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Part 99: The Installation

I have completely disassembled two complete Scottish Rite scenery installations by Sosman & Landis during the early twentieth century.  This process gave me a sense of how much stage equipment and hardware was shipped to each Scottish Rite Valley. Seeing the buckets of hardware and stacks of wooden battens at the end of each project gave me an appreciation for the sheer volume of materials estimated when planning and ordering stage hardware for a scenery installation.

John C. Becker purchased their stage hardware from J. H. Channon Corporation, specialists in the manufacture and installation of steel curtains, counterweight rigging, and theatrical supplies for the Moline. The contact for Channon was N. C. Nussbaumer, the company’s Vice President.

For Moline, Channon Corp. provided equipment for 100 sets of counterweight hanging, each with five line sets of cable.

The necessary cable specified in the agreement would use 1/8” cable constructed of 7 strands (6 wires each) around a cotton core. For the sheave, Becker ordered two types of 5” groove sheaves and pins: regular and deep that would not need oiling. The system would also include head blocks of the same construction. Oak and iron arbor cages slid on malleable iron wire guides. Turnbuckles were included for tension. Eyebolts with wing nuts were added for later trimming. A tension spring was added to the system for weather conditions (slack lines).

To fully appreciate the amount of stage hardware ordered from Channon for the Moline project, here are some of the supplies ordered to create one hundred line sets:

800 5” deep groove sheaves and pins
300 5” regular sheaves and pins
40,000 feet bright sash cord
10,800 feet 5/8” manila rope
12,000 feet 1/8” guide wire
200 ½” x 40” rods, nut & washer each end
700 5/16” H. & E. Turnbuckles
100 Springs
700 ¼” x 4” under eye nut eye bolts with wing nuts to have ¾” eye

Becker noted that each set would be properly balanced with gray iron weights provided by a local foundry. The Moline Foundry & Machine Co. produced the numerous seven-pound and twelve-pound weights for the Scottish Rite Cathedral stage’s arbors.

Channon would also supply the rigging for three sets of border lights and the front velour curtain. The agreement notes that the 30’ x 37’ Front Curtain that would “be of Marshall Field quality, heavy cotton backed with velour, sunfast.”

Ray H. Becker led a crew of five men to install the scenery in Moline. We know this, as it was the companies practice to take out a life insurance policy for each member of the crew. These policies provide a glimpse at the Becker installation crew, detailing information about the backgrounds and physical characteristics of the crew.

In 1930, Raymond H. Becker was 38 years old, born on August 13, 1891 in Booneville, Indiana. He was 6’-0” tall and 175 lbs., currently living in Maywood, Illinois. Ray was assisted by Wallace Lloyd Timmons (a 23 year old male from Chicago), Louis French (a 45 year old male from Davenport, Iowa), William Newman (a 40 year old from Davenport, Iowa), John Murphy (a 41 year old male from Davenport, Iowa) and two unnamed gentlemen. One was a 56-year-old man who was also from Davenport who also listed “stage work” as his profession. This crew had one 45 year-old local hire from Moline who lived on 9^th Street. I was personally surprised by the age of the crew, expecting the majority of men to be slightly younger. The out-of-town crew stayed at Moline’s Le Claire Hotel, a sizable building with “220 rooms with baths and 70 apartments” for approximately three weeks. Built in 1922, the hotel was a fifteen-story hotel that only competed in size with the height of the steeple of the First Lutheran Church. Becker had used the hotel stationary for his correspondence with the studio.

I thought back to 1912 when the western representative for M. C. Lilley explained the loss of their head carpenter in correspondence with the Valley of Austin. Although the carpenter remained unnamed, Brown noted that this individual was the sole person who specialized in the installation of counterweight systems for Scottish Rite scenery collections. I had to wonder when purchasing insurance policies for the installation crew became a standard policy for Becker & Bro. Was this a standard industry practice due to the anticipated danger?

Ray Becker’s note accompanying the insurance policies also gave us a little more information about the timeframe for the Moline installation. On May 7, 1930, Ray Becker had mailed the insurance policies with the explanation that he would only have that particular crew for another week.

