Thomas G. Moses – Page 15

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1003 – Fred Ingersoll and the Coliseum of Amusements, Detroit, 1918

In 1918. Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Went to Detroit to see Ingersoll about a lot of work he wants done.” Moses was referring to Manager Frederick Ingersoll, manager of Detroit’s Coliseum of amusement and many other entertainment venues.

Portrait of Fred Ingersoll, a client of Thomas G. Moses in 1918.

Fred Ingersoll (1876 – 1927) was an American inventor, designer, builder and entrepreneur, credited as “the father of the American roller coaster, responsible for more ups and downs in American merrymaking than any other man” (“Des Moines Register” 24 October 1927, the page 1). Starting out as a designer, Ingersoll Construction Company initially focused on the “figure eight” coaster, scenic railways and Shoot-the-Chutes.

Ingersoll also created a chain of amusement parks, and during his lifetime owned and operated 44 amusement parks. Moses first mentioned Fred Ingersoll, of Ingersoll Construction Company in 1915 when Sosman & Landis delivered painted scenery for the attractions at Pittsburgh’s and Cleveland’s Luna Parks; the first two parks in his chain. Ingersoll’s Luna parks are not to be confused with Frederick C. Thompson’s Luna Park on Coney Island. Moses also designed and delivered amusement park attractions to Thompson’s Luna Park.

On May 5, 1918, the “Detroit Free Press” announced, “Thousand’s Attend Coliseum Opening” (page 16). The accompanying article reported, “Boardwalk bigger and better than ever, is verdict. Better than ever and giving promise of maintaining its reputation as one of Detroit’s most popular places of recreation, the Boardwalk at Jefferson avenue and Belle Isle bridge, with the Coliseum of 25 amusements, opened for the season Saturday night. Responding to the announcement of the opening, thousands took advantage of the balmy spring evening and journeyed down to the breezes and take part in the hilarious fun that occupies every minute of one’s stay in the coliseum. Manager Frederick Ingersoll had taken particular pains to have everything in the best working order and to provide in all possible ways for the comfort and convenience of his patrons. The slides, the numerous ingenious contrivances that give thrills alike to those who venture upon them and onlookers, the mirth-provoking ‘theater’ and all the other stunts that have been devised to give clean, healthful pleasure alike to men, women and children were in full blast. Several new fun devices have been installed in the coliseum in addition to those of past seasons. The boardwalk will be open every evening and all-day Sundays, beginning today. Its variety of amusement, the modest price of admission, which entitles one to enjoy all the features, and its easy accessibility to all parts of the city and to Belle Isle bid fair to render of the mecca of merrymakers throughout the summer.” Ingersoll’s Coliseum of Amusements was located on Jefferson Avenue and was under the management of C. S. Rose.

I have written quite a bit about Moses’ work for Ingersoll in past posts. In 1915, Moses recorded, “A short trip to Detroit to see Fred Ingersoll. Closed a picture set for $1,500.00. He had a fine theatre.” Again, Ingersoll was the manager of Detroit’s Coliseum Theatre, a 450-seat venue at 4321 Hamilton Street that opened in 1916. In 1920, Moses still received work for Ingersoll, writing, “A good order from Ingersoll for a lot of park work was very welcome. I started it at once so as to be ready on him.”

Unfortunately, Ingersoll’s life came to an abrupt end in 1927. Newspapers across the country reported that he was found dead in a concession stand at Krug Park, Omaha. Articles reported that the doors and windows were tightly closed, and an open gas jet filled the room with its fumes. The county coroner convinced that death was self-inflicted, held no inquest and Ingersoll’s suicidal act was attributed to ill health.

In Des Moines papers, Ingersoll’s obituary remembered him as “the amusement park magnate who installed the roller coaster and other amusement devices at Ingersoll park, the vanished center of gayety once operated at Forty-eighth street and Ingersoll avenue. At that time, he was regarded as the foremost amusement park magnate in the country, with important financial interests in parks in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Philadelphia, as well as Des Moines. At one time he operated five Luna parks in five eastern cities. Besides his interest in the Omaha amusement park, Ingersoll was associated with similar enterprises in Lincoln, Neb. and Detroit. At the time of his death, he has lived for the last eight years in Omaha. Among amusement men, Omer Kenyon of the Garrick Theater said last night; Ingersoll was regarded as the foremost amusement park promoter in the country. To Ingersoll is given credit for the discovery, long before the airplane became a more practical imitation of a bird’s flight, that American’s like the thrill of bird-like soars and dips and glidings. His inspiration led to the rapid blossoming of gaunt white roller coaster structures on the outskirts of most American cities of any size. Later he extended his idea to other thrillers, such as whirling chairs, crack-the-whip rides, and swift revolving swings, on which zestful men and women spent three or four exhilarated minutes for 10 to 15 cents.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1002 – A Masonic Order in Cleveland, 1918

In 1918, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “October 10^th, I was knocked down by a boy on a bicycle in Oak Park. It was dark and I did not see the wheel. It was thought by the doctor that I had fractured my skull. It was a couple of months before I recovered. Only a few days after this I was forced to go to Cleveland to look after a big Masonic order and I hope we will be able to get the contract.” He was referring to the new Masonic Temple and massive 2500-seat auditorium being planned for Cleveland.

