In 1920 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “In May I went to Rock Island
to make a sketch for the old Block House on the island. Had to get a permit. I enjoyed myself immensely.” At the time, the
“old Block House” was only four years old; a replica constructed in 1916.
Historic postcard of the Rock Island Block House for sale online.
Moses was referring to the Block House at Fort Armstrong on Rock
Island. Located on the Mississippi River, the Fort Armstrong was erected as one
of the many frontier defenses after the War of 1812. The construction of the fort began on May 10,
1816 and was intended to establish a military presence to dissuade French and
English Canadians from settling the territory. Ironically, this was part of the
Americans settling land inhabited by the Sauk, native Americans of the region.
A century later, in 1916, a replica of the three-story block
house was built. This was the structure that Moses sketched in 1920.
That same year, H. H Cleaveland announced plans to build a
new hotel and social center on the island. The Fort Armstrong Hotel Co. was
formed and plans to raise money for the endeavor. It took a while, but investors
finally raised $451,000 and construction commenced March 17, 1925. The area has
remained a popular tourist attraction over the decades.
In 1920 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “In May I went to Rock Island to make a sketch for the old Block House on the island. Had to get a permit. I enjoyed myself immensely. Saw all the old places, also had a visit with Charlie Kindt.” This was the year before Kindt retired at the age of 58. Charlie was the son of German immigrant and well-known panorama painter Louis Kindt (1832-1923). For more information about the artistic career of Louis Kindt, visit http://www.wisconsinart.org/archives/artist/louis-kindt/profile-1809.aspx
The
1920 US Federal Census lists Charles T. Kindt as a 57 yrs. old theatre manager,
living at 120 17th St, in Davenport, Iowa. Kindt was living with his
wife, Helena. Daughters, Helena (age 28) and Julia (age 30) were also living
with them, as well as their grandsons Stoddard and Kindt Fields. At the time,
Kindt was manager for the Burtis Opera House. In 1921, the famous opera house would
be gutted by fire. The 1600-seat venue was originally constructed by J. J.
Burtis in 1867. Kindt began managing the theater in 1890. Of the tragedy, “The
Daily Times” reported, “Mr. Kindt lives in the Perry apartments next to the
opera house and was one of the first to be notified of the fire. He and Mrs.
Kindt and their daughter Julia, dressed and were among the first on the scene.
Mr. Kindt remained on the scene for three hours watching the fames and talking
to friends, who extended their sympathy. He took his loss philosophically, no
losing any of his joviality, which characterizes him. ‘Yes, there have been
some great people who have played on the old Burtis stage,’ he reminisced. ‘Many
before my time and many since I took over the management. There’s not any
salvage in the building. I guess it’s a totals loss. But what’s the use of
hollering about it? It’s not going to do any good.’ …Scores of autographed
photographs, presents from friends in the theatrical world, were destroyed or
badly damaged. Mr. Kindt is unable to say what his future plans will be. He has
been negotiating for some time a new theater and it may be the fire will hasten
such plans” (26 April 1921, page 2).
The Burtis Opera House was destroyed by fire in 1921. Thomas G. Moses visited Charles Kindt in 1920 and 1922. Article from “The Daily Times,” 26 April 1921, pages 1- 2.The Burtis Opera House after the fire, from “The Daily Times,” 26 April 1921, pages 1- 2.
In
1922, Moses wrote, “I met my old friend Chas. Kindt in Davenport. He is manager for the Thos. Cusock Company,
on the site of the old Burtis Opera House.”
Charles Kindt also started out as a scenic artist like his father, but soon transitioned to theatre management by the age of 25, in 1888. Kindt married Helen “Nellie” Stoddard in Chicago on March 22, 1882. By 1888, Kindt was acting as assistant manager for the Turner Opera House in Davenport, Iowa (The Morning Democrat, 17 July 1888, page 4). He was working with manager Charles Becker. By 1889, Kindt became manager of Davenport’s Grand Opera House. In 1890 he was manager of the Burtis Opera House.
Charles T. Kindt listed as manager of the Burtis Opera House. From the “Daily Leader,” Davenport, Iowa, Sept.13, 1893, page 4.
A year later, Chamberlin, Kindt & Co, was formed, and the firm began managing the Burtis Opera House (Quad City Times, 10 Dec. 1906, page 10). The firm continued to expand, controlling over 25 theatres on the Illinois-Iowa circuit. Their theatres were located in Marshalltown, Rock Island, Ft. Madison, Burlington, Oskaloosa, Davenport, Galesburg, Monmouth, Muscatine, Rockford, Grinnell, Keokuk, Kewanee, Creston, Sedalia, Quincy, Peoria, Boone, Joliet, Elgin, Waterloo. Chamberlain passed away by the end of the 1906, a severe blow to Kindt and the company. That same month J. R. Lane, C.T. Kindt and Isaac Deutsch purchased the Burtis property, consisting of the Burtis Opera House and Kimball House for $55,000 (The Dispatch, Moline, Illinois, 13 Dec 1906, page 4).
In 1906, F. W. Chamberlin &
Charles T. Kindt purchased and remodeled the Burtis theater. Sosman &
Landis delivered new scenery to the renovated stage. If Kindt did not know
Moses from the Chicago scenic art scene, he would have met him at the Burtis. Of
the Burtis Opera Houses 1906 renovation “The Daily Times” reported, “The theater
will be completely remodeled from stage to foyer” (Davenport, Iowa, 16 March
1906, page 6). Manager Kindt, was quoted as stating, “The Burtis will be
completely remodeled. In fact, when it is improved, it will be practically a
new theatre. Everything that is in it will be removed, and it will be fitted up
in modern shape throughout” (The Daily Times, 24 March 1906, page 12).
