Part 367: “How Theatrical Scenery is Made,” 1898 (profile pieces, part 4)
An article depicting Joseph A. Physioc’s studio and his art was published in “The World” (New York, 6 March 1898, page 43). It provides some insight into the construction of wings and profile pieces at the end of the nineteenth century. Here is the fourth of four installments describing Physioc’s studio and his artistic process:
Joseph A. Physioc in his studio, working on a model.
“The profile pieces or wings are painted after the carpenter has made the frames. He takes the designs and works out the best manner of making them strong and at the same time easily handled. Every thing must either fold up or roll up, and everything must be able to stand a strain and be light at the same time. In the hurry of scene changing and of loading and unloading, the scenery doesn’t receive the most delicate treatment.
Wood profile piece from the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. The tree was able to be made one piece due to the low ceiling height on this small stage.Wood wing from the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The skeleton work is made of strips three inches wide by one inch thick, and the joints are all braced. The background for the painting is in thin pieces of wood covered with flimsy, loose-metal material, which is glued on and which makes it very strong. Over this the canvas is stretched and the painting is done. The foliage of trees is carefully sawed out, and this is tedious work.
It may be remarked that a tree is never made all in one piece. The profile piece ends some nine or ten feet from the floor. The upper part of the tree is a fly. They are joined together so that the division is not seen.
The making of these flies, which must be perforated, is rather delicate. Not having any background support the Russian linen would soon tear. Therefore the foliage is glued onto stout netting with rather large meshes, and this must be done carefully or the whole fly will be ruined.
There are ever so many more mysteries in Physioc’s studio. You can see there how locomotives, old fashioned clocks, logs, books and ever so many things that look true to life on the stage are manufactured. You can see how rocks and waving grain are cut up in nine-foot sections that look like nothing in nature when they are not in position on the stage. But nothing is quite so extraordinary as that little stage where the models are tested.”
Illustration of Physioc’s property room, from “The World” (March 6, page 43, Physioc).
Side note:
A touring production of “The Bonnie Brier Bush” opened at the Theatre Republic in 1901. It also had scenery by designed by Physioc. This production is listed in the Internet Broadway Database. There is additional information about this show, here is the link: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-bonnie-brier-bush-5495
Illustration depicting Act IV in “The Bonnie Brier Bush” – Pittsburg Press 3 March 1904, page 33
Part 361:Thomas G. Moses at McVicker’s Theatre in 1897
In 1897, Thomas G. Moses was listed in “Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide” as the scenic artist responsible for producing stock scenery collections at the Alhambra Theatre (Chicago, Illinois); Valentine Theatre (Toledo, Ohio); Loring Opera House (Riverside, California); Marengo Opera House (Marengo, Illinois); and Steinburg’s Grand Opera House (Traverse City, Michigan). Many of these venues were not mentioned in his typed manuscript, but the work occurred during the first half of the year. The second half of 1897 found Moses back in Chicago, painting for one of his favorite venues – McVicker’s Theatre.
At the beginning of 1897 Moses wrote, “The New Year found me grinding out the weekly production. Business continued good. Sosman and Landis would drop down occasionally and always seemed pleased with my productions. Jacob Litt happened to be in Cincinnati and saw the last performance of “Held by the Enemy” and the 1st performance of “The Banker’s Daughter.” Both complete in every detail – he was so highly pleased that he inquired of [David] Hunt who his artist was.”
On Litt’s return to Chicago he wrote Moses, asking his terms to be the scenic artist for a year at McVickers. Moses was engaged for one year, starting June 1, 1897 and was compensated $3,500 for that year. Today’s equivalent is a scenic art salary of $100,000. Remember that Moses would continue to take outside projects, as was his practice. Before he began at McVicker’s, however, Moses had to complete his work at the Pike Theatre in Cincinnati. Fred McGreer, his assistant, remained at the Pike and became their official scenic artist. McGreer would remain there for the next few years, gaining popularity as one of the country’s top scenic artists. Loitz would remain with Moses, loyal as ever, also returning to Chicago.
Of the McVicker’s venue, Moses wrote, “This theatre I had always admired, and when [Lou] Malmsha was the artist I never missed seeing all his big shows, and had many times dreamed of the day that I could hold a position like it. And here I was after all those years, the artist of the theatre, where my first instructor Malmsha had made so many hits.”
McVicker’s Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, where Thomas G. Moses was the scenic artist during the 1897-1898 season.McVicker’s Theatre program seating charts from 1909.
There is something poetic about Moses’ position at McVicker’s theatre in 1897, over two decades after beginning his career as a scenic artist in Chicago. There is something even more wonderful that I would become the owner of a 1909 McVicker’s Theatre program while attending USITT, as one was tucked away in a book that I purchased auction and estate sale this year. Tomorrow, I will start examining the shows that Moses was responsible for while at McVicker’s Theatre.
McVicker’s Theatre program that was tucked in the 1890 copy of Joseph Jefferson’s Autobiography (1909). My surprise purchase at USITT this year!1909 McVicker’s Theatre Program of “The Great Divide.”McVicker’s Theatre staff in 1909, listed in program that I purchased at USITT.
