Sosman & Landis – Page 20

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 916 – Chicago’s Spanish Ball, a Charity Event in 1915

From the “Chicago Tribune,” 18 Dec 1915 page 17.

In 1915, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We did another society stunt, ‘The Spanish Ball.’ I think we made about $20,000.00 for one evenings entertainment.” In addition to producing stock scenery for various theaters and special scenery for touring productions, these themed events netted the studio thousands of dollars in profit each year. I am curious if the $20,000 amount mentioned by Moses was what the studio netted for the project or his estimation on the charitable donations. Reports indicate that Chicago’s Spanish Ball raised $25,000 for charity.

From the “Chicago Tribune,” 9 Dec 1915 page 13.

On Monday Dec. 13, 1915, the “Day Book” included the article “Women in Red Socks and Red Sashes at Spanish Ball.” The article reported, “No charity ball this winter. Instead, the Spanish ball. By calling it Spanish ball, everybody on it is saved the smell that goes with the word ‘charity’ these days.”

Photograph for the Chicago Daily News, now part of the Chicago History Museum.

The upper echelon of Chicago society gathered on Dec. 17, 1915 to raise funds for the Chicago Lying-In hospital. It opened new building at 51^st Street and Vincennes, and money was needed for plumbing and running expenses. After the funds were raised at the ball, it was anticipated that the water pipe installation would begin.

Of the Lying-In hospital cause, two dispensaries were run with hospital. The previous year 24,764 mothers received medicine, lint and doctor’s advice. The “Day Book” article reported, “Though many mothers are lucky enough to get a bed to lie in at the Lying-in hospital, statement of women at head of it is that ‘hundreds are turned away every year.’ What sort of shacks and shanties the mothers go to when turned away is not stated in any survey taken. Red colors, laughter and a big hoorah are the moors of the Spanish ball. It would be thought a crime and an indecency if somebody should print slips to be stuck onto the dance program giving the statistics of the baby death rate around the Armour, Swift and Morris slaughter houses. University of Chicago survey presented in testimony to U. S. industrial relations commission showed baby death rate in the stockyards district is seven times as high as over on the lake shore in the district where Spanish ball dancers will come from.”

For the Spanish Ball, the First Regiment Armory building was transformed into a replica of the famous streets of Madrid. Arches and pillars of flaming orange and red, relieved by bars of black concealed the walls and formed sort of a continuous façade about the drill fall behind which the spectators sat. According to the “Chicago Examiner” “The pageant will represent all phases of Spanish history, beginning with the Moorish invasion in 800 A.D., which is to include those fascinating and illustrious personages of long ago period, Ferdinand and Isabella. DeSoto, Balboa, Cortez and everybody else connected with the history of those stirring times will be impersonated. There will be an Inquisition group too” (Nov. 7, 1915, Vol. 16, part 4, page 6).

The “Day Book” article anticipated the event; “Next Friday night they pull this Spanish ball in First Regiment armory. Ladies in red sox and red moccasins, topped off with red fabric and ribbons, all a regular chile con carne red pepper red, will be on parade. Spanish music, old fashioned rum-tum-toddles played in Madrid and Barcelona centuries ago, have been searched out by Roy McWilliams.”

The “Evening Star” reported “The managers of the Spanish ball held on Friday night at the 1^st Regiment armory have cause for great satisfaction, for the affair was by all odds the most comprehensive historical pageant as well as the greatest financial success ever staged for charity in Chicago, says the Chicago herald. The setting was effective, with the curving yellow and orange walls of the bullfight ring hung with rich fabrics and rugs, and opposite to the entrance of the picturesque Café del Torero, with its yellow walls and black balconies, against which the various groups seated themselves in a semi-circle as the pageant wound itself about the hall. The pageant was somewhat late in beginning, and it was well after 12 o’clock before the last group had fled past the queen in the person of Mrs. Robert Leatherbee, who sat in a gorgeous palanquin, and alluring picture in Moorish costume of silver cloth, many barbaric jewels and a gorgeous headdress of fan and peacock feathers, After the pageant there was dancing and the gay scenes that began with the blowing of the bugles for the entrance of the bullfight cortege at 11 o’clock did not end until almost dawn” (Washington, D.C., December 26, 1915, page 8).

Queen Isabella at the Spanish Ball, from the “Chicago Tribune,” 12 Dec 1915 page 54.

The Charity ball raised $25,000. Over 4,000 donned their best costumes and emptied their pockets for the event intended to replenish the coffers of those in need. The majority of visitors were simply spectators as gazed from a balcony at the events below. The “Chicago Tribune” reported, “While the majority looked on from the boxes and balconies 300 men and women staged the long-a-waited Spanish ball, which compromised a pageant rich, in color, a series of performance by professional dancers and singers, and a mock bullfight which was greeted with shouts of laughter. Then everybody danced” (18 Dec. 1915, page 17).

The “Lincoln Journal Star,” reported “Chicago’s ‘400’ yawned sleepily today and voted the Spanish ball a weird success. Dowagers, cotillion leader, debutants and just ordinary folk who make one splurge a year decked themselves in a collection of disguises that added $100,000 to the bank rolls of modistes and tailors. Some of them rode donkeys to enhance the illusion of a Moorish scene. The ball, the annual charity event of Chicago, netted about $25,000 for the Chicago lying-in hospital. Mrs. Potter Palmer, the ‘400’s’ leader had as her guests former Ambassador and Mrs. Myron T. Herrick” (18 Dec., 1915, page 1).

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 915 – Detroit’s Temple Theatre and “Detroiter Abend-Post,” 1915

Detroit’s Temple Theatre between the Opera House and the Elk’s Building.

Sosman & Landis delivered scenery to Detroit’s Temple Theatre in 1908 and 1915. The Temple Theatre was not a Masonic structure, but a performance space constructed by the Benevolent and Protected Order of Elks for both public and private performances (BPOE).

The Elks Temple and Temple Theatre opened on Dec. 23, 1901. The entertainment complex originally hosted the Wonderland Theatre Company and curiosity museum of oddities. John Scott designed he building, with Col. J. M. Wood designing the 1500-seat theater. It was located next door to the Detroit Opera House, on the north side of Monroe Street in the Campus Martius area.

The Detroit Opera House and the Temple Theatre to the right.

