Sosman & Landis – Page 15

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Leadville, Colorado.

Scenery by Sosman & Landis for the Elks Opera House (Tabor Opera House) in Leadville, Colorado, 1902. The Sosman & Landis Studio was subcontracted by the Kansas City Scenic Co. for the project.

*Scenery by Sosman & Landis for the (Elks Opera House) Tabor Opera House in 1902*

For more scenes from the Tabor Opera House, visit www.drypigment.net and keyword search “Tabor Opera House.”

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Fort Scott, Kansas.

Scenery by Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934) for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Fort Scott, Kansas.

*Scenery by Thomas G. Moses for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite*

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1166 – Fred Sosman

Early in 1923, Thomas G. Moses was in Indiana trying to drum up work for Sosman & Landis. He wrote, “Went to Evansville, Indiana, and closed a small $1,200.00 order. On March 13^th went to Terre Haute and caught a train for Buffalo, had a little trouble on account of the cold weather and snow.” At this same time, Fred, the son of studio founder Joseph S. Sosman, was also traipsing across the state of Indiana in a vaudeville act. Moses had worked with Fred in the Sosman & Landis shops for years, instructing the young man in landscape painting. It didn’t take.

On April 16, 1890, Sosman married Maria (also, May or Mary) Pinney Jones (1858-1947), adopting her two sons from a previous marriage to Benjamin Hodge Jones. At the time Arthur Burton Jones (1878-1929) was twelve years old and his brother and Frederic Pinney Jones (1882-1946) was only eight years old. Over the years, Sosman provided for the boys and repeatedly attempted to train them into the family business, but it never took, as their passions remained elsewhere. By the age of twenty-six, Fred was touring a solo act as part of the amateur line-up in many venues. On April 4, 1908, he performed at the Orpheum in Los Angeles (Los Angeles Herald). On May 29, 1908, he performed on amateur night at Chutes Theatre in San Francisco.

*Fred Sosman was part of the amateur vaudeville line-up at Chutes in San Francisco, 1908.*

*Fred Sosman’s vaudeville act. Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, 1908.*

By 1914, Sosman was part of the Keith Circuit and advertised as “King of the Cabaret.” On June 9 of that year, the “Detroit Free Press” reported, “With a whole flock of new ‘Broadway Hits,” Fred Sosman, justly styled ‘King of the Cabaret” comes to Edelweiss for a limited summer engagement. Many vaudeville devotees will recall Mr. Sosman as a Keith headliner, for it was not so long ago that Sosman adorned the boards along with Bert Williams and other celebrities. Fred Sosman has the ability which folks along New York’s ‘Big White Lane’ term the ‘Speed ‘em Up Stuff.” You can’t keep from shuffling your feet when Sosman is working. Mr. Sosman’s entertainment does not consist of coarse comedy. His fun is of the clear, sparkling kind – in short, the work of an artist. The ‘King of Cabaret’ handles dialect work as cleverly as straightaway stuff and, during his Edelweiss stay will feature some humorous talking songs.”

Reviews were not always glowing for Fred. On August 27, 1915, he was mentioned in the “Stage Jottings” section of the Terre Haute’s “Daily Tribune.” He was performing at the Hippodrome and the review noted, “Fred Sosman has a couple of very good songs which he reserves for the finish of his otherwise so-so act.” It may have been the critic, or the timing. Two weeks earlier his stepfather passed away. The death of Joseph S. Sosman left both his business and personal affairs in dire circumstances. Until his passing, no one truly understood the financial balls that Sosman had continued to juggle over the years, or the dire financial circumstances despite booming business.

Upon his passing, Moses was elected president of the firm, with Sosman’s eldest son Arthur becoming vice-president. In 1915, Moses wrote, “It is very strange to me that I had never given this change of the business a thought. I had never thought of Sosman dying.” No one did and all of their lives were tied to the same business. Although Arthur was elected as vice-president, he didn’t last long at Sosman & Landis. Three years later, Moses and Arthur left the company. Although Moses would return, Arthur did not; he began working as a salesman elsewhere. Fred seems to have made a good choice by leaving the company early and joining the vaudeville game.

By 1920 Fred Sosman was a popular singer and comedian, advertised as “a lively boy with good shape and good clothes, and he, too, has a personality.”

