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Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

John C. Bronaugh and Benjamin F. Dunn managed the Kansas City Scenic Company, established in approximately 1890. Dunn functioned as the president of the company, with Bronaugh as general manager and treasurer. It was Bronaugh, however, who was credited with establishing the firm. He moved from his hometown of Olathe, Kansas, to Kansas City, the same years that Lem Graham arrived and started a scenic studio, possibly the earliest iteration of Kansa City Scenic Co.

Bronaugh’s 1925 obituary provides a wealth of information, so here is the article in its entirety:

“J. C. Bronaugh, 63, K. C. Pioneer Dies.

“John C. Bronaugh, formerly upper house alderman and widely known leader in Kansas City democratic circles died today at his home at 408 East Twenty-seventh street. He was 63 years old.

“Mr. Bronaugh had been ill more than three years, suffering with complications of the liver. He went to Mayo clinic in Rochester, Minn., three years ago for an operation, following which he moved with his family to Pasadena, California, for the betterment of his health.

“After three years residence in Pasadena, Mr. Bronaugh returned to Kansas City six weeks ago and remained here until his death.

“Mr. Bronaugh had lived in Kansas City forty-one years and was a treasurer and general manager of the Kansas City Scenic company which he established 35 years ago. He was born January 3, 1862 in Cass country, Missouri.

“Active in Democratic politics for many years, Mr. Bronaugh served as upper house alderman under the second administration of former Mayor Henry L. Jost and under the second administration of the late Mayor James Cowgill, and his successors, Sam B, Strother and Frank H. Cromwell.

“While in the council Mr. Bronaugh was chairman of the joint finance committee. With the exception of two years, he was a member of the Democratic county committee from 1902 to 1920 and is a past president of the Jackson County Democratic club.

“Mr. Bronaugh was a member of the Masonic bodies of the city, of the Arrat Shrine and of the Elks. He was a life member on the research Hospital association and had been a director of the hospital several years.

“Mr. Bronaugh is survived by the widow, Mrs. Lula Miller Bronaugh, whom he married in 1896 in Baldwin, Kan.; son, John G. Bronaugh, 408 East Twenty-seventh street and another son, George M. Bronaugh, and a daughter, Miss Cleda May Bronaugh, who lived in the family home in Pasadena. Two sisters, Mrs. Lela Lancaster, of Olathe, Kan., and Mrs. Morena Lee, of Peculiar, Mo., also survive.

The funeral services will be at 2:30 o’clock tomorrow afternoon in the Mellody-Joyce-Taylor undertaking establishment, 3133 Euclid avenue. Gate City lodge, No. 5 A.F. and A.M., will be in charge of the services, Burial will be in a vault in Forest Hill cemetery.-K.C. Post, July 15.

Deceased was a cousin of F. W. and Miss Cora Bronaugh, east of Clinton. He was a great worker for Wall Bronaugh, deceased, who ran for railroad commissioner.”

Tomorrow I explore Bronaugh’s connection to the Dunn family.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

The establishment of the Kansas City Scenic Co. was briefly summed up in an article about its two founders in 1922. They both grew up in Olathe, Kansas, and the “Jackson County Democrat,” reported, “Ben Dunn and John Bronaugh, proprietors of the Kansas City Scenic Company, a concern which for many years has provided scenery for theatres throughout the country, were in Olathe Sunday visiting friends and boyhood stamping [sic.] grounds. Benn Dunn was raised in Olathe and went to school with the owner of this paper, who reported that Ben put in a good deal of time drawing scenery of one kind of another, some horrifying to the vigilant teacher who often confiscated his works of art. John Bronaugh was raised on the old Bronaugh farm west of Olathe. He is not only a business man, but is also influential in Kansas City politics” (9 June 1922, page 3) In Bronaugh’s 1925 obituary, he was credited with founding the Kansas City Scenic Co. in 1890 (The Clinton Eye, Clinton, Missouri, 24 January, 1925, page 4).

However, the earliest mention of the company that I have located to date is 1887. Neither Bronaugh nor Dunn were associated with the firm that year. In 1888 and 1889, Benjamin F. Dunn was listed in the Kansas City Directory as an employee of Lemuel L. Graham.  By 1890, Dunn began representing the Kansas City Scenic Co. working on a new opera hall in Little River, Kansas. The “Little River Monitor” reported, “The carpenters work on the new opera hall is going on at a lively rate, Canfield & Co. are doing the work in good shape, Messrs. Tschudi, Dunn and Oldham, of the Kansas City Scenic company, are painting a set of scenes for the hall, and are doing a fine job. The mammoth drop curtain is a beauty. It is ornamented with the business cards of our merchants and others, and will be first class in every particular” (16 June 1887, page 3). J. M. Tschudi was a sign painter in Emporia, Kansas, and I will cover his life in the next few posts.

By 1891, the company began to dramatically expand their reach, targeting stages not only in nearby states but also much farther south. On July 9, the “Kansas Patron” reported, “Mr. John Bronaugh, one of the firm of the Kansas City Scenic company started Tuesday of this week on an extended trip through Texas in the interest of the company. In passing Olathe, owing to circumstances over which he has no control, as yet, he was compelled to stop and spend the night, much to the delight of – his friends” (page 5). Two years later, the same newspaper clarified that Bronaugh was “the traveling member of the Kansas City Scenic Co. (Kansas City Patron, 13 July 1891, page 3). He was the firm’s traveling salesman at first and Dunn painted the scenery. By 1897 Bronaugh was still listed as the firm’s treasurer and manager with Dunn as the president (Miami Republican, 1 Oct. 1897, page 3).

On October 11, 1891, the “Topeka Daily Capitol” included an article on the Kansas City Scenic Co., noting, “This well known company, the largest scene painting concern in the western United States placed on exhibition during last weeks fair some of its finest work…At their headquarters 2331 and 2333 Grand avenue, Kansas City, Mo., they have a building built and especially arranged for scene painting. The workman takes up his station on the second floor and his canvas slides up and down before him through forty feet of space. Thus his curtain does not have to be rolled neither does he climb up and down the ladder” (page 8).

The company then opened a regional office in Jefferson, Missouri during 1892 (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 29 March, 1892, page 2).

In 1894, the “Kansas Patron” reported, “Mr. John Bronaugh of the Kansas City Scenic company was in town Friday meeting his many friends. He also met the Board of Public Works at D. and D. Institute and was awarded the contract for painting the scenery for the new chapel. The board exhibited good judgment in making this award as there are no better artists than Frank Dunn and John Bronaugh” (Olathe, Kansas, 26 April 1894, page 3). In this relationship, Dunn was the primary artist and Bronaugh was the salesman, just like Sosman & Landis in Chicago; one was selling and one was painting, but both deeply understood the painted aesthetic and mechanics of stage settings.

The staff the studio continued to increase over the years. In 1895, J. E. Wagner was listed as traveling for the Kansas City Scenic Co. in Harrisonville, Mo. (The Olathe Mirror, 31 Jan, 1895, page 4). J. C. Kloos was the “expert stage machinist.” That year Kloos overhauled the stage of the opera house in Pittsburgh, Kansas, installing new scenery, two new drop curtains and other effects (Pittsburgh Daily Smelter, 6 Aug. 1895, page 4). The local newspaper reported, “Mr. Kloos has the reputation of being the most rapid stage setter in the United States and is the man who put on the scenery at San Francisco for the celebrated ‘Fall of Pompeii.’ He was late with Matt Morgan, the stage artist who is without equal.” The following day, the “Pittsburgh Daily Smelter” elaborated, “Mr. J. C. Kloos, the clever artist and machinist…is not an artist of a day but a man who has years experience and who knows just where and how to put that experience to the best practical use as his work in the Opera House will attest” (7 Aug, 1895, page 4). In 1896, J. B. Lane from Pittsburgh, Kansas, secured a position with the company too (The Pittsburgh Daily, 25 May 1896, page 4). 