In 1908, the Temple Theatre closed for three weeks during July to complete the renovation of the theater space. The “Detroit Free Press” described the imminent renovation plans in an article in July 2 (page 7):

“The Temple theater will close at the end of the week to permit decorators to transform the interior. The work will take three weeks, artists working in two shifts, night and day. When the theater is thrown open to the public, Monday afternoon, July 27, the many patrons will marvel at the transformation. It is said that the decorations, with carpets, tapestries, drop curtain and incidentals will cost in the neighborhood of $20,000. The entire decorations will be in the Italian Renaissance period, and William Wright company has guaranteed Manager J. H. Moore the richest vaudeville theater interior in this country. The ceilings and cornice work will be in light Italian blue and ivory, this scheme being carried throughout. The proscenium boxes will be draped with rich brocatelle hangings of light blue, with heavy cords and tassels, and fine old Roman gold chairs will replace the mahogany ones now in use. Artists and designers have been at work on the preliminary plans for the last three months, and all that is left now is to complete the actual work. The carpets have been made from a special design by the decorators, and Sosman & Landis, the scene painters of Chicago, are in consultation with the William Wright artists carry out in the new drop curtain, to cost $1,000, the color scheme of the auditorium. The double baize doors, leading from the foyer to the right proscenium boxes will be replaced with Roman gilt and gold plate glass doors, with gold columns. New and beautiful electrical effects will be seen in the ceiling of the foyer. On account of the reopening of the Temple falling the revival of the famous Blue Ribbon meeting in Detroit, the bill of vaudeville for that week will be designated the “Blue Ribbon” bill. It will contain the names of artists, not the least of whom will be Loie Fuller, the celebrated fire dancer. The Temple Theater has not been closed, summer or winter, since it was thrown open to the pubic eight years ago. The many hundreds of patrons who have reserved their seats throughout the seasons will call for them during the week preceding the opening when the regular sale will go into effect.”

The “Detroit Free Press” described the 1908 drop curtain by Sosman & Landis in detail: “Beyond all this the proscenium arch a mass of burnished gold and set within like a picture in its frame is the new drop curtain – a splendid thing the product of Sosman & Landis scenic studios in Chicago. It pictures an old Italian garden, the spirit of the joy-seeking Renaissance caught here in every other part of the theater. Here too the predominating note is blue with only the suggestion of green in the foliage and a hint of old rose in the costumes of the grand dames, which lend the desired touch of life to the stately old garden. It’s all brightly beautiful and happy thought and ideal as a playhouse should be, and proves with subtle insistence that those responsible for it are artists in a very substantial and satisfying sense” (July 26, 1908, page 7).

I recently discovered another article pertaining Sosman & Landis scenery delivered to Detroit’s Temple Theatre in 1915. The new scenery was for the reopening of the redecorated theater on July 19. My fourth-grade German classes and Google translate helped me understand the gist of the German article in “Detroiter Abend-Post.” However, I still needed help and turned to my friend Art de Hoyos. Below is the translation of what was published in “Detroiter Abend-Post” on July 11, 1915 (page 12):

“English stage. Temple Theatre. This popular Vaudeville house will remain closed this week, but next week it will be reopened with new outfitting, and a few years will pass before the theater has to be temporarily closed again. Certain repairs and improvements were urgently needed in the theater room, but they will be completed later this week, so that nothing will stand in the way of reopening on July 19. The American Seating Co. was entrusted with the contract for the delivery and laying of new carpets in the parquet and the so-called ‘mezzanine floor.’ New scenery for the stage will be supplied by the well-known theater company Sosman & Landis Co. Chicago. The Temple Theater will reopen with an exceptionally rich, good program.”

Temple Theatre article in the “Detroiter Abend-Post” (Detroit, Michigan), 11 July 1915, page 12.

I also found a newspaper advertisement pertaining to the old chairs being removed from the Temple Theater in 1915. The opera chairs were listed for sale in the “Detroit Free Press” on June 6, 1915 (page 30). The listing announced, “Attention, Theatre Managers. THEATRE CHAIRS FOR SALE CHEAP. All parquet and balcony seats now in use in Temple Theatre must be sold to make room for new seats to be installed soon. CHANCE OF A LIFETIME. Inquire Temple Theatre Offices.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 911 – Al Ringling’s Theatre in Baraboo, Wisconsin, 1915

Al Ringling text panel at the Circus Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

The Al Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

In 1915, Moses wrote, “The new theatre we did at Baraboo for Al Ringling was a good contract at $2,600.00. I went up to open and found a beautiful theatre, very unique in design, fifty years ahead of the town.” Al Ringling hired the architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp to design a theater based on the Orpheum Theatre built in Champaign, Illinois in 1914. The “Janesville Daily Gazette” announced, “Theatrical men, scenic painters, canvas makers and many prominent citizens from Chicago and other towns, all of whom were bound for Baraboo to do honor to a man who had the courage to build in that city one of the finest, if not the finest, playhouse in America, Mr. Al Ringling. (20 Nov. 1915, page 20). There were 844 seats, with seventeen boxes, each containing six seats. The stage was 33’-6” deep, 60’ wide and 46’ high. The massive fire curtain of asbestos measured 24’ high by 40’ wide, weighing 750 pounds.

The Ringling Theatre opened its doors in November 17, 1915.

D. W. Watt wrote a lovely article about the theater’s opening. Published in the “Janesville Daily Gazette” on Nov. 20, 1915, Watts described meeting with Ringing and attending the event (page 6). It is a long, but touching, article that describes the man and his project from the perspective of a friend. Here is the article in its entirety:

“Side Lights on the Circus Business.

On Wednesday of this week, I took the 11:35 train over the Northern road for Baraboo, Wis., where I had been invited to be the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Al Ringling at the opening of their beautiful new theatre. On entering the train at Janesville, I was soon greeted by many old friends, among them Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Ringling and their son, Robert, who make their home at Evanston, Illinois; Alf T. Ringling and son, Richard, of New York City, and many other prominent circus people, who for many years have been with the Ringling and Barnum shows. Theatrical men, scenic painters, canvas makers and many prominent citizens from Chicago and other towns, all of whom were bound for Baraboo to do honor to a man who had the courage to build in that city one of the finest, if not the finest playhouse in America, Mr. Al Ringling.

“At Madison, many prominent people joined the party, among who were the son-in-law and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ringling, and by the time the train reached Baraboo, it was crowded like an excursion train bound for the big Ringling circus. On our arrival in Baraboo, Henry Ringling was there with a big touring car to meet his brother, Charles, and family, and the crowd soon left the depot in differing directions, everybody in a hurry, and seeming to know just where they wanted to go.

“Many of the old employees visited the winter quarters, and others the homes of old friends. As soon as I had brushed off a little of the dust I was on my way to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Al Ringling. As it was information that I was looking after, I made up my mind there was only one place to go, and that was headquarters. In a few minutes I was at the palatial home, which is only a short distance around the corner from the theatre.

