In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“Rupert was married to Miss Ula McNeill on November 12th, 1914.”
Rupert was the youngest of four children born to Tom and Ella Moses between
1879 and 1889. Their children were Thomas William “Pitt” Moses (b. 1879), Mary
“Mamie” Titcomb Moses (1881), Lillian Ella Moses (1886) and “Rupert” Moses
(1889).
Thanksgiving postcard from 1914.
Pitt followed his Uncle Frank Moses
and moved to Trenton, New Jersey, to work at a gas plant in 1900. Three years
later, he married Stella Martin of Trenton. Moses’ youngest son, Rupert,
entered the theatre manufacturing business and remained close to his
father. The girls married and became
homemakers; Lillian married George Salzman in 1910 and Mamie married William
Hanover in 1911. Last, but not least, Rupert married Ula McNeill of Ames, Iowa
in 1914.
Because Rupert and his father worked together, the two
families would occasionally share the same home, sharing everything from food
to scarlet fever over the years. Although his eldest son Pitt lived far away in
Trenton, New Jersey, Moses passed along fatherly advice across the miles in the
form of letters. Moses’ mourned the great
distance he lived from his adult children and their families. In 1914, however,
there were no longer little children running up to his attic studio, or young
adults to regale with tales of his trips.
His homecomings were much quieter. By his fifties, Moses recognized that
he had lost many precious moments with his family over the years while he was
travelling.
Christmas postcard from 1914.
During his extended absences, Moses desperately missed his family,
and many times reached out to convey his dislike of these separations. The
children’s absences during the holidays accentuated his loneliness. At the
close of 1914, Moses wrote, “Another Christmas without Pitt and family or
Lillian. Would like to have the children
and grandchildren every Christmas. We
have a big house to entertain them, and I feel sure they all like to come to
the old house, at least once a year.”
His words, “At least once a year,” lingered in my mind.
Regret. Success does not matter if you miss so much. I think back to Moses’
many diary entries that placed him far away from the family at holidays. Now he was finally home for one and the
children were gone.
Christmas postcard from 1914.
By 1917, Moses wrote, “Pitt came out for a short visit and
for the first time in twenty years, we had only the four children at home for a
dinner. They were not allowed to mention
their families. We sat each in their
accustomed place. We all enjoyed it
immensely. It carried us back many years
when we were all much younger. I wish we
could do it every year.” That same year, Moses wrote, “Stella and the girls
arrived on December 22nd. Pitt came out on the 24th. We
certainly had some family this Christmas – 17 at the table and two in the
kitchen, and we had a fine dinner. I had
Eugene Hall come to the house and pose us and he got one good negative. Had to use a flash as the light was very
poor. I have wanted this for a good many
years, and I am pleased to get it, even if it is not as good as a gallery picture.”
In the end, we are often left with pictures and memories, and hopefully enough
happiness to make us feel confident in our life choices.
Postcard of the Omaha Scottish Rite.Photograph from my visit to the Omaha Scottish Rite during June 2018.
In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Some new Masonic work for
Omaha, Nebr.” Moses was referring to the new scenery and stage machinery
purchased for the Omaha Scottish Rite Temple on Twentieth and Douglas streets. The
firm previously delivered some scenery for Scottish Rite degree work for the
Masonic Temple on Sixteenth and Capitol Avenue. The 1914 work mentioned by
Moses was an addition to an earlier collection delivered by Sosman & Landis.
Omaha was one of four Scottish Rite meeting places in the
state, with the other three located in Lincoln, Fremont and Hastings. In 1914,
Sosman & Landis also worked on other Scottish Rite projects that Moses
recorded, “furnished a lot of work for the boys.”
On May 18, 1914, the “Omaha
Daily Bee” reported:
“Scottish Rite Initiation to Be
in Last in Old Building. A class of fourteen will receive the twenty-first
degree in Scottish rite masonry Monday evening at the Masonic temple, Sixteenth
street and Capitol avenue. This is the last class which will receive the
preceptor degree in the old Masonic temple, as it is believed that the new
Scottish Rite temple at Twentieth and Douglas streets will be completed and
occupied by the order at the time of the initiation of the next class.
Refreshments will be served following the initiation Monday evening” (page 10).
The Spring Reunion boasted a
class of forty-cone candidates who received the fourth to eighteenth degrees,
using Sosman & Landis scenery previously purchased for degree productions.
