Category: Uncategorized

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “A good contract came in from Youngstown, Ohio, to replace some New York Studios work.” It is difficult to determine which Youngstown theater Sosman & Landis delivered scenery to that year. We know it was not a new theater though, as the contract was to replace scenery previously installed by New York Studios.

New York Studios was the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis. Former Sosman & Landis employee, David H. Hunt, established the firm in 1910. What makes Moses’ entry interesting, however, is Moses’ entry about New York Studios the year before. In 1916, he wrote, “Our business relations with the New York Studios are a bit strained, and we have notified them that hereafter there would be no restricted district for us, and we did not care what they did.  Pennsylvania and New York used to be our very best states, and we were going after them again.”  

Sosman & Landis depended on repeat customers, as did most scenic studios, including New York Studios. Therefore, Sosman & Landis targeting a theater with existing New York Studios scenery, especially after Moses notified Hunt that there would be no restricted districts, certainly reinforced his stance.

I have explored New York Studios in many past posts. Here is the most recent post with additional information about Hunt and his studio https://drypigment.net2020/03/11/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-part-928-restricted-districts-and-new-york-studios-1916/

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1917, Thomas G Moses wrote, “Mama and I went to Sterling June 13^th for a few days.  Details of this trip will be found in ‘Back to the Old Town.’”  Moses is referring to his travelogues.  Unfortunately none of these records have survived. Only those tales he published as newspaper or art journals articles remain.

However, on Dec. 28, 1917, “The Pantagraph” (Bloomington, Illinois), published a lovely article that pairs well with his entry. It makes me think of how Sterling initially perceived Moses’ early departure from his hometown:

“Thinks They’ll Come Back.

Editor of Pantagraph: I am informed that a large number of people are intending to leave the vicinity this coming spring. There must have been a tremendous influence brought to bear on the minds of the people to lure so many to decide to leave Old Town, for it has always been known that Old Town was a perfect paradise on earth. Some say it is the original Garden of Eden, and I believe it, for the old apple tree still stands and often bears fruit. Over a dozen of our best neighbors and friends have at some time or another been persuaded to shake the dust of Paradise from their feet and seek homes in the sunny south. We would grieve our eyes out over the loss of so many of our loved ones, if we did not know that they would soon return. Never has anyone left Old Town who did not come back. Those who could not come back pined their lives away and died. Their last sad requests were for their friends to carry them back to Old Town and bury them. We will wait with great anxiety for our friends to return, and when they do return we will received them with cheerful hearts, a loving embrace and a sweet kiss.

A. Bellville, Holder, Ill., Dec. 26.”

In 2019 I visited Moses’ hometown of Sterling, Illinois, driving past on my return from a League of Historic American Theatres conference. He and his wife both grew up there, attending the same one room school house. While passing thru town, I tracked down many of the sites that Moses mentioned in his memoirs, including an early house that the young couple lived in when they briefly returned home for year.

I imagine that  friends and family thought the couple had returned for good, yet Sterling was not a town of solely happy memories for Moses. Even his father eventually left the area, deciding to live near Moses in Chicago. Moses’ father, Lucius Moses, initially gave up the life of a sea captain, traveling inland to Illinois after one child died at sea. His children, however, remained a family of wanderers. In some ways this was conducive to the life of a scenic artist, venturing from one town to another and coming home between projects.

Moses’ memoirs do not reflect a happy childhood. As a young boy in Sterling, he lamented over the loss of his mother at an early age and dreamed of escaping the stench of the tannery. I don’t think that Moses was ever able to really fit in with Sterling social life.

It would be the young town of Chicago that welcomed this hopeful artist, providing friends, a new family and lots of opportunities. Moses was able to remake himself as a successful and respected businessman, not the son of a tanner. His return to Sterling in 1917 may have been difficult, especially for those who still believed that he had traded Paradise for success.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Some new work for Harvey D. Orr; quite elaborate.”

