Sosman & Landis – Page 26

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 748 – Cement Show at the Chicago Coliseum, 1910

In 1910, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We did a very unique exhibit for the Cement Show. A model farm, imitation of cement. It was very interesting and finished very good.”

Postcard from the Cement Show in Chicago, 1910

He was referring to the third annual convention for the National Exposition of American Cement Industries. The Cement Show was held at the Coliseum in Chicago and ran from February 18 to the 26. Educational in its nature, the event was intended to illustrate and explore the various uses of cement and concrete. Millions of pounds of material were used in exhibits ranging from crude products to floating boats that could carry a great weight (Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 1910, page 9). There were concrete burial vaults, water tanks, fences, silos, curbs, homes and other exhibits such as the model farm that Moses mentioned (Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 1910, page 6).

The show included a series of lectures to inform the public, by word and picture, the varied uses and economic advantages of cement. Lecture topics included small farm uses of concrete, how to build a concrete silo, concrete sidewalks, concrete bridges and culverts, concrete in seawall construction, concrete in factory construction, artistic uses of concrete, concrete sheets and floors, concrete tanks, cement stucco, concrete surface and finish, concrete piles, concrete poles, concrete drain, tile and pipe construction, and the basics of mixing and placing concrete.

There were an estimated 100,000 people who attended the event from all over the country that year. Exhibitors filled the entire first and second floors the Chicago Coliseum, including both floors of the annex. There were other meetings of allied interests also scheduled to coincide with the Cement show, including the American Society of Engineering Contractors, the National Association of Cement Users, the National Builder’s Supply association, the Illinois Association of Municipal Contractors, Northwestern Cement Products association, and the Interstate Cement Tile Manufacturers association.

On February 20, 1910, the “Inter Ocean” reported, “The cement show is simply a competitive exhibition for showing the purpose of showing the progress of the industry. Through the combined efforts of the manufacturer and the user it has reached its present high state development. No really great invention ever reached perfection through the work of one man, but through the results of the advice and criticism of the public. Knowing this fact, it is apparent how great a benefit to the entire industry is a competitive exhibition of this kind and size” (page 11).

The article continued, “Record attendance was attained last evening when the largest crowd that has ever attended a cement show thronged the aisles. The most interesting attraction was the second floor of the Annex, where Percy H. Wilson, secretary of the American Portland Cement association, is conducting a moving picture display and lecture. Exhibitors yesterday reported numerous sales as a result of the first business session. One concern closed a contract for 50,000 barrels of cement to be used in constructing a dam on a ranch in the West” (page 11).

President Edward M. Hagan and his associates of the Cement Products Exhibition company were responsible for the annual exhibition. In 1910, their plan was to take the Chicago event to Madison Square Garden for the week of Dec. 12.

To put the use of cement during 1910 in context: In 1880, only 42,000 barrels of cement were manufactured nationwide. In 1909 that number increased to 60,000,000 barrels (Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 1910, page 9).

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 745- The State of Sosman & Landis in 1910

I return to writing after cleaning up after a flood and attending to other responsibilities.

Joseph S. Sosman was a successful business man. Fame visited him early in his career and his partnership with Landis flourished, growing into a theatrical supply dynasty by the twentieth century. By 1909, Sosman was nearing retirement and he began redirecting his focus on his family. At first, he sought solace at his summer home, staying at their Fairlawn on the north shore of Lake Bluff. Like many other wealthy Chicagoans, the summer season was spent relaxing in the cool shade near a body of water. Although well-deserved, Sosman & Landis studio never recovered from his extended absences.

osman & Landis Scene Painting Studio brochure detail

Maybe it didn’t matter for Sosman, as he was well established with ample revenue from multiple business ventures that supported his retirement. Maybe he was trying to make up for all of the time spent away from his wife early in his career, when he was traveling the country and painting one stock scene after another. Mrs. And Mrs. Sosman began to travel in earnest during 1910. There were no longer children to consider, as their son Arthur, married in 1906 and was currently living in New York. Mrs. Joseph Sosman visited the young couple for an extended stay during 1909, possibly signaling that she was going to start vacationing, with or without her husband (Inter Ocean, 30 Jan. 1909, page 7). Regardless, Sosman’s absence was acutely felt by Sosman & Landis employees as the business began to shift focus and become subject to infighting.

Image of Mrs. Joseph S. Sosman in 1910 from the Chicago Inter Ocean, Jan 30 1909, page 7

In 1910, Moses wrote, “Mr. Sosman went to Europe on January 30^th for an extended trip. It lasted fifteen weeks. He simply informed me that he was going, just a few days before he went. Never took the trouble to inform me of any of the details that I should know. He had a good bookkeeper, and I depended on him a great deal. I did some hustling while he was away.”