Part 358: Thomas G. Moses and the English Opera House in Indianapolis
In 1897 Thomas G. Moses briefly left the Sosman & Landis annex studio. He journeyed to Indianapolis where he painted “a complete outfit” for a Valentine Theatre Company production at the English Opera House. Two years earlier, Moses painted a set of stock scenery for the company’s home, the new Valentine Theatre in Toledo, Ohio. For more information about his previous work at the Valentine Theatre, see installment #331.
Postcard of the English Hotel and Opera House in Indianapolis, Indiana.Photograph of the English Hotel and Opera House in Indianapolis, Indiana, where Thomas G. Moses painted scenery for the Valentine Theatre Company in 1897.
The English Hotel and Opera House in Indianapolis was expanded during 1896. The new venue was dedicated on October 26, 1897, and advertised as a “first-class theatre.” The price tag for the new theatre was $110,000, with the theatre block costing over $750,000. The New York Times reported, “The house, scenery, and curtain were painted by Thomas G. Moses of Chicago” (New York Times, 27 Oct. 1897, page 1). The venue’s stage was 35’ wide by 43’-6” deep. The proscenium was a series of receding arches, in ivory and gold. The stage was cut off from the auditorium with an asbestos curtain.
Proscenium arch and stage at the English Opera House in Indianapolis, Indiana.View of the auditorium from the stage at the English Opera House in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The English Opera House was another renovation project by J. B. McElfatrick & Sons during their prolific thirty-year period from 1880 to 1910. The firm designed, built, and renovated theaters across the country. McElfatrick also worked with George H. Ketcham for many of his venues that included the English Theatre, the Grand Opera House (Columbus) and the Valentine Theatre (Toledo). These three theaters all used stock scenery collections painted by Moses and his crew. At the English Theatre Moses painted the new scenery with his assistants Fred McGreer and Ed Loitz; he wrote, “I think we did some good work.”
Fred McGreer. From the Cincinnati Enquirer (15 April 1900, page 12)
While Moses was in Indianapolis, projects began rapidly coming into the Sosman & Landis shops; his absence was acutely felt in the studio. Of this time, Moses wrote, “Early fall found Mr. Landis and Mr. Hunt camped on my trail; offering me the Pike Theatre Stock Company work at Cincinnati for the season. They agreed to send down enough drops from the studio to complete my contract. I accepted $75.00 per week and went, taking McGreer and Loitz.” This was during the same time when David Hunt joined Joseph Sosman and Perry Landis to form Sosman, Landis & Hunt, a theatrical management firm. One of their venues was the Pike Theater.
Illustration of Fred McGreer supervising the painting of scenery at the Pike Theatre. Fred McGreer. From the Cincinnati Enquirer (15 April 1900, page 12)
Moses’ typed manuscript indicates that he never really got along with Hunt. In Indianapolis, Hunt took credit for a series of articles and illustrations that appeared about their shows at the Pike. In fact, Moses was submitting the illustrations and struck up a friendship with the well-known theatre critic Montgomery Phister (1853-1917). He wrote, “Hunt never knew that I did it – he flattered himself the paper was doing it.” Hunt was a big talker and disliked by many of the scenic artists.
James Montgomery Phister was engaged in newspaper work for more than 40 years as a writer, cartoonist, and dramatic critic. He was well known for a reputation of fairness and accuracy in his criticism. Born in Maysville, Kentucky, Phister graduated from Woodward High School and continued his education at Yale University. During the Spanish-American war he served as a war correspondent. Of his many tours through Europe he was the guest of the noted English actor Irving. When he passed away on July 9, 1917, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported, “Every doorman and every stagehand knew him and respected him. He enjoyed the friendship of such great figures of the stage as Sir Henry Irving, the Sotherns, Bernhardt, Duse, Alexander Herrmann, Dixey and all of the best in the profession of that in the mimic world. He was a thirty-second degree Mason and a life member of N. C. Harmony Blue Lodge of Cincinnati” (“Twenty Years Ago in Cincinnati,” 9 July 1937, page 4).
Obituary of James M. Phister in 1917, published in the Evening Star (Washington, D.C.) 10 July 1917, page 12.
Phister had also worked as a scenic artist early in his career and developed a fondness for Moses. One day, Moses and Phister decided to play a small joke on Hunt to put him in his place. Hunt insisted that he was an expert on everything, especially if he didn’t know what he was talking about. Phister told Hunt, “I think Moses uses too much raw umber.” Hunt later repeated this to Moses as his own idea. Moses responded, “Raw umber! What kind of color is that? I don’t use it at all.” Hunt was stumped and reported back to Phister. Moses wrote, “We had a hearty laugh over it.”
The colonial color dry pigment version of raw umber.
