In 1921, Thomas G. Moses traveled to San Francisco to paint scenery for the San Francisco Shrine Circus. Sosman & Landis were renting the shop at Edwin H. Flagg’s studio. He wrote, “After four hard weeks of hustling, we got the big show ready. In the meantime, I took a run to Los Angeles for two days, to look after some Masonic work. We got the big Shrine show opened October 17th and it was certainly a big hit. Thousands could not get near the building…I think I have laid the foundation for a good job, but you can never tell.”
At this time, Moses was reunited in work with his former business partner, William F. Hamilton. The two had partnered in 1900 to establish Moses & Hamilton. Located in New York, their firm was quite successful in painting a variety of projects, including Broadway shows and many attractions for Fredrick Thompson at Coney Island. Moses & Hamilton closed its doors in 1904 when Moses returned to Chicago, becoming vice-president of Sosman & Landis.
Born in Franklin, Pennsylvania, Hamilton moved to New Jersey in the 1890s. Like many scenic artists, he worked all over the country on a variety of projects. He spent most of his early years on the east coast before moving to San Francisco. Hamilton saw the potential for an ever-increasing number of opportunities along the coast. The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine became one of Hamilton’s biggest clients, and he became the director of the Oakland Shrine Circus in 1920. The Shrine needed an experienced personality, such as Hamilton, to secure the various attractions and appropriate staging requirements for the event. The Shrine circuses were monumental fundraisers that generating a substantial amount of capital.
By 1921, Hamilton was featured in a “Variety” article (Vol. IXIV, No. 11. Nov. 4, 1921). The article, “Hamilton’s Special Events,” credited him with creating “an abundance for special scenery” for the Shrine that year.
The following year, Moses returned to work in California again. In 1922 he wrote, “Our work progressed very nicely, in addition to our regular contract, we had some extras and some work for Hamilton to be used at the Shrine Circus at Oakland.” Hamilton was again the director for the Oakland event, as well as delivering the opening address for the Sacramento Shrine Circus that year. (Sacramento Star, 2 Nov. 1922, page 8). The “Sacramento Star” reported “W. F. Hamilton of San Francisco planned and managed the circus.” Over 40,000 people attended the Sacramento Circus in 1922, with all proceeds “turned over to the Shrine treasury for charity and other work.”
Of the Oakland Shrine Circus in 1922, “The Oakland Tribune” reported, “Making good on their promise to offer a program entirely different features in connection with their Mardi Gras and circus, the Oakland Shriners have arranged a real old southern Mardi Gras festival for this evening. Stress is laid upon the fact that the festival will be identical with that which is held every year in New Orleans and other southern cities. W. F. Hamilton, who has produced Mardi Gras spectacles for the southern cities will have personal direction of the event” (28 April 1922, page 15). The article continued, “Hamilton Praised. W. F. Hamilton, the director, is given credit for his achievement by the members of the Shrine.” Hamilton was again hired as director for the 1923 circus too. The “Oakland Tribune” reported, “W. F. Hamilton, the director of last year’s event has been placed in charge of the circus and he declares that from every standpoint the show will be staged on a more lavish and pretentious plane “6 April 1923, page 22). In 1923, proceeds from the circus financed a trip of the Oakland Shriners to Washington. This included securing a special baggage car for the trip, “filled with literature to distribute en route and wherever the occasion offers lectures will be given in Oakland and Alameda county” (Oakland Tribune, 20 March 1923, page 4).
The Municipal Auditorium once hosted the Oakland Shrine Circus
Moses continued to visit with Hamilton whenever he was working near San Francisco. In 1925 he wrote, “I ran into San Francisco for a day or so, met my old pal, Hamilton, had a nice visit, then went to San Jose.”
I am sure that throughout the 1920s, Hamilton placed pressure on his old friend to move west, urging him to leave Sosman & Landis for better opportunities. Near the end of 1921, Moses wrote, “Letters from the Pacific Coast, which offered me all kinds of inducement to come west are all very good, but when I consider my age, I hesitate to make the plunge.” His hesitation would turn into regret as the years passed. If Moses were to jump ship; upend his life in Chicago and move west, it had to happen in 1921. Unfortunately for Moses, he stayed on the sinking ship until the bitter end.
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses traveled from Chicago to San Francisco for a large project. He wrote, “After four hard weeks of hustling, we got the big show ready… the big Shrine show opened October 17th and it was certainly a big hit. Thousands could not get near the building.”
Interior for Shrine Circus with scenery painted by Thomas G. Moses of Sosman & Landis studio. Image from the “San Francisco Chronicle,” 18 Oct 1921 page 13.
Moses was referring to the San Francisco Shrine Circus and Arabian Fete that ran from October 17 to October 25, 1921. The program was changed nightly and included exhibitions by wire and trapeze artists, contortionists, juggler, acrobats, Japanese jugglers, hoop roller, Spanish dancers, lion tamers, and Hawaiian singers and dancers (“San Francisco Chronicle,” 2 Oct 1921, page 6). Popularity contests were also held, with the crowning of a Queen and selection of the most beautiful baby boy and girl. The “San Francisco Chronicle” announced, “There is entertainment to suit all tastes. The first night’s vaudeville show was one of the many thrills not the least of which was the tight rope performer’s offering on a rope stretched over the heads of the persons on the floor from balcony to balcony” (San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Oct 1921 page 13).