“The massive home with its many entrances, it was difficult for me, as they would say in the circus, “to pick out the main entrance,” but I finally pushed the button and a male servant appeared at the door, and asked me for my card, but I politely told him that I only had one deck in my pocket and I did not care to break that, but I was an old friend of Mr. Ringling and was there to make an informal call.

He ushered me into a large room which Mr. Ringling has used much of the time through his sickness, as kind of a business office, and I found him busy dictating telegrams and letters to his secretary, and I was soon seated in a big easy leather chair, and Al said to his secretary, “Young man, there will be nothing more doing for a time, for I have many questions to ask Mr. Watt, and we will make a visit here while you run up town and attend to some other business.

I so told Mr. Ringling the business part of my visit was to find out as much of the particulars as possible about the beautiful new playhouse and how he came to build so fine and beautiful a theater in a city the size of Baraboo.

The ground on which the theater is built and which has been owned by Mr. Ringling for some time is eighty-eight feet frontage on the corner, almost directly opposite the old stone court house, and 132 feet deep, but after Mr. Ringling had his plans for the building all completed, and just the size that he wanted it, he found that he was short four feet of ground in the rear of the building, which he would have to have in order to get just the size auditorium and stage that he had figured on. This land fortunately belonged to the city, and he was not long in getting a deed of the extra four feet. In a few days the work was commenced, which was early in the spring.

It was about four o’clock in the afternoon on Wednesday, when everything was completed and up in shape, ready to be occupied in the evening. The building is as near fireproof as it is possible to build one, the entire front being two shades of granite and white marble, and the entire building re-enforced steel and cement. There are two lobbies at the main entrance of the theatre, a beautiful marble trimmed office being the first lobby and the second entrance there are six swinging doors and on entering the second lobby, there is a beautiful fountain, and opposite on the right was what they called an Italian rest bench. From this you enter the main floor, which contains 844 seats raised from the stage so that every seat gives a good view of the stage, as does the front row. There are seventeen boxes, which contain six seats each.

“Beautiful dark red velvet carpets cover the cement floors on the inside, as they also do down the main aisles. The curtains and draperies in the boxes are in keeping with the carpets and of the same color. The huge marble columns on the inside, with their brass trimming, presented a most beautiful sight. As the tickets were all sold in advance, the lights were kept well turned down until the entire audience was seated, and it was almost time for the curtain to go up when the lighting plant in the second was turned on, and the cheers that went up from the people at their first sight of the playhouse was deafening and lasted for some minutes.

“In the private boxes were many prominent people from different parts of the state, Gov. Phillip and a party of friends being in one box; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ringling and family in another, and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ringling and friends, and Al Ringling and his wife with some friends in another. As a large party of the audience came in full dress, it was certainly a wonderful sight to behold.

The Al Ringling Theatre with front curtain painted by Sosman & Landis.

“After Mr. Ringling had given me as many particulars as possible about the building, I asked him what I should say about the cost, or the approximate cost of the entire investment, and he simply smiled and shook his head and said: ‘Nothing doing. That Dave,’ said he, ‘has never entered into the game. My object from the start to finish was to give the people as fine a playhouse for the size of it as there was anywhere, and the architects and finishers and many theatrical men have said that I accomplished my undertaking. And is so, then I am satisfied, for I have had so much pleasure in all the years that I have been in business, and although at times it seemed hard, it was a pleasure for me to make the money, and now is I have done something with a part of it that will bring pleasure to my friends and neighbors, I have accomplished something.’

“And if the warm welcome that Al Ringling and his esteemed wife received in their private box at the close of the show goes for anything, their friends are legion.

“Mr. and Mrs. Harry North and friends occupied a box next to Mr. and Mrs. Al Ringling. Mrs. North is the only sister of the Ringling brothers.

“Sosman & Landis company of Chicago did the scenic painting in the new theatre; Gustave Brand of New York and Chicago were the decorators; The Ornamental Plaster & Carving Company did the plaster work; the Wiley Bros. of Chicago were the general contractors; Charles Kleckner, of Baraboo, the general painting; the Mandel Bros. of Chicago furnished the draperies, carets and seat coverings; Victor S. Pearlman Company installed the lighting fixtures of which there are 2,500.

The stage is 33 ½ x 60 feet wide and 46 feet high, and the beautiful marquetry awning reaches out to the edge of the sidewalk, and all is metal and glass and underneath is a mass of electric lights. A massive fire curtain of asbestos, which is 24 x 40 feet and weights 750 pounds, serves as a protection between the stage and the main floor.

“An organ, which cost $5,000 was furnished by a local music house of Baraboo, and is said to be one of the finest of its kind in the country.

“The dressing rooms, of which there are many, are furnished with the latest of everything; in fact, nothing has been overlooked to make it the most complete theater of its size in all appointments, that there is in the country.

“The ushers were all in uniform and all seemed to work as though they had been at it for years.

“Long before the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Al Ringling, their box was simply a bower of roses and beautiful flowers of all descriptions, among which was apiece over four feet high given them by the Commercial Club of Baraboo.

“And after the fall of the curtain on the first act, Governor Phillip was called upon for a speech, in which he said in part that he was there with other friends and neighbors to do honor to a man who had honored Baraboo and its people for so many years. He paid the Ringling brothers a glowing tribute for the way in which they had always conducted their business and said without any question, they had done more to build up the models of the circus people than any who had ever been in business. He congratulated the people of Baraboo and the surrounding country on their being so fortunate as to have a man in their community who would build such a beautiful playhouse, where they could go for years to come, and always be proud to point it out to their friends as the theatre beautiful, which will always be known as the Al Ringling Theatre.

“And for myself with the many old friends surrounding me, I almost fancied that I backed up thirty years of more and was again in the business, for I thought that I could smell the sawdust and menagerie, but the dream pipe soon went out, and I had to bid my old friends adieu and take the train back home. But Wednesday, November 17^th put another bright day in my life, all through the kindness of an old friend whom I met in the circus business more than thirty years ago – Al Ringling.”

To be continued…

The Al Ringling Theatre at night in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 909 – The Passing of Joseph S. Sosman, 1915

In 1915, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “June 1^st, 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.

When we reached Salt Lake on our return trip, I received a wire from Sosman requesting me to return at once, as he was going away for a trip in his car. He returned July 24^th in bad shape and died August 7^th. On the 10^th, a stockholders meeting was called and I was elected president of the Sosman and Landis Company. Arthur Sosman was elected vice-president and P. Lester Landis, secretary and treasurer. 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.”

On August 8, 1915, the “Chicago Tribune” reported “JOSEPH S. SOSMAN dies yesterday at his residence in Lake Bluff. Mr. Sosman was 70 years old and had been a resident of Chicago forty-five years. He was president of Sosman & Landis, scenic studios. He is survived by his widow and two sons, Arthur and Fred. He was a member of the Illinois Athletic club and a high Mason.”(page 13).

