Category: Waszut-Barrett Reflections

Part 600: Why Do I Write?

There is so much more information to discover online that a decade ago. I can quickly scan through thousands of newspapers with keyword searches, gathering information about a late-nineteenth century scenery installations and Scottish Rite degree productions. My trips to the rare books room are almost non-existent, as I am able to access a ridiculous amount of information in a relatively short period of time. When preparing for my posts, I dig through old photos, slides and research files from my predecessors, digital collections, online archives, historical newspapers, and other public databases. It takes time though.

Why do I take time every day to blog about the life and times of Thomas G. Moses? I made a commitment to myself during September 2016 to share my discoveries, while providing me with both incentive and inspiration to continue. When my position as Curatorial Director at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center was eliminated, I encountered a unique form of character assassination. It was an extremely difficult time as I went through the varying stages of grief. Much of the passion that I had for Minnesota Masonry simply died, and I had to focus on Freemasonry elsewhere.

In the middle of a particularly low point, I made a decision about my future. I decided to take the high road, ignore the continued attacks, and make a positive contribution. I decided to share all of the information that I had gathered over the years in a public forum, one that would benefit both theatre and fraternal communities; to increase the awareness of historic scenery as cultural artifact; to change the perception of historic scenery from old stage backings to large-scale artworks created by nationally recognized artists; and to broadcast the need for proper handling and preservation of extant scenery collections. I decided to start writing – a lot.

Writing one or two pages for a daily blog makes me re-evaluate preconceived notions and accepted theories, ranging from painting techniques to basic theater history. I try to catch things that I may have missed in the past. Hopefully, my journey will never be about being right, but about getting it right. I also gather more information than I need, as I never know if a historic scenery collection will still be hanging upon my return. Scenery and stage machinery hold telltale signs for the common practices associated with early-twentieth century scenic studios and artists. Each scenic studio had something akin to a signature. They all had a specific way of doing things, whether in the sewing room, carpentry shop, paint studio, or during an installation. The width of cotton sheeting, the direction of seams on a backdrop, the shape of a wooden batten, the type of stage hardware, the color used to ink a composition, and the preferred fabric manufacturer are only a few examples.

It may be the next generation who pieces together my research. This is a primary reason that I am digitizing and posting as much as possible. Ideally, some scenic artist, theatre historian or Masonic scholar may be able to see the connections that I cannot. I may simply be planting seeds for another to find shade in a future tree. If I am able to help another along the way, that would be the best feeling of all, because then I become part of something much bigger than myself.

Tomorrow, I return to the life and times of Moses in 1908.

To be continued…

Part 599: A Treasure Map to the Past

I return to my blog after a bad case of the flu and holiday obligations. Before returning to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses in 1908, however, I am taking the chance for a little self-reflection. The end of the year provides me with an opportunity to contemplate why I write a blog. Curiosity is my incentive. For years, I have spent every spare moment researching historical scenic art and scenic artists from long ago. This intense focus was primarily to satisfy my own interest about historical theatre practices, traditional materials and long-forgotten visionaries. My research wasn’t for any particular publication or event. Like many, I never stopped being a student. I love learning about new things, whether they pertain to theater, people, places, events, or art. At first, I simply wrote them down in a notebook and tucked away each paper into a neatly-labeled file. They were always intended for future reference. Maybe, I was waiting for the right time to do something with the information – like now.

All academic intentions aside, it is exciting to explore unchartered territory, especially when it involves creating art and architecture. I find historic buildings and scenery on a stage far more thrilling than blueprints, scale models, or brilliantly-painted designs. Existing scenery is transformative in nature, as each backdrop has the possibility to dance with the lighting. Settings for the stage offer much more than a pleasant composition, for they are interactive. It is this aspect of illusion that intrigues me, as well as the technique behind the trade.

Historic backdrops are riddled with clues, and I often feel like a detective while looking at a scenery collection. I regard each piece of scenery and machinery as a puzzle, always trying to assemble the border before moving to the center. You just have to know what shape to look for, and then identify the connections. It may take me years to make one small connection, or find the missing piece; those moments that result in a brief “ah-ha.” More so than each revelation is the search. Along the way I often will find supplementary information that wasn’t even on my radar at the time. Sometimes, these unanticipated discoveries are much more significant than what I was looking for in the first place. The life of Thomas G. Moses has created the road map for my research, but there are so many interesting rest areas and side trips along the way.

