Thomas G. Moses recorded that he created the production of “Samson” for Robert L. Downing (1857-1944). The play was reported as “rich in noble lines, grand in conception and striking in scenic effectiveness” (Omaha Daily Bee, 26 Nov., 1893, page 13). The first act depicted a high table-land in Zorah, surrounded and shaded by trees, and accessible by a craggy path, where Israelites were assembled around a blazing pyre, in the manner of the ancient sacrifices. Act II took place in the Valley of Timmay, at the foot of Mount Ephraim. Acts III and IV were set in Delilah’s house; a room furnished with luxurious decorations. Act V ended the production in the vestibule under the Temple of Dagon.
The show was to be the first production in English of this heroic biblical tragedy. Written by the Italian author Ippolito d’Aste, the script was commissioned by Tomasso Salvini at the height of his popularity in Naples and became extremely popular in Italy.
Tomasso Salvini in I. D’Aste’s “Samson.”
It was introduced to the United States in 1873, and again in 1880, during Salvini’s first and last tours in the country. The rights of the play were supposedly secured by Downing who made some changes to the acts in 1893. One alteration departed from Salvini encircling the immense pillars with his arms. Instead, Downing incorporated the idea to push apart the pillars as depicted by the artist Doré, “believing that it would be more dramatic and at the same time more in consonance with the manner in which Samson wrought out his vengeance” (The Omaha Daily Bee, 1 Dec 1893, page 8).
One of many advertisements depicting Robert L. Downing in the productions of “Sampson,” the same role as T. Salvini in “Samson.”Another advertisement for the “distinguished tragedian” Robert Downing.
Downing had appeared in minor roles Mary Anderson’s company in New York by 1880. Two years later he was playing leading roles. When Anderson left for London, Downing performed with Joseph Jefferson’s company between 1883 and 1888, playing the role of Spartacus in The Gladiator by 1886. Downing’s basic repertoire in the early 1890s consisted of The Gladiator, Virginius, Ingomar, Damon and Pythias, Julius Caesar, and Richard the Lion-Hearted.
Robert L. Downing.Robert L. Downing.
The Daily Leader of Davenport, Iowa, reported that Downing’s “Samson” was a “strong creation” and his “best work” (24 Nov, 1893, page 27). Mrs. Downing (Eugenia Blair) played Delilah. The cast included Downing, Blair, Edmund Collier, Thomas A. Hall, Mary Anderson, Rose Osborne, and Edmund Hayes. The first production in Denver, Colorado, was to be given at the Tabor Grand the week of December 4, 1893. After Denver, Downing’s company was to alternate “Samson” with “Gladiator.”
Interestingly, this play was part of a copyright infringement lawsuit. In “Reports of Cases Adjudged in the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia, Vol. 11,” the event is recorded in detail on pages 100-102 in Koppel vs. Downing. The copyright infringement concerned “Samson, a tragedy in five acts,” the play written by D’Aste and translated by W. D. Howells. The controversy occurred during fall of 1893 when it was produced by Robert Downing and his troupe in St. Louis (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 24 Dec 1893, page 29). This was the same show that Moses painted for and noted in his typed manuscript.
Apparently the script was delivered A. M. Palmer, the owner of Palmer’s Theatre, New York City with instructions to publish and copyright the same. However, Col. Charles R. Pope already owned the copyright and manuscript at the time it was published for Palmer. Pope’s “Samson” had been neither an artistic nor financial success. Pope’s failure was likely exacerbated as newspapers reported how Downing was “well-fitted by physique, voice, mental bias and artistic training for the role” (Omaha Daily Bee, 1 Dec. 1893, page 1893).
A photograph of activities surrounding Dedication Day for the Columbian Exposition.
There were many parades held in conjunction with the Columbian Exposition. One of the first parades accompanied the dedication ceremonies for the Columbian Exposition World’s Fair in Chicago on October 20-21, 1892. Even though the fairgrounds would not be open to the public until May 1, 1893, approximately 75,000 people participated in the event, representing a variety of groups and organizations. Some of the participants included the Independent Order of Foresters (10,000 men), Italian Democratic Club (500 men), Grecian Brotherhood Association (300 men), Patriotic Order of Sons of America (8,000 men), Chicago Turners Society (2,500 men), Croatian Benevolent Society and Polish Societies (5,000 men), Swedish and Scandinavian Societies (10,000 men), Ancient Order of Hibernians (2,000 men), Catholic Knights of America (1,000 men), and many others.
But there was anther event with a parade that surpassed this – Chicago Day.
Poster for Chicago Day at the Columbian Exposition on October 9, 1893.
Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld asked the state’s citizens to observe Chicago Day on October 9, 1893. The day marked the twenty-second anniversary Chicago’s great fire. Newspapers published Altgeld’s proclamation in its entirety. He wrote, “In the short time which has elapsed since that day the people of the city have not only rebuilt it on a scale of magnificence and grandeur which astonishes the world, but they have carried most of the burden and been moving and directing force in creating that great White City by the lake is attracting the nations of the earth to our gates. It has been decided to make October 9 Chicago day at the World’s Columbian Exposition and to hold the anniversary celebration there” (Chicago Tribune 22 Sept., 1893, page 5).
The Chicago Tribune further reported there would also be a “brilliant pageant” with elaborate floats showing the “ history of a great city from obscurity and ruin to celebrity and affluence” in the article “As Victor Over Fire, Proud Chicago Burns Living Tableaux into the Night” (10 Oct 1893, page 3).
One of the Chicago Day floats for the Night Pageant on October 9, 1893.