The prelude to the Shrine circus included a large parade, winding from Islam Temple on Geary Street to the Auditorium, by way of Geary, Kearny and March Street. One of the parade floats was a “Sphinx” mounted on a truck that announced the dates of the circus, October 17 to 25. Fed fezzes, red coats, and white pantaloons were work by members of the Islam band and patrol, leading the way for the officers of Islam Temple. The parade also featured “1000 visiting Shriners, the Athens Temple divan with its band and two patrols from Oakland. The “San Francisco Chronicle” also described, “The “caged novices,” six men in grotesque costumes with their shrill shouts and weird antics followed” Charlie Chaplin, a group of circus performers and a menagerie exhibit of mountain cats and lions brought up the rear of the procession” (18 Oct 1921, page 13).
An article headline in the “San Francisco Examiner” announced, “20,000 Attend Shrine Circus in Auditorium,” reporting, “The Shrine Circus opened at the Exposition Auditorium here last night with an attendance of more than 20,000 persons. The circus, which is for the 1922 session fund will continue through next Tuesday. The decorative scheme of the interior of the auditorium represents an Arabian village” (Oct. 18, 1921, page 14).
The “San Francisco Chronicle” described the interior on opening night: “The Auditorium has been transformed into an Arabian village, populated and conducted by hustling Shriners and their friends. The decorations are gorgeous. Balloons of many colors are strung around the balcony. The many booths housing the concessions, where one pays good money gladly for the cause, have facings of Arabian architecture. In the main floor is a kiosk for musicians. Atop it is a glowing ball of facets which reflect a variety of brilliant colors when played upon by spotlights” (18 Oct 1921 page 13).
The “San Francisco Examiner,” described: “Color, color everywhere and so many San Franciscans inside and outside the Civic Auditorium that you couldn’t get within a hundred feet of the building. That was the situation at 9 o’clock last night when the big street parade of the Shrine Circus reached the Auditorium. They say the Shriners sold 100,000 tickets for the big show – apparently the arm of ticket buyers all turned out for the big night. Inside – if you were lucky enough to get inside – was a glittering midway which circled the building. At one end, on the stage, the circus took place. The Shriners in their colorful costumes of red and green and blue and gold and every other hue in and out of the rainbow, paraded around the midway. Then the show started, Mexican acrobats, tumblers, high wire artists and clowns in rapid succession…More than $20,000 was spent in transforming the Civic Auditorium into an Oriental City. Islam Temple of the Mystic Shrine had done its work well.” The purpose of the Shrine Circus was to raise $250,000 for the entertainment of the Imperial Council of the Shrine which met in San Francisco the following June” (Oct. 18, 1921, page 3).
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses traveled from Chicago to San Francisco for a large Shrine project. He wrote, “September 13th had a very good trip and started work immediately at Flagg’s studio. After four hard weeks of hustling, we got the big show ready… the big Shrine show opened October 17th and it was certainly a big hit. Thousands could not get near the building.” Moses was referring to the San Francisco Shrine Circus that opened on October 17. Of the event the “San Francisco Examiner” announced, “Height of Funmaking Glimpsed at Arabian Ball. Throng Fills Auditorium on First Night of Shrine Circus” (Oct. 18, 1921, page 3).
From the “San Francisco Examiner,” October 18, 1921
Moses’ project falls within a period of dramatic growth for the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The organization is known to many as “the Shrine.” In 1921, there were three steps to becoming a “Shriner”:
Step 1: Complete the first three degrees Freemasonry in a Blue Lodge, becoming a Master Mason.
Step 2: Continue with your Masonic studies in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite or York Rite. Both Rites had the option to use theatrical presentations as an educational tool, like morality plays. When a stage was not available, there were still portions of the degree work that was dramatized.
Step 3: Relax after your hard word and join the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. This was intended as primarily a social group; an opportunity to play after all of the hard work was completed.
This was a pretty simple process, like having to complete one grade in school before progressing to another. Ideally, social promotion does not kick in and members are not rushed thought the steps. The point is to learn something at each stage and allow members time to process the information. For those who simply wanted to join a social group right away, there was always the Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, otherwise known as the poor man’s Shrine. Keep in mind that each step cost a member money, as well as annual dues. This was like any fraternal organization at the time; they all depended on money collected from incoming and existing members.
Over time, the process became streamlined and the stipulated delays between degrees were shortened; this allowed even more members to join and increased overall funding. There was a lot of justification to adopt abbreviated timelines. Then, as today, there were abundant explanations as to why quickly admitting members was a good idea.
Eventually, the Shrine allowed Master Masons to skip all of the “hard work” and just join. For obvious reasons, this did not sit well with either the Scottish Rite or York Rite. This change also interrupted anticipated waves of membership for both the Scottish Rite and York Rite; previously membership ebbed and flowed together within the Fraternity.
For example, if a big group of men became Master Masons, part of this large group joined the Shrine and York Rite as they continued onto the Shrine. You could track the large number progressing their way through the Blue Lodge, Scottish/York Rites, and Shrine. Similarly, if there was a decline in membership of Master Masons, a decline would later follow in all groups. Again, this all cost money, so economic downturns were also a factor. Membership levels also affected the planning and construction of Masonic edifices, as well as the eventual selling. As more and more people joined the Scottish Rite in the early twentieth century, there was enough funding to construct massive Scottish Rite theatres. This wave continued onto the Shrine by the 1920s.The wave of men that joined the Scottish Rite in large numbers from 1895 to 1915, contributed the later construction of Shrine buildings in post-WWI years.