The Masonic Temple in Cleveland was home to many Masonic groups, such at the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

This should have been an easy sale for Sosman & Landis, as the Cleveland Masons were a previous client. Sosman & Landis already delivered Masonic scenery to Cleveland in 1909. That temple theater was located on Superior Avenue and Sixth Street. Unfortunately, the contract for the new Cleveland Masonic Temple Theatre was awarded to Toomey & Volland. In 1918 Toomey & Volland also delivered scenery to Scottish Rite theaters in Watertown, New York and Peoria, Illinois.

Scottish Rite prospects were diminishing for Sosman & Landis by 1918. That year, they only delivered scenery to the El Paso Scottish Rite. It would be another five years before Moses listed another Scottish Rite scenery project on his resume. 1915 was the last fruitful year for Masonic scenery projects at Sosman & Landis. This was also the last year that Joseph S. Sosman was alive. Upon Sosman’s death, there was no longer that essential Masonic connection for the Sosman & Landis studio.

There were major Masonic players at both Toomey & Volland Studio in St. Louis and John C. Becker & Bro. Chicago. Moses would not complete his Scottish Rite degrees until February 1925. He then joined the Ancient and Accepted Nobles of the Mystic Shrine in March 1925. Not being a Mason until the mid-1920s cost Moses potential work at a time when the demand for other painted scenery was declining. Whether he was working at Sosman & Landis or New York Studios, there needed to be someone intimately connected with the Fraternity to secure the work.

In regard to Cleveland in 1919, however, Moses received a contract for a Shrine scene. In January he wrote about completing a “big Mecca scene for Cleveland.” Of the project, he commented, “I painted the top of the wall in strong sun-light and the bottom in shadow with a number of awnings and tables of fruit and water jars, which gave a touch of the true Oriental atmosphere.”

This one scene was not enough to get Moses back into Masonic scenery game. Scottish Rite work would not pick up again for him until 1923, and then it would continue in spits and spurts throughout the decade.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 999 – The Second Wave of the Spanish Flu, Fall, 1918

In the life and times of Thomas G. Moses, it’s September of 1918. Moses is now working for New York Studios, having resigned as president of Sosman & Landis on September 1, 1918. On October 10, he will be injured when a boy riding a bicycle accidentally knocks him down in the street. Of this incident, he wrote, “October 10^th, I was knocked down by a boy on a bicycle in Oak Park. It was dark and I did not see the wheel. It was thought by the doctor that I had fractured my skull. It was a couple of months before I recovered. Only a few days after this I was forced to go to Cleveland to look after a big Masonic order and I hope we will be able to get the contract.”

Keep in mind that this is all in the midst of 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. The first wave of the Spanish Flu hit that spring and the second wave was already in play fall. The second wave would become recognized as the one with the worst death toll. By the end of December 1918, there was the reopening of schools, theaters, churches and business, believing that the worst behind them. A third wave hit during the spring of 1919, a full year after the first wave.

Early in October, the “Chicago Tribune” published illustrations on how to make a “germ screen,” a mask (6 Oct. 1918, page 17). Next to the instructions was another article entitled, “Influenza Cases Here Estimated 40,000 to 60,000. Majority Declared Light Attacks; No Cause for Alarm” (page 17). The article continued, “Anxious to avoid unduly alarming the public, the officials hesitate to make the big figures known generally, but they did so in order to impress upon every individual the necessity of his protecting himself against infection. As a whole the public is said to have headed the warnings issued, but thousands of Chicagoans, it was said, are still exposing themselves carelessly.” Six days later, the “Rock Island Argus” announced “Begin Manufacture of Face Masks for Rock Islanders to Wear as Preventative Measure” (12 Oct. 1918 page 12).

Published in the “Chicago Tribune,” 6 Oct 1918, page 17.

By Dec. 1, 1918, the “Decatur Daily Review” reported, “Flu Death Toll in Illinois 22,566.” The article continued, “Springfield, Ill., Nov. 20 – Spanish influenza during the recent episode took a death toll of 22,566 in Illinois, according to figures announced today by Dr. C. St. Clair Drake, director of the state department of health. The disease is still prevalent in southern Illinois, and Dr. Drake estimates that the number of fatalities due to it will reach 25,000 by January 1. A total of 350,000 cases of the disease have been reported to the health department. This is only about one-fourth of the number believed to have existed in the state. The death rate was given by Dr. Drake as about 2 per cent of the cases.”

Moses does not make any mention of the Spanish Flu at all. In perspective, he only mentions WWI starting and ending, so his diary entries are not really a barometer to indicate historical significance of worldwide events. Overall, Moses’ memoirs don’t really highlight, or describe in detail, many things beyond theatrical projects and personalities. After all, his memoirs were to be published as “Sixty Years Behind the Curtain Line.”

We here about the constant comparison between the Spanish flu and COVID-19. For many, this is such a distant event that one might as well compare it to the Black Death. For my family it is a little more relevant. My grandmother was 25 years old when she survived the Spanish Flu; it was the year before she married my grandfather. This may have been why I was raised in a household where you stayed home when you were sick, taking caution to not infect others. I grew up making sure that I would not spread germs, especially around young kids and the elderly, almost to an extreme. It made sense to me even as a young kid; sometimes you alter your activities for the betterment of others – no big deal. It makes me think of those who now explain that they don’t wear a mask for themselves, but for others. In my opinion individual rites does not mean that you get to endanger others.

