Sosman & Landis – Page 34

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 218 – Thomas G. Moses at Plack’s Opera House in Altoona, Pennsylvania

Moses wrote, “The year 1888 found me rather blue.” It was a combination of family and work troubles. His father was quite sick and would continue to decline until his passing in 1891. He was also still determined to make Burridge, Moses & Louderback work, but there was one hug problem – no Walter Burridge. Burridge had left he partnership after differences with Louderback and returned to the Grand Opera House where was once again on salary.

At the beginning of February, Moses went to Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was painting for the new “Plack’s Opera House,” dedicated the Mountain City Theatre. In 1887 Louis Plack began construction on the Mountain City Theatre on Eleventh Street and Twelfth Avenue. Amazingly, the Masonic Temple was also on that same corner – Eleventh Street and Twelfth Avenue too. The Mountain City Theatre opened in February 1888 with the Emma Abbott Opera Company.

Emma Abbott (1849-1891) in advertisement for Virginia Brights Cigarettes.

On March 5, 1889, the building was destroyed by fire. Plack then built the Phoenix Block, a business building, on the theatre’s site. In 1906 this was remodeled to include a theatre named the Lyric. This building was also destroyed by fire on February 24, 1907. It was again rebuilt and subsequently named the Orpheum, then the Embassy, and finally the Penn. Whew – lots of theatre names for one site.

Moses’ painting for Plack was briefly interrupted as he needed to return to Chicago and complete some “special work.” It was “Lights and Shadows,” a new play that was going to tour.

Program for 1888 production of “Lights and Shadows.” From scrapbook attributed to the Whalley family. It provides a rare and unique glimpse into Nashville’s theatrical history. https://library.nashville.org/blog/2016/10/nashville-theatrics-1888

Scenic design for “Lights and Shadows.” From scrapbook attributed to the Whalley family. It provides a rare and unique glimpse into Nashville’s theatrical history. https://library.nashville.org/blog/2016/10/nashville-theatrics-1888

Billie Marin was sent to Altoona until Moses could return. Moses completed the painting, headed to Philadelphia for the rehearsal of “Lights and Shadows,” and then returned to Altoona.

Area in Altoona near the Mountain City Theatre.

By May 12 Moses was once again in Altoona and hoping to close a contract with Balzell and Rouss for the 11^th Street Opera House. Interestingly, Perry Landis also showed up after the same job. Moses recalled that after their meeting at the theatre, they went to the hotel and sat up long after midnight to talk over business. Moses wrote, “Sosman and Landis wanted me to come back with them, and I agreed to do so as soon as I could finish my work. I was to receive my old salary of $50.00 per week, and a chance to do contract work, which would increase my salary to $4000.00 per year. Balzell gave Sosman and Landis the contract on the strength of my going back.”

Moses then had to settle up with Louderback, finish all of their remaining work, and then started back at Sosman & Landis’ studio. His first studio project was on the West Coast. He tried to get out of the California trip as he was tired of traveling and wanted to remain at home with Ella and his children. Regardless of his desire to remain in Chicago for a bit, he left for California on June 10. On his way, he stopped by to see Lem Graham at Kansas City Scenic and recorded that his friend was doing well.

Lemuel L. Graham’s company, Kansas City Scenic Co. of Kansas City, Missouri. They made hardware in addition to painted scenery like many scenic studios.

Moses enjoyed the trip though New Mexico and Arizona, but noted that it was awfully hot during the day, about 110° in the train car. Luckily it cooled down at night. Overall, the trip took four days and five nights and Moses wrote, “On arriving in Los Angeles, I was very surprised to find such a hustling large city, about 50,000 population. I took in everything in the vicinity while I was waiting for my paint frame to be completed.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 217 – Thomas G. Moses Leaves Sosman & Landis Studio

In 1887, Moses wrote, “My discontent with studio work got the upper hand and I quit on February 11, and joined Burridge, Moses and Louderback.”

