Scottish Rite Scenery – Page 9

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 812 – The Santa Fe Scottish Rite, 1912

In 1912, Thomas G. Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis delivered Scottish Rite scenery to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe Masons purchased the original McAlester scenery; this is the first collection, as the second McAlester scenery collection is now in Salina, Kansas. The purchase of a used scenery collection was to get the membership used to degree productions. Once the building was dedicated, the “practice” scenery was sent to the Scottish Rite Charleston, South Carolina.

Two weeks before the Santa Fe Cathedral’s dedication, ”The Deming Headlight” reported, “On the evening of the 17^th of November, the Scottish Rite Masons of New Mexico will dedicate their magnificent cathedral in the city of Santa Fe. On the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th, of November the dedication class of aspirants for Scottish Rite honors will see the beautiful degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry conferred from a great auditorium 58×72 feet which has a seating capacity of 600. The dedication on the evening of the 17^th will be a memorable occasion to all Masons in New Mexico since it will formally open the most beautiful home consecrated to Masonry in the southwest. The cost of the cathedral, when finally completes with the equipment, will be about quarter of a million dollars” (Deming, New Mexico, November 1, 1912, page 6).

Wood setting at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite

The secret vault setting at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite.

Brown’s Special System at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite.

I am not going into the entire history of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite for this post. After restoring the scenery collection in phases from 2002 to 2005, I was asked to write about the theatre in an upcoming publication. In 2014, I began a project that resulted in “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018). The story of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite is neatly compiled with both historic images and stunning photographs by Jo Whaley. Here is the link to the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Scottish-Rite-Temple-Architecture/dp/0890136335/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=waszut-barrett&qid=1570201389&sr=8-1

Photographer Jo Whaley during the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple book photo shoot.

Book signing at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite, June 24, 2018. From left to right: Jo Whaley, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Khristaan Villela, and Rick Hendricks.

My fascination with the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Theatre began early in 2002. I was sitting in Lance Brockman’s office at the University of Minnesota when he received a call from the Santa Fe Scottish Rite. They were looking for someone to assess and repair their scenery collection; he recommended me. At the time, I was still in graduate school, a perpetual student stuck in ABD (all but dissertation) mode. My husband and I were both in school and raising a five-year old daughter. Fortunately, my folks were both retired and helped us out a lot. When I explained the Santa Fe opportunity, they planned their next vacation near Santa Fe, New Mexico. They frequently traveled south in their RV, camping all over the United States.

Me with our daughter Isabelle in 2002 near Santa Fe, New Mexico

I made the long drive with Isabelle from Minnesota to New Mexico that February. In my little red Ford Escort, we ventured from the snowy plains of Minnesota to the arid mesas of New Mexico. Isabelle and I stayed with my folks in an RV campground, just west of Albuquerque, for over a week. During the day, Isabelle and my parents found exciting things to do, while I drove the north on the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe. In Santa Fe, I spent full days evaluating both the scenery and costume collections. A few times, my father came with me, helping raise and lower scenery, or just sitting and enjoying the art.

The Santa Fe Scottish Rite scenery restoration during 2002

Four months later, I was leading a large group of locals during the first phase of the scenery restoration. That summer, I also began the Scottish Rite scenery restoration in St. Paul, Minnesota. The two collections were created within two years of each other and were almost identical. The only major difference was that the St. Paul collection had moved once to a new location, so it shared much more wear and tear.

The Santa Fe Scottish Rite scenery restoration during 2005

For each phase of restoration in Santa Fe, my husband and daughter joined me. Nothing was better than staying in the dormitory of the beautiful pink building, a stone’s throw from Santa Fe’s central plaza and dozens of trails. We experienced the various summer markets, Canyon Art Road, the Palace of the Governors, opera season, the children’s museum, and many nearby hikes. It did not matter that I was working 10 to 12 hour days, as the crews were fun, the project interesting, and we had two days off each week to play.

There is something beyond Santa Fe’s beautiful scenery collection, ornate architectural décor, and stunning central courtyard. There is an irrepressible energy, not only inside the building, but also within in the city. I travel a lot. I love experiencing different people, cultures and food, easily making friends along the way. When I first arrived at the top of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite steps during February 2002, however, it was different; it was like returning home after a long absence. I experienced a wide array of emotions that ranged from gratitude and relief to excitement and sheer joy. I would give anything to go back and relive those few summers.

View from the top of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite steps.

Sosman & Landis scenery collection at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite

Scenery and stage machinery by Sosman & Landis at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite

I have felt at home in many Scottish Rite temples. There is a specific smell that all of these places share in common, regardless of climate or regional characteristics. While working, I frequently encounter a cool air that carries a slight musty smell. The scent is a combination stale musk and the metallic ting of dry pigment.

Historic theaters, whether they are opera houses or Scottish Rite theaters have a residual energy that lingers about the stage machinery and scenery. You just have to pay attention. I have encountered this in other performance spaces too, not just Masonic ones. It is connected to the original installation. Although hard to explain, it is as if everything is just silently waiting for another performance. Once these elements are removed or altered, the dynamic of the stage changes; it is as if the soul has left the space.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 786 – The Main Studio at Sosman & Landis

Sosman and Landis built their main studio at 236 and 237 S. Clinton Street. The street numbers later changed to 417 and 419 S. Clinton Street, yet the studio did not change locations. The change was due to the renumbering of Chicago streets, also known as the Brennan System.

“The Encyclopedia of Chicago” explains this street name change at the turn of the twentieth century. The publication specifically describes the history prior to the 1901 Brennan System:

“The street names of Chicago offer a rich record of the city’s spatial and social development. In 1830, southern Illinois mapmaker James Thompson created Chicago’s first official map. Commissioned by the federal government to bring order to the city, Thompson platted the small downtown area bounded by Kinzie, Jefferson, Washington, and Dearborn streets. Departing from the tradition of naming streets for their destination, Thompson initiated the enduring practice of naming streets after figures of national and local significance.

“In the decades that followed, explosive urban growth, annexation, and the popular political favor of honorary street naming resulted in multiple streets of the same name and streets known by several different names. In 1901, building superintendent Edward P. Brennan confronted the confused state of affairs. He suggested that Chicago be ordered as a large grid with a uniform street numbering system, and proposed State and Madison Streets as the city’s primary north-south and east-west axes. In 1908, the “Brennan” system was officially adopted by the city council and became the basis of modern Chicago’s street naming system.