On February 6, the “Chicago Tribune” noted, “Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sosman, 1628 Washington boulevard, have sailed for a trip down the Mediterranean and to points in Europe. They will be absent for four months” (6 Feb, 1910, page 23). By April 30, the London “Times” reported that Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Sosman of Chicago recently arrived at the Waldorf Hotel (Arrivals and Departures, page 1). On May 21, the couple was again listed as one of the recent arrivals at the Hotel Waldorf in London (Americans in London, Philadelphia Inquirer, 22 May 1910, page 2).

Image of Joseph Sosman during his European trip. This was one of the postacards that Sosman sent to Thomas G. Moses in 1910

In appreciation for Moses hard work during his absence, Sosman presented him with “a fine ‘scarab’ that he bought in Egypt.” Moses had the scarab turned into a stick pin.”

Yet Sosman’s absence for fifteen weeks in 1909 was a difficult period for Moses, as he did not command the same respect without his friend and colleague. This was a period of intense productivity too. Moses remembered, “I had my own troubles with the stenographer, and old crank that wanted to do everything as Mr. Sosman did it. She would write Sosman a lot of worry stuff that I had been keeping from him. We were going along allright, making a little money.” The stenographer was just one of the obstacle that Moses encountered during Sosman’s absence. Athough Moses had control over the aesthetic and production arm of the company, David H. Hunt retained control over the administrative offices and expenses.

In his 1910 memoirs, Moses wrote, “Mr. Hunt was secretary and treasurer, and expected to run the business, but I wouldn’t allow it. Mr. Hunt kept on the road most of the time.” And this is where the downfall of Sosman & Landis commences; Sosman steps out of the daily running of the company, leaving it to others. Keep in mind that Sosman was a scenic artist; Hunt was not. The additional problem was that each of Sosman’s staff has a different focus, or endgame, for the company. In some ways, Moses and Hunt are diametrically opposed, each with a specific goals; Moses focusing on the artistic product and Hunt focussing on the profits.

David H. Hunt pictured in 1903, from the Detroit Free Press, 21 May 1903, page 12.

Keep in mind that Moses returned to Sosman & Landis studio in 1904. This was his final return to the company after striking out on his own several times with various business partners. The terms for his return in 1904 specified that Moses gain complete control over the design, construction and installation of all projects. In other words, he was in charge of the shops and labor. By 1910, Moses had functioned in this capacity for six years and the company was producing an amazing amount of product.

Hunt had remained a thorn in Moses’ side for many years, as his treatment of many of good artists prompted them to leave the studio. This group included the extremely talented John H. Young, who went on to domnate the Broadway scene as a well known designer. Hunt had been with the company since the early 1890s and wormed his way into both Sosman & Landis’ confidence. In 1894, Hunt convinced Sosman & Landis to establish, the theatrical management firm of Sosman, Landis & Hunt. This was a secondary business venture; a company that leased theaters and founded touring companies in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Detroit. The firm kept Hunt busy as the primary manager for the endeavor, yet much of the necessary work was completed by the Sosman & Landis studio staff from Chicago. Moses’ diaries suggest that Hunt did not treat the artistic staff well; Artists were swapped and directed to various projects like pawns on a chessboard, ready to be sacrificed at any point. Hunt had remained on the administrative end of the studio for his entire career, yet always found his way into the spotlight and newspaper articles.

By 1910, Hunt also talked Sosman into investing in a new business venture – New York Studios. That year, Moses wrote, “Hunt had started a New York studio in New York City and he expected us to do a great deal of work, as he had Sosman invest a small amount.” New York Studios listed Adelaide A. Hunt as the President, Edward A. Morange as the vice president, and David H. Hunt, as the Treasurer. The company’s starting capital was $40,000, and listed the following directors: Edward A. Morange, Adelaide A. and David H. Hunt, with offices located at 325 W 29^thStreet, New York. Business listings noted that theatrical equipment was the primary product produced by the company. Now there were two scenic studios to consider, on only one Moses.

Around the end of May, Sosman returned to Chicago an assessed the state of affairs at the studio. Moses returned about the same time, after completing several New York projects that month. Moses recalled, “I heard some reports as to what Hunt had reported to Sosman about my treatment towards him. I got mad and wanted to quit. Sosman wouldn’t listen to me. I finally got cooled… I arrived June 25th. Sosman had his doubts as to my coming back.

Later Moses added, “Hunt remained away from the studio for some time, before going back home.” Hunt’s home was in New York.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 726 – Advertising for Sign Painter, 1909

Part 726: Advertising for Sign Painter, 1909

Sosman & Landis seldom posted want ads for labor. I have encountered only a few over the years. Often the ads were seeking individuals who possessed basic trade skills, seamstresses and carpenters to fill basic positions without any specialized interests. However, in 1909, there were numerous advertisements placed in the “Chicago Tribune” for sign painters. Here is one example from the “Chicago Tribune” on January 6, 1909 (page 4)

“WANTED-MALE HELP

Sign Painter-First Class. Up to date, on advertising curtains; good chance for young man to learn scene painting business.