Moses’ 1921 Shrine project was part of this surge. The Shrine not only constructed buildings and banquet halls, but also staged elaborate productions. Many Shrines at this time also began establishing a circus.
Another big Shrine event in California in 1921. From the “Pomona Progress,” 30 April 1921, page 1
The Sosman & Landis Studio depended on Masonic projects for years. New Shrine buildings and circus events promised a significant amount of specialty work and substantial income. They desperately needed to reestablish a link with the Fraternity. Before Joseph Sosman’s passing in 1915, he maintained the Masonic connections, just as Perry Landis maintained Elk connections. Moses was neither a Mason nor an Elk, and the studio’s workload reflected this by 1920.
Unfortunately, it was not until the 1920s that Moses began to realize that in order to land the big Masonic projects, he really had to become a Mason. He eventually would join the Fraternity, but far too late. Moses would not begin the process until 1923. That year he wrote, “March 1st, I took my first degree in Masonry. I don’t know when I shall get around to the others; rather interesting and I would like to go through the Shrine.” It would take two more years for Moses to a Master Mason. In 1925, Moses was sixty-nine years old; too old to be a mover and shaker in the organization.
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses worked at Flagg’s studio in Los Angeles, California. Sosman & Landis rented the paint frames for Moses to finish a large project for an upcoming event.
From Flagg, the “Los Angeles Evening Express,” Feb 19, 1921, page 75.
Sosman & Landis was nearing the end of its existence by 1921. Even though Moses would soon purchase the firm’s name, it would never regain its former glory as a nationwide leader in theatrical manufacturing and supply. Sosman & Landis competitors continued to win projects by underbidding the Chicago firm; one project after another. The studio’s position as one of the largest scenic studios in the United States was rapidly slipping. By 1920 six employees left to start Service Studios, taking with them knowledge regarding the strengths and weaknesses of their former employer. In addition to their departure, many other scenic studios were run by former Sosman & Landis employees. Competitors used their intimate knowledge of Sosman & Landis to their advantage. All the while, Moses kept plugging along, hoping for a resurgence of work and continuing to set his sights on large Masonic contracts. He bet on the wrong horse.
Meanwhile, Moses still had to rely upon an existing network of scenic artists and studios. There is always an interesting balance between maintaining business alliances and being taken advantage of by your competitors. Such was the case between Sosman & Landis and Flagg Studios in 1921.
Edwin H. Flagg pictured in the “Los Angeles Evening Post-Record,” on Mar 12, 1919.
Edwin H. Flagg ran two scenic studios; one in Los Angeles and the other in San Francisco. In 1921 the firm advertised that “90% of all stage equipment on the coast was provided by their studio” (“Los Angeles Post-Record,” 10 August 1921, page 16). They marketed themselves as the largest scenic studio west of Chicago.
The theatre industry is fickle, often forgetting its visionaries or innovators associated with what may be perceived as passing fancies. Unless scenic artists or leading studios were written about in history books, they disappeared; future generations never even learned of their existence. The life and career of great individuals were lost as time passed, erased from all institutional knowledge. Such was the case with Edwin Harvey Flagg (1878-1927).
Flagg was at the top of his career when Moses rented his paint frames in 1921. At the age of forty-three years old, he was a theatre producer, movie producer, designer and artist, running two massive scenic studios in California. Both of Flagg’s studios would be destroyed between 1923 and 1924, an inconceivable loss. His lifetime of work simply went up in smoke within the course of a year and he never regained his footing. Only three years after this devastation, Flagg passed away in Hollywood on September 19, 1927. He was only 49 yrs. old at the time and his contributions were quickly, fading from memory. In short, his legacy was lost.
From the “Los Angeles Evening Express, 1921, Nov 10, page 16.
Flagg’s obituary provides only a glimpse into his life and career. On September 20, 1927, the “Los Angeles Times,” announced,
“Edwin H. Flagg Artist, Expires.
Edwin H. Flagg, scenic artist and president of the Edwin H. Flagg Scenic Company, died Monday afternoon at Hollywood Hospital following an illness of three months. He came here from Denver about eighteen years ago and built an extensive business. He made the scenery for some of the largest and most important theatrical productions and at one time produced scenic work for all the houses of the Pantages circuit of theaters. Flagg leaves his widow and a young son, besides Mrs. Genevieve Chain, a daughter, Mrs. Margaret Olinger and Mrs. Hattie Hyde, both of Denver, sisters, and J C. Flagg, a newspaper publisher of Baltimore, a brother, formerly of Los Angeles.The funeral and will be conducted in Los Angeles and arrangements will be announced later (page 18).
For the past week I have reconstructed the life and career of Flagg, as told in newspaper articles and historical records. In a very short period of time, Flagg created a national identity and studio that eclipsed many other firms across the country, including Sosman & Landis. Unlike some studio founders, Flagg was always looking towards the future and reinventing himself, peddling a popular product to the next generation of clients. He was continually adapting during a time of unprecedented change in the theatre industry. As fabric draperies increasingly replaced painted versions, he expanded his services to secure the best and most unique textiles available; suspending them and lighting them in unique ways. He embraced innovative technology and incorporated it into new stage systems. During WWI, many on his staff worked for the newly developed camouflage trade, thus securing additional work as other projects diminished. Flagg Studios dominated new theatre construction immediately after WWI, always keeping an eye out for other projects on the horizon.