On August 28, 1915 “Oak Leaves” announced, “President of ‘Scenery’ Company Thomas G. Moses has become president of the firm of Sosman & Landis of Chicago, for many years one of the leading houses in the country engaged in the making and painting of scenery and the making of ‘properties’ for theatrical productions. Mr. Landis died several years ago and Mr. Sosman died early this month. Mr. Moses has been identified with the firm for thirty-five years, and is recognized as one of the leading artists in this line in the country. The business has grown from the employment of a single artist, when Mr. Moses first took up the work, until it now requires thirty-five artists and fifteen stage mechanics. Mr. Moses first became a stockholder and vice president of the company ten years ago and; now succeeds to the active control. Mr. Moses is a well known citizen of Oak Park and his made his home at 233 South Euclid for twenty-two years” (page 25).

1915 announcement that lists Thomas G. Moses as the new company president.

Later that year, Moses wrote, “I hope our first year with the business will pan out pretty good, and I feel it will take at least three years to pull it out and make it stand up by itself. Having no capital is an awful handicap and I don’t see how the business was run on for so many years without more surplus, for we always had plenty of work and have a good reputation for good work.” Well, I think that the lack of capitol had to do with their Scottish Rite scenery contracts. For years, the Sosman & Landis Studio financed various Scottish Rite Valleys for terms of six years or more after collections were delivered in full. Only a third of the entire bill was due upon completion, the rest of the payments were spread out over months, if not years. Unfortunately when the last third was due, many Valleys were always late on the final payments, making both artists and studios beg for what was contractually theirs. In some cases, the Valleys decided just not to pay their bills to the men who labored for their building and theater. It really goes against everything that the Fraternity teaches, and I have yet to find that this was an anomaly.

At the end of 1915, Moses added, “This year ended with a lot of unfinished work on the books and I am very much afraid that my picture painting is going to receive a good bump, now that I have more responsibilities to assume. I hope within a year that Lester will get into the office work so I will not have much of that to do.” Perry Landis’ son Perry “Lester” Landis and Moses would continue to work on projects together until Moses’ passing in 1934, but he would never have the same knack for the job. The younger Landis did not exhibit the same skills or theatrical connections as his father. In addition, times were changing and to meet new demands, scenic studios had to follow trends. Moses firmly stuck to the painting end of the business, desperately hoping to ride the same wave that the firm had been on since 1880.

Sosman & Landis company brochure picturing the two founders.

For the past few years, I have been writing a book about Sosman & Landis, the firm’s influence on American theater and visual spectacle is substantial. This includes research and writing that I do in addition to my daily posts, although some has been shared at www.drypigment.net.

Of all the scenic studios that appeared in the fifty-year period between the 1870 and 1920, Sosman & Landis shaped the landscape of American theatre, yet they do not appear in any theatre history books. They created the foundation and trained several generations of scenic artists who opened later opened studios across the country or dominated the world of fine art.

Sosman & Landis’ work dominates early issues of Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide. So many theatres list the firm as delivering their stock scenery collections. Between 1880 and 1894, the Firm delivered scenery to 4000 theaters. That number is significant when considering that Sosman & Landis scenery was the first theatrical scenery ever encountered by many Midwestern and western citizens in small rural communities. Larger audiences in metropolitan areas also were familiar with the scenic studio, as their name appeared in print across the country with both touring shows, new theaters, opera houses, musical academies, social halls, amusement parks and grand circus spectacles.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 908 – The Strand Theatre of Indianapolis, 1915

In 1915, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We received the Strand of Indianapolis at $2,700.00, and we got a very good set, fine for lighting.” Earlier that year, Moses had worked at the Strand Theatre in Pasadena, writing, “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.”

There were many Strand Theaters in 1916, all across the country: Appleton, Wisconsin; Altoona, New Castle and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pasadena, San Diego, Long Beach, and Stockton, California; Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Sioux City, South Dakota; Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Iowa City, Iowa; Chicago, Dixon, Decatur, De Kalb and Rock Island, Illinois; Arkansas City and Salina Kansas; Laredo, Texas; Tampa and Miami, Florida; Montgomery and Dothan, Alabama; Durham, North Carolina; Orangeburg, South Carolina; New York City, and many, many more.

Of the Indianapolis Strand, Sosman & Moses placed an opening night advertisement on Jan. 15, 1916, in the “Indianapolis Star.” Their advertisement announced, “Sosman & Landis designed, built and painted the elaborate picture setting for the new STRAND THEATRE” (Indianapolis Star, Jan 15, 1916, page 9).

An advertisement published along with the Indianapolis Strand Theatre opening announcement, from the “Indianapolis Star,” Jan 15, 1916, page 9.

From the “Indianapolis Star”, Jan 15, 1916, page 9.

On December 9, 1915, the “Indianapolis Star” listed the company under its “Incorporations” section – Strand Theater Company, Indianapolis. Capital, $25,000. To conduct theaters and motion picture shows. Directors, R. D. McCord, G. G. Russell, E.E. Brinkmeyer” (page 16). By Jan. 17, 1916, the “Indianapolis Star” listed the theater again in the “Articles of Incorporation” section – “The Strand Theatre Company, Indianapolis, has increased its capital stock by an issue of $50,000 preferred stock and an increase of $125,000 common stock, making the total capital $300,000.

Strand Theatre Co. advertisements promised the following:

“Endorsed by Discriminating Audiences. The theater is judged by the CLASS of patrons it ATTRACTS and HOLDS. Drop in at the Strand ANY time. Note the KIND of people who attend. Intelligent men of affairs – refined, appreciative women. Their verdict COUNTS. They know that the Strand way means high-grade, exclusive photo-plays- artistic presentation – unvarying delightful programs, including stellar vocal and instrumental artists and the Strands famous 20-Orchestra-20. Continued Success of Advance Exclusive Presentation in Indianapolis.”

In January 1916, Moses wrote, “On the 8^th, went to Indianapolis to light the Strand picture set.” That was a week before opening. When the theatre opened on January 15 at 8:15 PM, and “Indianapolis Star” announcement promised:

“The most luxurious, the most beautiful and the most comfortable theater of all. These are roomy seats for 1,800 people – all with unobstructed view of the stage. The same high-class films – the same big musical program – the same all-star vocal soloists – the same beautiful surroundings, stage setting and lighting effects – the same twenty-piece Symphony Orchestra that draws immense crowds to the New York and Chicago Strand Theaters – are offered to Indianapolis playgoers and music lovers” (Indianapolis Star, Jan. 15, 1916, page 9).