In 1897, W. H. Walborn, scenic artist and salesman, was added to the Kansas City Scenic Co. staff. The “Downs Times” reported, “W. H. Walborn, representing the Kansas City Scenic Co., is about to put up a new drop curtain at the opera house. He has been canvassing for advertisements for the front of the curtain. Mr. Walborn is also doing this line of work in various other towns in this section of the state”  (18 Nov 1897, page 5).

The “Kansas City Weekly” expanded on Walbourn’s contribution to the company in 1897, noting, “W. H. Walbourn, who represents the Kansas City scenic Co., and who is placing considerable work in Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado, at one time resided in Midddletown, Penn . and distinguished himself by ‘knocking out’ a heavy weight that was vey insulting and stuck on himself. Mr. Walbourn is one of the finest artists with a paintbrush that ever traveled in this part of the country. His process are reasonable and his work first-class, and satisfaction guaranteed” (26 Nov., 1897, page 2). He was still with the studio in 1898, painting a Venetian-themed drop curtain for  the new public hall and opera house in Jamestown, Kansas (The Kansas Optimist, 3 Dec. 1898, page 5). The newspaper reported, “The new drop curtain for the stage, just completed by Mr. W. H. Walborn of Kansas, a scenic painter of wide reputation, is a beautiful work of art. The central picture of this curtain represents one of the water-ways of Venice, painted in colors. The picture is bordered with neat and attractive advertising cards of Jamestown merchants.” That same year he also delivered a new drop curtain to the opera house in Independence, Kansas. The local newspaper reported, “Mr. Walborn, who has been in the city for some days” was securing “twenty ‘ads’ from our businessmen to adorn the border.”

By 1900, Walborn began partnering with another scenic artist on projects, both representing the Kansas City Scenic Company, to deliver new scenery to the new opera house in Stanberry, Missouri. The “Stanberry Headlight” reported, “Mr. Powers has secured the services of Messrs. W. H. Walborn and Harry Minor, two scenic artists, who certainly are artist with the brush. They are painting new scene and side-wings throughout and it is the finest work we have ever witnessed” (Stanberry, Missouri, 2 May 1900, page 1). This is the same Harry Minor who published the dramatic directories.

In 1925, Bronaugh passed away, leaving control of the company to Dunn, more on Bronaugh tomorrow. The company was still running in 1931, when founder Benjamin F. Dunn (b. 1862) passed away. At 69 years old, he was the president of Kansas City Scenic Co. (The Morning Chronicle, Manhattan, Kansas, 28 July 1931, page 1).

To date, I have identified the following thirty-two venues that purchased scenery from Kansas City Scenic Co. between 1897 and 1910. I am sure that there are more, but only a few of this list are still standing, let alone have any scenery:

Kansas Theaters:

Opera Hall in Little River, Kansas (1887)

New Hall in Baldwin, Kansas (1892)

New Chapel Hall in Olathe, Kansas (1894)  

New Parochial School Hall in St. Mary’s, Kansas (1894)

Mallory Opera House in Paolo, Kansas (1897)  

Kansas City carnival parades float (1897)

Opera House in Independence, Kansas (1898)

Dr. A. B. Seelye’s New Theatre in Abilene, Kansas (1900)

Olathe, Kansas. Grange Opera house. (1901)

Sapp’s New Theatre in Galena, KS (1905)

Missouri Theaters:

New Gillis Theatre in Kansas City, MO,  (1897)

Opera House in Stanberry, Missouri (1900)

Jefferson Theatre in De Soto, MO (1903) gone

People’s Theatre in Kansas City, MO (1906)

New Hubbell Theatre in Weston, MO  (1906)

Lyric Theatre in Fredericktown, MO (1908)

Arkansas Theaters:

King Opera House in Van Buren, Arkansas  (1907)  

Imperial Theatre in Marianna, Arkansas (1908)

Alabama Theaters:

Meyer’s Opera House in Sheffield, Alabama (1897)

Kentucky Theaters:

Opera House in Clinton, Kentucky (1910)

Louisiana Theaters:

Auditorium Theatre in Monroe, Louisiana (1903)

Colorado Theaters:

Elks Opera House, Silver City, Colorado (1908)

Elks Opera House, Leadville, Colorado (1902)

West’s Theatre, Trinidad, Colorado (1908)

Idaho Theatres:

Rigby Opera House in Rigby, Idaho (1903)

Nebraska Theaters:

North Opera House in Columbus, Nebraska (1903)

New Mexico Theaters:

Coliseum Theatre in Raton, New Mexico (1906)

Texas Theaters:

New Opera House in Brownwood, Texas (1907)

Opera House in Lockhart, Texas (1907)

Harryman Opera House in Brownwood, Texas (1908)

Seguin Opera House in Sequin, Texas (1908)

Kempenstein Theatre in Sequin, Texas (1910)

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Yesterday I examined the early life of Lemuel Laken Graham, a partnership with Thomas G. Moses in 1882, and his return to the Sosman & Landis Studio in 1883. By 1884, Graham left Chicago to start his own studio in Kansas City, Missouri. The 1885 Kansas City Directory lists Graham as a founder of the Kansas City scenic company studio known as Graham & Davis. At the time, Graham was residing at 637 Garfield Ave. His business partner, William Davis, was with the firm for less than only two years, and by 1886 studio was simply listed under Lemuel L. Graham.

In 1887, Graham was again listed in the Kansas City directory as a scenic artist with his studio at 525 Main, rooming at 517 E. Missouri ave. The 1888 Kansas City Directory lists “Lemuel L. Graham” as employer for other scenic artists in the city, such as Benjamin F. Dunn, future president of the Kansas City scenic Co. Two other bits of information in 1888 provide a little context for Graham’s career in Kansas City; the first is that Moses mentions stopping in Kansas City to visit Graham in his memoirs, writing, “He was doing well.” Indeed, Graham was doing very well, with a substantial staff of artists work in his studio. The second mention of Graham and his studio was included in the 1888 publication, “Industries of Kansas City: Historical, Descriptive, and Statistical.”

The section on Graham included the following listing:

L. L. Graham. Scenic Artist, Contractor for Stage Equipment, Theatre Hardware, Frame Work, Canvas, Traps, Bridges and Every Necessary Equipment of First Class Theatres, 525 & 527 Main Street.

There was an entire entry for Graham too:

“Mr. L. L. Graham is a prominent representative of the scenic art in Kansas City, having established this business here four years ago in conjunction with Mr. Davis, who withdrew from the firm some two years since. Mr. Graham is an adept in this line, having followed the business upwards of twenty-five years. His first experience in the school of art was had at McVickers’ Theater, Chicago, Ill. and subsequent training in San Francisco, Cleveland, Memphis and New Orleans. His establishment here is eligibly located at 525-527 Main Street, and consists of a studio and shops fitted up with every essential appliance and convenience for the correct and expeditious execution of the work, which comprises high art stage scenery and equipment, rich and elegant stage curtains, stage properties of every description, theatrical hardware, frame work, canvas, traps, bridges, etc. One special feature of Mr. Graham’s industry is his advertising drop curtain, which is richly draped on the top and sides with royal crimson and heavy bullion fringes and pendants gracefully falling on steps painted at bottom of curtain. In the center is a large and artistically painted picture in stucco frame, which is surrounded by a border of deep Prussian blue, divided into spaces for the insertion of business cards. The cards may be lettered in a becoming and artistic style in bright gold, the whole having a brilliant and pleasing effect. There are usually from eighteen to twenty of these spaces of varying sizes to suit the advertiser as to the amount he desires to pay. Full particulars concerning this feature will be furnished by mail, upon application, to theatre managers, hall proprietors and others interested as well as any other information appertaining to stage equipment and carpentry. Mr. Graham has executed stage work for some fifty or sixty houses in Nebraska, notably at Omaha and Lincoln, etc., and for forty five different houses in Kansas, including Winfield, Wichita and Anthony, and in St. Joe, Hannibal, Springfield and many others in Missouri. As many as thirty-six men in his employ upon an average weekly pay roll of $500.00, Mr. Graham giving his personal attention to every detail of this most intricate work. Contracts were made for Priests of Pallas and trades displays and pageants in Kansas.” Thirty-six men in Graham’s scenic studio is comparable to that of Sosman & Landis in Chicago at the same time. However, Graham did not remain in Kansas, heading east.”