During the two-day reunion, Scottish Rite degree work for the fourth to
fourteenth degrees were completed on Tuesday and degree work for the fifteenth
to eighteenth degrees were completed on Wednesday. This means that the original
Scottish Rite stage in Omaha only had scenery to use for the fourth to
eighteenth degrees. A list of all the candidates was published in the “Omaha
Daily Bee” on 25 March 1914 (page 3). By the next spring reunion, there were
one hundred Scottish Rite candidates in the class at the new building (Omaha
Daily Bee, 25 March 1915, page 8).
Images of the Omaha Scottish Rite before it was dedicated in 1914.
The dedication ceremonies in the
new building were held on November 16. The Omaha Scottish Rite was erected at a
cost of over $225,000. Of the Omaha Scottish Rite’s new home, the “Omaha Daily
Bee” reported, “The new Scottish Rite Cathedral is a three story structure,
with high basement, built of Bedford granite, with imposing Ionic columns and
porticos. The auditorium on the second and third floors where the initiations
will take place, is an attractive modern theater, with a stage 30×40 feet and a
seating capacity of about 1,000. It is tinted in cream with pink decorated
panels and has all the arrangements for lighting, stage settings and
precautions against fire, of the most up to minute theater. It has a wardrobe
and paraphernalia room adjoin” (1 Nov. 1915, page 25). The size and scope of
the project increased over course of the year.
The Omaha Scottish Rite.The Omaha Scottish Rite.The Omaha Scottish Rite.
M. C. Lilley & Co. of Columbus, Ohio, received the
contracted for Omaha’s Scottish Rite theater. They subcontracted the 1914 set
of scenery to Sosman & Landis. Keep in mind that by 1914, Moses had been
associated with Sosman & Landis since 1880.
He was the current vice-president of the firm and supervised all design,
construction, painting and installation. He also negotiated many of the contracts.
After Landis’ passing, Moses’ role in the company continued to expand, while
Sosman’s responsibilities diminished. It
was not easy sailing for Moses during this time; especially when studio
projects continued to increase, necessitating the use of annex studios and
regional offices.
In 1914, the Omaha Scottish Rite project also encountered a
series of snags during planning and production. First and foremost, there was a
misunderstanding concerning who was responsible for the
structural work necessary to support the scenic drops. It was unusual for
anyone else besides M. C. Lilley or Sosman & Landis to install the stage
machinery, so I m perplexed that this was an issue. Part of the standard
procedure for Scottish Rite scenery installations at that time was that they
were suspended from “Brown’s special system.” There was always a company
representative who was there during the first reunion to help supervise the
operation of the system.
Furthermore, the Omaha Valley Scottish Rite reduced the
number of drops to less than half due to the expense, likely deciding to reuse
much of the original scenery collection; a common practice for many Scottish
Rite’s at the time, but this bit into the expenses expended by the studio
during the planning and designing process. The original plan for eighty line
sets sixty line sets was reduced to sixty, greatly affecting the final workload
and anticipated profits. These two factors, contributed to a delay in the final
delivery of the scenery, so it was not until the Spring Reunion of 1915 that
everything was in place. That scenery remained in place for the next eight
decades.
In 1980, Dr. John R. Rothgeb of the University of Texas in
Austin inquired about the original scenery. He received a response from the Secretary
D. William Dean that April. Dean responded that the Omaha Scottish Rite
currently owned 47 “beautiful curtain drops.” He then wrote, “…and they are all
originals. They are remarkably in good condition considering their age as is
also the Building which we have tried to keep in the very best of repair.” Over
the course of the next sixteen years, however, someone would make the decision
to get rid of these drops and purchase a the used scenery from the Kansas City
Scottish Rite.
The Omaha Scottish Rite purchased from the Scottish Rite
scenery collection from Kansas City, Kansas in 1996 for $40,000. The Kansas
City, KS, Scottish Rite scenery dates from the 1950s. It was painted by Maj.
Don Carlos DuBois, representing the Great Western Stage Equipment Co. I was
able examine all of the current backdrops at the Scottish Rite Theatre in
Omaha, Nebraska, on June 15, 2018, while driving south for “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry,
Architecture and Theatre” book signing.
The Kansas City Scottish Rite sold their scenery to the Omaha Scottish Rite in 1996.
The used scenery was available for purchase because the Kansas
City Scottish Rite put it’s building on the market in 1996 and moved to a new
location. I initially learned of the collection’s relocation to Omaha while
researching Scottish Rite compositions for my doctoral dissertation. For a
while, the entire set of backdrops was posted online at the time. In the end
$140, 000 was spent to purchase, remove, transport, and install the new drops
in Omaha. Stylistically, the painted aesthetic of each collections was decades
apart.