Burridge, Moses, & Louderback was short-lived and lasted until 1888. During that time it provided Moses with a wonderful opportunity to be associated with two other individuals who were well-respected in the fine art world. The company focused on stage production work and had their office and several frames in the Chamber of Commerce building in Chicago. Their main studios were at the Columbia Theatre and Grand Opera House.

Newspaper article listing Burridge, Moses & Louderback as scenic artists for the Columbia Theatre, previously Haverly’s Theatre.

Illustration of the Columbia Theatre’s front entrance.

Previously known as Haverly’s Theatre, the Columbia’s stage was 70 by 54 feet. Advertisements listed Louderback as the business manager. He was well-respected owner of an auction house with fine art galleries, carrying a variety of high-end fine products in the Chicago area. It was Louderback & Co. that had previously hosted the first Scene Painters’ Show in 1885 at 215 Wabasha Avenue.

Burridge was a year younger than Moses, born in 1857. He initially trained with Harley Merry at his Brooklyn Studio during the early 1870s. By 1876 he worked with Phil Goatcher for the Philadelphia Centennial World Fair, painting the “Seige of Paris.” He would later paint a the “Battle of Gettysburg” panorama. After working in Philadelphia, he returned to New York and painted at the Bijou and Fourteenth Street theatres. Then he headed for Chicago where work was plentiful and his skills were in demand. From 1882-1885 Burridge worked with John A. Havlin at Chicago’s Grand Theatre. He was also listed as the scenic artist for the Standard Theatre before partnering with Moses and Louderback. Burridge’s skill and connections would have been an asset to the newly formed studio.

The work of Burridge, Moses & Louderback during 1887-1888 included “Gypsy Baron” for the Conried and Hermann Opera Company, 2 panoramas for Joe Murphy for “Donah,” and 2 complete productions of “Kerry Gow.” They also stocked the Grand Opera House in Columbus, Ohio and Foster’s Opera House in Des Moines, Iowa. They also worked in New York City and Moses noted that they produced scenery for the Duff Company’s production of “Dorothea” at the Standard Theatre. Moses wrote, “This was a great experience for me, for the production came out fine. The 1^st Act was a scene in County Kent, England – grain fields and fine rolling country. Stage right a lot of hop vines on poles. Left, a wayside inn. All very sunny, but inclined to be grey. At rehearsal, on came the Inn Kepper with a pair of the brightest scarlet satin knickerbockers. What a yell Burridge gave out. They killed the whole set. Burridge insisted on a change of color, which was done. “ During this same time, Burridge, Moses & Louderback stocked six city theatres with all of the necessary scenery. Of this busy period, Moses wrote, “We worked day and night.”

On November 20, 1888, Burridge pulled out of business because he and Louderback couldn’t agree on the running of their company. Louderback came from a “managing art” background while Burridge came from a “creating art” background. Moses was caught in the middle. As Burridge’s replacement, Howard Tuttle was brought on board. He joined Moses and his assistant (Ralph Terwilliger) at their loft studio on Lake Street. Tuttle would remain with Moses for the next few years, traveling to Riverside, CA, San Francisco, CA, Evansville, IN and Corvallis, OR. He would later be responsible for scenery at the Davidson (Milwaukee, WI), the La Crosse Theatre (La Crosse, Wisconsin), Grand Opera House (Oshkosh, WI), Illinois Theatre (Rock Island, IL), Calumet Theatre (Calumet, MI), and Stone’s Theatre (Flint, MI).