The opening night program included: Overture by The Strand Symphony Orchestra of twenty pieces; Travelogue – “Seeing Panama;” Solo by the Golden Voiced Soprano Viva Ethelia;

Strand Topics of the Day – World-Wide Events; Instrumental Solo by Albert E. Short; and a “Paramount” Feature Photoplay starring Marguerite Clark in “Mice and Men.” The feature was five reels in length.

Interestingly, there was more than one Strand Theatre in Indianapolis during 1916. The one that Sosman & Landis delivered a picture setting to was located at Washington Street and Capitol Avenue. This was the new Strand Theatre Co. Early in 1916 Strand Theatre Co. ads note, “We are not interested or connected with any other Strand Theatre in Indianapolis” (Indianapolis Star, 21 Feb 1916, page 10).

Note the section that states they are not connected to other Strand Theaters in Indianapolis. From the “Indianapolis Star,” 5 Feb 1916, page 16.

From the “Indianapolis Star,” 5 March 1916, page 6.

From the “Indianapolis Star,” 10 Feb 1916, page 6.

From the “Indianapolis Star,” 21 Feb 1916, page 10.

Previously known as the Park Theatre, the Strand Theatre Company took over ownership of the venue in 1915, contracting with Sosman & Landis to deliver their picture setting for films. The Park Theatre was previously known for vaudeville shows and included a dime museum. Under the supervision of the E. C. Deveine, the theatre was remodeled and the stage outfitted with new equipment, reopening as the Strand Theatre Company. The Strand Theatre advertised continuous shows daily, with matinee prices costing ten, fifteen and twenty-five cents. Evening shows were ten, fifteen, twenty-five and thirty-five cents (Indianapolis Star, 6 Feb 1916, page 13). Unfortunately the Strand Theatre Co. name change only lasted ten months, when it was reverted again to the Park Theatre. Two theaters with the same name must have been a mess. Think of someone saying, “We’ll meet you after dinner at the Strand Theatre!” and showing up at the wrong one. The Park Theatre name was again changed to the Capitol Theatre in 1923. The Capitol theatre only lasted a little over a decade and closed in 1935.

The Park Theatre building in Indianapolis, pictured in 1902. In 1916, it opened as the Strand Theatre Co.

The Capitol Theatre building was previously known as the Park Strand Theatre and the Strand Theatre Co.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 902 – The Pittsburgh Scottish Rite, 1915

The Pittsburgh Masonic temple under construction, 1914-1915.

Early in 1915 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Started the Pittsburg Consistory job. One hundred drops – will keep us busy for a long time.” In addition to drops, the studio would have provided dozens of scenic pieces to accompany the scenes.

The Pittsburgh Masonic Temple was a nine-story building erected by the Masonic Fund Society at a cost of $150,000,000 between 1914 and 1915. This is the equivalent to approximately $38,199,207.92 today.

The Pittsburgh Masonic Temple was home to many Masonic organizations, including the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

On May 6, 1915, the “Pittsburgh Post-Gazette” announced, “The handsome new Masonic Temple at Fifth, Lytton and Tennyson avenues, was the scene of a great housewarming last night, in which fully 6,000 Masons and their ladies and guests took part. The exercises were under the auspices of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Valley of Pittsburgh…There were a number of high-class attractions for the house-warming. Perhaps the one that appealed to the greatest number was the concert in the theater on the fourth floor, a beautiful room which comfortably seats 1,300, and which is equipped with a pipe organ and a spacious stage” (page 1).

In 1916, the Masonic Temple was featured in the publication “Pittsburgh, How to See It. A Complete, Reliable Guide Book with Illustrations, the Latest Map and Complete Index” by George T. Fleming. Here is the entry in the book that describes the edifice:

“The Temple is 200 feet in length and 120 feet in depth. It stands on a plot with frontage of 240 feet on Fifth Avenue, 454 feet on Tennyson avenue, and 454 feet on Lytton avenue. It is 50 feet back of the building line on Fifth avenue, and in the rear there is land 284 feet in depth to provide for further growth. Its total cost was $1,500,000 to which the decorating will add considerably.

“The first floor is arranged for the social features inseparable from the workings of the Fraternity. Back of the stately foyer are the dining room, and two reception rooms. The offices of the Masonic Fun Society and of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite are also on this floor.

“On the second floor are Corinthian Hall and Gothic hall. Corinthian hall is the meeting place of four Chapters Royal Arch Masons, and the Council of Royal and Select Masters. Gothic Hall is the meeting place of the three Commanderies, Knight Templar.

“The third floor is the Blue Lodge home, and is subdivided into four halls, Ionic, Doric, Tudor and Egyptian. Fifteen Blue Lodges and the School of Instruction meet on this floor.

“The fourth floor is devoted entirely to the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, the four bodies comprising the Rite being the Lodge of Perfection, the Council of Princes of Jerusalem, the Chapter of Rose-Croix, and the Consistory. The larger apartment is built on the lines of a theatre. The lower floor will seat 648 persons and the balcony 548 persons. The stage has a width of 53 feet, and depth of 41 feet, and a height of 20 feet at the proscenium arch. It is as completely fitted up as the most modern theatre, and the electric lighting system designed to control the stage effects is in advance of anything ever before attempted in Pittsburgh. The Moeller organ built for the Rite at an expense of $12,500 is installed in this apartment. In the west end of this floor is a hall 50 by 62 feet, which will be used for the ordinary meetings of the Scottish Rite bodies.

“While the building is divided into four main floors, in fact it is an eight-storied structure with a modern basement. In the latter there are two billiard rooms, bowling alleys and a gymnasium, which in all probability will be placed in the care and charge of the Masonic club composed of those who hold member ship in the Masonic bodies meeting in the Temple. The kitchen with a capacity for serving 2,500 guest and the machinery rooms are also located there.

“On each of the floors is a mezzanine. That on the first floor entirely surrounds the dining room and refreshments are frequently served here. The Masonic library is on the mezzanine and apartments have been reserved for a Masonic museum. The second floor mezzanine is used for lockers in which the individual equipment of the Knights Templar are kept. The Blue Lodge mezzanine is used for hat and cloak room for members of the lodges. The Consistory mezzanine opens into a balcony of the Consistory theatre and makes an admirable upper foyer.”

What a phenomenal space.

In January 1916, “The New Age Magazine” reported, “The 104^th annual meeting of the Supreme Council of the 33º Northern Jurisdiction of the United States of America was held in the city of Pittsburgh from September 16^th to the 21^st. The first exercises took place Saturday evening at 8 o’clock, September 16, when the Supreme Council consecrated and dedicated the apartments of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in the new Masonic Temple recently erected by the brethren at Pittsburgh at a cost of a million and a half dollars, and it is one of the most beautiful Masonic Temples in the United States, the exterior being particularly noticeable” (January 1916, Vol. XXIV, No. I, page 417).

