Sosman & Landis – Page 28

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 680 – The Scottish Rite in Fargo, North Dakota, 1900

The Scottish Rite in Fargo, North Dakota, 1900

The past few posts examined early Scottish Rite contracts between the Guthrie Scottish Rite and E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing company between 1899 and 1900. Another Scottish Rite theater project occurred during this same time in Fargo, North Dakota. It also included a scenery collection manufactured by Sosman & Landis.

The first steps toward a new Masonic building in Fargo began during 1894. Land was not purchased until February 1898, with the contract for work being finalized during May 1899. On June 7, 1899, the cornerstone was laid for the Masonic Temple at 501 First Avenue North in Fargo. It would be the home to several Masonic orders in Fargo. The building was first occupied on June 6, 1900, but not fully completed. This building would include a Scottish Rite theater, lodge rooms, banquet hall, kitchen, billiard room, armory, reception room and offices. In 1914, an addition was made on the west side of the building. A library, museum, gymnasium, and swimming pool were included in the work. All told, this massive complex included 55,155 square feet of total floor space. The building would be home to the Scottish Rite until 1968 when it was razed as part of an urban renewal plan. In 1968, the Masonic Temple was purchased by the Fargo Parking Authority with the intent to construct a parking lot. Demolition began on June 19, 1968.

The Scottish Rite auditorium in the Fargo Masonic Temple pictured in a 1903 Reunion program

The Scottish Rite stage in the Fargo Masonic Temple pictured in a 1903 Reunion program

Scene created by Sosman & Landis for the Fargo Scottish Rite stage

The turn of the twentieth century is a period at Sosman & Landis produced some absolutely stunning work. The nineteenth-century aesthetic still dominated Scottish Rite scenery, as scenic artist and stage carpenter David A. Strong (1830-1911) was still actively involved with its production. Thomas G. Moses was on his way out the studio door again; this time to start a new business with Will Hamilton, establishing Moses & Hamilton in NYC during 1900. Back in Chicago, Strong still reigned as the “Daddy of Masonic Design” and was still very active as a scenic artist at the Sosman & Landis studio. My research suggests that Strong was very involved in the production of scenery for Little Rock (1896, 1899, 1901), Oakland (1896), Wichita (1898), Guthrie (1900), and Fargo (1900). After 1900, his contributions to Scottish Rite scenery begin to diminish.

Fellow scenic artists referred to Strong as “Old Trusty” and a member of the Dusseldorf School. Of Strong, Moses wrote, “His color was deep and rich and his drawings very correct.” In “Paint Mimic Scenes, Men Who Have Found Fame in the Wing and Drop Curtains” Strong was included as a well-respected scenic artist with the article reporting, “David Strong, “Old Trusty,” still at work in this city, is the only survivor of the good old Dusseldorf school. Everything that comes from his facile brush – and he could walk over miles of canvas of his own painting – has the quality of opaqueness peculiar to his school and seldom found nowadays. (“Chicago Sunday Tribune” article, Dec, 18, 1892, page 41). It is the comment “seldom found nowadays” that rings true. Even in 1892, the artistry of Strong’s generation was diminishing. The last vestiges of this art form are likely still hanging in a handful of Scottish Rite stages across the country.

Sosman & Landis scenery produced for Little Rock, Wichita, Fargo and Guthrie, have a unique aesthetic and compositional approach to the painting. Like a person’s signature, it is easy to identify that a particular scenic artist worked for all four collections. Artworks associated with the Dusseldorf school included an active middle ground, with the primary not taking place in the fore ground. The 1892 “Chicago Tribune” article comment about the “quality of opaqueness” to Strong’s work; this was in direct contrast to the English practice of glazing (Chicago Tribune, Dec. 18, 1892). The opaque application of solid color for Strong also meant that a subject could be worked up from dark to light, the approach of the slapdash tradition. The use of glazes often meant that the composition was painted up in the reverse, from light to dark. Each was a successful method, yet supported differing approaches to color mixing and paint application. That being said, most audiences would be unable to identify the differing techniques or aesthetic nuances as they both read well from a distance.

Sosman & Landis setting for the Scottish Rite stage in Fargo, North Dakota.

Sosman & Landis setting for the Scottish Rite stage in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

A second scenic artist also contributed scenery to the Little Rock, and Wichita collections during this time, approaching the subject matter in the English tradition of glazing. However, this style is only apparent in a few settings, such as the Egyptian scenes and Royal Chamber. Overall, the majority of the scenery for Scottish Rite collections during the late nineteenth century at Sosman & Landis has in identical feel and aesthetic approach to the subject matter. My research suggests that it was Strong who was the main artist; he would have been in his mid to late sixties at the time. Few pieces beyond the 1904 Sosman & Landis scenery installation for the Duluth Scottish Rite remain and are, what I believe to be, indicative of Strong’s work. The floral wreaths for the 1909 setting of Darius’ Festival Palace created for the Scottish Rite in Winona, Minnesota, was another example. However, by 1909, Strong was 79 years old, and likely unable to contribute as much painting to each Scottish Rite project. Keep in mind that Storng was one of the artists for the original production at the “The Black Crook” at Niblo’s Garden in 1866. “The Black Crook” is considered by many to be America’s first musical.

For more posts about Strong, see past installments #127, 215, 248, and 382.

Sosman & Landis setting for the Scottish Rite stage in Austin, Texas, using glazing techniques.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 679 – The 1900 Guthrie Scottish Rite Contract for Scenery

Part 679: The 1900 Guthrie Scottish Rite Contract for Scenery

On April 28, 1900, the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, purchased $2,190.00 worth of painted scenery and stage machinery from E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. The firm subcontracted the creation of the leg drops, cut drops, backdrops and set pieces to Sosman & Landis in Chicago. The contract specified that all drops would be “counter-weighted and installed in working order.”

The order included a painted front drop (drop curtain) and white lantern curtain (picture sheet), 22 backdrops, 6 cut drops, 18 leg drops, and 11 other scenic elements.

Much of this collection was later sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas in 1914, although contract negotiations began as early as 1912.

Original drop curtain for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Original wood setting for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Original Ruins setting for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Detail of Original Treasure drop for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

What this contract clarifies, however, is how the scenery was described and the designation titles for composition. The descriptions would change over the years. For example, a “Royal Chamber Setting” becomes “Solomon’s Throne Room” as more painted detail, symbolic objects and emblems are added.

Original Royal Chamber drop for the Scottish Rite in Guthrie, Oklahoma, sold to the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas.

Here is a portion of the 1900 contract between the Guthrie Lodge of Perfection and E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co.-

FOURTH DEGREE

One drop with gates in opening; backing which is also used elsewhere being made reversible

FIFTH DEGREE

One stone interior set, consisting of one back drop with scrim panel and one leg drop – one tomb drop with practical doors

SIXTH DEGREE

One Royal chamber set, consisting of one backdrop and one leg drop; leg drop to be used with other sets.

NINTH DEGREE

One cave set, consisting of cave backing and one cut drop for front of cave; also one set for the water-fall.

FIFTEENTH DEGREE

One set showing ruins at Jerusalem; also used in 16^th Degree, consisting of one backdrop, and two leg drops, One drop for Cyrus’ Palace; the leg drop of 8^th Degree being used with this – One Treasure House set consisting of back drop and one leg drop- One bridge set, consisting of horizon drop; one profile fore-ground.

SIXTEENTH DEGREE

One Palace set, for Darius, consisting of one back drop and two leg drops

EIGHTEENTH DEGREE

One constellation set, consisting of one transparent spangled drop; one gauze cloud drop three light boxes showing “Faith”, “Hope”, and “Charity”.

One crucifixion set, consisting of one backdrop, one cut drop, and one leg drop.

One Calvary set, consisting of one back drop with set rose – One peristyle drop, with light box for words “Infinity”, “Nature”, “Reason”, “Immortality”.