Without Burridge, however, Moses’ business venture was not nearly as successful. Moses wrote, “I would have been better off had I remained at Sosman and Landis’, as my share of salary only amounted to $42.00 per week. Not very much of a hustler. While I was not pleased, I was anxious to keep on.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 215 – Thomas G. Moses and David A. Strong

In 1886, Sosman and Landis completed the construction of their scenic studio on Clinton Street in Chicago, Illinois. By this time, Moses had been working at Sosman & Landis for six years. The company knew what he was capable of and who were the best scenic artists to use on specialty projects. Moses’ typed manuscript records that he and David A. Strong started on a panorama of Grant’s trip around the world that year. Moses wrote, “We were alone in the big studio for some time before the whole force came over. We enjoyed painting the panorama as it was continuous. There was some careful blending to be done.” The remainder of the Sosman & Landis crew was still finishing projects in the old studio space.
Little is known about this panorama, but it was likely a moving panorama that documented General Grant’s worldwide tour. After leaving the office of the presidency in 1877, Ulysses S. Grant embarked on a journey around the world, visiting Europe, the Middle East and Asia over two and one-half years. The trip was first published in 1879 as “General Grant’s Tour Around the World: With a Sketch of His Life.” It provided an abundance of opportunities to paint visions of foreign lands and exotic scenery for American audiences. Sadly, nothing is known of the completed composition or where it toured across the country.

John Banvard’s panorama. Here is a great link for his story Banvard from the online site Atlas Obscura: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/foer-files-banvard-s-folly

What is of interest to me, however, is Moses’ mention that he and Strong were the painting team for this project and the primary crew at the new Sosman & Landis studio before the arrival of the remaining crew. Strong was fifty-six years old and Moses was thirty years old in 1886. This was a perfect pairing of aged experience and youthful enthusiasm. We know that Moses was very fast and Strong was known for his production of visual spectacle. Working with Strong in any capacity must have been an asset in Moses’ career and training.

By this time, Moses had already made a name for himself and was well-respected as a scenic artist in many areas of the country. Working with Strong would have been the icing on the cake. They would have painted side-by-side, chatted about past projects, and anticipated each other’s approach to painting a large composition. It takes a very short time to recognize the skill and speed of a fellow artist when painting a backdrop together. A panorama would have provided ample opportunity for Moses to study Strong’s approach to scenic art and mirror it so the composition would have an overall unity. Strong would have set the tone of the entire piece, being the more experienced artist.

Let’s recall the significance of Strong (1830-1911) to appreciate this pairing. Strong was born in Connecticut where he became known as a decorative painter and scenic artist at an early age. By the age of thirty-four, he was working professionally at theatres in Washington, D.C. and New York, primarily staying on the East Coast. There, his contemporaries were Layfeyette W. Seavy, Richard Marston, Robert Smith, William Wallack and E. Hayes. At the age of forty-four, he moved to Chicago and painted for Crosby’s Opera House, Haverly’s Theatre, and McVicker’s Theatre. Strong was also a well-known stage machinist who specialized in burlesque pantomime, such as “The Black Crook” and “The White Fawn.” Well skilled in the creation of painted panoramas, he also was known for painting the 1871 “Panorama of Ireland.” Strong was affectionately referred to as “Old Trusty” by his fellow scenic artists and well-respected for his “facile brush,” and “the quality of opaqueness” in his painting, characteristic of the Dusseldorf School.” Moses wrote, “His color was deep and rich and his drawings very correct.”

Strong was not simply a scenic artist. As previously noted, he was also a member of the Theatrical Mechanics Association. Strong, Henry C. Tryon and Charles S. King would have been a powerful triumvirate of theatrical engineering at Sosman & Landis during this time, allowing the company to soar to the top of their industry. The construction of a new studio space was proof of their success.

By 1886, Sosman & Landis studio had contracted enough new business to justify the construction of a premiere studio space on Clinton Street. This would be their main studio until the 1920s when Chicago Studios would rent the facility. We also know that by this time, Henry C. Tryon, John H. Young, Hardesty Maratta, Ed Morange and Charles S. King were all part of the studio’s work force. I wish that I could have been there to see all of that talent under one roof.