Thomas G. Moses recorded his working on the wagons for the Night Pageant, including the Thomas Edison float. He wrote, “I had a number of floats to do for Chicago day. I shall never forget it. We had everything ready to go when the dragon on the Edison float broke and we had to fix it, and by the time we got in line again, the crowd had got in between the floats. A howling mob of 750,000 people – everyone happy and tired, and what a time the trains had to get the mob home.” The parade was interrupted half way through, causing great chaos as the second half frantically attempted to catch up with the first half.
The Edison Float that Thomas G. Moses helped to create for the parade.
Moses was referring to the wagon designed for General Electric Company that contained over 3,500 electric lights. During February of 1892 the Edison Company had merged with General Electric. Sosman & Landis were very aware of ample opportunities provided by the ever-advancing field of lighting technology. This was highlighted by the fact that the Western Electric Manufacturing Company was across the street from their scenic studio on Clinton Street.
The Western Electric Manufacturing Building on Clinton Street in Chicago.
They developed the electric scenic theatre at the fair and later created two electric scenic theatres for the roof top garden on top of the Masonic Temple. In 1893, Perry Landis was one of the three incorporators for the American Reflector & Lighting Company. His scenic studio partner Joseph S. Sosman was an investor. Sosman and Landis were deeply involved in the use of electric light for applications beyond the mere illumination of theaters. It was natural that their scenic studio would embrace the new technology and create an illuminated pageant wagon for Chicago Day. The Edison Float was a perfect opportunity.
Chicago Day was a massive event, one that the newspapers covered weeks in advance. The committees, participants and designs were presented in detail. Various groups and organizations met and presented their intended floats to the public. They were generating excitement for the big day. When evening rolled around on Chicago Day, buildings along the parade route tuned on their light, illuminated pageant wagons rolled down the streets, and fireworks completed the evening.
Newspapers reported in detail how various companies would show their support on Chicago Day as part of the build up to the event. The Chicago Tribune reported on “cordial expressions of support,” such as that from the Chicago Opera House. David Henderson, manager of the Chicago Opera-House, placed the theater’s wardrobe that was not in use at the disposal of the Chicago Day Committee. Other businesses expressed their support by decorating buildings, giving the employees a holiday, or offering employees free tickets to attend the fair if their doors remained open on October 9.
The admission numbers for the Columbian Exposition reported for Chicago Day reached 713,646 with total attendance for the day at 751,026. Chicago Day was one of four days during the duration of the World’s Fair when attendance exceeded 300,000. In 1893, Benjamin Cummins Truman wrote about the event, reporting “there were parades by military and other organizations during the day and a procession of floats and fire-works at night – the latter surpassing anything ever before attempted in the way of pyrotechnic effects” (History of the World’s Fair Being a Complete and Authentic Description of the Columbian Exposition, 1893, page 597). What an amazing event to not only attend, but also work as a scenic studio employee.
Inside of the Electrical Building at the Columbian Exposition in 1893.
Thomas G. Moses’ recorded painting for a variety of venues during the 1893 Columbian Exposition. One of his projects included scenery for Dr. F. Ziegfeld’s Trocadero. That would be Flo Ziegfeld’s father! Ziegfeld Sr. advertised the Trocadero as the “International Temple of Music” and featured a variety of musicians. However, it soon became a “high-class vaudeville theatre” under the management of his son. Ziegfeld Sr. was the first president of the Torocadero and also the General Manager. Thos. W. Prior was his assistant manager. Prior later managed the Schiller Theatre and then the Garrick Theatre.
The first few months in the history of the Trocadero were fraught with disaster. Their sophisticated music policy provided many artistic successes, yet consistently lost money to the tune of $3,000 each week. Furthermore, their first performance venue burned to the ground. Located in the armory of the First Regiment, Illinois National Guard on Sixteenth Street and Michigan Avenue, the Trocadero was entirely destroyed by fire on April 29, 1893.
The destruction of the first Trocadero performance space. From “The Inter Ocean” (Chicago, Illinois) on Sun, Dec 3, 1893, page 29.
In this disastrous turn of events, all of the Trocadero Amusement Company’s scenery and costumes went up in flames (Green Bay Weekly Gazette, May 3, 1893, page 7).
Program for the second Trocadero performance venue at Battery D on Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street.Program for the second Trocadero performance venue at Battery D on Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street. This is before F.Ziegfeld Jr. becomes the manager.
Their next venue was located a short distance to the north in the Battery “D” armory on the lakefront at Michigan Avenue and Monrose Street. In the second armory they continued to feature international musicians, such as Voros Miska’s Hungarian Band, Hans von Bülow’s Orchestra and Military Band, and Iwanoff’s Russian troupe of singers and dancers (Detroit Free Press, 27 April, 1893, page 5). All the while, the Ziegfeld Corporation continued to lose money at Trocadero.
The second Trocadero performance space in 1893 at Battery “D.” This scenery was possibly created by Thomas G. Moses.
After the fire and on the verge of bankruptcy, the company’s board of directors decided to make a radical change in their performance policy. Ziegfeld Jr. became the sole manager and vaudeville acts entered the picture.
A newspaper advertisement before the Trocadero features vaudeville acts.An advertisement for the Trocadero. This is after the Ziegfeld Jr. manages the venue and includes vaudeville acts.
