Thomas G. Moses started preliminary negotiations for the resale of the Little Rock scenery to the Pasadena, California, in 1921. Moses would later join the Fraternity and become a member of the Pasadena Scottish Rite. I want to take a moment to explore why he possibly spent so much time trying to relocate the old Little Rock scenery to Pasadena. Furthermore, why would he join the Scottish Rite in Pasadena and not Chicago, especially when he was dividing his time between Chicago and Oakland? I believe that he preferred the degree work of the Southern Jurisdiction; the designs were more familiar to him. In 1926, Moses wrote, “I feel that we are a trifle shy on the proper designs for the northern jurisdiction, which are somewhat different from our southern, of which we have done by far the most.”
Moses also had an artistic connection and an emotional attachment to the 1896 Little Rock scenery collection. As a member of Pasadena, he would continue to see not only some of his best work, but also that of his good friend and mentor, David Austin Strong, another Sosman & Landis artists who Moses credited as the “Daddy of Masonic Design.” I think it was much more than making a dollar on a used scenery collection, or even trying to offload some old product. I believe that Moses carefully considered which Scottish Rite that he would join, and what painted scenery he would want to see during degree work. He also donated fine art to the Pasadena Scottish Rite when he became a member.
So, the original Little Rock scenery still hangs above the Pasadena stage and is used. Although it has been repeatedly tampered with over the years, and added to by other studios, the remnants of late-nineteenth century art are visible, as well as the individual paintings of Moses and Strong.
Today’s scenery at Pasadena, Yankton, Salina, and Austin all share one thing in common; they are some of the earliest installations in the Southern Jurisdiction and all have backdrops painted by Strong. His work is some of the most beautiful scenic art that I have ever encountered and he was credited as being the last American scenic artist to represent the Dusseldorf school. Walter Burridge affectionately referred to Strong as “Old Trusty.” Fellow scenic artists heralded Strong’s skill, his “facile brush,” and his “quality of opaqueness” (Chicago Tribune, Dec. 18, 1892).
An example of what I believe to be David Austin Strong’s work. This is a detail from a Little Rock drop currently hanging in Pasadena.An example of what I believe to be David Austin Strong’s work. This is a detail from a Little Rock drop currently hanging in Pasadena.
I am currently in Pasadena Scottish Rite to repair the crucifixion backdrop at the Scottish Rite; it ripped in half and plummeted to the stage. A few years back, I completed a similar repair in Grand Forks when their Hell scene split in two. The Pasadena version, however, is almost beyond repair as there is other extensive damage throughout the composition. My flight arrived quite early this morning, after a series of delays, so the day is starting out a little slow.
Luckily for me, there will be some “dry time” while I am on site completing the repair. I intend to look for more clues indicative of the studio practices at Sosman & Landis from the late-nineteenth- through early-twentieth century. If anything, I have promised Rick Boychuk some detailed rigging pictures as I believe that the system may be from the 1902 Albert Pike Consistory in Little Rock.
Part 354: The First Little Rock Scottish Rite Scenery Collection: 1896, 1899 and 1902
The first three times that Scottish Rite scenery was manufactured by Sosman & Landis for Little Rock, Arkansas, were 1896, 1899 and 1902. They were likely three expansions to the same collection that found a permanent home in the 1902 Albert Pike Consistory building. An entirely new scenery collection replaced this combination in 1924; it was also produced by Sosman & Landis and created for the Albert Pike Memorial Temple.
The first Scottish Rite scenery collection was delivered in 1896 to the Albert Pike Cathedral; this scenery was for the Little Rock Scottish Rite on Center Street. A Jewish synagogue was remodeled and equipped for $12,000. The 1896 collection was expanded in 1899 when additional scenery was purchased for the same space. The Scottish Rite remained in the converted synagogue until September 1902 when the Scottish Rite Consistory was completed. As with many Valleys, the dramatic increase in membership demanded a larger home, so a second building was constructed, moving the Scottish Rite from Center Street to the northwest corner of 8th and Scott. This new building was remodeled and enlarged by 1913; the expansion incorporated the 1902 building into the complex, but added a projecting front bay and triangular pediment supported by four fluted Ionic columns.
Picture from 1925 Souvenir program depicting the 1902 Albert Pike Consistory and its remodel in 1913.
There was a fire on August, 27, 1919, that burned down a Masonic building in Little Rock, but it was not the Albert Pike Consistory; it was the Masonic Temple building. Fire destroyed the seven-story Masonic Temple complex where the Grand Lodge of Arkansas and the York Bodies were located at 5th and Main. However, the destruction of the Grand Lodge and York Rite spaces partially instigated the planning and construction of a new Masonic complex in Little Rock – the 1924 Albert Pike Memorial Temple. This new building would house all of the Masonic Bodies in Little Rock, including the Scottish Rite. Ground was broken for this new structure on December 3, 1921; the cornerstone laid on May 11, 1922, and the building dedicated by May 12, 1924. The cost of the 1924 three-story building was $1.5 million dollars.
The 1924 Albert Pike Memorial building in Little Rock, Arkansas, pictured in a 1925 Souvenir program.
Thomas G. Moses’ resumé lists the scenery for Little Rock’s 1896 and 1902 installations, but not the 1899 scenic additions. That year Moses was primarily out of the studio, traveling and contemplating another departure from Sosman & Landis. By 1900, Moses left Sosman & Landis to form a new partnership with Will Hamilton in New York City until 1904 (Moses & Hamilton). His taking credit for the 1902 scenery collection suggests that it was the same 1896/1899 scenery, or another expansion of the original scenery collection. Even the 1904 “New Age Magazine” article describing in detail the Albert Pike Consistory did not suggest the purchase of a brand new scenery collection for the building.