There are a lot of similarities between how people acted then and now, those who care and those who justify their actions of non-compliance. Masks were recommended and public activities restricted. Certain people rebelled, citing individual liberties and freedoms. I often think that these are not people who have lost loved ones or friends to the virus – yet.

And as far as masks go, there are two kinds: those that protect you from your environment and those that protect the environment from you. I was astounded one year when I returned to my alma mater and found surgical masks in the place of particle masks. It was the first time I had to explain that surgical masks do not protect the wearer; they protect the environment from the wearer. We wanted masks that protected the worker from their environment. Again, I thought that this was common knowledge, but I was wrong. When considering the big picture about the mask debate now, the general public may not understand how masks work; after all, some theatre professionals didn’t.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 990 – New York Studios and Fred Marshall, 1918

In 1918, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “September 1^st, I resigned as President of the Sosman and Landis Company which severs my connection with the firm after thirty-eight years of service. I joined the New York Studios and expect to get a studio and an office to do business.”

1927 New York Studios advertisement from “Scenic Artist,” Vol 1 No 1, May 1927.

Quick recap about New York Studios: Former Sosman & Landis secretary and treasurer, David H. Hunt, established New York Studios in 1910. The firm was intended to be an eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis. Remember that Sosman & Landis established Kansas City Scenic Co. as a regional branch in the nineteenth century. However, the relationship between the two studios became strained after Moses became president of Sosman & Landis. Moss and Hunt had never really got along well, so I was quite surprised that Moses left Sosman & Landis to work at New York Studios in 1918. It must have been quite bad for Moses at Sosman & Landis for him to pull the plug after thirty-eight years. One has to wonder what was going on between the studio and the stockholders, as well as the company’s finances.

Of his new job, Moses wrote, “Marshall of the New York Studios and I had to hustle out for a studio. Got an office in the Consumers Building. I did two borders for the Chateau Theatre at the old place. We tried very hard to buy out the old place, but they want too much money. I was willing to make a big reduction on my claim, but it was no use. We have to find a studio.”

Moses was referring to Fred Marshall, a scenic artist who would later represent the United Scenic Artists’ Association of New York City. Born on March 24, 1895, in Woodridge, New Jersey. He was the son of Louisiana native, Frederick Marshal, Sr. (b. 1851), an artist who specialized in mural paintings and contemporary of Moses. WWII draft records describe the younger Marshall’s appearance as 6’-2” and 190 lbs., gray hair, blue eyes and a ruddy complexion.

While looking for information about Marshall, I came across three interesting finds that are worth sharing to give some context to his role in American theatre history. The first was a 1936 Columbia University doctoral thesis by Charles Lionel Franklin, A.M., entitled, “The Negro Labor Unionist of New York, Problems and Conditions among Negro in the Labor Unions in Manhattan with Special Reference to the N.R.A. and post- N.R.A. Situations.” The dissertation included interviews with Max Graft (Secretary of the U.S.A.A.) and Marshall (business representative of the U.S.A.A.). Graft was quoted as stating that the United Scenic Artists’ Association was “Organized in 1918. First it was explained that this local has jurisdiction over all workers in the Eastern United States. In its membership there were at one time two Negroes. One, a New York man who joined in 1918, dropped out in 1925. He was one of the first members. The other Negro member now in the union is a resident of Pittsburgh. In the local there are 339 members. The initiation fee is $500.00, $250.00 with application and $250. With initiation and yearly dues of $48.00.” On August 29, 1936, Marshall explained that the union’s “Membership was open to “any person who follows any branch of work within the jurisdiction of the scenic artists crafts for a livelihood.” Here is a link to the entire dissertation as it is certainly worth the read: https://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10973/22326/GIPE-014119-Contents.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

Marshall was also interviewed in 1937 for the Emergency Relief Appropriation Hearings before the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate Seventy-Fifth Congress, First Session on H. J. Res.361 The following is included from June 1937:

“Statement of Fred Marshall, United Scenic Artists’ Association of New York City.

Mr. Marshall: Gentlemen, I have nothing further to add to what has been said. I represent just the local in New York. We have three locals throughout the United States but I speak for New York. We had a membership of 490 in 1928, and we have some 320. We did try to discourage people from coming into the business. We closed our books and tried to discourage the schools teaching scenic designs, and so forth, as we did not see any advantage in bringing a lot of people into a business that had no future. But we did notice a pick-up since the Federal Theater started and we do dope it will be made a national institution, that the Government will make it a national theater. It is purely seasonal theater now with work for 5 months a years and the other 7 months of intermittently here and there; nut we do get about five months regular employment for all our people, and the other 7 months they do nothing; but we would like to see it become a national institution.” He spoke alongside Dorothy Bryant, Chorus Equity Association, Alfred Harding, Actors Equity Association, Fred J. Dempsey, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and David Freed, American Federation of Musicians for Emergency Relief Appropriation (page 236). They were concerned with the Woodrum amendment. Dempsey explained that of their 30,000 members, only 15,000 have work.”

Finally, in 1939 Marshall was listed as part of the Amusement Committee for the NY Worlds Fair, as the business representative for the United Scenic Artists of America, Local No. 829, 251 West Forty-second Street, NY. He was mentioned in the New York World’s Fair Hearings before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives Seventy-fifth Congress, First Session on H. J. Res. 234 and H. J. Res 304 Authorizing Federal Participation in the New York World’s Fair, 1939).