Newspapers reported that “High class music, which was finely presented, but found too few patrons, gave place to vaudeville. This change produced an instant difference in results, and the handsome profits on the business week by week made it possible not only to avert the threatened intervention of a receiver, but to recover all the losses and place a balance to the credit of the enterprise” (The Inter Ocean, Dec. 3, 1893, page 29). By December of 1893, the substantial profits facilitated the Trocadero to reopen in a new home on Jackson Street. It was another remodeled armory on Jackson Street between Wabash and Michigan Avenues. The seating capacity was 1,600 with two balconies, twenty-five boxes, a parquet and orchestra circle. A large restaurant was located in the basement with smoking and retiring rooms on each floor. The stage was to be “roomy and built with special reference to vaudeville performance” (Chicago Tribune 19 November 1893, page 25).
Dr. F. Ziegfeld Sr. was born in northern Germany. A talented pianist, he studied at the Leipzig Conservatory under the direction of Moscheles, Richter, Plaidy, David, Wenzel, Paperitz and others. Graduating in 1863, he not only declined an offer from a leading Russian conservatory, but also left Europe entirely and moved to the United States. By 1867 he had founded the Chicago Musical College for the purpose of “furnishing a symmetrical and thorough musical education” (Chicago Board of Trade, page 291).
1902 advertisement for the Chicago Musical College, established in 1867 by Dr. F. Ziegfeld.
The institution was a school of music, acting, elocution of modern languages, and opera. After the great fire of 1871 destroyed many of the college rooms, property, and library, Ziegfeld reopened the school in another location. So the fire that destroyed the first Trocadero’s performance space was only a stumbling block for Dr. Ziegfeld in 1893.
Ziegfeld Jr. entered the musical scene in 1885 when he worked as the assistant treasurer for the Chicago College of Music. At the time, he was noted as a “very popular and talented young businessman,” later rising to celebrity status as the Broadway impresario and creator of the Ziegfeld Follies. The Follies ran from 1907 to 1931.
In Chicago during 1893, the elder Ziegfeld opened a nightclub to obtain business during the Columbian Exposition. His venue promised “the comforts of European Music Halls.” To help his father’s nightclub succeed after fire and near bankruptcy, Ziegfeld Jr. hired and managed strongman Eugen Sandow.
Eugen Sandow
Ziegfeld Jr. convinced Sandow to terminate his previous contract with Abbey, Schoeffel and Grau. The Chicago’s Sunday Inter Ocean featured Sandow as “The Strongest Man” and “a Prussian of Perfect Physique” (June 25, 1893, page 25). It was rumored that wealthy ladies paid extra money to sneak backstage after the show and feel his muscles. After a two-month engagement at the Trocadero in 1893, Sandow left for New York and European engagements, touring throughout the U.S. in Ziegfelda show called, “Sandow’s Trocadero Vaudevilles.”
1894 poster for The Sandow Trocadero Vaudevilles under the direction of F. Ziegfeld Jr.
Other vaudeville acts at the Trocadero included Marlo and Dunham (horizontal bar performers), Abachi & Masuad (acrobats), the Great American Amann (protean artist, facial artist and mimic), Papinta (the serpentine dancer), George Adams (the clown), Harry La Rosa (the Equilibrist), John Le Claire (the Comedian), Iwanoff and his Royal Russians,Effie Stewart, Carmencita, Eunice Vance, Lottie Gibson, and the Great Santini Brothers. Later, Sandow continued performed on a vaudeville bill with the musical comedy star Billy B. Van, the French clown Mon. O’Gust, and the aerial acrobats called the Five Jordans.
Photo of the Trocadero Vaudevilles, ca. 1896. The caption is “Sandow, the Strong Man, upholds his title on a typical vaudeville bill which includes Billy B. Van, musical comedy star; The Great American Amann, protean artist; Mon. O’Gust, French clown, making his American debut; and The Five Jordans, whose aerial act required a short delay so that the placing of a large net would preclude any accident befalling that graceful, daring performance” (Bernard Sobel, “A Pictorial History of Vaudeville,” (New York, 1961, 51).
There are no details about the scenery that Moses painted for the Trocadero. As he was a well-known landscape artist, it is possible that he created the beautiful pastoral backings for the various international performances during the first half of 1893. The lovely scenery behind Hans von Bülow’s orchestra and military band could possibly be the work of Moses.
Detail of the second Trocadero performance space at Battery “D.” This scenery was possibly created by Thomas G. Moses.
And from Gene Meier…voila! It was across from the Chicago Fire Panorama. It’s great to have smart and inquisitive friends.
View of the Trocadero, as pictured in “One Hundred Years at the Art Institute: A Centennial Celebration” (Vol. 19, No. 1). Pictured in the chapter “From the Archives: Photographs of the Art Institute of Chicago, 1893-1933.” Compliments of Gene Meier.
Thomas G. Moses painted scenery for the Kansas State Building at the Columbian Exposition. He created a painted panorama scene depicting the state’s landscape that wrapped around the top of the rotunda.
Painted panorama in Kansas State Building by Thomas G. Moses in 1893 for the Columbian Exposition.Interior photograph of Kansas State Building with top painted panorama by Thomas G. Moses in 1893 for the Columbian Exposition.
The world fair was open from May 1 to October 30, 1893; 179 days to the public, including all Sundays, except 4 that were reserved for special events (May 7, May 14, May 21, and July 23). 21,480,140 people were recorded to have attended the event over the course of six months. The fairgrounds covered 686.1 acres of what is now Chicago’s Jackson Park.
International participants included fifty nations and 26 colonies. In additional to international displays, there were buildings constructed to showcase the major resources of U. S. States and its joint territories, spending $6,200,000 on their exhibits, today’s equivalent of $160,685,377.00. The Kansas State Building was one of the first State Buildings to be completed, and the first to be dedicated.