“Over the next decades, Brennan’s system incorporated not only the principle of having street address numbers register distance and direction, but also the ideas that all portions of the same street should go by a uniform name and that north-south streets should be named alphabetically as one moved west from the Chicago/Indiana border. Led by Brennan and Howard C. Brodman, superintendent of the city’s Department of Maps and Plats, the city council and business community continued through the 1930s to replace duplicated street names in order to simplify navigation and economize postal service and merchandise delivery. Of the more than a thousand streets within Chicago’s city limits today, the greatest number—more than 170—bear the names of real-estate developers. English towns and Chicago’s former mayors and aldermen have provided the next most popular sources of names.” The street numbering system revision was completed in 1909.

A business address really does matter when it becomes part of a firm’s identity. Sosman & Landis were at their main studio for over three decades, becoming a landmark on Clinton Street. When the company dissolved, three things happened: the liquidation of company assets, a new lease in the old studio space and the purchase of the “Sosman & Landis” name. For a while, the new address became home to Chicago Studios. This caused a problem for Thomas G. Moses and Fred Megan, especially after they purchased the Sosman & Landis name. You see, Chicago Studios began marketing itself as the new owners of Sosman & Landis. They used the space, but had not retained the Sosman & Landis staff or designs.

The problem became a significant one, forcing Moses to send out letters to many previous clients. In 2010 I discovered a letter during the evaluation of the Scottish Rite scenery collection in Salina, Kansas.

Sosman & Landis letter that I discovered during the Salina Scottish Rite scenery evaluation

A Nov. 13, 1923, letter from Sosman & Landis to the Salina Scottish Rite stated:

Dear Sir,

It has recently been brought to our attention that a certain studio is advertising out old customers that they have brought the Sosman & Landis Company and are now operating same, combining it with their original company. We wish to assure you that this is not a fact and that our original organization in intact, but our studio has been moved to new and better quarters. Mr. Thomas G. Moses, our Art Director would like the opportunity of meeting with your scene committee to submit our designs and specifications covering your requirement. You will perhaps recall that we were favored with your original scenery order, working through the M. C. Lilley Co. and therefore, it is not necessary for us to give you any reference as to our ability and quality of workmanship.

Sosman & Landis relocated their offices to 6751 Sheridan Road in 1923. Moses’ role with the firm had shifted from being the company president to its artistic director. In 1923, Moses and Fred Megan bought the name “Sosman & Landis,” continuing to produce scenery as before, just in a new location; they retained the studio designs. At first, they rented space at other shops, such as the Fabric Studio.

To be continued…

Note included:

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Part 780: The Scottish Rite in Lawrence, Kansas, 1911

In 1911, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Lawrence, Kansas, yielded a Masonic job.” The scenery and stage machinery were similar to that installed at Scottish Rite theaters in Wichita, Kansas, Winona and St. Paul, Minnesota, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Grand Forks, North Dakota, Tucson, Arizona, and the list goes on. Although smaller in scope than some of the other scenery collections, the same counterweight system (Brown’s Special system) was installed, with the lines spaced on four-inch centers. Like many other Scottish Rite Valleys in the first two deacdes of the twentieth century, funds were pouring in and men with vision planned massive edifices to accommodate the ever-increasing membership. Unfortunately, this period of unprecedented growth often meant that no plans were in place for extended periods of membership decline or financial challenges.

The Masonic Temple in Lawrence, Kansas, once home to the Scottish Rite

The Scottish Rite theater, used for 94 years before the building was sold.

The painted front curtain of the stage at the Lawrence Masonic Temple, painted by Sosman & Landis and mentioned in the memoirs of Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934).

Scenery produced by Sosman & Landis for the Scottish Rite in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1911.

Ninety-two years later, the building was on the market, citing those two exact issues. It was one of the early Scottish Rite theaters to change hands, signaling the start of a shift within the Southern Jurisdiction. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Kansas Scottish rite was riding the crest of expansion in the Southern Jurisdiction. They were at the forefront of a new movement as Scottish Rite theaters and degree productions spread like rapidfire. In 1911, there were seven Scottish Rite Valleys in Kansas, located in Kansas City, Fort Scott, Salina, Topeka, Lawrence, Wichita, and Leavenworth. In 1919, the “Lawrence Daily Journal-World” reported, “Largest Class in History” (28 January 1919, page 1). The article noted, “With the addition of more candidates for the Scottish Rite degrees, the mid-winter class now being conducted thorugh the mysteries of higher Masonry, has now become the largest class in the history of the Lawrence Scottish Rite bodies. There are now 119 candidates in the class.” This was a new trend, adding a mid-winter reunion to the standard fall and spring schedule. The need to add an additional reunion each year to accommodate increased numbers of candidates shows how rapidly the Scottish Rite Rite was expanding in, Kansas. The “Fort Scott Tribune,” reported “The four bodies of Scottish Rite Masonry have just adopted plans for a reunion which will be somewhat a deviation from former reunions and an innovation in Masonry. A midwinter reunion is to be held next year, the dates being February 12, 13 and 14^th” (Fort Scott Tribune, 19 Dec. 1911, page 6).

Almost a century later, Kansas was again riding the crest of another Scottish Rite wave – one of declining membership, lost properties and missing artifacts. In May 2003, the Scottish Rite building was placed on the market. So what happened in Kansas?

In 2003, LJWorld.com posted the following article to the Lawrence Journal World website (https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2003/may/14/landmark_sheds_its/):

“A LAWRENCE LANDMARK IS FOR SALE

Faced with aging membership and ever-increasing costs, Lawrence-area Freemasons have decided to sell the majestic Scottish Rite Temple, 1001 Mass.

“This isn’t something that any of us want to do. It hurts,” said Tom Wilkerson, the organization’s executive secretary. “But we’ve projected out the costs of operations, and we know we can’t continue to draw on our resources like we have. It has to be done.”

THE ASKING PRICE: $775,000.

The buyer will have the option of also buying the buildings that house the Scottish Rite office and the Variety Store at 1005 and 1007 Mass., respectively.

‘We’ll entertain any proposal received,’ Wilkerson said. [my thought: bad move to put that in print].

Built in 1911, the Egyptian Revival-style building features several meeting rooms, a 275-seat auditorium and balcony, and, in the basement, a dining room that’s 55 feet wide and a half-block long.

A kitchen, too, is downstairs in an area carved out from underneath the sidewalk alongside the north side of the building. The building does not have an elevator.

Suspended above the auditorium’s stage are 55 backdrops — each painted long ago by art students from Kansas University — that are raised or lowered in accordance with the particular Scottish Rite ceremony being performed.