In 1923, Fred Sosman was performing in an act with Gladys Sloan. On Feb 21, the “Indianapolis Star” reported:

“In Between Dances,” a comedy act presented at the Lyric this week by Fred Sosman & Gladys Sloan, is a combination of repartee and songs. Mr. Sosman and Miss Sloan recently entered vaudeville after extended engagements at the Moulin Rouge and Café DeParnee, New York, and the Marigold Gardens, Chicago. Miss Sloan was formerly engaged in concert work. Mr. Sosman is the son of Sosman of the famous firm of scenic artists Sosman & Landis. For several years he specialized in landscape painting, and has been awarded prizes for his work at exhibits in New York, Chicago and London.”

His relationship with Sloan was short, as he married someone else that fall.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1165 – Thomas G. Moses and High School Scenery, 1923

In 1923 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We had some very good work for the Public Schools of Dubuque, Iowa, and we put in extra effort to please them as it was a $6,000.00 contract.” $6,000 in 1923 is today’s equivalent of approximately $92,000 – a sizable project for a studio that was preparing to close.

*Dubuque Senior High School in Dubuque, Iowa.*

The 1923 Sosman & Landis project was for the Dubuque Senior High School auditorium. The newly-constructed building was formally dedicated on February 9, 1923. It was an impressive structure, albeit looked somewhat like a fortress.

On March 9, 1923, the Gazette reported,

“PUBLIC TO INSPECT NEW DUBUQUE SCHOOL TONIGHT.

Dubuque’s new senior high school building, erected at a cost of $715,000, will be formally thrown open to the public tonight. Classes have been conducted in the building since Feb. 20. An interesting program will be staged in the auditorium, which seats 1,200 persons” (page 2). The High School’s dedication ceremonies drew a massive crowd of approximately 4000, twice the number that would fill the new theater. Attendees at the event had to be split between the auditorium and gymnasium, with program speakers going from one location to the other.

That year 733 students were enrolled at Dubuque’s new high school, and the number kept climbing over the decades. The building has survived, and today is home to more than twice that number. The high school’s current theater is known as the Lamb-Hedeman Auditorium. In 2006, the space was completely renovated. None of the original features or décor of the 1923 auditorium remain. Any Sosman & Landis scenery installed in the Dubuque Senior High School in 1923 is long gone.

There 1920s were a turning point for many scenic studios and other theatre manufacturers. They began to target a new client – schools. As the demand for painted scenery continued to decline, studios desperately searched for other opportunities and projects. In the 1920s, school contacts offered the much-needed income for struggling firms. High school theaters also offered an affordable space for many community productions. Some studios formed entire departments to deal with school projects. The Twin Cities Scenic Co., even published an entire brochure about their completed stage installation for schools and high schools.

*A list of schools and colleges equipped with stage scenery by the Twin City Scenic Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota.*

Many academic stages were constructed fo multipurpose use and there was in increased demand for fabric draperies. In some cases, draperies were used in lieu of painted scenes, reducing the overall expense of school productions.

*Stage setting incorporating fabric draperies into the design.*

Sosman & Landis delivered scenery to another another high school stage in 1923. It was for a two-night production by the Y. W. C. A. in Shamokin, Pennsylvania. On April 11, 1923, the “Shamokin News-Dispatch” reported:

“BETTY WHO

Two-act Modern Musical Comedy

to be Given at the High School April 23 and 24.

Scenery – New scenery made by Sosman & Landis of Chicago.”

*Advertisement from the “Shamokin News Dispatch,” 19 April 1923, page 5.*

Big names were brought in for this fundraising event. In addition to Sosman & Landis, Eaves of New York and Lester of Chicago were responsible for the costumes. Wigs were attributed to Schmidt of St. Louis. On April 24, 1923, the Shamokin News-Dispatch” reported, “The musical comedy, produced under the personal direction of Madame Mabel Chenault, was arranged for the benefit of the building fund of the Y.W.C.A.” (page 2). 300 locals were included in the cast. The show was advertised having catchy music, spectacular dances, splendid scenery and gorgeous comedy” (Shamokin News-Dispatch, 21 April 1923, page 7).

I am including a few high school designs by the Twin City Scenic Co. in the 1920s. They are part of the Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota.