SOSMAN & LANDIS CO., Scene Painting Studio, 236-238 Clinton-St.”

Ad placed in the Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 1909, page 14.

There are a few things to consider about in regard to the 1909 Sosman & Landis ad. The first is that 1909 is a peak period for Masonic theatre production at the Sosman & Landis Studio, even though fraternal scenery only made up about 25% of all projects. Hundreds of Scottish Rite drops, flats, set pieces, and props are being designed and manufactured in Chicago before they ship to various locations. In 1909, their main studio was swamped with work, as was their second “annex” studio. The production of Masonic scenery requires the studio’s most experienced artists to produce, leaving much other work to second-rate artists employed in the shops.

Other Studio projects included the production of massive scenic spectacles for the Ringling Brothers’ circus. As with Masonic scenery, the production of grand circus spectacles necessitated the use of topnotch artists on staff. In addition to high-end scenery for prestigious clients, there remained endless orders of stock scenery for small town opera houses, vaudeville theaters and music halls. In addition to roll drops, wings, flats, interior box sets and drop curtains, there was the continued demand for advertising curtains. Also referred to as Ad Drops, these compositions required artists to paint hundreds of characters in various fonts, filling the numerous advertising spaces. Although lettering requires skill, it was a trade mastered by many individuals at the time. Various levels of artists painted signage that ranged from commercial billboards to daily placards.

It would make no sense to place any scenic artist on a lettering project that could be completed by any sign painter, temporarily hired off of the street. Sign painting also required skilled artisans, but not with the same training and intuitive sense necessary for figure painting, draperies, landscapes, or other scenic illusions.

What the 1909 Sosman & Landis want ad also suggests is a possible spike in requests for Ad Drops. In the past, I have explored the origin and evolution of advertising curtains, especially those produced by Lee Lash in San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York (see past installments # 578-584). From 1900 through the 1920s, the design and manufacture of advertising curtains was big business that generated massive profits for many studios. For example, when Lee Lash had advertising curtains in 1700 American theatres, it resulted in an annual income of $250,000 (“Star-Gazette,” 4 March, 1973, page 7).

In many cases, studios directly collected the revenue from clients for their advertisements prior to the creation of an Ad Drop. No upfront loss for materials. This also allowed studio to place Ad Drops “free of charge” while even generating income for the theater. Free drop, free installation and possible revenue! The only requirement on the theater’s behalf was that they lower and display the advertising curtain at certain times specified in the contract. This was similar to out current advertisement slots for television programs. Furthermore, the position of advertisements in spaces, as with specific times for television and radio ads, varied in price that was dependent on placement.

In looking at the big picture of theatrical manufacturers during the early twentieth century, the increase in the demand for advertising curtains harkens back to a bustling economy and the expansion of products and services.

To be continued..

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

Part 724: The Temple Theatre in Rochester, 1909

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

Postcard of the Temple Theatre in Rochester, New York.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Program for the Temple Theatre in Rochester, New York.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 722 – The Palette & Chisel Club Camp at Fox Lake, 1909

Part 722: The Palette & Chisel Club Camp at Fox Lake, 1909

Like theatrical managers, scenic artists also sought to escape the tranquility of the country, escaping the hard work of the studio and the noise of the city. Thomas G. Moses wrote of summer sketching trips to Fox Lake, Illinois, throughout the early twentieth century, especially in 1909.

In 1905 the Palette & Chisel Club at the Chicago Society of Artists formed an artistic community along in Fox Lake. The club was founded in 1895 and consisted of a variety of artists and craftsmen for the purpose of work and study. The members were “all wage-workers, busy during the week with pencil, brush or chisel, doing work to please other people” (Inland Printer, 1896). On Sunday mornings, they gathered for five hours to paint just for themselves.

Fox Lake provided haven far away from the hustle and bustle of Chicago. Many Sosman & Landis artists journeyed to Fox Lake whenever they could escape the studio for a few days, including Moses. In the beginning, the site was quite rustic with tents and cots. In 1906, one year after the group formed the camp, Moses joined the Palette and Chisel Club. At the time, the group consisted of approximately sixty local painters, illustrators, and sculptors. Of Moses’s first trip to their seasonal camp, he wrote, “June 1^st, I made my first trip to the Palette and Chisel Club camp at Fox Lake, Ill. Helped to put up the tent. A new experience for me, but I enjoyed it. I slept well on a cot. Made a few sketches. A very interesting place. I don’t like the cooking in the tent and there should be a floor in the tent. I saw a great many improvements that could be made in the outfit and I started something very soon.”

The Palette & Chisel Club camp tent at Fox Lake. Photograph taken by Stuart Fullerton.

The portable house purchased by Thomas G. Moses for the Palette & Chisel Club camp.