What I have realized over the years is that when examining extant scenery, it is important to remember that many of the clues are on the back, or hidden beneath a patch or between sandwich battens. Charcoal notations, studio stencils, union bugs, maps and other cartoons are all awaiting discovery. There are the visible signs on the surface, yet often the most significant finds lay hidden and are not discovered until a restoration. Between sandwich battens there is a plethora of information, such as mechanical drawings or the organization of line sets. Battens provided a form of durable paper on site as members of the installation crew solved problems, whether mathematical or aesthetic. More tomorrow.

If you are interested, there are many more examples that I posted to my FB Group Dry Pigment.

To be continued…

 

 

 

The work of Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934) has been an inspiration to me throughout my career and is the muse for this tale too. For me, his work is a square in a patchwork quilt that covers theatre history atop fraternal sheets. I am weaving together four separate stories. The first of these stories examines the life and times of Moses, a subject near and dear to me since I created an index for his typed manuscript and scrapbook as an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota. The second explores the origin of Masonic degree productions by Scottish Rite Masons and theatre practitioners who owned late-nineteenth and early-twentieth scenic studios. The third tale recounts my personal journey as a scenic artist and scholar. The final story concerns the acquisition of the Fort Scott collection and my responsibilities as the one-time Curatorial Director for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center.

Here is a lengthy recap for those who have recently joined this online tale concerning my rationale for starting this manuscript. By the summer of 2016, I had supervised the removal and transport of a Scottish Rite scenery acquisition from Fort Scott, Kansas, to a storage facility in Bloomington, Minnesota. There it was to await completion of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center stage where I was too lead a group of individuals to restore the entire collection. Seventeen drops would be ready to display for the opening of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center on June 24, 2016. While on site in Fort Scott, I had also discovered some personal artifacts of Moses, left behind when he painted the scenery in 1924 that included a paint sweater, Masonic cap, paint brush and charcoal sticks.

By this point in my life I had studied Masonic Theatre since 1989 and restored over 500 historic backdrops in venues across the United States. My doctoral thesis was “Scenic Shifts Upon the Scottish Rite Stage: Designing for Masonic Theatre, 1859-1929” and historical scene painting remained my passion. As the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center’s Curatorial Director, I evaluated the Fort Scott scenery collection for possible purchase and transportation, estimated all of the restoration labor, provided timelines, assembled a crew, and ordered all of the necessary materials. This was just one small project of many that I had led during the planning and construction phase of the entire facility. I guided architects, theatre consultants, and interior designers to create a space that replicated a traditional Masonic center with a theatrical stage, c. 1914-1920.

My role as historical consultant for the entire endeavor began during 2014. This was during the same time that I placed the Winona, Minnesota, Masonic scenery collection into temporary storage to await the fate of their city council. My initial consulting agreement with the CEO of Minnesota Masonic Charities for work on the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center agreement morphed into a permanent staff position by June 1, 2015. Throughout the spring of 2015, the CEO of Minnesota Masonic Charities had repeatedly asked, “What will it take to get you on staff?” For months, he inquired, “How do you envision you future with us once the building opens?” After careful consideration, I closed my restoration business (Bella Scena, LLC), informed my clientele that I was unavailable for any future projects, and threw myself into the planning and construction of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. Little did I realize at the time, but the CEO was simply acquiring my services at a 40 percent reduced rate during their final year of construction. I also had no idea that the CEO would use my restoration specifications and hire a completely inexperienced crew to attempt a restoration of the Fort Scott collection after eliminating my position during July 2016 – one month after the building opened to the public. In the end, the Fort Scott scenery collection was irreparably damaged due to inappropriate conservation techniques and the application of hot-melt glue.