To be continued…

John C Becker & Bro. sent out three final contracts to the Valley of Moline on February 17, 1930. The first contract proposed the stage equipment, draperies and scenery for the Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral stage that would give “a very good scenic background” for the degrees.

The new size of drops for the Moline stage measured 24’ high by 41’ wide. Leg drops were to graduate in width from 6’ to 9’ on full stage sets of three legs. All leg drops with profile edges were to be “re-enforced with strips of galvanized iron rosined on the back to prevent curling and getting out of shape.” This was an interesting technique that I had never come across before in either Sosman & Landis or Volland installations. The standard method to prevent curling edges was to attach thin pieces of wood. The studios typically used painted strips to attach the wooden slats along the cut edge. Paul Sannerud and I marveled at the success of this particular technique during the scenery evaluation. Over the decades it had successfully held up to the rigors of use in degree productions. The contract also stipulated that all exterior leg drops would be netted with linen netting.

The theatrical lumber was to be the best straight grain White Pine available. The canvas would be of the “heaviest unbleached cotton sheeting.” The paints and dyes used to produce the scenery were to be of “the best and most durable quality.” Furthermore, the painting would be produced by “high class artists of their respective kind.” The agreement stipulated that Union labor would be used throughout the entire process.

The scenic equipment included a front curtain, working (or second) draperies, sets of lines, side tabs, black setting, rope sets, border light equipment, pin rail and painted scenery for the 6, 10, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 24, and 32 degrees. These settings included King Solomon’s Chamber, the Quarry, a Mountain landscape, an interior corridor, the ruins, a Gothic scrim, a crucifixion cut drop, an ascension drop, an interior scrim, a seascape, a Valley Forge scene, a Temple drop, and a palace drop. They would also enlarge and refurbish existing scenes owned by Moline that included compositions of the the woods, Cyrus’ Palace, a treasure chamber, catacombs, Hades, the Tabernacle, and a cathedral. All were to be delivered and installed in “first class condition” with markings for convenient handling. Furthermore, the installers would work with the stage crew at a rehearsal so that they will be able to handle the scenery effectively. The final price for this particular contract was $12,000 and an additional $2000 for installation services.

The second contract included additional scenery to stage the 5, 9, 12, 19, 21, 22, and 27 degrees. These compositions included the Holy City, an open-air court, the five orders of architecture, a Rose Croix transparency, a ruined abbey, and the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. Becker wrote, “Gentlemen: We propose the following listed of scenery in addition to the original listed on this date, subject to the Scottish Rite Cathedral Association raising the sum of Two Thousand Dollars from the sale of windows in the Cathedral.” This meant that the funds raised for the stained glass windows would be re-directed toward additional scenery. It was common in many Scottish Rite buildings for Masonic Classes or individuals to contribute funds to the creation and installation of Memorial windows.

A third contract was enclosed with the first two, recommending additional scenery that Becker personally recommended for the Valley of Moline. He was desperately trying to recoup some of the studio’s losses incurred over the past five years of consultation. I can’t blame him at this point. The accompanying letter to the contract stated that “the very essentials of equipment and scenery had been carefully selected to provide a very fair layout,” but he suggested additional scenery to complete the first two contracts. This third proposal added standard designs for the 4, 7, 10, 14, 29, 30, 31 and 32 degrees, including a picture sheet and a floor cloth to accompany these painted settings.

The third contract was never signed.

To be continued…

John C. Becker & Bro. began working on the Moline scenery installation without a final contract. Some of the original scenery collection was being enlarged and new compositions added to it. The current collection included exterior legs, a treasure chamber, palace gates, King Cyrus’ Palace, Hades, the Tabernacle, a cathedral, and a stone vault. Becker contributed his expertise in many other areas beyond the scenery, investing heavily in the entire endeavor. Negotiations for new scenery were still taking place just a few months before the building opened.