This publication included an interesting commentary about scenic studios at the time: “Such industries as the one under special notice [L. L. Graham], are among the necessary concomitants of a rapidly developing metropolitan community, indicating that spirit of enterprise that caters to refined taste and social enjoyment.”

By 1896, Graham was listed as doing business with another scenic artist L. J. Couch (1838 – 1909). Little is known of their exact relationship or business, but it was an unsuccessful venture and makes me ponder Moses’ comment, “a good fellow and a hard worker, but altogether too close to please me.” Graham and Couch were listed in the “Boston Globe” under the heading “Business Troubles.” Of their scenic studio, the newspaper announced, “L. J. Couch and Lemuel L. Graham, doing business at 384 West 1st St, South Boston, under the firm of Levi Couch & Co., scenic painters, have been petitioned into insolvency by Edmund G. Pond, creditor” (The Boston Globe, 9 Jan. 1896, page 7). This is Graham’s third failed business venture in twelve years.

Couch was a scenic artist and inventor, specializing in stage hardware. Born in Milford, Connecticut, he was also a stage mechanic, with an extensive background as a general carpenter. This should have been the winning combination for Graham and Couch – both scenic artists, with one being a knowledgeable stage mechanic. Couch even applied for two patents that involved the operation of stage scenery. One was for a “wire rope clamp” (US Patent 756,158) and other for a “curtain block, drop” (US Patent 756,157). Here are the links to Couch’s two patents:

and

Couch advertised his wire clamp in the “New England Business Directory and Gazetteer” (No. XXI, 1904).

Couch’s background I fascinating, especially before he partnered with Graham. In 1890, Couch was working at the Bijou Theater in Boston, listed as stage carpenter in the city directory. He soon founded L. J. Couch & Co. and initially partnered with fellow scenic artist, David Richards from 1893-1895. As with Graham’s firm in Kansas City, L. J. Couch & Co. offered a wide range of theatrical goods ranging from painter scenery and theatrical hardware to general stage appliances.

After L. J. Couch & Company, Graham partnered with P. Todd Ackerman, another scenic artist. Their studio was initially located at the Broadway Theater in Brooklyn, New York. On Aug. 13, 1902, the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” reported that Graham and P. D. Ackerman took a mortgage with John C. Sceneck at Bushwick Ave. for $3900 (Conveyances, page 14). In 1903, “The Standard Union” listed: BUSHWICK AVE, s w s 100 n w Eastern Parkway Extension, 50×29.5x-x56.3; Lemuel L. Graham to Philip D. Ackerman; ½ pt; all liens….nom” (22 July 1903, page 10). There Studio Building 1576 to 1580 Bushwick Ave, New York.

Graham later set up his own studio on Crosby Avenue in Brooklyn, calling it L. L. Graham and Son. This must have been Revard Graham. In 1905, the US Census lists Graham and his wife living in Manhattan with their three children: Rachel Elizabeth, Ethel, and Revard Parker, ages 21, 13 and 10. Graham would remain in Brooklyn, New York, until his passing in 1914, yet listed “Graham & Son,” now working with Revard Graham. There remains one drop credited to L. L. Graham & son at the Grange Hall in Denmark, Maine.

Graham passed away after a brief illness on Sunday, Dec. 27, 1914, at the age of only 68. He died at his home, 3 Miller Ave, and was still working as a scenic artist (“The Standard Union,” 29 Dec. 1914, page 3). The Brooklyn Daily Eagle described Graham as “one of the best-known scenic artists of this country.” The article summarized, “[Graham] was known from coast to coast among theatrical men and had traveled through every State in the Union in his time, and his work was known in all of the principal cities.”

Here is Graham’s obituary in its entirety:

“L.L. Graham Artist, Dead.
Painted Many Scene and Curtains for Theatres. Had Studio Here. Curtain at Broadway Theatre His Creation. Lemuel Laken Graham, one of the country, died Sunday from heart failure after a long illness at his home. 3 Miller avenue, on the border line of Queens Borough, near Highland Park. Mr. Graham had a studio building on Crosby avenue, near his home, or ten years, funeral services will be held to-night with internment in Evergreens cemetery.

Mr. Graham was known from coast to coast among theatrical men and had traveled in every State in the Union in his time. His work was known in most of the principal cities. He was born in Ann Harbor, Mich., July 4, sixty-eight years ago, the son of the Rev. Daniel McBride Graham, a Baptiste clergyman and the president of Hillsdale College, Mich., and Ursula Graham. His father apprenticed him to the scene painting business in his youth and he early achieved fame in his chose calling.

He was associated with Sasman [sic.] and Landis of Chicago, for some years and painted the curtain for the Chicago Auditorium. Later he was a partner of L. J. Couch, of Boston, and in his studio there turned out some of the best known to stageland, While at Kansas City for a number of years, Mr. Graham was in charge of the great annual event there, the priest of Pallas parade, and created all of the floats and scenes used in the carnival. Mr. Graham and P. Todd [sic.] Ackerman did the decorations for the Broadway Theatre here, and he painted several curtains and numerous elaborate settings for Manhattan theatres.

Mr. Graham taught scene painting for years and some of the most skillful scenic artists in the country were his pupils. Of late years he confined his work to the creation of smaller scenes and he had a reputation for clever organizations. He leaves his wife, Elizabeth West Graham; a son Revard Parker Graham, a scenic artist, and a daughter, Mrs. Fermin Ferrer, of Laurelton, L. I.” (The Brooklyn Times, 29 Dec, 1914, age 12).

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

For quite a few years, I believed that the history of the Kansas City Scenic Co. was integrally linked to L. L. Graham. Lemuel Laken Graham was a friend, fellow scenic artist and one-time business partner of Thomas G. Moses. Moses credited Lem Graham with the founding a scenic studio in Kansas City sometime during 1884. I mistakenly believed this studio was Kansas City Scenic Co. Fortunately, I was able to connect several dots while preparing a series of documents for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado; this venue boasts a 1902 Kansas City Scenic Co. collection.

In 1882, Moses and Graham established the scenic studio Moses & Graham. The partnership only lasted until 1884 when Graham moved from Chicago to Kansas City, founding another scenic studio – Graham & Davis. This partnership was also short-lived, lasting only two years, but Graham continued a studio under his own name, Lemuel L. Graham. In 1888, one of the artists in his employ was Benjamin F. Dunn, future president of the Kansas City Scenic Co. and childhood friend of later studio founder, John C. Bronaugh. Bronaugh was listed as a Butcher, working at 2018 Grand ave. and residing at 2006 Grand Ave that same year.

I have to wonder if Graham’s scenic studio was known as the “Kansas City Scenic Co.” but he never officially registered or advertised the business as such.

Back to 1882. In that year Moses recorded that when the theatre season closed, he left his position at Sosman & Landis to partner with Lem Graham, I am focusing on the life of Graham today.

Little is known of Graham’s early years, other than he was born in Michigan, about 1850, although some sources list his birth year as early as 1845. Like Fred Megan, Jesse Cox, and many other scenic artists, Graham began his theatrical career as a performer in a touring company. In 1888, “Industries of Kansas City: historical, descriptive, and statistical” included a section on Graham, reporting, “Mr. Graham is an adept in this line, having followed the business upwards of twenty-five years.” This suggests that Graham’s first theatrical work was in 1863. Regardless of his start date, by 1870, an “L. L. Graham” was touring with J. A. Lord’s Chicago Dramatic Co. Graham played the role of Sir Charles Marlowe in “She Stoop’s To Conquer” that year. Starring Louis Lord, his company toured throughout Kansas. (“The Daily Commonwealth,” 7 Jan. 1870, page 2).  By the fall, Graham was performing in “Frou-Frou” alongside Mary Graham (The Leavenworth Times, 22 Nov. 1870, page 4). It is unclear whether Mary was a relation or his wife.