Flagg’s studios did camouflage work during WWI. From the “Los Angeles Times,” Sept 2, 1917.
The story of Flagg becomes symbolic of many scenic artists, those born the generation after Thomas G. Moses. His generation had to adapt to the ever-changing times, in many ways much more so than the generations of scenic artists before him. He was born during a unique period in American theatre. Flagg was not paralyzed by the “before-and-after” mindset, the same that plagued Moses and many of his colleagues. Flagg represented of an ever-evolving artistic mindset, constantly adapting to new demands in popular entertainment and figuring out how to make even more money.
Flagg was born on June 29, 1879 in Point Edward, Ontario, Canada. He emigrated to the United States in 1891 at the age of twelve years old. Beginning his career as a scenic artist, Flagg soon moved into theatre management. By 1897, he was listed a manager in an advertisement for “Bridget O’Brien, Esq.” at the Lyceum Theatre in Salt Lake City (Salt Lake Herald, 5 May 1897, page 4). Not much is known of his early career at this time, but he primarily remained in the Chicago area. Newspaper articles until 1904 would note Flagg as a Chicago artist.
Management – Edwin H. Flagg. From the “Salt Lake Herald,” 5 May 1897, page 4.
Flagg’s early history is difficult to decipher at best. On Jan 11, 1899 Flagg married his first wife, Harriet Myrtle Shriner (1878-1976) in McDonough, Illinois. That same year the couple moved west to Colorado and celebrated the birth of Harriet “Genevieve” Flagg, born in Denver on October 12, 1899. Despite their move to Denver, Flagg was still listed as a Chicago artist until he took up residency in Alexandria, Louisiana in 1903.
The earliest mention that I have located of Flagg as a scenic artist is from the “Pomona Daily Review,” in 1902. An article in the California newspaper reported, “Edwin H. Flagg had just completed his scenery painting at the Pomona Opera house, after a week of artistic work in scene painting and the production of clever advertisements. He left with his wife for Chicago this morning (“Pomona Daily Review,” 6 Sept 1902, page 2). His drop curtain, “The Harbor of Venice,” was described in detail; a Royal Palace towering above a river, with marketplace and gondolas below. While in Pomona, Flagg also painted a drop curtain for the Armory house (“Pomona Daily Review,” 4 Sept 1902, page 1).
Between 1903 and 1904, the “Edwin H. Flagg Company” was credited with delivering scenery and stage machinery to both the Old Concordia Theatre and New Park Casino in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1903, the “Arkansas Democrat” reported that the Edwin H. Flagg Company was putting the finishing touches on the Old Concordia’s new stage equipment during a renovation (Arkansas Democrat, 12 Jan 1903, page 2). Flagg would return to Little Rock the following year and paint scenery for the New Park Casino (“Weekly Town Talk,” Alexandria, Louisiana, 21 May 1904, page 7). As with many scenic artists at this time, he ricocheted from one project to another across the country, constantly on the road
By the fall of 1903, however, he worked at Louisiana theatre that would forever alter the trajectory of his career. That October, Flagg painted scenery for the Rapides Theatre in Alexandria, Louisiana. He painted an asbestos drop and drop curtain, as well as a street scene, palace interior, kitchen interior, parlor, plain chamber, prison, garden and wood scene; standard fare for a small theatre at the time (Weekly Town Talk, Alexandria, 24 Oct 1903, page 12). Jack Auslet was stage manager for the Rapides Theatre, but by 1905 Flagg was listed as lessee and the manager of the venue; a position that he would retain until 1908 (The Town Talk, Alexandria, Louisiana, 15 March 1905, page 8).
Flagg settled in Alexandria, Louisiana between 1903 and 1904. He initially invested in a publishing company while continuing to paint. Alexandria’s News Daily listed Col. John C. Tipton as the editor and Mr. Edwin H. Flagg as the publisher for the new firm. (Weekly Town Talk, Alexandria, 28 1903, page 4).This is not really a surprise, as his brother, J. C. Flagg, also entered the publishing profession early on. At the time of Edwin’s passing in 1927, his brother was still noted as a newspaper publisher in Baltimore, Maryland. The News Publishing Company, Ltd. Of Alexandria was listed as a company specializing in the printing of newspapers, books and other works (Weekly Town Talk, Alexandria, 1 Dec 1903, page 1). This speaks to Flagg’s continued desire for diversification in work; an aspect of his career that would continue for the remainder of his life. This had also been the key for Sosman & Landis Studio from 1890 to 1900. Both Joseph Sosman and Perry Landis invested in a variety of endeavors, including lighting companies, stage machinery, touring productions. In a sense, Flagg picked up where Sosman & Landis left off, soon setting his sights on California. In hindsight, the future of Sosman & Landis was in California, but the company remained firmly planted in the Midwest. Even Moses recorded the pull, writing, “Letters from the Pacific Coast, which offered me all kinds of inducement to come west are all very good, but when I consider my age, I hesitate to make the plunge.”
Flagg, however, did make the plunge. In 1908, Alexandria’s “Town Talk” reported, “Mr. Edwin H. Flagg formerly manager of the Rapides Theatre, now of Los Angeles, Cal., was in the city last night and left this morning for New Orleans. (25 July 1908 page 6). Flagg moved to California and immediately invested in a scenic company, and then did the unthinkable; something that should have resulted in the end of his career.