The point that I am trying to make is that Marshall was a mover and shaker in the scenic art world, but as a young man of 23 in 1918 he was walking around New York in search of a studio for Moses.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 989 – William F. Hamilton, 1918

In 1918, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “I made a lot of models and sketches for floats for Labor Day. Hamilton came out from New York to superintend the work. He always drops into a fat job somewhere.” Moses was referring working with William F. Hamilton again. The project was floats for the San Francisco Labor Day. The parade of 1918 focused on labor unions and worker’s rights, with eighty-seven unions participating in the parade that day, spread out over seven divisions.

Article about the San Francisco Labor Day parade in 1918, From the “San Francisco Chronicle,” 3 Sept 1918, page 11.

Detail from the “San Francisco Chronicle,” 3 Sept 1918, page 11.

It has been more than two years since I explored the life of scenic artist Will Hamilton and the short-lived firm of Moses & Hamilton. It is time to recap, because I think that working with Hamilton during the summer of 1918 prompted Moses to tender his resignation to Sosman & Landis by that fall. Hamilton may have reminded him that better opportunities were lurking elsewhere, and that Sosman & Landis was a sinking ship.

Moses first met Hamilton in 1892 when they were both hired to design the models and paint scenery for “Ben Hur,” the pantomime tableaux (see past installment 256 https://drypigment.net2017/11/22/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-acquiring-the-fort-scott-scenery-collection-for-the-minnesota-masonic-heritage-center-part-256-thomas-g-moses-painting-scenery-for-the-ben-hur-tableaux-and/).

Less than a decade later, the two established Moses & Hamilton in New York. The partnership lasted until 1904 when Moses returned to Chicago to become vice-president at Sosman & Landis studio. When Perry Landis had to leave the company for health reasons, Sosman assumed many of the administrative and marketing duties. Therefore, someone was needed to supervise all design, construction, painting and installation.

Moses & Hamilton advertisement in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide, 1903-1904.

It had been difficult for Moses to leave in 1904. That year he wrote, “When I had to tell Hamilton, I almost gave in to stay with him, for he was awfully broken up over it.” Moses was leaving a good friend, a good crew, and good work, hoping for something even better upon his return in Chicago. This was especially difficult as the theatrical center of the United States was shifting to New York.

Moses & Hamilton had assembled a paint crew at the Proctor’s 125^th Street Theatre only three years earlier. Their staff included Ed Loitz, Otto Armbruster and Al Robert. Projects were plentiful, and consistently spread across three theatres: The American Theatre, Proctor’s Twenty-third Street Theatre, and Proctor’s 125^th Street Theater. Thomas G. Moses was the lead scenic artist at the American Theater, William F. Hamilton was the lead scenic artist for Proctor’s Twenty-third Street Theatre, and Al Roberts was the lead scenic artist at Proctor’s 125^th Street Theatre.

For three years, Moses & Hamilton had more work than they could handle, producing scenery for opera, vaudeville, and other entertainments. Their work for Frederick Thompson at Luna Park included “A Trip to the Moon,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” “War of the Worlds,” and “Fire and Flames.” A few of Moses & Hamilton’s Broadway designs included “Under the Southern Skies” (Theatre Republic, Nov. 12, 1901 to Jan. 1902), “In Dahomey” (New York Theatre, Feb. 18, 1903 to April 4, 1903, with a return to the Grand Opera House from August to September, 1904), “The Medal and the Maid” (Broadway Theatre, Jan. 11, 1904 to Feb. 20, 1904, Grand Opera House, March 1904), “The Pit” (Lyric Theatre, Feb. 10, 1904, to April 1904), and “Girls Will Be Girls” (Haverly’s 14th Street Theatre, Aug. 27, 1904 to Sept. 3, 1904). Their work was sought after by Helena Modjeska, John C. Fisher, Henry Savage, and other well-known theatre personalities.

Another advertisement for Moses & Hamilton.

Even after Moses & Hamilton folded, the two continued working together on a variety of projects across the country until 1909. Moses remained at Sosman & Landis, while Hamilton worked at New York Studios, the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis. However, as business picked up at Sosman & Landis, it became more and more difficult for Moses to do any outside work with Hamilton. Previously, he earned extra income by taking on these outside projects. Part of the perks was his being able to use the studio for night work. However, as Sosman & Landis took on more and more work, hours were extended into the evening, prohibiting outside projects.

So work slows down during the war years, and Hamilton comes around again. It was no coincidence that Hamilton shows up in July and Moses resigns as president of Sosman & Landis less than two months later. Moses wrote, “September 1^st, I resigned as President of the Sosman and Landis Company which severs my connection with the firm after thirty-eight years of service. I joined the New York Studios and expect to get a studio and an office to do business.” On September 2^nd Moses recorded, “There was a big Labor Day parade and such a crowd. Mama and I went down but were very careful not to get in the thick of it.” That was his first day of freedom from Sosman & Landis, his first day without the worry of being president at the company.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 988 – The Satellites of Mars and the Ice Carnival, 1918

Early in 1918, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We got a big contract for the Arena through Marshall Fields, but had to drop it as we were $500.00 too high. The party who took the contract, stole my idea and when he completed the job, he found he stood good to lose at least $1,400.00, as the Arena was not good for the amount as the work was done for a lease.” That’s Karma working for you!