By 1871, the “Junction City Weekly Union” mentions Mr. L. L. Graham is a performer in “The Ticket-of-Leave-Man.” Advertised as a “modern play,” Graham was credited with personifying “Jem Dalton,” the tiger. The newspaper announced he “did it well,” adding, “He is a young man of talent, and we believe a true artiste” (4 Feb, 1871, page 3). Few things make me smile, as thinking of a future scenic artist and studio founder dressed up as a tiger.

In 1872, Graham again appeared with Louie Lord’s Dramatic Company in their production of “Our American Cousin” (Daily Commonwealth, 12 Jan. 1871, page 4), as well as a touring production entitled “Buffalo Bill.” This production is a little confusing, as it was advertised as a “Kansas romantic aboriginal spectacular specialty,” not really a spectacle featuring William Cody, the actual “Buffalo Bill” (Daily Commonwealth, 8 Dec. 1872, page 4). Something happens by the mid 1870s and 1880s, causing Graham to transition from a performer to a scenic artist. The 1888 publication, “Industries of Kansas City: historical, descriptive, and statistical” included a section on Graham, report, “His first experience in the school of art was had at McVickers’ Theater, Chicago, Ill. and subsequent training in San Francisco, Cleveland, Memphis and New Orleans.”

On September 17, 1875, the “Times-Picayune” reported, “opening of the Amusement Season. – The Academy of Music, always first to open and last to close, has been entirely renovated, a new proscenium and ceiling put up, which is being decorated by Mr. L. L. Graham, the Academy’s scenic artist, who, by-the-by, showed us some fine specimens of his art during the last season, repainted all over, new carpets, and other modern improvements” (New Orleans, page 1).

Later that fall, the “New Orleans Republican” reported that L. L. Graham painted the drop curtain for Bidwell’s Academy of Music,“representing Tasso at the Court of Ferrara. Graham’s new drop was to be “unrolled for the first time” on Sunday October 10 of that year (October 16, 1875, page 1). By winter, Graham was mentioned again in connection with the Academy of Music’s scenic attributes: “The truly sublime piece of scenery in the transformation scene is the handiwork of Mr. L. L. Graham, the skillful artist, who gets up some very grand effects, and it riveted the gaze of the spellbound audience” (26 Dec. 1875, age 1).

By the beginning of 1876 the “Times-Picayune” reported, “ACADEMY OF MUSIC. –  To-night there will be a change of programme at this theatre in “Dead to the World” in which Mr. France will appear a Philip Warwick, Flip, a negro, and Aunt Hannah. The drama is described as “replete with thrilling effects, exciting situations, startling tableaux,” but no Indians. The play appears to have achieved a remarkable run of twelve weeks at the London Grecian Theatre, which would lead us to the conclusion that there is much merit in it. At all events the public will have the opportunity of judging to-night. The play will be ornaments with new scenery from the brush of Mr. L. L. Graham, whose handiwork has ere now received its need of popular applause.” (New Orleans, Jan 20, 1876, page 8). Graham remains associated with the Academy of Music during the 1870s before moving to Chicago and working with another well-known scenic artist, Henry C. Tryon. Both would later work at Sosman & Landis in the 1880s.

In 1876 Graham partnered with Tryon to deliver a new drop curtain and stock scenery to an opera house in South Bend, Indiana. An article in the “Southbend Tribune reported, “L. L. Graham of the academy of music in New Orleans, La., and Henry C. Tryon, of McVicker’s theater of Chicago, scenic artists, are engaged at the opera house in painting a new drop curtain, a wooded landscape, a place scene, a parlor scene and others” (“South Bend Tribune,” 9 Aug, 1876).  This seems to be a turning point, as Graham becomes increasingly connected with the Chicago theatre scene.

By 1881, he was working at the Academy of Music in Chicago. Enter Thomas G. Moses who is a young artists working at Sosman & Landis. In fact, Moses is the first employee that Joseph Sosman hires and the two go on the road, completing one project after another secured by Perry Landis. Between trips in Chicago, Moses looked for a second job as his finances are stretched thin after the birth of another child. Moses secured a part-time position with Graham at the Academy of Music. The two were painting for the Academy’s stock company, the same stock company that included Moses’ sister Illie who is an actress [Illinois Moses]. By the way, in 1882, Graham is listed as an artist residing at 230 West Washington in the Chicago Directory.  Graham was also listed as the scenic artist at the Standard Theatre in Chicago; this is before partnering with Moses to form the new scenic studio Moses & Graham. Of the partnership, Moses wrote, “We got together and I quit the firm after refusing a big salary – that is, for me.  Our first contract was at Kalamazoo, Michigan.  The Academy of Music.  We worked night and day.   I did all the foliage and I was astonished. On seeing my stuff set, to see how I improved.

The Academy of Music in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was a 1250-seat opera house located on South Rose Street. The venue was directly across from Bronson. John McCullough’s “Virginius” was the opening production at the venue. The theater owners wanted to make it a big affair, so they paid Graham and Moses “a good price” for special scenery to accompany the production.  Moses noted that they were all Roman scenes, recalling, “We spread ourselves and it was very pleasant work.” 

After Kalamazoo, Moses and Graham completed a project in Grand Rapids, Michigan for Redmond’s Opera House, also built in 1882. The venue was later known as the Grand Opera House. While in town, Moses recalled that Graham fell in love with the head waitress at his boarding house; the two later married on Nov. 20, 1884.  Her name was Elizabeth “Lizzie” West (b. 1860), and of her Moses wrote, “she proved to be a good wife and good mother.”  The Grahams celebrated the birth of two children, Rachel Elizabeth (b. 1892) and Revard Parker (b. 1895),

Now, this was at least the second marriage for Graham, if you read everything listed in the newspapers and between the lines, he was married a few times.  His first marriage ended in divorce during 1870, Chicago. We know this because the original divorce decree was destroyed during the Chicago fire. On April 17, 1884, the “Inter Ocean” reported, “Martha Elizabeth Graham of Cumberland, Maine, filed a petition in the Circuit Court yesterday for the restoration of a decree of divorce. The decree was rendered against her on Nov. 30, 1870, in the Circuit Court of Cook Country in favor of Lemuel L. Graham and was destroyed by the great Chicago fire.”  (page 8). That same year, a Lemuel L. Graham also severed marital ties to Nellie H. Graham, as reported in the “San Francisco Examiner.” On Oct. 28, 1884, “Judge Maguire has granted Nellie H. Graham a divorce from Lemuel L. Graham, willful neglect and desertion.” Interestingly, both of these events occurred the same year he eventually married Lizzie. By 1889, Lizzie was working as a seamstress.

Back to Moses & Graham in 1882… After completing scenery for the two opera houses in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, the pair traveled to Elgin. At this time, John H. Young also joined their team. Young would become one of the top Broadway designers in the first decade of the 20^th century. Of  Young in 1882, Moses wrote, “He was then working as a candy concern, but was delighted to join us.”  Moses had previously worked with Young in Michigan during the 1870s. I have written extensively about Young, see past posts 140, 171-173, and 186.

Moses, Graham and Young next worked on a project in Racine, Wisconsin, where they painted scenery for the Black Opera House. By this point, Moses wrote, “Graham and I were doing much better now and we had two good jobs at the same time.  He was a regular Shylock, a good fellow and a hard worker, but altogether too close to please me.” I am not even going to hazard a guess to his comment, but the two soon split; Graham and Young departed for Hannibal, Missouri, leaving Moses alone to finish the Racine project.  