Becker received a letter from the Valley of Moline on January 18, 1930, explaining that their stage equipment committee was meeting within the next week to discuss the overall reduction of funds for the scenery portion. Harold C. Passmore, AASR Commander-in-Chief, wrote, “It may be necessary for us to change your set-up considerably.” He explained that they would also have to make a separate arrangement for some of the anticipated balance upon completion of the project. This had to have been a red flag for Becker in light of everything else but there was not much that he could do at this point. Becker & Bro. had the original collection in their shop and were busily enlarging it for the new space before any contract had been signed. As with many other Scottish Rite Valleys, Moline had been hit hard by the market crash and started to limit their spending as members began to tighten their own belts.

This entire situation had to have been incredibly frustrating for Becker, especially after having an easy experience with the Valley of Indianapolis. The communication between Becker and the Horace Mitchell, the Indianapolis Director of the Work was ideal. The Indianapolis stage equipment committee was very specific about their new system: the old scenes that would be refurbished and the new scenes that they would purchase. The process for Indianapolis started during January 1929 and a contract was awarded four months later.

For the Valley of Moline, over five years had passed contemplating new scenery and time was rapidly running out to produce anything new. The building was scheduled to open in a few months and the stage equipment committee was still making changes. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

The February 17, 1930 scenery contract stipulated that the sum of $5000.00 was due on delivery – April 1, 1930, and the balance due sixty days from delivery. This is solely the contractual amount to be paid for the scenery. It did not include the installation labor, amounting in another $2000.00 due sixty days from delivery.

It is not until the end of March 1930 that the scenic studio finally received a signed contract from the Valley of Moline. Unfortunately for the studio, the Cathedral was unable to pay the contractually agreed upon amount of $5000 at the time of delivery. Instead, they paid $4000 with the promise of sending the remaining balance “soon.” Money slowly trickled in over the course of the next few months. The Valley of Moline also began to waiver in regard to other projects that were contracted separately from the scenery installation. Blackout shades for the auditorium windows were one such project.

It is apparent throughout their correspondence that the Valley of Moline had become the fraternal client from hell during trying times. Becker received little correspondence from the Valley of Moline during that spring other than for the Valley to continually seek his opinion on the color of draperies, carpets and other decorative items. On July 20, 1930, Becker wrote a letter to asst. secy. Johnston, after attempting to visit the President of the Scottish Rite Cathedral Association – the entity funding the construction of the Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral. Becker shared his interaction concerning the Mason who greeted him in the Scottish Rite offices while in Moline.

Becker wrote, “I met with very gruff treatment, hard to tell you in a letter, I wonder how such a character can take his Masonic degrees and treat another Mason with such uncivil courtesy, and how he could represent and Masonic body is beyond me.” Becker continued, “Why did not the old board pay their bills? Why had the statement never been presented before? And some other questions along similar lines and never once did he look up from his typewriter while talking, absolutely the most uncouth man I have ever met.” So there was a new board. Why?

Now the quality and quantity of the scenery comes into play. Becker explained that the Valley of Moline settled for a smaller collection for the price of $14,000 when the average Scottish Rite had purchased $24,000 worth of scenery for the same degree work. He goes on to explain that other Valleys “had the Cathedral at heart” and that “the stage would sell the work to other new members.” Becker continued that he and his studio had given as much time and assistance in preliminary work as they could for the amount agreed upon. He then ended, writing, “While I knew nothing of the inner troubles of the officers, AT NO TIME WAS THERE EVER A THOUGHT of anything but the best at the most reasonable prices.”

Fours days after Becker’s request for the overdue amount, he finally received a letter from Johnston. Unfortunately, the letter did not address the payment of any overdue balance. Instead it solicited a monetary donation from John C. Becker “as a fellow Mason” to the Valley of Moline. The author requested a donation for their Commander-in-Chief Passmore to show him “our affection and esteem.” It continued, “If you agree with us and would like to make a small freewill offering, you may send a check for one, two, three or five dollars.” In actuality, Passmore, a securities agent, had managed to get himself into some financial troubles.