There is no way to know the exact event that Moses was referring to. However, I think it was the ice carnival and fancy dress ball held at the Chicago Arena on March 16^th. Officers from Camp Grant, Camp Dodge, Camp Custer and Great Lakes were invited to attend the event. The organization, the Satellites of Mars, was in charge of the carnival. Members from the Satellites were managing the carnival for the Fort Sheridan Association.

The Satellites of Mars at the Ice Carnival from the “Chicago Tribune,” March 17, 1918, page 3.

On March 17, 1918, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “Society Shines with Satellites at Arena Affair. Brilliant Scenes Mark Function to Aid War” (page 3). This may have been the event. The article continued, “Never has a society function had a more effective setting than had the fancy dress ice carnival and ball held last night at the Arena. The brilliant coloring of the skater’s costumes, on which the spotlights played, glinted over the great area of the skating hall, and from balconies and doorways hung fantastic lanterns and draperies of red, white and blue. A band of jackies marked the rhythm of the skating. The affair, patronized by almost all the people of fashion now in the city was given by the Satellites of Mars, under the auspices of the Fort Sheridan association, an organization which looks after the interests of soldiers and sailors. There were many soldiers present and several jackies. The proceeds, it is estimated, will amount to about $10,000.”

From the “Chicago Tribune,” March 17, 1918, page 7.

The Satellites of Mars was a relatively new high-society group, formed for charity. For the ice carnival event, Wallace C. Winter (219 South La Salle Street) was a member and managing the carnival for the Fort Sheridan Association (Chicago Tribune, 7 March 1918, page 15). It appears to have been short-lived, however, and primarily active during the war years.

Interestingly, in 1877 Prof. Hall of the National Observatory identified two extremely minute moons circling Mars (New York Daily Herald, 23 Aug. 1877, page 3). The satellites of Mars appear in the papers again in 1918; this time the term arises in conjunction with those in the military. On March 27, 1918, the “San Francisco Examiner” reported, “There should be, we think, a marked distinction between the uniforms worn by men in the trenches and those worn by non-combatant officers. As the former are inconspicuous, the latter should be vivid and slashing. A feature might be a couple of red moons, emblematic of the satellites of Mars” (page 2). This opinion appears in US newspaper across the country at the time.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 987 – The Military Entertainment Council, Liberty Tents, Liberty Auditoriums and Liberty Theaters, 1918

In 1918, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Received a nice order from Harrison Company, operating the Redpath Lyceum Bureau for their chatauqua work.” The previous year. Sosman & Landis also delivered scenery for the Redpath Chautauqua Circuit.

In 1918, “Trench and Camp” reported:

“Mr. Marc Klaw was given the task of organizing four companies to play light comedies and four companies of vaudeville stars. ‘Turn to the Right,’ ‘Cheating Cheaters, ‘Here Comes the Bridge,’ ‘Inside the Line’ and other popular plays will be presented in turn at the various cantonments. The professional vaudeville companies will also make the rounds and the theatres will be offered to the men for the production of amateur dramatics or special moving pictures. There will be a small charge of from 15 to 25 cents made for professional entertainments. I addition to these theatres, and at both the National Army and National Guard camps, the Redpath Lyceum furnished entertainment. The general direction of all paid entertainments at the camps is in the hands of Mr. Harry P. Harrison, the president and general manager of the Redpath Lyceum Bureau” (22 Jan. 1918, page 7).

Written by Raymond B. Fosdick, Chairman of the Commission on Training Camp, the article explained, “Just after the war was declared last April, the President and Secretary of War, having these facts keenly in mind, asked me to assume the chairmanship of the newly appointed Commission on Training Camp Activities. The main job of this Commission is to apply the normal things of life to the hundreds of thousands of men in training camps. Besides the chairman, the members of the Commission are Lee F. Hanmer, of the Russell Sage Foundation; Thomas J. Howells, of Pittsburgh; Marc Klaw, the well-known theatrical producer; Joseph Lee, president of the Playground and Recreation Association of America; Malcolm L. McBridge, the former Yale Football star; Dr. John R. Mott, well known as General Secretary of the War Work Council of the Y.M.C.A; Charles P. Neill, of Washington; Col. Palmer E. Pierce, U.S.A., and Dr. Joseph E. Raycroft, director of physical education of Princeton University. It was our task, in the first place, to see that the inside of sixty odd army-training camps furnished real amusement and recreation and social life. In second place, we were to see to it that the towns and cities near by the camps were organized to provide recreation and social life to the soldiers who would flock there when on leave. In short, the Government took the attitude and is holding to it all along: ‘Over a million men are training hard to fight for the Government; the Government will give them, while they train, every possible opportunity for education, amusement and social life.’”

On March 8, 1918, the “Green Bay Press-Gazette” announced, “The work of entertaining the soldiers has been consolidated under the ‘Military Entertainment Council,’ of which James Couzens, of Detroit, is chairman; with Harry P. Harrison of Chicago, as chairman of the executive committee. Under the Council, the Chautauqua tents and Marc Klaw theaters all operate together, giving nightly entertainments. They will hereafter be known as ‘Liberty Tents,’ ‘Liberty auditoriums’ and ‘Liberty theaters’”(Green Bay, Wisconsin, page 13).

From the “Atlanta Constitution,” 11 Jan 1918 page 6.