Part 336: The Broad Ripple Auditorium in Indianapolis, Indiana
Thomas G. Moses painted scenery for the Broad Ripple Auditorium in 1895. He also made a brief appearance as part of a theatrical management team– Moses & McDonald. This was shortly after Joseph S. Sosman, Perry Landis, and David Hunt started the theatrical management firm of Sosman, Landis & Hunt. A combination of touring vaudeville acts and creating a stock company eliminated the need to feature expensive touring stars. It appeared to be a winning proposition.
When the Broad Ripple Auditorium opened during August 1895, it was at an odd time. The Indianapolis News announced, “This cozy summer theater, although opened late in the season, is doing good business. The attendance is increasing nightly, which is the surest indication of success” (11 August 1895, page 10). It was marketed as being “complete with all the modern equipment” and a seating capacity of 1,200 (4 Aug. 1895, page 13). The newspaper article added that Moses & McDonald were not only the managers, but also the organizers of the the Auditorium Stock Company. The company presented standard dramas, supplemented with vaudeville acts. It was the Auditorium Stock Company that purchased the theater, funded by members that included R.C. Light, George J. Marott, Charles Kirschner, and a Mr. Eldridge.
Review of the new Broad Ripple Auditorium, managed by Moses & McDonald. Indianapolis Journal (4 Aug 1895 page 13).
Moses was also credited with the stock scenery collection and the Indianapolis New commented, “The scenery is by Thomas G. Moses, of the Schiller Theatre, Chicago, and the stage is 40×40 feet, with three sets of border and footlights” (4 Aug. 1895, page 13).
The opening play was “Fanchon, the Cricket,” a charming five-act play made famous by Maggie Mitchell. This show was followed by “The Smugglers,” “Mystic Mountain,” “Ten Nights in a Barroom,” “The Factory Girl,” and “Kathleen Mavourneen,” each attracting large crowds. Then something happened.
Just eleven days after opening, the Indianapolis News reported, “The Broad Ripple Auditorium will remain closed until next Saturday night, when ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ will be presented. Preparations are making for an elaborate production” (13 August 1895, page 7). There is no other mention of the show. It appears as if the production never took place at the Broad Ripple Auditorium. The next production for the venue was “Mabel Heath, or the Shadows of Home.” That was their last advertised performance. After that, the venue under the management of Moses & McDonald disappeared from the local papers.
Small advertisement for the Broad Ripple Auditorium squeezed between a soap and baseball. Indianapolis Journal (18 Aug 1895, page 6).
Unfortunately, the Broad Ripple Auditorium productions were poorly advertised; they appeared few in number, small in scale, and uninspiring in content. This would be understandable if the majority of Moses time was spent creating scenery for other venues. Little is known of “Moses & McDonald” beyond their brief partnership to manage the Broad Ripple Auditorium.
I had to wonder what had happened. Did this have anything to do with an inexperienced management team? There are only a couple mentions of them in newspaper articles, but all suggest that Thomas G. Moses was the “Moses” of Moses & McDonald.
Who was McDonald? I believe that he was another scenic artist that Moses was working with in Chicago during 1895?. This was a perfect combination as McDonald was not only a scenic artist, but also a talented stage carpenter. Where was McDonald painting during the spring of 1895? He was painting at McVicker’s Theatre with Homer Emons and Edward Peck. They were all working on the production of “Linsey Woolsey” (Chicago Tribune, 7 April 1895, page 35).
1896 advertisement for P. J. McDonald in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide.
In 1896, P. J. McDonald was back to working as the stage carpenter for the Grand Opera House in New York. That would explain the end of Moses & McDonald. He would later partner with Claude L. Hagen, another stage carpenter, in 1899. McDonald & Hagen advertised as “contractors and builders of scenery,” providing scenery for “scenic productions, scenery for Theatres, Balls and Private Theatricals, Pageants and Celebrations, Tricks and Illusions, Masonic and Mystic Shrine Paraphernalia, Mechanical Effects, and Scrim Profile and all Supplies for the Trade” (Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide, 1899). The two separated by 1902 and McDonald again advertised independently as “P. J. McDonald, Scenery and Stage Construction, Mechanical Effects and Intricate Devices.” His shop was located at the stage of the Grand Opera House – 320 West 24th Street, New York.
1899 advertisement for McDonald & Hagen in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide.
There is much that can be written on Hagen, and I cover him in a later post. For now, here is an announcement from “The Salt Lake Tribune” in 1910 (20 Feb, page 39). It gives a brief summary of Hagen’s importance.
1896 advertisement for Claude L. Hagen, featuring his Patent Shoe Toggle, in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide.
“For eight years Mr. Hagen was associated with Klaw & Erlanger. Later he was superintendent of Luna park. He invented the racing scenes in “Ben-Hur,” “The Ninety and Nine,” “The Vanderbilt Cup,” and “Bedford’s Hope.” He designed and built many of the illusions used by Herrmann. He also invented the “Loop-the-Loop” and designed the first hippodrome building in this country in which the racecourse or stage revolved entirely around the audience. The latter device was first used at Luna park in the naval show “War is Hell.” In 1908, he was appointed the technical director of the New Theatre, submitting his resignation on May 1, 1910. At the New Theatre “he set up the most complete theatrical stage in existence, and all the machinery of it was invented by him. His revolving stage and system of counterweights for the raising and lowering of scenery are said to be the most effective devices of the kind known.”