Harvey D. Orr was quite an interesting character. Born in Wooster, Ohio, in 1865, both he and his brother Harold entered the theatrical profession. In 1890, he founded the Harvey D. Orr Musical Company. By 1906, he was the director for the School of Opera and Acting at the Bush Temple Conservatory. The Chicago institution was advertised as “the leading school of music, opera, acting and languages,” with fifty teachers of international reputation on staff” (Inter Ocean, 2 Sept. 1906, page 25). By 1907 he Orr managed the Harvey Stock Company. A decade later, he was still working as producer and performer with two extremely popular productions.

The Orr brothers were well known for their 1914 musical comedy success, “The Million Dollar Doll.” By the beginning of 1917, the show was enjoying a successful third season, traveling with a carload of special scenery. Advertised as a big scenic production, the show carried “special electrical effects” and “big novelty scenes” (“Caruthersville Journal, Missouri, 8 March 1917, page 4).

During the spring of 1917, Orr contacted Moses at Sosman & Landis as he planned a new musical, “There She Goes.” On October 18, 1917, the “Dunkirk Evening Observer” reported, “‘There She Goes’ is a mammoth scene spectacle with a whirl of whirling dances and a wonderful chorus of youth and beauty gorgeously costumed. There are two tremendous acts, four glorious scenes and a joyous potpourri of tuneful melodies and truly mirth-provoking comedy situations supplied y the Orr brothers. One of the features is the latest New York craze, a ‘Jazz Orchestra,’ the first to be carries by a road show” Advertised as Orr’s “most amusing musical comedy” and “a mammoth scenic spectacle” (Tomes Herald, New York, 23 Oct., 1917, page 6).

Later, “The York Dispatch” described, “The opening scene is enacted from a setting of a beautiful Long Island Country Club golf course, the second down in Honolulu. The leading action of the play centers around Harvey and Harold Orr, who as Professor Ichabod Simmons, bugologist, with a very absent minded trait, and his lackey Rufus Washington, a colored gentleman of distinction, whose antics are in a large measure the laugh of comedy. ‘There She Goes’ hinges about the love story of Vadentine Van Dyke and Patricia Parmalie, which finally evolves in the marriage of Mr. John Smith and Mary Brown, the latter being the real names of the couple, the former their society dressings. Replete with mirth-making situations, tuneful melodies and really pretty stage effects, ‘There She Goes’ is one of the best popular-priced musical comedies now on tour” (York, Pennsylvania, 28 Dec. 1917, page 3). Advertisements promised, “Beautiful Hawaiian Scenes, including the famous beach at Waikiki” (Oil City Derrick, Pennsylvania, 18 Oct., 1917, page 13). The show was extremely popular across the country, offering a much needed escape from world events.

“The West Virginian Fairmont” reported the production was a “joyous potpourri of tuneful melodies, mirth provoking comedy situations, colorful up-to-date costuming and dazzling surprises. Dramatic scenic magnificence. Twenty-four song hits, a veritable landslide of latest gown and millinery effects, rippling waves of laughter and bevies of fascinating beauties in the chorus as well as among the principal” (Fairmont, West Virginia, 26 Sept, 1917, page 6).

 “The Reading Times” announced, “Scenic magnificence, many song hits, a veritable landslide of latest gowns and military effects, rippling waves of laughter and bevies of fascinating beauties in the chorus as well as among the principals, all contribute to the success of the elaborate production” (20 Dec. 1917, page 6). The “Lima News” noted, “Dreamy waltzes, lively one-steps, tantalizing tangoes, whirling eccentric dance tunes and modern ballads, all blended into a carefully arranged mélange to please from start to finish” (8 Sept, 1917, page 8). The performers included the Polo Girls, the Imperial Quartet, as well as the jazz orchestra, Songs included “When You’re Twenty-one,” “In Honolulu Town,” “Am Absent Minded Man,” “Some Girl in the Summertime,” “Hawaiian Moon,” “I Fell for You in the Old Fall River,” “The Seaside Rag,” and “Sometime if Dreams Come True.”

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “I went to Fox Lake on Decoration Day, official opening.  I had a new cot sent up and it was certainly an improvement over the old one.  I actually rest now and enjoy going up.”

Decoration Day honored the deceased, with soldiers decorating the graves of their fallen comrades; flowers, flags and wreaths ornamented headstones. The day became known as Memorial Day. This also became the official opener for summer, marking travel to summer homes, cabins and resorts.