To be continued…

Design and painting by Lance Brockman for an 1987 showboat production. He and Janey Ryger created an amazing painting of the Mississippi River for the University of Minnesota’s Centennial Showboat. This performance venue’s fate is uncertain as the University of Minnesota’s Department of Theatre and Dance abandoned this educational opportunity. It is currently the possession of the City of St. Paul.

View of a section of the panorama from the 1987 U of MN Showboat production.

View of the Mississippi panorama. This was from when I unrolled it for students at the U of MN – Twin Cities while teaching a scene painting course.

Painted detail from the moving panorama designed by Lance Brockman for the University of Minnesota Centennial Showboat in 1987.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 214 – Thomas G. Moses at Wood’s Theatre in Bay City Michigan

In 1886, Thomas G. Moses promised to remain another year at Sosman & Landis. This regular line of studio work involved travel and it kept him busy all year. His typed manuscript notes that he completed two “short trips” to paint scenery in Bay City, Michigan and Toronto, Canada. Putting on my detective hat, I started to search for possible venues. In a relatively short time, I was able to determine that Moses had likely been sent to outfit the newly constructed Wood’s Opera House. Here is what I uncovered about Bay City:

Most of Bay City’s early theaters were housed in multi-purpose facilities. For example, Sidney Campbell’s “Globe House” was initially built as a hotel. By 1865, the “Globe House” was purchased by A.N. Rouech who added a performance space on the building’s upper level. Various records indicate that this was considered the community’s first permanent theater. Similarly, James Fraser’s “Fraser House” also included a multipurpose room that functioned as both a ballroom and a theater on its upper level. Without any form of permanent seating, each space was more like a performance hall (or Masonic hall) with a stage located at the end of a long rectangular room.

Westover Opera House in Bay City, Michigan. This was the structure prior to Wood’s Opera House where Thomas G. Moses painted scenery in 1886.

The 1869 Westover Opera House was constructed and considered to be the first standard theater facility for Bay City residents with fixed seating. Unfortunately, fire destroyed the opera house in January of 1886. This building had been located on William Westover’s business block, utilizing the third and fourth floors. At that time, it was reported as being the finest theater facilities north of Detroit. I always read between the lines of “finest theatre” as it often appeared to be a marketing ploy.

In 1885, Westover planned to renovate the opera house as it was considered unsafe and badly in need of repairs. He hired J.M. Wood to oversee the renovation project as he had initially designed the structure when the Westover block was built. Westover’s manager, John Buckley, even made arrangements with the “Washington Avenue Rink” to temporarily construct a performance space for productions during the renovation. However, the attendance at the temporary location was poor and the remodeling of the facility did not start right away.

In the “Bay City Tribune” the future performance space was described as being a “three story building in front, with stores and offices on each side of the main entrance and a large hall or assembly room on the third floor.” The opera house would have a large gallery, a fire wall, and an iron drop curtain between the stage and auditorium. The space would seat 1,200 individuals under a 48’-0” high dome. The article went on to describe the design in detail. The stage would be larger than that at the Academy of Music and thoroughly equipped with scenery and stage machinery. The building would include “more artistic effects than can be found in any opera house in the state.”

Westover decided to approach the city for financial assistance to help defray the high costs involved, requesting that the city donate $15,000. The city wasn’t that interested donating funds to a private endeavor, but did organize a committee to raise funds from the community for this purpose.

Amazingly, fate intervened and on January 17, 1886, the building caught on fire. In a very short time the entire block containing the opera house was considered a total loss. Sadly, only a small fraction of the damage was covered by insurance and any future theatre seemed impossible.

Wood’s Opera House in Bay City, Michigan.

Illustration of interior in Wood’s Opera House (Bay City, Michigan).

Regardless of the dire circumstances, a new Woods Opera House (1886-1902) replaced it that same year. It was considered Bay City’s first building solely devoted to theatre, positioned on the corner of Washington Ave. and Sixth Street. The first attraction at the newly constructed theatre appeared the first week of September. Inside the building, three levels comprised the performance space that included a main floor, balcony and gallery. There were three drop curtains and enough back drops that could create up to thirty different scene changes. This was the scenery collection that Moses had traveled to Bay City to paint on site.