To be continued…

Plan D

During October 1929 Becker sent a letter to the Moline Scottish Rite to follow up with the scenery estimate. He wrote, “I know you will be shocked with my estimate, but I have gone over it fairly well and I know it has exceeded your budget, but please do not feel discouraged as it can be cut some more I am sure, but I hate to see that done.” The new scenery would cost $12,000 and its installation another $2000.00. The October proposal included all of the stage equipment, practical draperies, painted scenery, and properties for the stage to produce all twenty-nine degrees from the fourth through the thirty-second.

Scenic studios frequently pushed for a larger sale. The approach of “ bigger is better” often worked with fraternal clients and their substantial funding. The 1920s was the era when massive Masonic complexes start appearing across the country. Examples appeared in St. Louis, Missouri, McAlester, Oklahoma, and Detroit, Michigan. There appeared no end in sight to the subsequent profits that could be gained from the Fraternity as they constructed even more elaborate buildings.

In Becker’s correspondence with the Valley of Moline we learn about the scenic studio’s process of presenting designs to the client. Fraternal regalia and paraphernalia catalogues always offered several grades of costumes, props, and other ceremonial supplies. Scenic studios had a variety of price points for painted settings. The standard Scottish Rite stage setting typically included a leg drop, a cut drop, and a backdrop to create a successful painted perspective for the stage. Scottish Rite Valleys with more funds, added leg drops and cut drops to this common setting, suggesting vast illusions of space. If the funding was limited, the scene might only include a leg drop and a backdrop. Removing leg drops and cut drops was a common way to reduce the overall cost. However, there was one step below this grade “C” option that could simply suggest a location – the sole backdrop with fabric masking. I refer to this option as plan D; an option that was offered as a last resort, but never advertised in any initial discussions with a Scottish Rite Valley.

In Becker’s letter to the Moline Consistory, he suggests that they could use one set of leg drops for all of the masking. Only the backdrop would change. Explaining that this is never an ideal situation, Becker simply offers it an option to further reduce the overall expense. Ideally, there would be at least two sets of painted leg drops – an exterior set and an interior set. However, a few Valleys solely used sateen draperies to mask each scene. Becker cautioned against this approach as it conveyed a “dead atmosphere” on stage.

Let’s return to the City of Winona and the unknown fate of their Masonic scenery collection for a moment. Remember that they had voted to only keep ten backdrops from their collection. One option was to retain individual backdrops instead of entire scenes. This would mean that all of the settings would solely consist of a backdrop without any of the accompanying leg drops or cut drops to create a painted illusion on the stage. The original design for the Winona stage included two leg drops, a cut drop, and a backdrop for most settings. Some city council members recognized that reducing each scene to a single backdrop would destroy the painted illusion. They are correct. Becker addressed this ineffective staging technique when he stated that a “dead atmosphere” on stage would be the result.

The scenic studios knew what was impressive and what would sell more drops. If it couldn’t amaze the potential client, why show it at all? A single backdrop surrounded by sateen masking legs was not impressive, nor did it provide any illusion of depth on stage. In this scenario, the actors were simply in front of a backing, or large-scale painting. They were no longer a part of the setting.

To be continued…

Even though correspondence continued between John C. Becker & Bro. and the Valley of Moline, it was apparent that the lines of communication were down. The Valley of Moline continued to request John C. Becker’s advice and opinion on projects outside of the stage equipment and scenery installation while Becker kept requesting a signed contract.

Becker had produced a series of scenery estimates for the Blue Lodge and Scottish Rite between 1925 and 1930.   The earliest versions included backdrops and set pieces for the 3^rd, 7^th, 15^th, 23^rd, 25^th, and 32^nd degrees. Stage settings depicted King Cyrus’ palace, the cathedral, the woods, the tabernacle, the treasure chamber, ancient ruins, and the ascension of Jesus. It was not until October 5, 1929, however, that Becker Bros. began finalizing their scenery installation for the new Scottish Rite cathedral in Moline – all without a contract. It had been more than five years in planning and the complex was to open the coming year. There left a record of constant negotiations.