Kindt passed away in 1947. His obituary reported, “Charles
T. Kindt, 86, a veteran Davenport theater operator and a partner in the old
Chamberlin-Kindt Theater corporation, which operated theaters in Moline and
other cities, died at 3:40 yesterday in Mercy hospital, He had been ill for
some time. Mr. Kindt was the first exalted ruler of the Davenport Elks’ lodge…Mr.
Kindt was best known as the owner and operator of the old Burtis theater. He
had not been in active business since 1921. Mr. Kindt, who lived at 1104 River
drive, Bettendorf, was active in Bettendorf civic affairs many years. At one
time he was president of the Bettendorf Chamber of Commerce. He was born in
Sandusky, O., on March 28, 1861, and was reared in Chicago. Mr. Kindt became
acquainted with the theater business through his father Louis Kindt, and became
a scenery painter in Chicago. He came to Davenport in 1888 on a contract to
paint scenery for the Grand Opera house there. Later he became manager of that
opera house and in a few years became manager of a second opera house in
Davenport. He formed the Chamberlin-Kindt partnership, which operated a chain
of 51 theaters in the middlewest. An organizer of the Elks’ lodge home in
Davenport, Mr. Kindt was the only surviving charter member. He married Helen
Stoddard in Chicago March 22, 1890. She died in 1937. Surviving are a son, C.
Roy Kindt of Davenport; two daughters, including Mrs. John A. Martinelli of
Davenport; a brother; three sisters, including Mrs. Julia Donald, of Davenport;
11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren” (The Dispatch, 11 July 19487,
page 20).
From “The Dispatch,” Moline, Illinois, 11 July 1947, page 20.
In 1919, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“The last of August, Alex DeBeers and I started for Utica, Illinois, from where
we struck into the Starved Rock country for a few days of sketching. We found it very good. This trip is also included in my travelogues.”
Unfortunately, the whereabouts of Moses’ travelogues remain a mystery.
Aerial view of the Starved Rock Country area posted online.Here is a glimpse of the gateway to Starved Rock Country, a camping spot in 1924, from the “Chicago Sunday Tribune,” Oct. 10, 1924, page 33.Starved Rock Country photo by Jacki Musser.Starved Rock Country Park was established in 1911, eight years before Thomas G. Moses and Alex DeBeers journeyed to the area for a sketching trip.There are stunning rock formations in Starved Rock Country.
Of the Starved Rock vacation area,
the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “A little more than a two-hours’ ride from
Chicago via Rock Island Lines, in comfortable steel coaches and parlor cars,
you reach the Starved Rock country, the new Illinois State Park. The wonderful natural
beauties of Starved Rock and many others in the vicinity, the numerous great
depressions or fern filled canyons that lie between and the beautiful Illinois
River have made this region a famous outing spot for thousands of nature
lovers. A more delightful spot for a day’s outing so conveniently accessible
and inexpensive is not to be found. Fast trains daily from La Salle Station and
Englewood Union Station. Drop in at our Travel Bureau, Adams and Dearborn Sts.,
Chicago, for a copy of folder on Starved Rock” (27 May 1915, page 4). By 1924,
a photograph of campers in Starved Rock country was included in the Chicago
Sunday Tribune (10 Oct. 1924, page 33). The caption stated, “Ottawa, Illinois,
gateway to the Starved Rock country, has provided one of the loveliest tourist havens
of the middle west in Allen park, the city’s free camp. Holidays this year have
packed the camp to its limit and throughout the season motorists from every
part of the country have enjoyed its hospitality.”
In regard to Moses’ traveling
companion Alex DeBeers, little is known. In fact, DeBeers was a new name for me
in the scenic art world.
Part of the problem with my
search for DeBeers is his last name; newspapers are filled with articles about
the DeBeers Consolidated Diamond Company. DeBeers also went by De Beers, so the
difficulty of the search increased tenfold. However, I was able to track down a
little information about this elusive artist. Here is what I discovered during
a pretty exhausting search.
In 1905 Alex DeBeers was painting
in Chicago at the Marlowe Theatre, located on S. Stewart Avenue and not far
from W. 63rd Street. The 1200-seat venue was also known as the
Marlowe Hippodrome. The “Suburbanite Economist” listed DeBeers as one of the
staff at the theater with an article reporting, “Very few in the audience know
it, and fewer appreciate the fact, that there are seventeen actors at the
Marlowe at every performance, whom the audience never see, and yet upon whose
ability, talent, skill and good management every presentation depends. I was
back behind with them this week, while one of their most credible works was
being presented, and the success of it was appreciated by every man of them
from the artist to the scene shifters, as much as Willis Hall or Maude Leone
smiled their due appreciation of the hearty applause that greeted them. Alex De
Beers, the artist, is one of the best in his line and his work speaks for
itself” (Nov. 3, 1905).
Other than Moses’ mention of
DeBeers in 1919, the next record I located of DeBeers is from the late 1920s. He
was still painting, and in 1928, Alex DeBeers was listed as a scenic artist in
the City Directory for Peoria, Illinois. At the time, he was residing at 514 N.
Madison Ave, but was not affiliated with any particular theater in Peoria.
Alex DeBeers listed in the Peoria City Directory, 1928.
By 1931, DeBeers was included in
an article about “The Masquerader” at English’s Opera House in Indianapolis,
Indiana. The article reported, “The several settings for ‘The Masquerader’ are
the work of Alex DeBeers. These are the first settings designed and painted
here by DeBeers, formerly with the Chicago Civic Opera Company. He is the
successor to Milo Denny.” Like many scenic artists during the Great Depression,
painters sought any type of employment beyond traditional theater; DeBeers started
working for the circus, primarily as a sign painter.