I still don’t know what happened to the original 1914 Sosman
& Landis scenery, as only bits and pieces of stage machinery remain in
lobby display cases.
Asheville’s Scottish Rite stage is in the Masonic Building.
In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We received an order for
Masonic scenery for Asheville, N.C.”
Sosman & Landis scenery delivered to the Asheville Scottish Rite.
Moses was referring to the scenery collection still housed
in the 270-seat theatre. I only know the contents of the scenery collection as Lance
Brockman and Larry Hill gifted to me their slide collections. There are also
many images posted online, showing the stage area during a variety of events
from musical performances to yoga classes.
The yoga class on stage beneath historic scenery surprised me,
especially when considering the likelihood of dusting dry pigment, flash powder
and other contaminants).
A yoga class on stage at the Asheville Scottish Rite.
From various websites, both public and fraternal, I discovered
that the building is currently the only one on the National Register in
Asheville retaining its original use. At least it has note ben sold and
divided to make apartments. Like a few other Masonic stages across the country,
the Asheville Masons decided to partner with a local group. In 2010, the
Masonic Temple in Asheville, North Carolina, formed a partnership with the
Montford Park Players. One of the stated plans was to integrate dinner with
live performance.
Of the historic stage used by the community theater, a
MountainXpress.com article noted, “There are 48 backdrops, all hand painted by
Chicago artists Thomas Gibbs Moses, hanging in the eaves and rafters above the theatre
(which haven’t been moved since 1915). The article continued, “These backdrops
are visually stunning, and will add to the dimension an quality of the Montford
Park Players’ performances.”
Unfortunately, much of the information in the article was incorrect,
such as Moses painting the drops in 1951; that would be almost three decades
after his passing. Moses’ supervised the painting, but certainly did not
painted every drop for the venue. Unfortunately the article at Mountainx.com
has since been removed and the images are no longer available.
Here is what I discovered about the venue, as noted in
historic newspapers. During 1912, several plans for a new temple were brought
forward, and an arrangement was entered into between the York Rite bodies and
the Scottish Rite bodies in the City of Asheville (“Asheville Citizen-Times,” 2
July 1913, page 5). The architect for
the endeavor was Richard Sharp Smith. Smith designed Asheville’s Masonic Temple
in the same year that he founded the North Carolina chapter of the American
Institute of Architects. Interestingly, Smith was the same a British-born
Freemason hired to supervise the construction of Biltmore Castle.
In the end, Asheville’s Masonic building was erected at the
cost of $50,000, with the funding being equally divided between the Scottish
Rite and york Rite. The Scottish Rite paid for the third floor furnishings that
included the stage and equipment. The York Rite paid for the second floor
furnishings. Both Scottish Rite and York Rite bodies furnished the first floor,
as it was complete with offices, lodge rooms, banquet hall, and kitchen. The
cornerstone laying ceremony was under the Grand Lodge of North Carolina and
took place on July 1, 1913.
1914 marks a significant moment at Sosman & Landis in regard
to Scottish Rite scenery and stage machinery. That year, several collections were
produced and shipped across the country to Scottish Rite theaters, including
Grand Forks, Tucson and Asheville; each was mentioned by Moses in his diary.
Many of these collections are still used, but falling into various states of
disrepair.
For decades the scenery was only used twice a year, at each
Scottish Rite reunion in the spring and fall.
Citing decreased membership and increased expense, many Masonic theater buildings
have opened their buildings for public rentals.
One rental feature is the Masonic stage and historic scenery collection.
The painted settings are popular for weddings, banquets, community theatre
productions and musical performances. Many stages are encountering more use in
six months that the previously six decades. This causes a problem as most
theater systems have never been maintained or repaired since their original
construction.
A rental event at the Asheville Scottish Rite.A wedding at at the Asheville Scottish Rite.A wedding at at the Asheville Scottish Rite.A musical performance at the Asheville Scottish Rite.
Those who currently step on a Scottish Rite stage marvel at the
condition of many elements, much of the pristine appearance is from lack of
use. Some stages that have been excessively used over the century show it, as
both scenery and operating lines look quite tattered. It will be interesting to
see how the historic scenes stand up to increased use across the country and if
any lines fail during a public performance in the near future. So far, any
drops that have fallen to the stage have occurred after performers departed the
building. The guardian angels may be working over time.
Miller & Draper’s Minstrels advertisement published in the “Olney Democract,” 12 Nov 1914 page 5.
“Lives there a man with soul so dead
Who never to
himself hath said:
Both for my own and family’s sake
A bit of
min-strel-sy I’ll take?”
(Published in the “Billings Gazette,” April 12, 1914, page
1).