Part 332: Thomas G. Moses and the Lowell Opera House in Massachusetts
In 1895, Thomas G. Moses recorded that he painted “a number of scenes and a drop curtain for Lowell, Mass. opera house.” This was one more stock scenery collection delivered by the Moses that year. I wondered how he made the initial connection and received the contract. After all, there were plenty of well-known regional artists who could have created the painted settings for any theatre in Lowell. It was a substantially-sized community. Was Moses that popular, or did he have an inside connection? I think that it was both.
The town of Lowell was founded in 1826. It is situated at the confluence of the Merrimack and Concord (Musketaquid) rivers, approximately 25 miles northwest of Boston. The major nineteenth-century business in the area was the Merrimack Manufacturing Co. (incorporated in 1822). It greatly contributed to the city’s dramatic growth over the decades and the area became primarily known as a manufacturing center for textiles. The industry wove cotton produced in the South and also shipped some of their product back to the south for slave garments. Both the bolts of fabric given to the slaves and the resulting clothing used the name “lowells.”
By the 1850s, Lowell boasted the largest industrial complex in the United States. Immigrants came in waves to Lowell; the Catholic Germans, French Canadians, Portuguese, Poles, Lithuanians, Swedes, Greeks and Eastern European Jews all established small communities and many worked in the Merrimack factory or for other businesses in the area. The town continued to thrive and by 1875, a Club Dramatique was established, providing come semblance of local entertainment. In the 1880s Lowell’s first opera house was constructed with a seating capacity of 1,500. Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory reported that the proscenium measured 30’ x 30’ and the stock scenery collection included 20 sets. The size of the stage was 45’ wide by 33’ deep.
By 1896, the population of Lowell had grown to 100,000. The Fay Bros. & Hosford became the proprietors and managers for the “new” Lowell Opera House. Their first season was announced during the spring of 1894 with the statement “The indications are that under the new and energetic management the Opera house next year will surpass all previous records” (The Lowell Sun, 19 May, 1894, page 1).
Advertisement for the Lowell Opera House when Fay Bros. and Hosford became the proprietors and managers of the venue in 1894. Lowell Daily (24 Aug 1894, page 2).
The new managers immediately began planning for the future, and began to renovate the venue. This included a new stage with new stock scenery collection by Moses. J. B. McElfatrick & Sons was the architectural firm responsible for the alterations of the space in 1895. The firm was located in New York and had previously worked with Moses.
The front entrance for the opera house in Lowell, Mass.
Located on the ground floor of the building, the Lowell opera house had a seating capacity of 1,500. The auditorium and stage were illuminated with a combination of both gas and electric lighting. The new space included a square proscenium opening that measured 34’-0” wide by 34’-0” high. The depth from the footlights to the back of the stage measured 45 feet with the distance between the footlights and curtain line at 3’-0.” The distance between the side walls of the stage was 60’-0” and 48’-0” between the girders. The stage to rigging loft was 80 feet with the depth under the stage at 10.’ The architects implemented a new spatial design, seating plan, and technology in their design. The venue desperately sought to attract popular touring productions to the area with an improved facility.
Advertisement in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the Lowell Opera House (1896).Stock scenery for this venue was painted by Thomas G. Moses.
So, how did Moses get this job? As suggested above, I believe that the theatre architects recommended him; they knew and respected him from previous projects. This was a similar to the situation for the New Lyceum Theatre in Memphis, when architect Frank Cox recommended Moses to create the stock scenery. The architectural firms recommended specific artisans for certain aspects of the designs. So I started to explore other theatres designed and constructed by J. B. McElfatrick & Sons during the late-nineteenth century. I was pleasantly surprised with my findings, thinking that I might be onto something with the evolutions of the backstage area too.
It was in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide (1896) where I noticed an advertisement for J. B. McElfatrick & Sons. They marketed theatre buildings as their specialty, listing seventy-one theaters and opera houses by 1896. This architectural firm was a significant contributor to the evolution and construction of “modern theaters.” I will discuss these characteristics in tomorrow’s post.
B. McElfatrick & Sons was especially prolific during the thirty-year period from 1880 to 1910. Although the founder had established offices in Philadelphia, Columbus, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis, the 1896 advertisement noted that their offices were located in the Knickerbocker Theatre Bldg., New York. J. B. McElfatrick & Sons were responsible for the new Lowell Opera House as well as many other venues where Moses had worked over the years. They designed and built theaters all across the country, including the English Opera House in Indianapolis. Interestingly, George H. Ketcham was the proprietor of the English Opera House, the Grand Opera House (Columbus), and the Valentine Theatre, all with stock scenery collections painted by Moses in the 1890s.