Unfortunately, this is just one more building no longer owned by the Fraternity. On December 23, 1993, the University of Pittsburgh purchased the Masonic Temple for $8.5 million dollars. It was renamed Fifth Avenue Alumni Hall in February 2002, becoming home to the undergraduate Office of Admissions, the Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education, and the Pitt Alumni Association. From 1998 to 2000, the University spent $16 million dollars on a renovation and adaptation of the building for use by University departments. Here is an article that gives some specifics about the renovated spaces: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alumni_Hall_(University_of_Pittsburgh)

The Pittsburgh Masonic Temple is now know as Alumni Hall.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 901: The Grand Forks Masonic Temple, 1915

The Grand Forks Masonic Temple was home to the Scottish Rite Theatre.

In January 1915 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Grand Forks, N. Dakota Masonic job came in early and furnished a lot of work for the boys.” In the past, I have erroneously stated that the scenery was delivered in 1914. I based this date on Moses’ Masonic resume, where he listed the Grand Forks Scottish Rite scenery as a 1914 installation; that was likely the year when the contract was negotiated as work started at the beginning of 1915.

The Scottish Rite theatre in the Grand Forks Masonic Temple.

The Scottish Rite theatre in the Grand Forks Masonic Temple, with scenery and stage machinery by Sosman & Landis studio of Chicago, Illinois.

I first visited the Masonic Temple in Grand Forks when all hell broke loose. What I mean is that the hell drop ripped in half and I had to piece it back together. It was a fun project that prepared me for a Pasadena Scottish Rite project, their crucifixion scene also ripped in half. I am getting quite good at repairing this particular type of damage.

Damaged area of the hell scene at the Masonic Temple in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Repaired area of the damaged hell drop at the Masonic Temple in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Detail of repair before paint touch up at the Masonic Temple in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Detail of repair after paint touch up at the Masonic Temple in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Repaired scene at the Masonic Temple in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Damaged area of the crucifixion scene at the Scottish Rite theatre in Pasadena, California.

Reinforced seams and center patch crucifixion scene at the Scottish Rite theatre in Pasadena, California. The seams were also separating and need reinforcement.

Repaired crucifixion scene at the Scottish Rite theatre in Pasadena, California.

Since my first visit to Grand Forks, I also evaluated the scenery collection twice; the second time was after a fire. The Grand Forks Masonic Temple has a history with fire. In 2014, I received a call from about possible smoke damage to the Scottish Rite scenery collection. A fire had started in the basement and smoke filled the stage area. Miraculously, the fire was put out before reaching the stage area, but the scenery became covered with a residue.

A scene delivered by Sosman & Landis to the Scottish Rite theatre in Grand Forks, North Dakota, 1915.

Back view of a scene delivered by Sosman & Landis to the Scottish Rite theatre in Grand Forks, North Dakota, 1915.

The first mention of a fire that partly burned the Grand Forks Masonic Temple was in 1903. On Jan. 8. 1903, a special message to the “Star Tribune” reported, “At 10 o’clock last evening the new Masonic Temple was gutted by fire. The fire originated from an explosion of gas in Spriggs Bros. store on the first floor. Damage to the building, $5,000; Spriggs Bros., $1,500; C. A. Rhinehardt, hardware, first floor, $2,000 by water, fully insured.

The Masons recovered, and by 1910, two stories were added to the Grand Forks Masonic Temple (Bismark Tribune, 19 June 1910, page 5). On Nov. 8, 1911, the “Grand Forks Herald” announced “Many Masons in the City. Scottish Rite Reunion Brings Them Together – Under Charter Hereafter” (page 5). The article noted, “There are a large number of Masons in the city attending the reunion of the Scottish Rite bodies, which commenced yesterday and continues till tomorrow. Work in the several bodies is being given. The fact that the Grand Forks Scottish Rite lodges were recently granted charters by the supreme council is the cause of added interest in the present as from now on the local bodies will operate under a regular charter rather than under dispensation, as in the past.”

On Jan. 18, 1912, fire destroyed the interior of the Grand Forks Masonic Temple. Fire broke out in the basement of the A. B. Rheinhart hardware store, located in the Masonic Temple building (Courier Democrat, Langdon, ND, 25 Jan. 1912, page 2). The fire was supposedly started from spontaneous combustion in the paint storeroom of the Rheinhart hardware store. The Masonic Temple building was practically a total loss, with the lodge bodies having lost all of the furnishings. The loss of the building was estimated at $50,000, with the lodges’ bodies losing $10,000 worth of properties. Four days later, the Grand Forks Scottish Rite bodies opened their annual mid-winter reunion in the Elk building, with a class of eighteen taking the degrees. The “Grand Forks Herald” reported, “The Grand Forks Masons were compelled to do some rapid work as a result of the destruction of their home last Thursday night, but they were able to get into shape so that the reunion was commenced on schedule. Immediately the Scottish Rite bodies complete their work the Shriners will hold a ceremonial session.” What a resilient group! By 1913, the Grand Forks Scottish Rite was meeting at the Kem Temple, home of the Shrine (Oakes Times, 2 Oct. 1913, page 7).

On June 24, 1915, the “Courier Democrat reported, “Masonic Temple Dedicated. New Structure at Grand Forks Considered Perfect. The Grand Forks Masonic temple costing more than $150,000, was dedicated by grand lodge Masons of North Dakota. Rev. J. K. Burleson of Grand Forks presided and W. L. Stockwell of Fargo made the dedicatory address. Grand Forks’ new temple is regarded as the most complete and perfectly appointed Masonic structure in the Northwest outside of the Twin Cities” (page 2).

That same year, the “Dickinson Press” announced a new charitable endeavor by Scottish Rite Masons in Grand Forks (Dickinson, ND, 10 Oct 1915, page 4). The article reported, “In Grand Forks the Scottish Rite Masons have started a movement for a free children’s clinic at which all the needy and deserving children of the county are to be given medical attendance free of charge. Why is not this a good move for Dickinson? There are a few diseased and crippled children in every community who could be cured of illness and physical defects if the physicians would band together and give their services. It is believed that they would if their attention was called to the matter, and in this way a number of unfortunate children would get a fair start in life.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 896 – The Omaha Scottish Rite, 1914

Photograph from my visit to the Omaha Scottish Rite during June 2018.