Here is an excerpt from the article, written by SGIG Charles E. Rosenbaum. This article really established Little Rock degree productions as the gold standard for degree work in the Southern Jurisdiction:
“It is claimed, and we do not doubt that it is true, that 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 point of view. It is said by theatrical experts that nowhere else in America, with the possible exception of one theater in New York, and one in Chicago, it is possible to produce either the scenic or electric effects that can be produced on this stage. There are over one hundred drops all so perfectly counterweighted that the heaviest as well as the lightest in weight moves easier than a well-balanced window sash in a private residence. In addition to the drops, there are nearly one hundred set pieces of various sizes, to make the scenic equipment complete, and with the elaborate incidental property the scenic equipment is one of great magnitude.
The electric equipment is perhaps more elaborate, and of greater magnitude, if such a thing can be possible, and some ideas of its capacity may be gathered when it is known that with the numerous border rows, ground rows, strips, bunch lights, arc projectors, lens boxes and spot lights, there is a capacity of more than six thousand sixteen-candle-power lights on the stage alone. All these are handled with great effect and with the precision of beauty through the medium of a specially designed switch board, the creation of Brother Bestor G. Brown, who has given much thought and labor to stage and electric equipment, and is a recognized authority on the subject. It must be understood that a Scottish Rite stage is not to be conceived as a theatrical stage, for when so considered much of its effective use is destroyed, but when used as a combination with the floor of the auditorium, giving to the initiate a beautiful picture for the eye, while at the same time he is lending an attentive ear to the lessons that are being taught, the use of such a stage will be understood and correspondingly valued.”
Notice at this point that Rosenbaum is really walking a very fine line, knowing that Pike had condemned melodramatic productions for degree work. He is defending the implementation and use of degree productions.
The article continues: “The Bodies of Little Rock were pioneers in the use of a stage in the Southern Jurisdiction. It was to be expected that when they constructed their present magnificent and perfectly equipped building, the experience gained not only through their own efforts but through those of others who, in the meantime, had adopted the use of the Scottish Rite purposes, would give them just what, in fact, they have, the most perfect one in the land. Our experience was of great value in designing and equipping this building, which would we think, be credit to even the largest city in the United States. For this reason, it is particularly noticeable and a source of admiration of the part of all who visit it. Many Brethren of distinction have come from great distances on committees, or as the representatives of Bodies located elsewhere, for the purpose of observing its excellent arrangement and equipment and utilizing them in other buildings.”
The 1902 scenery for the Albert Pike Consistory is still used, just by another Scottish Rite Valley – Pasadena, California. In an interesting turn of events, I depart for Pasadena this afternoon to repair one of their scenes. I will take a break from my blog for the next few days to cover my project for the Pasadena Scottish Rite.
Original shipping label on bottom batten for the Scottish Rite scenery. This scene is now used at the Scottish Rite in Pasadena, California.The backside of a scene in Pasadena, California, that depicts the original label and size of the scene for Little Rock Arkansas measuring 16 x 30. The fabric extensions were previously painted panels that were sewn on to the Little Rock drop.Camp scene consisting of two leg drops and a backdrop for the 1902 Albert Pike Consistory Building. The backdrop and second leg drop for this scene are now used at the Pasadena Scottish Rite.The original backdrop created for the 1902 Albert Pike Cathedral, now hanging in the Pasadena Scottish Rite. The first leg drop was not included in the scenery purchase from Little Rock negotiated by Thomas G. Moses in 1923.
Part 353: 1898 Scottish Rite Scenery for Wichita, Kansas
Bestor G. Brown set his sites on a new project after completing the Albert Pike Cathedral in Little Rock, Arkansas – Wichita, Kansas. Keep in mind that Brown was a leader with a magnetic personality, well known for his eloquence. He was frequently praised for his deep understanding of Masonic ritual and its theatrical interpretation on a Scottish Rite stage. Brown had many loyal fans throughout the course of his career, not just in Kansas, but throughout the country. All of these factors made Brown a natural to sell fraternal supplies and promote degree productions. But there was also something else that made him unstoppable – he was also working from the inside out.
In addition to representing M. C. Lilley & Co., Brown was the stage director for the Wichita Consistory. This allowed him to speak with clients from a position of experience and deep understanding of the demands for various degrees. He wasn’t just a member, he was an extremely active member. As active members, it only took a few key individuals to systematically market the new degree paraphernalia. A fairly small group of individuals established the “gold standard” and it became the most sought after degree experience to share with the Fraternity. Because they were all members, these men were able to successfully communicate with degree participants and degree directors.
Even though Brown’s primary residence was in Chicago from 1892 to 1898, he remained extremely active in Kansas Masonry, as well as other fraternal orders such as the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. I cannot imagine where he found the time to do it all. He was a salesman who intimately knew the fraternal market and what his clients really needed in each area for a successful production or ceremony. He was able to speak their language as both a member and a degree participant.
In Wichita, Brown recommended the purchase and renovation of an existing building. A stage for degree productions was included in the renovation plans during 1898, led by Brown. The Valley of Wichita purchased the Young Men’s Christian Association for $20,339.90 and during January 1898, and extensively remodeled the space to include a 300-seat auditorium. The planning and construction was similar to that in Little Rock, during 1896.