Miller & Draper’s Minstrels advertisement published in the “Billings Gazette,” 12 April 1914, page 17.Draper & Miller advertisement in the “Billings Gazette” 5 April 1914 page 14.
In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Closed
a contract September 29th with Chas. Kohl for Academy of Music work,
$2,234.00. A big minstrel first part for
Miller and Draper. Came out very good –
something entirely new.” I believe that Moses was referring to the first part
of Draper and Miller’s show as part of the Elks Minstrel Show (Billings
Gazette, April 12, 1914, page 1).
On April 12, 1914, the “Billings
Gazette” announced, “This year’s Elks Minstrel To Be Best Performance Ever
Staged in the City” (page 1). The production was advertised as “Fast and snappy
show replete with up-to-date features is assured theatre-goers next Wednesday ,
Thursday and Friday evenings. The article reported, “Miller & Draper of New
York city, under whose direction this show is presented and who so ably served
the local lodge two years ago, are the best known producers in the business. For
twelve years they have been staging the annual Elk’s Minstrels over the United
States, During that tome they made for Elks lodges approximately a half million
dollars (Should they fail to make a half-million for Billings No. 394 there
will be things doing not on the program). The leading Elks grand lodge offices
and the lodges where Miller and Draper have played are enthusiastic in their
endorsements. Harry Miller is an experienced show man of real value under whose
system Elks lodges have started home building funds and furnished lodge rooms.
Mr. Miller has a connection with the biggest publishers to supply him with the
Cohan music he carries with his productions. Clint Draper comes to Billings
well known as a performer of experience, having been with leading minstrel
productions of the country. He is one of the very best black-face comedians and
dancers in the country and under his tutelage dancing acts of exceptional merit
are staged at Elks Minstrels. …Miller and Draper have invested thousands of
dollars in scenery and costumes, all of which making a full carload, has been
brought to Billings for the coming Minstrel [show].”
The article continued, “Program
– First Part. The curtain will arise upon a scene entitled ‘Carnival Night at
the Panama-Pacific Exposition, 1915. The scenery for this was built and painted
from drawings furnished by the architectural commission of the exposition of
the exposition. The scene represents the East Court of the Grand Court of Honor
at the San Francisco Exposition, and is as authentic as canvas and paint can
make it. The electrical effects introduced render the scene one of unparalleled
beauty and elegance, achieving a distinct triumph from an artistic standpoint
of what the great exposition will be.
Following the opening chorus the ‘end men’ and the balladists will early being
to get in their work. Joke will follow joke in quick succession, all of them
localized to suit all sorts and condition of men in this city and vicinity –
and all who know anything at all about the ability of these comedians – and
everybody should, because they have an international as well as home reputation
– may figure out in advance the side-splitting laughs that are in store. The
real test of a minstrel show, nonwithstanding all the fun cropping out of the
first part, is the Olio, or second part. Almost anybody can put on a pretty
good first part. The Booster could do it itself, if it had a mind to. But most
minstrels fall down woefully on the second part of the entertainment. This
isn’t going to be the case with Billings No. 394, however, as the second part
bids fair to eclipse in many ways the first part.”
As the Night approaches, the
article noted, “men and things are getting busy at the Babcock [theatre] in
preparation for this big event, Paper hangers, painter, ratcatchers, old
clothes men, vacuum cleaners and the local fire department are now at work
making extra preparations to accommodate the big crowds. The said walls of the
theater are being pushed back, the roof raised, the floor dropped, and peep
holes let in all around so as to let out the noise. The seating capacity will
be increased to 2,371. Some seats have been greatly widened in order that
visiting brethren of unusual avoirdupois may not be choked. These will be
reserved for the heavy weights who come. Strong disinfecting germicides have
been attached to the places where opera glasses ought to be and you are advices
to use these freely after such jokes as may appear to require application.”
Even though Thomas G. Moses was
vice-president of Sosman & Landis in 1914, he was on the road a lot. At 58
years old, Moses remained at the top of his game. Working as both a scenic
artist and designer, well-known personalities throughout North America
continued to seek him out.
Since his return to Sosman & Landis in 1904, Moses had full control over the design, construction, painting, and installation of all projects. By 1914, however, much of Moses’ time was consumed with making models and securing contracts.
When Sosman & Landis opened,
it was Perry Landis who crisscrossed the country, securing scene-painting
contracts for opera houses, music halls and other entertainment venues. Sosman and Moses followed Landis, rapidly
completing one project after another. Moses admitted that it was a full six
months after being hired at Sosman & Landis in 1880 before he was even able
to meet Landis.