“We’ll keep those,” Wilkerson said.

GENERATING INTEREST

The building is listed with Coldwell Banker McGrew Real Estate.

“There’s been quite a bit of interest in it,” said Doug Brown, the Realtor assigned to the property. “The fact that the building has historic significance and that it’s on Mass. is quite a draw for investors.”

Brown said the building was “incredibly well-built” and could be converted to a variety of uses.

“The upstairs, maybe, could be turned into apartments; the downstairs to retail,” he said. “It would be a great place for receptions.”

“Or an upscale restaurant,” said Carol vonTersch, president of the Lawrence Preservation Alliance. “There’s been talk of that in the past, but, at the time, the Masons weren’t ready to sell.”

The Alliance, vonTersch said, hoped to work with whoever buys the building.

“It’s a very important building in the downtown area. People remember that building,” she said. “We’re exceedingly concerned about what’s to happen to it, I can assure you of that.”

It’s not yet known where the Masons will go after the building is sold.

“A committee has been appointed that’ll make that decision,” Wilkerson said. “A lot of it’s going to depend on whether the buyer wants the buildings next door. If they don’t, we’ll probably move into where The Variety Store is now; if they do, we’ll either buy a building or build something new.”

OLD

Wilkerson said about 500 men and women belong to the masonic lodges and auxiliaries that use the temple. Most are unable to attend the monthly meetings.

“Our mean age is 66,” he said of the membership. “That’s pretty old.”

Wilkerson attributed the decline in membership to lackluster recruiting and increased demands on members’ time.

“It’s a sad thing to say, but being in a fraternal organization takes away from a person’s family time and, over the years, that’s just gotten harder and harder to do,” he said. “All the service organizations are going through the same thing.” [my thought: not a great advertisement to join].

Wilkerson says the Mason’s reputation for secrecy far exceeds reality.

“Actually, we kind of joke about that,” he said. “Our meetings are closed, that’s true. But if somebody really wanted to know what was going on, they could just go to the library. Books have been written about it.”

Wilkerson said there’s nothing secret about the building. “We rent it out for receptions and things,” he said. “And before we decided to sell, we’d talked about opening it up to public for tours or ham-and-bean lunches.”

On June 24, 2005, the same newspaper reported that the Lawrence-area Scottish Rite Freemasons were saying goodbye to their 94-year old building and holding an open house and formal relocation ceremony at the new Lawrence Masonic Center, at 1601 W 23rd St., citing, “The 5,500-square-foot store-front-style space is more practical and cheaper to lease and operate than the old building at 1001 Mass., which was purchased by Lawrence developer Doug Compton.” The article noted, “Local Freemasons are hoping the new building and new look will help attract younger men to the organization.” Now, I don’t know about you, but meeting in a shopping mall would not necessarily be any incentive for me to join the Fraternity, but then, I am not potential candidate material. Here is the link to the full article: https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/jun/24/freemasons/

Of the new location, the “Lawrence Journal-World” reported, “Their new building features an entrance that leads into a commons or reception area, complete with a conference table and chairs. Nearby is a large room that can be used for dinners and banquets. There is a library, a storage room and a large meeting room near the back with a skylight over the venerable master’s chair at one end of the room. The building will serve as a meeting place for 362 Scottish Rite members with several Lawrence-area Masonic orders. It was chosen after attempts to find a suitable building that could be purchased failed. ‘We were going to buy, but everything was so expensive,’ said Danny Keller, the assistant personal representative for Lawrence Valley. ‘We had a lot of problems, so we just decided to lease for a few years.’

When I visited Lawrence last summer, we drove by the Masonic Center, now just down the street from the previous shopping mall location. It remainded me of the many pole barns that store tractors in the Midwest. For an organization that often links its history to the operative masons and cathedral builders of Europe, it is a little embarrassing to see the Scottish Rite eagle on a small window surrounded metal siding. I was unable to venture inside, but there was no indication of a theater or fly tower in sight. When Wilkerson explained that the Scottish Rite was going to retain the 55 drops from the old temple, I have to wonder where they are now.

The new home for the Scottish Rite and other Lawrence-area Masons

The Scottish Rite eagle attached to the side of the new Masonic Center in Lawrence, Kansas.

For additional history about the Lawrence Scottish Rite, see my past post, “Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Part 621 – Meanwhile in Lawrence, Kansas” (https://drypigment.net2019/01/20/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-part-621-meanwhile-in-lawrence-kansas/).

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Part 776 – Thomas G. Moses and the Memphis Scottish Rite, 1911

The Scottish Rite in Memphis, Tennessee.

In 1911, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Some more work at Memphis, Tenn., Masonic.” Sosman & Landis delivered additional scenery two years after the initial installation. In 1909, Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis produced a scenery collection for the Scottish Rite in Memphis, Tennessee. At the time, scenery was purchased through M. C. Lilley and work subcontracted to Sosman & Landis.

The auditorium and drop curtain at the Memphis Scottish Rite. Scenery was delivered by Sosman & Landis in 1909 and 1911

Photograph posted online by the Memphis Scottish Rite of their spring reunion work.

The auditorium at the Memphis Scottish Rite.

Architectural ornamentation at the Memphis Scottish Rite auditorium.

The first reunion in the Memphis Scottish Rite building was held from November 15 to 19, 1909. Over the years, a variety of Masonic activity at the Memphis Scottish Rite Temple was reported in newspaper articles, personal correspondence, and business letters.

In 1916, a letter from Charles Rosenbaum of Little Rock, Arkansas, to Frank A. Derr of Guthrie, Oklahoma, addressed the use of footlights in Scottish Rite theaters. The letter noted that the Scottish Rite in Memphis Tennessee employed the use of footlights for their degree productions. The Guthrie Scottish Rite was considering the installation of footlights for their stage.

Rosenbaum responded to Derr’s query on June 10, 1916:

“I note what you say about footlights, but what use are they? In our old synagogue [the Albert Pike Cathedral, 1896], we had footlights; we found them sort of a nuisance. When we built on 8^th and Scott [the Albert Pike Consistory Building, 1902] we left them out entirely.

While in New York several years ago talking to Stage expert equipment people they showed me foot light equipment they were building for a High School building and it had a nice disappearing arrangement, which was all right.

I asked what was the necessary for foot lights, and why they were used.

The answer was —You have to have them to throw up the light on the people on the front of the stage to light up and destroy the rawness of their makeup, which means the paint and stuff they use on their faces, they said you can’t get along without them for that reason.