By 1935, DeBeers began painting
for the Russell Bros. Circus. In 1936, DeBeers was listed as the “Boss Painter”
for Russell Bros. Circus (The Billboard, May 2, 1936, page 41). Founded in 1928
by the husband and wife team Claude E. Webb and Pauline Russell Webb. The show
initially played fairs and carnivals in the Iowa, starting small with a pit
show that featured large snakes and other animals. An elephant was purchased,
and the circus gradually expanded to three rings. On April 9, 1938, Alex DeBeers
was mentioned as the “master painter,” back for his third season with the
circus. By 1937, the Russell Bros. Circus was touring as a 40-truck show with a
big top canvas. Interesting aside: It was the availability of trucks after WWI
that contributed to the rapid growth of truck shows for circuses, allowing
entire shows to be transported this way.
1942 Russell Bros. Circus program recently listed for sale online.Russell Bros. Circus panorama recently listed for sale online.
DeBeers stuck with this employer
for quite some time. On February 21, 1942, “The Billboard” reported, “Alex
DeBeers has the painting well ahead of schedule and is turning out some
beautiful jobs” (page 40). DeBeers was included in an article on the Russell
Bros. Circus. DeBeers was still with the circus in 1943. Alex DeBeers was
mentioned in the Feb. 27, 1943 issue of “Billboard” magazine (page 37). He was
listed as the artist for the Russell Bros. Circus under the direction of Jack
Joyce. The article reported, “Alex
DeBeers, artist, has a crew redecorating cages, wagons, ticket boxes and ring
curbs. New equipment is arriving at quarters to carry the new menagerie stock
recently acquired by Manager R. N. O’Hara.” That year, the circus played on the
West Coast. The Russell Circus then merged to become the Clyde Beatty-Russell
Bros. Circus. I think that this was when Russell left the circus, but his final
whereabouts remain unknown.
1944 is when the trail for
DeBeers ends. I have yet to locate any
death certificate, gravestone or obituary notice.
In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “I went to Fox Lake on
Decoration Day, official opening. I had
a new cot sent up and it was certainly an improvement over the old one. I actually rest now and enjoy going up.”
Decoration Day honored the deceased, with soldiers decorating the graves of their fallen comrades; flowers, flags and wreaths ornamented headstones. The day became known as Memorial Day. This also became the official opener for summer, marking travel to summer homes, cabins and resorts.
The Palette & Chisel Club’s summer home was on Fox Lake.
Only 55 miles northwest of Chicago, the picturesque area provided artists with
a retreat to escape the summer heat in Chicago.
The day set apart for commemorating the deeds of the nation’s
honored dead loses none of its patriotic significance as the years come and go.
While it is becoming less of a day of mourning than in the years when the grief
over the losses of the civil war was still fresh, its patriotic scope is
widening. Another war has also intervened and left its quota of new graves to
be decorated reverently with flowers and hags. Far off, in the Philippines
there are rows of mounds that will be draped today with the Stars and Stripes
and the day will be observed in Cuba and Porto Rico. By strewing upon the water
it is proposed the part played by the navy in fighting the battles of the
nation. There is an added impressiveness in the thought that the Memorial day
exercises are being observed simultaneously not only from one side of the
continent to the other, but also in islands of the sea on opposite sides of the
globe.
Chicago has always paid especial attention to Memorial day,
and today the usual impressive parade will be seen, with the civil war veterans
and their time-honored flags in the place of honor at the van. There is
inspiration as well as sadness in the sight of this dwindling band of old
soldiers in each city and town as they go forth each year to decorate the
graves of the comrades who fell in battle so many years ago. But as their ranks
grow thinner there are stronger escorts of the younger generation to take up
the old banners and defend the things for which the others fought.
One of the most valuable features of the Memorial day
exercises is the part connected with the public schools. Patriotic Speeches,
tableaux, and the singing of national anthems in all the Chicago schools
yesterday ushered in the present holiday. The impulses of patriotism stirred in
eager young minds by these exercises are worth more for securing the future
safety and perpetuity of the union than a great standing army. When it is
remembered that the same spirit of devotion to the flag now animates the South
as well as the North, there is every reason to look forward with high hope and
confidence to the great future before the nation. While Memorial day is a time
for a backward glance it is also a day for a hopeful and confident outlook upon
the future.”
The original Strand Theatre interior in Pasadena, California. This is how it looked when Thomas G. Moses worked there on his California vacation in 1915.
In 1915, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “June 1st, Mama and I
started for our first California trip that had no business attached to it, but
I found a little when I reached Pasadena, a little misfit at Root’s Strand
Theatre. Fixed it up and settled in
full. This trip I have written up in
detail elsewhere.” Moses recorded all of these trips in his travelogues, their
whereabouts remain unknown.