Illustration of Kansas State Building at the 1893 World Fair.
Photograph of the Kansas State Building at the 1893 World Fair.Stereoscope card of the 1893 Kansas State Building in Chicago for the Columbian Exposition.
Other State Buildings included Arkansas, Iowa, Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, South Dakota, Connecticut, Louisiana, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Texas, Delaware, Maryland, Utah, Michigan, Florida, Minnesota, Virginia, Missouri, West Virginia, Montana, Vermont, New York, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Washington, New Jersey, Idaho, Nebraska, Illinois, North Dakota, and Indiana.
Interior decoration in the Illinois State Building for the Columbian Exposition in 1893.
Seymour Davis, of Topeka, was the architect of the Kansas State Building, costing nearly $30,000 to construct. The structure was made entirely of materials from Kansas and decorated with the state’s native grains. The bas-reliefs on the exterior tower depicted scenes when the Kansas when admitted into the Union in 1861. The building used a cruciform plan, measuring 135 feet by 140 feet. There were four flights of stairs that lead to the second floor with rooms that included a woman’s exhibit, in addition to parlors for men and women. Various sources reported that the Kansas State Building stood out as “a wonderful shining example of progress and independence.”
One of many commemorative pins. Like many States, there was a “Kansas Week” at the World Fair that commenced September 11, 1893.
Interestingly, Gene Meier recently sent information pertaining to the California State Building at the Columbian Exposition. It is also worthwhile to look at the painted decoration from another state building to provide context for Moses’ own painted project. The California State Building was massive compared to the Kansas State Building.
Meier’s research shows that Reed & Gross Panorama Company of Chicago created several large canvases for the exhibit building, located on the north and east walls of the gallery. Howard H. Gross had held business contacts in California since the 1880s and it was understandable that he would be a major contender for the contract. Gross also worked with many of the Moses’ contemporaries and close friends, such as scenic artists Peyraud and Vincent. Again, lots of work and artists that switched studios like their socks.
Howard H. Gross, as previously mentioned in installment #274, was the president of the Chicago Fire Cyclorama Company and managed the attraction that was on display during the world fair. He had also been involved in the Gettysburg Panorama. Reed & Gross Panorama Company created large scale paintings with compositions for the California State Building that included: the harbor of San Francisco and the city, as viewed from Goat Island; Christmas in Pasadena; the Stanford Ranch in northern California; Leland Stanford’s Vineyard; Leland Stanford Jr. University in Palo Alto; New Years at Hotel del Monte in Monterey, Santa Barbara, and Fresno.
What is interesting in the articles and summary that Meier sent mentioned that one of the painted panels was repurposed a few years after the fair. The plan was to install a painting from California Building into another venue. It gives us a glimpse into an ignorant investor’s idea to transfer a large-scale mural into a backdrop for the stage. J. D. Phelan was one of the California World’s Fair Commissioners in 1893. He purchased a painting from the California State Building after the fair that he intended to present as a drop curtain for the Native Sons of the Golden West. Their hall had a stage. This was another fraternity, like the Freemasons, or the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, who incorporated a stage into many of their meeting spaces. N.S.G.W. was founded on July 11, 1875 by Gen. A. M. Winn and others in San Francisco for the payment of sick and death benefits to its members. Limited to Californians, membership was recorded at 9,500 strong in 1899. It is still in existence today.
Native Sons of the Golden West Hall in Pescadero, California.Native Sons of the Golden West had halls like the Freemasons, Odd Fellows and Grange. As many fraternal spaces, some NSGW Halls had theater stages in their meeting facilities.
I believe that Phelan’s basic intent was to transform a large-scale oil painting into a roll drop for the stage. This is a really bad idea for so many reasons, reasons that I will cover tomorrow. Even if the painting had not been ruined during transport and storage, it was unlikely that this would have been successful in its new locale. It might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but destined to fail as Phelan was unfamiliar with the differences between the two artistic mediums and what was either appropriate or successful for the stage.
For several installments I took a sidetrack to examine cycloramas, the American panorama Company and women scenic artists. These are all intricate pieces of a puzzle that mark a unique time in the history for visual entertainment. Prior to that, I was looking at Thomas G. Moses’ projects during 1892, as I continue to present his typed manuscript from 1873 to 1934, year by year. “Tales of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Acquiring the Fort Scott Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center” is about the significance of this acquisition and the career of the collection’s artist – Thomas G. Moses. The purpose of this discourse is to provide context concerning its significance. Although much of the collection has been damaged beyond repair due to ill handling, this collection was once internationally significant in the world of theatre history and Masonic history. I’m providing a glimpse of why I recommended the purchase of the painted scenery collection while working as the Curatorial Director for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center during 2015.
Let’s venture back to 1892.
This is two years before Grace N. Wishaar’s scenic art career began in Seattle and thirty-two years before Moses would paint the Scottish Rite scenery for Fort Scott, Kansas.
Moses’ typed manuscript personally documents his involvement in scenery for a variety of productions that included “The Outsider,” “Columbus” for Mr. Leavitt, “Fabio Romana,” “The Black Crook,” “A Day in the Swiss Alps,” “South Sea Islanders,” “Kansas State Exhibit,” “The Laplanders,” “Streets of Cairo,” Javanese Theatre, Chinese Theatre, a dozen big floats, “Lady of Venice” for Buffalo Bill, W.F. Cody and many others. He also worked on productions that were nearby the fairgrounds such the Trocodevs, the Empire Theatre and the Isabella Theatre. There were many other projects completed by Sosman & Landis artists. Each of these projects is a worthwhile story to understand and appreciate Moses contributions to the Columbian Exposition. It is important, however, to recall that the Sosman and Landis studio was situated across the street from the Western Electric Building in Chicago. Their work for Western Electric and other scenic electric theatre displays makes complete sense. “Being in the right place at the right time” could have been their motto.