*Twin City Scenic Co. design for scenery delivered to Logan High School in, LaCrosse, WI, 1928.*

*Twin City Scenic Co. design for scenery delivered to the Mays Landis High School in Hamilton Township, NJ, 1928.*

*Twin City Scenic Co. design for Garnet High School in Charleston, West Virginia, 1929.*

*Twin City Scenic Co. design for draperies at the Peekskill High School in Peekskill, New York, 1929.*

*Twin City Scenic Co. design for high school stage draperies.*

Here is the link to the Scenery Collection database: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/search?facet_field=collection_name_s&facets%5Bcollection_name_s%5D%5B%5D=Scenic+Collections

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1158 – The Scenic Studio Shuffle

By the end of 1923, Thomas G. Moses wrote: “On December 26th, Megan and I met Sosman and Landis Company at Richard’s office and paid our first installment for the name and good will of Sosman and Landis Company, which we now own and will operate, but for a while we will have to use our names of Moses and Megan, until the old company can liquidate. We will then get a new charter.” In the end, it cost Moses $20,000 for that “name and goodwill.”

When the Sosman & Landis Co. was liquidated, the name was purchased by Moses & Megan; the studio’s contents were purchased by the Hoyland-Lemle Co.; and Chicago Studios leased the space. In one fell swoop, Sosman & Landis was split into three parts – name, contents and address, each going to a different firm. Each of the players has a unique story. I am starting with the Hoyland-Lemle Co.

*The main studio of Sosman & Landis, located at 417-419 S. Clinton Street, Chicago.*

By 1923, the Hoyland-Lemle offices were listed at 6751 Sheridan Rd, but they rented various studio spaces to paint advertising curtains (ad drops). Interestingly, 6751 Sheridan Rd was the same address listed by Moses & Megan when they sent out letters to prospective clients in 1923 while Moses was still working for Sosman & Landis. Keep in mind that Chicago Studios was using the official Sosman & Landis address by late summer 1923, citing 417 S. Clinton Street – this was immediately after preliminary discussions about the closure of Sosman & Landis. At this same time, Hoyland-Lemle were actually renting the Sosman & Landis main studio at 417 S. Clinton St. To briefly recap, Chicago Studios sent out letters during the summer of 1923 to prospective Sosman & Landis clients, explaining that they were the successors to Sosman & Landis – citing the same address, 417 S. Clinton St.

Moses and Megan immediately disputed the fact that Chicago Studios was the successor to Sosman & Landis, sending out their own letters on Sosman & Landis stationary. They explained that Sosman & Landis was only moving to a better location – 6751 Sheridan Rd. in Chicago, the Hoyland-Lemle offices. This, combined with Moses’ delay in securing the new business charter, was disastrous. Moses and Megan were put in a difficult position with any future iteration of Sosman & Landis looking weak.

It was an interesting time in the theatre industry. By the 1920s scenic studios were often short-lived, opening and closing like clover plants every day. This was not especially new, but there were now many more players in Chicago. Names were changed, with scenic artists hopping from one firm to another. There were still major players, with long histories and impeccable reputations; Sosman & Landis was one of those companies, and that was something that Moses was relying upon for his own future success.

The Hoyland-Lemle Co. has an interesting, albeit short-lived, history. The company’s namesakes were Charles L. Hoyland and William Lemle. Hoyland-Lemle officially entered the scenic studio game in 1922, but really was the result of a name change, not a start-up company. Previously, the Hoyland-Lemle Co. was known as the Allardt Advertising Co., run by the Allardt Bros. who established the Allardt Circuit in the Midwest.

On May 29, 1922, the “Tulsa Daily Legal News” announced “Allardt Adv. Co, changing name to Hoyland-Lemle Co., Chicago, Ill. C. L. Hoyland, Wm Lemle, Maybelle Shearer & C. M. Hoyland, Chicago, Ill. Capital $50,000” (page 1). State business filings in 1922 listed the Hoylund-Lemle address as 417 S. Clinton Street, the same as Sosman & Landis where they were renting paint space. Hoyland-Lemle also rented frames at the newly founded Service Studios, in the renovated spaces of the old Jewel Tea Co. barns. The company provided many different addresses for various government records, such as 32 West Monroe Street, listed in the “Second Annual Report of the Tax Commission of the State of Illinois” in 1921 (page 304).