In 1895, Thomas G. Moses left Sosman & Landis and worked independently as a freelance artist. He was listed as the official scenic artist for the Schiller Theatre, but also rented the old Waverly Theatre to complete other projects. Sosman & Landis used the Waverly as a second studio from 1892 to 1893. Projects that Moses worked on in 1895 included “Little Robinson Crusoe,” “Ben-Hur,” “Mexico,” “Said Pasha,” “Mistress Betty,” “The Witch,” “Rip Van Winkle,” “Richard III,” “Hamlet,” “Faust,” and the pyro-spectacle “Storming of Vicksburg.”
In addition to the abovementioned shows and other Schiller Theatre productions, Moses completed numerous stock scenery collections for theaters and opera houses nationwide in 1895, including the Valentine Theatre in Toledo, Ohio; the Lowell Opera House in Massachusetts; the Avenue Theatre in Pittsburg; the Broad Ripple Theatre in Indianapolis; the Hillsboro Theatre in Waterbury, Connecticut; and the Opera House in Racine, Wisconsin. The amount of scenery produced under Moses’ direct supervision as an independent contractor in 1895 is staggering. In the next few posts I will be examining the individual theaters and and the characteristics of each venue.
It is interesting to look at what was offered to a variety of venues in terms of stock scenery. Although Moses was no longer working for Sosman & Landis, he knew their formula and what was required to outfit theaters, regardless of the size. The 1894-1895 Sosman & Landis catalogue divided stock scenery installations into three categories: traveling combinations, small opera houses and halls, and ordinary halls.
Sosman & Landis catalogue listing stock scenery recommendations forDrop curtain, a standard piece of stock scenery for theaters.This one was created for the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. Painted by V. Hubel, Sr.large venues, 1894-1895.Drop curtain, a standard piece of stock scenery for theaters.This one was created for the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. Painted by V. Hubel, Sr.
Set No. 1 was for traveling combinations. These would be the larger performance venues that booked headliners and large-scale productions. Stock scenery for these stages included a drop curtain and at least eight backdrops depicting a fancy parlor scene, plain chamber scene, prison scene, wood scene, garden scene, street scene, rocky pass scene, and ocean view scene. In addition to the drops, there were 4 parlor wings, 4 kitchen wings, 6 wood wings, 2 front wings (tormentors), 1 grand drapery border, 3 sky borders, 3 set rocks, 3 set waters and 1 set cottage. In some cases, the parlor scene and kitchen settings were delivered as an interior box set; 4×8 flats that were lashed together with cord and cleats. Occasionally the interior flats were double-painted with a fancy interior on one side and a rustic interior on the backside.
Rustic scene, a standard piece of stock scenery for small halls that could also work as a kitchen scene.This one was created for the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. Painted by V. Hubel, Sr. Note cleats and cord that lashes the flats together for quick assmebly.Plain chamber scene, a standard piece of stock scenery for small halls.This one was created for the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. Painted by V. Hubel, Sr.Fancy parlor scene, a standard piece of stock scenery for small halls.This one was created for the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. Painted by V. Hubel, Sr.Wood scene, a standard piece of stock scenery for small halls.This one was created for the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. Painted by V. Hubel, Sr.Stage left wood wing, a standard piece of stock scenery for small halls.This one was created for the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. Painted by V. Hubel, Sr.
There is need to clarify a few other terms detailed in the 1894-1895 Sosman & Landis catalogue too. Tormentor wings depicted painted columns with an “elaborate base and rich drapery at the top and side.” These wings were stationary ones that were set three or four feet back of and parallel with drop curtain. The grand drapery border was painted to represent rich and massive drapery that matched the drapery on the tormentor wings.
Set No. 2 was for smaller venues, such as 200-500 seat opera houses and halls. Their stock settings included 1 drop curtain and five drops: parlor scene, kitchen scene, street scene, prison scene, and wood scene. In addition to the backdrops, there were 4 parlor wings, 4 kitchen wings, 4 wood wings, 2 front wings (tormentors), 1 grand drapery border, 2 sky borders, 3 set rocks, 3 set waters and 1 set cottage.
Set cottage, a standard piece of stock scenery for small halls.This one was created for the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. Painted by V. Hubel, Sr.
Set No. 3 was intended for limited spaces, such as an ordinary meeting hall for a social or fraternal organization. This option included 1 drop curtain and following drops: parlor scene, kitchen scene, street scene, and wood scene. In addition to the drops, there were 4 interior wings, 4 exterior wings, 2 front wings (tormentors), 1 grand drapery border, 2 front borders, and 2 sky borders.
The catalogue noted that the scenery was created with “extra heavy material painted in bright durable colors, by the best skilled Scenic Painters, and are warranted strictly first-class in every particular.” By 1894, Sosman & Landis advertised, “over 4,000 places of amusement are to-day using scenery made by our firm.” From the time that Moses started at the studio, he had been constantly painting and traveling for Sosman & Landis. Many of those projects were his and he was a well-known commodity. It is understandable, that the stock scenery collections he painted, after leaving Sosman & Landis, would have followed the same format as the larger studio; he was familiar with the process and the popular compositions. When Moses went to the Valentine Theatre of Toledo, Ohio, he delivered enough scenery for a combination house.