I said —Suppose there is no makeup, and I described our use of a stage, and they said it would be foolish to have footlights at all, and only in case we rented the building for theatrical purposes would it be necessary, because when Actors and Actresses made up the necessity would it be evident.

So —as we don’t rent for any such purpose and don’t make up our faces, and have no business very far out toward the front of the stage, or for that matter in front of the curtain line, we have no use for ‘foot lights, to high light our faces and they have no use for them in Memphis either unless they rent for shows of one kind or another.’”

There is something to consider beyond the topic of footlights that Rosenbaum discusses in the letter. When many Scottish Rite stages were constructed, they were never intended for public use or rentals. Times have changed and public rental income is a necessity. This mean that many stages have been altered to accommodate a renter, or make it more appealing for public rentals.

Over the years, the Memphis Scottish Rite altered their building for a variety or reasons, including a movie set. While examining the history of the building, I discovered an article that reporting the theater was “expanded and refurbished” when used to film performance scenes for the 2005 movie “Walk the Line,” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspon.

Still from 2005 film, “Walk the Line” at the Memphis Scottish Rite posted at
http://masoniccontemporary.org/welcome#/id/i9190912

Note proscenium side lights at the Memphis Scottish Rite. Still from 2005 film, “Walk the Line” at the Memphis Scottish Rite posted at
http://masoniccontemporary.org/welcome#/id/i9190912

Backstage at the Memphis Scottish Rite. Still from 2005 film, “Walk the Line” at the Memphis Scottish Rite posted at
http://masoniccontemporary.org/welcome#/id/i9190912

The counterweight system, Brown’s Special System, is picture in the background of this film still. Note the wooden arbor frame. Still from 2005 film, “Walk the Line” at the Memphis Scottish Rite posted at
http://masoniccontemporary.org/welcome#/id/i9190912

In some ways, the rental of Scottish Rite buildings and stages for filmwork has provided much necessary income for many Scottish Rite Valleys. However, the money comes at a price. Damage inevitably occurs over time as various lighting systems and other equipment are installed for a specific film scene, or temporary structures are anchored to existing walls.

I think of the continued television and film work that occurs in the Santa Fe Scottish Rite and recognize the recent changes that have compromised a once unique system. The original counterweight system, known as Brown’s Special System, has been irreparably altered from its original state. Photographs of this system that were published in “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (2018, Museum of New mexico Press) depict a pristine system, one that remained unaltered since its installation in 1912. No matter the historical significance, or words of caution, nothing could have prevented its alteration over the past two years.

I understand that change is inevitable as the Fraternity responds to declining membership. In many instances, the loss of membership means a loss of annual revenue, prompting Scottish Rite Valleys to respond in various ways, such as public rentals. Some renovate the space that generates the greatest rental income; in many instances it is the stage and auditorium. For an organization that remained locked in time for decades, a few individuals are irreparably altering their spaces. Stage houses, specifically the scenery, stage machinery and other systems, are often repaired, altered, or renovated, without any undertstanding of the system. Furthermore, these alterations are often completed without the knowledge of the membership or staff. Sadly, a few members consider these historic buildings as their personal playgrounds, completing one “home-improvement” projects after another and using unrated hardware, duct tape, contact cement, and other inappropriate products for their work.

Go visit your nearest Scottish Rite theater now, as change is coming and it might be different by tomorrow.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Part 775 – Thomas G. Moses and the Cheyenne Scottish Rite, 1911

I return to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses. In 1911, Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis received “a small contract at Cheyenne of Masonic work.”

Sosman & Landis were well known in Cheyenne, having delivered stock scenery to the Grand Opera House in 1882. Sosman & Landis artists paired up to complete many projects on site, traveling from one theater to another and crisscrossing the country. From 1881-1882, Moses and studio founder, Joseph S. Sosman were a team, completing one project after another as salesman Abraham “Perry” Landis secured each contract.

The Scottish Rite Theatre is located in the Masonic Temple, home to multiple Masonic orders. Located at 1820 Capitol Avenue in Cheyenne, construction commenced on a three-story structure in 1901, costing local Masons $45,000. Unfortunately, in 1903 the building was gutted by fire. The “Natrona County Tribune” reported, “The fire originated by defective electric light wiring over the stage at the south end of the building. The loss was estimated at $50,000; insurance $33,500, $30,00 of which was on the building and $3,500 on paraphernalia. The elegant paraphernalia of the Scottish Rite Masons, costing at least $6,000 was entirely destroyed, and besides this many suits belonging to the members of the order were lost. Only a few rugs and several pieces of furniture were saved. The structure will be rebuilt at once. The structure will be rebuilt at once. The Scottish Rite Masons had just finished holding a reunion in the building, at which forty-one new members were admitted on the night before the building was destroyed, this being the first reunion held in the building since its completion” (5 March 1903, page 8). After receiving their insurance settlement, the Cheyenne Scottish Rite Bodies reconstructed the damaged stage and interior.

Sosman & Landis delivered an initial collection of scenery to this Masonic Hall in 1911, and membership numbers began to skyrocket.

On January 25, 1911, the “Natrona County Tribune” reported, “Cheyenne. – The semi-annual reunion of Wyoming Consistory No. 1 here met Jan. 4, and is attended by Masons from all sections of the state. A class of twenty-six candidates for the Scottish Rite degree has been selected” (Caspar, Wyoming, page 6). By that fall, there were fifty candidates at the Scottish Rite reunion in Cheyenne (Natrona County Tribune, 20 Dec. 1911, page 6). Over a year later, there were forty-six candidates (Natrona County Tribune, 26 Dec. 1912, page 2).

A new Scottish Rite Cathedral was planned in 1920 as membership rapidly outgrew its current quarters. The “Casper Star-Tribune” reported, “Tentative plans for the cathedral which Wyoming Consistory No. 1, A.A.S.R., is to erect at Capitol Avenue and Twentieth Street, have been approved. They call for a structure of Grecian architecture, with a frontage of 132 feet on Capitol Avenue, which will cost approximately $500,000. Aside from the fact that it will be the largest and finest fraternal society building in Wyoming architecture. Work on the building, it is planned and will begin next fall” (29 May 1920, page 9).