One Cathedral set, consisting of one back drop, and one leg drop; One Ascension Scene, consisting of one back drop, One cut drop, one gauze cloud drop, one movable figure. One Hades set, consisting of one back, one cut, and one leg drop.

TWENTY-FIRST DEGREE

One interior wood set, consisting of one back drop, one cut and two leg drops; leg drops are also used in the 9^th & 15^th Degrees.

THIRTIETH DEGREE

One Egyptian Interior set, consisting of one back drop, and two leg drops.

THIRTY-SECOND DEGREE

One camp set, consisting of one backdrop and one leg drop

One white interior, consisting of one back drop and two leg drops, also a transparency of Great Symbol

MISCELLANEOUS

One drop curtain with emblematic devise

One pair of tormentors

One grand drapery

One White lantern curtain

One pair flipper wood wings

All drops counter-weighted and installed in working order in Guthrie.

Besides scenery, the Guthrie Scottish Rite ordered additional costumes, regalia, stage lighting, lighting apparatus, props, stage carpets, and other stage appliances. $1,319.05 worth of costumes and $419.75 of special light fixtures were added to the order in April 1900. The contract noted, “Goods were sent collect, but freight bills receipted are to be valid vouchers against the account.”

Records indicate that the Scottish Rite bodies needed a few more things… by May 15, 1900, an order was placed for belts, bronze pedestals, one table of Shrew-bread, one altar of incense, one brazen laver, one electric bell, three electric buzzers, one dozen small sized plain Mason’s trowels, and ten alcohol torches. A day later on May 16, another order was placed for 74 ½ yards of stage carpet for $46.74. On on April 21, they ordered a full papier mache skeleton for $12.50.

The orders to E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. continued. In September 1900 the Guthrie Scottish Rite purchased a white altar cover, a black velvet cover with tears, a laurel and olive wreath, cast iron floor pocket, 3 extra switches, 14 standards, spears and pennons, 6 extra flags, 4 extra receptacles for $49.75.

In November they purchased an additional two pairs of Flipper wings [book flats], two Ground rows, a 16×24 ground cloth, a gauze cloud drop, a stone altar [likely for JBM] and eight stone blocks and column for $225.50. By the end of the month on November 20, 1900, the Guthrie Scottish Rite placed a large order for $250.10 worth of regalia; various officer jewels, aprons, banners, and lodge furniture from E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. The orders continued, sometimes weekly, monthly, and yearly.

In less than a decade the Valley of Guthrie was outgrowing their theater space, and planned an expansion; one that would necessitate the purchase of all new stage machinery and scenery for a larger stage and proscenium opening. The scenery and stage machinery from 1900 were returned for credit on the purchase of a new collection. However, Brown was working for a different company – M. C. Lilley & Co. The scenery still found its way back to the Sosman & Landis studio, where they stored the collection until it was ready for another sale. The used collection was eventually sold the Scottish Rite in Austin, Texas, for approximately $1500, where it is still in use today; sometimes providing the setting for a children’s theatre production. Fortunately, the Guthrie scenery was never altered or replaced after it arrived in Austin. It did not suffer the fate of other collections as the Austin Scottish Rite continued to expand.

As membership increased in Scottish Rite Valleys across the nation, so did their stage needs. Additional settings were added, or entire scenery collections replaced, necessitating even more costumes, props and effects.

Once Scottish Rite stages were constructed, there were always elements that could be added or updated –as long as the membership recognized the theatrical interpretation of degree work as a priority. Over the decades, however, the priorities in some Scottish Rite Valleys shifted their attention away from stage improvement. This was especially common after membership the Rite began a slow descent. Incoming funds were funneled toward specialty projects, people and events. I have noticed that there was a definitive change in the direction of funds that occurred during the 1960s. It is hard to define the exact impetus or even define the change. You can spot it in the candidate classes, the building projects and charitable endeavors. I understand that at this same time, younger generations sought alternative forms of community and social groups. Some call it part of their struggle against the “establishment.” I wonder if it was simply an increase in social opportunities; there were more options for young people.

During the mid-twentieth century many Masonic buildings were also renovated, often given a “face-lift.”. Suddenly brown paneling concealed original ornamental plasterwork, as certain decorative elements were perceived as “dated.”

Occasionally elements would be added to the theater space, but it no longer was the norm to continually purchase scenic effects for the stage. Many of the changes had to do with individual comfort, such as new seating in an auditorium. Funds were also spent on new costumes, as the sizes of Americans continued to increase in height and girth. Original costumes were shoved to the back of the rack, replaced with larger polyester versions.

Stage crews began to see the wear and tear of scenic elements, often requesting funds that were denied as the work was perceived as optional. Therefore, the backstage crews began a series of in-house repairs. So far removed from the original theatre manufacturers, punctures in scenery could result in amateur patches using odd materials that ranged from fiberglass and plaster. I have even encountered sheet metal patches riveted on to a backdrop in Quincy, Illinois. Then came the contact cement and duct tape generation for in-house repairs. As the funds for maintenance and repair were limited or non-existent, few sought out any theatre professionals. Regardless of these amateur repairs, however, many collections remained untouched. Some were guarded by backstage stewards who yelled, “don’t touch it – leave it be!” These became the gems of the Southern Jurisdiction; the theatre time capsules that are so treasured today.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 675 – The Second Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas.

Part 675: The Second Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas.

The Wichita Scottish Rite Masons laid their cornerstone for their second cathedral in 1907. That year, the “Grand County Republican” reported, “The consistory has grown from two little room, decorated with calico curtains to a stately temple erected at a cost of $250,000 and with costing paraphernalia for the proper setting of the different degrees valued at no less than $25,000” (6 April 1907, page 5).

Wichita Scottish Rite Temple cornerstone from 1907.

When the building opened in 1908, the “Wichita Daily Eagle” included a full page spread about the new Scottish Rite Cathedral, detailing specifics of the building. There were three sections of particular interest to me that I am going to share today:

The Auditorium

The mind at this stage has been raised to such a pitch of pleasurable delight that one forgets that there are grandeurs yet to com. Standing in the center of the great auditorium, which measures 77×73 feet, two feelings struggle for mastery, a sense of largeness of the place and its extreme beauty. The sense that one generally gets when standing in the great cathedrals or buildings of the world, is here replaced by the sense of beauty which is inculcated by the choice of the best effects of the ages have produced. One feels for the moment that these past ages have been profitable only in that they have produced this, for there is no room in the mind to think of other glories of architecture and

art while the senses are yet endeavoring to assimilate the surroundings here.

Proscenium and Stage

Passing under the proscenium arch, one enters upon the immense stage which measures 73×37½x42. This is a stage commensurate for any production the world has ever seen, and will afford ample space for all the rites and ceremonies for which it was built. An idea of the immensity of the stage may be gained from the fact that it will house 115 drops, each of which measures 20×36 feet. There are six boarder lamps, each containing 192 subsidiary lights divided into four colors –red, white, green and amber [I hope this was a misprint!] These lights will produce and known combination in stage effect and would meet even the exigencies of a Savage or Belasco production. The switchboard is a striking example of advanced electrical proficiency and contains 110 switches. The dimmers are of the very latest pattern and the whole system is laid in conduits and not exposed in any place in the entire building.

Underneath the stage are the dressing rooms. The space devoted to them covers 25×73 feet and they contain all the modern paraphernalia and costumes necessary for the rendition of the degrees. To the south of the dressing rooms are property rooms and toilets. These rooms are finished in golden oak.

The decorations f the auditorium, foyers and halls are the work of the F. Seifert Plastic Company of St. Louis, Mo. The stairways were designed by Terry and were made by the Standard company of Chicago.