The Wichita Scottish Rite Bodies renovated an existing building to include a stage in 1898. The building was enlarged again to included a new auditorium and banquet hall less than a decade later. Photo showing new addition on right, ca. 1907.
The second member from Wichita to aid in the theatrical interpretations of Scottish Rite degree work was Henry Wallenstein. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wallenstein moved to Wichita at the age of twenty-seven and entered the mercantile business, becoming a co-owner of the business by 1886. As with Brown, Wallenstein was also a well-known “staging expert” for the Scottish Rite degree productions in the area. Later, the Wichita Scottish Rite bodies noted Wallenstein’s contribution to the successful dramatization of degree work as his outstanding achievement in Masonry. Both Wallenstein and Brown greatly facilitated the Southern Jurisdiction’s inclusion of theatrically interpreted degree work on Scottish Rite stages throughout Kansas and the region. With the backing of M. C. Lilley & Co. and the assistance of Sosman & Landis they were on a roll, and unstoppable. There was too much money being made from the initiation of new members to cause the Supreme Council to shut down these new activities.
So by 1899, Brown had returned to living in Topeka, Kansas, and was deeply involved in the planning of the new 1900 Guthrie Scottish Rite stage. Immediately after the Wichita Scottish Rite was completed, the SGIG of Oklahoma (Harper S. Cunningham) brought in Brown, Wallenstein and Charles E. Rosenbaum to help with his new project. Cunningham would later be heralded as the Scottish Rite’s “Temple Builder.” He was involved with not only the Scottish Rite stage in Guthrie, but also the first one in McAlester, Oklahoma, before moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
This is where is gets interesting. The three brought extensive knowledge and experience to the project. Cunningham watched them incite enthusiasm and anticipation for the new Masonic space. In later years, Cunningham would use this same technique in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There, he would attain the support of the membership and prepare them for the new stage as their building was being planned (the 1912 Moorish-revival style complex). In 1908, Cunningham would negotiate the purchase of the original McAlester scenery for Santa Fe.
Drop curtain pictured at the McAlester Scottish Rite, also called “the Tabernacle” in 1904.Same drop curtain purchased by the Santa Fe Scottish Rite in 1908 to practice degree productions while their new building was being planned. The picture is from the Masonic Hall on Water Street in 1909 with Harper S. Cunningham seated in the center.
At this same time, some of the original 1898 scenery from Wichita was purchased by Yankton, Scottish Rite. This was after the Wichita Scottish Rite building added a larger auditorium and dining hall.
Scene produced by Sosman & Landis for the 1898 Wichita Scottish Rite stage. Image from 1898 Fall Reunion program.Same scenery as pictured above in 1898 Fall Reunion program for Wichita Scottish Rite. The scenery original produced for Wichita is currently used by the Yankton Scottish Rite.The original Scottish Rite scenery location is still visible on the backside of scenery currently used in Yankton. South Dakota.Backside of a scene depicting an original Sosman & Landis shipping label. This 1908 shipping label is identical to one found on a Winona Scottish Rite counterweight arbor, dating from 1909.
Records would also indicate that Yankton purchased some of the original Guthrie scenery when M. C. Lilley divided the Guthrie collection between Yankton and Austin. The original scenery collections were like trading in used cars and receiving credit for a new car purchase.
Both the original Wichita (1898) and Guthrie (1900) scenery collection were created by Sosman & Landis when they were subcontracted by M. C. Lilley.
Part 351: Bestor G. Brown, “Masonic Stage Carpenter”
Bestor G. Brown (1861-1917) was another key individual in the development of Masonic stages during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. He was an instrumental figure in the promotion of Scottish Rite degree productions across the country.
Bestor G. Brown. Topeka Daily Capital, 14 February 1904, page 6.
Brown was born at Blufftown, Indiana during 1861. The Browns soon moved to Kansas with his parents. His father, George S. Brown was a law partner of Judge John Guthrie. Bestor attended public schools and became a reporter for the Topeka Daily Commonwealth at the age of 16. Later he was in charge of the city department before leaving to study law, attending the University of Michigan. In 1884, he married Emma Kellam, who died only a few years later. In 1891, he advertised as an investment banker in the Topeka Daily Capital with offices in rooms 6 and 7 of the Topeka Bank Building. Brown’s ads listed him as “a dealer in high grade municipal, county, school and corporation bonds. Trust certificates bearing from 5 to 8 percent interest issued to investors. Prime Commercial Paper a Specialty. Correspondence Solicited.”
However, Brown soon turned to Masonic regalia and paraphernalia sales, suggesting that this was quite a lucrative field for an ambitious Mason. It is important to note that up until this point he had no experience with technical theatre or commercial stages. In 1892, he listed residence as Chicago, moving just in time to be part of the preparation for the Columbian Exposition. Brown was based in Chicago from 1892 to 1898; working as a fraternal traveling salesman. He returned to Topeka, Kansas in 1899 and later moved to Kansas City by 1904, becoming the western sales manager of M. C. Lilley Company.
Letter head for western representative, Bestor G. Brown, of the M. C. Lilley & Co.
Brown was reported to be “one of the most profound students of freemasonry and ritualists in the whole country” (The Kansas City Kansan, 11 July 1918, page 1). He was noted as “connected with practically every movement which Masons launched in Kansas for many years.” This was imperative if he was to sell fraternal regalia and paraphernalia.