Every once in a while you stumble across an unexpected gem while doing research. In many cases for me, it has absolutely nothing to do with what I was looking for on my quest. It just magically appears on the same page, or somewhere nearby. That is why I always like looking for books in the library; three rows over there might be a book that I would have never otherwise encountered.
Today’s discovery looks at something that is evasive, even for theatre technicians – stage terminology. It changes from country to country and decade to decade. Unless there is an article that clearly explains the vernacular for the stage at a certain point in time, we can only hazard a guess or piece together bits of information from memoirs, trade journals and newspaper articles. The current words that we are familiar would seem foreign over a century ago to our predecessors. I discovered an article from 1895 that defines “meanings of some behind-the-scenes technical terms.”
It was in a January 6, 1895, article for the Detroit Free Press titled “Stage English” (page 15). I am posting the article in its entirety, as it is extremely valuable for deciphering our past and should be available for my colleagues. The attached photographs are of a model that I recently built for the Matthews Opera House in Spearfish Matthews when I was asked to depict what their original 1906 Twin City Scenic Co. collections would have looked like at the time of delivery.
“Stage English”
“The patrons of the theatre hear a great deal about “flies,” “borders,” “tormentors, braces, wings, traps and many other things belonging to the arcana of the stag, but comparatively few have anything like a definite idea of their meaning. Some industrious recorder of facts has taken pains to make a cursory collection of these for the general information.
The pieces of canvas running across the top of the stage, representing sky, ceiling, and so on, are “borders,” and the “flies” are the galleries on either side of the stage, made continuous by “the paint-bridge” at the back.
Wood, interior and sky borders created for the Matthews Opera House model by Wendy Waszut-Barrett in October 2017.
The back scene is generally in two pieces called “flats,” but when the scene descends from above or ascends from beneath the stage an is one piece, upon a roller or otherwise, it is called a “drop.”
Roll drops for the Matthews Opera House model created in October 2017 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett.
The narrow side scenes are “wings,” and they run, top to bottom, in “grooves,” which are divided into “cuts.”
Wings for the Matthews Opera House model created by Wendy Waszut-Barrett in October 2017.
The inclined platforms are “runs” and used in mountain scenes, battle scenes and so on. The small painted frames used to hide from sight the audience the “runs” are known as “masking pieces.” A “box scene” is a room with solid walls and ceiling, and you cannot “box in” a forest scene. The pieces of canvas overhead are “sky borders,” and the space over these, sometimes stretching up to a great height, is known as the “rigging loft,” and the intricate webs of ropes up there are all worked from “the flies.”
“The “paint bridge” is the continuation and connecting part of the two galleries constituting the “flies,” which are stationary galleries and immovable. But the “paint bridge” is made to rise and lower as the pleasure of the scene painters and others, and immediately behind it is the “paint frame,” also to be raised and lowered so as to bring within easy reach all parts of the scenery the artists may be painting.
Paint bridge illustration from an 1890 article in the Philadelphia Press.
The holes on the stage are called “traps,” and underneath them are the trap cellars.” The “star” or “vampire” trap is a hole in the stage through which disappear r shoot upwards some of the principles in the pantomime and other spectacular pieces.
Stage trap at the Matthews Opera House in Spearfish, South Dakota.
The noise resembling the breaking of timber and the falling of houses is made by means of a gigantic rattle, moved by a handle. Against the wall of the stage, generally at the exit to the street, is the “call box,” upon which, or rather within which, are posted the “calls,” or notices of rehearsals and other important events to occur. A “sea-cloth” is a piece of canvas, which is painted to represent water, and is shaken to produce an imitation of waves. The instructions from the author to the carpenter concerning the scenes in the play are called “scene plots.” The particular part of the stage where the stage carpenter stows his scenes is called “the dock.” This term is elastic, however, and applies to any place in or out of the theater where scenery is stowed.”
Garden scene for the Matthews Opera House model as originally designed by the Twin City Scenic Co. in 1906. Created by Wendy Waszut-Barrett in October 2017.Scenic elements for the original garden scene for the Matthews Opera House model designed by the Twin City Scenic Co. in 1906.An angle view of the street scene for the Matthews Opera House model created by Wendy Waszut-Barrett in October 2017.Scenic elements for the 1906 street scene designed by the Twin City Scenic Co. for the Matthews Opera House in Spearfish, South Dakota.
Thomas G. Moses returned to the Sosman & Landis Studio during June 1891. This was after working on the Lyceum Theater scenery in Duluth, Minnesota, during March, April, and May. He enjoyed some work at the studio for only a few days before going on the road again. As usual, Ed Loitz was sent ahead to set up the on site shop and prepare the space for painting. Sosman & Landis had a painting project in York, Penn, but Moses’ typed manuscript fails to mention the venue.
Postcard view of railroad depot in York, Pennsylvania. Thomas G. Moses traveled to York by rail to paint the opera house scenery.
