In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“Got an early start on the Globe Theatre, Philadelphia, for New York Studios.”
Two years earlier, Moses wrote
that he also painted a New York studios set for “a new theatre in Philadelphia,
the Globe.” New York Studios was the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis,
founded and run by a one-time employee David H. Hunt. Hunt was a theatrical
manager, as well as scenic studio founder. In the 1890s he convinced Sosman and
Landis to establish the theatrical management firm of Sosman, Landis &
Hunt. By 1910, Hunt convinced Sosman to
invest in New York Studios, run by Hunt and his second wife, Adelaide.
In 1914, the “Philadelphia
Inquirer” reported, “New Globe Theatre to Open Tomorrow” (May 31, 1914, page 25). Located on the corner of Market and
Juniper Streets, the seating capacity of the Globe Theatre was 2000, with a
stage, “equipped with every modern improvement in the line of gridiron,
lighting devices, scene shifting apparatus.”
The article noted that the stage also had a clearance of 30 by 50 feet,
noting that the Globe Theatre was “located in the shadow of City Hall and in the
heart of the business section.” It provided “a suitable place for those who,
with business finished still have an hour or two to while away recreation
before taking a train for home” (31 May, 1914, page 9). Of the theater, “The
Globe stage is large enough to accommodate the most pretentious of vaudeville
acts and the acoustic properties are such that in every nook and corner of the
building the audience will have no difficulty in hearing as well as seeing all that
is transpiring on the stage. A competent orchestra under the direction of
Charles Kitch, formerly of the Metropolitan Opera House, has been engaged and
the orchestral effects will be supplemented by a $15,000 pipe organ.”
The new Globe Theatre featured vaudeville
acts and motion pictures from 11:30AM until 11:30 PM daily. “Continuous vaudeville” was to prevail at the Globe;
with two complete shows every day. Prices for the matinees were 10, 20 and 30
cents, with loges and boxes at 50 cents.
From the “Evening Public Ledger” (Philadelphia, PA) 14 April 1915, page 9.
Bestor G. Brown successfully sold elaborate stage settings and other stage equipment to Scottish Rites in Kansas and throughout the region. A portion of his success had to do with his history with the area. The “Wichita Daily Eagle” published the full-page article “Decorative Splendor of Wichita’s Scottish Rite Cathedral,” describing the entire endeavor and furnishings in great detail (3 April 1908, page 6). There was a section that listed all of the of the local contributors, including Brown. Here it is:
Henry Wallenstein
“Mr. Henry Wallenstein informed the editor of the Eagle yesterday that he New Scottish Rite Cathedral will be equipped by the last week in May or the first week in June, ready to confer the degrees on the largest class of candidates in the history of Scottish Rite Masonry.
With him a complete tour of the great building was made and the grandeur of improvements, from and artistic standpoint, and their magnificence in every respect was a revelation.
The cathedral as it now stands is 150 feet north and south, and from 100 to 140 feet from east to west. The larger of the latter figures represent the new portion of the building in the construction of which more than a million of Coffreyville brick were used. For Topeka avenue front of the building several hundred tons of Towanda stone were used to harmonize with the material in the original building. The improvements were begun in February,1907, and when completed, after fifteen months’ of steady work, will have cost in the neighborhood of $175,000. The vastness of this sum in improvements on a single building cannot be conceived by any but those who are intimate with the work done, or who will have good fortune to feast their eyes upon it when it is ready for occupancy as the most complete Scottish Rue building possibly in the world – certainly the most completely equipped in the United States of America.
Wichita Scottish Rite
“Genius of the Enterprise
Mr. Wallenstein has been the master mind in the work which was concurrent with his own remarkably handsome business home – the Boston Store.
With his well known loyalty to Wichita all of the work done in it could be done by Wichita capital, labor and talent was given to home people, so that the genius of Wichita is in every feature of it, and to which it will be monument for all future time.
The construction of work was done by Brandt & Taylor of this city, and Mr. Wallenstein is poetic in his praise of them. They demonstrated that Wichita can carry out contracts for almost any size building that an architect can plan, for no building needed more headwork, skill and energy than this one.
The staff work was done by the F. Siefert Plastic company of St. Louis, under the able superintendency of Thomas Leach.
The architect of C. W. Terry of this city, ably assisted by the young genius Mr. Ed Forsblom. The associate architect was Mr. Charles Thompson of Little Rock, Ark.
The great organ was built by M. P. Moller of Hagestown, Maryland, and it is the finest ever built for the western country.
The Standard company of Chicago made the grand metallic staircase, minutely described in its proper place.