Lights for the Stage

The stage equipment will require about 2,500 lights. Of these there will be six border lamps, each of which will carry 248 lights in four colors. By means of these colors in the lights, stage effects can be produced which are impossible in a ordinary theater. The switchboard, which in part of the stage equipment, will be between seven and eight feet in length, and six feet in height, and will carry one hundred and ten switches, controlling a different set of lights.

As an auxiliary to the switchboard will be the dimmer plant by which the power of any separate set of lights, or all of them, can be turned low or high at will. This will set near, ad be operated in connection with the switchboard.

Besides this, facilities have been installed for a system of arc lights to be used in connection with or alone in stage illumination. Other means of handling the lighting equipment for stage lighting are by what are known as “stage pockets.” These are holes in the floor, from which connection is made for lighting the lower portion of the scenery. An ordinary good stage usually has two to three of these on each side, but this stage is equipped with sixteen on each side, with an additional of six others for special purposes.

The Electrical Equipment

The electrical equipment of the old building has been installed under the personal supervision of Mr. Frank Payne, who is well known in Wichita. Although not identified with electrical work commercially in the past, Mr. Payne – or “Frank” as he is familiarly known to everyone, has kept pace with electrical matters for a number of years, and has planned equipment of a number of buildings. Associated with him has been Mr. Henry Stumberg, formerly of St. Louis, who did the conduit work in the new building.

At first it was intended to let much of the wiring in the old building remain but upon inspection, non of it was found up to standard, and as nothing short of the most carefully installed and complete equipment was to be considered. All the old wiring was removed and reinstalled to meet the most modern requirements

The equipment will be by far the finest and most complete in any structure west of Chicago, and in stage equipment proper, will probably not be excelled by any theater in any city, large or small. The current will be distributed from seven separate switchboards advantageously placed in different sections of the building, and by this means a much more economically arranged system is secured, and also one which is readily handled.”

There is a point at which numerous Scottish Rite theaters began shifting from using red, white and blue lights to light their scenery to red, white and green lights. This shift always confused me. M. C. Lilley offered three-color and four-color systems to Scottish Rite theaters. Reading the newspaper article and the role of Frank Payne, the hometown lighting guy with minimal electrical experience, makes me pause. Was this the moment when the green was introduced to the Scottish Rite border lights?

The article specified, “There are six boarder lamps, each containing 192 subsidiary lights divided into four colors –red, white, green and amber. These lights will produce and known combination in stage effect and would meet even the exigencies of a Savage or Belasco production.”

Example of red, green and white border lights in a Scottish Rite auditorium

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 674 – Henry Wallenstein and the Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas

Part 674: Henry Wallenstein and the Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kansas

In 1898, Little Rock Scottish Rite purchased more scenery, effects and lighting for their degree. That same year another Scottish Rite building with stage was dedicated in the region – Wichita, Kansas. “The Wichita Daily Eagle” commented on the rapid growth of the Scottish Rite in Wichita, a very similar situation to the Little Rock Scottish Rite from 1891 to 1899. (6 Nov 1898, page 13). The newspaper article reported, “The pyrotechnic career of the local organization of Scottish Rite Masonry is so really marvelous and brilliant that a brief recapitulation must be of interest to all readers. Its embryonic state was commonplace and primeval enough. Eleven years ago the co-ordinate bodies in this valley were organized with twelve charter members. They then met in the Hacker and Jackson block corner Douglas Avenue and Fourth, in lowly quarters. In January, 1891, having 92 members, the Cathedral property, corner of Market and First streets, was purchased of the First Baptist church society, and fitted up for exclusive Scottish Rite purposes. From that date, the advancement was so rapid that it was very soon it became evident that those accommodations were entirely inadequate and it was talked among members to erect a new edifice on that site….The result is that right here in Wichita is located one of the most completely equipped and magnificent Temples entirely devoted to Masonry any where in the southern jurisdiction.” By 1908, there were 412 members,

Bestor G. Brown set his sites on this new project after outfitting the stage at the 1896 Albert Pike Cathedral in Little Rock, Arkansas. The scenery for the stage was subcontracted to Sosman & Landis. In addition to representing E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. of Chicago in 1898, Brown was the stage director for the Wichita Consistory. This allowed him to speak with his Scottish Rite clients in Kansas from a unique position and deep understanding of the demands for various degrees. Even though Brown’s his primary residence was in Chicago from 1892 to 1898, he remained active in Kansas Masonry. As a traveling salesman, Brown’s returning to Kansas for a Scottish Rite reunion twice each year helped fraternal sales.

Wichita Scottish Rite before the addition.

In Wichita, Brown recommended the purchase of a building for their Scottish Rite, just a he had in Little Rock, Arkansas. The renovation of an existing building was far less costly than the construction of an entirely new structure. As with Little Rock, the renovation included a theater space. The Valley of Wichita purchased the Young Men’s Christian Association for during January 1898, and extensively remodeled the space to include a 300-seat auditorium. $15,000 was spent on the inclusion of a stage, scenery and other necessary paraphernalia.

Brown was not alone in this endeavor. There was a second Scottish Rite Mason from Wichita to greatly aided in promoting the theatrical interpretation of Scottish Rite degree work- Henry Wallenstein, a 33rd degree and Grand Cross. In Wichita, Wallenstein was the Director of the Work. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wallenstein moved to Wichita at the age of twenty-seven and entered the mercantile business, becoming a co-owner of the business by 1886. He came from a city that was well-known for staged degree productions and beautiful Masonic theaters. As with Brown, Wallenstein became a well-known “staging expert” for the Scottish Rite degrees. His contributions to the successful dramatization of degree work were recognized as an outstanding achievement in Masonry.

Wallenstein was a Deputy of the Supreme Council in Kansas during 1909 when the second Scottish Rite building was dedicated on November 19. From the modest 300-seat auditorium of 1898, the Wichita Scottish Rite constructed a 1500-seat auditorium. Located on Seventh Street and Ann Avenue in Wichita, the dimensions of the complex were 138 feet long, 65 feet wide, and 78 feet high. Towering four stories over the area, the building was exclusively constructed for Masonic uses. By 1910, there were 2,400 Scottish Rite Masons holding membership in Wichita Consistory No. 2. That same year, the “Wichita Daily Eagle” reported, “Wichita Consistory is now without peer throughout the southern grand Masonic jurisdiction in the high quality of the dramatic work placed and staged before yearly increasing classes; and in numerical membership, and ranks high among other cities of the world. It boasts the costliest cathedral exclusively dedicated to Masonry, in the world” (3 July 1910, page 5). The article continued, “To Henry Wallenstein as to no other one man, belongs the most credit for any single individual…For ten years Mr. Wallenstein has been the Director of the Work, his fine dramatic personality, rare histrionic conceptions, pecularly [sic.] fitting him for this trying position.”

Auditorium and stage after the addition at the Wichita Scottish Rite

The 1909 stage measured 60 feet wide by 35 feet deep, necessitating all new scenery and stage equipment, including Brown’s special system. By this time, Brown was the western sales manager for M. C. Lilley and a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas. He was well-respected throughout the country and known as the only Masonic stage carpenter in the United States.

The 1898 scenery and stage machinery in Wichita were returned to M. C. Lilley & Co. for credit on the purchase of their new collection. Only a few pieces were retained; the seventeenth degree visions drops were enlarged and are still used today. Keep in mind that in 1909 Brown’s special system was the standard counterweight system delivered by Sosman & Landis, subcontracted by M. C. Lilley & Co. It likely replaced their previous counterweight system. The used system and stage machinery were then sold to another Scottish Rite Valley – Yankton, South Dakota.