The Scottish Rite stage in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

In 1921, “The Billings Gazette” reported that Wyoming had 1906 thirty-second degree Masons, an increase of 245 members in twelve months. Furthermore, the secretary of Wyoming Consistory No. 1 in Cheyenne reported, “the total resources of all four bodies of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite amount to $189,958.88” (17 Sept 1921, page 8). There were 2,090 members in the Rocky Mountain Lodge of Perfection; 1,961 members in the Albert Pike Chapter of the Knights of Rose Croix; and 1,961 members in the Cheyenne Council of Kadosh No. 1.

I visited the Cheyenne Scottish Rite last year on June 18, 2018. It was father’s day when I documented the Cheyenne Scottish Rite scenery collection, with my husband and son working as stagehands that day. Our guide, Ron, explained that the building was expanded during the 1920s, an addition that included a new theater. Toomey & Volland studio records list a delivery of scenery to the Cheyenne Scottish Rite at that time. I identified three distinct scenery collections when examining the stencil placement. Two are consistent with Sosman & Landis and the third is likely from the studio of Toomey & Volland in St. Louis.

Some of the scenery includes the shipping label “Scottish Rite Bodies. Masonic Hall. Cheyenne, Wyoming.” This information is stenciled on the back and front of some bottom sandwich battens. Additional stenciling on the back of some drops also confirms the destination of Cheyenne, characteristic of standard Sosman & Landis Studio labeling during the first decade of the twentieth century. Keep in mind that it was common for Scottish Rite Valley’s to retain their original scenery when the initially expanded and increased and existing stage. Enlarging the original scenery delivered to the Masonic Hall in 1903 and 1911 for the 1920s stage was not unusual, even if a competing studio painted it.

The three collections at the Cheyenne Scottish Rite are not of any particular, or standard, size. It is obvious that many of the drops were hung at another venue prior to being installed above the current Scottish Rite stage. Charcoal markings denoting previous line sets are just one indicator of a previous life elsewhere.

In regard to painted aesthetics, the design and scenic art for some of the collection is consistent with other Sosman & Landis scenery delivered to Santa Fe (1912), St. Paul (1910), Winona (1909), Tucson (1914), Asheville (1914), and Grand Forks (1914). The painted flats accompanying many of the painted scenes, however, are not identified with stencils, nor characteristic of Sosman & Landis flats manufactured before 1908. The profile pieces in Cheyenne only include a few pencil markings. The design and construction of these pieces are not characteristic with Sosman & Landis set pieces, as they are also much brighter in color than the remainder of the collection, suggesting their delivery by Toomey & Volland aesthetic.

The stage machinery also predates the 1920s. It is an example of Brown’s Special System, also delivered to Santa Fe (1912), St. Paul (1910), Winona (1909), Tucson (1914), Ashville (1914), and Grand Forks (1914).

Counterweight system on the stage right side. The Scottish Rite stage in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Brown’s Special System installed at the Cheyenne Scottish Rite

The fly rail at the Cheyenne Scottish Rite. This is where Masonic stage hands stood when they raised and lowered backdrops.

Counterweights in a wooden arbor cage were part of Brown’s Special System. The Scottish Rite stage in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Finally, our host explained that additional drops that went unused for decades. They were rolled up and placed in an offstage area. Sadly, they were disposed of a few years ago without anyone documenting was thrown away, so we have no idea if this were an earlier collection, and adopted collection, or simply unused scenes. There is one dead hung drop curtain against the upstage wall. It appears to be a drop curtain, as I was able to see some painted fringe and draperies, suggesting that this piece may have been the drop curtain from the previous stage at the Masonic Hall; the front curtain would have been not wide enough for the current proscenium opening. I would love to see what the composition is, as I was unable to see more than the bottom two feet of the drop.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. TempleLive and the Cleveland Scottish Rite July 18, 2019

Update: TempleLive, a network of historic entertainment venues abruptly closed all location in September 2025. Owned by Beaty Capital Group, the venues often included Masonic structures such as Scottish Rite Temples.

The Cleveland Masonic Temple, once home to the Scottish Rite, is now owned by TempleLive.

I stopped by the Cleveland Scottish Rite building on my return trip from the League of Historic American Theatre’s national conference in Philadelphia. The venue has recently changed hands over the past two years and is under the operation of TempleLive, a group that is buying historic properties and using them as event centers. (https://www.templelive.com/). TempleLive is the subsidiary of the Beaty Capital Group, an investment firm with an interesting past. TempleLive’s most recent purchase was the Scottish Rite in Wichita, a significant loss for the Fraternity in terms of historical artifacts and material culture.

The Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas, was recently purchased by TempleLive.

The Cleveland Scottish Rite has popped up on my radar multiple times over the past years, in both personal research and blog posts. It represents a single square in the quilt of American theatre history, as well as the life and times of Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934). I first made contact with Cleveland’s Scottish Rite secretary on my way to Cleveland. He was a very pleasant fellow. Although happy to meet with me, he could no longer show me the stage area, as the entire building was under the management of TempleLive.

The Scottish Rite Secretary shared the telephone number for the local TempleLive representative, urging me to schedule an appointment that day for a tour with her. She was very accommodating and graciously set a time to meet. In addition to daily administrative duties, the local TempleLive manager is also part of the overhaul team, even painting walls and cabinets as part of the ongoing renovation work. In addition to implementing new color schemes, she negotiates the contracts with the Fraternity and is their key contact. Her immediate supervisor specializes in managing entertainment venues, the two previously working together on at separate venue in Cleveland. She explained that the TempleLive protocol is hiring local individuals and maintaining a congenial relationship with the previous owner, now a dedicated renter.

Both the Scottish Rite representative and TempleLive host could not have been more gracious or accommodating during my visit. They each spent an ample amount of time explaining the transfer of the building from the Fraternity to a private investor and the necessary renovations that needed to occur prior to using the facility for public events, particularly Live Nation events. Live Nation Entertainment advertises as a “Global Leader in Live Entertainment. Artist Powered. Fan Driven” with over 200 venues, 35,000 annual concerts, 4,000 touring artists, and 93 million fans in 40 countries (https://www.livenationentertainment.com/). They boast, “On average every 16 minutes there is a live Nation event starting somewhere in the world.”

Scottish Rite stage in Cleveland with some new lighting instruments for Live Nation.

It is my understanding that Live Nation is solely involved with the stage entertainment only and not the rest of the building. Live Nation recently installed new trusses for the secondary lighting system on the main stage. The old lighting system is still in place, but Masonic Bodies can use the new system for a substantial fee. With the continued flickering and blackouts during my stage visit, however, it is possible that the new system has problems. My TempleLive host explained that the light issues had been a problem since the new system was recently installed. Hmmm.