By 1883, Moses & Graham went after a project in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Sosman & Landis were also competing for the same work. Of the encounter, Moses wrote, “I met Mr. Landis there.  I got the contract.  We rode to Chicago together and met Mr. Sosman on our arrival.  We were offered $45.00 a week.  I wired Graham at Burlington.  He answered $50.00 and extras.  We closed for that.  I had Oshkosh to finish, which I did and May 1^st found Graham, Young and myself back on Clark Street at the Sosman and Landis Studio.” Graham remained at Sosman & Landis until 1884.

In 1884 Graham partnered with a “Mr. Davis” to establish a scenic studio in Kansas City, Missouri, named Graham & Davis (Sioux City Journal. 9 May 1885, page 3). According to the newspaper accounts, Davis married Cora in 1884. He only remained with the company for two years before withdrawing and moving to Chicago. He was listed in the 1887 Chicago Directory, living at 850 W. Madison and working as a scenic artist. I believe that this was the same William P. Davis (b. 1855), who later worked at the Chicago Auditorium and established the Twin City Scenic Co. in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Davis moved to Minnesota in 1894 and was listed in the St. Paul Directory as the scenic artist for the Grand Opera House. Interestingly, Davis first worked for Moses in Richmond, Indiana, during 1881; Will Davis was Moses’ assistant at the time, just before Moses partnered with Graham.  All three were working in Chicago for Sosman & Landis.

A little more about Graham after 1884 tomorrow.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

I explored the life of Frederick R. Megan yesterday. Megan was a salesman for the Kansas City Scenic Co. during the early twentieth century, selling a large scenery collection to the Elks Opera House in Leadville during 1902.

Fred Megan and Thomas G. Moses later purchased the name “Sosman & Landis” after the company closed in 1923. That year Sosman & Landis partnered with Kansas City Scenic Co. to production scenery for productions in Olathe, Kansas. The two companies had worked together over the decades, sharing both artists and designs. One example of their working together was the 1902 scenery collection delivered to Leadville, Colorado.

On February 22, 1923, the “Olathe Mirror” reported “Let’s Go Peggy” was using scenery Sosman & Landis, Chicago, and Kansas City Scenic (page 3).  by On March 1, 1923, the “Johnson County Democrat” announced that the Olathe American Legion production, “The Play’s the Thing,” used the scenery for the was by both Sosman & Landis and Kansas City Scenic Co. (Olathe, Kansas page 1).They continued to run the firm successfully throughout the decade, delivering scenery to the Oakland Scottish Rite in 1927.

Today’s posts, jumps ahead of my “Tales of a Scenic Artists and Scholar” timeline, but is being included to provide some additional context for the Tabor Opera House history.

Situated on the shores of Lake Merritt, Oakland’s Scottish Rite was a staggering $1,500,000 project. The painting contract alone for Moses was worth $36,000 (Oakland Tribune, 4 June 1927, page 3). Although this seems an exorbitant, it is on par with what Tabor spent for his opera house in Denver in 1881. Today, these projects would require an estimated $18,000,000.

On Dec. 12, 1927, the “Oakland Tribune” published the article, “Stage Setting and Scenery are Artistic.” The article lists the major players, Moses and Megan of Sosman & Landis, as well as their collaborative endeavor with the Western Scenic Studio. Moses designed the scenery and Megan designed the stage machinery. Here is the article in its entirety as it contains such valuable information, especially in regard to the description of the counterweight system:

“In keeping with the magnificent beauty of the new Oakland Scottish Rite Temple is the stage scenery and equipment installed by Thomas G. Moses, representing the Sosman and Landis company of Chicago. The settings exemplify the degrees of Scottish Rite Masonry and portray an oriental splendor whose style ranges from the Egyptian to the Assyrian, Persian, Gothic, Grecian, Norman Gothic, Babylonian, ending in the land of the Druids of Stonehenge, England.

“Moses bears the reputation of being the most sought-after scenic artist in America. Not only is he known for his masterful production of elaborate scenery and stage settings, but his own hand wields the brush in the majority of his creations.

“Into the stage settings for the Oakland Scottish Rite Temple he has put the knowledge and ability of over fifty years of scenic production work.

“The richness of the stage settings concurs with the art of the ancient courts of Cyrus, Darius and Solomon, through the motif of the scenery is to provide a harmonious background for the colorful robes used in the Scottish Rite degree work.

“The ideas of members conferring the degree were combined with those of the designer. Al painting was done at the new Tempe were the designs could be discussed with the Oakland Scottish Rite officials. The excellent result of the cooperation is apparent in the finished work. Earl Sudderth and Lenn Harris, local artists, aided Moses in the actual painting of the huge settings. [In 1925, Robert Earl Sudderth was listed as a scenic artist working at the Western Scenic Studio].

“The scenery for the Oakland Scottish Rite Temple is the largest Masonic scenery ever to be painted according to Moses. The drops on the stage measure thirty by fifty feet while the average drop for this type of work measure but twenty by thirty-six feet.

“The canvas employed in this work is a heavy six-ounce duck tied to an iron pipe instead of wood. Moses started several months ago painting a complete set of new designs using a large neutral cyclorama, forty feet high and one hundred and thirty feet long, This is used as a background for many of the sets [this is exactly what he delivered to Fort Scott, Kansas a few years earlier].

“A special set of rigging was installed for the operating of the stage scenery. The rigging was designed and planned by Ned [sic. Fred] R. Megan, also of the Sosman & Landis company. Special concentration was given the arrangement and construction of the rigging as the commodious stage of the Oakland Scottish Rite Temple allows thirty-five drops to be raised out of sight, This allows plenty of space for high sets, This is the first Scottish Rite Temple to have wall slots, in which counterweight arbors travel without interfering with the operators. In the old system the operator’s hands were in constant danger f being injured by the counterweight frames. Steel sheaves, with ball bearings, the best tiller rope cable, Cuban bolt hauling lines, irons arbors with counterweights constitute the rigging equipment. Iron pipe battens are used in place of the old style wooden battens. The materials for this rigging was furnished by Oakland foundries. Patterns were shipped from the east while additional ones were made here. Megan was aided in this work by L. A. Abrott, of the Western Scenic studios.”  Larry Abrott, owner of Western Scenic Studios, was a member of the Oakland Scottish Rite. In 1908, it was A. O. Sterling and Bart Marlone who opened Western Scenic Studio and Stage Equipment Co. in the Grand Opera House of Des Moines, Iowa. On July 4, 1908, “The Billboard” announced the opening of the firm, adding, “They have a well-equipped studio and are prepared to turn out good work in the shortest time possible. The write wishes them success” (Billboard, 4 July 1908, Vol. 20, page 11). By 1929, Western Scenic Studios offices were located at 1527 Jackson St., Oakland. In 1929, the Sosman & Landis offices were located at 416 S. Kedzie Ave. in Chicago.

Now this article is a pretty big deal, as I cannot think of a comparable one that describes the rigging with this level of detail, the comparison of the old standards and new installation.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Horace Tabor’s financial fall in the 1890s resulted in the sale of his two prized possessions, opera houses in Leadville and Denver.  The Tabor Opera House in Leadville briefly became known as the Weston Opera House before J. H. Herron purchased it. Herron immediately sold the property to the Benevolent and Protected Order of Elks who renovated it.  The fraternal organization began a massive building renovation in 1901. The $25,000 renovation by the Elks included a new stage with fly loft and enlargement of the auditorium. There were also many cosmetic changes made to the interior décor that included an elk’s head mounted on the proscenium wall. Gone was the original painted décor and characteristic of the 1870s theater.