In the spring of 1909, Flagg became a major shareholder in the newly incorporated Thompson Scenic company. He then immediately established a competing firm. In Thompson’s company was incorporated in April 1909. Shortly after incorporation, Flagg ceased active participation in the business and organized Edwin H. Flagg Scenic company. By Dec. 23, 1909, Thompson was ousted as president of the Thompson company, also establishing another firm – Charles F. Thompson Curtain Company. Both the Edwin H. Flagg Scenic Co. and Charles F. Thompson Curtain Co. were direct competitors with the Thompson Scenic Co., while still holding controlling interest in the firm (Los Angeles Herald, 26 Jan 1910, page 5).
A. J. Charlotte and J. D. Pitts sought an injunction against Edwin H. Flagg and Charles F. Thompson to prevent them from holding a meeting of the board of directors while engaged in completing businesses. However, within a year A. J. Charette was employed at the Edwin H. Flagg studio, representing the firm and even closing a drop curtain contract with the Pastime Theatre in New Mexico (“Albuquerque Journal,” 9 Feb 1911, page 6). In two years, the Edwin H. Flagg scenic company was one of the best-known scenic studios in the country, installing over $100,000 worth of theater scenery a year and employing a workforce of 30 artists.
Worked poured into Flagg’s studio and the company completed a series of contracts, decorating theaters and delivering stage scenery and stage fittings across the country. Projects included San Bernardino’s new playhouse, the Duval Theatre (Jacksonville, Florida), the Daisy Theatre (Montgomery, Alabama), the Pantages Theatre (Winnipeg and Oakland), Modesto Theatre (Modesto, California), Kinema Theatre (Los Angeles), Strand Theatre (Portland), New Billings Theatre (Montana), the Rialto (Phoenix), the Nile Theatre (Phoenix), the New California Theatre, and the New Yost Theatre. He also began working as a producer, establishing the Edwin H. Flagg Musical Company Stock organization at the Hip theatre, investing in a series productions elsewhere too.
Flagg completed projects and life at a rapid pace, even while driving. On October 18, 1913, the “Los Angeles Evening Post-Record” reported, “When Flagg isn’t manufacturing breath-snatching extravaganzas he’s doing some breath-snatching auto driving. As a result, he claims the record of having been pinched 57 times for speeding in 48 states” (page 12). Newspapers also reported that Flagg drove a Buick (Bakersfield Morning Echo, 22 May 1913, page 3). There is nothing quite like living life in the fastlane, until you encounter that first major bump in the road that results in a catastrophic accident.
The period of 1919 to 1921 was a highpoint for Flagg and his studios. He married his second wife, Patricia Manners. Manners was a musical comedy star and pupil of Mme. Aldrich (Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 1919, page 20). She was part of Flagg’s production “Did Doris Do It?” starring alongside Eddie O’Brien, Phillis Gordon and the Rader Bros. Manners also starred in Flagg’s “Too Many Wives” and “Maid of Waikiki” during 1919 (Long Beach Press, 7 Aug 1919, page 8). She was advertised as “the girl with an angel voice,” a stunning coloratura soprano. Flagg’s divorce from his first wife remains shrouded in mystery, but their daughter remained in the spotlight.
Patricia Manners. From the “Long Beach Press,” August 7, 1919, page 8.
In 1921 Miss Genevieve Flagg married James Delmore “Dell” Chain (1887-1963). Chain was a performer and one of the principals in the cast of “Sun-List.” (“The Town Talk,” Alexandria, 19 Oct 1921, page 1). Dell’s career continued to flourish in the 1920s, with frequent mention of his famous father-in-law. The same cannot be said for Flagg and his studios, as his life began to implode.
In 1923, Flagg’s Los Angeles studio was destroyed by fire. Two boys lit a small fire that grew, burning down an entire city block (“Sacramento Bee,” 14 July 1923, page 7). Flagg’s second studio went up in flames the next year, when a grass fire got out of control. Ironically, this second fire was intentionally set by city firemen (“Santa Cruz Evening News,” 4 June 1924 page 1). What’s the possibility of two unrelated and accidental fires destroying your life’s work? Three years after the second studio fire Flagg passed away. He was in the midst of rebuilding his enterprise but ran out of time.
Flagg Studio advertisement in 1922. From the “Los Angeles Evening Express,” Feb 27, page 71.
His work for the Rialto Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1921 deserves mention as it says a lot about Flagg and his business. For the 1921 project, newspapers reported that Flagg was given carte blanche with the venue(Arizona Republic, 2 July 1921, page 18). The article additionally noted that Flagg pulled his best, Ted Lange, from a Marcus Loew project at Seventh and Broadway, to work at the Rialto. The article reported, “Flagg took him off the job and sent him out to Arizona to get the Rialto up in shape so that his old-time pals “Rick” and “Harry” could say, “Boys, this is a Flagg House.” The article continued, “Edwin H. Flagg started life as a scenic artist so long ago…But Ed Flagg has not lagged behind all these years. He has kept abreast of the times, and 1921 sees him as the biggest decorator and stage expert in the west. Flagg even goes to Europe to show them how to equip stages. That’s the kind of man the R. and N. [J. E. Richards and H. L. Nace] firm brought in to add his bit to make a real theater…Edwin Flagg takes a lot of pride in what he has done for the success of the new house and the local firm is loud in their praise of him and his firm” (Arizona Republic, 2 July 1921, page 18).