The key figure in the formation of Hoyland-Lemle was Hoyland. It was the result of Hoyland’s relationship with the Allardt Bros. He was working for them by 1910. In Jan. 9, 1911, “The South Bend Tribune reported that Hoyland was initiated into the Theatrical Mechanical Association, South Bend Lodge, No. 120. At the time, he was treasurer of the Lyric Theatre in Danville, Illinois. He was the guest of Messrs. C. J. and Louis F. Allardt of the Orpheum. The article went on to state that Danville’s Lyric Theatre was part of the Allardt Circuit (page 4). Hoyland continued to work at other Allardt venues, including the New Orpheum Theatre in Racine, Wisconsin by 1913. In 1914 Hoyland’s primary focus became the Allardt Advertising Co. Much of the Allardts’ energies were focusing on marketing. They invested in theatrical agencies, venues and advertising curtains. On Feb. 1, 1914, the “Inter Ocean” listed Charles L. Hoyland as the head of the Allardt Advertising Company, and treasurer of Allardt Bros.

Between 1914 and 1921, Hoyland remained with the Allardt company until he and William Lemle purchased the firm and changed the name. The company lasted less than five years, and by 1927, Hoyland was running the new Charles L. Hoyland Co. Much of the Hoyland-Lemle Company’s demise was due to lack of payment. Like Sosman & Landis, clients’ were not always prompt with final payments. The firm was involved in several court cases to collect money owed from clients throughout the mid-1920s.

On Sept. 8, 1926, the “Paducah Sun-Democrat” reported, “The Hoyland-Lemle company, an Illinois corporation, is the plaintiff in five suits filed against Paducahans in McCracken county circuit court yesterday afternoon. The company alleges in each suit that the defendant owes a balance on a contract price for advertising displayed on the Orpheum theater circuit curtain. The suits were brought on behalf of Hoyland-Lemle by Attorney W. A. Berry” (Paducah, Kentucky, page 2).

The advertising curtain business was extremely lucrative, but risky. Businesses would rent ad squares on a curtain, paying a monthly, or annual, fee for the space. These curtains were often placed independent of the scenery contract, front curtain or asbestos curtain. In many cases, they were painted and installed at no cost to the theatre owner. The fees collected from the businesses paid for the piece’s construction and then provided a substantial profit, as long at the curtain was used.

Advertising curtains functioned like commercials; they were contracted to be lowered at specific times during a show. Advertising companies even sent representatives to various theaters to ensure that the advertising curtains were being lowered at the appropriate times. This all worked well, unless the clients renting the ad space didn’t pay the contracted fee. This meant not only losing the anticipated income but finding a new business to rent the ad space and repainting the square. The best-case scenario was never having to repaint a square and just collecting the payments. The worst-case scenario was what happened at the Orpheum Theatre in Paducah, Kentucky. Five businesses not paying for an advertisement curtain was a significant loss. It is no wonder that 1926 was the last year of the Hoyland-Lemle Co.

When the Hoyland-Lemle Co. ended, two new studios sprung up: the Charles L. Hoyland Co. and William Lemle, Inc. In an odd twist of fate, the newly listed “spacious studio of William Lemle Inc.” was located at 417 S. Clinton St – the old Sosman & Landis main studio.

*William Lemle Inc. using the old Sosman & Landis Studio image, 1927.*

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Tucson, Arizona.

Scene painted by Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio of Chicago for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Tucson, Arizona, 1914.

*Front curtain by Sosman & Landis, 1914*

Painted detail. *Front curtain by Sosman & Landis, 1914*

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1157 – The Joe Bren Production Co., 1923

In 1923 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Joe Bren’s work came in early this year, and we will try and give him a good job. It is not apt to be paid for very soon as usual.”

The Joe Bren Company was a Chicago-based theatrical production company that partnered with fraternities and civic groups to stage fundraising shows. Bren became a Sosman & Landis client in 1916 and continued to order scenery on an annual basis until the early 1920s. By 1922, however, the amount of scenery purchased by Bren from Sosman & Landis began to dwindle.

Bren Company representatives traveled from town to town, working with local talent to organize minstrel reviews, vaudeville frolics and “Jollies.” They were especially popular with the Kiwanis Club, Lions, American Legionnaires, United Commercial Travelers, Elks, and Shriners. The Bren Company provided sketches, jokes, and songs, even supplementing some of the local talent with professional acts. The Joe Bren Company not only provided instruction, but also all of the technical trappings, including scenery, lighting equipment and costumes.