In the larger context of Chicago and the world of theatrical manufacturers, businesses were popping up all over the place and the Columbian Exposition gave many the “push” that they needed to not only survive, but also thrive in the following decades. For many scenic studios, panorama studios, fresco studios, and other decorative art firms, the formation, running, changing hands, and longevity were all up in the air. The individual artists would get together for a year or two, maybe five, and then split, quickly regrouping with another group of individuals.
So what made Sosman & Landis last so long? They partnered in 1877 and the business continued into the 1920s. They rapidly grew during the 1880s and by the 1893 World Fair started to soar. There success? They paired new technology with old – looking forward, but diversifying and branching into other areas – draperies, lighting, rigging, and scenery. Unlike many artists, they sold the whole package to theaters. If there was a product that they needed, they began to manufacture it, started a new company, or bought stock in in it. One of the side businesses of Joseph S. Sosman was a company specializing in lighting products – the American Reflector and Lighting Company. When I stumbled across the stamp up in the attic of the Yankton Scottish Rite, all I could think of was, “Of course, you sold it here too. Your biggest client – the Masons.”
Up in the attic of the Yankton Scottish Rite I noticed the American Reflector and Lighting Company stamp. Photograph from November 2017.Detail of the stamp from another company that Joseph S. Sosman was involved in during the 1890s.Advertisement for the American Reflector and Lighting Co. in a Sosman and Landis catalogue from 1893-1894.
Thomas G. Moses painted scenery for the Java, Lapland and South Seas Islanders attractions at the 1893 Columbian Exposition. These cultural displays attempted to depict “natives” in their original habitat. In many ways it was a human zoo for curious westerners. We are still fascinated with examining other cultures in “safe spaces” or on our own turf. The countries in Walt Disney’s Epcot is one example and Minnesota’s “Festival of Nations” another. We get to experience the people, products and foods from far away in the comfort of our own backyard. Just as the displays are constructed for today’s entertainment, a variety of artisans helped to stage each Midway Plaisance attraction. In 1893, Moses provided painted backgrounds to suggested the country of origin for various dances and performances.
Javanese Village with bamboo fence encircling the Midway Plaisance attraction at the Columbian Exposition, 1893. Thomas G. Moses provided scenery for the Javanese Theatre.
The Javanese village at the Columbian Exposition was encircled by a very tall bamboo fence. Inside were huts that housed over one hundred men and thirty-six women. The structures were built on stilts and characteristic of those found near the Preanger Regencies in West Java. The attraction included thirty-six houses, a bazaar, kiosk, coffee-house, temple and theater. The decorative patterns of the community’s buildings were a source of constant interest by fairgoers.
Decorative huts in the Javanese Village, 1893.
Near each home, the inhabitants acted out scenes from daily life. This included carving, weaving, batik work, rolling cigarettes, handling coffee, and making silk. A variety of items were created from bamboo, palm leaves, rattan, chinchona, and teawood.
In the center of the settlement was an aloon-aloon, or public square. Buildings that bordered the square included a church, observation tower, manager’s house, and a theatre. Moses provided the painted setting at the Javanese theatre.
Thomas G. Moses produced this scene for the Javanese Village, 1893 Midway Plaisance.Ticket to the production that Thomas G. Moses painted scenery for in 1893.
The production was the “wajang wong,” a narrated pantomime accompanied with music played. The songs were by the “gamelan,” a native orchestra. One Columbian Exposition publication reported, “The girls danced, or postured, to music that was principally made on metal gongs, struck with soft hammers, and always in the minor, or sad key. Some of these notes were very deep and resonant, and might be heard a long distance. Three of the males would carry “onglongs,” or a bamboo strung on reeds, and the shaking of these extraordinary instruments with concerted effort produced soft, sad and peculiar music.”
Nearby visitors watched men show their skill with a blowpipe and longbow. Of all the attractions on the Midway Plaisance, this was reported to be the “most ethnological exhibit” and “anthropological display.” One World Fair publication reported, “At night the little Javans sat on their door-steps and played their low instruments, while the sonorous notes of their orchestra, within the theatre, deepened the sadness of the night. The great [Ferris] Wheel beyond might glitter with its five hundred lights, the Midway masses might go by in joy under the white lamps, but the scene where the onglongs played was always far off – continents and seas away, with but a step to go. To sit on the veranda of the Javan coffee-house, and let the hour grown late – it was the only truly poetic thing offered by the World’s Columbian Exposition.”
View of the distant Ferris Wheel from the Javanese Village at the Columbian Exposition, 1893.
Opposite of the Java attraction was another theatre with scenery painted by Moses. It was a village with Samoan and Wallis Islanders. The Official Guidebook of the World Fair reported, “The Samoans were the most industrious entertainers on the Plaisance.” The theater was a high platform. Before the stage were two hollow logs, musical instruments that provided rhythm and some variation of notes. A processional of villages marched out of their front gate and into their theatre. This was to entice followers who would pay the twenty-five cents for the performance. The article continued, “This march would be repeated while the audience waited, and when a sufficient “house” was obtained the four dances and songs which comprised a program would begin.”