Original counterweight system at the Wichita Scottish Rite, now in Yankton, South Dakota

Brown’s special system now used at the Wichita Scottish Rite

Fabric-wrapped counterweight form the original system at the Wichita Scottish Rite stage

Counterweight from Brown’s special system

It remains uncertain as to what the 1896 stage machinery delivered to Little Rock, Arkansas looked like, but it likely was similar to what was delivered to Wichita in 1898 and is now at the Scottish Rite in Yankton, South Dakota. The rigging system delivered to the Yankton Scottish Rite is an interesting blend of elements, including a pinrail and cloth-wrapped iron weights, resembling sand bags. There is no question that the scenery delivered to the Scottish Rite in Yankton was the original Wichita Scenery. As is the case in Pasadena with the Little Rock collection, the Wichita scenery was clearly marked with shipping notes on the sandwich battens and “Wichita” as the first destination written on the back of many drops. The same writing is still apparent in Wichita on a few enlarged scenes that remained at the venue. This makes the scenery in Yankton, the earliest known example of a counterweight rigging system used in the Southern Jurisdiction.

Studio label noting Wichita as destination location for backdrop in Yankton, with “Wichita” clearly visible.

Studio label noting Wichita as destination location for backdrop in Wichita, with “Wichita” clearly visible.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 671 – Charles E. Rosenbaum, Bestor G. Brown and Joseph S. Sosman

Part 671: Charles E. Rosenbaum, Bestor G. Brown and Joseph S. Sosman

I have examined Bestor G. Brown and Brown’s special system over the course of several posts, placing both within the context of Midwestern stage carpenters and scenic artists.

Brown’s special system was manufactured by Sosman & Landis and marketed by Bestor G. Brown, western sales representative of M. C. Lilley & Co. Documented examples of Brown’s special system include Little Rock, Arkansas, Guthrie, Oklahoma , Duluth, Minnesota, Wichita, Kansas, Memphis, Winona, Minnesota (1909, recently demolished), Tennessee, Cheyenne, Wyoming, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Portland, Maine, Grand Forks, North Dakota, Asheville, North Carolina, and Tucson, Arizona.

Thomas G. Moses credited with origin of Masonic designs to David A. Strong. In 1911 after Strong’s unexpected death, Moses wrote, “Strong was the ‘daddy’ of all Masonic designs and he was a 32^nd Degree man.” We know that Strong was both a scenic artist and stage carpenter, instrumental in some of the earliest Scottish Rite scenery for the Oriental Consistory of Chicago.

Moses mentioned three other men in his memoirs who he credited with “the starting of the scenic decoration of real Scottish Rite degree work”– Joseph S. Sosman, Bestor G. Brown and Charles E. Rosenbaum.

In 1930, he Moses wrote letters Frank M. Jefferson at the Albert Pike Memorial during April 1930. In the last, he mentions the three men:

“April 20, 1930

My Dear Brother Frank,

I have tried for sometime to write you, to thank you for sending the wire that announced the death of one of my best friends. A man that I had all of the Brotherly Love for that was possible to give.

While at times, he would go for me rough-shod for some neglect of mine, but at the same time would go out of his way to help me in more ways than one, he gave me more sound judgment on my work than I have had from anyone outside of Bestor Brown – and I have put it to useful work. I am going to ask a favor. I want a photograph of Mr. Rosenbaum to place with the one I have of Bestor Brown, my two advisors in my chosen vocation.

Thanking you in advance and with best regards to all.

Sincerely and fraternally yours,

Thos. G. Moses”

_____

“April 29, 1930

My Dear Jefferson,

Yours of the 25^th received. I will visit Little Rock, every time I am in your vicinity, as I count on a warm welcome by my friends.

You mention having enclosed a photo of C. E. Look about your desk and you will find that you did not include it. I shall certainly be pleased to receive it.

I wish you would remember me to the Harris boys and father, Bill Leipzig (I have forgotten how to spell his name) also to Gene Smith and others.

Thanking you again for the photo which you will send.

I am sincerely yours,

Thos. G. Moses”

_____

“April 30, 1930

My dear Frank,

The photo has arrived. I had supposed it was one you intended to include with your letter. I don’t know how to thank you enough for this wonderful portrait you have been kind enough to send me. I will now have the 3 men that had all to do with the starting of the Scenic decoration of real Scottish Rite Degree work: Rosenbaum, Brown and Sosman. Many – many – thanks for the photo.

I am sincerely yours,

Thos. G. Moses”

_____

Charles E. Rosenbaum was president of the C. E. Rosenbaum Machinery Company in Little Rock, Arkansas. Like Brown, he held many offices in the Fraternity, including S.G.I.G. of Arkansas and the Lieutenant Grand Commander of the Supreme Council. Tomorrow, I will look at the remarkable life of Rosenbaum, a man who insisted one should never lose sight of the fact that a business is built on honor and should be maintained in the same manner.

C. E. Rosenbaum Machinery Co. advertisement from the “Daily Arkansas Gazette,” 3 June 1904, page 3

C. E. Rosenbaum Machinery Co. advertisement in the “Arkansas Democrat,” Rosenbaum 13 Sept 1916, page 2

C. E. Rosenbaum advertisement from the “Arkansas Democrat,” Rosenbaum 25 Sept 1914, page 10

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 670 – A Melting Pot of Ingenuity

Part 670: A Melting Pot of Ingenuity

There are four things to consider when examining the development of Brown’s Special System – the Chicago Auditorium, the Beckwith Memorial Auditorium, the scenic studio of Albert, Grover & Burridge, and Sosman & Landis. There is no linear progression of events and Chicago is a melting pot of ingenuity.

I’ll start with what Rick Boychuk wrote in “Nobody Looks Up: The History of the Counterweight Rigging System,1500-1925.” Boychuk contends that Chicago Auditorium of 1889 is a game changer in the future of American counterweight rigging. Of the endeavor, he writes, “The first counterweight rigging system in American was state-of-the-art technology when it was installed in 1889 in the Auditorium Building in Chicago – commonly referred to as the Chicago Auditorium” (page 167). Boychuk explains how Ferdinand Peck, the visionary for the Chicago auditorium, traveled to Europe to examine opera houses, later joined by architect Dankmar Adler (Adler & Sullivan) and Chicago stage carpenter John Bairstow. Boychuk states, “Chicago borrowed the sheave design and configuration from Budapest and the balance of the counterweight system from Vienna” (page 172). Read his book.

Things to think about as we contemplate the evolution of Brown’s special system: the Chicago Auditorium stage carpenter, Bairstow, was one of the charter members who founded Chicago’s Theatrical Mechanics Association. In fact, he was the organization’s first president in Chicago. Bairstow was a member of TMA Chicago Lodge No. 4. David Austin Strong was also a Member of Chicago Lodge. No. 4. At the time they were both members in 1891, Strong was an employee of Sosman & Landis, and was also credited as being the “Daddy of Masonic Design.”

David Austin Strong, scenic artist and stage mechanic

This title was given to him by Thomas Gibbs Moses in his 1931 memoirs; Moses became the president of Sosman & Landis in 1915. Before Chicago, Strong enjoyed a successful career in New York as both a scenic artist and stage carpenter. Strong even provided one of the scenes for the 1866 production of “The Black Crook” at Niblo’s Garden Theatre. At this same time, the Theatrical Mechanics Association was founded in New York (1866). During the 1870s Strong relocated to Chicago, the hub of theatrical construction and activities after the great fire of 1871. Joseph S. Sosman moved to Chicago in 1874, with the Sosman & Landis studio being established by 1877. Sosman & Landis was the primary manufacturer and installer of Brown’s special system in Scottish Rite theaters across the country.

At Sosman & Landis, Strong, Moses, and another stage carpenter by the name of Charles S. King were part of a special group; this group could be considered scenic artists with a thorough understanding of stage machinery, or stage carpenters who paint extremely well. Each had a specific task that he gravitated toward, but their job title by no means limited their abilities and contributions to one task or a single skill. Others in this group included Walter Burridge and Ernest Albert. Albert and Burridge were two of three founders who established another Chicago scenic studio in 1891 – Albert, Grover, and Burridge. One of their largest projects would be the manufacture and delivery of scenery and stage machinery for the Beckwith Memorial Theatre in Dowagiac, Michigan. This theater is significant within the framework of American theatre history.