By 1908, Moses wrote, “I bought the portable house that we built years ago and at that time we received $300.00 for it. I finally got it for $50.00, some bargain. It cost $25.00 to remove it and we will put it up at Fox Lake in the Spring.” The house had been used in Forest Park that summer to show the attraction, “The Day in the Alps.”

The next summer, Moses wrote, “As we had put up the portable house in Fox Lake, I was better contented to go up. I gave the camp a portable kitchen and it was some class. I felt sure I would manage to get a camp outfit worth while and the boys all fell in line with me.” In 1909, he also wrote, “I also enjoyed sketching at the Lake. That is one thing I don’t think I could ever get enough of. But our business has to be taken care of before too much pleasure.”

There were two significant events over the course of the last five years that placed Fox Lake in more of a personal context for me. The first occurred in Minnesota, and the second occurred in Maui. In 2014, I discovered a map to Fox Lake drawn on the backside of a Scottish Rite drop destined for Winona, Minnesota, in 1909. This was the same year that Moses wrote, ““As we had put up the portable house in Fox Lake, I was better contented to go up.” Located near the top batten on the stage right side, I discovered the pencil sketch while placing the Winona scenery collection into temporary storage for the City of Winona. The backdrop was later sold in an online auction with many others from the scenery collection. It is now somewhere in storage at the Des Moines Scottish Rite, likely not to be seen for years.

Map on the back of Fox Lake drawn in the back of a scene painted for the Scottish Rite in Winona, Minnesota, 1909

The second event occurred in 2017. That fall, three very small paintings by Thomas G. Moses came into my possession from Moses. One of his great grandchildren sold these and a few others to me. Our friendship began, after he responded to a 1996 letter that I sent out in 2016. Three of the paintings from his collection were of the same size and vintage, with one titled “Fox Lake, 1909.” The other two depicted a distant lake and the Palette & Chisel Club’s portable house at Fox Lake. These three scenes painted on hardboard had remained with the family for decades; they meant something special to Moses.

Painting of the Fox Lake cabin of the Palette & Chisel Club camp by Thomas G. Moses, 1909

A view of Fix Lake painted by Thomas G. Moses, 1909

It was Moses’ view of Fox Lake that prompted my entire journey to the Hawaiian Islands.

They each remain a lovely reminder to me – take time for yourself. We all need to enjoy some form of scenic retreat, a respite from the daily grind. That is one of the reasons that I decided to start offering Scenic Art Retreats last year, hosted by Historic Stage Services. They are held at a stagecoach stop along a picturesque river in central Minnesota. Here is the link: http://www.historicstageservices.com/training.html

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 718 – The Scottish Rite in Memphis, Tennessee, 1909

Part 718: The Scottish Rite in Memphis, Tennessee, 1909

In 1909, Thomas G. Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis produced a scenery collection for the Scottish Rite in Memphis, Tennessee. The scenery is stunning, and some of the best that the studio produced during this period.

The first reunion in the Memphis Scottish Rite building was held from November 15-19, 1909. The “Dedicatory Class” purchased a grandfather clock as a commemorative gift for the building; it is still in use today. I learned about the clock while watching a 41-minute video posted to YouTube by the Memphis Scottish Rite. There have been 7,249 views and it certainly depicts local character.

The YouTube video is a pleasant peak inside the building and includes interviews with General Secretary, Glen Pitts; Director of the Work, Jerry Hanson; Organist, Mark Henderson; and Personal Representative, Joe Harrison. The credits note the producer that the producer is Gerald Leek and the host is James McCraw. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNm6G2OsDNA

Unfortunately, the host of the video incorrectly credited the scenery production to local students. Specifically, he explained, “a lot of art students came in and painted every single one of the 128 backdrops.” This is not unusual, as when I visited the Salina Scottish Rite, those in charge suggested a similar scenario, except the students came from a fine art college in the east. In many cases, the manufacture of Scottish Rite scenery is attributed to a group of wunderkind, and not experienced scenic artists associated with a scenic studio, such as Sosman & Landis.

Later, while standing in the Memphis Scottish Rite library, our host explains that he is the Masonic historian for the Valley. This bit of information caused my ears to perk up and reconsider his comments about the history of the scenery. Now, it is obvious that this is a well-meaning individual; one who is really trying to do his best to preserve and share Masonic history. However, this entire scenario is more common than one might think, and once again I contemplate my response.