The Washington Theatre was built on the same site as the Wood’s Opera House after a devastating fire destroyed the building.

Sadly, Woods Opera House would only live for sixteen years. Like it’s predecessor, it was destroyed by fire on August 29, 1902. “The Tide of Life” would be the opera house’s last performance as a fire would destroy the theater that evening. The financial lost was estimated at $113,000. Again, there was no hesitation to construct a new theater on the same site and the Washington Theatre opened the following year.

Historical note about J. M. Wood. Wood was a native of New York City, born in 1841. Early in his career, he moved to Chicago and started working as an architect. He eventually opened an office for himself and completed many designs for theaters, opera houses and concert halls throughout the United States. Projects include the New California Theater (Los Angeles), the Grand Opera House (Portland), the Tacoma Theater (Tacoma, Washington), New Broadway Theater (Minneapolis), Blake Opera House (Racine, WI), the Grand Opera House (Warsaw, WI), Rockford Opera House and Grand Opera House (Danville, IL), Academy of Music (East Saginaw), Academy of Music (Kalamazoo, MI), Redmond’s Opera House (Grand Rapids, MI), Academy of Music (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), Academies of Music in Franklin, Oil City and Altoona (Pennsylvania), Academy of Music (Cedar Rapids, IA), and many others too numerous to mention. Wood was noted as “an enthusiast in this branch of his profession, and has devoted a great deal of time and study to the comfort, convenience, acoustic qualities and effect in the design and arrangements of opera houses, theaters and concert halls” (“The Bay of San Francisco,” Volume 1, 1892).

To be continued…

Much of the above information was posted online at the Bay-Journal. Here is the link: http://bay-journal.com/bay/1he/theater/woodsopera.html#thumb

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 184 – The Marengo Opera House, 1883

Thomas G. Moses worked in Racine, Wisconsin, at the Belle City Opera House until in March of 1883. During March, he also worked for another opera house. The Journal Times (Racine, Wisconsin) reported that “Thomas Moses, the scenic artist, who painted all the handsome scenes at the Blake Opera House, departed for Illinois to-day. During his stay here Mr. Moses has made many warm friends, who wish him every success, wherever he may go” (14 March 1883, page 2). He then headed to Marengo, Illinois for another painting project. Initially named Pleasant Grove, Marengo was a city in McHenry County. The present name originated from the Battle of Marengo fought on June 14, 1800 between the French and Austrians.

Thomas G. Moses’ family was able to join him during his final weeks in Marengo. Although his typed manuscript does not specify his project in Marengo, it was for the opening of the town’s first opera house. In April of 1883, the Marengo Opera House was completed at the expense of $30,000. Julius Cahn’s Official Theatre Guide listed “Thos. Moses” as the scenic artist responsible for the painted settings. The theatre was located on the second floor with a proscenium opening that measured 20’ high by 25’ wide. There were three sets of grooves that measured 16’ high. There was one portable bridge and the grooves could be taken up flush with the fly gallery. The depth under the stage was 5’ with two traps, located back of center stage.

Marengo Opera House with scenery by Thomas G. Moses, 1883. Property of the McHenry County Historical Society.

Detail of painted setting by Thomas G. Moses, 1883. Marengo Opera House in Marengo, Illinois. Image from the McHenry County Historical Society.

Advertisement for the Marengo Opera House. From the Marengo Republican-News, June 22, 1883, page 4.

On August 3, 1883, “The Marengo Republican” published, “Few people are aware that Marengo has one of the finest opera houses to be found in the country. Not so large as Rockford, yet it has six hundred and sixty opera chairs, besides two handsome opera boxes (not mere shelves) and space for one hundred and fifty camp chairs in the spacious aisles. It is in all its appointments a model of neatness, convenience and comfort; is easy to access; well lighted; the private boxes elegantly finished; the acoustic properties excellent, and arrangements for heating and ventilation first class.”