By 1922, however, the Bren company began purchasing much of their scenery from another source – Service Studios, also known as the Scenic Service Studio of Chicago. On Dec. 10, 1922, the “Leader-Telegram” included a announcement about a Bren production reporting, “Scenery for the Bren company constructed and painted by the Scenic Service Studio of Chicago” (page 8). The Service Studios was completely composed of previous Sosman & Landis artists, so they new what Bren needed for his production. In 1920, a group left Sosman & Landis to form Scenic Studio. Service Studios rapidly made inroads in the theatre industry, winning projects from many competitors, including Sosman & Landis. Here is a past post about Service Studios: https://drypigment.net2020/05/05/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-part-981-john-hanny-and-the-chicago-service-studios-1918/

The primary Bren production for 1922 to 1923 was a musical revue in two acts and six scenes, under the direction of Ralph Hamilton and Alex Robb of the Joe Bren Production Co., Chicago. The production staff for the event included: Delos Owen (orchestrations and musical direction), Joe Bren (Dialogue and Lyrics), Geo. L. Ownes (staged musical numbers), Scenic Service Studios, Chicago (scenic design and execution), and New York Costume Co., Chicago (costumes).

In 1925, Scenic Services Studios was still producing scenery for Joe Bren, now the “Jollies of 1925” (Hamilton Evening Journal, 10 March 1925). This all changed in 1926 when Service Studios sold out to Art Oberbeck of ACME Studios. Interestingly, Oberbeck had also started out at Sosman & Landis scenic artist in 1904.

By the early 1920s, Bren hired Sosman & Landis for production elements, no longer the main design for the primary stage show. With Sosman & Landis struggling, clients may have hesitated, fearing the fir would closed before their scenery was delivered. In 1923, Sosman & Landis provided booths and lighting fixtures for a Bren-produced Shriner charity event; it did not end well.

On March 30, 1923, the “Chattanooga Daily Times” reported, “Booths and fixtures at the Shriner’s fun festival, now in progress at the Billy Sunday tabernacle, were attached yesterday through a chancery court action started by Sosman, Landis & Co., of Chicago, Ill., for the collection of $2,000 due by reason of an alleged breach of contract. The bill asserts that Joe Bren, named as defendant with the local Shriner’s organization and others, acting as purchasing agent for the fun festival management, contracted to buy certain supplies from the plaintiff. This contract, according to the bill, was breached to complaintant’s damage. The attachment was run merely to prevent the sale or removal of the fixtures attached and will not interfere with the operation of the show (page 4). Bren was branching out beyond his musical reviews and directing all kinds of events, including trade shows and circuses.

By the late 1920s, Bren Production company events began to dwindle, and by 1930 Bren became department head for the Music Corporation of America.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1142: Scenery for the Davenport Masonic Temple, 1922

I return to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses after a four-week break.

In 1922 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “… got a train for Davenport, Iowa. Some fine daylight ride. Met Lester Landis and we set our model up for the Scottish Rite Bodies. No chance to close for some time.” Work had started on the building during the spring of 1921 and was completed in the fall of 1923. The old Masonic temple that housed the Davenport Scottish Rite was located on the corner of Third and Main Streets, built in 1886.

Davenport Masonic Temple, home of the Davenport Scottish Rite until 1923.

A picture of the old Masonic Temple in the “Daily Times,” Nov. 19, 1923.

Moses was representing Sosman & Landis Studio, whereas Toomey & Volland delivered the first Scottish Rite scenery to Davenport. In fact, a Toomey & Volland advertisement in “New Age Magazine,” listed the Davenport as one of sixteen Scottish Rites theaters using Toomey & Volland scenery by 1912.

By the spring of 1922, the foundation for the new Masonic Temple was completed, just in time for the Scottish Rite Reunion. There were nearly one-hundred candidates in the Cornerstone-Stone Class, named in recognition of the progress on the new temple. Six months later, the four-day fall reunion with the Zerubbabel Class was also very large. On Jan. 1, 1923, the membership strength of Zarephath consistory was 2,383. The building was dedicated during the fall reunion of 1923.

Moses wrote, “Made several trips to Davenport in hopes of getting the big contract of about $16,000.00, but we were too high.” It was a massive endeavor with scenery for two stages.

The main auditorium was located on the second floor. With a seating capacity of 2,700, it featured a pipe organ and motion picture booth. The main theater was not only intended for public entertainment but also Masonic ceremonial for the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine and the Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm (Grotto). There was also a smaller theater on the main floor, known as the Gothic Room. This secondary stage hosted ceremonials for the York Rite and Order of the Eastern Star.