Do I say anything at all? It is seldom beneficial for me to contact a Valley and explain that their perceived history about the stage and scenery is not reflective of the actual facts. Fortunately, over the years I have fine-tuned my approach, starting most conversations with, “That’s very interesting, however, I have some additional information that might help you tell your story…”

In 1980, Dr. John Rothgeb from the University of Texas (Austin) mailed a letter to the Memphis Scottish Rite, General Secretary G. E. Rothrock, inquiring about the scenery. Rothrock responded, “In searching back thru the minutes of these Bodies, I find that the scenery was purchased from M. C. Lilley, who in 1909 was located in Columbus, Ohio.” That means, M.C. Lilley subcontracted the work to Sosman & Landis. Rothrock further noted that the present building was contracted in 1906 and the scenery was purchased in 1909, adding, “There was a controversy and a lot of correspondence was exchanged between the supplier and the Memphis Bodies.” Previously in the letter, Rothrock explained that only the minutes of the Board Meeting pertaining to the purchase of the scenery were left and that all other correspondence had been “destroyed.” There was no note as to when, or how, the records were destroyed. Fire? So, between 1980 and today knowledge pertaining to the purchase of scenery from M. C. Lilley & Co. was replaced with the scenery being painted by local students.

At what point was the actual history lost? How does the delivery of scenery from a major scenic supplier become attributed to local students? If this major piece of information is wrong, what other aspects of Memphis’ Scottish Rite history have been forgotten?

My research suggests that Scottish Rite history in many Valleys began to disappear after WWII. It started with the elimination of paid Scottish Rite historians and archivists, as the jobs were no longer perceived as necessary or valuable. In addition to the elimination to many of the stewards of Scottish Rite history, the purchase of new acquisitions ceases. Simultaneously, the careful inventory of Masonic libraries and museums are suspended in many areas. Why?

Then consider that as Scottish Rite bodies begin to leave their historic building, the institutional knowledge is lost and discredited, sometimes actively erased. I wonder if the intentional burying of history and cultural significance of artifacts had anything to do with justifying the move? This is still happening across the country today as historic buildings are sold and the membership liquidates the contents of their buildings.

I repeatedly read about Valleys citing declining membership and funds as the sole reasons for the move. What is almost never addressed, however, are the intentions for the future, especially that of their material culture and artifacts. If there is no perceived value, legacy or history attached to the artifacts, it makes their abandonment easier.

It will be easy to walk away from a bunch of backings created by student and harder to walk away from large-scale artworks created by nationally recognized fine artists.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 717 – Walter C. Hartson (1866-1946 )

Part 717: Walter C. Hartson (1866-1946 )

In 1909, Thomas G. Moses wrote “Walter Hartson joined our force at 20^th Street in August and seemed to be satisfied with conditions.” That year same year, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “Walter C. Hartson, of New York, N.Y., and Jane Mahon Stanley of Detroit, Mich,” exhibited some of their at the picture galleries of Marshall Field & Company in Chicago (29 March 1909, page 6). Hartson had sporadically worked for Moses over the years and the two remained friends for the decades to follow. In 1902, Hartson worked for Moses as part of the Moses & Hamilton staff in their annex studio at the 14^th Street Theatre in New York. While working for Moses that year, Hartson also won the Gold Medal of the American Art Society. Two years later he won the First Landscape Prize in the Osborne competition. By 1922, Moses would reflect, “I am drifting back to the days when some of the present day successful artists were working for me… As I look backward over the names of the successful ones, I wonder what I would have done had I been gifted with the same amount of talent.”

Walter C. Hartson watercolor currently for sale on Ebay

Oil painting by Walter C. Hartson recently listed online

Hartson was born in Wyoming, Iowa, on Oct. 27, 1866. He attended the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and then continued his artistic studies in Holland, Belgium, France and England. Of his fine art, the “Chicago Tribune” described Hartson’s paintings as being “light and lively in color and effect” (Chicago Tribune, 26 June 1898, Page 33). Hartson was a member of the Chicago Society of Artists, the Salmagundi Club of New York, the Kit Kat club of New York, the New York Water Color club, and the Allied Artists of Ameirca (Poughkeepsie Journal, 4 January 1946, page 8). By the age of twenty-nine, Hartson was winning awards for his work.

In 1895, Hartson won the bronze medal at the Atlanta Exposition. By 1898 Hartson received an award for his “Fields of September” at the seventy-third annual exhibition of the National Academy of Design (Chicago Tribune, 26 March, 1898, page 1); the Third Hallgarten Prize. By 1900, Hartson exhibited in a watercolor exhibition at the Chicago Art Institute. The Chicago “Inter Ocean” commented on two of Hartson’s paintings in 1898: “Of course, the best may not have been in sight, but some signed by Walter C. Hartson, arrested me. It is in tone and treatment much like a McIlhenny that stood not far away. Both these are in treatment between Corot and George Inness, Sr., although not so rich in color as the later. They lay in color, and then wash it down until everything is blurred, enveloped, atmospheric and gray. Still there is sufficient firmness and purpose, good modeling and no muddiness. Only an experienced painter can do this difficult thing.”