Lighting instruments for Live Nation shows.

Both of my hosts adamantly stressed the beneficial relationship between the Fraternity and TempleLive’s management, especially the generosity of the new owner allowing the previous owner to rent space in the building. I could not help think that the arrangement may be most beneficial to the new owner as there is no preparation for a new tenant, or any period of vacancy waiting for rental income. Yet the spin is more of generous landlord helping out struggling tenant.

My hosts were friendly, inquisitive, and sharing, yet something seemed off. In fact, as I walked through the building, I continued to experience a sinking sense of dread. It was the same feeling that I felt when the last painted setting left the Scottish Rite building in Fort Scott, Kansas; the soul of the space was gone. Interestingly, by the end of my two-hour visit, I still had no idea what happened to the historic scenery collection, who had removed the drops from the main theater or where they were currently stored. The backdrops went from “rolled up” to “in storage,” to “there may be a few still hanging.” The cathedral scene may be hanging – smart move for weddings on TempleLive’s part. There was a framed photograph of the scene that the Scottish Rite Secretary shared during my visit and both hosts stressed the beauty of the painting.

Framed picture of one Scottish Rite setting manufactured by Toomey & Volland scenic studio of St. Louis, Missouri, 1919.

To put this all in context, however, here is my current understanding of what TempleLive does when investing in a Masonic property. First of all, they target historic venues because of the construction quality and layout, an aspect stressed by my Cleveland host noting, “buildings just aren’t made like that anymore.” Paying a fraction of the building’s market value, the new owner ensures that the various Masonic orders meeting in the space still have access as renters. In the case of Cleveland, that the Masonic bodies have a base rental fee and are up-charged for a variety of services, such as using the “new” lights on stage. This is brilliant, because you not only get a good deal on real estate, but you immediately have dedicated renters who have no incentive to find another location. They are not going anywhere anytime soon as securing another location and moving all of the ritual paraphernalia is a deterrent.

So let’s start from the beginning as explained by my host… the building changes hands and TempleLive focuses on getting the stage/auditorium ready to sell seats for touring and local performers. This makes sense as it provides an additional revenue stream beyond the Masonic orders. TempleLive invests in the theater areas first. In the case of Cleveland, the $725,000 is paid for the building and 5 million was solely sunk into theater renovations, making it immediately ready for performances and additional revenue. Again, the price was $750,000 for a historic building with 102,000 sq. ft. in a prime downtown location. Keep in mind, similar transactions have repeatedly occurred during the past decade, with Scottish Rite buildings changing hands to private investors for next to nothing, in some cases only $1. Yet almost all have the agreement that the Masonic orders can still meet in the building, often for a fee. After the theater is up and running, TempleLive focuses on renovating the remainder of the building. That is where Cleveland is at right now, moving onto the remainder of the building.

One of many ornate halls in the Cleveland Masonic Temple

One of many meeting spaces in the Cleveland Masonic Temple

A lodge room still used by Masons at the Cleveland Masonic Temple, now owned by TempleLive.

Now there is a second theatre space in the Cleveland Masonic building that has yet to be renovated. Some of the original scenery is still hanging. We did not lower the historic scenes, so I have no idea if they were manufactured by Sosman & Landis in 1909 or Toomey & Volland in 1919. I took as many pictures of the stage machinery as possible. Sadly, I doubt that retaining any historic scenery directly benefits TempleLive. If anything, it is likely to be an impediment to their standard protocol in creating spaces for touring productions.

The second stage at the Cleveland Masonic Temple

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Collingswood Scottish Rite, July 13 and July 17, 2019.

The front of the Collingswood Scottish Rite includes the original mansion that was built on the property in the 1850s

The design for the Collingswood Scottish Rite

My visit to the Collingswood Scottish Rite on July 13, 2019

In 1991, I encountered a series of Scottish Rite scenic designs with “Camden, NJ” written on the back. This was while I was processing the Holak collection for the University of Minnesota Performing Arts Archives as part of an Undergraduate Opportunities Program grant. The Holak collection was the second of two Masonic scenery collections that I processed between 1989 and 1991. The Holak collection included a variety of designs created by “Sosman & Landis” and their eastern affiliate “New York Studios.”

By 1992, I journeyed to the East Coast for the first time, newly engaged and visiting my fiancée’s family in Delaware. Unfortunately, there never seemed to be any opportunity to track down the Camden Scottish Rite, so it sat on the back burner for a few decades until this month.

Over the years, I would think of the Camden designs every time we visited friends or family in New Jersey. Opportunity finally presented itself while I was attending the League of Historic America Theatres national conference in Philadelphia. I was on my way back to New Jersey with our eldest child’s godparents when we decided to stop by and take a look. I had not scheduled a visit or checked if the building would even be open, just hoping to catch a glimpse of the fly tower. The Collingswood Scottish Rite was only two blocks away from the Camden city line and bustling with activity when we stopped.

There were cars in the parking lot and many exiting the building – score! This meant that I might be able to venture in far enough to see the lobby, and possibly the theater. Unbelievably our arrival coincided with the break between the matinee and evening performances of “Seussical” – not by the Masons, but by a local community theater group. Although, the idea of a Masonic version of “Seussical” does make me giggle – “Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!” But I digress…

Once inside the building, I met with an enthusiastic woman who eagerly listened to my connection with Masonic theater and then introduced me to Mary, the woman in charge. She was also delighted to hear my history about Scottish Rite scenery and promptly offered us a tour of the stage, patiently waiting while I climbed up to the fly gallery. “Seussical” had not been presented in the theater due to lack of central air. Instead, it was being presented in the only air-conditioned space below- the banquet room.

Postcard depicting the auditorium and one stage setting at the Collingswood Scottish Rite.

The proscenium line at the Collingswood Scottish Rite

The fly gallery at the Collingswood Scottish Rite

After examining the toasty auditorium and stage, we wandered up to another room where some of the backdrops were stored. I would later learn that local riggers working touring shows at the Collingswood Scottish Rite demanded the removal of the historic drops. All this seems very odd and I sincerely hope that I have misunderstood the chain of events leading up to the removal of the scenery. In the end, some of the scenes were gifted to the community theater for productions. The gifted drops have been repaired and repeatedly used in local theatre productions.

Without being able to unfold any of the drops, or see a stage book, I had no way of knowing if the Holak designs were ever realized for this particular venue. The designs may have simply been for a preliminary proposals. My host suggested that I contact the Scottish Rite Secretary the next week and meet with him, specifically asking to see the stage book.