After a lecture by Mr. Henry Ward Beecher in the Marengo Opera House, the newspaper published, “Wednesday evening, the house was crowded with as select an audience as we ever saw anywhere, at least 800 persons being present, and the scenery, the beautiful frescoing on the wall and ceiling, the variety of color and figures, all brought out with startling boldness under the brilliant glow of seventy-five gas jets, presented a scene highly pleasing and attractive, and one at which even the most prominent preacher in America felt gratified and honored.”

Beecher expressed “his delight and surprise at finding so elegantly appointed an opera house in a town the size of Marengo, and agreed with what must be a universal verdict of all who visit it, that the Marengo opera house, erected by the unaided private liberality of one citizen – R. M. Patrick – is a monument to his good taste and public spirit, of which every citizen of Marengo should be proud.”

After Marengo, Moses and Graham traveled to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, here they were going after a contract.

Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery for this venue when it opened in 1883.

Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery for this venue when it opened in 1883. Postcard property of the Oshkosh Public Museum.

Interior of the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery for this venue when it opened in 1883.

Auditorium of the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Thomas G. Moses painted the scenery for this venue when it opened in 1883.

This would have been for the Grand Opera House located at the corner of High Avenue and Market Street. It first opened its doors on August 9, 1883 and the first production here was called “The Bohemian.” Perry Landis of Sosman & Landis in Chicago was also providing an estimate for the job. Moses and Landis rode back together on a train bound for Chicago. Sosman met them upon their arrival. The studio wanted Moses and Graham in the Sosman & Landis studio and each were offered $45.00 a week.

Moses wired Graham their proposal as he was in Burlington. Graham was not so eager to accept, however and countered “$50.00 and extras.” The studio agreed and May 1, Moses. Graham and John H, Young were painting in the Sosman & Landis studios. Ed Loitz also joined their team and the studio continued to expand. Unfortunately, the boys were given a lot of “road work” to paint, and were not thrilled with this particular type of project, but the money was steady. Moses was able to rapidly increase his salary as he started to accept after-hour projects, averaging $70.00 per week.

Moses wrote that he accepted a lot of night work, although it was mostly piecework. He soon was sent on the road to complete a job in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Grand Opera House in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, built in 1883. Thomas G. Moses and Sosman & Landis Studio bid on this same project that year.

That would have been the Grand Opera House (1883-1930). In 1883, an opera house was planned for this bustling city of 15,000 serviced by telephone, gas and electric. Streets were lit with both gas and incandescent lamps and four railways serviced the city. Eau Claire was the major stop between Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Wayne R. Wolfert wrote “Theatre in Eau Claire, Wisconsin: A History of the Grand Opera House (1883-1930)” published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison 1972.

Moses’ family visited him in Eau Clair and they all ventured north for a family trip to Minneapolis.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 179 – Thomas G. Moses and Will Davis, 1881

Moses traveled to Richmond, Indiana, during 1881. There, he and William P. Davis worked on a scenery project. Moses’ assistant, “Will” Davis, was later listed as the scenic artist for the Grand Opera House in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, by 1899. Davis was also listed that year in Julius Cahn’s Theatrical Guide as the scenic artist for the Metropolitan Opera House in St. Paul, Minnesota. Later, in the employ of Twin City Scenic Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota, he was just one of many artists to arrive in the Twin Cities seeking employment as the studio’s business dramatically increased.

“The Evening Item” noted Moses’ scenic art in Richmond, Indiana, at the newly refurbished Grand Opera House (Sept. 19, 1881, Vol. 5, No. 211), describing the refurbished venue.