Three months later during June1895, Hartson was again noted in the “Chicago Tribune,” for two of his paintings: “Two cleverly painted water-colors of Dutch scenes by Walter C. Hartson, a former Chicago artist are shown at Thayer & Chandler’s. Both are light and lively in color and effect, and consequently more interesting than much of his more serious work, in which he inclined to blackness and heaviness” (June 26, 1898, page 33). It was is his ability to capture light and atmospheric effects that translated so well to Hartson’s stage work. He continued to gain ground in the field of American fine art and became associated with a new movement. It is a 1913 article that places Hartson within this context of a shifting aesthetic.

On April 1, 1913, “The Brooklyn Daily Eagle” reported,“The remarkable advance that has been made in American art within the last few years is almost incomprehensible to the average layman, and something of a surprise as well as gratification to the student and connoisseur. Appreciation has kept pace with development. A few weeks ago a George Inness brought $24,000 at public sale. A few years ago this would have seemed almost incredible. The fact is however, that the brush work of “our men of America” has reached a degree of excellence that places many of them on the same plane with leading artists abroad in artistic merit, and the time appears to be not far distant when they wil rival the modern European painter in price getting. A real comprehensive school of art is being developed here – a definite, distinctive, ambitiously independent class of work which breaking away from the traditions of old, has mingled the best thought of the Old World with the ideas of the New – bringing an atmosphere unmistakenly American. We are showing some of the better work of Walter C. Hartson to illustrate the young school as demonstrated by one of the men rapidly coming to the fore with his exquisite color work.”

Hartson was associated with fellow landscape artists G. Glen Newell, Harry Franklin Waltman, and Arthur J.E. Powell. All four men were born in small rural towns, but sought their art careers in nearby metropolitan areas. Hartson, Waltman, and Newell studied extensively in Europe and each independently found their way to the art scene of New York. All three were accepted to the Salmagundi Club. Moses had also joined the club under the sponsorship of R. M. Shurtless when he lived in New York from 1900-1904.

Newell, Waltman and Hartson left the city about the same time to seek solace in the Dover Plains, each establishing a studio in the picturesque region. Hartman relocated around 1917 and worked from his studio in Wassaic, New York, following Newell with Waltman who slightly proceeded him. Later, Powell joined the trio. It was the rolling hills of the Harlem Valley that kept the four men occupied (Poughkeepsie Journal, 21 June 1953, page 6A).The artists captured scenes of Dutchess County and painted the area with great affection. Each artist became a member of the Duchess County Art Association. In 1977, a third exhibit of the four artists’ works was exhibited at the Thomas Barrett House. The local newspaper included a lovely article about the exhibit entitled, “Once Important, They’re Forgotten.” The author of the article commented, “They were very integrated with their community…Their paintings still hang in the libraries, in school, the bank. You get a very definite sense of place with these paintings. It is definitely the Harlem Valley” (Poughkeepsie Journal, 25 Feb. 1977, page 3). The work of the four continues to be part of the community’s heritage elsewhere too, as they also painted murals in a number of local churches.

Although I have not tracked all three in terms of theatrical work yet, Powell painted a decorative panel for the first scenic artists ball held in Chicago in 1927.

Of Walter Hartson, he died in 1946 at the age of 79.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 716 – Higgins and Puthuff

Part 716: Higgins and Puthuff

Victor Higgins, A.N.A. (1884-1949) and Hans Duvall Puthuff (1875-1972) created a unique work of art for Sosman & Landis shop foreman, Charles E. Boyer during the early twentieth century.

Thomas G. Moses mentioned Boyer’s departure from Sosman & Landis in 1909. Four years earlier, he mentioned Higgins’ first departure from the scenic studio. In 1905, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Victor Higgins, one of our promising young men, quit to take up picture painting and started with a strong determination to win, and I think he will.” He did succeed, yet returned to paint theatrical scenery, time and time again. Moses records one of the returns in 1909.

Higgins, was a close friend of Thomas G. Moses, remaining close until Moses’ death in 1934. Higgins was born in Shelbyville, Indiana, leaving home and entering the Chicago Art Institute at the age of fifteen. It was during his time in Chicago that Higgins also began painting for the theatre. Higgins worked at Sosman & Landis alongside well-known artists such as Art Oberbeck, Fred Scott, Edgar Payne, Ansel Cook,Walter C. Hartson, William Nutzhorn, David Austin Strong, and Hans Puthuff. Higgins also worked for New York Studios, the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis. In New York, he painted with William Smart, Art Rider, and Al Dutheridge. While in New York, he also studied with Robert Henri, a leading figure of the Ashcan school of art before heading to Europe for further artistic instruction in Paris and Munich.

While traveling abroad, he sent Moses several postcards at the studio. By 1909, however, Higgins briefly returned to work for Sosman & Landis, decorating the interior for the American Music Hall in Chicago. In 1912 Higgins was still spending significant time in Chicago, Higgins exhibited artwork with the Palette & Chisel Club, earning national recognition and the Gold Medal in 1913. Other artistic awards received by Higgins included the Municipal Art League (1915), the Logan Medal of the Art Institute of Chicago (1917), and the first Altman prize for the National Academy of Design (1918). His work eventually became part of permanent collections of the Art Institute in Chicago, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Los Angeles museum.