In 1902, Landis’ illness caused him
to withdraw from studio work until his passing in 1905. This prompted Sosman to get Moses back to the
studio by 1904. At the time, Moses was
running the successful scene-painting firm of Moses and Hamilton in New
York. It took a personal plea from
Sosman, plus the promise of full artistic control, position of vice-president, and
Sosman & Landis stocks to bring Moses back to Chicago. However, this meant that Moses’ increased
responsibilities pertaining to artistic supervision and marketing meant less
time painting.
A decade after his return to
Sosman & Landis as vice-president, Moses’ responsibilities had primarily
shifted to that of a designer, with him painting fewer and fewer drops. His design
services were also in high demand.
Postcard depicting the boardwalk in Atlantic City, 1914.
In 1914, Moses wrote, “I then
went to Atlantic City to make a model for the Colonial Theatre, and I found
Atlantic City was a good place to make a model, so I remained there a
week. Got back home May 4th,
feeling fine after my little vacation.” The Colonial Theatre was located two
blocks from the boardwalk at 1517 Atlantic Avenue near Mississippi Avenue.
Seating 1,391 patrons, it was later renamed the Center Theatre in 1954. The
sun, the sea and sketching must have been a welcome break from the hustle of
the studio. Making models on site was a sure way to secure a contract. The
client would be able to fully see what was being proposed and be amazed at the
speed with which the model was built to his specifications. It also required an experienced hand to
quickly craft a professional presentation, hence Moses going on the road again
as a designer and salesman.
Sosman & Landis delivered
scenery to Atlantic City the previous year too. In 1913, Moses wrote, “We did a
New York Studio job for Atlantic City – a theatre on the pier.” B. F. Keith’s
Garden Pier Theatre of was located on the 700-foot Garden Pier at the end of
New Jersey Avenue, opening in 1913. The firm was a well-known quantity, having
been in business for 35 years.
One of the many theaters in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Other 1914 trips for Moses included French Lick Springs.
That fall Moses wrote, “I made the second trip to Indiana and French Lick
Springs, then back to West Baden – a wonderful big hotel. Got a frightful cold at French Lick Springs
and November 28th, I went to bed with bronchial pneumonia. Pretty bad.
Was three weeks before I could get out. The doctors wouldn’t listen to
getting up after I had been in bed for two weeks. I was stubborn enough to get up and I made
six models and felt better, forgot my worries and sold one set to Hopkinson of
the Hamilton Theatre or $975.00. He
called at the house to see the model and we started work right away. The
illness was the worst I ever had. I
ought to go south.” Ironically, French
Lick Springs and West Baden boasted spas and luxurious hotels, attracting those
in search of cures for their illnesses. Modeled
after famed European spas, these luxurious locations were less than a half-day
from Chicago. Here is a delightful post by Elizabeth Dunlop Richter that
highlights the French Lick and West Baden resorts: https://www.classicchicagomagazine.com/french-lick-and-west-baden-resorts/
Train depot in French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.The walk to the train depot in French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.Likely the hotel that Thomas G. Moses stayed at in 1914. French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.Likely the hotel that Thomas G. Moses stayed at in 1914. French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.Likely the hotel that Thomas G. Moses stayed at in 1914. French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.Pluto Springs was advertised for its medicinal properties. French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.The mascot of Pluto Springs in French Lick, Indiana. Postcard from the Indiana Album.
Moses turn for the worse in 1914
was likely a relapse after pushing through his illness and deciding to make the
models. But this also signaled the beginning of respiratory concerns for Moses
that would remain throughout his life. After years of questionable working
environments an long hours, the frantic pace was taking its toll. At 58 years
old, Moses could not sustain the same lifestyle and work habits that he
established in his 20s without suffering some consequences. Although travel is
never easy, making models on location may have been preferable to cranking out
backdrops day in and day out, 10 to 12 hour days, six days a week. However,
Moses was trying to do both.
The Rex Theater pictured on Washington St. in Iowa Falls, Iowa.
In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“Several hustle up jobs came our way.
Flint, Michigan, Muscatine, Iowa, Geo. Dameral, Kansas City, Mo. And
several drops for the Kedzie Avenue Theatre.” The majority of projects that
passed through the Sosman & Landis studio each month will never be
known. I use Moses’ typed manuscript as
a guide, supplementing his entries with newspaper articles.
One project not mentioned by Moses during 1914 was scenery for
the Rex Theatre in Iowa Falls, Iowa. The Rex was a theater “devoted to moving
pictures.” A small snapshot in time, in 1914 new movie theaters were still
purchasing painted settings as a “frame” for the projection screen. This setting established a unique atmosphere
that bridged the gap between the old and the new.