The attached newspaper clipping shows Camp Gordon’s Liberty Theater. Pictured upper left is Raymond B. Foswick (chairman of the war commission on training camp activities, in charge of all the theaters and director on the ‘off time’ of every sailor and soldier). Pictured upper right are Sam Harris and George Cohan, partners in song-writing, who are working to making the programs of the army circuit a success). In the lower left is E. F. Albee, manager of B. F. Keith’s circuit, who is sending a number of his best acts to the cantonment circuit). In the lower center is Marc Klaw of Klaw and Erlanger bookers, who is arranging the productions for the Liberty theaters, and who is now engaged in training a number of comedy casts). Pictured lower right is Harry P. Harrison, president of the Redpath Chautauqua, who is also giving his time attention and performers to the entertainment of the national army men.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 986: Mother’s Day, 1918

Part 986: Mother’s Day, 1918

In 1918, Mother’s Day was officially five years old. Newspapers across the country recalled the historic event, reporting, “On May 10, 1913, a resolution passed the United States house of representatives and the senate commending Mother’s day for the observance by the house and senate, the president of he United States and his cabinet and other heads of government departments.” (Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 10 May 1918, page 16). Another two Mother’s Days would pass mothers were honored with the right to vote. Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19^th amendment granted women the right to vote.

From the “Salt Lake Tribune,” Salt Lake City, UT, 10 May 1918, page 16.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 985: Mrs. Jonathon Ogden Armour, 1918

In 1918, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “A big outdoor spectacle for Mrs. Jonathon Ogden Armour at her Lake Forest home took up some of our time in June. It proved to be a wonderfully effective show given by the Armour Company women employees.” The spectacle that Moses mentioned in 1918 took place at the country estate, Mellody farm, at Lake Forest. Of the estate, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “ It was built as a veritable fairyland for their daughter Lolita, who was a cripple in her youth” (17 Aug. 1927, page 5). At the turn of the twentieth century, the Armours bought a thousand acres in Lake Forest and built a home that was a showplace – Mellody Farm. The estate was an escape for their physically handicapped daughter who had been born with dislocated hips at birth. Their property at Lake Forest was intended as a fairyland for their daughter at first. It would take two operations, specialist from Europe and a series of plaster casts, but Lolita fully recovered. Mellody Farm remained in all its glory with acres of gardens, artificial lakes and ponds, flowing streams, miniature forest, deer parks, sylvan pathways, and fountains. And then there were the buildings that included marble and plaster Italian villas situated amidst rose gardens and cypress-lined terraces. This is where the big outdoor spectacle for Armour employees occurred in 1918. The estate remained open until 1929 when the market crashed, changing many people’s fortunes.

Mellody Farm in Lake Forest, the Armour Estate.

Mellody Farm. Image from Half Pudding Half Sauce Blog Spot (Feb 5, 2012).

Mrs. Lolita Sheldon Armour, was the wife of well-know meat packer J. Ogden Armour. J. Ogden was the son of Phillip D. Armour who founded Armour & Co. and Armour Institute of Technology. He was born on November 11, 1863, the same year that his father founded the Armour organization. The senior Armour joined the packing firm of Plankington & Layton in Milwaukee and so thereafter the firm name was changed to Plankington & Armour. The “Chicago Tribune” later reported, “the growing city of Chicago appealed to Phillip Armour as the logical center of the meat packing industry. It is said that his business partner did not entirely accept this idea but agreed to establish a branch on Chicago. This branch was started in 1867 under the name Armour & Co. J. Ogden Armour, the elder son of Phillip D. Armour, gave up his senior year in Yale to join the Armour organization in 1883. He was put into business, at the bottom, so to speak, and learned it from the ground up. He was made a partner in the firm a year later. As his father’s health declined, the son assumed larger direction of the business. In 1900, his only brother, Phillip D. Armour, Jr., died, followed a year later by his father’s death. Then the sole management fell on J. Ogden Armour” (17 Aug 1927, page 5). The article noted, “O the hey-day of expansion and prosperity of American meat packing. Mr. Armour won one of the great personal fortunes in American industrial history. But in the period of post-war adversity, that fortune dwindled amazingly. What remains of it cannot be definitely estimated now” (17 August 1927, page 5).

Armour & Co. advertising postcard now for sale online.

He married Lolita Sheldon in 1891. Born in Suffield, Conn., she was the daughter of J. Sheldon. In her obituary, the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” reported, “For many years Mrs. Armour presided over the family’s vast estate, Melody Farm, near Lake Forest. She was a patron of the arts and made several gifts to the Chicago Art Institute” (7 Feb, 1953, page 5). Mrs. Armour passed away at the age of 83. At the businesses peak, Armour’s personal prosperity was conservatively estimated at $200,000,000 – today’s approximate of over 3 trillion dollars.

As I read articles about the Armours, it was the business practices of Mr. Armour that caught my attention. This stands in stark contrast with how many packing plants are run, especially in light of COVID-19 now. He followed the footsteps of his father, who made a paint of being the first person in his office each morning and the last to leave at night. He once explained, “I have no social ambitions. My ambition is to run Armour & Co. successfully and give a great many young men a chance to make their way in the world. My associates in the business are my close friends. If it weren’t for fun there is in the working with them and being with them I wouldn’t stay in business” (17 Aug. 1927, page 5). This mean that he rarely accepted social invitations, even when it was his wife who hosted a party at Mellody farm, or their summer camp on Long Lake in Michigan. Mrs. Armour was reported to have entertained magnificently, “but when her husband sees preparations going on for an ‘affair’ he scurries away to his club and plays whist or pinochle until he feels that he can go home without risk of meeting anyone loaded with small talk and fine clothes.”