By April 22, 1929, a full year before the complex was to open, Becker even started to include pressures from other jobs in his correspondence. He explained that his scenic studio had been awarded a large contract in Indianapolis for the Scottish Rite . His underlying implication was that the Scottish Rite Valley better secure their services soon as other contracted projects will begin to take priority. Becker suggested using Indianapolis as a guide for Moline as their scenery installation would “make a very nice working layout.” In 1912, M. C. Lilley representative, Bestor G. Brown, made similar statements when negotiating the scenery contract with the Valley of Austin. During negotiations, he suggested to replicate the recent Valley of Santa Fe’s lighting plot.

Like Brown for M. C. Lilley, Becker was a Scottish Rite Mason and made a point of visiting Valleys during their Reunions. It was a good way to talk up business and propose new ideas. On May 7, 1929, Howard C. Passmore (Commander-in-Chief for AASR Moline) invited Becker to their upcoming Spring Reunion on May 22, 23, and 24 as they would be laying the new cornerstone for the building on the last day. Passmore expressed his desire to discuss the anticipated stage lighting plans with Becker during the visit. In later correspondence, Passmore thanked Becker for not only attending the Reunion, but also going over the construction plans – once again – for their new building.

During July, 1929, Becker shared with Passmore that the Indianapolis Scottish Rite project was nearing completion, but two other large Scottish Rite contracts were on the horizon. He expressed concern that if both of the projects went through, they would be unable to complete the Moline scenery in time for the opening of the facility in 1930. He wrote that he wa not “boasting” but that they were only able to do so much work “with the right kind of artists,” and that a contractual date needed to be established soon to secure these artists. Becker explained that they also needed to set aside an entire day to present all of the designs in his miniature stage, fully going through everything with the Scottish Rite committee. He added that Moline didn’t need to worry about money for the next several months as nothing was ever collected initially, not until after the contracts were signed.

By early January 1930, Becker Bros. reached out to the Valley to seal the deal, requesting some form of monetary deposit or guarantee that they would order new scenery. The Valley was still wavering with the final scenery order and Becker was starting to worry. A significant amount of effort had been invested on Becker Bros.’ behalf without securing any guaranteed income. It would not be until February 1930, that the Valley of Moline would accept the contract – only two and a half months before the dedication ceremony. The actual contract would not be signed until a month later.

To be continued…

Every once in a while, the universe sends you a signal that you are on the right path regardless of recent obstacles. My trip to the St. Louis Scottish Rite theater and library was a success. Several loose ends were tied up for me in terms of both the evolution of Masonic scenery and its future preservation.

As I reached for the last Volland Studio folder in the library during March of 2017, I had a sense of profound relief. For months, I had been working at warp speed and the pace was staring to wear me out. That morning, there had not been a moment to spare, as I needed to quickly return to the conference center for USITT activities. I reached for the final folder labeled “Miscellaneous,” wondering if this might include Shrine or Grotto materials. When I looked at the first photograph, however, time seemed to stop. I just sat there staring at an image. This was a momentous discovery.

I silently regarded this depiction of a Volland scenic artist sketching out a camp scene, the same one created for the Valley of St. Louis in 1924. The caption on the photograph even read, “painting a 32’ x 90’ drop on a 60’ paint frame.” I was too excited to speak for a minute and then called over to the librarian. By now, John was a little immune to my gasps of delight as I paged through dozens of degree production designs. “Here is a picture of a scenic artist working on the camp scene from your collection,” I said. John raised his eyebrows and came over to my table. “Really?” he drawled, “How can you tell?”

First of all, I photographed the scene from the same angle. I then pointed to the caption, explaining, “The note at the bottom verifies the same width of ninety feet! This is not a standard size for Masonic scenery.” It was rumored that a special building had been constructed to produce the extremely wide scenery and I had always wondered about the validity of that statement. If a special building had been created for this particular installation, the paint frame would have measured the same size as the drops. During my evaluation, I had not encountered enough scenery to justify the expense of new structure.

Toomey & Volland had built a new studio just prior to producing the St. Louis Scottish Rite scenery and I had recently acquired that image for my files. Six months earlier, I had discovered the Toomey & Volland’s advertisement depicting the construction of their 1922 studio.