Miss Marie Prescott was the opening production in the space. An 1881 newspaper article title “Among the Shows” published, “the house is really a beauty, all the old dressing rooms, partitions and scenery have been removed, and new opera chairs will be put in as soon as they are finished. The old entrances to the gallery have all been taken out, and the stage brought forward several feet. At each end of the stage is a private box, with brass posts and rails in front, and curtains of rich crimson velvet and lace. They project fully three feet, and have on each a chandelier which lights the stage.” The newly added scenery included one fancy set chamber, four wings; one set plain chamber, four wings; one kitchen, and one prison, each four wings; one wood, six wings; one landscape, one perspective street, one rocky pass, one horizon, one ocean, one garden, one grand drapery border, one set tormentor wings and doors, three drapery borders, two kitchen borders, three foliage borders, one set cottage, one set bridge, four set rocks, one tree, two set waters, one foreground, one garden wall, one balustrade, two statues. The article published that “the scenic work was completed by Sosman & Landis of Chicago with Thomas G. Moses painting the drop curtain. The newspaper article specified that is was “the finest piece in the entire work and really a work of art.” The auditorium decoration work was done by John M. Wood, of Chicago, who also represented Spoor Mackey, who was a leading theatrical decorator of the West.

Thomas G. Moses’ scenic work for a drop curtain noted in “The Evening Item,” Vol . 5, No. 211, Sept. 19, 1881 (Richmond, Indiana).

It was later known as the Bradley Opera House (located at North Eighth and A Streets), the building was later remodeled by George J. Bradley in 1896 and then noted, “one of the prettiest ground-floor theatres in Indiana” (Logansport Pharos-Tribune, 2 Sept, 1898, page 18). Sadly, the building was destroyed by fire two years later; the cause believed to be from the “electric light wires, which entered the theatre building from the rear.”

This same year that Moses and Davis worked in Richmond, a new daughter was born. Mary Titcomb Moses arrived on September 7^th, 1881. This was the second of four children for the couple. The remaining two would be Lillian Ella Moses in 1886 and Thomas Rupert Moses in 1889. Ella remained in Sterling with her Mother, who was now living in town instead of on Robbins Range. He noted that the arrival of a baby girl necessitated increasing his income. He wrote that Sosman & Landis increased his salary from $21.00 to $26.00 per week upon the arrival of his daughter. This increase was really overdue, as Moses had quickly become a valuable asset to the studio.

Moses explained the reason for the increase was his willingness to do “a great deal of extra work, all on the day rate, I never received more than straight time. I could never see why anyone ever earns any more.”

I want to take a moment to address his statement above, “I could never see why anyone ever earns anymore.” This belief would make Moses an extremely valuable employee, but not necessary a popular one, or a positive spokesman for any labor union. I previous research, Joseph Sands Sosman was curiously absent from any union records, especially during the formation and early years of any union activities. I find this interesting, as many of his contemporaries were the movers and shakers of early union activities. Moses certainly was not isolated in his work, friendships, or projects.

Moses returned to Sosman & Landis in studio for good 1904 to supervise the paint studios. This was a time when Sosman was forced to pay attention to more administrative duties after Perry Landis’ departure due to his failing health. The internal workings and attitudes of the Sosman & Landis Studio primarily originate with the memoirs of John Hanny (1890-1984) who worked at the studio from 1906-1920. It is his memoirs that describe the dynamics of the studio and will be presented after the tale of Thomas Moses.

The American Society of Scene Painters emerged in 1892 (see installment #138) and included some thirty members of the most prominent men in the profession. The objects of the society were “to promote the artistic and practical efficiency of the profession, and consolidate as a whole the dignity of the profession hitherto maintained by the individual artist.” Organized in Albany, New York, the executive staff included Richard Marston (Palmer’s Theatre), Henry E, Hoyt (Metropolitan Opera House), Homer F. Emens (Fourteenth Street Theatre), Sydney Chidley (Union Square Theatre), Harley Merry (Brooklyn Studio) Brooklyn and Ernest Albert (Albert, Grover & Burridge). Their chief grievance claimed that the stage manager was their worst enemy. They complained that scenes were set in accordance with the off-hand wishes of the managers and not with painters direct. Doing so caused many of the most artistic effects of each scene to be lost as they were not properly displayed.