I am intrigued that Higgins, after all his fine art studies with various masters in Chicago, New York, Paris and Munich returned to periodically paint at Sosman & Landis. It says a lot about the camaraderie, especially in light of his traveling to California with fellow scenic artist for a sketching trip and their gifting a painting to the shop foreman.

Hanson Duvall Puthuff, Higgins’ co-worker and traveling companion, is nationally recognized for his paintings of Southern California deserts. Puthuff was considered as a member of the eucalyptus school of California landscape painters. Puthuff was a co-founder of the California Art Club and the Laguna Beach Art Association. An interesting side note is that Moses also belonged to the Laguna Beach Art Association.

Puthuff was born to Alonzo Augustus Duvall and Mary Anne Lee in 1875. At the age of only two years old, Puthuff’s birth mother died and he was passed into the care of a close family friend – Elizabeth Stadley Puthuff. Elizabeth was a seamstress and young Civil War widow who became surrogate to the young child. He remained in her care until 1889 when he moved to Chicago to study at the Art Institute of Chicago. While in the Midwest he worked in Peoria, Illinois, painting murals in the city hall and local churches, and later moving to Denver where he worked in a variety of capacities, including that of a sign painter. This trip west continued, and Puthuff was soon working in California periodically. His work in Los Angeles included a variety of projects, such as billboard painting for the Wilshire Advertising Firm. His later focus of artistic study became the La Crescenta area around his home, the Sierras, and Arizona. It is noted that Puthuff received his first solo exhibition in 1904, yet continued to return to the scenic studio and paint.

Puthuff won awards in 1909 from the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, the same year that he worked with Higgins at Soman & Landis. He was also awarded a bronze medal at the Paris Salon in 1914. By 1915 he received two silver medals from the Panarama-California Exposition. Puthuffs works are now part of collections in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Art Museum, and Bowers Museum, as well as being catalogued in the Smithsonian American Art inventory. In 1926, Puthuff devoted himself to easel art, dying in Corona del Mar on May 12, 1972.

There is something to be said about artists who willingly bridged the scenic art and fine art worlds, keeping one foot in each studio. Did both Higgins and Puthuff only return to the scenic studio for a paycheck, or was it something more? Possibly to share the camaraderie of his fellow artists, and working on a communal project. There is something to be said about collaboration and a combined group effort; the joking and laughter of working with and near your fellow artists. Fine art is fulfilling, but often a solitary endeavor. Painting alongside others is an entirely different experience. It is the chatter, as well as the sharing of your soul. Talking about families, or other issues at hand forms that common bond, and possibly life-long friendships.

It is that wonderful feeling of being a creator within a community, just like a musician who plays in a band or orchestra. As Moses suggests in his memoirs, it was always more than studio work – they were a family.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 715- Charles E. Boyer, Sosman & Landis Shop Foreman

Part 715: Charles E. Boyer, Sosman & Landis Shop Foreman

In 1909, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “After twenty years of good service, Charles Boyer, our foreman, quit us. We all regretted his going. Watt Williams came into the studio and worked as my assistant. Pretty good, but very careless.”

Moses was referring to the loss of Charles E. Boyer (1865-1935).

I have uncovered little about Boyer, but his name popped up in an interesting article that touches on another aspect of scenic studio life – the scenic artists’ sketching trips. Previously I have explored the sketching trips taken by Moses and other Sosman & Landis artists to gather information for scenery compositions and improve their skill.

A sketching trip taken by two Sosman & Landis artists was recorded in an article published in the La Cross Sunday Tribune on September 23, 1956 (page 13). The article provided the artistic provenance for quite an interesting oil painting.

The picture was a wedding present, given the Rev. and Mrs. Gustave Edwin Anderson, of 902 Avon St., as a wedding gift in 1921. The painting was a composite that combined two oil paintings, given by the bride’s father, Charles E. Boyer, noted as the “foreman of a studio in Chicago.” For me, this verified that it was the same individual that Moses mentioned in his diary, especially since the artists were noted as working for “Sosman-Landis Studio.” Boyer had received it as a gift from two young artists, H. Putoff and Victor Higgins, whom he befriended. This would be Hans Duvall Puthoff and Victor Higgins, who would later each become week known as nationally acclaimed fine artists.

Here is the article:

“Rev. And Mrs. Anderson Own Unusual Painting

Young Artists Unaware They Painted Twins

Some paintings are more than works of art; they are stories told in oils. The story of such an oil painting dates back to approximately to the summer of 1913 when two young artists, H. Puthuff and Victor Higgins began their career at Sosman-Landis Scenic Studio in Chicago.