The Laplander village was the northern equivalent to the Java and South Seas settlements. It had a population of twenty-four men, women and children with twelve reindeer and five dogs. This attraction was located near the Brazilian Music Hall and the Hungarian dance hall and theater. The Laplander Village was developed to suggest the living conditions in a northern climate. Unfortunately, the participants were contractually obligated to wear their traditional and heavy garments throughout the hot Chicago summer.
Chinese Attraction across from the Old Vienna attraction in 1893. Midway Plaisance, Columbian Exposition.Exterior painting on attraction No. 35 attraction in the Columbian Exposition Midway advertising the Chinese Theatre.
Thomas G. Moses painted the “Chinese Theatre” attraction for the Midway Plaisance at the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Although it was located a considerable distance from the western gate of the fairgrounds, two distinctive towers easily identified the building. Opposite Old Vienna, the Chinese attraction was exhibit number 35.
The exhibit across from the Chinese attraction at the Columbian Exposition in 1893 – Old Vienna.The exhibit across from the Chinese attraction at the Columbian Exposition in 1893 – Old Vienna.
Guidebooks advertised it as “Chinese Theatre, Joss House, Bazaar and Café.” The Joss House depicted representations of Chinese life, “dating back 400 years, showing both in scenery and figures their religious beliefs, modes of punishment and general way of living.” There was also a temple of worship included in the attraction.
Costumed characters for the Chinese attraction at the 1893 Midway Plaisance.
The Wah Ming Company organized the Chinese attraction, under the direction of a showman from Ogden, Utah, named Col. H. Sling. It was reported that the exhibit was transported to Chicago at an expense of $100,000. Entrance to the bazaar was free, with individual shows and attractions charging a fee – such as the fortune teller and the show. The Chinese theatre’s production was called “God in Heaven” and involved a large cast. Performances were advertised as using “Chinese actors in handsome all-silk costumes.” In fact, it was intended as a traditional Chinese Opera, “imported direct from China.” Males played the female leads. Chinese musicians were also reported as “playing on native instruments” to accompany the performance.
Like many of the foreign attractions, especially those from the East, the displays were meant to amuse the general public and not necessarily educate visitors about other peoples and cultures. China was not really presented as an “advanced” or “civilized” country when compared to its western counterparts.
A Chicago Inter Ocean article that examined all of the midway exhibits at the Columbian Exposition in 1893.
On November 1, 1893, The Daily Inter Ocean (Vol. 22, No. 220) published an article titled “The Story of the Midway Plaisance.” In it, the Chinese attraction was described in detail:
“A Chinese theater, restaurant, bazaar, and Joss-house combined, in a sky blue structure with red trimmings, attracted people fond of boiler-shop fugues and sonatas with pure Wagnerian motives. The music was too much like a dynamite explosion in a tin shop to be strictly popular. Some of the more hardy came and listened to a Chinese lecture on the beauties of Chinese drama at a slight additional fee, which was being delivered by subscribers in numbers on the installment plan. A small percentage tried it and came away after a session in a state of extreme fret and anxiety to learn whether or not the villain was foiled in the fifth act, which they might see returning in ten days. The religious exercises were so only in name.”
Souvenir program for “A Street in Cairo” attraction at the Midway Plaisance of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Thomas G. Moses painted scenery for this World Fair attraction.
Thomas G. Moses painted scenery for “A Street of Cairo” at the 1893 Columbian Exposition. It was directly across from the Moorish Palace and Turkish Village. The attraction included 26 buildings that presented an idealized view of Egypt and was never intended as an exact replica of any particular street. World Fair guidebooks note that some of the structures were stylistic imitations of well-known monuments, but that is where historical accuracy ended. Dozens of stands sold “authentic” Egyptian items to passersby as they wandered through the fair. Everything on display was placed to turn a profit, unlike the official fair exhibits from foreign countries.
Bird’s eye view of the Midway Plaisance at the Columbian Exposition in 1893. Note the onion dome of the Moorish Palace on the right. ” A Street in Cairo” is partially depicted on the left.
Historical records suggest that Egypt was not in any financial position to participate as an official exhibit at the Columbian Exposition. However, many from the country recognized the potential for positive propaganda and tourism if the country was included in the fair. Privately funded, “A Street in Cairo” was managed by Georges Pangalo. Pangalo was born in Smyna, Turkey, to a Greek father and English mother. Over the years, he worked in various fields, from railroad service and journalism to banking and financial management.
George Pangalo, producer of “A Street in Cairo” for the 1893 Midway Plaisance.
For the Columbian Exposition, Pangalo worked with Max Herz, the chief architect to the Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l’Art Arabe. This was the official state agency responsible for the preservation of Arab-Islamic monuments in Egypt. The intention was for Herz’s official position to give credibility to Pangalo’s endeavor.
Traveling to Cairo, Herz employed the Austrian architect Eduard Matasek to assist him in the preparation of the necessary plans for the attraction. Most components for the buildings were produced in Cairo and shipped to America. The buildings were then assembled on site under the supervision of a Chicago architect. Herz later arrived to supervise the final stages of the construction.
Photograph of “A Street in Cairo” at the Columbian Exposition.Photograph of “A Street in Cairo” at the Columbian Exposition.
In addition to the architectural accuracy, costumed participants, camels, and donkeys provided an air of authenticity. The Chicago attraction was modeled after the 1889 Paris Exposition’s “Rue de Caire.” In Chicago, performance venues complimented the street vendors and foreign structures. The Turkish Theatre, the Algerian Theatre and the Persian Theatre all advertised stage shows, complete with scenery depicting the appropriate locales. Many of the stage scenery was painted by Chicago artists, such as Moses. In these theaters, popular dancers such a “Little Egypt” (Fahreda Mahzar) performed their routines. A variety of musical entertainments from the Ottoman Empire were on display for the inquisitive public.