This would make the appearance of a new fraternal client a dream come true. Scottish Rite theatres would not follow the standard hierarchy or the rule of the stage manager.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 177 – Thomas G. Moses at Sosman & Landis, 1880

When Thomas G. Moses was unsuccessful at securing work at the P. M. Almini Company he headed to a nearby scenic studio. Joseph Sands Sosman was familiar with Moses’ work and offered $18.00 per week to work at Sosman & Landis. This was six dollars a week less than he could make at Almini’s, but the work was steady. Having no alternative, Moses started painting for Sosman & Landis and was sent to Kenosha, Wisconsin.

View of lighthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Sosman joined him immediately on the job and they completed a plain interior, kitchen and some set pieces that April, returning to the studio afterward.

In Chicago, Moses boarded with his friend, Will Tuller at O. W. Young’s on 438 West Van Buren Street.

Image by photographer Richard Yoshiro (1894-1981) of O. W. Young’s cottage in Gladwin, Minnesota.

He did not return to Sterling until the end of May. It was then that he decided to resettle his family in the big city. They moved to 744 West Van Buren Street, a four-bedroom rental for $11.00. The current equivalent for this housing would be approximately $256.00 USD for monthly rental. Moses noted, “My career as a scenic artist starts from here. I was full of ambition and hustle. If I had been endowed with a like amount of ability I would have set the world on fire.”
It was all hard work, but his limited knowledge of scene painting techniques proved to be a wonderful help. He studied the painting techniques at various theaters, attempting to rapidly improve both his skills and his speed.

They saved money from his salary and paid all outstanding bills from their life in Sterling. Moses wrote, “We set our table on $3.00 per week and lived well. We were soon out of debt and started to lay a few dollars for a rainy day.”

Sosman and Moses traveled a great deal in the beginning. Landis was always away, traveling to secure orders. It would take six months before Moses even meet Landis as he was constantly traveling across the country to drum up work. As the business increased, Sosman & Landis added a paint boy to their studio. Although fellow scenic artists told Moses to leave the studio, he stayed employed full-time. Understanding that he could make between $35.00 to $45.00 per week in the theaters, there was stability at the Sosman & Landis studio and a dependable income for his little family. However, their comments made Moses realize that he was worth far more than $18.00 per week, especially as he had proven himself a “hustler” on each job.

His painting was also rapidly improving. Moses wrote, “My work might not have been as artistic as some I saw in the theaters, but it pleased the people who paid for it.”

Coal miners from the first shaft mine in Braidwood.

On one painting trip to Braidwood, Illinois, Moses brought Ella and the baby along. It was a coal mining town. On April 22, 1879, Braidwood experienced tragedy as a terrible fire raged through the town. More than a dozen buildings were destroyed by the inferno, including the railroad depot, a hotel, two saloons, a blacksmith shop, the grain elevator and several homes. Then town was soon rebuilt and drew many newcomers to the area, including Peter Rossi who began manufacturing macaroni there.

In Braidwood, Moses, Ella and baby Pitt visited local parks every Sunday, seeking all the enjoyment they could on their limited means. The couple even went down in a coalmine to examine the process that brought coal to the surface. Slag hills were scattered across farmland after the creation of numerous “coal wells.”

Their simple life put everything into perspective during these early years and proved a driving force for Moses’ strive for success. In 1880 he wrote, “ I was determined to make something of myself. I found an old friend, A. J. Rupert, with whom I had worked at Almini’s. He was now an instructor at the Art Institute, in the life class. He studied abroad and was very clever.” Moses joined the art class, two nights a week for a very small tuition, noted that it gave him enough courage to attempt some figure painting on curtains. Moses commented that many of the artists “were very clever and gave me a lot of valuable pointers, so I improved rapidly.”

To be continued…