Main auditorium in the Davenport Masonic Temple, 1923.

Doric Lodge room in the Davenport Masonic Temple, 1923.

Egyptian Lodge room in the Davenport Masonic Temple, 1923.

The new Masonic Temple was completed by the fall of 1923. When the building opened, the “Daily Times” announced, “Davenport’s new million-dollar Masonic temple is a monument to the faith and perseverance of a group of Davenport Masons who long ago conceived the idea of sheltering all of the local Masonic lodges and clubs in one large building. It has always been the hope of Davenport Masons that this city should eventually have one of the most beautiful temples in the state, representative of the prominent position occupied by Davenport in Iowa Masonry. More than 10 years ago progressive members of the various lodges began to study out plans whereby their ideal might be worked out, and October 1913, the first committees are said to have been named to consider the project and to report upon its possibilities. Strange enough, the earliest committees on the new temple project agreed upon the site at Seventh and Brady streets as one of the most ideal locations in the city for the new temple. Today the Masons are dedicating their new temple…The temple together with its site cost approximately $1,040,000 and this amount has been raised through subscription by the members of all the Masonic bodies of Davenport, in the form of stock in the New Masonic Temple association” (Nov. 19, 1923, page 9).

On Nov. 19, 1923, “The Daily Times” included a series of articles about the new building. Of the theater, the newspaper reported, “The new Masonic temple has the finest auditorium in the tri-cities and offers exceptional facilities for public concert work and other forms of entertainment. The auditorium is built in the amphitheater style and is illuminated by the largest indirect lighting fixture in the United States……As an auditorium devoted to music and the art of dancing, the Masonic temple will in a large measure take the place of Davenport’s lost ‘legitimate’ theater.”

William J. Klinck was manager for the main auditorium. Of the new theater, Klinck reported, “We have gone to a great deal of additional expense to equip the stage for practical show purposes. Of course, there are over a hundred sets of stuff for the Masonic work alone, but aside from this, we will be able to accommodate any stage attraction, no matter how large. We are not planning any theatrical attractions this season, but for next year I am trying to line up Al Jolson, the Passing Show, the Greenwich Village Follies, the Barrymores and many other high-class attractions. We will have nothing whatever to do with mediocre shows and will not even listen to any proposition that does not include the binging here of performers regarded as real stars.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1139 – Thomas G. Moses and Stanley C. Warner of the Denver Scottish Rite, 1922

During the first four months of 1922, Thomas G. Moses worked on scenery projects in Tacoma, Seattle, San Francisco and Oakland. He then headed to Denver, Colorado, writing, “On arriving at Denver, we went to the Oxford and secured a fine room. Met the Scottish Rite Bodies and Mr. Stanley Warner, regarding their new Temple, then started for Kansas City where we stopped for only a day. Got a line on what was wanted, then started for home. We arrived home May 14th after an absence of five months and a fine old trip.”

Moses was referring to Stanley C. Warner, a well-known Denver Mason and attorney who became the Sovereign Grand Inspector General (SGIG) of Colorado.

Stanley Clark Warner was the son of Sidney Warner and Minerva Jane Clark, born in Wilton, Ontario, Canada, in 1863. In Canada, Warner established himself as an attorney after graduating from Victoria College in 1884 and being admitted to Canadian Bar in May 1887. By the fall of 1887 he married Mary Ella Smith (1863-1935) in Utica, New York, and the couple settled in Napanee, Ontario. In 1903 the Warners moved to Denver where Stanley became extremely active in both Public Service and Freemasonry. Warner was a partner in the firm Herrington, Warner & Grange before becoming a judge. From 1923 to 1929, he worked as the Public Administrator for Denver and by 1929 was a Colorado Agent of the Corporation Trust Co. of New York.

In regard to Freemasonry, Warner belonged to the Scottish Rite, York Rite and Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Warner was even the Grand Commander of the Knights Templars.

Interestingly, in 1926, Warner delivered the “Gettysburg Address” in honor of Lincolns birthday for radio. It was broadcast from the Scottish Rite cathedral in Denver, presented by Colorado Consistory No. 1, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (“Aspen Times,” 11 Feb 1926, page 2). When Moses met with Wagner and the Scottish Rite Bodies in Denver during 1922, it was to discuss scenery for this building.