From the “Arizona Republic, July 2, 1921, page 19.
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses, “A good Shrine contract at Hammond came our way and we will be able to put up something good.” Moses was referring to the Orak Temple Shrine in Hammond, Indiana. Members of the Ancient and Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (A.A.O.N.M.S.) met at Hammond’s Masonic Temple. The massive fraternal edifice, completed in 1909, was expanded and a large stage installed in 1921.
The Masonic Temple where the Orak Shrinemet in Hammond, Indiana. This building was greatly expanded in 1921.The Masonic Temple in Hammond, Indiana, after it was expanded in 1921. The Orak Shrine and other Masonic orders met here.
At the beginning of 1921, hundreds of Shrines participated in the installation of newly elected officers of Orak Temple Shrine that January (The Times, Munster, Indiana, 12 Jan 1921, page 1). The new leadership would immediately invest in membership experience that spring and on Jan. 13, 1921, the Masonic Building Association let out contracts for the construction, fixing dates for the various stages of construction (The Times, page 1). The excavation and foundation work was scheduled to be completed by March 1, with the entire building under a roof by May 15, 1921. The three-story structure included an immense auditorium in the northwest section. The design of the stage was 40 feet wide by 27 feet deep with “all the accessories found in big theatres.”
Progress on Hammond’s Masonic Temple was published in “The Times,” (Munster, Indiana) 22 March 1921.The proposal for Hammond’s new Masonic Temple. From “The Times,” (Munster, Indiana), Jan 13, 1921.
The scenery contract may have been entered into with the Shrine, but there were likely other scenic pieces for Masonic groups that met in the building. Scottish Rite scenery contracts frequently included Blue Lodge, York Rite, DeMolay and Shrine scenery.
By March 19, 1921, cornerstone laying ceremonies were conducted at the Masonic Temple. “The Times” reported, “The entire front of the old temple has been torn away so that the wall of the new structure will be in uniform in its Muenich court frontage. The steel work in the left background encloses the opening of what will be the huge stage of the auditorium” (22 March 1922, page 1).
On March 22, 1921, “The Times” reported, “The corner stone, a mammoth block of four feet square, will be placed…The old stone has been removed and the steel box and contents, placed in the cavity within a stone years ago. will be placed in the new stone along with another box containing newspapers, documents and other articles of interest.” The building was sold in 1999 and eventually demolished a decade later. The structure didn’t even make ninety years. It is always difficult to read about the efforts of one generation, and the to trace these efforts dismissed by others.
The two time capsules were recovered in 2009 amidst the rubble of the demolished building. The capsules contained a variety of artifacts that included newspapers, yearbooks, architectural plans, photographs, moonshine, whiskey labels, lodge coins, a box of laxatives and horse manure. Attached to the small box of manure was a note explaining that future generations might not understand its significance with the advent of the automobile.
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses recorded that he secured a contract with the Omaha Scottish Rite for $2,400.00 worth of work. He later wrote, “I have plenty to do on Masonic models and I am afraid I will have to get some help.” By 1921, the country was experiencing another wave of Scottish Rite Theatre construction. The building of massive Masonic structures and the expansion of existing ones were occurring all across the county.
This also signaled that money was flowing into the Scottish Rite at an almost unprecedented rate, helping fund these endeavors. WWI had paused many Masonic construction projects, as had the Spanish Flu pandemic and had a brief recession. Many Scottish Rite Valleys returned to an investment in membership experience; stages and new degree productions were a significant part of the membership experience.
The story surrounding the original Sosman & Landis scenery for the Omaha Scottish Rite is quite fascinating. In 1914, the “Omaha Daily Bee” described, “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 and pink decorated panels and has all the arrangements for lighting, stage settings and precautions against fire, of the most up to the minute theater. It has a wardrobe and paraphernalia room adjoining” (1 Nov. 1914, page 25). M. C. Lilley subcontracted the 1914 scenic portion of the project to the Sosman & Landis Studio in Chicago. The firm had also created an earlier set for the previous building. Other Scottish Rite theatre projects in the Sosman & Landis studio that year included Grand Forks and Pittsburgh.
The Omaha Scottish Rite
This was also the same year that Joseph S. Sosman passed away on August 7,1914, and the board of directors elected Moses as the company’s new president. He recorded, “On the 10th, a stockholders meeting was called, and I was elected president of the Sosman and Landis Company. Arthur Sosman was elected vice-president and P. Lester Landis, secretary and treasurer. It is very strange to me that I had never given this change of the business a thought. I had never thought of Sosman dying.”
This is a horrible turn of events that forever changed the fate of the studio in regard to Masonic contracts. It placed a non-Masonic scenic artist in charge of a scenic studio that specialized in Scottish Rite scenery. Sosman had been the driving force for years, as he was a well-respected Scottish Rite Mason in Chicago, a member of the Oriental Consistory. There was a new problem; Moses was not yet a Mason who understood how to navigate the Fraternity, or how to manage all of the necessary administrative duties at the studio.
In 1921, the Omaha Consistory held its annual session in Omaha from November 14-17 (Bloomfield Monitor, 3 Nov 1921, page 9). An attendance of 1000 members was anticipated, likely prompting the purchase of additional scenery. (Alma Record, 4 Nov. 1921, page 3).
I had the opportunity to visit the Scottish Rite Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 15, 2018. This was the first of many stops at historic theaters on our way to New Mexico. I was heading to Santa Fe to participate in the book signing event for “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018).