The 1902 scenery collection delivered to the Tabor Opera House included at least six interior sets: two center door fancies, two plain interiors, a prison, and a Baronial Hall. Over the years, I have encountered dozens of examples of interior settings, especially in social halls and smaller venues. However, I have never encountered any on such an elaborate setting as at the Tabor Opera House. Not all interior sets at the Tabor Opera House are of the same quality, being produced by two different studios. The green gothic interior and yellow center door fancy are some of the best scenic art examples that I have encountered to date. They are products of Sosman & Landis, a firm subcontracted by Kansas City Scenic Co. in 1902.

Both firms shared work and artists over the years, but in was F. R. Megan, the Kansas City Scenic Co. salesman, who secured the Leadville contract.

I am going to start F. R. Megan. Frederick Rishel

[sometimes noted as Richell]

Megan was born in Galesburg, Illinois on May 5, 1873. His father was Dr. John W. Megan, an Irish immigrant, and his mother was Cornelia Wookey, a native of New York; they were married in 1871 in Knox, Illinois. [I have to admit, reading “Cornelia Wookey” makes it difficult not to think about “Star Wars”].

The first mention of Frederick R. Megan is in an 1896 Kansas City Directory; his listing notes “trvlg” [traveling] and rmg [rooming] at 1021 McGee. In 1897 Megan was performing and touring with the Barrett & Barrett Company (“Leonardville Monitor,” Leonardville, Kansas, 2 Dec. 1897, page 8). By 1900 the US Census lists Megan’s wife as Thenia Jones, born in Carroll, Arkansas around 1877. The couple was married in Jackson, Missouri, on April 14, 1898, likely while Megan was touring. The transition from performance to technical theater is not a great leap, as many 19^th century touring companies required their performers to complete backstage tasks, including scene painting. Jesse Cox is only one example of a performer who ended up enjoying a successful career as a scenic artist.

On July 19, 1900, Fred and Thenia Megan celebrated the birth of their daughter, Anabel L. Megan; all were living in Kansas City, Missouri.

Megan continued to appear in the Kansas City Directory until 1918, with his first listing as Kansas City scenic Co. salesman in 1903. However, we know that he was already with the company in 1901, as newspapers published his association with the firm.

In 1903, however, Megan established his residence at 507 Monroe, where he would continue to reside from for over a decade before moving to 4136 Warwick Boulevard. Although he continued to be listed as a traveling salesman for the Kansas City Scenic Studio Co. by 1920, Megan was listed as Government Supervisor. Many scenic artists worked for the government on painting projects during WWI, especially in regard to the development of camouflage painting. The 1920 US Census listed Megan and his wife Thenia as living a 16^th Street in Washington, D.C., although Kansas City Directories still included their entry. 

Megan’s 1918 WWI draft registration card describes him as tall and medium build, with blue eyes and grey hair. He was 45 years old at the time. On his draft card Megan listed his occupation as traveling salesman for the Kansas City Scenic Co,, located at 24^th and Harrison Streets in Kansas City, Missouri.

And then there is Megan’s connection to Thomas G. Moses. After the death of Joseph S. Sosman in 1915, Sosman & Landis stockholders elected Moses company president. He was a gifted artist and charming salesman, but was not intricately connected to the same theatre and Masonic networks as his predecessor. The company started to slip, losing projects to smaller companies with the necessary connections. In the post-WWI years, Moses began to realize that Sosman & Landis would not survive. By 1923, Moses wrote, “On our return to Chicago we had a little chat with Fred Megan about buying into the company and getting Hoyland and Lemle out. D.S. Hunt is also bobbing about for the lease of the studio.”  It is this connection with Megan that has always peaked my interest.  Megan was the consummate salesman, having entered the studio scene early in his career. The opera house in Leadville was one of his first big projects for Kansas City Scenic Co. that brought in Sosman *& Landis as a subcontractor.

In 1923, Megan and Moses teamed up and leased the old Fabric Studio in Chicago while they waited to purchased the Sosman & Landis name. By 1924, Megan was on the road most of the time, with Moses making models in his studio and painting scenery. This is how Sosman & Landis had most successfully operated since the beginning- with Landis on the road and Sosman in the studio. Now Megan was on the road and Moses was in the studio. Moses  and Megan would close the contract for the Salt Lake Consistory scenery [Scottish Rite] during 1926. They would also deliver scenery to the Oakland Scottish Rite in 1927 under the name of “Sosman & Landis.” Moses and Megan continued working together until 1931. In 1933, Megan was listed as the Sosman & Landis manager in Chicago, residing at 819 Dobson in the Evanston, Illinois, Directory.

At the time of Megan’s passing on April 16, 1946, his “usual occupation” was listed as that of a “paint contractor.” At the time of his death, he was married to Edith Wilkson and was living in La Joya, Texas. The cause of his death was a heart attack.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Colorado Springs Opera House and the Scenic Artists Robert Hopkins, 1881.

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Yesterday I explored the drop curtain created by Robert Hopkins for the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, Colorado. On Thomas G. Moses, Edward Morange, Hardesty Maratta, and John Young visited the Tabor Opera House in Denver to see the drop curtain by their friend Robert Hopkins in 1884. Moses wrote, “We all attended the theatre, the famous Tabor Grand, and we found it all we had expected it would be, nicely decorated and fine woodwork.  The Drop Curtain was very good: an old ruin with some poetical feeling that pleased everyone.  It was painted by an old friend of mine, Mr. Robert Hopkins, of Detroit, Michigan.  This is a favorite subject of his, he having done a similar one in Detroit” (The palette & Chisel, Vol. 1, No. 3, March 1928). 

So who was Robert Hopkins? He was a scenic artist from the Midwest who began his career in Detroit, and later was associated with other large metropolitan areas through his work. Hopkins came from a family with four consecutive generations of Detroit artists named Robert Hopkins. The patriarch of the family specialized in marine scenes and never appears to have left the Detroit area. I believe that it was his son, Robert Hopkins, Jr. who ventured to Chicago and continued to travel west for theatrical opportunities.

Robert Hopkins, Jr. was born in 1856, the same year as Thomas G. Moses. As Moses sporadically worked in Detroit throughout the duration of his career, it is likely that their friendship began with the Hopkins family in Michigan. Unlike Moses who started his artistic career at the age of 17, Hopkins was already actively working and listed as a painter by 15 years old. The 1870 census listed Scottish artist Robert Hopkins Sr., age 37, as an artist and his son Robert Jr. as a painter. Hopkins Sr. was married to Evaline, age 38 at the time, with four children: Sophia (age 17, b. 1854), Robert Jr. (age 15), William G (14), Marshall (8) and George Ruby (17). During this time, the family was listed as living at 664 Detroit Ward 5, E Wayne, Michigan.

In 1875, Moses recorded that he worked on scenery for the “Naiad Queen” under the “celebrated Robert Hopkins.” Hopkins was a close friend of C. Lou Malmsha (1847-1882), another well-known artist whose career soared, but he passed away at the young age of 35. Malmsha seems to half left an indelible mark on all who knew him. Moses worked as both Malmsha’s assistant and under the direction of Hopkins at the in the beginning and this experience certainly shaped his approach to scenic art. Less than a decade later Hopkins was credited as producing the scenery for Detroit Opera House, according to Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory for the 1882-1883.

It remains unclear as to whether Moses worked with the elder or younger Hopkins in Detroit. Although it seems reasonable that it would be the elder Hopkins, fame struck many scenic artists at an incredibly early age in the 19^th century; sometimes it just took one show. I believe Moses was referring to Robert Hopkins Jr. Keep in mind, less than a decade later Moses left Sosman & Landis for the first time to form a new scenic studio with Lemuel L. Graham, future founder of Kansas City Scenic Co. Moses’ ascent to the top of his professional was relatively quick too, he was just a few years behind Hopkins despite their same age.