Here is the article: published in the “Evening
Times-Republican” on 28 July 1914, (Marshalltown, Iowa, page 5):
“NEW THEATRE COMPLETED.
Fine Modern Picture House to Be Opened at Iowa Falls Soon.
Iowa Falls, July 26 – About Aug. 15, one of the finest
theaters in Iowa devoted to moving pictures will be opened in this city by
Middleton & Gephart. The new house s now in the hands of the finishers and
the seating is being put in place this week. This new theater is modern in
every detail. Architectural, it is a gem and reflects much credit on the men
who are back of the improvement. It will seat 350 people and has a stage
equipped with Sosman & Landis scenery and a fine plate glass mirror screen.
The interior decorations are in the best of taste and the front of the building
makes a fine improvement to the business district. The theater will be known as
the Rex and a large electric sign in front of the building heralds its location
to the public. The lobby is most attractive and the best of equipment has been
installed for the projection of pictures. A fine electric piano has been
installed to furnish music for the place. The second floor of the building is
being finished off as flat.”
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.
Shea’s Hippodrome, from the “Buffalo Courier,” 30 August 1914, page 8.
In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Did a drop curtain and two gardens for Shay’s Theatre, Buffalo. “ In 1914, Buffalo was home to Shea’s Theatre and Shea’s Hippodrome. Shea’s Hippodrome on Main Street in Buffalo, a venue that opened in 1914. It is likely that the drop curtain and two garden settings were for Shea’s Hippodrome, as garden scenes were frequently used as a setting to frame a projections screen. Shea’s Hippodrome is not to be confused with the 1926 Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, a 4000-seat venue that is now known as Shea’s Performing Arts Center and features touring Broadway musicals. Shea’s Theatre hosted vaudeville acts and kinetograph pictures. Shea’s hippodrome opened in 1914 and is the focus of today’s post. The namesake for both venues, however, was an interesting man in his own right.
Shea’s Hippodrome, from the “Buffalo Courier,” 30 August 1914, page 8.Shea’s Hippodrome, from the “Buffalo Courier,” 30 August 1914, page 8.Shea’s Hippodrome, from the “Buffalo Courier,” 30 August 1914, page 8.Shea’s Hippodrome, from the “Buffalo Courier,” 30 August 1914, page 8.
Michael “Mickey” Shea was born
on April 17, 1859 to Daniel and Mary (Griffin) Shea. After graduating from
public schools, Shea first worked on the docks as a labor. He soon found
employment as a structural ironworker at the Union Iron Works before trying his
hand at entertainment. It was not until 1884 that Shea started his own
business, opening a saloon at 535 Elk Street in Buffalo. By 1892, he opened the
Shea’s Music Hall at 11 Clinton Street in the Arcade building. Unfortunately,
fire destroyed the complex the following year. This did not deter him from
continuing in the entertainment business, and in 1898 he opened Buffalo’s first
vaudeville theater, Shea’s Garden Theatre. By 1905, he opened another venue
called Shea’s Vaudeville House on Court Street, advertising as “Shea’s –
Devoted to the Highest Class of Exclusive Vaudeville Attractions.”
In 1914, Shea opened Shea’s
Hippodrome on Main Street near Chippewa in Buffalo, New York. He purchased the property from B. F. Keith,
who had abandoned it as a theater site some years before. The “Buffalo Courier”
reported, “As soon as Mr. Shea came into possession immediate plans were made
for the erection of a theater, although the policy of this house was not
decided upon until the present season. (Buffalo Courier, 30 Aug, 1914, page 8).
The article continued, “The photo play is attracting world-wide attention at
present and Manager Shea, ever abreast of the times, has secured for his
Buffalo patrons for Shea’s Hippodrome the exclusive rights to screen the dramas
of the famous players.”
This was during a time when Shea
expanded from vaudeville into motion pictures. When it opened, Shea’s new venue
was considered one of the finest picture houses between New York City and Chicago.
Theaters opened after this one by Shea included Shea’s North Park Theatre on
Hertel Avenue, the Great Lakes Theatre, the Seneca Theatre, the Century Theatre,
the Community Theatre, the Park Theatre, the Bailey Theatre and the Riviera
Theatre in Tonawanda.