Here is a refresher of the Albert, Grover & Burridge before revisiting the Beckwith Memorial Theatre and its link to the Chicago Auditorium. Ernest Albert (1857-1946), Oliver Dennett Grover (1861-1927) and Walter Burridge (1857-1913) founded “Albert, Grover & Burridge.” Their studio was located at 3127-33 State Street, Chicago, covering an area of 100×125 feet. Two of the founders had a significant tie to stage carpenter Bairstow: Albert worked as a scenic artist for the Chicago Auditorium and Chicago Opera House, while Walter Burridge was the scenic artist for both the Grand Opera House and McVicker’s. Keep in mind that John Bairstow worked as a stage carpenter at McVickers, the Grand Opera and the Chicago Auditorium. Grover was an art instructor at the Chicago Art Institute and linked to the planning of the Columbian Exposition. Albert and Burridge both worked with Thomas G. Moses at Sosman & Landis during the 1880s. Each would have known the long-time Sosman & Landis stage carpenter, Charles S. King. King is also a possible contender for the conception and development of Brown’s special system.

Advertisement for Albert, Grover & Burridge

The scenic studio of Albert, Grover & Burridge is described in “Chicago and its Resources Twenty Years After, 1871-1891: A Commercial History Showing the Progress and Growth of Two Decades from the Great Fire to the Present Time.” The studio was mentioned as implementing advancements in the methods of mounting and presentation of stage plays. Albert, Grover & Burridge leased the old Casino building on State Street, just south of 31^st street, and renovated it. Their space included 12,000 square feet of working area, and another 2,500 square feet devoted to storage and sewing room. There were twenty paint frames, ranging from 56 by 35 feet to 30 by 20 feet. This was a sizable complex.

A unique feature implemented by Albert, Grover & Burridge was that it included a staging area for scenic effects and innovations. The abovementioned publication reports, “The studio is so large that it permits the artists to introduce a novel feature in the art of painting scenery, which has been in their thoughts for some years. That is after a scene is painted, it can be hung, set and lighted in an open space the full size of any stage in the country, so that a manager can not only inspect it as an entirety, and thus suggest alterations, but he can bring his company to the studio and rehearse with the new scenery.” This idea had already been partially implemented by the Hanlon brothers at their private theater and workspace in Cohasset, where their master mechanic William Knox Brown tested new stage machinery and effects. Albert, Grover & Burridge went beyond the manufacture of scenery – they were the visionaries who combined painted illusion, lighting innovations, and new stage machinery. They were no different from other scenic studios in Chicago, they just had the space to expand and add a staging area. Scenic studios, with their staff of stage carpenters and scenic artists remained at the forefront of technological advancements, integrating old techniques with new technology. Unfortunately for Albert, Grover & Burridge, their business venture went bankrupt in two years, so they were not around when E. A. Armstrong and Bestor G. Brown were looking for a scenic studio to subcontract for Scottish Rite work. Sosman & Landis were waiting in the wings. However, their contributions can not be discounted when looking at the circle of innovators who helped disseminate the new counterweight technology.

By 1901, a Minneapolis “Star Tribune” article notes new settings at the Bijou Theatre in the article “Experts Behind the Scenes” (January 13). This provides a little context into the shifting staging techniques for commercial theater productions: “The stage proper was divided by the old system of grooves, which were used to hold up the scenery into divisions, one, two, three and four, where the stage was extra deep, sometimes five and six. Grooves are a mechanical contrivance in which the scenes slide back and forth. This method of stage setting is very seldom employed at the present time, the more modern arrangements of setting scenes in a box shape, supporting them with braces and connecting them by lash lines, being more common use.” At the same time box sets became more standard leg drops and fly scenery replaced wings, shutters, and roll drops.

In 1899 the fly scenery at the Beckwith Memorial Theatre is examined in “W.A. Norton’s Directory of Dowagiac, Cassopolis and La Grange, Pokagon, Silver Creek and Wayne Townships” (1899). The publication reports, “The scenery is designed for the cyclorama effect which has been found so effective, and which was first used in the Auditorium in Chicago. By this arrangement a scene can be set as a street or garden by simply moving the scenes which are profiled on both sides and top, anywhere desired. Every set of scenery is a finished piece of art. It is, after the latest fashion, lashed together with ropes and is capable of being made into seventy-five distinct stage dressings” (page 159). Earlier newspapers described the thirty-six hanging drops that could be combined in various combinations for seventy-six set possibilities.

Drop curtain by Albert, Grover, & Burridge for the Beckwith Memorial Theatre

The Dowagiac “Republican” from January 18, 1893 described the new building as “The finest theater in America,” elaborating on the painted scenery: “It is the fitting and arrangement of the stage in the Beckwith Memorial Theatre, that the greatest care has been exercised to obtain the best possible results, and a great degree of success has been obtained. To go into technicalities and the use of stage terms would not be perhaps intelligible to our readers generally, so we will note only the main points. The stage is fifty by thirty-eight feet. Up to the gridiron, from which is suspended by an elaborate system of lines and pulleys all of the stage settings it is possible to use in the form of drop curtains, is fifty feet, allowing ample room for hoisting out of sight a whole screen in a few seconds, and allowing rapid changing of scenes so necessary to the continuing of the action of a play and effects are made possible that were unknown in the old days of sliding flats. To those acquainted with and interested in things theatrical and matters pertaining to proper stage fitting we think it is sufficient guarantee of the success of the stage to say that Albert, Grover & Burridge, of Chicago, had the direction of the stage fittings and the wall decorations of the auditorium and the entire building. Ernest Albert, of A., G., & B., under whose direction the art glass, colorings, the selection of draperies, and the furnishings of the theater were made, had succeeded admirably in producing the most beautiful and harmonious whole.”

The Beckwith Memorial Theatre of Dowagiac, Michigan, was built in 1892 for the cost of one hundred thousand dollars. Albert, Grover & Burridge directed the plan and installation of all stage fittings, the wall decorations of the auditorium, and painted décor throughout the entire building. This was a major extravagance for a small town that numbered less than seven thousand people. For more information pertaining to this theater, see past installment 134.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 634 – Revisiting Brown’s Special System with William Knox Brown

Part 634: Revisiting Brown’s Special System with William Knox Brown

Scenic studios went far beyond painting drops. Scenic artists, stage carpenters, and stage mechanics were visionaries; those who combined painted illusion, lighting innovations, and new stage technology on a daily basis. They were at the forefront of technological innovation, integrating old trades and new technology, often registering their designs with the patent office.

In 1909, Brown’s Special System system was the Sosman & Landis’ “standard” when installing scenery and stage machinery in Scottish Rite theaters. For the past two days, I have examined possible candidates who may have been involved in the conception phase, design, and installation of Brown’s special system during the first decade of the twentieth century. I am now compelled to look at a few close connections in the Midwest – other stage carpenters, stage mechanics and scenic artists who may have been involved with this new counterweight system. I realize that it will be impossible to pinpoint, but that contributes to the enjoyment during this particular quest.

During the 1890s, scenic studio employees drifted from one studio to another. It was an intricate network propelled by an ever-increasing demand for scenic illusion and stage effects. In fact, it greatly benefitted studio owners to not only know their competition, but also maintain close ties to their competitors; they may need to draw upon another’s labor pool if a large project came along. During this period massive projects would appear, requiring a legion of theatrical suppliers and manufacturers to complete the projects on time. Projects requiring complicated stage machinery and painted illusion ranged from huge outdoor pyrotechnic events and grand circus spectacles to word fair amusements and electrical parades. There was a shared material culture between the general public and multiple entertainment industries.