Like many itinerant artists at the time, the Hopkins traveled from town to town and tried to secure as many painting contracts in an area before departing. What I have noticed is that when a scenic artist came to town to paint scenery for one theater, other venues took advantage of their arrival. This means that a talented artist was immediately approached after arriving in any town or territory.  If their name was associated with a popular touring show, the arrival was even more anticipated and people lined up with projects. During 1881, Hopkins seems to have settled in Colorado for a spell, before returning east.  Hopkins produced scenery for both Tabor’s Grand Opera House in Denver and the new opera house in Colorado Springs.

Of his 1881 Colorado Springs project, “The Leadville Daily Herald” reported, “Mr. Robert Hopkins, of Chicago, an artist of large experience, has had charge of the scene painting, and it, together with the arrangements for shifting, are equal to that of any stage in the country. There are thirteen sets of scenes, supplied with all the accessories to make each complete” (April 19, 1881, page 1).

Colorado Spring’s “Daily Gazette” reported, “The appointments of the stage will fully equal and in the best metropolitan establishments. The scenery is of the most elaborate and tasteful description and is painted by the well known artist, Mr. Robert Hopkins” (Colorado Springs, 19 April 1881, pages 1-2). Hopkins was mentioned again in the section entitled, “Stage Arrangements,” providing a little my information about the scenic artists and the stage house for the April 9, 1881, opening of the opera house in Colorado Springs:

“The stage is very large considering the size of the theatre, and the finest scenic effects can be produced upon it. The proscenium arch is 24×24 feet, thus giving ample room. The drop curtain is an exceedingly handsome bit of work, representing a Venetian scene. The decoration of the theatre and the painting of the scenes are under the direction of J. B. Sullivan & Bro. of Chicago, The artist in charge of the scene painting is Mr. Robert Hopkins, who is the general designer of the decorations. These designs are entirely original, having no duplicates in any theatre. The scenery and the arrangements for shifting it are equal to that of any stage. The scenes are shifted upon the Breach system, by means of counter-weights. There are thirteen separate sets of scenes, which are supplied with all the accessories to make each compete. Following is a partial synopsis of the scenes: garden scene, set cutwood flats, garden flat, vases, borders, statuettes, set arbor, walls, balustrades, ancient street scene, modern street scene, street arch, cave scene with accompanying wings, kitchen scene, plain chamber, palace scene, interior gothic scene, garret scene, prison castle, open wood, dense wood, rocks, grounds waters, set trees, horizon, numerous landscapes. There are over 200 pieces in all and the scenery will be so arranged that each scene will be complete from wing to wing that there rarely be need of pillar for instance, to enclose a wood scene, the scene being all woodland scenery within the stage borders, it will be a picture in a frame.”

This was a comparable scenery collection to that delivered to Tabor’s Grand Opera House in Denver during 1881.  It signifies a standard of excellence for western theaters, as well as significant profits for a scenic artist.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

For additional installments, go to www.drypigment.net

One cannot explore the history of Leadville’s Tabor Opera House without taking into consideration Horace Tabor’s second theater, the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver. It provides additional context for Tabor’s first theatre.

Leadville’s Tabor Opera House opened in November of 1879. By March 1880, Tabor announced that he had purchased land in Denver at Sixteenth and Curtis Street with plans for another opera house. As with many theater owners and architects of the time, they visited other opera houses for inspiration. Known as the Tabor Grand Opera House, to differentiate from the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, the building was designed by Edbrooke and F. P. Burnham of Chicago, with a seating capacity of 1,500. Construction for his second opera house construction began by the summer. Estimates for the new opera house were projected at 750,000 to 850,000, today’s equivalent of over $18,000,000. The theater opened on August 1, 1881, with Emma Abbott and her Grand English Opera Company. Abbott was paid a staggering $20,000, plus railway fares, for a two-week engagement (Topeka Daily Capital, 3 Aug 1881, page 7).

Of the new theater, the “Times-Picayune” reported, “The stage is constructed and fitted up on a scale that would cause envy in many Eastern theatres. The decorations in the body of the theatre itself are of the most beautiful description, and one can see at a glance that expense was not considered in the least” (New Orleans, 6 Dec. 1881, page 9).

I first learned delved into the history Tabor Grand Opera House after reading an article by Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934) for the Palette & Chisel Club newsletter.  In the 1920s, he wrote a series called “Tom’s Travels.” In 1884, Moses was on a sketching trip with three other scenic artists, traveling from Chicago to Breckenridge, Colorado. Their sketching trip was to gather source material for future stage settings and hone their artistic skills.  None of the young scenic artists had ever seen mountains before this trip.

Moses mentioned their stopping by the Tabor Theatre in Denver, Colorado, (Tabor Grand Opera) to see the drop curtain produced by his friend and fellow scenic artist, Robert Hopkins. Of his trip to Denver, Moses wrote: “We all fell in love with the city.  It is beautifully situated, rather hilly but well laid out; fine buildings, very ornate homes, built by men who had more money than taste.  We all attended the theatre, the famous Tabor Grand, and we found it all we had expected it would be, nicely decorated and fine woodwork.  The Drop Curtain was very good: an old ruin with some poetical feeling that pleased everyone.  It was painted by an old friend of mine, Mr. Robert Hopkins, of Detroit, Michigan.  This is a favorite subject of his, he having done a similar one in Detroit” (The palette & Chisel, Vol. 1, No. 3, March 1928). 

While looking for additional information about the Tabor Grand Opera, I discovered a photograph of Hawkins’ drop curtain; it is part of the Denver Public Library’s online collection. Now what is interesting to consider about the Tabor Grand Opera is that Hawkins painted the drop curtain, while Henry E. Burcky is credited with painting stock scenery collection.

At this time, it was not unusual for the drop curtain and stock scenery to be separate contracts. In many instances, the front curtain was considered a project in itself, taking much longer than most other scenery delivered to a theater. Many nineteenth century articles solely focused on those artists who specialized in drop curtains. In 1894, the “Philadelphia Inquirer” included the illustrated article – “Well-Known Drop Curtains in Philadelphia Theatre”  (16 Dec, 1894, page 45). The article reported, “The drop curtain is the most expensive piece of furniture in any playhouse. Managers are more solicitous about the care of a handsome curtain that almost any other appointment in their theatres. They are usually painted by artists of wide fame in a particular branch of art which they represent, whose charges for the work range from $1,000 to $3,000.” That amount is today’s equivalent of $29,000 to $89,000 for the front curtain. This also puts the $1,000 Royal Gorge backdrop purchased for the 1879 Tabor Opera House in perspective.

So consider the 1879 backdrop at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, and the 1881 drop curtain painted by Robert Hopkins for the Tabor Grand Opera; these were incredibly expensive items for each theater, likely the most expensive appointment in the theater. We known that Tabor did not spare any expense and the painted scenes beyond the curtain line would have been no exception.  Painted scenes on the stage transported audience members to other worlds, with the painted front curtain (drop curtain) being the portal. In most cases, the front curtain established set the tone of the painted décor of the space, being the most unifying aspects of all other painted elements. Restoring any theater is incomplete without this original element, and I sometime wonder if todays’ architects are unaware of this aspect.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Before I leave the 1879 Tabor Opera House scenery discussion, there are some other factors to consider, providing an additional perspective that help place the original scenery collection in context. Today’s post has to do with a major New York scenic studio delivering photographic backings to Leadville in 1881. That is less than two years after the Tabor Opera House opened its doors to the public.

On Nov. 1, 1881. The “Leadville Daily Herald” included the article, “PHOTOGRAPHY. Some Facts About the Progress of the Art in this City.” The article begins, “There is probably no art that has improved so rapidly in the same space of time as photography, and at the present day has attained a standing in art and business circles second to no similar enterprise in the world. In the place of the daguerreotype, now almost extinct, the photograph is found in every household, and the process for an ordinary first class picture have been so reduced by new modes and improvement that every family van and does have their ‘pictures taken,’ either collectively or individually, for the gratification of themselves and near friends.” The article continues to note two very important aspects suggest the significance of Leadville, as this is no longer a small mountain community. Here is the first: “Among the many photographers is the state, Leadville has probably the very best, in the person of Mr. Brisbois. Having served for years in the business with the finest in the land and having graduated competent to conduct the extensive studio, which now carries his name, on East Fifth Street. Since the retirement of his late partner, Mr. Brisbois has made a number of improvements, which not only facilitate the business of the establishment, but has added considerably to the comfort and entertainment of his patrons.”