The “little misfit” was at J. M. Root’s Strand Theatre,
located at 340 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, Strand’s was across the
street from the newly built Maryland Hotel. Root managed a circuit of large
vaudeville theaters in Iowa and was a member of the Western Vaudeville Managers’
association in Chicago. He was also a major stockholder in two film agencies. Root’s
900-seat movie house was built by Frank Dale for $100,000 and opened on
November 25, 1914. Sosman & Landis delivered the scenery for the theater. After
the grand opening, the “Los Angeles Times” reported, “Most auspicious was the
opening Wednesday night of the beautiful Strand Theater on East Colorado
street, near Euclid avenue. The management gave to the public, which was there
in a multitude, ‘The Nightingale,’ by Ethel Barrymore, one of the greatest of
modern actresses. A feature of the programme was the music by the Strand
Symphony Orchestra. The theater itself is a thing of beauty, finished in the
handsomest of marble and onyx. A fireproof structure, it is built of brick,
concrete and steel. It has a seating capacity of 900” (page 17). The
cinema’s picture booth was also noted as the largest in California, equipped
with four separate machines, including a Martin rotary converter that changed
alternating current into direct current without the use of mercury tubes. The Strand
Theater’s boasted a large woman’s retiring room near the inside entrance. It’s lobby,
ornamented with Mexican onyx and solid mahogany. Other décor included large
Corinthian columns inside lobby and friezes of musical cupids on wall panels.
The 1918 Pasadena City Directory listed the Strand Theatre
as “Where You See It First and See it Best,” For All the Family, Best Pictures,
Best Music, 340 E. Colorado near Euclid av Phone Fair Oaks 833” (page 423).
Of Moses’ trip, the Oakpark, Illinois, newsletter mentioned
his trip. On Saturday, July 24, 1915, the “Oak Leaves” reported, “T. G. Moses
Sketching in West Mr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Moses of 233 South Euclid, who are on
a seven weeks’ tour of the west, are enjoying the rare scenery of mountains and
valleys. Meanwhile Mr. Moses is making sketches of the Grand canyon, Yosemite
valley, Mt. Hood, Ranier, Pike’s Peak and scenes in New Mexico, for painting
which he contemplates placing on exhibition at Grable’s Art and Gift shop, 112
North Oak Park avenue, upon his return in the early fall” (page 28).
At the end of 1915, Moses commented, “This year’s trip will
always be remembered by Mama and I as one of our finest vacations. I didn’t do quite as much in the way of
painting as I should have, but I made a number of pencil sketches and color
notes, and I can rely on my very vivid imagination for general scheme of
color.”
I am always wanting more time to paint when away, capturing
the moment with my brush instead of a camera. There is always the plan to paint
the scenes once I home, but life and work point me in a different direction,
redirecting my focus.
In 1915, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“April 17th a crowd of us went to Fox Lake and took down the old
house and moved it to our new site south of the track on a very high hill,
overlooking Pistakee Bay. Got the
carpenter and lumberyard men together and we arranged for credit and ordered
the material for a new house 22 x 50, was soon ready for members. We certainly got great sport in assisting the
carpenter. Pretty hard work for an
artist, but they all did very well.”
The Palette & Chisel Club camp on Fox Lake, pictured in the “Chicago Tribune,” 5 June 1921, page 79.
Fox Lake was the summer home for Palette & Chisel Club
members, drawing a variety of artists during the hot months. An artistic community was formed along the
shores of Fox Lake, providing a haven far away from the hustle and bustle of
work in Chicago. There were many Sosman & Landis employees who also became
members of the Palette & Chisel Club, escaping to Fox Lake whenever they
could.
An illustration of the same Palette and Chisel Club house on Fox Lake. This clipping was pasted in the scrapbook of Thomas G. Moses.
In 1906 Moses joined the Palette and Chisel Club at the
Chicago Society of Artists. Of his
membership, he wrote, “I don’t know why, as I had so little time to give to
pictures, but I live in hopes of doing something some day, that is what I have
lived on for years, Hope, and how little we realize from our dreams of
hope. As the years roll by, I think
one’s whole life is one continuous dream, unless we are wonderfully gifted and
fame drops on us while we sleep.” The year that Moses joined the group, the
Palette and Chisel Club consisted of sixty local painters, illustrators, and
sculptors. The Chicago Tribune commented that the group was “primarily a
working club, being the oldest organization in the west” (Chicago Tribune, 6
Jan. 1906, page 2).
Founded in 1895, the Palette & Chisel Club was an
association of artists and craftsmen for the purpose of both work and study. Members
were reported to be “all wage-workers” who were “busy during the week with
pencil, brush or chisel” (“Inland Printer,” 1896). On Sunday mornings they
gathered, spending five hours to paint just for themselves.
By 1905 the members of the Palette and Chisel Club
established a seasonal camp at Fox Lake, Illinois. At first it was quite rustic
with a communal tent. Of the camping experience at Fox Lake Moses wrote, “June
1st, I made my first trip to the Palette and Chisel Club camp at Fox
Lake, Ill. Helped to put up the
tent. A new experience for me, but I
enjoyed it. I slept well on a cot. Made a few sketches. A very interesting place. I don’t like the cooking in the tent and
there should be a floor in the tent. I
saw a great many improvements that could be made in the outfit and I started
something very soon.”
In 1908, Moses wrote, “I bought the portable house that we
built years ago and at that time we received $300.00 for it. I finally got it for $50.00, some
bargain. It cost $25.00 to remove it and
we will put it up at Fox Lake in the Spring.
It has been used in Forest Park all summer to show ‘The Day in the
Alps.’ Moses was 52 years old that year. The next summer Moses added, “As we
had put up the portable house in Fox Lake, I was better contented to go
up. I gave the camp a portable kitchen
and it was some class. I felt sure I
would manage to get a camp outfit worth while and the boys all fell in line
with me.”
Painting of Fox Lake by Thomas G. Moses, 1909.Back of painting by Thomas G. Moses.
It was this portable house that Moses mentioned moving
during the summer of 1915.