In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Some new Masonic work for Omaha, Nebr.” Moses was referring to the new scenery and stage machinery purchased for the Omaha Scottish Rite Temple on Twentieth and Douglas streets. The firm previously delivered some scenery for Scottish Rite degree work for the Masonic Temple on Sixteenth and Capitol Avenue. The 1914 work mentioned by Moses was an addition to an earlier collection delivered by Sosman & Landis.

Omaha was one of four Scottish Rite meeting places in the state, with the other three located in Lincoln, Fremont and Hastings. In 1914, Sosman & Landis also worked on other Scottish Rite projects that Moses recorded, “furnished a lot of work for the boys.”

On May 18, 1914, the “Omaha Daily Bee” reported:

“Scottish Rite Initiation to Be in Last in Old Building. A class of fourteen will receive the twenty-first degree in Scottish rite masonry Monday evening at the Masonic temple, Sixteenth street and Capitol avenue. This is the last class which will receive the preceptor degree in the old Masonic temple, as it is believed that the new Scottish Rite temple at Twentieth and Douglas streets will be completed and occupied by the order at the time of the initiation of the next class. Refreshments will be served following the initiation Monday evening” (page 10).

The Spring Reunion boasted a class of forty-cone candidates who received the fourth to eighteenth degrees, using Sosman & Landis scenery previously purchased for degree productions. During the two-day reunion, Scottish Rite degree work for the fourth to fourteenth degrees were completed on Tuesday and degree work for the fifteenth to eighteenth degrees were completed on Wednesday. This means that the original Scottish Rite stage in Omaha only had scenery to use for the fourth to eighteenth degrees. A list of all the candidates was published in the “Omaha Daily Bee” on 25 March 1914 (page 3). By the next spring reunion, there were one hundred Scottish Rite candidates in the class at the new building (Omaha Daily Bee, 25 March 1915, page 8).

Images of the Omaha Scottish Rite before it was dedicated in 1914.

The dedication ceremonies in the new building were held on November 16. The Omaha Scottish Rite was erected at a cost of over $225,000. Of the Omaha Scottish Rite’s new home, the “Omaha Daily Bee” reported, “The new Scottish Rite Cathedral is a three story structure, with high basement, built of Bedford granite, with imposing Ionic columns and porticos. The auditorium on the second and third floors where the initiations will take place, is an attractive modern theater, with a stage 30×40 feet and a seating capacity of about 1,000. It is tinted in cream with pink decorated panels and has all the arrangements for lighting, stage settings and precautions against fire, of the most up to minute theater. It has a wardrobe and paraphernalia room adjoin” (1 Nov. 1915, page 25). The size and scope of the project increased over course of the year.

M. C. Lilley & Co. of Columbus, Ohio, received the contracted for Omaha’s Scottish Rite theater. They subcontracted the 1914 set of scenery to Sosman & Landis. Keep in mind that by 1914, Moses had been associated with Sosman & Landis since 1880. He was the current vice-president of the firm and supervised all design, construction, painting and installation. He also negotiated many of the contracts. After Landis’ passing, Moses’ role in the company continued to expand, while Sosman’s responsibilities diminished. It was not easy sailing for Moses during this time; especially when studio projects continued to increase, necessitating the use of annex studios and regional offices.

In 1914, the Omaha Scottish Rite project also encountered a series of snags during planning and production. First and foremost, there was a misunderstanding concerning who was responsible for the structural work necessary to support the scenic drops. It was unusual for anyone else besides M. C. Lilley or Sosman & Landis to install the stage machinery, so I m perplexed that this was an issue. Part of the standard procedure for Scottish Rite scenery installations at that time was that they were suspended from “Brown’s special system.” There was always a company representative who was there during the first reunion to help supervise the operation of the system.

Furthermore, the Omaha Valley Scottish Rite reduced the number of drops to less than half due to the expense, likely deciding to reuse much of the original scenery collection; a common practice for many Scottish Rite’s at the time, but this bit into the expenses expended by the studio during the planning and designing process. The original plan for eighty line sets sixty line sets was reduced to sixty, greatly affecting the final workload and anticipated profits. These two factors, contributed to a delay in the final delivery of the scenery, so it was not until the Spring Reunion of 1915 that everything was in place. That scenery remained in place for the next eight decades.

In 1980, Dr. John R. Rothgeb of the University of Texas in Austin inquired about the original scenery. He received a response from the Secretary D. William Dean that April. Dean responded that the Omaha Scottish Rite currently owned 47 “beautiful curtain drops.” He then wrote, “…and they are all originals. They are remarkably in good condition considering their age as is also the Building which we have tried to keep in the very best of repair.” Over the course of the next sixteen years, however, someone would make the decision to get rid of these drops and purchase a the used scenery from the Kansas City Scottish Rite.

The Omaha Scottish Rite purchased from the Scottish Rite scenery collection from Kansas City, Kansas in 1996 for $40,000. The Kansas City, KS, Scottish Rite scenery dates from the 1950s. It was painted by Maj. Don Carlos DuBois, representing the Great Western Stage Equipment Co. I was able examine all of the current backdrops at the Scottish Rite Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 15, 2018, while driving south for “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” book signing.

The Kansas City Scottish Rite sold their scenery to the Omaha Scottish Rite in 1996.

The used scenery was available for purchase because the Kansas City Scottish Rite put it’s building on the market in 1996 and moved to a new location. I initially learned of the collection’s relocation to Omaha while researching Scottish Rite compositions for my doctoral dissertation. For a while, the entire set of backdrops was posted online at the time. In the end $140, 000 was spent to purchase, remove, transport, and install the new drops in Omaha. Stylistically, the painted aesthetic of each collections was decades apart.

I still don’t know what happened to the original 1914 Sosman & Landis scenery, as only bits and pieces of stage machinery remain in lobby display cases.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 894 – Price & Bonelli’s Greater New York Minstrels, 1914

Price & Bonelli advertisement in the “Central Record,” Lancaster, KY, 26 Nov 1914, page 3.

On Dec. 4, 1914, the “Twice-a-Week Dispatch” mentioned scenery produced by Sosman & Landis for Price & Bonelli’s Greater New York Minstrels (Burlington, North Carolina, page 1). Here is the article:

“Greater N. Y. Minstrels

James Bonelli, of Price and Bonelli, is very well known here in our city through his annual visits in former days in the white face version of Dickson and Mustard’s ‘Humpty-Dumpty.’ He has amused both old and young in many seasons gone by, but last night he appeared at his topmost success in the grand after piece following the Minstrel Olio – Humpty Dumpty in black face with an entire setting of special scenery from Sosman & Landis. Truly Bonellis a world beater for clean cut comedy. We welcome his return at the head of his own Minstrels or in any other production. Price & Bonelli, Greater New York Minstrels is a winner and will make good before any audience.-Evansville (Ind.) Democrat. Price & Bonelli will exhibit here at the Piedmont Opera House Soon.”