The host for my stop at the Omaha Scottish Rite was Micah Evans, Development Director of the Scottish Rite Foundation of Nebraska. Evans could not have been more accommodating or generous with his time, as I slowly documented all of the scenery painted by Maj. Don Carlos DuBois. I knew I was not going to see the original Sosman & Landis collection from 1914 or the additional scenery ordered in 1921. The Omaha Scottish Rite now uses Masonic scenery that was originally installed at the Scottish Rite Theatre in Kansas City, Kansas. In 1996 the collection was purchased for $40,000, and after all removal, transportation and installation, the tab was approximately $140,000.
The whereabouts of the original Sosman & Landis scenery remain unknown, only a few stage artifacts remain in lobby display cases.
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Some good work for Balaban and Katz gave us a variety.” I bet; Balaban & Katz movie palaces were in a league all their own.
Sam Katz, Morris Katz, Barney Balaban, and Abe J. Balaban joined together in 1916, establishing Balaban & Katz. The firm became well known for constructing a chain of ornate heaters for motion picture. In 1921 Chicago papers ran advertisements for “Balaban & Katz Wonder theatres – The World’s Foremost Amusement Palaces.” By the spring of 1921, the firm ran theaters in the north, west and south sides of Chicago. The Central Park Theatre was located at Roosevelt Road (12th St) and Central Park Avenue; the Riviera at Broadway and Lawrence, and the new Tivoli at Cottage Grove and 63rd Street.
Balaban & Katz advertisement for the Tivoli Theatre, Riviera Theatre and the Central Park Theatre in Chicago, from the “Chicago Tribune,” 19 Sept 1921, page 13.
When Moses mentioned work for Balaban & Katz at the beginning of 1921, he was likely referring to the Tivoli. Announcements for the new venues elaborated: “Tivoli Service, you are entitled to it! That’s the Balaban & Katz slogan which greets you from the screen of the wonderful Tivoli Theatre. And it means exactly that. Courtesy, comfort and care are dominating features of the Balaban & Katz theatres – the Central Park, Riviera and Tivoli.” Advertisements elaborated, “Fifty-three energetic ushers, nattily clad and in perfect esprit de corps, assist the thousands of visitors of the Tivoli theatre to commodious seats. Their conduct is precise and gentlemanly. They’re college and high school youths, for the most part, drilled by a military and theatrical expert to meet all emergencies” (Chicago Tribune, 7 March 1921, page 6).
The Tivoli theatre in ChicagoThe Tivoli Theatre stage with settings by Sosman & Landis Studio of ChicagoThe Tivoli Theatre stage with settings by Sosman & Landis Studio of Chicago
The 3,500-seat Tivoli Theatre at 6329 Cottage Grove opened on February 16, 1921. Designed by the architectural form of Rapp & Rapp, the theater was two stories high and fashioned in a French Baroque style, decorated and furnished by the Mandel Brothers with draperies of rose silk plush, and velours. There was even gold cloth with heavy applique work and studded jewels. The colors of magenta, turquoise, green, cream and gold tones were found throughout the lounge, mezzanine and promenades. The lobby’s ceiling mural was even intended to resemble the Sainte-Chapelle at Versailles. Marble and gold leave permeated every nook and cranny of the space, living up to the purported $2,000,000 price tag.
The Tivoli Theatre in ChicagoThe Chicago TheatreThe Chicago TheatreThe Chicago Theatre
That fall Balaban & Katz opened the Chicago Theatre on October 26. Of the $4 million endeavor, newspaper advertisements billed the Chicago Theatre as “Wonder Theatre of the World.”
The Chicago Theatre
Larger than the Tivoli Theatre, the Chicago was a 5,000-seat venue that operated as a combination house. There was a full stage with complete scenic and lighting systems. The presentation department prepared elaborate prologues and other scenic effects for motion picture presentations. Here is a link to some lovely photos and a write up about the Chicago Theatre by Mike Hume at historictheatrephotos.com (https://www.historictheatrephotos.com/Theatre/Chicago-Theatre.aspx).
These opulent stages embraced the use of sumptuous fabrics and dimensional details for not only the building, but also for the stage. In many ways their appearance signaled the definitive shift from painted ornament to dimensional ornament in stage art. Although scenic studios still produced an abundance of painted illusion, change was in the air, as the largest projects began to embrace the skills of the interior decorator much more so than the scenic artist. There is a notable shift from scenic art to scenic craft for many projects by the 1920s. The “variety” that Moses mentioned about the Balaban & Katz projects in 1921 would permeate the industry and become standard.
Scenic studios manufactured themed décor for a variety of charity balls and other fundraising events. These projects catered to a specific clientele, one that was often a repeat customer.
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The big pageant for the Municipal Pier gave us a good show for the Salvation Army, and one for the dance hall.” The next year, Moses mentioned Salvation Army work again, writing, “Had some Municipal Pier work, especially the Salvation Army work.”
Salvation Army button, 1921
As I combed through dozens of articles, searching for information about the Salvation Army and Municipal Pier events that year, one caught my eye. As we have entered a season of giving, it is time to remember those who sacrifice for good of others.
On May 29, 1921, the “Chicago tribune” published an article entitled, “Assaults on Our Finances” (page 72).