In his scrapbook, Moses pasted a small clipping about the
Palette & Chisel Clubhouse – “Coals To Newcastle.” Here it is:
“One of our neophytes recently called at the S & L
scenic studios on business which had to be taken up with a gentleman of such
genial and artistic manner as to make him obviously desirable for a club
member. So the neophyte, fired with the traditional ardor of the new broom,
strongly urged the S & L man to put in an application for membership.
‘I, a member of the Palette and Chisel Club!’ was the
rejoinder of the astonished prospect, ‘why I own the club.’
His name turned out to be Tom Moses.”
The article is likely published in the Palette & Chisel
newsletter and the use of “S & L man” says a lot. Over the years, there were many Sosman &
Landis men who joined the Palette and Chisel Club. I even discovered a map to
Fox Lake on the back of a 1909 drop delivered to Winona, Minnesota. S & L
men were friends both in an out of the shop, always sharing their love of art
and nature.
A map depicting Fox Lake drawn on the back of a scene delivered to Winona, Minnesota, in 1909.
Walter W. Burridge. Undated newspaper clipping from the scrapbook of Thomas G. Moses.
Walter W. Burridge was a good friend and colleague of
Thomas G. Moses. In 1887, they established the scenic art firm Burridge, Moses
and Louderback, with well-known art dealer Walter Louderback. In 1914, Burridge
died after sketching scenes of the Grand Canyon for two months. His work was part
of the Santa Fe Railroad’s $300,000 exhibit for the Panama-Pacific Exposition
in San Francisco. Many newspapers covered Burridge’s death and burial, but it
was the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” that provided a wonderful recount of his
achievements (Brooklyn, NY, 26 June 1913, page 20). Although I have written
extensively about Burridge in the past, this is a lovely summery of his life:
“WALTER W. BURRIDGE SCENIC ARTIST DIES.
Brooklyn Man Succumbs to Heart Disease at Albuquerque,
New Mexico.
STOOD AT TOP OF PROFESSION.
Was Engaged on Big Contract for Panama Exposition When
End Came.
Word was received in Brooklyn today, that Walter W.
Burridge, one of the foremost scene painter of his time, has been found dead in
a hotel in the little city of Albuquerque, N.M., yesterday. Death was attributed
to heart disease super induced by acute indigestion. Mr. Burridge had just
arrived in Albuquerque from the Grand Canyon, where he had been painting
pictures for two months. He was 56 years old.
Walter Burridge was a Brookylnite, born and bred, and very
well known as a painter of theatrical scenery. In 1903, he executed at the
Academy of Music the largest scenery contract ever awarded to a scenic artist.
$200,000 worth of scenery, including eighty complete sets and 300 hanging
pieces, was turned out under his supervision. The work was done for Henry W.
Savage, manager of the Castle Square Opera Company. Its most important feature
was the preparation of special sets of scenery for each one of the operas in
the Castle Square Opera Company repertoire. One of the pieces he completed was
the magnificent storm scene in the first act of Verdi’s ‘Othello.” It was
considered the piece de resistance of all the scenic effects ever produced at
the Academy.
Mr. Burridge had, at one time or another, been associated
with all the prominent actors and actresses in the country, among them Otis
Skinner, Julia Arthur and Margaret Miller.
Mr. Burridge’s father, Henry, was the proprietor of the
old Mason’s Arms Inn, on Myrtle Avenue, which was noted in its time as a resort
for artists and actors. The leading lights of both professions met there
frequently and the boy learned to know them well.
Young Burridge had a magnificent soprano voice and sang
as a choir boy in St. Anne’s Church, the Church of the Redeemer, and St. John’s
Church, where he was solo singer. His voice bade fair to connect him with the
stage in another capacity than that of a scenic painter.
As a boy, Mr. Burridge helped produce the scenic waves at
the old Park Theatre, by doing stunts on his hands and knees under a layer of
canvas, The old theater carried with it many pleasing reminiscences for him.
There he met Fred Chippendale and his wife. Later, at the Brooklyn Theater,
which stood on the site of the present Eagle building, he was fortunate enough
to attract the attention of Harley Merry, who was a great scenic artist of his
day, He was apprenticed to Merry at the age of 13 and scored his first success
by painting a water fall that had to be gotten out during his master’s absence.
Mr. Burridge did most of his work in the West.
Thirty-five years ago, he painted many cycloramas. For the Philadelphia
Centennial he painted the ‘Siege of Paris,’ and supervised the reproduction of
the well-known ‘Battle of Gettysburg.’ He also executed a Government commission
in Hawaii. He was sent there to paint a cycloramic picture of the great
volcano, Kilauea, which was part of the Government exhibit at the Chicago
World’s Fair.
Hugo Gerber, manager of the Lee Lash Studios at 1476
Broadway, Manhattan, who knew Mr. Burridge well, said today that he received a
telegram from the West confirming the news of the death of Mr. Burridge. ‘His
wife was with him at the time,’ he said. ‘Mr. Burridge had been working for us
lately and had been sketching in the Grand Canyon. He was preparing some very
important work there for the Panama Exposition, but I don’t know the details of
it.
‘We expected Mr. Burridge to return East in a short time.
The telegram we received was from his wife. It did not state the cause of
death.
‘Mr. Burridge had done much big work for Klaw &
Erlanger, but principally for Henry W. Savage. One of the last pieces of work
he did was painting the scenery for ‘The Trail of Lonesome Pine.’ He was one of
the most prominent scenic painter in the country.”
Burridge was survived by his wife, son Walter, two
brothers, Cyril and Harry Burridge (New York and Marblehead, Mass.), and a
sister, Miss Sarah Burridge (of Brooklyn). The loss of this artist in the prime
of his career was immeasurable, a shock to the fine art and theatre worlds. He
had so much potential and the Grand Canyon exhibit was to be one of the
pinnacles of his career.