In 1927, his employees recalled of Mr. Armour’s kindness to his employees. The “Chicago Tribune” reported “One of these related to a man who was discharged after fifteen years of service be a department head who said he was incompetent. The case was taken to Mr. Armour, who put the employee back in his old place. ‘If it took fifteen years to find out he was incompetent, you’ll have to worry along with home for the rest of his life,’ he asserted. In another instance accountants complained that an old packing house foreman refused to keep any books. Mr. Armour was asked to discharge the old-timer. ‘No,’ he said. ‘That foreman taught me all I know about his branch of business. If you can’t get figures some other way, you’ll have to do without them.’” It is the respect and loyalty that seems to have been in many businesses; large plants with no connection to the packing employees. The 1918 spectacle thrown by Mrs. Armour was for the Armour Company employees. That same year, the “Buffalo Enquirer” reported, “When the United States entered the European war, Mr. Armour promptly urged that all his dealings in food-stuffs should be taken under control by the government, an unselfish attitude which caused critics of all capitalists to alter their views. Mr. Armour’s action has convincingly demonstrated that it is possible to be both a packer and a patriot. To tell adequately of the benefactions of the Armour family would require endless space. For years the Armours have spent a vast fortune on this kind of work, and the present Mr. Armour has continued giving millions of dollars to worthy causes. Loved by all his employees for what he has done for them, J. Ogden Armour is the type of American of which we are all proud” (The Buffalo Enquirer, 31 May 1918, page 10).

Image from Half Pudding Half Sauce Blog Spot (Feb 5, 2012). It is part of a really lovely post about Melody Farm entitled “The Most Beautiful House Between New York and Chicago.” Here is the link: https://halfpuddinghalfsauce.blogspot.com/2012/02/most-beautiful-house-between-new-york.html?m=0

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 980 – Lester Landis and Jessie Royce Landis, 1918

In 1918, Thomas G. Moses went on an auto trip to South Bend, Indiana. He was accompanied by Lester and Jessie Landis. Of the experience, he wrote, “July 2^nd, Lester, his wife and myself started for Battle Creek by the way of South Bend in his auto. We had a delightful trip, spending the 4^th of July in South Bend and coming away with a $1,200.00 contract.” Earlier that spring, Moses recorded that the studio “Did considerable work for South Bend in April.”

When Joseph S. Sosman passed away in 1915, stockholders elected Moses as president of the Sosman and Landis Company, Sosman’s stepson Arthur as vice-president and Landis’s son P. Lester Landis as secretary and treasurer. This occurred only two months after Lester married Jessie Medbury. By the end of the 1915, Moses wrote, “I hope within a year that Lester will get into the office work so I will not have much of that to do.”

It should have read Mrs. Jessie Royce Landis, from the “Chicago Tribune,” 21 April 1920, page 17.

Lester was slow to take on the company reigns for a couple of factors. The first being his recent marriage to actress Jessie Medbury in summer. At the same time, Arthur Sosman did not success in the role of vice president. By 1916, his mother replaced him in the role. On October 10,1916, Moses was re-elected president of the company, with Mrs. Sosman as vice president and Lester Landis as the secretary and treasurer. This was the same year that Lester and Jessie’s son was born with downs syndrome. The company is still in turmoil from Sosman’s passing, each family is struggling with their individual problems and America enters the was. Now throw in clients not paying their bills, or delaying payments; it was a rough period, but Lester remains in the position of secretary and treasurer.

Jessie Royce Landis was the daughter-in-law of Perry Landis, of Sosman & Landis. She married P. Lester Landis. From the “Indianapolis Star,” 26 March 1922, page 80.

By 1918, Lester is more active in his role, and Moses even mentions his success in collecting overdue payments for some projects, but the company is still faltering. By that fall, Moses decided to leave, writing, “September 1^st, I resigned as President of the Sosman and Landis Company which severs my connection with the firm after thirty-eight years of service. I joined the New York Studios and expect to get a studio and an office to do business. The Sosman and Landis Company have only done $85,000.00 worth of work for the past year. We should have done about $116,000.00 worth to make money.” Lester stays and soon becomes company president. He was never a painter, never had the same connections as his father, or really understood how the business was run. This had to have been an extremely difficult time for Lester, especially as he and Jessie disagreed on how to raise a child with special needs.

Although Moses resigned as President of Sosman & Landis in 1918, he would sporadically work with Lester, mentioning him again 1922. That year they pitched a new design for the Scottish Rite Valley of Little Rock, Arkansas. However, Sosman & Landis was preparing to fold and the vultures were waiting in the wings to grab what was left.

In 1923, Moses and Fred Megan purchased the name of Sosman & Landis. Megan was previously associated with the Kansas City scenic Co., but had subcontracted work to Sosman & Landis over the years. The pair would try to convince Lester to work with them again in 1925 after successfully purchasing the name and reorganizing Sosman & Landis. In short, Moses seems to have genuinely liked Lester to have made the offer. This may have been the turning point for Lester when he declined the position, as he didn’t remain with the theatre industry long after that. Although he was listed in the Evanston Directory as a salesman for theatrical supplies in Chicago in 1931, by 1935 he was a salesman for North Shore Buick Co. He would remain an automobile salesman until his passing twenty years later.