The Western Planing mills of this city did at the woodwork and had the personal attention and enthusiastic superintedency of Mr. Tom Kelso.
The Wichita Iron & Foundry company made all the iron work, and it is a great credit to their shop.
The Heating & Power company of Mr. Soderman of St. Louis put the apparatus in that department.
A.H. Andrews and company made the opera chairs.
The Art Glass Company of St. Joe supplied the many elaborate cathedral glass windows.
Bestor Brown, agent for M. C. Lilley company of Ohio, furnished the elaborate stage settings and other stage equipment.
The decorative work – an important feature of the new building – is in charge of Young Brothers of this city.
Some of the important decorations were also supplied by Parrott & sons of this city.”
In 1909, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The Dallas Masonic work came in early, so did San Francisco and Cleveland, Ohio.” These were only three of six Scottish Rite installations supervised by Moses in 1909 while he was working at Sosman & Landis. Others included Kansas City, Kansas, Winona, Minnesota, and Atlanta, Georgia.
Postcard of the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Dallas, Texas, completed in 1913.
Sosman & Landis delivered 119 drops and stage machinery to the Scottish Rite at 500 S Harwood Street, Dallas. This Temple was not completed until 1913, however, degree productions took place on the stage by 1909. The scenery contract for the stage was negotiated by Bestor G. Brown of M. C. Lilley & Co.
On April 26, 1913, the “Dallas Morning News” described the Masonic Cathedral and Architect Herbert M. Green’s contributions. Keep in mind that the theater of the building was referred to as “the great degree room.”
The article reported, “On the second floor one will find the lobby, which is in Roman Ionic; the Corinthian lodge room is green and gold: candidates lounging room, modified Colonial with color scheme of brown and blue and smoking foyer in the same effect. In the great degree room are columns copied from those in the Temple of Karnak at Thebes. Over sixty shades of color are used harmoniously in the ornamental beams and columns supporting the ceiling of sky blue – a ceiling whereon the stars of the twelve signs of the Zodiac are so cunningly constructed, and with such ingenious electrical attachments that when the great hall is in total darkness, the constellations seem to blaze in all reality from the very heavens above.
The largest stage in Texas is in this degree room – and the largest pipe organ. There are offices restrooms, wardrobe rooms, bowling alley, grill and kitchen – heating, ventilating and lighting systems which are unsurpassed, push button elevator and house telephone system – In short every device by which modern ingenuity can add to beauty and comfort and convenience.”
The article further described that the theater, “a proscenium arch 28×22 feet is the largest stage in Texas, 24 feet deep and 60 feet in width. One hundred and nineteen scenic drops are so delicately counterweighted that the stage picture can be changed in two seconds, and if necessary in the dark. These drops are hung over the entire ceiling of the stage, being spaced three inches apart from the proscenium arch to the rear wall of the stage. Each degree has its own scenery, some degrees three and four scenes, all forming an extensive and complete equipment that it is possible to produce more different scenes than on any stage in the country. Fifteen hundred white, blue, red and amber lights, controlled from a switchboard seven feet high and twelve feet long are required to light the stage properly. These are subdued and softened as necessary by bank after bank of dimmers arranged by interlocking devices to control the degree of light at any one point of en masse. The dawn of day, a nightfall or a moonlight effect can be reproduced with marvelous fidelity…To the rear of the stage are property rooms, etc. and on the third floor a large wardrobe room, with cases for the various costumes.”
The 1913 article concluded, “”The complete cost of the building has not been, as yet, made public but it is expected to be close to $230,000. Other items not included in the building cost are:
Organ $23,000.00
Stage Scenery $28,000.00
Furnishings $21,000.00
Ground $34,000.00
Making an estimated cost of the complete equipment of about $350,000.”
The article ended here.
The Dallas Scottish Rite building
The Dallas Scottish Rite building
Today’s monetary equivalent of $28,000 spent in 1909 for a Scottish Rite scenery collection is $773,024.62. Dallas was only one of six Scottish Rite collection supervised by Thomas G. Moses that year. The others were in San Francisco, CA, Cleveland, OH, Kansas City, KS, Winona, MN, and Atlanta, GA. Keep in mind that Masonic work only made up 25 -30% of all work at the Sosman & Landis studios. The firm, like the Scottish Rite, was accumulating a massive amount of money at this point.