There is so much more to Burridge’s story and his
accomplishments that I could not include in today’s post. However, I will end
with a quote from Burridge in 1902:
“Did you ever stop to think,” said Walter Burridge, one
of the best-known scenic artists in the country, “how the public says all kinds
of nice things about some popular theatrical production and throws bouquets at
everyone connected with it, except the man who painted the scenery? Of course
the man doesn’t care a rap for fame. His soul is wrapped up in his work; he
never comes before the gaze of the public, and never wants to. But at the same
time, it is a curious fact that the scenic artist is an individual whose
personality never becomes known to the public. If he paints a particularly
beautiful scene it never fails to elicit round after round of applause. The
people who are applauding, however, do not know who executed the painting, and
they don’t care. It is pretty and that is enough for them.” When Burridge was
interviewed by Chicago’s “Inter Ocean” on June 8, 1902, he was putting the
finishing touches on the scenes that were to be used in the production “The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz” that was opening at the Grand Opera House the next week
(page 42).
Walter W. Burridge with model of a theater design. Undated newspaper clipping from the scrapbook of Thomas G. Moses.
In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “A small job for Elkins, W.
Va. Brought back to mind the enjoyable sketching trips to that region in 1885,
which I have written up in detail elsewhere.”
I have explored many of Moses’ sketching trips during the
late 19th century, including his 1885 journey to West Virginia with
fellow scenic artists Henry C. Tryon and John H. Young, see past post 202-212
for the complete story. In regard to his 1913 project, Elkins is a city in
Randolph County, West Virginia. The community was incorporated in 1890 and
named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins, a Senator from West Virginia. Elkins’
first opera house built during 1892 was destroyed by fire in 1897 and
immediately replaced.
Online map of historic Elkins, with the opera house location being #4.Description of the Wilt Building that once house the Elkins Opera House.
The second Elkins opera house was built in 1898 and
renovated in 1908. That year the theater was expanded from a 550-seat house to
an 800-seat house. The stage house was also increased at this time, adding a
fly loft and expanding the depth of the stage. This four-story building
situated at 303 Davis Avenue. It was ideally located, situated on the corner
near the major hotel, Hotel Delmonte, city hall and railroad station. Julius
Cahn’s Theatrical Guide for the 1910-1911 season listed that the seating
capacity for the venue was 800 and the stage illuminated with electricity. The proscenium opening measured 21’-0” high
by 30’-0” wide. The height to the gridiron was 41’-0” suggesting a fly loft.
The depth of the stage was 28’-0.” Although there are no specifics about the
exact scenes delivered by Sosman & Landis to Elkin in 1913, it was likely a
replacement set due to the age of the venue, and/or a renovation. The Julius Cahn description in 1905 noted a
proscenium that was only 24’-0” wide and 16’-0” high, not 30’-0” wide and
21’-0” high. Furthermore, the 1905 height from the stage to the rigging loft as
18’-0” and not the 41’-0” notes in 1911. In 1905, Cahn also noted, “grooves
cannot be taken up flush with fly gallery.” The scenery for the first venue was
likely wings and shutters or wings and roll drops. The depth of the stage also
expanded in 1908, when it increased from 23’-0” to 28’-0.”
In regard to Moss’ 1885 sketching trip to the region and his
meeting the namesake of the town, here is an excerpt from Moses’ account of the
sketching trip:
“Early
in the morning, before we reached Piedmont, I noticed a large and very
distinguished-looking gentleman pass through our car several times. He seemed
to be very interested in our traps, easels, sketching umbrellas and stools,
which we had to carry. He inquired of
the Pullman conductor who we were, and was informed that we were artists
looking for some wild country to paint.
He told the conductor to advise us to go up to Davis, on the West
Maryland road, which he did. The
gentleman was Stephen B. Elkins, U. S. Senator [namesake for Elkins]. His father-in-law was H. G. Davis, who lived
at Deer Park, where they left the train.
We were also instructed to see Mr. Harrison, Superintendent of the West
Maryland road, in Piedmont, for transportation.
This we did on Monday morning, and we furnished passes to Davis.
The train did not leave until 2:00 P. M.
We were agreeably surprised to see Mr. Elkins, Mr. Davis and two boys get on
the train, having come down from Deer Park on an early train. Mr. Elkins soon introduced himself and the
other members of his party. They were
not only interested in the road but in the vast coalmines all along the
road. As we started to climb the mountains,
the Blue Ridge, every half-mile revealed to us new beauties of this wonderful
mountain country; here was indeed a virgin forest.
We arrived in Davis about five
o’clock. The first thing we saw at the
depot to remind us that we were in a wild country were six good-sized deer,
dressed for shipment. They were piled on
a truck and a number of eastern hunters, with dozens of deer-hounds, were
strolling about, enjoying the wild life.
The log hotel was certainly very picturesque and nicely situated on the
banks of the Blackwater River, a branch of the Cheat River. It was pretty well filled, but Mr. Elkins
requested the landlord to take good care of us, which he did.
While we were waiting for our dinner, and
were all seated on the big porch, Tryon was seized with stomach cramps. Mr. Elkins noticed Tryon’s groaning and said,
“Mr. Tryon, if you will go up to Room 3 you will find a black grip; open it and
right on top you will find a cure for stomach trouble.” Tryon did this and came down feeling better,
thanked Mr. Elkins, and within fifteen minutes had another cramp. Mr. Elkins said, “Go after it again, Tryon,”
and he did. This time he must have taken
a good long one, for it seemed to settle him.