Brown’s Masonic resumé included involvement in the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Midian Shrine, and the Order of the Eastern Star. He was also a member of the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and organized several chapters of the Psi Upsillon Fraternity. Masonic work included being Grand Master for the Grand Lodge of Kansas; Past High Priest of the Grand Chapter, Royal Arch Masons of Kansas; Past Master (and one of the first members initiated) of Siloam lodge, No. 225, A.F. and A.M.; Past Grand Master of the Grand Council; Past Grand Commander of Knights Templar in Kansas; General Grand Scribe of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons; a Past Grand Sovereign of the Grand Imperial Council of the Red Cross of Constantine; and at the time of his death was an officer in the national Grand Council. Brown also had the distinction of having sat at the Royal Lodge in London when King Edward presided (Fort Scott Daily Tribune, 12 July 1917, page 2).
An article on Bestor G. Brown, crediting him as the “only Masonic stage carpenter” in the country (Portsmouth-Herald, 12 July 1903, page 3).
Brown was also a traveling salesman and western representative of M. C. Lilley and an “authority on the costumes for Masonic Bodies, having made a deep study of the subject in France and England.” In 1903, the Portsmouth Herald reported that Brown, who was the new Grand Master of Kansas, had been “unusually active” in lodge, chapter and council work since his admission to the Fraternity in 1884.
He was praised for his devotion of Masonry and the article reported, “Mr. Brown is called the only Masonic stage carpenter in the country” (Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 12 June 1903, page 3). Less than a decade later, the counterweight system installed in Scottish Rite theaters by M. C. Lilley subcontractors (Sosman & Landis) was referred to as “”Brown’s special system.” My research suggests that the stage machinery was actually developed by the stage mechanics at Sosman & Landis, not by Brown. This would be understandable as Brown came from a banking background and had no experience with theatre technology or supplies prior to 1892.
Brown was the salesman and possibly marketing technology developed by Charles S. King, a long-term Sosman & Landis studio employee who had completed 200 theatre installations by 1899. King started his career as a stage carpenter and stage machinist in 1859 and began working for Sosman & Landis in 1884. In 1903 newspaper articles note that Brown “created and developed the application of modern scenic properties to the dramatic presentation of all Masonic degrees and in this work is almost invariably consulted everywhere throughout the United States.” Again, I think that he was associated with the system because he was selling the product and not the designer.
Brown died in 1917 at the Battle Creek sanitorium after a relapse following an operation for kidney complications. Brown was 56 years old. He was survived by his daughter, Mrs. Dana L. Davis of Topeka. For the past few years of his life, Brown had been living in Kansas City while continuing to work in the western offices of M. C. Lilley Co.
The first year after Brown passed away, members of the Wichita Consistory organized an annual pilgrimage to Topeka, Kansas, to honor of his memory (The Kansas City Kansan, 11 July 1918, page 1). The paper reported that Brown was “one of the most scholarly and best loved Kansas Masons. All of the Scottish Rite bodies in the state were invited to join in the placing of a floral tribute on the grave of ‘their best loved brother.’”
Part 350: Charles E. Rosenbaum in Little Rock, Arkansas
Charles E. Rosenbaum picture in the 1899 Scottish Rite Reunion program.
One of the primary figures who promoted Scottish Rite degree productions in the Southern Jurisdiction was Charles E. Rosenbaum, Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Arkansas. At this same time that Rosenbaum was locating a building to house a Scottish Rite theatre, another Scottish Rite was building a theater in Oakland, California. In Arkansas, Rosenbaum instigated the purchase and conversion of a Hebrew Synagogue to include an elevated stage and proscenium for Scottish Rite degree productions. Rosenbaum’s inclusion of staged degree work and the immediate popularity from his endeavor throughout the western region helped secure his membership in the Supreme Council. Later, as the Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Arkansas, he was also appointed to the new ritual committee. A new movement was afoot in the Southern Jurisdiction and the theatrical interpretations of degrees were no longer actively suppressed as they once had been under Grand Commander Pike’s regime.
So lets look back at what was going on at this time. During December 1895, Rosenbaum posted a “Notice to Owners of Real Estate” in the Daily Arkansas Gazette (Little Rock, 10 Dec 1895, page 7). He noted hat “The Scottish Rite bodies, Free Masonry of this city desire to purchase a piece of property suitable for Masonic purposes and to that end solicit sealed proposals from those having property to offer, whether improved or unimproved.” Rosenbaum was the chair of the new building committee. By February 8, 1896, the Daily Arkansas Gazette reported that the Scottish Rite Masons had decided to purchase the “Jewish Temple property on Center Street” (page 3). It was purchased for $6,000 and a new Jewish Temple was planned to be erected for the sum of $20,000 at Fifth and Broadway Streets. By July 25, 1896 they named their new home the Albert Pike Cathedral (The Daily Gazette, page 5). The building was vacated during May of 1896. This converted synagogue in Little Rock incorporated so many of the features that would later become standard in the new construction of Scottish Rite theaters: drops, lights, proscenium opening, and set pieces. As in Chicago, the stage was slightly raised from the lodge floor by three symbolic steps. Similar to Chicago’s 1873 Egyptian Room format, Little Rock used a square proscenium opening – common to many commercial theaters of the time. In addition to a similar presentational format, Little Rock contracted the Chicago scenic studio firm of Sosman & Landis to supply the stage scenery, with Thomas G. Moses supervising the painting.