It was not until after the conference ended, that I returned to the Scottish Rite, scheduling a meeting with the Scottish Rite secretary and bringing a few LHAT friends. I enjoyed a second tour of the theater before examining the stage book and chatting with the Scottish Rite representative. Before the scenery collection was removed, each backdrop had been photographed and placed in a packet, noting the original line sets. As I slowly flipped through the packet, I recognized many of the compositions from the Holak collection.

Folded backdrops at the Collingswood Scottish Rite

A design from the Holak Collection, with “Camden, NJ” written on the back.

Photograph of the same scene in the Collingswood Scottish Rite stage book

Although the scenery collection is folded up and in storage, it still exists – for now. There is also a greater possibility that the historic backdrops may avoid a final resting place in a dumpster if there is any perceived value of the artifacts; I did my best and even left a copy of “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Theatre: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” for the Scottish Rite Valley library.

The history of the Collingswood Scottish Rite complex is quite unique and fascinating. The Masons purchased the parcel of land with the intent of leveling the existing 1850s mansion that remained on the property at the time of sale. At some point, plans changed and the mansion was not leveled, just abbreviated; the front portion was left standing to be used as Scottish Rite offices. The new theater building was then connected to the back of the old mansion.

Recently, the Scottish Rite sold its building to the city, reserving the right to maintain the offices and use the lodge room. This arrangement is becoming more common across the country, as Scottish Rite Valleys sell their buildings for pennies on the dollar and negotiate with the new owners to still meet in the space. I remain unsure as to how much the theater is used for Scottish Rite degree productions, if it is used at all. Remember that the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction has mostly transitioned from degree productions to video presentations for instruction. The Collingswood Scottish Rite auditorium hosts a variety of touring shows, including an upcoming performance by Pink Martini, my new favorite musical ensemble. The current bookings at the Collingswood Scottish Rite remain limited to spring, fall and winter due to the lack of any central air.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 744: Returning to Masonic Scenery Production in the Life and Times of Thomas G. Moses, 1909

I return to the year 1909 in the life and times of Thomas G. Moses. For the past several posts, I explored famous Philadelphia drops curtains mentioned in an 1894 newspaper article. Scottish Rite theaters also used drop curtains as the focal point of an auditorium. The ornate draping of fabric popularized on the public stage appeared on a variety of fraternal stages throughout the nineteenth century. Often, the only difference was the placement of a Masonic emblem in the center.

The Scottish Rite drop curtain in Salina, Kansas

The Scottish Rite drop curtain in Yankton, South Dakota

The Scottish Rite drop curtain in Wichita, Kansas

The Scottish Rite drop curtain in Tucson, Arizona

As in commercial theaters, Masonic drop curtains were hung on the first line, concealing the remainder of stock scenery, often numbering between 80 to 120 drops. In addition to backdrops, scenic studios manufactured set pieces, props, and stage machinery for Scottish Rite stages. Although massive in scope, Masonic theater work only accounted for approximately 25% of all work contracted by studios such as Sosman & Landis. Of that percentage, Scottish Rite scenery consisted of only a fraction of the total number for Masonic work.

By the end of Moses’ career, spanning from 1873 to 1934, his Masonic work included the design and supervision of scenery production for 55 Scottish Rites, 14 Commanderies (York Rite), 9 Grottos (MOVPER) and 7 Shrine (AAONMS) Auditoriums. In 1909, Moses wrote, “We have forty-eight on the payroll, which includes the sewing girls and foremen. At 20^th Street we have an average of twelve. 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.

In 1909, Moses also wrote, “The Dallas Masonic work came in early, so did San Francisco and Cleveland, Ohio.” Other Scottish Rite scenery collections that year produced by Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio included, Kansas City, Kansas, Memphis, Tennessee, Winona, Minnesota, and Atlanta, Georgia.

While, Sosman & Landis were cranking out stock scenery collections for Scottish Rite theaters, their primary competitor, Toomey & Volland Studio of St. Louis, Missouri, was gaining ground; the St. Louis company was becoming increasingly popular among Scottish Rite Masons in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. That year, Toomey & Volland delivered two large scenery collections to Scottish Rite theaters. Although they produced much less scenery than Sosman & Landis at this time, the firm would soon grow to dominate the industry after World War I.

To put all of this Scottish Rite scenery production in context, by 1910, I have identified the following Scottish Rite installations:

33 scenery collections were delivered by Sosman & Landis

18 scenery collections were delivered by Toomey & Volland

2 scenery collections were delivered by E. T. Harvey

2 scenery collections were delivered by Henry C. Tryon

This list counts for only a fraction of the Masonic scenery produced during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It does not include painted settings produced for other fraternal groups, such as the Elks or Knights of Pythias. The list does not take into account scenery for other Masonic stages, such as those used in Grottos (Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm), Commanderies (York Rite), or Shrines (Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine).

The numbers above do not reflect any of the early scenery manufactured for some of the very first Scottish Rite lodge rooms, those scenic pieces and roll drops painted by itinerant artists or talented members. There are also those other collections produced by unidentified studios prior to 1910. Yet, when we look at the amount of historic scenery still hanging in Scottish Rite theaters across the country, the sheer amount is somewhat staggering to comprehend when considering the ephemeral nature of commercial stage scenery.

I spend a significant amount of time exploring Masonic scenery produced by Sosman & Landis in my blog, primarily because it remains a significant part of American Theatre history, long after a traditional painted aesthetic declined on the commercial stage. Much Masonic scenery is also still in use, an aspect that makes these fraternal theaters living history museums. Scottish Rite stages, machinery, scenery, lights, properties and costumes are a primary resource still available to theatre technicians for study and reference.

Masonic business for Sosman & Landis continued to boom until the onset of World War I. They road the crest of a fraternal wave that produced unprecedented profits until approximately 1915. This year also marked the passing of studio founder Joseph S. Sosman. The years 1909 to 1910 is a peak period in Scottish Rite scenery production at Sosman & Landis; the studio was swamped with it.

As I continue with Moses’ life and times from 1909-1910, keep in mind that the production of Masonic scenery is ever-present in his daily life and the running of the studio. At first, the Masonic scenery, as well as all worked subcontracted by M. C. Lilley & Co., were completed in the Sosman & Landis annex studio. However, as business boomed, Sosman & Landis’ eastern affiliate, New York Studios, run by David H. Hunt, also completed numerous Masonic projects.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 725 – The Fort Wayne Scottish Rite, 1909

Part 725: The Fort Wayne Scottish Rite, 1909

*Postcard of the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite*

The Toomey & Volland studio of St. Louis was also installing scenery and stage machinery in Scottish Rite theaters during 1909. One example was the Scottish Rite in Fort Wayne. Here is the article published in the Kansas City Kansas Republic on Dec. 2, 1909.