In a letter from Brown to William G. Bell at the Austin Scottish Rite, dated July 7, 1912, Brown provided further information pertaining to the Dallas Scottish Rite stage. This correspondence was to help Austin Scottish Rite bodies understand the design and delivery process; Sosman & Landis could not provide estimates or cost and installation without knowing how much scenery was needed and the structural condition of the building. Brown used the Dallas Scottish Rite as an example, writing, “the Dallas stage has in the neighborhood of 25,000 lineal feet of wire and rope in its installation; the quantity of wire and rope necessary, is determined by the heighth of the gridiron, the location of the fly gallery, and the general dimension of the stage. We would also have to look into the question of freight charges and be advised as to what prices we could obtain common gray iron castings in Austin for use as counterweights. We would have to determine on the correct number of drops to be used, because each drop requires eight pulleys besides counterweight frames and eye bolts.” These costs all needed to be estimated prior to providing a number, yet the Austin Scottish Rite kept asking, “but how much will it cost?”
Brown continued, “In our original correspondence, Mr. Green of Dallas, indicated that he was preparing plans for remodeling an old building [in Austin] and that when these plans were determined upon, he would send us the dimensions of the stage. Mr. Green understands what would be wanted, as he had the experience on the Dallas Temple.” Again, Brown was referring to Herbert M. Green, the architect and a member of the Scottish Rite and the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
In 1908, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Starting on Wheeling, W. Va. Masonic work, a good contract and I enjoyed the work. The Darius Palace and the approach to Jerusalem were very interesting things to do, and a dozen others with the same amount of interest for others to do.”
For the past two days, I have examined the subject of the scenes that Moses worked on in 1908 – Darius Palace and approach to Jerusalem. Today’s post is about the actual Scottish Rite building in Wheeling, West Virginia, where the scenery was delivered. In 1907, the Wheeling Scottish Rite Masons began the construction of a massive edifice, complete with a theater and scenery by Sosman & Landis. The Wheeling Scottish Rite was built on the corner of Fourteenth and Byron Streets in Wheeling, West Virginia. Previously at that location, was the residence on Mr. James Caldwell. Soon after his marriage in 1839, Caldwell erected a residence, which, with its garden and stable yard.
Scottish Rite Cathedral in Wheeling, West Virginia, that had scenery produced by Sosman & Landis in 1908. This building was destroyed by fire in 1915.
Scottish Rite Cathedral in Wheeling, West Virginia, that had scenery produced by Sosman & Landis in 1908. This building was destroyed by fire in 1915.
The Sosman & Landis Studio’s work was short lived, however, as the Wheeling Scottish Rite Cathedral was destroyed by fire on March 4, 1915. Losses were estimated at $50,000. While looking for information to include in the timeline for the “Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre,” I read that the Wheeling Scottish Rite Cathedral was destroyed by fire on the morning of March 5 (“Santa Fe Scottish Rite Bulletin,” April 1915, Vol. II No 4, page 8).
The auditorium of the Wheeling Scottish Rite, pictured after a devastating fire during 1915.
Last week, I discovered another article about the fire published on April 7, 1915. Interestingly, it was posted at fireengineering.com:
“The Masonic Scottish Rite Cathedral at Wheeling, W. Va., was partially destroyed by fire on March 4th, with an estimated loss of about $50,000. The fire started in the basement and is attributed to rubbish. The fire was discovered at 12:20 A. M., and the alarm was sent in over the Gamewell system from a street box. When the department, commanded by Chief Engineer Edward T. Rose arrived, fire was coming out of the windows in the basement. The flames spread through an airshaft to the back of the stage in the main auditorium on the second floor and swept through that and the upper portion of the building, the first floor being damaged by smoke and water. The building, a four story structure, was less than ten years old, and was constructed with brick walls, wood joists and tar paper roof. All partition walls were hollow. There were few hand extinguishers in the building. There was in service one first size Ahrens-Fox engine, two third size Ahrens-Fox engines, one Silsby third size engine, one 85foot aerial ladder, and 9,000 feet of 2 1/2-inch hose. Three 6-inch and five 4-inch hydrants were available, the distance between them being 800 to 1,000 feet. The water pressure at the hydrants was 80 to 65 pounds. In all 11 streams were thrown, including three hydrant and eight engine streams. Three turrets and one cellar nozzle were used. The loss on building amounted to $30,000, and on contents to $20,000. The contents included scenery on stage, paraphernalia of the order, and a large pipe organ. Chief Rose is quoted as saying the fire demonstrated the danger of vertical openings and lack of fire stops, there being a large space under the roof without a fire stop of any kind. Chief Rose sounded a genera! alarm and a call was sent in to Martin’s Ferry and an auto truck responded. (https://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-57/issue-14/features/scottish-rite-cathedral-at-wheeling-partially-destroyed.html)
The Wheeling Scottish Rite immediately began plans for a new building in 1915, and by October 1916, the new Scottish Rite was completed, dedicated, and held the first reunion. I have uncovered very little about the original Scottish Rite, other than the opening was postponed. On March 18, 1908, the “Daily Telegram” reported “Postponed Is Dedication of Scottish Rite Cathedral as Interior Work Will Not Be Finished” (Clarksburg, West Virginia, page 1). The article continues, ”The new Scottish Rite cathedral, corner of Fourteenth and Byron streets, Wheeling, will not be dedicated until the latter art of June, as the interior work will not be completed until that month. Elliot & Winechell, contractor who built the Empire building and the county jail and sheriff’s residence in the city, are building the cathedral.