Minnesota’s Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) were a short railway ride away from Chicago, the central shipping hub. Sosman & Landis completed many projects in Minnesota and the degrees of separation in the theater world were far less than the presently allotted six. It would be an anomaly to think that the movers and shakers of the theater world in Chicago were not in constant contact with those in the Twin Cities. There is one well-known stage mechanic and stage carpenter, William Knox Brown, who traversed the country throughout the late-nineteenth century. In 1888, the “Saint Paul Globe” reported, “W. K. Brown of New York, the stage carpenter, deserves credit for the clever mechanical effects to be seen at the People’s [Theatre]. He is enthusiastic, a skilled mechanic and an artist in his line” (Saint Paul Globe, 19 Feb 1888, page 10).

William Knox Brown, the stage mechanic, pictured in the “St. Paul Globe,” 19 Feb 1888, page 10

William Knox Brown engineered brilliant stage effects, and was a well-known stage carpenter and stage mechanic who traversed the country. Brown was an up and coming inventor during the late nineteenth century.

An article written by Geo. W. Welty, titled, “Experts Behind the Scenes,” included a brief synopsis of Brown’s career as a stage carpenter (The Star Tribune, 13 January 1901). The article noted that Brown was a “mechanic of experience” and “one of the best stage carpenters in the country” with a “thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the art of stage mechanism.” It then went on to describe his experience since first arriving in Minneapolis as a stage carpenter in 1882. Beginning in 1883, he was employed at the Grand Opera House in St. Paul. By 1887, he was connected with the People’s Theatre when it opened. He then took charge of the stage in Burd’s Opera house, in Davenport Iowa. From Iowa, he moved to the Harris theatre in Louisville, Kentucky,and by 1890 was connected with the Henrietta theater in Columbus Ohio.

By 1901, Brown had acquired the reputation for being one of the best stage carpenters in the country, being called “a mechanic of excellence” (Star Tribune, 13 Jan 1901, page 27).

Brown was also credited with “that rare quality of being able to control men without trouble, and while a strict tactician, he is yet extremely popular with all his employees.” These qualities landed Brown a position as master mechanic with the Hanlon Bros. spectacle “Superba.” Brown not only directed the staging of the production on tour, but also was engaged to direct the building, repairing and testing of new effects and “featured stage mechanisms” at their private stage and workshop in Cohasset, Massachusetts. The Star Tribune reported, “Mr. Brown, during his years of travel, with his splendid powers of grasping facts, has been able to acquire a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the art of stage mechanism. This knowledge he has put to good use at the Bijou, for the stage of that theater today is conceded to be one of the most complete in the country; traveling managers sending many compliments for the excellent manner in which it is conducted” (Star Tribune, 13 Jan 1901, page 27).

William Knox Brown, the stage mechanic, pictured in the “Star Tribune,” (Minneapolis, MN) 13 Jan 1901, page 27

In 1894, the Hanlon Brothers lost $100,000 worth of “Superba” scenery during a fire at the “Globe” in Boston. It was the third time that the Company had been “burned out,” in other words losing their scenery, to fire in eighteen months (Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan 1894, page 1). If I were the stage mechanic, this may be my sign to leave the touring world and start my own studio. That year, Brown returned to Minneapolis to take charge of the Metropolitan stage in 1894 when it was opened by W. F. Sterling. Consider that there is a “Brown” who is testing new stage effects, developing machinery, and applying his know-how to the theater that he is working at by 1894. At this same time the Brown special system is likely in the early stages of conception.

By 1895, William Knox Brown enters a partnership with Theodore Hays and William P. Davis, starting the Twin City Scenic Studio. The three initially work out of the Bijou Opera House in Minneapolis and later construct their own studio on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. Each partner had a specific role: Theodore Hays was the business manager, Brown was in charge of the stage mechanics, and Davis, who had previously worked at the Chicago Auditorium, led the painting.

By 1904, however, Brown is heralded for a new invention that pertains to rigging. (Star Tribune, 7 Jan 1904, page 7). The fire at the Iroquois theater prompted many cities and theater managers to contemplate fire safety in their theaters. The “Star and Tribune” quoted then manager of the Bijou Theodore L. Hays. Hays stated, “The Chicago catastrophe has emphasized the importance of asbestos curtains and the Girard Avenue theatre fire in Philadelphia, where an asbestos curtain was lowered in proper time, demonstrated their worth by keeping the fire from the auditorium proper fully fifteen minutes, ample time for any audience to be dismissed, evening in a panic… Appreciating the necessity of its quick operation in an emergency, W. K. Brown our stage carpenter, has already perfected and put in practical operation an arrangement which permits the lowering or raising of the asbestos curtain from either side of the main stage floor, as well as from the fly gallery.” Later Hays added, “We want safety and not ingenious inventions that nobody understands but the inventor. Safety in this matter lies in the things that ones fingers out of habit would operate automatically no matter how excited the brain might be.”

I re-read this section several times seeing what I had known all along to be the whole point of Brown’s special system. It was easily operated and relatively safe; no locks, sand bags or belaying pins. Whoever pulled the line was in complete control of the speed, it could go as fast, or slow, as needed. Whoever designed the counterweight system that is still used by many Masonic stage hands every year realized that “Safety in this matter lies in the things that one’s fingers out of habit would operate automatically no matter how excited the brain might be.”

Think of the cowboys and bankers waiting off stage before a scene change at a Scottish Rite Reunion – first-time stagehands. Their brains were excited, but all they had to do was pull a rope.

The earliest functioning example of Brown’s special system still n the original venue is located in Duluth, Minnesota. The Sosman & Landis installation of the system is dated 1904. In 1905, the “Minneapolis Journal,” advertised, “general stage apparatus and appliances designed, manufactured and modeled by the Twin City Scenic Studio, leading scenic contractors of the northwest” (Minneapolis Journal, 25 Feb 1905, page 18). Brown was listed as the stage mechanic for the company in the ad. That meant W. K. Brown was designing special stage stage apparatus. At the time, stage apparatus was the word designating rigging systems. So W. K. Brown was designing special systems for the stage, like Brown’s special system.

Advertisement for the Twin City Scenic Studio from the “Minneapolis Journal,” 25 Feb 1905, page 18

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 633 – Revisiting Brown’s Special System

Part 633: Revisiting Brown’s Special System

I am still exploring the development of Scottish Rite stages and degree productions, specifically the implementation of “Brown’s Special System.”

An example of Brown’s special system from 1912.

An example of Brown’s special system from 1904

I left off yesterday with a new counterweight system being developed in the Midwest with a unique client – the Scottish Rite. This innovation allowed more drops to be crammed into a limited amount of space, resulting in the sale of even more stage machinery and scenery. This development and sale of this new counterweight system involved three entities – a fraternal supplier (E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co.), a salesman (Bestor G. Brown), and a scenic studio (Sosman & Landis). It happened sometime between 1896 and 1904. I am aware of only one example that exists, as originally installed from 1904. This system would be still be installed by Sosman & Landis in the 1920s, as used stage machinery was recycled for future Scottish Rite installations. In other words, during a time when metal frames became the standard, Sosman & Landis was still installing used wooden arbors.

So lets look at the major players: E. A. Armstrong Co. is the fraternal supply company secures the stage contract and then subcontracts the scenery, rigging and lighting portions to other firms. They move to Chicago in 1892 and construct a new factory in 1893. Bestor G. Brown, who leads the Maosnic Department at E. A. Amstrong and Co., moves to Chicago and begins working as a traveling salesman in 1894. Joseph S. Sosman and Perry Landis who establish a scenic studio, manufacture stage hardware, and install Brown’s special systems. These two also establish the American Reflector and Lighting Company in 1894.