We certainly did full justice to our
dinner. We had plenty of fresh venison
steak, thanks to our hunters, and after dinner we gathered in the big living
room, or smoking-room as it was soon made by the dozen or more cigars and
pipes. As the hunters were for the most
part from New York, one can readily imagine the big yarns that were told, but
we enjoyed them.
During the night a heavy thunder storm
passed over us, and the wind through the big pine and hemlock trees, together
with the constant baying of the hounds, made the night one of unpleasant
dreams. Tryon and I had a double room. As he was very careless with his clothes –
the floor was better than a chair – he stepped on his derby hat. A fine kind of hat to take on a sketching
trip! Strips of paper glued to the inside of it put it in good working shape
again. The storm soon cleared, the sun
was warm, the howling hounds were fed, and the wild huntsmen were ready for
another day of slaughter.
So were we. After a big breakfast Mr. Elkins, Mr. Davis,
young Elkins, young Davis, Tryon and myself started out on an exploring
trip. We tramped through the wet
underbrush and found a great many places for good sketches. We returned for
luncheon, then took our sketching outfits and Tryon and I started out for
business. I found a big mass of rock
that was very interesting. We were quite
a puzzle to some of the natives, who could not understand why we had come all
the way from Chicago to sketch rocks and trees.
“Didn’t we have any of these anywhere near Chicago?” One trouble we experienced in the eastern
mountains, especially in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas, was
the constant quizzing by the natives to find out whether we were really what we
said we were, or revenue men looking for moonshine whiskey in the general
stores.
A few days of sketching at Davis with
some success rather encouraged us to remain longer. We each had an idea that
something awaited us further down the valley, so we started for Schell. Mr. Elkins had left a day ahead of us, and we
found that he had stopped at Schell, instructing the store-keeper, the
proprietor of the only boarding-place, to take good care of him, and we
appreciated the courtesy. Tryon had told
Mr. Elkins that he was writing an article for the Chicago Tribune and that he would send him a copy; Mr. Elkins was
much pleased.
The General Store at Schell was some
store and included the post office. Back
of that was the living-room and kitchen and there were three rooms
upstairs. Tryon and I occupied one of
these. John Young joined us here and
entered into the spirit of the outing.
The evening of Young’s arrival we were
all in the store. Young was stretched
out on the counter, with his head resting in the scoop of the scales, and
Tryon, with his immense meerschaum, was hitting it up like an engine. We missed the talkative huntsman, but
everyone here was interested in us and our work because Mr. Elkins had told
them who we were.
We had two beds in our room, but had to
pass through a room occupied by the landlord’s son. If he happened to be awake when we retired,
Tryon would always stop and talk with him.
The landlord was an infidel, which pleased Tryon, for it gave him the
opportunity to assist in tearing all of the religion of the world into
shreds. In one way, Tryon did not
believe all he said. I believe he only
wanted a chance to argue.
The store loafers were a motley
crowd. As there was a train arriving
every evening at seven o’clock, it was an excuse for the men to for their mail,
though some of them never received a letter.
The landlord was also the postmaster.
The government paid him a salary according to the number of canceled
stamps that passed out of his office.
Some salary! There were only about one hundred people living in Schell
and these were mostly miners, so the post office probably did very little
business.
The chief topic of conversation while it
varied at times was ‘moonshine,’ and denouncing the government for keeping so
many revenue men about. It was policy, of course, for us to enter the fight and
stick with the men. We had felt, in
spite of what Mr. Elkins had told them, that they had their suspicions regarding
us; we had too much money for artists.
Some of the mountain people did not know who was President of the United
States, and others hardly knew that the Civil War was closed. A very shiftless and lazy crowd, although a
few of them had good positions in the mines.
This particular quality of coal mined here was used for sea-going
vessels; it was very small and dusty.”
I am always amazed at the scope of the people who Moses encountered throughout the duration of his career. He was almost always in the right place at the right time. I have to wonder if Moses reconnected with any of the local citizens that he met there in 1885.
In 1912, Thomas G. Moses and
his wife Ella stopped in Chattanooga on their way to Asheville, North Carolina.
Moses was headed south on vacation to sketch and check in on some projects. In
Chattanooga, he dropped off a panorama for the Chattanooga Manufacturer’s
Association.
1906 postcard depicting Chattanooga.
The painting was for a permanent display at the new Chattanooga
Manufacturer’s Association. “The Chattanooga News” described his contribution
on Jan. 1, 1913, in the article “Manufacturers Receiving in Their Commodious
Home” (page 12). Of Moses’ artwork, the
article reported, “The panorama of Chattanooga and the miniature replica of the
Cincinnati Southern railway attracted the greatest interest upon the top floor,
crowds of amazed spectators standing around these exhibits throughout the
morning and afternoon.”
On New Year’s Day, 1913, more than 15,000 people visited
the permanent exhibit of the Chattanooga Manufacturer’s Association, far
exceeding the expectation of the exhibit committee. From 10:00 a.m. until 10:00
p.m., a steady stream of visitors poured into the building. The new home of the
Chattanooga Manufacturers’ association home was a three-story building on Broad
Street, where the products of various manufacturing plants of the city were
permanently displayed.
Chattanooga had more than 300 manufacturing plants
turning out 700 different products of common use by 1913 (“The Chattanooga
News,” 12 March 1913, page 5). The annual value of manufactured exceeded
$65,000,000. Today’s equivalent of that purchasing power is $1,685,791,414.14.