In 1907 Bonelli starred in Dickson & Mustard’s production of Humpty Dumpty and the Black Dwarf. Although a popular vaudeville actor, this show really brought Bonelli into the spotlight. The “News-Journal” reported “For many years [Bonelli] has been one of the best known and most popular vaudeville performers both in this country and abroad, and has met with great success in such musical comedies and pantomimes as Devil’s Auction and Eight Bells, and Fantasma Metropolitan critics have praised Mr. Bonelli insistently for his droll eccentric comedy and odd methods of his works. Reynold Wolf, of the New York Telegraph declares him without a doubt to be the funniest man on the American stage, and many other well known critics have vouched for his ability in much the same manner. (News-Journal, Mansfield, Ohio, 21 Oct 1907, page 7).

The “Humpty Dumpty” musical olio first appeared in the 1880s, remaining a popular act when Bonelli entered the picture in 1907. That year, the “Palladium-Item” published, “Humpty Dumpty. Bright, exhilarating, sparkling, hilarious, ‘Humpty Dumpty,’ which will be seen as the Gennett tonight, in all its gorgeous splendor presented by one of the most capable companies that has ever appeared in a musical comedy pantomime in this country, headed by the inimitable clown and comedian, James H. Bonelli, one of the most notable laugh producers of the present day, is a production that should certainly appeal to every theater goer as it is said to be the most complete and refined presentation of Mother Goosie’s fairy story ever given” (Richmond, Indiana, 15 Oct. 1907, page 6).

The “Marysville Journal-Tribune” reported that the Price & Bonelli Company numbered thirty performers, noting they were selected for their ability as minstrel artists of merit. The article advertised, “singers, dancers, comedians, musicians and novelty artists vie with each other to make the performance bright and entertaining. Good comedy is a prominent feature of the programme and has justly earned for Price and Bonelli’s Minstrels the title of Big Laughing Show” (24 Oct 1916, page 4). By 1917, the Price & Bonelli Minstrel Show included six vaudeville acts, with the show lasting two hours and twenty minutes (Columbus Daily Advocate, 15 Dec. 1917, page 1).

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 892 – Thomas G. Moses, Making Models in 1914

Even though Thomas G. Moses was vice-president of Sosman & Landis in 1914, he was on the road a lot. At 58 years old, Moses remained at the top of his game. Working as both a scenic artist and designer, well-known personalities throughout North America continued to seek him out.

Since his return to Sosman & Landis in 1904, Moses had full control over the design, construction, painting, and installation of all projects. By 1914, however, much of Moses’ time was consumed with making models and securing contracts.

When Sosman & Landis opened, it was Perry Landis who crisscrossed the country, securing scene-painting contracts for opera houses, music halls and other entertainment venues. Sosman and Moses followed Landis, rapidly completing one project after another. Moses admitted that it was a full six months after being hired at Sosman & Landis in 1880 before he was even able to meet Landis.

In 1902, Landis’ illness caused him to withdraw from studio work until his passing in 1905. This prompted Sosman to get Moses back to the studio by 1904. At the time, Moses was running the successful scene-painting firm of Moses and Hamilton in New York. It took a personal plea from Sosman, plus the promise of full artistic control, position of vice-president, and Sosman & Landis stocks to bring Moses back to Chicago. However, this meant that Moses’ increased responsibilities pertaining to artistic supervision and marketing meant less time painting.

A decade after his return to Sosman & Landis as vice-president, Moses’ responsibilities had primarily shifted to that of a designer, with him painting fewer and fewer drops. His design services were also in high demand.

Postcard depicting the boardwalk in Atlantic City, 1914.

In 1914, Moses wrote, “I then went to Atlantic City to make a model for the Colonial Theatre, and I found Atlantic City was a good place to make a model, so I remained there a week. Got back home May 4^th, feeling fine after my little vacation.” The Colonial Theatre was located two blocks from the boardwalk at 1517 Atlantic Avenue near Mississippi Avenue. Seating 1,391 patrons, it was later renamed the Center Theatre in 1954. The sun, the sea and sketching must have been a welcome break from the hustle of the studio. Making models on site was a sure way to secure a contract. The client would be able to fully see what was being proposed and be amazed at the speed with which the model was built to his specifications. It also required an experienced hand to quickly craft a professional presentation, hence Moses going on the road again as a designer and salesman.

Sosman & Landis delivered scenery to Atlantic City the previous year too. In 1913, Moses wrote, “We did a New York Studio job for Atlantic City – a theatre on the pier.” B. F. Keith’s Garden Pier Theatre of was located on the 700-foot Garden Pier at the end of New Jersey Avenue, opening in 1913. The firm was a well-known quantity, having been in business for 35 years.

One of the many theaters in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Other 1914 trips for Moses included French Lick Springs. That fall Moses wrote, “I made the second trip to Indiana and French Lick Springs, then back to West Baden – a wonderful big hotel. Got a frightful cold at French Lick Springs and November 28^th, I went to bed with bronchial pneumonia. Pretty bad. Was three weeks before I could get out. The doctors wouldn’t listen to getting up after I had been in bed for two weeks. I was stubborn enough to get up and I made six models and felt better, forgot my worries and sold one set to Hopkinson of the Hamilton Theatre or $975.00. He called at the house to see the model and we started work right away. The illness was the worst I ever had. I ought to go south.” Ironically, French Lick Springs and West Baden boasted spas and luxurious hotels, attracting those in search of cures for their illnesses. Modeled after famed European spas, these luxurious locations were less than a half-day from Chicago. Here is a delightful post by Elizabeth Dunlop Richter that highlights the French Lick and West Baden resorts: https://www.classicchicagomagazine.com/french-lick-and-west-baden-resorts/

Train depot in French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.

The walk to the train depot in French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.

Likely the hotel that Thomas G. Moses stayed at in 1914. French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.

Pluto Springs was advertised for its medicinal properties. French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.

The mascot of Pluto Springs in French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.

Moses turn for the worse in 1914 was likely a relapse after pushing through his illness and deciding to make the models. But this also signaled the beginning of respiratory concerns for Moses that would remain throughout his life. After years of questionable working environments an long hours, the frantic pace was taking its toll. At 58 years old, Moses could not sustain the same lifestyle and work habits that he established in his 20s without suffering some consequences. Although travel is never easy, making models on location may have been preferable to cranking out backdrops day in and day out, 10 to 12 hour days, six days a week. However, Moses was trying to do both.

To be continued…