The Palette & Chisel Club’s summer home was on Fox Lake. Only 55 miles northwest of Chicago, the picturesque area provided artists with a retreat to escape the summer heat in Chicago.

As I was looking at Decoration day events in Chicgao during 1917, I can across a lovely article at Chicagology https://chicagology.com/decorationday/  

Here is an excerpt from the post:

“Chicago Tribune May 30, 1900

DECORATION DAY.

The day set apart for commemorating the deeds of the nation’s honored dead loses none of its patriotic significance as the years come and go. While it is becoming less of a day of mourning than in the years when the grief over the losses of the civil war was still fresh, its patriotic scope is widening. Another war has also intervened and left its quota of new graves to be decorated reverently with flowers and hags. Far off, in the Philippines there are rows of mounds that will be draped today with the Stars and Stripes and the day will be observed in Cuba and Porto Rico. By strewing upon the water it is proposed the part played by the navy in fighting the battles of the nation. There is an added impressiveness in the thought that the Memorial day exercises are being observed simultaneously not only from one side of the continent to the other, but also in islands of the sea on opposite sides of the globe.

Chicago has always paid especial attention to Memorial day, and today the usual impressive parade will be seen, with the civil war veterans and their time-honored flags in the place of honor at the van. There is inspiration as well as sadness in the sight of this dwindling band of old soldiers in each city and town as they go forth each year to decorate the graves of the comrades who fell in battle so many years ago. But as their ranks grow thinner there are stronger escorts of the younger generation to take up the old banners and defend the things for which the others fought.

One of the most valuable features of the Memorial day exercises is the part connected with the public schools. Patriotic Speeches, tableaux, and the singing of national anthems in all the Chicago schools yesterday ushered in the present holiday. The impulses of patriotism stirred in eager young minds by these exercises are worth more for securing the future safety and perpetuity of the union than a great standing army. When it is remembered that the same spirit of devotion to the flag now animates the South as well as the North, there is every reason to look forward with high hope and confidence to the great future before the nation. While Memorial day is a time for a backward glance it is also a day for a hopeful and confident outlook upon the future.”

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Pitt came out for a short visit and for the first time in twenty years, we had only the four children at home for a dinner.  They were not allowed to mention their families.  We sat each in their accustomed place.  We all enjoyed it immensely.  It carried us back many years when we were all much younger.  I wish we could do it every year.”

Moses wrote this in the spring of 1917; he was sixty-one years old at the time. His children ranged in age from twenty-eight to thirty-eight years old and the United States was preparing to enter World War I.  Just a few months later, we would enter the fray and family dinners would become creative tales on rationed foods. I will say that if the “homemakers” ran the world, they would plan ahead and there would be no shortages of food or supplies. Those in charge of children and managing homes have to plan for every event or disaster that Mother Nature throws at them, intimately understanding how to stretch rations. Unfortunately in 1917, woman were still unable to vote.  

Different times have different demands. What was once scarce is now attained without restriction. I first began to panic about the current pandemic when I encountered when no flour or rice at our local grocery store. It was a wake up call for me. I now sit at home, planning, shopping and cooking for both my own family and my parents during COVID-19. I am a planner; I know how to grow food, the canning process and stretching small amounts of meat for a week. This is not the case for many around the world and we will all find ourselves living next to those who have not. Family dinners are important. Think about your next door neighbors and check in on them. It is time to pay it forward, especially if you have the means and are able to gather your loved ones together for a meal.

Supply and demand is affected during many events or disruptions in distribution.  The demands also change from decade to decade. In 1917 red meat and white flour were among the precious commodities that we shipped overseas, causing demand to outweigh supply on the home front.

On April 6, 1917, the United States of America entered WWI. By the fall of 1917, an increasing number of meat-free and other helpful recipes appeared in newspapers. A caption next to “War Bread Recipes” announced “Remember Jack Spratt. Why serve the fat to those who don’t care for it? The trimmings saved from slices of ham will shorten gingerbread” (“Herald and Review,” Decatur, Illinois, page 18). Yesterday, I read an internet post that stated we will now all understand why our great grandmothers washed used foil and saved bacon fat.