Fold-out postcard of the 1916 Scottish Rite in Wheeling, West Virginia, recently listed in an online auction.
The 1916 auditorium. Fold-out postcard of the 1916 Scottish Rite in Wheeling, West Virginia, recently listed in an online auction.
The bowling alley. Fold-out postcard of the 1916 Scottish Rite in Wheeling, West Virginia, recently listed in an online auction.
The Scottish Rite room. Fold-out postcard of the 1916 Scottish Rite in Wheeling, West Virginia, recently listed in an online auction.
The Ladies Room. Fold-out postcard of the 1916 Scottish Rite in Wheeling, West Virginia, recently listed in an online auction.
The Blue Lodge room. Fold-out postcard of the 1916 Scottish Rite in Wheeling, West Virginia, recently listed in an online auction.
It was originally intended to hold the dedication exercises at the time of the spring convocation or reunion of the Consistory of the Valley of West Virginia, but he high officers of the society were notified by the contractors that it would be an impossibility to have it completed and ready for dedication by that time. The paraphernalia for the degree work has been already ordered from the manufacturers.
The spring convocation will be held in the old temple, on Market street Easter week, closing the usual Maundy Thursday banquet. The latter will probably be held in the Arion hall. There will be work in all of the degrees, and they will be exemplified at the old temple.”
Volland business records indicate that the new scenery was delivered by Toomey & Volland Studios of St. Louis, Missouri in 1916. I was surprised when I encountered a image of the 1916 drop curtain for the auditorium. The design reminded me of a Sosman & Landis version (c. 1898-1908) now used in Yankton, South Dakota. It is very likely that some of the scenery delivered for the new Scottish Rite stage was previously owned and painted by Sosman & Landis artists. The drop curtain is characteristic of Sosman & Landis designs, not that delivered by Toomey & Volland artists.
The 1916 drop curtain at the Wheeling Scottish Rite.
Yankton Scottish Rite drop curtain delivered in 1910 by Sosman & Landis is similar to the one delivered by Toomey & Volland to the Scottish Rite in Wheeling, West Virginia, during 1908.
There was a service staircase in Fort Scott that ascended to the space above the auditorium ceiling. We accessed it through a door at the end of the arbor rail that led to a steep metal staircase.
The arbor rail at the Fort Scott Scottish Rite. The door leads to the service stairs that ascend to the space above the auditorium ceiling. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
Before ascending the steps, I looked up to my left and marveled at the square plates of alabaster stained glass. These were some of the decorative elements on the sidewalls of the auditorium. When illuminated, they provided a warm glow to an otherwise dark room.
View from backside of decorative stained glass panels at the Fort Scott Scottish Rite. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
View from the front of the decorative stained glass in the For Scott Scottish Rite Auditorium. Behind this wall is where the service stairs to the space above the auditorium ceiling are located. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
Climbing up the narrow staircase, we first explored the areas high above the proscenium arch and ceiling medallions. Our first trip was to identify possible access points to the wooden grid above the stage. Our last trip was attempting to access the neighboring Western Insurance Company roof as we had noticed a tree growing up there. Every day during our break, we had marveled the young sapling and wanted to see how it had taken root.
View from Fort Scott sidewalk at tree growing on top of Western Insurance Company roof, the building connected to the Fort Scott Scottish Rite. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
Typically, the spaces above an auditorium and stage hold a plethora of interesting artifacts left behind by the original workmen. You never know what is hidden beneath layers of dust and chunks of plaster. In addition to abandoned artifacts left during construction, maintenance men, stage crews, and office staff also stashed many unwanted items in these storage areas. For me, the discoveries found high above the theater often rival those from the stage floor.