This had been one of many unique finds at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas. That entire trip during October of 2016 continued to bear fruit for my own personal research projects.

I now added a photograph of a studio painting portions of a drop at a time. This was a process that I had read about and actually done myself when I had a limited paint area. For the St. Louis collection, it meant painting two-thirds of the drop and then shifting over the entire composition. Having done this for much smaller drops, I knew what a pain this must have been and marveled at the difficulty to shift a scene of that size. The photograph also showed the painting process as the scenic artist was working on the final part of the composition, the foreground.

Photographs of scenic artists painting scenery in studios are common. Finding the corresponding painted scene to accompany the photograph is unusual. What an exciting discovery! Here was one more find that contributed to the rich context surrounding the evolution of Scottish Rite scenery.

To be continued…

My final day at the St. Louis Scottish Rite was spent in their library. The librarian had approached me earlier that week, excitedly describing the many treasures. I knew that my time on the stage was extremely limited as a dance recital was scheduled for the weekend. Friday morning was their final dress rehearsal.

I entered the building that Friday morning and was greeted with a potpourri of glitter, spangles, and Lycra. Beautiful blond cherubs prancing around in tutus gathered at the entrance of the theatre, waiting for their next song. I had to chuckle to myself and wonder if the original membership had any idea that the auditorium would host legions of young girls gyrating to modern musical selections. Ironically, dance recitals and weddings make up the two main rental groups for fraternal theaters nationwide. The subsequent rental income from this type of clientele helps keep the lights on and pays for much needed repairs. Unbeknownst to the performers on the stage, they are all playing a game of Russian roulette as both the rigging systems and historical scenery collections are perilously close to failing and falling onto the stage floor.

No matter how many times I warn fraternal theaters about the dangers posed to those on stage, rentals continue. The scenario of impending doom always makes me feel like I am about to witness a tragedy. Here was Nell tied to the railroad tracks and I hear the whistle of the oncoming locomotive. It is just appearing around the bend and those able to help are distracted by the pretty flowers and scenery, not noticing the tragedy that is about to befall the heroine.

As I passed the souvenir stands and wandered down into in the basement of the St. Louis Scottish Rite Cathedral, I began to wonder what the librarian might consider “treasures.” Nothing could have prepared me for the neat stacks of file folders, all divided by Scottish Rite degrees. Each folder had black and white photographs, sketches, and designs produced by Volland Studios. The librarian explained that Volland Studios had gifted these old files years ago and they had just kept them in a neat little pile, waiting for some “expert” to tell them what to do with the acquisition.

Some of the photos depicted the current St. Louis Scottish Rite scenery. Others depicted schematics of set pieces and various props. As at the Harry Ransom Center, I photographed everything that I could lay my hands on. Quickly, I realized that I would never be able to document everything in two hours and I would have to return that afternoon. I had already been approached by the executive secretary about being hired as a guest speaker that fall and knew that I would plan enough time to fully photograph or scan these images.

Paging through the contents of each degree, I immediately identified designs from other collections that I had recently evaluated and entered into my Scottish Rite scenery databases. With this set of designs, I could now cross-reference Sosman & Landis, New York Studios, Great Western Stage Equipment Company, Becker Bros. Studio and Volland Studios. It was almost too exciting to contemplate.

As new designs were created for the Fort Scott collection and fully included in Moses’ 1931 model, so too did Volland create several new designs for the Valley of St. Louis. I noticed that for both the 1924 Fort Scott and St. Louis designs, the foreground objects dominate the composition and take on a “larger than life” appearance. For example, the Fort Scott columns from the 15th degree ruins were massive – dwarfing any actor that might stand next to the painted detail. Similarly, the wood leg and cut drops in St. Louis reminded me of the redwood forests. The tree trunks of the drops were easily six feet wide!

I thought back to some of the earliest painted illusions for the stage. The incredible depth suggested on a relatively shallow stage was magical. The feeling of awe that I experienced in St. Louis was magical. I had seen hundreds of painted scenes in Masonic theatre across the country, but the designs for Fort Scott and St. Louis were the next step in the evolution of Scottish Rite stage design.