The construction of Little Rock’s stage space was so well received that additional scenery and theatrical elements were added only two years later. 1898 was also the same year that Wichita, Kansas, purchased a Scottish Rite scenery collection for their new stage. Little Rock’s Fall Reunion program of 1898 praised the new scenery acquisitions, stating that the members “will enjoy to a much greater extent the exemplification of the various degrees, assisted so materially by additional scenic and electrical effects, on which neither labor or expense have been spared, to the end that it might be the most perfect to produce” (“Fall Reunion Program” Albert Pike Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1898).
In 1899, the Guthrie Daily Leader covered the Spring Reunion in the new Masonic home in Guthrie from May 29-31. Rosenbaum was one of the many prominent Masons who were visiting from all parts of the country to see their new stage (21 May 1900, page 8). The paper reported, “Charles E. Rosenbaum, thirty-third degree, of Little Rock, will exemplify the work in the thirty-second degree. He is known throughout the United States for his proficiency in exemplifying this degree. The building of the temple is credited to Harper S. Cunningham, a thirty-third degree Mason, and now Sovereign Grand Inspector General in Oklahoma. Previously he had been a deputy of the supreme council for Oklahoma since the opening of the country.” At the time, there were 104 Scottish Rite Masons in Oklahoma with a new class of 100 participating in the Spring Reunion.
Charles E. Rosenbaum pictured with article about corner-laying ceremony for the new Albert Pike Cathedral in 1901.
A second scenery installation was delivered to Little Rock in 1902 for a new stage in and this time, the building was featured in the first year of “New Age Magazine” (later the publication became “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.” Well, maybe in the Masonic world, but not in the commercial world. Most new theaters that opened across the country made similar statements to draw in crowds.
Regarding the successful stage effects for the 1902 Little Rock Scottish Rite, Charles E. Rosenbaum credited fellow Mason and Masonic supply representative Bestor G. Brown. Brown was credited with creating many of the superb scenic effects, including “a specially designed electrical switch board that facilitated the impressive illusions.” That would be similar to the electric board that was on display with Western Electric at the Columbian Exposition in 1893; the one that helped with the scenic electric theater’s production of “A Day in the Alps.” Brown will also later be credited with the “special” counterweight rigging system for Scottish Rite theaters. Again, it is doubtful that Brown was solely responsible for the innovation of electrical lighting and counterweight rigging systems in the big picture. In the smaller context of fraternal theater, he must have been an absolute god as he knew how to create theatre magic.
Part 349: The Albert Pike Consistory in Little Rock, Arkansas – 1896
Thomas G. Moses takes credit for the 1896, 1902 and 1923 scenery installations for Little Rock, Arkansas. We know this from a 1929 pamphlet advertising Moses’ alliance with Armstrong Studios; it was similar to a resumé, listing his past projects and customers. In it, the 1896 Little Rock scenery was listed as the first of fifty-five Scottish Rite installations supervised by Moses between 1896 and 1929. The 1896 Little Rock collection is not the first Scottish Rite scenery installation in the United States, nor in the first in the Southern Jurisdiction. It was the first Scottish Rite collection under Moses’ lead at Sosman & Landis.
In addition to the fifty-five Scottish Rite scenery installations, Moses also supervised the scenery production for seven Shrines, fourteen Commanderies, and nine M.O.V.P.E.R Grottos. This was solely a list of his Masonic theatre projects, and it didn’t account for any other fraternal or commercial projects. If you factor in Moses’ extensive painting for opera houses, social halls, dramatic stock companies, touring shows, amusement parks, world fair attractions, coliseum shows, charity balls, circus spectacles, theatrical stars and theatrical producers, the range of work completed throughout the course of his career is staggering.
If one also considers the significance of certain productions and installations produced by Moses from 1874 until 1934, his work takes on even greater importance. Many of his shows identify key moments in the development of American Theatre from the late-nineteenth century through early-twentieth century. When looking at the scope and quality of his work, Moses becomes an instrumental figure in the evolution of not only scenic art, but also stage design.
In terms of the Masonic scenery for Little Rock in 1896, Moses had worked on other Masonic projects at Sosman & Landis during the 1880s and 1890s. However, he wasn’t responsible for them, only working along side other artists. I believe that he trained under David Austin Strong, the one that Moses refers to as “the Daddy of Masonic Design.” Little Rock was Moses’ first solo flight as supervising the creation and a delivery of a Masonic collection. Interestingly, the 1896 scenery installation for Little Rock was not the only Scottish Rite scenery collection installed in a Southern Jurisdiction theater that year, another scenery collection was produced Oakland, California.
To provide some historical context for the Little Rock scenery, one must consider that the Scottish Rite in the Northern Jurisdiction had been staging degrees for a few decades. I traced the theatrical interpretation of degree work in the Northern and Southern Jurisdictions for my doctoral dissertation “Shifting Scenes on the Scottish Rite Stage: Designing for Masonic Theatre, 1859-1929” (University of Minnesota, 2009). Although I have uncovered many more examples of early Scottish Rite stages throughout the country, the first examples occurred in the Northern Jurisdiction. Why? In a nutshell, there were rival Supreme Councils, each competing for membership and theatrical performances of the degrees were extremely appealing to the membership. Furthermore, staged degree work was marketed to Blue Lodge Masons as a superior ritual experience, especially in Ohio and Indiana. They were full of visual spectacle and incorporated scenic elements that had a track record of popular appeal. Some of the earliest degree productions included moving panoramas; they depicted the backing for a sea voyage, passing picturesque islands and weathering stormy seas.