In 1910, Sosman & Landis delivered scenery to the Denver Scottish Rite, so this project should have been pretty simple to land. Unfortunately, times had changed. Scenery delivered to Scottish Rite theaters became more complicated by the 1920s, as the Mason’s attitude toward purchasing scenery began to shift. Before WWI, Sosman & Landis worked in conjunction with M.C. Lilley, a major fraternal supplier. Working together, they delivered entire theater packages to new buildings. This meant an almost guaranteed sale when they began to design the scenery collection. By the 1920s, Scottish Rite scenery projects became more independent of the entire theater project, simply representing one element and going to the lowest bidder. This changed the success rate for Sosman & Landis when going after a project.

Sosman & Landis continued their standard practice to secure a contract; meeting with a client, creating designs and then writing contracts for the desired work. The problem is that they invested too much time in the preliminary process; time that their competitors did not necessarily invest in. In short, competitors let Sosman & Landis do all the upfront work, and then swept in to under bid it. Furthermore, the Masonic design process was extended, the scope for massive complexes taking years to complete. A project began in 1922 may not come to fruition until 1925, 1926 or 1927.

In the end, Sosman & Landis invested too much time into lost work.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1136 – The South Clinton Street Fire, 1922

Thomas G. Moses was working in Tacoma, Washington, by mid-March 1922. He had formed many friends in the area, including a group of contractors known as the Signcraft.

Moses wrote, “I met five members of the Signcraft, and we met every Wednesday at the Olympus Restaurant, where, with a fine luncheon we passed away an hour very nicely. The five contractors were, Cliff, Jedlick, Kanabe, Browning and Sharpe. On receipt of a wire informing me of the fire near our studio, I took five small watercolors to the luncheon, and started a stunt with “Boys, you know of the fire in Chicago, which has nearly put us out of business. I have got to raise some money. I don’t want to borrow money on such a short acquaintance, so I have brought over five small watercolors which I want you to buy.” The price was asked, and I said, “While I need money very badly, I will make a sacrifice of the pictures, I want five cents apiece.” The boys saw I was getting a little out of it, and a handful of silver was on the table. I picked out a quarter and handed it to the waiter telling him that this was his commission. The boys then drew numbers from a hat for their selection of pictures and in a few days they were all framed.”

*The Clinton Street fire made headlines in the “Chicago Tribune.”*

The main studio for Sosman & Landis was located at 417-419 S. Clinton Street.

On March 15, 1922, the “Chicago Tribune” announced, “A four-story building from 401-13 South Clinton street caught fire at 3:30 this morning, bursting into flames from a dozen points. The building is occupied by the Poster Advertising company and about fifteen other minor concerns.”

The article continued, “Fire between 1 and 3 o’clock this morning wiped out the entire block of buildings in the square surrounded by Jackson boulevard, Van Buren street and Canal and Clinton streets. It swept across Clinton street and practically destroyed the Burlington railway’s twenty-one story office building. It paralyzed elevated and streetcar traffic in the vicinity, and caused the death of one fireman. Many bystanders suffered minor hurts from falling debris. The loss, according to early estimates by the fire chief, will exceed $10,000,000. Fire Attorney High makes the loss from $10,000,000 to $15,000,000. Among the structures destroyed by the fire, aside from the ‘fireproof’ Burlington skyscraper, were the Atlantic and Austin buildings, extending from 300 to 318 South Canal street. These two buildings were the most valuable property in the square which was the principal scene of the fire…Insufficiency of water supply prevented the work of more than a score of fire companies in holding the flames to their original source, though almost the entire department was called out.” The Austin Building was at 307 South Clinton Street.

Later newspaper reports described, “Thomas Galvin, watchman for the Austin building, discovered the fire. He said it started in the Art Shade works at 312 Clinton Street and quickly spread to the Austin building.” Regardless of where the fire originated, the damage was perilously close to the scenic studio, and caused work delays.

A list of damaged and destroyed businesses was published in the Chicago Tribune; Sosman & Landis was not included in the list. Businesses near the damaged area took out ads in the newspaper, announcing that their companies were “Not affected by Fire” (Chicago Tribune, 17 March 1922, page 4). This certainly indicates the extent of the damage.

Unbelievably, a second fire swept through the same area only two weeks later. It destroyed the three upper floors of an eight-story building at 128 South Clinton street (Chicago Tribune, 31 March 1922, page 6). This was only two blocks away from where the earlier fire occurred that month.

To be continued…