I walked away from the entire endeavor a “sadder but wiser” girl, trying to forget everything that had occurred and remain positive. However, I had not expected the systematic erasure of my contributions while working there from 2014 until 2016. My 11’ x 22’ stained glass design was now credited to the stained glass manufacturer. My position as opening exhibit curator was reduced to the role of a simple freelance consultant. The list goes on and on. After throwing myself into the project for two years, abandoning all other work in lieu of this endeavor, it looked like I had accomplished nothing on paper. On paper, the CEO had paid me from a variety of sources and ended up employing me as the Curatorial Director though Minnesota Masonic Eldercare Services and not the actual Heritage Center. This convoluted paper trail of employment made me virtually untraceable when looking at key players in the planning and construction of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. Hidden in plain sight and unaware of the endgame, I will never understand what warranted the CEO’s animosity toward me.

Initially, my spirit sank as I watched many in the Minnesota Masonic community, especially those that I had considered friends, look the other way as my position was terminated and my name dragged through the mud. Sadly, ill treatment by a Freemason in a position of power is not uncommon. However, the “turning a blind eye” from a fraternal family that I had helped for over two decades was extremely difficult to take. In the end, this project became a mere steppingstone on my path toward new discoveries in the shared world of fraternal scholarship and theatre history. In desperation for a distraction from my thoughts, I threw myself into theatre research and reached out to past clients. I was determined to make lemonade out of lemons and rapidly returned to the world of scenic art, design, and restoration. My six months of unemployment were a learning opportunity. I finally took the time to study some historical materials and make a few connections.

My husband, Master of Helios Lodge in Cambridge, suggested that I write a book. I refused on the grounds that I simply wanted to move onward, upward and away from Minnesota Freemasonry. I focused on my role as volume editor and contributor for the upcoming Santa Fe Scottish Rite book. It is slated to be published by the Museum of New Mexico Press in 2018.  I also took time transcribing the 1931 handwritten diary of Thomas Moses and inspecting his last theatre model – now held at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin. Finally, I set up a blog (www.drypigment.net) to share bits of technical information and traditions pertaining to historical scene painting techniques that I had discovered and documented over the years. I refused to be a victim of intellectual rape.

It was not until February 2017, while attending my husband’s conducting debut for a Singers in Accord event at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, that I was forced into action. The prior year, my husband had approached the general director for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center with a proposal to pair musical selections with the scenic art of Thomas Moses. At the time, I was slotted to start the scenery restoration within the next few months and would have half of the collection completely restored by his 2017. Unfortunately, my position was eliminated and his journey became one wrought with frustration. I helplessly watched as the MMHC general director could not guarantee any restored scenery for his concert until the week before the event.

I sat in shock at the concert, seeing the extensive damage to Moses’ painted drops. Worse still were the comments by my friends who believed that I was responsible for this botched restoration. That evening, after the concert, I decided to take action and immediately distance myself from the unsuccessful restoration of the Fort Scott collection at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. I became obvious that I needed to speak out.

Initially, I attempted to take a positive spin on this tragedy and simply document my involvement with the Fort Scott collection, explaining its significance and providing an historical context. What started out as a modest discussion of the Fort Scott collection evolved after two major events that occurred during March of 2017. First of all, local Masons explained to me that the “official reason” given for my termination was my “lack of skills.” I was then credited, or blamed, for the selection and training of the crew that botched the restoration of the Fort Scott scenery collection. I immediately thought of a line written by the poet Dylan Thomas, “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” I refused to go gentle into that good night and decided to share everything online.

And so, I continue my tale.

My Great Adventure has Begun!

I always have found comfort in song. Whether hymns, blues, jazz, opera, or Broadway musicals, my work and research are often completed to musical accompaniment. While painting, a tune constantly plays in the back of my mind and provides a subliminal direction. During the spring of 2016, I constantly found myself listening to one particular song from the Broadway musical “Little Women.” It was the lyrics sung by the character of Jo that seemed to give me the courage to return to work everyday, facing an ever-increasing stack of obstacles piled against my future. Every morning, I would listed to:

“There’s a life that I am meant to lead
A life like nothing I have known
I can feel it, and it’s far from here
I’ve got to find it on my own”

Although my position was being eliminated at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, my work for the Fraternity was not ending. Regardless of where I was working, my studies continued to track down the origins of designs for degree productions and the men who painted the drops. I just needed to plan my next attack in regards to my continued research.