1886 Scottish Rite scenery for Cincinnati, Ohio, painted by E. T. Harvey.Scottish Rte theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1886, with a scene painted by E. T. HarveyAdvertisement for 1886-1887 season in a Clancy Stage Hardware Catalogue. Harvey painted the Cincinnati Scottish Rite scenery at Heuck’s New Opera House. The collection replaced a previous scenery collection destroyed during a fire.
During the early experimental period with Scottish Rite scenery, a small stage was often added to an existing lodge room. These areas were not necessarily active performance spaces, but featured scenic illusion, or tableaux, to illustrate a particular event described in the degree. The stage was not always positioned in the East behind the Master’s Chair, as I previously thought. Some were placed in the symbolic West or North. One example was in Winona, Minnesota, during the 1880s, where the Masonic stage included four sets of scenery in the north. This particular location also speaks to another aspect – a lot of theatrical experimentation occurred along the geographical division between the Northern Jurisdiction and the Southern Jurisdiction.
Albert Pike, Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction from 1859-1891.
One thing to also constantly keep in mind is that Albert Pike, Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction from 1859-1891, did not approve of the degree work that was produced as melodramas. In other words, he supported historical reenactments for each degree to educate the membership, but not the staged dramatization. His writings suggest that he did not appreciate an elaborate stage show with theatre sets, costumes and lights; in other words, melodramatic interpretations of Masonic lore. Pike condemned the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction’s performance of staged degree productions during in 1882. In his Allocution, Pike stated, “The Rite in this Jurisdiction is a Rite of instruction, and not of scenic pomp and stage-show.” Pike’s condemnation of elaborate degree productions continued, “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 statement makes it pretty clear that Pike did not envision an audience of Masons watching a Scottish Rite stage show in lieu of the actual degree work. It would be the same as having a Mason attain all of the Scottish Rite degrees on the same day; it was cheating. He specified a timeline for Masons to fully comprehend the teachings of the Scottish Rite. The degrees were to be savored and not rushed through like an assembly line. The theatrical interpretation of a degree was to support the ritual, not replace it. One day to Masonry may be the perfect antithesis of all of Pike’s teachings. I doubt that he intended for men to find a short cut. With a greater understanding that Pike despised the melodramatic staging of each degree, one might see the irony when the Albert Pike Cathedral with a theatre stage for degree work was built just five years after Pike’s death. It just goes to show how appealing degree productions were and how quickly an institutional memory can be erased.
The Valley of Little Rock contracted M. C. Lilley & Co. to plan and construct a theater stage in 1895. M. C. Lilley subcontracts the painted scenery installation (and likely the rigging) to Sosman & Landis. Moses returned to the studio and supervised the painting of this “special work” in 1896. During the 1890s, membership surged throughout the Southern Jurisdiction and the country continued a westward expansion. Other Scottish Rite Valley’s throughout the western region would follow suit –Wichita, Guthrie, McAlester, Salina and others. There were a few keys players in the area that will be discussed tomorrow.
Part 348: Thomas G. Moses’ Return to Sosman & Landis in 1896
By 1896, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “In July Mr. Landis dropped in to see me about going back with them, as I was not doing too well. I agreed with the understanding that all my helpers would be taken care of, excepting [Harry] Vincent, who went East where he made a hit. I hustled my unfinished contracts and joined the Sosman and Landis Studios again.” This speaks to Moses’ character as an individual and businessman; helping out those in his employ secure work as he closes the doors on his own business. I wonder how many business owners do that now; thinking about the many employees who show up to work only to see a note on the front door that the business has been closed.
This is the second time that Landis was able to bring Moses back to the studio after branching out on his own. Landis was the salesman after all, yet knew how to handle artists. But there was something more to it when Landis asked, although I am not quite sure of what it was. Maybe he was simply a good salesman, accentuating the future benefits that Moses would receive after joining the studio again. Maybe he acknowledged that there would be problems in any workplace. Regardless, Sosman & Landis offered Moses stability and the opportunity to advance. Whatever it was, Landis’ offer to return was accepted by Moses and he was actively working in the Sosman & Landis annex studio again by late summer of 1896.
Moses would not stay for long, but soon depart to embark on another business venture in New York– Moses & Hamilton. Like the others, it would not last. He returned for the third and final time to Sosman & Landis in 1904. That year, Sosman was the one to ask for Moses’ return; Landis’ failing health caused him to leave the company and Sosman was overwhelmed with administrative activities. I have always thought that Moses returned to help out the Landis family more than Sosman. He would remain quite close with Landis’ son throughout the remainder of his career.
In both 1896 and 1904, Sosman & Landis needed Moses’ help to run one of the two studios. Neither Sosman nor Landis was a young man, even in 1896, and I wonder if there wasn’t a promise made to Moses about his someday running the company. In the following decades, Moses would lament his leaving Moses & Hamilton, as well as New York in 1904. He regretted walking away from and tutelage of Roswell M. Shurtleff, sketching trips in the area, and the Salmagundi Club. Moses continued to miss his friends and the artistic community in New York.
Upon Moses’ return to Sosman & Landis in 1896, he was immediately swamped with work; they needed him desperately to run their annex studio – again. Moses wrote, “I had so much special work to do and it was hard to handle in the Studio. We rented the frames at the Alhambra Theatre and I worked there during the Fall and Winter.”
“Special work,” is repeatedly mentioned in Moses’ typed manuscript, but never defined. My research suggests that “special” work referred to Masonic projects. Moses painted the first scenery collection for Little Rock in 1896, a Sosman & Landis subcontracted project from M. C. Lilley & Co.