Vacation had come and the two boys went out to California to visit one of their mothers. On leaving Chicago they promised the foreman, Charles E. Boyer, that each one of them would bring back and oil painting for him. Their vacation was a series of busy, happy days of painting. Soon the last days came and will them the question of what painting they were going to give the boss.

The mother suggested the twin pictures, but said, “We have no twin pictures. We have always worked separately and never conferred about our work.”

“Oh yes you have, boys. I’ll pick them out first. She did. Unknowingly each of the boys had painted different halves of the same foothill with canyon and Point Loma near San Diego, in the background. When placed together the sky matched perfectly and so did the contours of the hills, canyon and wheat field, although the wind had blown the grain in different circles because the boys had painted different days. And a tree in the foreground, with its slight irregularities, show signs of two different artists. Together the oils make a perfect whole.

Painting, with half by Victor Higgins and half by Hans D. Puthoff

Both men regretted giving their halves, but finally conceded that giving it to the boss was the best solution.

Although the date of 1913 does not agree with Moses’ entry, Boyer and Higgins did work at Sosman & Landis in 1909, the same year as Boyer’s departure. Moses wrote, “In 1909, Victor Higgins also returned to work at Sosman & Landis, completing the interior of the American Music Hall.”

Boyer died at the age of seventy in Chicago. His last residence was at 3512 Le Moyne street and was survived by his wife Retta, son Clermont daughter, Mrs. Ruth Boyer Anderson, and three grandchildren (Chicago Tribune, 26 June 1935, page 23).

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 714 – The State of Scottish Rite Scenery at Sosman & Landis in 1909

Part 714: The State of Scottish Rite Scenery at Sosman & Landis in 1909

I return to the entries in Thomas Moses’ typed manuscript during the 1909. Over the course of the past three-month, almost 100 posts, I have rambled down side roads that provided insight into historical scenic art, stage lighting, counterweight systems, and the evolution of Masonic scenery. For quite a while, I focused on theatre installations secured by E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. of Chicago and M. C. Lilley & Co. of Columbus, and subcontracted to Sosman & Landis under the guidance of Bestor G. Brown. I am trying to tie up loose ends that uncover interesting historical tidbits that never quite made it into the theatre history textbooks.

Moses returns to the Sosman & Landis main studio at the beginning of 1909, as he had been traveling quite extensively throughout all of 1908, although one could say this has remained his standard mode of operation since starting with the company in 1880. Moses explained the cause for his return to the main studio instead of the annex studio, writing, “Sosman seemed to think I was needed there more than at 20^th Street. Pausback took charge of the 20^th Street studio.”

Business was booming, and Sosman & Landis increased their forces. Of staffing at the two studios, Moses wrote, “We have quite a force now at Clinton Street. We have forty-eight on the payroll, which includes the sewing girls and foremen. At 20^th Street we have an average of twelve. I think we should turn out some work and we do. It is often a puzzle to me where it all goes, but the Masonic work requires a lot of time, and there is an average of eighty drops in each order so it makes plenty of work and is very interesting. The artists never grumble when they get it to do.”

Up to 1909, Sosman & Landis had delivered at least twenty-six Scottish Rite collections. In some cases more than one collection was delivered to the same location in less than a decade. The ones that I have verified include:

Chicago, Illinois (first, second and third installations)

Little Rock, Arkansas (first, second and third installations)

Oakland, California

Wichita, Kansas (first and second installations)

Guthrie, Oklahoma

Fargo, North Dakota

Salina, Kansas (first and second installations)

McAlester, Oklahoma (first and second installations)

Portland, Oregon

Duluth, Minnesota

Fort Scott, Kansas

Topeka, Kansas

Detroit. Michigan

San Francisco, California (first and second installations)

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Salt Lake City, Utah

Dubuque, Iowa

Yankton, South Dakota

Clarksburg, West Virginia

Wheeling, West Virginia

In 1909, I have verified that Sosman & Landis produced five Scottish Rite scenery collections: Dallas, TX, San Francisco, CA (second collection), Cleveland, OH, Kanas City, MO, Atlanta, GA, and Winona, MN. Even using Moses’ 1909 formula that Masonic installations averaged 80 drops per order, this would be 400 Masonic drops over the course of 365 days, not including the flats and other properties that would accompany the scenery collections.

According to scenic artist John Hanny who began with the studio in 1906, Masonic work only made up 24-30% of the studio’s entire output. This was also during the same time that Sosman & Landis had started creating scenery for the Ringling Brothers’ grand spectacles too.

We can therefore conservatively estimate that Sosman & Landis artists produced approximately 1200 drops during 1909. The output could have been more, but this likely means that the studio was producing approximately four drops every day of the week. Fortunately, they had a staff of forty-eight on payroll in the main studio and twelve in the annex to help with demand.

To be continued…