To be continued…

Over time, the St. Louis Scottish Rite collection was altered to solve the problem of warping boards that were rubbing. This was the same approach used by the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center as they made the argument in the May 5 online article, “After a great deal of deliberation, the rigging experts and the team decided to hang the historic drops using a modern webbing and pipe pocket configuration instead of the wooden battens. The approach would also allow for less stress to the drops, as the lightweight conduit in the pipe pockets would not weigh as heavily on their aging muslin.”

If the pipe is too light, it will not pull out the wrinkles and the scenery looks a fright.

Wooden battens remain the perfect solution as the weight remains evenly distributed along the bottom edge as the battens “clamp” the fabric and not pierce it. It is never a good decision to replace the wooden battens with pipe pockets. Warping boards are a common situation that is easily remedied; the order of the boards is swapped.

The Valley of St. Louis also encountered warping battens and selected to install pipe pockets during the 1970s. The pipe pockets that replaced the wooden battens failed, causing pipes to plummet to the stage floor. New pipe pockets were sewn onto the bottom and they also failed. The St. Louis Scottish Rite collection is one example and proof that attaching jute webbing and pipe pockets to historic scenery doesn’t work at all. Similarly to the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, the Valley of St. Louis used thin conduit and reinforced the seams. Both failed. This has happened across the country as the battens are viewed as a liability and not an integral part of the original system, necessary for the longevity of each piece.

At the St. Louis Scottish Rite, approximately twenty-five percent of all the scenery was compromised and unable to be lowered to the stage floor. As the pipes were removed from ripping pockets, the loose curtains caught on neighboring lines being raised and lowered. Fortunately for me, there were a variety of rigging experts on hand during the USITT convention to offer advice and a helping hand.

When drops are narrowly spaced on 2-inch to 4-inch centers, the weight of a wooden batten that is clamped to the top and bottom of each scene is an essential part of the counterweight system. It is the perfect weight to safely pull out the wrinkles and effectively stretch the painted fabric. If wrinkles are visible, as it the case with the Fort Scott collection, the drops are not stretched because the weight at the bottom is too light. Insufficient weight promotes wrinkles and the drops are more likely to catch on neighboring lines.

Jute webbing also increases the likelihood of the fabric catching on a neighboring line as the top wooden batten no longer stretches the fabric taut and straight. On the top, jute webbing with grommets and tie lines were sewn along the edge of the thin old fabric. The May 5 MMHC online article also states “Rather than position them the standard 12 inches apart, grommets are placed six inch apart in the webbing to better distribute the hanging stress across the top.” It is not only about the stress and the placement of grommets. Tie lines running though the grommets and attaching the drop to a pipe have a tendency to shift over time causing the fabric to slightly bunch – like a shower curtain.

This problem was visible during the Singers in Accord Concert at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center during February 2017. Unlike ties lines and jute webbing, top wooden battens prevent any shifting from occurring. With wooden battens on the tops and the bottoms of each drop, it is impossible for the fabric to “bunch” and catch on neighboring lines.

A final point has to do with the bigger picture and the preservation of heritage. When pipe pockets and jute webbing replace the original wooden battens, the heritage is lost and the ability to appropriately display these artworks destroyed. We are no longer looking at a historic artifact. In the long run, it would have been cost-effective to digitally photograph each drop and hang printed replicas on new muslin instead of irreparably damaging the original artifacts. I compare the MMHC decision and the subsequent destruction of the Fort Scott scenery collection to the repurposing of any antique. The difference is that this was not a craft project that took an old book and transformed it into a keepsake box. The painted scenes now only remain as a shadow of history, failing to preserve any heritage.

This erasure of history at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center brings to mind the song “Every Day a Little Death” from “A Little Night Music.” As each drop is forever altered and history lost, there is a “little sting” in my heart and in my head.

“Every day a little sting
In the heart and in the head
Every move and every breath
And you hardly feel a thing
Brings a perfect little death”

To be continued…