An advertisement for the American Reflector and Lighting Co. in the 1894 Sosman & Landis catalog

Who may have been responsible for the design of “Brown’s special system?” Obviously, someone who understands the mechanical needs of stage houses. After examining Bestor G. Brown’s education, training and early career choices, there is nothing to suggest that he had any mechanical experience as a stagehand or worked backstage at a theater. If would be unlikely for someone devoid of any backstage experience to intimately understand a stage house and come up with an innovative new system to improve it.

If we interpret the “Brown” in Brown’s special system to designate the salesman peddling the new technology and not the designer of the system, one needs to look at potential candidates in the region, especially those at the Sosman & Landis studio, who may have designed the system. We do not know who was in charge of delivering Brown’s special system at Sosman & Landis. Here are the known individuals who we know worked with development, construction and installation of stage machinery at Sosman & Landis:

W. H. Clifton, a Sosman & Landis stage machinist sent to superintend installations at opera houses, theaters and Elks auditoriums. The first mention of Clifton working for the company is 1889, and he continues into the first decade of the twentieth century. Newspaper articles report that Clifton was sent to superintend the work, requiring him to spend time on site – often about four weeks. His duties on site included fitting the stage carpets and conducting a final run through of all items with the client.

Charles S. King, often listed as C. S. King, was listed as both a stage mechanic and stage carpenter in the same article! King began his career in 1859, and by 1887 had installed 200 stage systems. In 1889, he mentioned that he began working for Sosman & Landis fifteen years earlier – in 1874 – the same year that Sosman arrived in Chicago. Sosman & Landis did not officially form until 1877. The date of King’s death is currently unknown. Both Clifton and King are the only stage carpenters/stage mechanics who I have discovered being publically mentioned as installing scenery and stage machinery on site. Both appear in article during the late 1880s.

David A. Strong was a scenic artist and stage mechanic. We know the most about his scenic art work at Sosman & Landis in the memoirs of Thomas G. Moses. Moses worked with Strong in the beginning, assisting him as an “up and coming young artist.” Strong also works as the lead scenic artist in the beginning at Sosman & Landis, painting much of the Masonic scenery orders as he is a Scottish Rite Mason and has a wide artistic range of subject matter.Moses later refers to Strong as the “Daddy” of all Masonic design, yet he does not differentiate whether the design was solely painted composition or the entire stage aesthetic and scenic effects. We know that brown was a member of the Theatrical Mechanics association and the in same Theatrical Mechanics Association Chicago Lodge No. 4 was John Bairstow who worked on the stage house for the Chicago Auditorium. Brown unexpectedly passed away at in early February 1911.

By 1904, Moses supervises the production of most Masonic work at Sosman & Landis. We know that he did not simply paint scenes, but also designed scenic effects and some of the necessary machinery needed for a variety of spectacles. He had done this for many clients, whether he was representing Sosman & Landis or himself. He also designed amusement park rides after briefly working for Fred C. Thompson.

“Mr. Brown” was a Sosman & Landis stage carpenter who worked for the company during the first decade of the twentieth century, maybe before. Thomas G. Moses mentions the unexpected death of their foreman carpenter– Mr. Brown, who died during late February of 1911.

Now this is where the stage carpenter and stage mechanic can get confusing. Throughout the nineteenth century, the term is somewhat fluid, as stage carpenters are credited with the design and construction of mechanical effects and stage illusion. Stage mechanics are also credited with the design and construction of mechanical effects and the engineering of metamorphosis on stage. Newspapers will refer to the same person associated with the same production as both a stage carpenter in one article and a stage mechanic in another. Although there may be specific duties applied with each, they did not seem to be uniform when used in programs, newspaper articles, or handwritten memoirs.

There were many other stage carpenters and mechanics who filtered through the Sosman & Landis shops from 1877 until 1904. But only one was recognized as being “the only one” who was thoroughly familiar with Brown’s special system by 1912. A statement made by Bestor G. Brown in written correspondence with the Austin Scottish Rite during 1912 states that there was one specific stage mechanic who supervised the installation of the stage machinery for all Scottish Rite installations. At the time, this mechanic was currently working at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite on their new stage. Brown explained that the mechanic’s anticipated timeline was three weeks on site during the fall of 1912. This statement about timeline corresponds with information pertaining to the stage mechanic Clifton superintending an installation.

A later letter from Brown to the Austin Scottish Rite reported that their “superintendent and installation expert” died from an accident, commenting that their deceased employee was the “only one thoroughly familiar with the special method of installing Scottish Rite scenery.” Then he continued, “We do not mean that it is impossible to follow the same methods as heretofore, but it will take a longer time to do it because of a lack of familiarity with the work.”

It may not be the case that this he was the only person who knew the special method – ever. He may have been the only one remaining who was familiar with the special method. If we consider that two potential candidates unexpectedly died during 1911, a team of three could have rapidly been depleted to a team of two in one month. Scenic artist and stage mechanic David A. Strong died on February 5, 1911. Sosman & Landis’ foreman carpenter “Mr. Brown” died on February 27, 1911. It is possible that the only remaining individual who understood the system was Charles S. King. We do not know that the expert was King, but we also don’t know when King died. In 1912, King’s age could have been 69 years old. I use this as a baseline, since many in the technical theatre industry started their profession at the age of 16. Would the expert be sent out on the road at an advanced age? Yes as we know that Moses worked well into his seventies; not solely from an office, but he worked in the studio and on site.

Now there was another “superstar stage mechanic” in the region when Brown’s special system was developed and installed…William Knox Brown. Same name even. Brown was also a Scottish Rite Mason. As a stage mechanic, he had certainly proved his worth and ingenuity time and time again. Brown would also found a scenic studio with two others in the mid-1890s. We’ll look at what Brown was doing in the Midwest tomorrow.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 631 – Original and Reliable – E. A. Armstrong

Part 631: Original and Reliable – E. A. Armstrong

E. A. Armstrong Regalia Company began in Detroit, Michigan, during 1868

Those first theaters created for the Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry were secured by the E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co. and subcontracted to Sosman & Landis. Both companies were in Chicago and both companies were run by Scottish Rite Masons. The key figure was Bestor G. Brown, a traveling salesman for E. A. Armstrong who was in charge of their Masonic Department. Brown was also involved in multiple fraternal orders and understood all necessary degree requirements. Brown opened the door to this enterprise, E. A. Armstrong provided the financial backing, and Sosman & Landis created something remarkable for staged degree work. Let’s look at the E. A. Armstrong company first, a fraternal supply company that got its start in Detroit during 1868. By the 1890s, they were building a new manufacturing plant in Chicago.

Armstrong Regalia label attached to a coat

The E. A. Armstrong Company, manufacturers of and dealers in society and military supplies, were located at Nos. 149 and 151 Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, during 1893. The company had already run a successful business for two decades in Detroit, Michigan, moving to Chicago during the summer of 1892. At the time, the officers of the company were E. A. Armstrong, President; F. S. Armstrong, Vice-President; and F. C. King, Secretary (Chicago Tribune, 6 June 1893, page 3). In 1893 while finishing the construction of their factory, the company encountered some financial trouble. Newspapers across the country reported that the company would close its doors due to money owed and a court ruling.

The “Indianapolis Journal,” commented, “Mr. Armstrong said that the cause of the trouble was due to the drawing out of more money than they anticipated in the building of their new factory at Ninety-second street and the Grand Trunk road. ‘Every dollar’s worth of property that we owe on earth,’ said Mr. Armstrong, ‘is here in this business, and every dollar of it is in the hands of our assignee for the protection of our creditors. This suspension is only temporary at most” (6 Jun 1893, page 1). The company managed to survive, becoming the E. A Armstrong Manufacturing Company. They managed to corner the market on a significant client in the years to follow– Scottish Rite Consistories. Keep in mind that the Scottish Rite consists of four bodies: the Lodge of Perfection (4-14 degrees), Chapter of Rose Croix (15-18 degrees), Council of Kadosh (19- 30 degrees) and the Consistory (31-32 degrees). It is the Consistory that often led the construction of a theater that all of the Scottish Rite bodies used to stage degree productions.