Wedding procession staged at the Midway Plaisance in the “Street of Cairo” attraction during 1893.
Other performances that appeared outside of the theatre and on the street were staged processionals or small vignettes. One example was Achmet, the celebrated “donkey boy of Cairo.” This young man arrived in Chicago on April 13, 1893 and began work the next day. He wandered through the fairgrounds with his donkey named “Yankee Doodle.” All summer, little children rode up and down the “Street in Cairo,” from café to the “Temple of Luksor” (Luxor) and back for a fee.
Some of the donkey boys at “A Street in Cairo” Midway Plaisance attraction in 1893.
These shows and street scenes transported visitors to a foreign land in settings that specifically catered to the American public. The types of entertainment produced for the Midway Plaisance were a mixture from many cultural traditions. For the fair, Pangalo imported a diverse array of individuals and groups from different locations throughout the Ottoman Empire. Not all of the performers returned to their native lands after the fair, however, some remained in the area and established new homes. America became an even larger melting pot.
Illustration by Charles Graham depicting costumed participants at the Midway Plaisance during the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Graham worked as an illustrator and scenic artist for the theatre.Illustration by Charles Graham depicting a scene from the Midway Plaisance during the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Graham worked as an illustrator and scenic artist for the theatre.Illustration by Charles Graham depicting a scene from the Midway Plaisance during the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Graham worked as an illustrator and scenic artist for the theatre.
The nineteenth-century fascination with the exotic permeated many other areas of society beyond the commercial theatre. Masonic halls, Scottish Rite stages, Shrine auditoriums and other fraternal spaces enthusiastically incorporated elements from the East into their buildings and ceremonials. The Columbian Exposition did not usher in this movement, but it certainly promoted what was possible and visually appealing. The theatrical manufacturers and suppliers that decorated the fairgrounds were well versed in this exotic aesthetic.
In addition to midway amusements, Moorish revival style buildings appeared across the country in other public spaces. Scenes from the Orient dominated periodical illustrations, stereoscopic cards, themed rooms and other popular amusements. Horseshoe arches, window tracery, onion domes, minarets, decorative brickwork and stucco exteriors rapidly appeared in many metropolitan cities. The architectural ornamentation and painted decorations for “A Street in Cairo” were replicated hundreds of times over for one particular performance venue – the Scottish Rite.
The manufacturers of Scottish Rite degree productions enthusiastically embraced the exotic. Palatial scenes, landscapes, and temple interiors all included visual elements from well-known illustrations of nineteenth-century artists. Traveling artists both captured and popularized the foreign monuments, people and traditions. David Roberts and John Frederick Lewis were just two examples of those who recorded archeological discoveries and the culture of the Egypt and the Middle East. Their scenes would reappear through hundreds of commercial and fraternal performance venues. In turn, Charles Graham who was once a scenic artist, created dozens of illustrations that memorialized “A Street in Cairo.”
Illustration by Charles Graham depicting a scene from the Midway Plaisance during the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Graham worked as an illustrator and scenic artist for the theatre.
During 1893, Thomas G. Moses worked on a variety of productions, spectacles and other attractions, including an elaborate revival of the “Black Crook” for Imre Kiralfy (1845-1919). The June 12, 1892, issue of the “Chicago Tribune” included the article, “Kiralfy’s New Pantomime for Chicago.” The article reported that Henry Abbey made a contract with Imre Kiralfy to furnish a new pantomime and produce it at the Auditorium in Chicago during the Columbian Exposition.
Kiralfy’s 1893 revival of “The Black Crook” was intended to be one of his largest indoor productions to date. Imre and his brother Bolossy (1848-1932) had previously staged a revival of “The Black Crook” during August 1873. It was their first musical spectacle at Niblo’s Garden Theatre and played over one hundred performances. Then the production went on tour, breaking the record number of performances for a revival. It was this production that brought the brothers immediate fame in America.
The Kiralfy Brothers revival of “The Black Crook” at Niblo’s Garden in New York, 1873.
Imre and Bolossy were born to Jacob Königsbaum and Anna Weisberger in Budapest, two of seven children. The brothers were trained as dancers and soon performed for a variety of venues, such as the Hungarian Circus. They traveled throughout Europe under the stage name “Kiralfy” due to their father’s activities during the Hungarian revolution. Their other siblings also joined the dance industry and the family motto became, “All the World’s a Stage.” The Kiralfys soon became producers and organized pageants by their mid-twenties.
Their travels eventually brought them to America in 1869 where they produced extravagant stage shows with spectacular scenic effects, large casts and stunning costumes. The brothers later separated, but each continued to produce shows. Imre primarily focused on grand spectacles, such as “The Fall of Rome” that was staged on Staten Island with two thousand performers.
Imre’s 1892 revival of “The Black Crook” was intended to challenge Eugene Tompkins’ version at the New York Academy of Music. Tompkins production opened in August 1893 and the September 5 Chicago Tribune review of his production reported, “Expectation has been both filled and disappointed in the “Black Crook” at the [New York] Academy. For sightlines in its costumes and scenery the spectacle has never been surpassed in this country.”
During October 1892 there was another revival of “The Black Crook” that appeared for a week at the Criterion in Chicago with the Alexander and Allen Company. No further mention or advertisements were published of Imre’s intended production, but it did merit mention in Moses’ manuscript that he produced the scenery. It is possible that his scenery was eventually used for the Criterion Theatre production.
