Clarksburg, West Virginia. By 1909, Moses’s resume recorded that he had supervised the creation of eighteen Scottish Rite scenery installations.

Masonic work now made up between 25% and 30% of all projects in the Sosman & Landis studio. The Scottish Rite was growing extremely fast. Newspaper articles even detailed the necessary qualifications for Scottish Rite membership: “An applicant for the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite must be an affiliated Master Mason of good standing and a resident of the state of Kansas” (Topeka State Journal, 19 March 1909, page 1).

During 1906, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The New Year found me at work on some new work for Topeka, Masonic Hall. Very nice work.” The “Topeka Daily Capital” reported, “The Scottish Rite bodies of Topeka purchased the building now occupied by the local Masonic bodies three years ago, and they have spent over $20,000 in the last four months in furnishing a lodge room that will compare favorably with any in the United States. A new stage thirty-five feet in depth has been built, and it is said to have more scenery than any other in the country. There are 110 drops, over one hundred of which are the property of, and will be used by, the Scottish Rite in conferring their degrees, which are peculiarly adapted to stage work. The electrical effects that can be produced are almost without number, and are controlled by a marble switch-board eight feet long.” (21 Feb. 1906, page 5). Sosman & Landis delivered the scenery to the Masonic building located on Jackson Street in Topeka, Kansas. $15,000 worth of scenery had been sold to the Valley of Topeka.

Although Freemasonry might be considered a “secret” society, the identity of incoming members was often published in the local newspaper. In many ways, membership growth and the construction of Scottish Rite theaters across the country became quite a competition. Scottish Rite membership was on the rise and it meant something to be associated with the Fraternity. Spring and Fall Scottish Rite Reunions were big news in many areas. I have heard so many people say, “My grandfather was a Scottish Rite Mason, but he never spoke of it and we had no idea what he did.” I believe that communities from the first decade of the twentieth century had a pretty good idea of what happened during Scottish Rite Reunions. Schedules were published, candidates were listed by name, and impressive images of Scottish Rite building interiors dominated newspapers around Reunions time. Sure, not ever detail was provided, but one was able to gather quite a bit of information pertaining to the various events and banquets held throughout the Reunion.

The “Topeka State Journal” described the four-day Fall Reunion from November 8-11, 1909, in great detail. It was the thirty-third semi-annual gathering and included a Scottish Rite Class of 100 candidates (30 Oct. 1909, page 6). Images included with the article, pictured two stage settings for the Peristyle Scene (3^rd Apartment of the 18^th Degree) and the Egyptian Scene (31^st degree Hall of Justice).

“Topeka State Journal,” 30 Oct. 1909, page 6

Slide taken by Professor Emeritus Larry Hill of the Peristyle cut drop in Topeka, Kansas. A different backdrop was paired with it for this picture.

The fact that they pictured two stage settings used during degree work is mind boggling to me. This was a “look at the cool stuff we do” moment for area Masons.” I am including a few paragraphs about the Topeka Reunion as it really provides some historical context for the Fraternity using media to entice new members across the country. One just had to read the paper to understand the extent of activities happening at the Scottish Rite in many cities at this time. Here is a small section of the article from the Topeka State Journal:

“The Rite of Freemasonry called by the French writers the ‘Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite,’ which title is now generally adopted as the correct one, although one of the youngest of the Masonic Rites, having been established not earlier that the year 1801 is today one of the most popular and extensively diffused. Supreme councils and governing bodies are to be found in almost every country of the world and in many of them it is the only Masonic obedience.

Outline of Work.

In speaking of the new features among the detail program of the reunion this fall, William M. Shaver, director of the work said: ‘With a view to placing candidates who reside outside of Topeka on the same basis with those who reside in Topeka, as nearly as may be, as to the cost of obtaining the Scottish Rite Degrees, the Topeka bodies have adopted a new rule which will go in to effect with this coming fall reunion. The rule is this: Non-residents of Shawnee county, who take the entire series of degrees form the 4 degree to the 32 degree inclusive at the same reunion, will have refunded to them their actual railroad expense from their home to Topeka and return…The bodies will continue to bear the hotel expense of candidates as has been the custom on the past.”

Topeka was trying many new things to increase membership. Earlier that year, “The Topeka Daily Capital” reported, “The Topeka bodies of the Scottish Rite began their evening class work in the Lodge of Perfection degrees at the Masonic temple on Friday evening. This evening work is designed for the accommodation of Topeka Masons who thus avoid the loss of time in business hours necessarily attendant upon regular reunion work and the plan is increasing in favor. About one hundred and twenty-five members and visitors sat down to a 6 o’clock supper in the new banquet hall and this number was largely increased as others dropped in later in the evening to see the work. A number if sojourning legislators and politicians were among the visitors” (25 Jan. 1909, Page 8).

The Topeka Scottish Rite figured something out in 1909, they had to invest in their members and understand their outside obligations that may prohibit men from joining. They took this into account, and made it possible for many more men to join.

To be continued…