This passion had guided my entire career since 1989 and it was once again pulling me to the romance in the southwestern United States. Little did I know at the time that it was just the beginning of an incredible journey – one that would circle back to the Fort Scott scenery collection and the artistic career of Thomas Moses. It would eventually tie up many loose ends that I had started tracking down in 1989.

I desperately needed to visit Santa Fe again after the continued drama at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center; for me, the entire endeavor was an antithesis of Masonic philosophy. My husband and I once again found peace in the brilliant landscape and smells of sage in the southwest. In the evenings, we enjoyed performances at the Santa Fe Opera and continued our friendship with many in the area.

I first fell in love with Santa Fe during 2002 when I started the scenery restoration at the Scottish Rite. For two summers we lived in the Scottish Rite dormitories with our daughter, then a young child. I felt utterly at home in this region and began to plan our eventual retirement there.

There was also a business reason to return to Santa Fe that summer of 2016 as I was one of three contributors for an upcoming publication on the Santa Fe Scottish Rite. My essay specifically concerned the 1912 painted scenery collection created by Sosman & Landis Studio of Chicago. The scenery production at that time was under the supervision of Thomas Gibbs Moses who would soon be cast in the role of studio president. Later, he would paint the Fort Scott scenery on location by 1924, the year before he became a Mason himself in Pasadena, California. Moses had found peace in California, I found peace in New Mexico – especially near Taos.

During our visit, I finalized some of the full-color plates and figures that would accompany my chapter on the scenery, specifically working with our professional photographer Jo Whaley. Jo and I instantly recognized each other as kindred spirits and became fast friends, she having a background as a scenic artist in California. Now she was an internationally recognized photographer.

One of the images that we desperately wanted to capture for the book was a scenic effect from the fifteenth degree’s treasure chamber. Luckily, my husband stepped in as out first Scottish Rite model so that we would have something to reference when pitching our idea to the publisher.

Jo and I had wanted to do something similar when I planned my trip to Fort Scott for the scenery removal, but there had simply not been enough time for a full photo shoot. I wanted to closely document the removal and transportation of the Fort Scott collection, as well as its restoration and installation at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center; possibly resulting in a later catalogue to preserve the story for future generations. It ended up that I was the sole individual to document the Fort Scott project, inadequate lighting and all.

I recalled seeing the delight on the faces of my rigging crew as they assembled a variety of scenic illusions common to many Masonic degree productions, while at the Fort Scot Scottish Rite. This was a common occurrence when individuals witnessed this particular type of pictorial illusion for the stage. Even seasoned stagehands could not contain their excitement when viewing nineteenth-century stage effects. The magic was infectious; I wanted to capture these moments and preserve them in a book for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. Although it would no longer highlight the Fort Scott scenery, I now had another chance with the 1912 scenery in Santa Fe. Although this collection didn’t have the artistic provenance of a single artist, it was unique for a variety of other reasons – primarily being created during the first spike in scenery production by Sosman & Landis for the Southern Jurisdiction.

For the Santa Fe Scottish Rite book, Jo and I decided that we wanted to document all degree productions as initially intended in 1912; not as a contemporary representations of any current ceremonials used by Masons. We wanted to capture brief moments depicting what a Mason would have witnessed during an early-twentieth century Scottish Rite Reunion, complete with costumed participants, set pieces and hand props; planning a weeklong photo session during October 2016. This was something that I could now do as I was unemployed. The disappointment and devastation that I had encountered as Curatorial Director started to transform into relief. I was continuing on the journey that I had first started when I processed the Scottish Rite designs in the Great Western Stage Equipment Company found the Performing Arts Archives in 1989.

“I’ll find my way, I’ll find it far away.
I’ll find it in the unexpected and unknown.
I’ll find my life in my own way, today.
Here I go, and there’s no turning back
My great adventure has begun.”

To be continued…

My name is Wendy Waszut-Barrett and I am a historical consultant and scenic artist!   For years, I ran a Minnesota-based company that specialized in the evaluation, appraisal, restoration and replication of painted scenery for the theatre. Once again I find myself traveling across the country to examine historic scenery collections.  I have just started this blog to document both past and present dry pigment discoveries, wishing to simply pass along a little color and information.