“Mr. Brisbois” was actually Alfred Brisbois, founder of Brisbois Photograph Gallery at 501 & 503 Harrison Avenue in Leadville, Colorado. He was listed in the city’s directory from 1886-1890. The Denver Public Library includes a photography collection picturing his staff: “ Miss Rose Northrupp, Reception Room,” “Mr. A. Muhr, Operator Late of New York,” “Mr. W.W. Cecil, 1st Printer,” “Mr. C.C. Turldon, 2nd Printer,” “Mr. Carl Eitner, Retoucher.”Here is the link if you are in the area for a visit: https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/collection/data/42415291

In 1881 Brisbois has knowledge, experience, and a first-rate establishment in Leadville, perfect for the growing area.  The second part of the Leadville article links his photographic backings to one of the top scenic studios in the United States.

The “Leadville Daily Herald” continues, “One of the requirements of an excellent picture is to have backgrounds that will add to the beauty of the work, and as Mr. Brisbois entertains a full appreciation of this fact he has only the work of celebrated New York artist, L. W. Seavey, in his gallery, although they are procured at a price nearly five times as great as some of the less noted painters. With first class operators and workmen it is no wonder that Mr. Brisbois has been so successful in gaining a reputation second to none, and with his exalted views of the necessity of turning out only the best work, together with a gentlemanly deportment to all guests, whether customers or only sight seers, this success is bound to continue.”

East and west were connected in many ways and people traveled much more than we realize. In 1881, there was a photographer’s convention at the American Institute in New York.  An article in the New York Times reported that the largest number of photographic displays with images and photographic apparatus were from the principal western cities” (New York Times, 10 April 1881, page 8). At the conference L. W. Seavey gave an illustrated lecture about dry plates. This was great publicity for his business. I find this absolutely fascinating; especially in light of the Leadville article about the new L. W. Seavey photographic backings.

That same years, L. W. Seavey placed an advertisement in the New York Clipper, “Theatrical scenery, new and second hand, and to order. Home and foreign trade. Send stamp for illustrated circular. Some credit Seavey as establishing the first scenic studio in the United States, with his establishment dates ranging from 1857 to 1865. By the time he shipped painted backings to Brisbois in Leadville, his establishment had been operating at least two decades. L. W. Seavey was a big name, a New York name, and well-known scenic artist.

I bring this up, because if the photographic studio in Leadville is advertising painted scene by Lafayette W. Seavey, a well-respected theatrical manufacturer in 1881, I have a hard time believing that Tabor would hire a regional fresco painter (Lamphere) to paint the drop curtain or scenery for his flagship theater in 1879. When you look at the Tabor Opera House’s painted décor, opera chairs and other elements – all are the best. It would make sense that he would also have purchased the best scenery that money could buy too. After all, scenic illusion, what was happening on stage, often drew people to the theatre. Why would a Leadville photographer hire a better scenic artist than Tabor for the new opera house?

To be continued…

Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In “The History of the Tabor Opera House, a Captivating History,” author Evelyn E. Livingston Furman described the first scenery delivered to Leadville’s Tabor Opera House in 1879. Keep in mind that H. A. W. Tabor was consistently purchasing the best for his first opera house in Leadville, Colorado. For most features he ordered the best that money could buy. One only has to only look at the opera chairs, complete with plush seats and hat racks beneath, top of the line from the Andrews Company.  

The opera chairs, and everything else for the Tabor Opera House were purchased and transported before the railway stopped in this mountain community.

I cannot imagine that the focal point of the stage would have been treated any less.  My guess is that the scenery cost was also considered top-of-the line goods. Furman notes explains that one backdrop, a scene depicting Royal Gorge, was purchased for $1000; that is the equivalent of a $25,000 today. An interesting aside before I move on with the remainder of the 1879 scenery: in 1880, “Western Magazine” mentions Royal Gorge as “located on the Leadville branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad” ( Vol. 4, page 176).

Furman explains that ten sets of scenes were delivered to the Tabor Opera House in 1879.  This was a standard size stock collection for many smaller venues. Larger theaters ordered as many as 25 to 35 sets, while smaller musical halls may only purchase four sets.

By 1884, “Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory” noted there were 12 sets of scenery, increasing the original installation by two sets. This is also common, as new theaters continued to increase their stock, even within the first decade. We also know that scenery was again delivered in 1888 by scenic artist Frank Cox. So how do we know what’s up in the attic? We don’t, not yet, at least.

The original 1879 pieces are purportedly stored in the attic, but with an ever-expanding collection before the 1901 renovation it is hard to know what comprises the original collection. There is wing and shutter scenery, as well as roll drops, in the attic that pre-dates the 1902 Kansas City Scenic Co. scenery; of that there is no question. I dug through much of it and documented what I could on my 49^th birthday. I know, without any doubt at all, that the wing and shutter scenery in the attic pre-dates the 1901 building renovation, and I can easily identify the 1902 scenery, as it is too tall for the original stage, and many pieces even included studio stencils on the back.

In theatrical guides, the height of the original grooves for the Tabor Opera House stage was listed as 16’-0”. The height of the proscenium varied in publications from 17’-0” to 20’-0”. All of the 1902 scenery is 18’-0” tall.

Other 1879 scenery mentioned by Furman include a forest scene, a garden scene, a palace scene, a plain chamber scene with a balcony, and a prison scene. Amazingly, we uncovered what is likely the original balcony last week, albeit in very poor shape. It seems to be the appropriate age, complete with rough-hewn lumber and very unlike the 1902 scenery. Our roll drop discovery with the Palace composition was also constructed of rough-hewn lumber.

Furman also recorded a set of double-painted flats: one depicting a New England Kitchen and the other a Baronial Hall scene on the other. I knew exactly what she was talking about as two of those flats were on stage last week; I knew that the rest were in the attic. However, we noticed that the Baronial Hall side (a Gothic interior) was over painted.  Although it was an identical composition below, the flat had been repainted.  This absolutely fascinated me, and I took several photographs of the under-painting that depicted an identical composition with slightly different coloration. Although exciting, it throws a wrench into the works.  It will be harder to determine what is original painting.

Theatre scenery was, and remains, ephemeral in nature. Repainting and replacing are all part of our process; stock sets were never intended to be permanent. Those that remain are really the anomaly.

Finally Furman mentions three sets of wood wings for the exterior scenes and a mountain stream scene. I located the mountain stream scene shutters, and it is beautifully painted.

I also located a few wood borders. What I did notice about the collection in the attic, is how quickly the painting falls apart. It was during this time that the American scenic art wars were in full swing; those who used a series of glazes to paint stage settings versus those who used opaque washes. Opaque washes were employed in many Midwestern scenic studios and their artists, and condescendingly referred to as “slap dash.” Looking at the scenery in the attic, slap-dash certainly comes to mind. Unlike the refined techniques employed on the Sosman & Landis interior settings below, the wings, shutter, and borders in the attic appear in stark contrast. This is a fascinating time to examine the aesthetic shift that was occurring n the American stage.

In the attic during 2018, I noticed there was a grand border and two matching torms, complete with marble columns and draperies. I caught glimpses of fancy interiors, Gothic exteriors, garden walls with colorful vines, brilliant wood borders and so much more. The Tabor Opera House is a treasure trove of scenic art and stagecraft. Their collection shows the delightful transition from itinerant artists employing the slap-dash on site to mass-produced scenery produced at a major scenic studio and shipped from a distant location.  I am left with great anticipation to catalogue what’s in the Tabor Opera House attic this spring.

To be continued…