Above the Fort Scott Scottish Rite auditorium ceiling looking toward windows on the front of the building. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
Above the Fort Scott Scottish Rite auditorium ceiling looking at trash left between walkways. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
Above the Fort Scott Scottish Rite auditorium ceiling looking toward door leading to service stairs. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
We explored a room directly above the proscenium that held the organs pipes and other musical innards that were noted as a “patented universal air chest system” by Austin Organ Company. In the auditorium, there was a traditional style organ console with roll top. The Valley of Fort Scott had purchased this organ with three manuals and thirty-six ranks for $15,000 in 1924.
1924 Fort Scott Scottish Rite pipe organ console by the Austin Organ Company. Photograph located online.
1924 Fort Scott Scottish Rite pipe organ console by the Austin Organ Company. Photograph located online.
By 2007, a newspaper article estimated the current value at two million dollars. I was amazed by its pristine condition and beautiful woodwork.
Logo for the Austin Organ Company – a compass and lute similar to the Masonic Square and Compass. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
The label for the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Connecticut was especially intriguing as it placed a lute and compass in a similar arrangement as a Masonic square and compass. A banner over this image included the company’s motto, “Scientia, Artem, Adjuvat,” or “Science Aids Art.” Was Austin a Mason? Various articles note that this motto was not just a clever marketing scheme, but a way of life for the founder and his employees. Many of the machines that manufactured organ parts were kept on site so that the production, maintenance, and repair of every model could happen immediately. One example is the famous “seven-headed monster” kept in a front room of the manufacturing plant that produced pedal and stop-action blocks.
The story of the company and John T. Austin, is quite remarkable. As a new immigrant to America, Austin had worked for a variety of organ manufacturers and rapidly worked his way up their ranks with his skill and ingenuity. He actually developed a new type of windchest (he called it an air chest) where you could simply walk right into it and service the complete mechanism. This is what we found in Fort Scott as each of us went inside to examine the organ’s components. Inside the air chest was the motor for the bellows and an electric generator. By the mid-1920s, the Austin Organ company was producing over eighty new pipe organs annually. In 1924, one of these eighty organs became destined for Fort Scott.
Inside the Austin Organ Co. Air Chest, high above the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Auditorium. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
Inside the Austin Organ Co. Air Chest, high above the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Auditorium. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
The company’s high level of productivity continued until the crash of 1929 when it was hit hard by the economic downturn. By 1937 Austin Organ Co. underwent reorganization and moved to a new facility. Interestingly, their largest on most elaborate model, the Opus 558, would be the company’s first five-manual instrument specifically designed for another Masonic Theater – the Medinah Temple in Chicago.
Company records list that 72 organs were installed in Masonic Lodges across the country. An additional 113 organs were installed in theaters and the list goes on from there. Their client venues included open-air theaters, auditoriums, churches, hotel, stores residence, insurance buildings. I don’t know what category included Scottish Rite performance spaces – auditorium, theater or Masonic Temple? Here is a lovely link for those interested in the history of the Austin Organ Company: https://www.thediapason.com/cover-feature-austin-organs-mil…
A major aspect of many Scottish Rite degree productions is organ music with choral accompaniment. First-class organs were installed in most Scottish Rite theaters and Masonic lodge rooms across the country. Many of these instruments are still revered by national music organizations that plan concerts in these performance venues. Like churches, Scottish Rite auditoriums host organ concerts that draw people in from all over the world.
The Organ Historical Society lists 58 pipe organs at Scottish Rite theaters in its pipe organ database. It also lists 466 pipe organs in Masonic Lodges across the country. Obviously, not every organ in a Masonic building has been included in their database. Unfortunately, there are very few pictures to accompany the database’s technical specifications. If you are a Mason and have a pipe organ in your building, you might want to consider uploading a picture into their database. Here is the link: http://www.organsociety.org/
Partial floor behind the pipes for the Austin Organ and Air Chest area. The ceiling medallions provided a view down to the Fort Scott Scottish Rite auditorium floor. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
Behind the organ pipe room at Fort Scott was a partial floor. Standing on ceiling beam, one could see thru the ceiling medallions and down to the auditorium floor.
Top view of one of the Fort Scott Scottish Rote auditorium ceiling medallions. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
Nearby was a heavy metal door that was barred shut. Why was it barred? Curious minds needed to know, so my crew muscled it open. Standing high above the stage floor we had a picturesque view of the top wooden battens on drops suspended high above the stage. One of my crew determined that this was where the organ installers brought up the pipes and air chest from the stage floor. This was also how the organ could be removed and transported to another location.
Access door above Fort Scott Scottish Rite stage where components for the Austin organ were raised and installed above the proscenium arch. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
Onsite view of the top wooden battens and the Fort Scott Scottish Rite scenery collection from the pipe organ access door (above the proscenium arch). Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2015.