“Looking back, I can hardly remember a moment in the last few years when we have not been in the surge of some such drive. Sometimes the organizers of these assaults on the glorious inviolability of our private and personal finances try to disguise them under such terms as “presentation.” But the fact and act remain the same.
It is the selfish, untiring, devoted energy of the few in the interests of the many, in the interests of community itself, which accompanies the financing of such enterprises as the Red Cross, the Y.W.C.A., the Y.M.C.A., the Boy Scouts, the Salvation Army, and the various other great undertakings which are the hope of our civilization. These few take the exhausting, ungrateful, nerve racking task of soliciting money from the great and heedless majority of a self-absorbed world.
Instead of being grateful to them for taking the hardest part of the job off our hands, the tendency of the average citizen is to complain when so approached. Yet eliminate from our social system these various enterprises and what would be the residue? A rampant materialism which would suck the soul out of us all and breed anarchy and destruction.
So, the next time you are approached by one of these champions of reform and philanthropy, say, “Thank you for giving me the opportunity.”
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Most of my time has been taken up with model making and looking after the work. Not much chance to paint.” Moses was working on an annual contract at Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio in Chicago. He resigned as president of the company in 1918, leaving to work for both New York Studios and Chicago studios before returning to the firm. After all, he had a long history with the company, and by 1921 had worked for the studio forty-one years.
After a director’s meeting in 1921, Moses wrote, “It was settled that I remain at $8,000.00 a year. The next day I was on the road to Little Rock, Arkansas, where I spent a week and closed the contract for $9,548.00, then on to Kansas City where I got a small order for a window display, and Omaha where I closed for $2,400.00, another Scottish Rite job, all on my 65th birthday week.”
At sixty-five years old Moses was constantly on the road again, but this time with growing health concerns. He had physically pushed himself to the limit for a long time, and life was starting to catch up with him. The 1920s would be a difficult decade for Moses, and American Society as a whole. In some ways, the roaring twenties was akin to fire, raging out of control; clearing a path, but destroying much along the way. As society tried to progress forward, there were those who dug their heals in the sand trying, desperately to maintain a status quo. Moses continued to plod along, but the world and theatre industry were rapidly changing around him. More and more he was asked to solely secure contracts, design productions, and manage a disgruntled paint force. Since 1904, Moses had been in charge of all design, construction, painting and installation at Sosman & Landis studio. Regardless of title or position, there was less and less time to do what he loved – paint. Like many, Moses continued to search for that ideal balance of work and pleasure.
Many colleagues tried to lure him west, suggesting that he relocate to California. Late in 1921, Moses wrote, “Letters from the Pacific Coast, which offered me all kinds of inducement to come west are all very good, but when I consider my age, I hesitate to make the plunge.”
It’s understandable. All of his previous departures from the company had been unsuccessful; yet remaining at Sosman & Landis posed a whole host of problems. In 1920, six members of the Sosman & Landis paint staff left to form Service Studios, now a competitor. This was a significant percentage of the work force, causing a difficult situation for all.
Moses continued to trudge along, but all by himself. The situation makes me think of the lyrics from the 1921 song, “All By Myself” by Irving Berlin:
All by myself in the morning
All by myself in the night
I sit alone in a cozy Morris chair
So unhappy there
Playing solitaire
All by myself I get lonely
Watching the clock on the shelf
I’d love to rest my wear head on somebody’s shoulder
Berlin’s song was introduced in “The Music Box Revue of 1922.” It certainly stood the test of time, having struck a chord with many. Here’s Bobby Darin’s version from 1962: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5V2xgsC59U
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The zoning question in Oak Park came up at home and we are going to have a restricted district on Euclid Avenue between South Boulevard and Madison Street.” Oak park residents were trying to save its residential districts from large apartment complexes that year. Local contractors were putting pressure to build a fifty-two-unit apartment complex and took their case to court
Newspaper headlines that spring reported, “Oak Park’s War on Huge Flats Reached Courts” as builders sought legal aid to get their permit (Chicago Tribune, May 8, 1921, page 137). Mills & Sons, Chicago builders, tried to pressure Charles E. White Jr., the Commissioner of Public Works, approve their building at the northeast corner of Euclid Avenue and Pleasant Street. The area was strictly residential district. Mills & Sons were also proposing another massive structure on the southwest corner of Randolph and Oak Park Avenue.
Moses lived at 233 S. Euclid Avenue, halfway between Randolph Avenue and Pleasant Street.
233 S. Euclid Ave., Oak Park, Illinois
Neighbors rallied to prevent the construction of the large complex in their quiet neighborhood By April 17, 1921, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “Oak Parkers Win Battle in War on Big Flat Buildings” (page 137). Village ordinances were implemented to prevent the construction of massive complexes in primarily residential areas.
On May 19, 1921, a special meeting of the zoning committee further banned future apartment buildings on Euclid Avenue between South boulevard and Randolph street in Oak Park. Specifically, the village ordinance prohibited the construction of any building beyond a residential home in the two-block stretch (Forest Park Review, 21 May 1921, page 6).
Chicago was expanding, however, and land was often a good investment. Later that year, Moses wrote, “The Madam and I went to Elmhurst August 14th and bought a 100 foot lot for $1,600.00. We might build on it sometime.”). Elmhurst was another western suburb of Chicago, located due north of Oak Park.
The next year Moses looked at the prospects of building on their lot. In 1922, he wrote, “building material has been so high that no one has ventured to build. Only six houses have been built. Our lot is very high and a fine location.”