That fall “The Chattanooga News” included an article
about Moses’ visit to Chattanooga, mentioning his panorama work and role in the
Palette & Chisel Club (Nov. 5, 1913,
page 2). Moses was 57 years old at the time, well-respected as a fine artist,
and in his artistic prime. Here is the article in its entirety:
“ARTISTS MAY CAMP HERE NEXT SUMMER.
Thomas F. [sic.] Moses Has Interested Palette and Chisel Club of Chicago in Chattanooga –
The genius of Thomas G. Moses, the artists who painted
the panorama of Chattanooga, now at the Chattanooga Manufacturer’s association
exhibit building, is at present being officially recognized in Chicago by the
Palette and Chisel Club there, one of the most exclusive art clubs in America.
Nov. 2 to 14, the paintings of Mr. Moses are on display
at the club apartments. This opportunity is an honor afforded only to the most
prominent members. Invitations have been sent out to the most able of America’s
painters. In the invitation the Palette and Chisel club says of this artist:
‘There is not one of our members of whom we are more
proud. There is probably not another painter in Chicago who has sought out and
painted so many of the beauty spots of our own country. From a thousand
sketches and paintings sixty have been selected, and are hung in our club to
give our members and their friends an opportunity of seeing a representative
collection of the works of Thomas G. Moses.
It is customary for sketching parties of the Palette and Chisel Club to make excursions to locations of exceptional beauty over the continent of America. When in Chattanooga to deliver his painting of this city to the Manufacturer’s association Mr. Moses expressed his admiration for the scenic beauty of this section and stated that he hoped to bring a party of artists from Chicago art circles to establish a summer painting camp in this locality.”
In 1912, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Ella and I
started on our vacation November 9th to Cincinnati and Asheville, N.
Car., which is all written up in detail elsewhere. Arrived home from our vacation December 8th.
Four good weeks. Had a fine trip.
Christmas day was a good one. We had
Frank with us, which made a big family reunion.
At the close of this year’s business, I have no kick to make. I only regret not being able to do more
sketching, as I found it too cold in North Carolina. I am sorry that we did not go away down south
to the Gulf. I think we would have found
it at least warm, if nothing else.”
View of Chattanooga, photograph by Alan Cressler.Postcard of Chattanooga.
One stop on his trip was in
Chattanooga, Tennessee. Of his visit to the city, the “Chattanooga News”
reported, “Chattanooga Catches the Eye of the Artist. Vice-President Moses, of
Sosman & Landis Scenic Studios, delighted.”(15 Nov. 1912, page 2).
The article headline included “LIKES
THE LOCAL SCENERY. Chooses Chattanooga Vicinity as a ‘Promised Land’ for
Artists to Revel In.” The article continued:
“Thomas G. Moses, vice-president of the Sosman
& Landis scenic studios of Chicago, and one of America’s most distinguished
artists, has spent several days in Chattanooga and the vicinity, with a view to
establishing a post for the Palette and Chisel Art Club of Chicago. He has been
sent out by the club in search of new fields, Sketch grounds all over Europe
and America are discovered in this way. One or two men are sent out in advance,
and they find ‘the promised land’ they herald the good tidings to the eager
artists in waiting.
Mr. Moses is enthusiastic over
the natural scenery of Chattanooga and its surroundings, and has made
preliminary arrangements for the post.
In time of peace and plenty the
greatest steps in art and science have been made. Midsummer Chattanooga, in all
its glory, will be painted by American celebrities. The pictures will be done
by the greatest artists, will be exhibited in the famous galleries, and will
bring great prices.
So Palette and Chisel Club of
Chicago will flock to Chattanooga and form a little colony. Artists are like
gold-seekers; let one find a small pocket, and there will be a stampede.
The well-known Palette and
Chisel club has furnished the art world many bright lights. They have secured
the “Prix de Rom” plum, which carries with it three years in Rome and $3,000.
The east winner was Mr. Savage, with E. Martin Hennings a close second.
Mr. Moses agrees that this is a
‘garden spot of America.’ He says:
‘We have painted much in the
Rockies, but they are too large and the air is too clear. What we want is mist
and a little smoke. They will be great factors in producing the poetical
sketches we find here. The delicate opalescent coloring of the distant
mountains is greatly enhanced by the drifting mists that float about your
valleys.’
A magnificent view of
Chattanooga 14×28, done by Moses, can be seen at the manufactures’ association
headquarters on Market Street. It was taken from North tower on Missionary
ridge, and has been presented to the association by Mr. Riffe.
Mr. Moses left Chattanooga
Thursday morning on an early train for Asheville, where he may establish a
second post. By his side is his charming and companionable wife, who is
interested in all movements of art. In his baggage were many sketches of this
location; in his mind were dreams of burnt sienna clay and opalescent coloring.
The sketches will be reproduced
on large canvas and will be exhibited next spring to the Salmagundi Club, of
New York City, of which Thomas Moses is a member. They consist largely of
rustic scenes, rugged mountains, dense forests, falling waters and babbling
brooks. These are the delightful avenues through which Mr. Moses walked to
renown.
The exhibition of these scenes
will be made with a view of inducing the members of the Salmagundi club to this
‘garden spot of America’ that is unlimited for the artist in scope and variety.
The Salmagundi Club is one of
the most conservative in all Europe and America. No man enters uninvited; no
man is invited under the age of fifty years. Some of the well-known artists are
Charles Warren Eaton, R. M. Shurtleff, J. Francis Murphy, H. A. Vincent, George
Innis, Jr., and Walter C. Hartson.
If this club, too, accepts the
challenge next summer, Chattanooga, in all its glory, will indeed be painted.”
A lovely photo by Jake Wheeler of the scenery near Chattanooga.