*Illustration accompanying newspaper article about the opening of the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite, 1909*

“Finest Cathedral.

Scottish Rite Temple in Fort Wayne is Dedicated.

Masons of High Degrees at Exercises Attending Opening of $200,000 Temple-Has a Fine Banquet.

Fort Wayne, Ind. –The new Scottish Rite cathedral in Fort Wayne, costing about $200,000, and said to be the finest in America, was dedicated on the evening of November 17 in the order from most of the larger cities of the far east and middle west. The dedication was preceded by a banquet-room. At which 1,000 plated were laid. The banqet-room of the cathedral fills the entire ground floor and is one of the largest and most ornate halls in the west.

Owning to the illness of Sovereign Grand Commander Samuel C. Lawrence, 33, of Boston, the master of ceremonies was Barton Smith of Toledo, 33, puissant lieutenant grand commander, assisted by John Corson Smith, 33, grand minister of the state. William Geake, 33, of this city, commander-in-chief of the Fort Wayne Sovereign Consistory, assisted in the dedication.

The dedication was held at the regular time of the fall meeting of the consistory for the Valley of Fort Wayne, and 300 took the Scottish Rite degrees. Degrees were given from the fourth to the Thirty-second. Heretofore this valley had no jurisdiction beyond the eighteenth degree, and the degrees from the 19 to 32 were conferred here for the first time. As the consistory has already nearly 1,100 members, the Fort Wayne consistory has become one of the largest in the country.

The cathedral, which was designed by Mahurin & Mahurin of Fort Wayne, is a at Clinton and Washington streets, in the residence section, with the handsome First Presbyterian church across the street. It is built of Bedford stone on all sides and is thoroughly fireproof, being finished within with concrete floors, marble stairways and wainscoting, and iron balustrades. Some rooms are finished in Cuban mahogany, but there is very little inflammable material anywhere. The heating is by steam and the lighting by electricity.

The cathedral is three stories high, with a spacious basement. The ground floor will be the banquet and ballrooms, with galleries. The social rooms are on the second floor, which is also provided with quarters for the ladies. There is also a room for the Mystic Shrine. The third floor is occupied by the consistory auditorium, which is arranged on the stadium plan with tiers of opera chairs rising steeply, so that those in the rear seats can all see the work on the large floor below. There are seats for nearly 600 in this auditorium. The organ loft is in the north and at the south end there is a spacious stage provided with scenery, the work of a St. Louis firm.

The proscenium arch is elaborate with the designs and emblems of the several degrees. The decorative design and color scheme were the work of a Chicago firm. The organ was made in Rock Island at a cost of $6,000.”

Here is a link to the Consecration and dedication of the Scottish Rite Cathedral, Valley of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, November 16, 17, 18, 1909, on the Internet Archive:

https://archive.org/details/consecrationdedi00unse/page/n7

*Consecration and dedication of the Scottish Rite Cathedral, Valley of Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1909*

This building on the corner of Washington and Berry Streets no longer exists. In 1953, the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite bought the Mizpah Shrine building on the corner of Ewing and West Berry. Constructed in 1925, the Shrine building had a seating capacity of 2,400 that hosted a variety of non-Masonic events and has quite and interesting history. Unfortunately, the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite left this home too when St. Francis University purchased the structure in 2012. Here is an article about the Shrine building, second home to the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite: http://historycenterfw.blogspot.com/2012/01/scottish-rite-history-in-fort-wayne.html

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 724 – The Temple Theatre in Rochester, 1909

Part 724: The Temple Theatre in Rochester, 1909

Sosman & Landis delivered stock scenery, an asbestos curtain and a drop curtain to the Temple Theatre in Rochester, New York, in 1909. The Temple Theater was located just across the street from the popular Lyceum Theatre on Clinton Street. This was the same year that they also delivered Masonic scenery to Scottish Rite theaters in Winona, Minnesota, Kansas City, Kansas, Dallas, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and Memphis, Tennessee.

Postcard of the Temple Theatre in Rochester, New York.

The Temple Theatre across from the Lyceum Theatre in Rochester, New York.

On September 22, 1909, and advertisement for the Cook Opera House was placed in the “Rochester Democrat and Chronicle,” noting that it was “to be succeeded in November by the Temple Theatre as Rochester’s Home of International Vaudeville” (page 16). As the Cook Theatre, it was the present home of “J. H. Moore Vaudeville” (Democrat and Chronical, 14 March 1909, page 24).

There were venues known as “Temple Theatres” across the country, many managed by the Knights of Pythias. There were many other Temple Theatres in 1909, including those in Alton, Illinois, Youngstown, Ohio, New Orleans, Louisiana, Palestine, Texas, and Detroit, Michigan, to name a few.

In regard to the new Temple Theatre in Rochester, he “Democrat and Chronicle” reported, “[the Temple Theatre] will have the most complete vaudeville house on the American continent” (25 October 1909, page 10). Architect Leon H. Lempert drew the plans and supervised the construction of the theater. Of the installation, the article continued,

“The stage scenery is from the studios of Sosman & Landis of Chicago, and a carload of scenery will arrive in the city next week, several other cars of scenery following rapidly. The asbestos, or fire curtain, will be the first to be placed so as to avoid wrinkling and the beautiful drop curtain will be the last thing.

This drop curtain will be a picture of Marie Antoinette receiving Louis XVI at Versailles. The scenic equipment itself is perhaps the most elaborately ever placed in a vaudeville theater in the world, and the subjects as well as the designs of the interior scenes were carefully selected at a conference of the artists, the owners and the architect. J. H. Moore gave carte blanche for this work. And the cost of the decorations and scenery alone is more than the cost of the average theatre.”

Of the other elaborate decorations in the new Temple Theater in Rochester included fresco work was completed by Charles S. Allen of New York. The article noted that he worked on the ceiling with “a dozen Italian artists” who were brought to this country to decorate the home of Charles M. Schwab, the steel magnate. Furthermore. The mural paintings on the soundboard above he proscenium arch were painted by Raphael Beck, an artist from Buffalo, New York. Beck had exhibited his work at the Pan-American Exposition.”

Program for the Temple Theatre in Rochester, New York.

To be continued…