1896 Little Rock Scottish Rite building. Photograph included in “General Pike’s Poems” (Fred W.Allsopp, 1900).Scenery created by Thomas G. Moses for the Albert Pike Consistory in 1896. Photograph included in “General Pike’s Poems” (Fred W.Allsopp, 1900).
It was also the first of three scenery collections for the Albert Pike Consistory in Little Rock. Moses takes direct credit for the 1896, 1902, and 1923 installations. The 1896 Little Rock collection is not the first Scottish Rite scenery installation in the United States, nor in the Southern Jurisdiction. It was the first Scottish Rite collection that Moses took responsibility for at Sosman & Landis Studio. He also listed it as the first of fifty-five Scottish Rite installations that he supervised between 1896 and 1929 on his resumé.
Degree Class photo with scenery produced by Thomas G. Moses in 1896. Sosman & Landis installation pictured in an 1899 Fall Reunion program.
The book that I have been working on since 2014 is finally ready for preorder! It is to be released May 1, 2018.
Santa Fe’s Scottish Rite Temple, built in 1912, is a historic landmark and the home of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in New Mexico. The building–including its jewel box theater with original scenery collection–and its artifacts, represent a time capsule of Masonic culture and theatrical history. Essays examine the emergence of Freemasonry, key Masonic figures during New Mexico’s territorial period through statehood, and the architectural significance of the iconic pink building and Freemasons’ use of it to the present. Illustrated with contemporary and historical images, the book reveals the theatrical production of Masonic degrees and the production of the magnificent scenic backdrops. Today, many of the country’s Masonic buildings are being repurposed and their collections are being liquidated. Through the heroic efforts of its members, the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple has been preserved, remaining under the continued stewardship of the Freemasons, who share their building with the community.
The photographs by Jo Whaley of the Masonic scenery and building are absolutely breathtaking. During November 2016, Jo and I staged all of the degree productions with the 1912 scenery. The painted drops were produced by Sosman & Landis Studio of Chicago, under the direction of Thomas G. Moses. Jo’s photographs provide a colorful glimpse into what Scottish Rite members would have experienced during the early twentieth century.
A line from Simon and Garfunkel’s song “The Boxer” is very applicable for today’s post.
There are pros and cons to every paint system, especially when using dry pigment paint and diluted hide glue. Any introduction of water will reactivate the paint and binder instantaneously. Water damage to historical scenery is often extensive and unsightly. Prolonged water damage is a death sentence, especially if the dry pigment starts to dust off and surface mold appears in areas. Both of these happened at the Masonic Theatre in Winona, Minnesota, when a roof leak above the stage and was never fixed. Paul Sannerud and I were hired to remove and place the entire collection into on site temporary storage when the City decided to finally renovate the auditorium and stage area. Water damage was first noted in the 1990s and it continued until 2014 when the entire collection was placed in storage where it would supposedly await some form of preservation.
Removing scenes for storage in 2014. City of Winona Masonic Theatre. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.Removing scenes for storage in 2014. City of Winona Masonic Theatre. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.
Extensive water damage in Winona decimated a lovely early-twentieth century scenery collection. The frustrating aspect of the story is that it was entirely preventable, unless you really didn’t want to have a historic drop collection.
I have frequently heard the phrase “People don’t know what they don’t know.” I also sincerely believe that with the correct information, most people can make informed and reasonable decisions. However, some people don’t want to be informed, or ignore the facts entirely. For almost two decades, I repeatedly explained to one City of Winona official the need for appropriate care and handling of their painted scenery. The problem was that I wasn’t telling them what they wanted to hear.
Now the City of Winona only owns a portion of this water-damaged collection. Much of it was auctioned off last month to another Scottish Rite who had no idea what they purchased site unseen. You see the pictures posted for the online auction were from 2010 and the scenery went into storage in 2014. For four years after my 2010 assessment, water continued to damage the historic scenery collection. Streams of water rushed down many of the drops. The roof leak was never repaired, so the collection continued to deteriorate until it was placed into storage.
Water Damage visible on the City of Winona’s Masonic scenery collection, 2014. This photograph was taken when Wendy Waszut-Barrett and Paul Sannerud were hired to place the scenery into temporary storage.Water Damage visible on the City of Winona’s Masonic scenery collection, 2014. This photograph was taken when Wendy Waszut-Barrett and Paul Sannerud were hired to place the scenery into temporary storage.
The collection was in far worse shape than depicted in my 2010 scenery evaluation pictures. Yet these are still the pictures that were used for the online auction and the call for scenery preservation bids last month. I contacted the city to express my concern that a recent assessment had not been conducted prior to requesting bids for the work or the auction. Last spring, I had recommended that Curtains Without Borders complete a current assessment and establish the specifications for any restoration work, so that individuals or companies could all bid on the same thing.
While removing the scenery in 2014, I noticed active black mold. Not old mold, recent mold and pointed it out to City officials. Later on, there was a rainstorm and I both photographed and videotaped the water leaking down from the roof.
Puddle of water on the Winona Masonic Theatre stage floor. This photograph was taken when Wendy Waszut-Barrett and Paul Sannerud were hired to place the scenery into temporary storage.
Again, I passed the information onto city officials. At the end of the project, my one assistant said, “Are you supposed to see the sky from the stage?” “No!” I responded, and immediately began looking up. However, without all of the drops, we could clearly see the waterlogged wood of the grid too. I contacted city officials and they came in to see the holes above the stage.
Water damage is visible to wood once all drops were been removed from the counterweight system at the Winona Masonic Theatre. This photograph was taken when Wendy Waszut-Barrett and Paul Sannerud were hired to place the scenery into temporary storage.