“War Bread Recipes” accompanied the heading, “Meatless Day No Bugbear With These Recipes.” An entire page was devoted to cooking with limited supplies; great recipes for vegetarians by the way. The “War Bread” article noted, “Because graham, bran and whole wheat are flours made from wheat, many housewives have been wondering if they are being disloyal by using breads made from these flours on wheatless days. They are not, because the Government does not prohibit the use of these coarser flours. They are note shipped to Europe. Only the white flour, which has better keeping qualities, is shipped there, and the coarser, darker flours may be used here as substitutes for white flour. Wholewheat flour is the fine, clean, and sound product made by grinding wheat without the removal of more than 1 per cent of the wheat in the form of bran. Graham flour is the unbolted wheat flour made from clean, sound wheat in the form of bran. Bran flour is made up of the broken coat of seed of wheat separated from the flour by sifting and bolting. It is the coarse, chaffy part of ground wheat. Bakers in Decatur are using these coarse flours considerably well. Local bakers said that last week that but little change in the taste of breads would be noticed when the new recipe Herbert Hoover is sending out is used.”

On September 9, 1917, the “Chicago Tribune Cookbook” included a section on fish and potatoes for the family dinner (page 2). A pescatarian’s delight today. The article reported, “It is again going to be a point of honor in our country to eat fish in certain amounts, if not on certain days. Possibly presented food conditions would lead us to eat it any day instead of on a church day. Many a grandmother of ours answered the question, “What shall we have for dinner”” by saying “Fish and potatoes.” And in the days when it was appoint of honor to serve the sacred cod even at dinner parties there originated a number of food dishes that are just as attractive today as then.”

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Early in 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Did “Faust” for Sheehan and Beck, very complete.” Moses was referring to Joseph Sheehan and Edward M. Beck. The scenery was for a summer touring production. In 1917, Beck was managing the Boston Opera Company and Sheehan was performing with the group.

The Boston Opera Company selected “Faust” for their special limited tour of Canada, with Joseph Sheehan playing the title role (“Ottawa Citizen,” 12 June 1917, page 7). On June 11, 1917, the “Ottawa Journal” reported, “From a standpoint of product The Boston English Opera Company has excelled all previous efforts. Special attention has been given that every detail is carried out to perfection making the scenic picture one of rare beauty. There are few operas which give the opportunities for beautiful stage setting which ‘Faust’ does; its different scenes all picturesque to the extreme and full advantage has been taken to make this end of the production on a par with its wonderful artists which comprise the Boston English Opera Company” (page 11).

Of Sheehan’s performance, the “Ottawa Journal” commented, “As Faust, Mr. Sheehan is at his best. His voice meets its every requirement, and those who have heard the great American tenor have noticed that strain of sentiment in his work which has made his impersonation of Faust one of the best, if not the best, in his extensive repertoire” (2 June 1917, page 21). Nelli Gardini played the role of Marguerite.

Moses first encountered Sheehan when he performed with the Aborn Grand Theatre Company. In 1910, Sosman & Landis delivered scenery for their production of “Madame Butterfly,” with Sheehan performing the role of Pinkerton. That year Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We did an elaborate set for Mme. Butterfly for the Aborn Opera Company at McVicker’s.” The “Gibson City Courier” noted the production’s “special scenery of unusually beautiful design” (6 May 1910, page 6). Moses provided another “Madame Butterfly” for the Sheehan Opera Company of Chicago in 1911. In advertisements, Sheehan was billed as America’s Greatest Tenor and Famous Opera Star” (“Akron Beacon,” 5 April 1913, page 8). He toured the company, starring in a series of operas that appeared in not only large metropolitan areas, but also many small towns.

Sheehan continued as a repeat customer at Sosman & Landis after he partnered with Edward M. Beck. In 1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Sheehan and Beck dropped in with ‘Bohemian Girl.’” The Sheehan English Opera Co. production of “The Bohemian Girl” was on tour of 1913. Sheehan and Beck were in Chicago with the production when made a point of visiting Sosman & Landis about another project.