I discovered that Moses was in York to paint the scenery for opera house on N. Beaver Street. Built, originally in 1881 at a cost of $38,000. By 1891, the York Opera House was an extremely popular attraction ready for an upgrade. In 1891, Moses was in York to paint scenery after a massive renovation. The venue was being reconfigured to include a fly tower! The York Opera House was replacing their current collection of roll drops with fly drops.
A view of the original 1881 York Opera House before renovation in 1891.
The June 10 issue of the York Daily (Vol 65. No 6405, page 1, second column) included an article titled, “The Opera House Improvements.” The article noted, “The curtain will not be raised by rolling as is the usual custom, but will be lifted bodily. This will prevent the cracking off of the paint and also make it impossible for any creases to appear. To make the proposed change, the roof of the house will be cut out and an addition built on the same which will allow the curtain to be lifted in the manner adopted.” Sosman & Landis were promoting a superior product; unlike roll drops, painted scenes on fly drops would not crack or crease. This identifies an problematic issue with roll drops and an opportunity for scenic studios to make the sale of a “new and improved” product.
The renovated York Opera House in 1891.Another view of the renovated York Opera House.Playbill from the York Opera House, 1897.
The article continues to describe the scenery contracted by Sosman & Moses:
“In addition to this there are seventeen complete sets of scenery of one hundred and thirty five pieces. These sets will be painted here by the artist who, with his assistant when they leave here, will paint all of the scenery of the new “Alpha” theatre at Pittsburgh, PA. To give an idea of what is to be done here, we enumerate the sets. They are a “kitchen,” a “plain chamber,” an “oak chamber,” a “center door fancy,” a “two door fancy, “ a “prison,” a “palace,” a “modern street,” an “ancient street,” a “garden,” a “dark wood,” a “cut wood,” a “horizon” (ocean view), a “rocky pass,” a “landscape,” “cottages,” and “castles.” Not only will all the above be procured, but as complete a set of new drops, “set” pieces and stage properties to be obtainable will be added. All of the stage carpets will be entirely new. These improvements will cost with the new addition over $2500, and will be finished about the middle of August, n time for the opening of the next season. On account of the large expenditure necessitated by these improvements, and the short time at the disposal of the management, the proposed changes of the seats, and other changes will not be undertaken until early next spring. The season will be closed early for this purpose. The management should be congratulated on the extensive first steps towards the complete remodeling of our beautiful opera house.”
The newspaper noted that Mr. Perry Landis of the firm Sosman & Landis, scenic artists of Chicago, Illinois, was in the city to meet with directors about the “proposed changes in stage appointments.” The article explained that Mr. Landis attended the board of directors meeting. The Sosman & Landis model was received “with most gratifying success.” After the board examined the designs, they unanimously agreed to give Sosman & Landis the contract to furnish an entire new set of scenery and new drop curtain for the York Opera House. The article noted, “The new drop curtain will be painted in their Chicago studio, who execute no other kind of work. It will be in imitation of white satin with plush drapery. The design on it is entitled the “Witch’s Daughter,” after a celebrated painting and is a beautiful conception.”
The following month, Moses’ family left Chicago to join him on location in York. Moses wrote, “Ella got the children ready and we left for York on the 7th of July. Arrived on the 8th. After some trouble we found very good accommodations at the Central Hotel – a new addition to the hotel had just been completed and we were given two brand-new outfits.”
Postcard depicting scenes from York, Pennsylvania.Postcard depicting scenes from York, Pennsylvania.Postcard depicting scenes from York, Pennsylvania.
While working in York, Moses also “found plenty of good sketching.” The countryside was beautiful and Moses was always trying to improve his artistic skills with plein air painting and sketching. Moses wrote, “One week we went to Gettysburg and over the famous battlefield. The whole country is very picturesque and we more than enjoyed our stay.”
Postcard depicting scenes from York, Pennsylvania.
A livery stable owner next door to the theatre became interested in Moses’ work. Everyday he would drop on by to watch the scenic artists at work. That first Sunday in York, Moses hired a rig from him so that Ella could take the children out during the week. They stayed for about three weeks and the livery bill was only $10.00. The Central hotel was $21.00 per week, three adults and four children. Moses wrote, “Pretty cheap. I don’t see how they could do it.” I do. Moses captivated people with both his personality and talent. This was one more way to display appreciation for a new found friend and his contribution to the community. The job was completed by July 31, 1891 and soon, Moses and his family were on their way to Meridan, Conn. for another painting project.
Of their journey, Moses wrote, “We had to change cars for times – Harrisburg, Philadelphia, New York City and New Haven. I don’t know why, but we did. We were all tired out. We found a good hotel, but it was $36.00 per week. Same as we had in York for $21.00. There was no paint frame or bridge in the theatre, but we found a high platform ready for us. The following day we were at work painting.” While in Meridan, the Moses family enjoyed the many carriage rides out in the country and trips to the seashore. Savin Rock near New Haven was a particularly memorable adventure.