Most recently, I explained to the city that I could not bid on a project site unseen, or without some form of professional assessment by an independent entity. The City responded that any interested party could visit and unroll each of the thirteen drops to assess the current damage after scheduling an appointment. It was clear to me at that moment they still had no idea of what they owned, its historical significance, or the fragility of each drop. I was still explaining that the excessive handling – rolling, unrolling, rolling, unrolling – would cause irreparable damage to a collection that was perilously close to the end of it’s life. I could also no longer vouch for the condition of each piece as I last saw it, as before the auction, twenty-five drops were removed from the 2014 custom-built storage rack. People who were not trained in the handling of historic scenery moved, unrolled and rerolled many of the drops. It was a red flag to me.
Custom built storage rack to temporarily house the City of Winona’s Masonic scenery collection in 2014.
I intimately knew the condition of each drop in 2014, but I didn’t know the condition of the drops after excessive handling by city employees. If the tubes were slid out of the storage rack, the painted surface would have been extensively damaged. No one would know the condition of each painted scene until that tube was unrolled on site. The scene could look like the Shroud of Turin.
Example of water damage when the City of Winona’s Masonic backdrop collection went into storage during August of 2014.Dry pigment that was coming off of the historic scenery at the Winona Masonic Theatre backdrop collection before it was placed into storage during 2014.
Regardless, the drops could be the perfect pairing for a few Scottish Rite Valleys with similar collections, so I entered the bidding on behalf of a client in November. No matter how much I wanted the collection to go to a good home, I couldn’t recommend that my client spend more that $10,000 for the remaining scenes in any case. We withdrew from bidding at $10,000, and the auction ended at $10,010. And yes, the online auction also used the 2010 photos from my assessment, misrepresenting the condition of the collection to those who bought it.
The new owners contacted me and I simply felt bad for them as they had no idea what they had purchased, or the extensive work that would be required prior to hang it. And the Winona collection, the most complete set of Masonic scenery that I have ever encountered in the country was forever split. It is no longer is the perfect example of what theatrical manufacturers marketed to Freemasons. As it went out the doors and made its journey south, I just felt bad and wondered how many of the drops would end up in the dumpster at the end of the day. I cannot express the extent of the prolonged water damage and the care that it will take to repair.
Another example of water damage when the City of Winona’s Masonic backdrop collection went into storage during August of 2014.
November 29 was a difficult day – not just for me, but also for theatre history and Masonic scholarship. It was a day when I hoped to celebrate a victory with a friend on his birthday.
The Winona Scenery Collection went up for auction and sold for $10,010.00. This was a minuscule fraction of the cost to replace the 73 pieces of this 1909 scenery collection by Sosman & Landis. The scenery is irreplaceable anyway. The bid came in at only ten dollars more than I recommended that my client should spend. I could not advise him to spend any more, even though some of it was going to replace Scottish Rite scenery that had been destroyed years ago. There was too much water damage to justify spending more. I had gathered a coalition of personal representatives and SGIGs from various Scottish Rite Valleys to bid on the Winona scenery. Why? Each Valley could use a portion as it would match their existing collections beautifully and start a new one. It would also stay within the Fraternity. My only current hope is that the scenery as been sold to some other Scottish Rite theatre in need of replacements.
You see every collection that I evaluate and take care of is like a child. I am their advocate. When the City of Winona decided to split up the collection I was devastated and compared it to keeping a teacup and abandoning the remainder of the Royal Doulton collection. I did everything within my power to keep the scenery collection together, or at least ensure that portions of it found their way to a Masonic home. It is possible I failed and only time will tell where the backdrops end up.
The collection was sold by the City of Winona with a representative who never understood what they were losing. Even as I looked the auction description, all of the specifications were wrong. The city sited that the scenery tubes were 36’ long. No, they were 20’ long. The city explained to prospective buyers that the tubes were 2-3’ in diameter. No, they were two or three drops wrapped on 6” rolls. Incompetence? No. Simple apathy. It was a lack of caring for these artifacts that sealed their fate, not ever understanding that they represented a shared cultural heritage between the Fraternity and American Public. It is a loss of epic proportions. I can say no more.
Here is my goodbye to the Winona Scenery Collection…painted details from King Darius’ Festival Palace for the 16th Degree.
Painted detail of Darius Festival Palace recently sold for auction by the City of Winona, Minnesota. It was created as a Scottish Rite backdrop for the Valley of Winona. Orient of Minnesota in 1909.Painted detail of Darius Festival Palace recently sold for auction by the City of Winona, Minnesota. It was created as a Scottish Rite backdrop for the Valley of Winona. Orient of Minnesota in 1909.Painted detail of Darius Festival Palace recently sold for auction by the City of Winona, Minnesota. It was created as a Scottish Rite backdrop for the Valley of Winona. Orient of Minnesota in 1909.Painted detail of Darius Festival Palace recently sold for auction by the City of Winona, Minnesota. It was created as a Scottish Rite backdrop for the Valley of Winona. Orient of Minnesota in 1909.Painted detail of Darius Festival Palace recently sold for auction by the City of Winona, Minnesota. It was created as a Scottish Rite backdrop for the Valley of Winona. Orient of Minnesota in 1909.Painted detail of Darius Festival Palace recently sold for auction by the City of Winona, Minnesota. It was created as a Scottish Rite backdrop for the Valley of Winona. Orient of Minnesota in 1909.