Imre Kiralfy’s production of “America” at the Chicago Auditorium in 1893.
Kiralfy also created two other spectacles to coincide with the Columbian Exposition – “Columbus” and “America.” Each would prove to be a grand success. Their patriotic theme and consecutive appearance at the Civic Auditorium might have been why the “Black Crook” revival fell to the wayside and was never performed at the Auditorium as intended.
Advertisement of “America” at the Chicago Auditorium, 1893.
Kiralfy’s son Charles assisted with the opening of “America, 400 Years of American History.” It premiered at the Auditorium in Chicago and coincided with the opening of the World’s Columbian Exposition. It grossed almost one million dollars in its seven-month run.
The Chicago Auditorium, program for Imre Kiralfy’s “America.”The Chicago Auditorium, program for Imre Kiralfy’s “America.”
Imre also produced “Columbus and the Discovery of America” that opened at the Madison Square Garden Theatre, later touring to the Auditorium in Chicago during the World Fair. For this production, he hired Thomas G. Moses to create the scenery. “Columbus” then toured for two years.
Imre Kiralfy’s production of “Columbus and the Discovery of America.”
The amount of scenery that Moses produced from 1892 to 1893 is astounding. There is also an added interest for me concerning Moses’ involvement in the 1893 revival. At this same time, he was working with David Austin Strong, one of the original scenic artists for the 1866 production of the show. Moses had been painting with Strong since starting at the Sosman & Landis studio. His typed manuscript records that he and Strong painted a panorama of Grant’s trip around the world, the first project completed after the main studio was built.
What a small world, then and now.
There is also one more connection that affects another history beyond the stage; Kiralfy, Strong and Moses would all become Scottish Rite Masons.
The Electric Scenic Theatre in the Midway Plaisance at the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The scenery for “A Day in the Alps” was painted by Thomas G. Moses.
Thomas G. Moses records that he painted the scenery for “A Day in the Alps” at the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The concessionaire for the Electric Scenic Theatre at the Columbian Exposition was Mr. Arthur Schwarz. Located in the Midway Plaisance, a beautiful Swiss Alpine stage scene transitioned from day to night for each performance. Placards were placed outside of the theater’s entrance. They advertised, “Do not miss this chance of a lifetime” and “The Most Intellectual, Absolutely Interesting Spectacle of the Midway Plaisance.” They were competing with Freak shows and other spectacles. Other signs described the show: “Every phase of an Alpine Day is produced with startling realism.” These were supported by testimonials such as “The most beautiful sight I have seen at the fair!” The price for admission was $0.25 per adult or for two children. Single children were provided free admittance with an adult’s admission.
The outside ticket stand near the Electric Scenic Theatre at the Columbian Exposition Midway. Placards and outdoor signage advertised for the production, “A Day in the Alps.”
World Fair guidebooks reported, “The stage picture is a beautiful Swiss Alpine scenery, depicting in a realistic way every change of nature shown from dawn to night, as each gradually appears, and representing some of the most wonderfully realistic light effects ever produced by electric lamps. It is almost beyond belief that the visitor is not looking at a marvelous production of nature itself, instead of a picture created by an ingenious and artistic display of electric lights. The scene represents “A Day in the Alps.” Tyrolean warblers perform on their various instruments, and sing their tuneful lays. Their renowned “yodels,” as sung at each performance, are applicable to the scenery. The entire scenic effects are produced by about 250 electric incandescent lamps, operated from in front of the stage, in full view of the audience, by switches. The interior of the theatre is handsomely furnished with comfortable chairs. There are nine electric fans, producing a permanent current of fresh air, keeping the whole room at a low temperature and as refreshing as a sea breeze, it matters not how hot it may be outside.”
Flyer for the 1893 Midway Plaisance attraction.
Other guidebooks noted that the scenic production “begins with sunrise, and over the mountain top appears the ruddy glow of early sunlight. Then, as morning advances, and the volume of light increases, the beauties of the mountain become more apparent until their full glory flashes upon the beholder. The shepherd boys and girls are seen with their herds, and every feature of Alpine life is faithfully portrayed. Then a storm arises, and the effects here produced by electricity are surprisingly beautiful. After the storm dies away and the clouds vanish Nature smiles again. Then the day begins to fade, and at last it is night, with the stars brooding over all.”
Franz Reilhofer and the Tyrolean Warblers provided music during “A Day in the Alps” at the 1893 Columbian Exposition.
“Western Electric” (vol. 12, pg. 322) published that the mechanical apparatus used red, blue and white lamps that were arranged alternately. The article reported, “Each color and each locality in the setting was wired on a separate circuit, so that, by the introduction of resistance, it only becomes a question of skillful manipulation to give light of any shade or intensity desired. Of course, none of the lamps are visible, as they are arranged in the footlights and wings as well as overhead and behind the setting. The motion of the moon is produced by a tiny motor.” Just like for the 21st Scottish Rite degree production with the ruined abbey and moon that tracks across the sky.
Advertisement for the Electric Scenic Theatre’s “A Day in the Alps” at the Columbian Exposition in 1893.
This presentation was so popular that Sosman & Landis immediately created a replica for the new Masonic Temple’s roof top garden after the fair closed. Over the years the studio would create many more electric scenic studios, including the 1908 “A Day in Japan,” created for the Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Exposition. It had value.
Sosman & Landis listing another Electric Scenic Theatre for sale after the Pittsburg Exposition. Their hands would have been full with filling Scottish Rite scenery requests by this point.