Another Sheehan-Beck production with Sosman & Landis scenery that toured in 1913 was “Salome.” Of the production, Moses wrote, “We turned out a big production of ‘Salome’ for Sheehan and Beck – some very effective scenes.  A good portion of the contract price never saw our office – one bad feature about shows that don’t go.” And then all was quiet for a few years, until Sheehan and Beck contacted Moses again about scenery for “Faust.”

In regard to the 1917 production of “Faust,” the Boston English Opera Company revived “Faust” at the Strand Theater in Chicago after the summer tour (Chicago Tribune, 14 October, page 37). The Musical Courier reported, “Inasmuch as Chicago has not had a season of opera in English for several years and in view of the fact that this city has had an almost marvelous growth as a music center in the last few years, the announcement that the Boston English Opera Company has been incorporated to present a season of opera in the vernacular at the Strand Theatre, beginning Monday, October 1, will be of unusual interest to music lovers and music students. Edward M. Beck, who has had wide experience in the organization in the organization and management of English opera companies throughout the United States and Canada, has been engaged as a general manager of the new organization. Mr. Beck did not conclude to launch this enterprise until he had made a very careful investigation of the situation in which he found that there seems to be a great demand for English opera. (Musical Courier, Weekly Review of the World’s Music, Aug. 4, 1917). Of the performance, “Musical America” reported, “Joseph F. Sheehan, as Faust, astonished everyone by his singing, doing as well as he ever did in his palmiest days. His voice was full and rich, His phrasing and musicianship were above reproach, and he took the high C of “All Hail, Thou Dwelling” with perfect ease and rich tone” (Vol. XXVL, No. 26, October 27, 1917, page 32).

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “April 18^th, I went to Detroit and closed with Hoffmans for their new Colonial Theatre, $3,800.00, and the Palace Theatre, all new scenery at $2,000.00.  Another good days work.  I rested a day, then went home.”  Moses was referring to past clients C. A. and Graham Hoffman. On February 15, 1914, the “Detroit Free Press,” reported that Sosman & Landis delivered the scenery for the New Palace Theater. The “Detroit Free Press” announced, “Scenery is the Best. The scenery is from the Sosman & Landis studio of Chicago, leaders in the art, and for particular reasons the work is extraordinary.”

There are few things to consider about Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio in 1917. The first is repeat customers. The firm delivered stock scenery to Palace theatres in Chicago (1912), Minneapolis (1914), and Fort Wayne, Indiana (1914) and Detroit (1914). Once they secured a contract, the client is far more likely to come back if they needed something else, and they did. Sosman & Landis a quality product, on time, every time, and prompting repeat customers. Their business model relied upon this.

It all began to change by 1920. The proverbial rug became pulled out from under the feet of the firm. I have noticed that after WWI, there is a shift in the industry; theater owners begin to care less about the quality of new scenery and are more concerned with the bottom line. The phrase, “good enough for who its for” comes to mind.  In other words, the painted aesthetic begins to shift as a second-tier of scenic studios pops up and begins to produce scenery on a mass-scale. The second-tier studio offers an inferior product at a cheaper price. Some of the artistic demands begin to diminish the there is an increased use of fabric draperies in lieu of painted drops. In many cases the “art” aspect of scenery becomes a “craft,” allowing those with less artistic experience to easily complete projects. Stencil patterns replace pictorial painting on front curtains at many entertainment venues. This trend is closely associated with rise of combination houses and strict cinemas.

Many new theatres during the second decade of the twentieth century also took film into consideration. Sosman & Landis had a significant amount of work for combination houses at this time. Sosman & Landis got a foot in the door delivering picture settings that featured a central projection area amidst a painted composition. This type of project featured the studios high-end painting skills while adapting to new technologies – photoplays, moving pictures, silent films, or you name what constitutes entertainment.