Shea’s Hippodrome opened its
doors on August 31, 1914, and was advertised as “the handsomest and most
complete photo-play house in America” (The Buffalo Times, 30 August 1914, page
47). The “Buffalo Times” reported, “Manager Shea has always given his patrons
the best and the latest in the field of amusement that money could procure, and
he is now placing in this magnificent theater the great photo-plays from the
world’s greatest producers. Within the few years that the screen drama has been
attracting attention of theater-goers that form of amusement has undergone a
great change and that rapidly growing business is now placed on the high plane
its merit deserved. Manager Shea has secured for Shea’s Hippodrome patrons the
output of the Paramount Picture Corporation, which represents the best element
of the various interests involved in photo-play production, Through this
corporation the public is promised the best plays and the best stories,
interpreted by the best talent; presented in the best theaters for the
entertainment of the best people. The famous plays to be seen at Shea’s
Hippodrome have been produced by such master artists as David Belasco, Daniel
Frohman, Charles Frohman, Henry W. Savage, Jesse L. Lasky and Hobart Bosworth;
famous stories from the pens of such popular writers as Jack London, George
Barr McCutcheon, Hall Caine, Anthony Hope, Thomas Hardy, Harold McGrath and
others of equal note. Those attractions from the Paramount Corporation will
only be seen in Buffalo – Shea’s Hippodrome – and after their production here
will not be shown at any time in any other house in the city; and for this
service and privilege of exclusive use, Manager Shea is paying the sum that has
that has made this same service prohibitive in any other theater in the city.
The great seating capacity of Shea’s Hippodrome makes the use of this service
possible, as patrons will see these great productions for the low price of
admission of 10, 15 and 25 cents.”
Shea’s Hippodrome was under the management of A. R. Sherry and George Bouchard. Among the great features was the $25,000 orchestral organ that played at every performance.
In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“Early in April a number of Palette and Chisel Club boys, including myself,
went to Fox Lake to look for a new site.
We didn’t find anything worthwhile, so we will remain where we are for
another season… I am not very regular at Fox Lake this year and I miss
sketching. I also miss my rocks and
running brooks. I have to go some
distance for that kind of a motive… Miss Maude Oliver, Art Critic of the
Herald, wanted to see the animals fed and housed, so she went to Fox Lake to
the camp. She requested that we all act
perfectly natural and not put on any frills and do nothing out of the ordinary
to entertain her. I never saw a bunch
act worse. It was awful. I think she got plenty of local color and
artistic atmosphere for her article in the Sunday Herald the next week –
convinced me that she had drunk a glass full of camp life.”
The Palette & Chisel club
made the news on multiple fronts during 1914. In January, John B. Woodruff was
elected the Club’s new president (Inter Ocean, 9 Jan. 1914, page 3). In March, Club
members and Sosman & Landis artist, Victor Higgins, received the gold medal
in the annual exhibit. Higgins had recently returned from studying abroad in
Paris (Chicago Tribune, 27 March 914, page 10). In July, the son of a past Club
president, poster artist Walter Colonel Foerster, eloped with well-known
heiress Marietta Hawthorne (Oakland Tribune, 3 July 1914, page 5). Club members
were active and in the news across the country.
Of the art critic at Fox Lake, Moses
was referring to Maude Isabella G. Oliver. Oliver was an artist, art critic and
author. Born on May 10, 1872, in Rock Island, Illinois, she was the daughter of
commercial salesman Garrett H. Oliver and teacher Katie A. Spear. The couple
was married a few months after Maude’s birth, tying the knot on August 8, 1872.
The newly married couple and their new born lived with their extended family in
the beginning. But the marriage did not last and the couple soon divorced, with
Garrett remarrying and starting a second family. Until the age of 9 years old,
Maude enjoyed the comfort of mother’s family in Davenport, Iowa. Mother and
daughter moved to Chicago where the two would continue to live together until
her mother’s passing in 1922.
Oliver worked as an art critic
for the “Chicago Herald” and as an editor of the “Bulletin of the Art Institute
of Chicago.” She resigned from the Art
Institute’s publication in 1918 to enter war work and later became a correspondent
for the “Studio,” of London. She was also a member of the Illinois Women’s
Press Association, even becoming the treasurer of the organization.
1920 publication by art critic and artist, Maude I. G. Oliver.
Maude I. G. Oliver was one of two illustrators for the 1936 book, “Which Am I?”Maude I. G. Oliver was one of two illustrators for the 1936 book, “Which Am I?”Art critic and artist, Maude I. G. Oliver was one of two illustrators for the 1936 book, “Which Am I?” Oliver was well known for her portraiture of children’s silhouettes.Art critic and artist, Maude I. G. Oliver was one of two illustrators for the 1936 book, “Which Am I?” Oliver was well known for her portraiture of children’s silhouettes.Art critic and artist, Maude I. G. Oliver was one of two illustrators for the 1936 book, “Which Am I?” Oliver was well known for her portraiture of children’s silhouettes.