Advertisement from the “Railroad Telegrapher,” 1 June 1893, page 35

By 1902, “Masonic Voice-Review” included an article about the E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company that included the “Eminent Sir Bestor G. Brown” as working in the Masonic Division of E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company of Chicago (page 282) Brown would later go onto become the western sales representative of the M. C. Lilley & Co., with his regional offices in Kansas City, Missouri, bringing all of his Scottish Rite contacts with him. He was the catch of the day when it came to securing Scottish Rite theater business.

Here is the article “Original and Reliable” from “Masonic Voice-Review:”

‘Made on honor; is a legend that every manufacturer should be ambitious to have justly applied to his product, and is certainly an evidence of the good faith, integrity and courage of the concern that brands every article turned out with the significant sentiment in question as its trademark and guarantee. The right to use this protective designation as applied to Masonic supplies has been earned by E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company, of Chicago, by more than thirty years of continuous production of the most reliable and serviceable articles to be found in the market. The business was organized in Detroit, Michigan in 1868 by Mr. E. A. Armstrong, who has been in charge of the business without interruption since the date. The business was removed to Chicago in 1893, and in the following year was reorganized, additional capital invested, and a stock company formed under the name of E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company.

The worthily popular products of this house have made the name “Armstrong” famous as the equivalent for reliability. None of the rights, patents or patterns employed in the production of “Armstrong Goods” and the “Armstrong Uniforms” have passed to other hands, and the Masonic requisites so long familiar to the Craft are still produced upon the same plans of superiority that originally secured favor for them, and are manufactured solely by this company. The guarantee that goes with every sale is that the goods will give perfect satisfaction and are absolutely as represented.

The E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company is entitled to point with pride to the preferment it has secured among the various bodies of the Scottish Rite throughout the country. Excepting the Consistory at Columbus, Ohio, they have furnished the equipment and paraphernalia for every Consistory in the United States that has been in the market for an outfit in the past five years – certainly a phenomenal showing, and one that commends the output of the concern in unmistakable terms. The Consistories that have been equipped within the period mentioned by the company are located at Indianapolis, Ind.; Little Rock, Ark.; Galveston, Tex.; Kansas City, Miss.; Wichita, Kan.; Guthrie, Okla.; Fargo, N.D.; and St. Louis, Mo.

The equipment of the St. Louis Consistory which represented an order of $6,200, was delivered in May of the present year. The secret of this practical monopoly of the Scottish Rite patronage by the Armstrong house is the inherent excellence of its goods and the uniformly courteous and honorable treatment accorded its patrons. The Eminent Sir Bestor G. Brown has special charge of the Masonic Department, and his intelligence and energetic methods coupled with a thorough knowledge of the requirements of the Craft has much to do with the notable success of this branch of the business.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 630 – Bestor G. Brown and the E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co.

Part 630: Bestor G. Brown and E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co.

In 1909, Moses wrote, “The Dallas Masonic work came in early, so did San Francisco and Cleveland, Ohio.” That year, Moses also supervised scenery collections for Scottish Rite theaters in Kansas City, Kansas, Winona, Minnesota, and Atlanta, Georgia. Today we look at the Kansas and Bestor G. Brown (1861-1917) before looking at the Scottish Rite installation in Kansas City, Kansas, during 1909.

Starting in the 1890s, Kansas became a hot bed of Scottish Rite activity. Theatre construction, new degree productions, and Masonic celebrations drew men together from across the region. It was during this time that both fraternal and business alliances were formed. Bestor G. Brown became the central hub on a spinning wheel of fraternal activity. As I have discussed in recent posts, Brown, would become the future western sales representative of the M. C. Lilley & Co., with his regional offices in Kansas City, Missouri. Brown joined Siloam Lodge No. 225, on March 11, 1884, where he served as Master in 1887 and 1888. Brown was also involved with other Masonic orders, such as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, York Rite, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and Order of the Eastern Star. In fact, Brown’s outstanding fraternal service gained him title to Kansas Lodge No. 433 A. F. & A. M. Lodge on March 1, 1923. It is now the Bestor G. Brown Lodge No. 433. Brown was involved with other non-Masonic fraternities, such as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protected Order of Elks. I have to ask myself where the guy found enough time to do it all as he traveled so much.

Bestor G. Brown pictured in the American Tyler, 1908, page 471.

Brown became a traveling salesman, peddling supplies for E. A. Armstrong during the 1890s. This was before Brown became the western sales manager for M. C. Lilley & Co. in 1904. From 1897 until 1902, Brown had special charge of the Armstrong’s Masonic department and secured ALL of the consistory contracts except one. That one was in Columbus, Ohio, however, by 1909, he would secure that Consistory contract too. In the 1902 publication “Masonic Voice-Review,” an article titled “Original and Reliable” commended the quality of products manufactured by the E. A. Armstrong Manufacturing Company of Chicago and Brown’s contribution. The article noted, “Excepting the Consistory at Columbus, Ohio, they have furnished the equipment and paraphernalia for every Consistory in the United States that has been in the market for an outfit in the past five years… The Consistories that have been equipped within the period mentioned by the company are located at Indianapolis, Ind.; Little Rock, Ark.; Galveston, Tex.; Kansas City, Miss.; Wichita, Kan.; Guthrie, Okla.; Fargo, N.D.; and St. Louis, Mo.” The article continued, “The Eminent Sir Bestor G. Brown has special charge of the Masonic Department, and his intelligence and energetic methods coupled with a thorough knowledge of the requirements of the Craft has much to do with the notable success of this branch of the business.”

This is a big deal, as it suggested that E. A. Armstrong captured the Scottish Rite theater business of the entire Southern Jurisdiction after Pike’s passing; remember, Pike, was not a supporter of stage degree productions and he was in charge of the Southern Jurisdiction until his death in 1891.

Brown was there when the Southern Jurisdictions first designed and installed their new scenery. He would be there again when these Masonic venues grew and needed new scenery a decade later. The only difference was that Brown would later be representing M. C. Lilley & Co. Consider this…the Valley’s were repurchasing scenery thru Brown. This did not necessarily mean that they were going with another company; they were going with the same man who just happened to now work for a new company. Brown knew what they wanted and what they already had. In other words, the Consistories believed he would take care of them as a fellow 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason.

The April 15, 1908, issue of “The American Tyler” would credit Brown as “the only Masonic stage manager in the country.” The article would further explain, “This is because he has a national reputation among scenic artists and builders of stage appliances, and because he created and developed the application of modern scenic properties to the dramatic presentation of all Masonic degrees. More value is probably attached to his opinion in such matters than to that of any other man in the country, and he is almost invariably consulted in regard to the construction of stages for the work of the Scottish Rite, everywhere throughout the United States.”

Each Scottish Rite Valley’s loyalty was to Brown and not necessarily the company he represented – M. C. Lilley. The scenic studio of Sosman & Landis was closely linked to Brown and his business. Brown and Sosman were both Scottish Rite Masons. After Sosman died in 1915 and Brown died in 1917, the Masonic connection dried up and much business went to Toomey & Volland who had been steadily building up their Masonic repertoire. And guess what? Volland was a Scottish Rite Mason and in charge of the stage direction at the Scottish Rite in St. Louis; the same as Brown who had been in charge of the stage direction in Wichita, Kansas. Volland was the “shiny new thing” on the Masonic playground. Volland got his Masonic scenery start in 1902, when Toomey & Volland were subcontracted by E. A. Armstrong to deliver $6,200 worth of scenery and stage equipment to the St. Louis Consistory during May and Brown was the one to negotiate the contract.

To be continued…