Another aspect to consider concerns is the continued increase and power of theatrical circuits; multiple venues managed by a single organization. It is easier to contract one company for all of your stages, than look for a new scenic studio each time. In 1917 Sosman & Landis were able to benefit from multiple theatre chains such as Palace theaters in the Orpheum circuit.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1917, Thomas G. Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis delivered “a number of new drops for the Palace, Milwaukee.” Sosman & Landis had previously delivered scenery to Palace Theatres in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Detroit, Michigan. As with other chains, such as Fox theaters, there were multiple Palace Theatres all over the country.

The entry in Moses’ memoirs for this Milwaukee project was early in 1917.

The theater was located on 535 W. Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee. On February 19, 1917, the “Post-Crescent” reported, “Cigarette Fire. Stub starts blaze that partly destroys the Palace Theatre at Milwaukee today.” The International New Service announced, “Fire said to have originated from a cigarette stub left in the audience caused $10,000 damage to the new Palace theatre here early this morning. The house ran popular vaudeville and will be closed for several days pending renovation” (page 1).

It remains unclear whether any of the stage or scenery were damaged during the fire.

The venue was designed by local architects Charles Kirchoff and Thomas Rose. The pair later designed the Palace Theatre in New York (1918), as well as many other venues that included the American Theatre, Colonial Theatre, Garden theatre, Majestic Theatre, New Star theatre, Rialto Theatre, and Riverside Theatre. The only A detailed description of interior is posted at http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4067, noting three eras for the venue.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Got a $1,430.00 contract from the Murat Theatre.” 

Sosman & Landis previously provided scenery for the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Shrine building was named for the Nubian desert oasis Bin Murat. Bin Murat was named after Napoleon’s general Joachim Murat during his Egyptian campaign. The Murat Shrine in Indianapolis was located at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and New Jersey Street. The theater officially opened on March 1. By March 3, 1910, “The Waterloo Press” included a lovely article on the new structure in an article entitled “New Murat Theatre Opens” (page 2). The article reported, “The Murat Theatre, contained in what is said to be the most elaborate Mystic Shrine temple in the United States, was opened at Indianapolis, Ind., under the management of the Schubert Theatrical Producing Company. The temple, completed, will cost $250,000, but only the theatre has been finished. James T. Powers and his company, in the musical comedy, ‘Havana,’ gave the first performance in the theatre. Only the members of the Mystic Shrine were admitted but the subsequent performances will be public. The theatre is decorated with mural pictures representing camel caravans passing through a desert and approaching an oasis, and with other allegorical paintings symbolic of the significance of the Mystic Shrine.” The Schuberts leased the theater from 1910 to 1930. In 1910 Sosman & Landis also provided stock scenery for the Schuberts’ newly acquired Great Northern Theatre in Chicago.

Over the years, the building was known as the Murat Shrine Temple, Murat Shrine Theatre, Murat Theatre, and Old National Centre. It is now called the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre, located at North and New Jersey Street in Indianapolis. Noted at the oldest stage house in downtown Indianapolis, it is still in use.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Trip to Indianapolis – March 16^th we were awfully late.  Left my pocketbook with $25.00 on the window.  Didn’t miss it until I started to get my breakfast.  I had 75¢ in silver.  Wired to Chicago for money.” He lost the equivalent of $505.00 today, no small amount, then or now.

Many of us have lost money over the years, leaving a purse or wallet in the store, library or classroom. I have many stories of my purses being returned, or going back to find them on a park bench, untouched.  The most memorable, however, happened on our honeymoon in 1993.

Andrew and I spent two weeks in the Canadian Rockies, with our first three nights at the Green Gables Inn in Canmore, Alberta, Canada.  On the first morning after our arrival, we went for a walk downtown; a nice little stroll along the river. There was a lovely dirt path with a few benches along our way. For whatever reason, we decided that I would carry all of the money and our credit cards that morning.  Needless to say, we have never done that since. At some point the purse disappeared. We strolled along the river, sat on a bench and headed back to the hotel. I may have left my purse by a bench, or the strings were cut by a thief. A few weeks after we returned, however, the purse was returned with my ID and credit cards, just minus the cash.

We were also fortunate that my parents could wire money, but we had saved up for months. It was a devastating at the loss. In the end, we tried to find some humor saying that we were a great Western Union ad –  “Please send money soon or we won’t have a honeymoon.”

To be continued…