Oliver remained single her entire
life, passing away in a nursing home on February 17, 1958. She was survived
only by two cousins Thilo G. Knappe of Davenport and Mrs. Eunice Eddy Rickman
of Homewood, Illinois (Quad City Times, 19 Feb. 1958, page 5).
Stage designs that highlighted the technical skill of the scenic artist began to shift during the second decade of the twentieth century. A new vision and stage aesthetic began to appear; one with the increased use of draperies and three-dimensionality objects. New lighting accentuated this type of setting, taking on its own importance. By the 1920s, the demand for beautiful painted visions of pictorial landscapes continued to diminish, an in its stead were a variety of abstract interpretations that defined the stage space. Contrasting fabrics with minimal paint application suggested interior and exterior settings rather than replicating them. In some cases, curtains even replaced cumbersome flats for interior walls, with only the use of a fireplace, window or door.
Traditional interior setting, advertised in the Service Studios sales book. Service studios was established in 1920, and later acquired by ACME Studios, also of Chicago.Backside of Service Studios photograph, ca. 1920-1925. The company was acquired by ACME Scenic Studios in 1926.Real fabric interior setting, advertised in the Service Studios sales book. Service studios was established in 1920, and later acquired by ACME Studios, also of Chicago.Real fabric interior setting, advertised in the Service Studios sales book. Service studios was established in 1920, and later acquired by ACME Studios, also of Chicago.Exterior setting with real fabric and minimal painted illusion, advertised in the Service Studios sales book. Service studios was established in 1920, and later acquired by ACME Studios, also of Chicago.
I explored the popular
production and setting of “Daddy Long Legs” prior to the holidays. In 1914,
Thomas G. Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis delivered scenery for the
production. Of the stage setting, he wrote, “It was a very delicate interior,
real fabric walls.”
There are two ways to look at
Moses’s comments: “real fabric walls.” The
first is the use of fabric panels as in residential homes. In that regard,
fabric panels were falling out of favor for home use by 1914. Newspaper
articles reported, “Not so many years ago the walls of the boudoir would have
been silk panelles, but sanitary specialists have pronounced fabric covered
walls uncleanly abiding places for germs” (New York Tribune, 6 May 1914, page
7). It is possible that the “delicate interior, real fabric walls” referred to
the use of actual draperies on stage, another type of setting that was gaining
popularity on the stage by 1914. Real fabric walls for interior settings
instead of painted backdrops or flats.
Artistically patterned and
draped fabrics were becoming a popular alternative for painted backdrops, both
exterior and interior sets at this time. Scenic studio sales books would
promote this cost-effective trending interpretation for modern stage settings. This
is where scenic art quickly becomes a craft, requiring a different skill set.
The once thousands of painted settings that created scenic illusion for a
variety of entertainment venues begin to disappear. Delicate landscapes painted
with skilled hands give way to contrasting fabrics and minimalist stencil work to
suggest a setting. It was new, fun, more versatile for the stage, and in many
cases cheaper.
Like other studios of the time,
the Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio was not simply a firm that
specialized in painted backings; they manufactured all types of settings,
draperies and stage equipment for differing entertainment venues. It was this
diversity that helped the company expand over the decades, being able to offer
a variety of products and services for all types of stages. The mention of
fabric walls for a setting, instead of hard covered flats, was a cheap
alternative that could be quickly manufactured and shipped to any stage in a
matter of days, not weeks. No complex rendering or skilled scenic artist was
necessary to create this popular stage setting.
Scenic art branches off into two
separate directions at this point: increased realism for the film industry and
diminished realism for live theatre. Scenery for many films became increasingly
realistic, tightening the scenic art style and application of paint for
cycloramas. On the other hand, live theatre was moving in the opposite
direction, broader strokes and non-traditional approaches to interior settings.
The manufacture of scenic illusion, for projects other that moving pictures,
diminishes to such an extent that many studios no longer require a full staff
of highly-skilled scenic artists. The hiring of craftsmen becomes a prudent option,
as painted illusion was no longer required for every project. By the 1920s,
many master painters could be hired on a per project basis. This also allows
room for new studios to open across the country, replacing many of the main
studios that heavily relied on a legion of high-skilled scenic artists. The
painting work is still there, but the demand had decreased.
Fortunately for Sosman & Landis and other
well-established studios, certain social halls, fraternal theaters and other
public spaces continued to demand painted illusion for the stage.