Lester and his wife add an interesting twist to the overall story of Sosman & Landis, as well as the life and times of Thomas G. Moses. I am going to take a moment to focus on the Landis family.

Perry “Lester” Landis was born on October 25, 1892. He was the son of Perry and Nora Landis. His father, Perry, co-founded Sosman & Landis with Joseph S. Sosman in 1877. The Landis family was theatrical one, with two of Perry’s brothers being well-known minstrel performers during the late nineteenth century.

Perry and Nora were married in 1881 and the couple celebrated the birth of only two children: Viola E. Landis (1885) and P. Lester (1893). By 1899, the family moved from Chicago to Evanston, Illinois, when Perry was listed as a co-founder and “scenic artist” at Sosman & Landis. Despite the success of the studio, the Landis family experienced quite a bit of sorrow over the years, as father Perry and daughter Viola dies within six months of each other; Perry died in 1905. Lester’s son also died in 1928 from the flu. Perry had been extremely sick for three years before his passing.

During the 1920s, however, everything also goes wrong for his son Lester. The loss of his son to influenza in 1928 immediately led to the loss of his wife. They had struggled for years concerning the care of their son and her desire to have a career. Jessie Royce Landis would eventually find success as an actress and film star and publish her autobiography, “You Won’t Be So Pretty (But You’ll Know More)” in 1954. I have been trying to get my hands on a copy for quite some time now, as I only have a few Xeroxed pages that were tucked away in the John H. Rothgeb papers at the University of Texas, Austin.

In her book, Jessie describes the early years of her marriage and the birth of her son. She married Lester on June 7, 1915, and the couple celebrate the birth of a son in 1916. Medbury Perry Landis was named after his two grandfathers – Medbury for her father and Perry for Lester’s.

Medbury was born with down’s syndrome. Of her son’s early years, Jessie wrote, “Meddie was a beautiful baby and almost too good to believe. He seldom cried. During the first two years of his life everything went wrong in the Landis home. The business from which they derived their incomes began to fail and it was disclosed for many years the dividends had been paid out of capital. Lester tried to nurse it back, but he knew nothing about the business and it was all pretty hopeless. The family had never had to economize and couldn’t believe that it was necessary to do so now. ‘It will turn out right somehow,’ Mother Landis would say and they continued to live as they had always lived. I, who had known the ups and downs of fortune, seemed to be the only one to worry.”

It was during this time of extreme financial difficulties that Jessie returns to acting for additional income. After a series of charitable performances, she begins working as an actor and director for the North Shore Players. By 1926 she was performing on Broadway, with her last Broadway show, “Roar Like a Dove,” in 1964. As with many performer, love theatre was her first love, even after appearing on the big screen. In the 1920s, Jessie was touring on the road, her son was enrolled in a special school, and her husband was struggling with his own career. By 1928, their son had passed away from influenza, Sosman & Landis had closed and then reopened under the management of Moses, and Jessie’s career took off. Too many factors for their marriage to survive.

Jessie Royce Landis picture in 1938. She was cast the “The Millionairess.”

Although Jessie was married two more times, she retained Landis as her stage name. From 1937-1944 she was married to Rex Smith, and in 1956 she married US Army Major General John F. R. “Jeff” Seitz. In hindsight, keeping the Landis name it may have been a strategic move, as the Landis family was well-known for their theatrical connections also across the country.

Jessie Royce Landis is worthy of mention in her own right. She was born Jessie Medbury on Nov. 25, 1896. “Royce” was not her original middle name, only “T” or “J” are listed as middle initials in census reports. Later in life, Jessie described her childhood as the daughter of a symphonic musician, explaining “a hankering for the stage since childhood” (Stars and Stripes Newsletter, August 6, 1961). She continued, “When other children were playing with their dolls, I would be playing theater. I do remember I used to put on little shows in the backyard.” As a 14 year old, Jessie had received a scholarship to attend the Hinshaw Dramatic School. She also recalled additional studies as a pianist at the Chicago Conservatory of Music. She met her husband while performing with the Evanston Stock Comedy. The Landis’ were a big name in Evanston and the theatre industry. Their marriage must have seemed like a perfect fit, and it was for a very brief while.

Lester’s WWI draft record described him as medium height and medium build with brown hair and brown eyes. At the time, his present occupation was listed as a manufacturer of stage scenery at Sosman & Landis. The couple celebrated the birth of their son Medbury in 1921, Sosman & Landis is liquidated in 1923, and Jessie returned to the stage in 1924. That year, newspapers noted that she was both acting and directing with the North Shore Players, going on tour with a production of “The Highwayman.” This is when her career begins to take off – immediately after the collapse of Sosman & Landis. By the 1950s she begins appearing in movies, including “To Catch a Thief” (1955), “The Swan” (1956) and “North by Northwest” (1959). In “North By Northwest,” she plays Cary Grant’s mother.

Jessie Royce Landis (right) in the movie “To Catch a Thief.”

Jessie Royce Landis (left) in the film “North by Northwest.”

The same year that Jessie married Rex Smith, Lester also remarried. On October 2, 1937, Lester married Mrs. Elsie C. Karger; the couple stayed together until his passing. Lester passed away at the age of 62 in 1955. At the end of his life he was still an automobile salesman, living in Belleville with his second wife. He had been in the town for four years, having moved from O’Fallon. Both his wife and stepdaughter Jacqueline (Mrs. Charles Schultz) of Columbia, Illinois were listed in his obituary.

To be continued…