Moses arrived in San Francisco on February 3, 1889. Moses rented a new house at 1715 Eddy Street. It was some distance out, but near a good school. He wrote, “Ella and the children were certainly glad to see me back and I was glad to get back. We were soon packed up and on our way to Frisco.” Loitz soon joined him and they started painting by February 21. Despite of the “knocking” he received from local artists, Moses had lot of newspaper publicity. He recorded that this put him “on the map in Frisco in big time.” The theatre opened in May and his East Indian Drop Curtain received some very good notice. Moses wrote, “my scenery was even praised by the previous knockers, so I must have done my best.”
He had been working on the remaining scenery for the New California Theatre. Here is the article in its entirety from the Oakland Daily Evening Tribune (Friday, April 19, 1889, page 3) as it is certainly worth the read!
The New California Theatre
“The New California theatre in San Francisco approaches completion so rapidly and systematically that it is safe to promise that the grand opening of the beautiful edifice by Messrs. Booth and Barrett will occur as announced, May 13th. There are so many new and striking departures in the plan and construction of Mr. Hayman’s new theater, all tending to the comfort and safety of actors, as well as patrons, that it will be, when finished, the only theater of its kind in the country. The building itself is a massive fire proof structure, isolated entirely on three sides, and adjoining, by a brick wall without opening of any kind, the building of the City Fire Department, the wall of which is also a solid fireproof one. From the spacious and beautiful arched entrance on Bush street the floor rises by gradual ascent, without any break whatever until the auditorium is reached, the massive iron stairs leading to the balcony and upper circle rising without a curve from the extreme right of the vestibule. Owing to the very slight curve of the dress circle and balcony rail, there are no side seats, nearly every one presenting a full front to the stage, which by this arrangement is brought much nearer than is generally the case.
The absence of wood in the construction of the auditorium, which is iron-lathed throughout, and the iron rails and chairs, render protection from fire absolutely certain. Between the auditorium and the stage there rises from the foundation to the roof a massive brick wall in which the immense proscenium arch, 38 feet wide and 39 feet high, is backed y an absolutely fire-proof curtain, hung on a wire cable secured to the brick work by heavy iron rings. In the roof over the stage there are six large skylights that open automatically at a temperature of 150 degrees, allowing heat or smoke to escape instead of being carried over the house. The hose appliances and automatic sprinkling attachment will furnish abundant means for promptly extinguishing an incipient fire, and as the scenery is all chemically treated and prepared with an incombustible paint, another cause of danger is removed.
While every possible precaution had been taken to prevent cause for panic, ample means are provided for immediate egress by fourteen exits, fur on each upper floor and six downstairs, and it is believed that the house, which will seat 1800 persons can be emptied in three or four minutes if no rushing of crowding occurs. Incandescent electric lights alone will be used in the house, no arrangement being made for gas, either o the stage or in the auditorium. Three separate engines with dynamos are provided, two of which will be held in reserve in case of accident, and all the usual effects of colored lights on the stage will be given by a system of switches which will produce instantaneous changes.
As far as possible, drops only will be used on the stage, which has facilities for hanging sixty-two drops, thirty by forty-five feet in size. In case grooves are needed, an ingenious invention on the plan of the parallel ruler will be employed, which permits lifting the grooves out of the way when not in use. The largest and most varied stock of scenery ever is being furnished a new house is now being painted by Thomas Moses, the artist for Messrs. Sosman & Landis of Chicago, whose light embraces thirty-two full sets, requiring 7000 yards of linen. The feature of horizon settings is a semi-circle rod on which is hung by rings, dispensing entirely with wings and giving the effect of great distance. Five different street scenes, complete in every detail,; five Gothic interiors of entirely different character, French, modern, plain, and fancy chambers, palaces, prison, kitchen, and garret – each scene requiring fifteen to twenty pieces – are already finished or under way, besides a number of exteriors of great beauty and variety.
There are thirty dressing rooms, separated from the stage by brick, fireproof wall, and provided with hot and cold water, retiring rooms, and other comforts usually unknown to actors. The dressing rooms have windows looking out into the open court, and are provided with improved fire escapes. The chairs in the auditorium are of the latest style, and there are eight beautiful pagoda like proscenium boxes, decorated in the East Indian style, which, indeed, is the general style of the house decoration, the drop curtain representing a hunting scene in the Indies.
Every arrangement for the comfort and convenience of patrons has been made, including a comfortable smoking room for gentlemen and a luxurious and elegantly furnished parlor and retiring room absolutely sacred to the ladies. The hotel to which the new California Theater is an adjunct will not be finished until some time after the completion of the theater, which is already well booked for sterling attractions to follow the great Booth and Barrett season which opens it.”
There is so much to comment on, especially the fire prevention system and fire-proof paint on the scenery. This is fifteen years before the fire at the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago. As usual, California is ahead of the game. But there also is conscious decision to not have grooves, yet make allowances for those who still want them. They are cutting edge and ahead of their time. What a great article for future analysis.
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 7th, 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.
