Waszut-Barrett Scenery Documentation – Page 17

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Joplin Scottish Rite, July 2

The Joplin Scottish Rite, July 2

I arrived at the Joplin Scottish Rite by 8:15am. We examined all of the backdrops over the next four hours, with Andrew and the Secretary Richard Lowery handling the lines. Richard worked tirelessly with my husband to raise and lower the lines while I catalogued each drop, photographed painted details, and set entire scenes. To show our appreciation, we took Richard out to lunch at a fabulous local restaurant – the Red Onion.

At the Joplin Scottish Rite, I was like a kid in a candy store, as I uncovered a new scenic studio stencil – The Fabric Studio.

*A Fabric Studio of Chicago stencil, placed on the backside of some Scottish Rite backdrops in Joplin, Missouri.*

*Another Fabric Studio of Chicago stencil, placed on the backside of some Scottish Rite backdrops in Joplin, Missouri.*

It will take many more hours to untangle the compilation of various installations, only some attributed to the Fabric Studio, after closely examining the backdrops in context. The majority of scenery contain a studio stamp for Fabric Studio of Chicago, located at 117 N. State, 4^th floor, Chicago, Illinois. However, the drops were not all produced at the same time or for the same venue. One distinguishing characteristic of many backdrops is the horizontal seams on octagonal-shaped sandwich bottom battens. They are a distinct departure from late-nineteenth century oval battens.

The earliest mention of the Fabric Studio that I have located to date is in 1921; the company was advertising for girls to help in the sewing room (Chicago Tribune, 27 August 1921, page 14). From all appearances, this was second generation scenic studio, like many that emerged during the twenties when scenic artists left the employ of the larger, companies to strike it out on their own. They began competing with the older studios and offering a new aesthetic. The Fabric Studio was a competitor to the Kansas City Scenic Co., of Kansas City. In 1922, the Wellington Daily News reported that two scenery salesman were competing for the contract of a new front curtain and the scenery for the new Memorial Auditorium project: E. L. Gossage of Kansas City Scenic Co. and W. S. Mayer of the Fabric Studios of Chicago (Wellington, Kansas, 25 August 1922, page 1). Gossage would later be the salesman for the Great Western Stage Equipment Company of Kansas City.

The Fabric Studio of Chicago is credited with the painted scenery for the 1922 Orpheum Theatre in Wichita, Kansas. The Wichita Eagle (3 September 1922, page 48) reported the Fabric Studio’s work as including the original asbestos curtain depicting a gold gauze curtain with an exterior garden scene, a Spanish market scene; a silk velour for the valance; a grand drapery; a silver gauze tableaux curtain; a picture sheet; “two exterior oleos and drops;” a complete conservatory set; and a complete Gothic set.

*Head artist for the Fabric Studio of Chicago – P. T. Blackburn, published in the “Daily Times” (Davenport 17 May 1922, page 10).*

The chief artist to the Fabric Studios of Chicago was P. T. Blackburn who worked mostly on the fine plushes, satins, and velours, such as the gold gauze front curtain and the silver gauze tableaux curtain for the Orpheum.

*The new Wichita Orpheum, from the “Wichita Beacon” (3 Sept, 1923, page 27)*

*The front gold gauze curtain produced by the Fabric Studio of Chicago for the Orpheum Theater in Wichita, Kansas.*

*A scene produced by the Fabric Studio of Chicago for the Joplin Scottish Rite, with practical opening and painted fabric.*

*Detail of painted fabric. A scene produced by the Fabric Studio of Chicago for the Joplin Scottish Rite, with practical opening and painted fabric.*

*A detail of the painted fabric. A scene produced by the Fabric Studio of Chicago for the Joplin Scottish Rite, with practical opening and painted fabric.*

By 1949, Blackburn would become the head artist for Paramount Studios and a weekend resident of the San Jacinto mountain resort area (The Desert Sun, Palm Springs, California, 17 May 1949, page 4). In addition to scenic art, he and his department also developed new stage equipment and curtain tracks for scenery painted by Paramount artists.

This explains the exceptional hand-painted silk curtains in the practical opening of some Joplin Scottish Rite scenes. Blackburn was the head of the artistic staff for several stock companies over the years, including the Grand Players from Davenport, Iowa.Another artist on staff at the Fabric Studios was Max Schroeder, who specialized in landscapes. The Fabric Studio’s head installation expert was J. A. Bannon, credited as “an old timer in the show business and has installed scenery in theaters in nearly every city in the United States” (Wichita Daily Eagle, 3 September 1922, page 48).

There is more to report about this unique collection and its current condition, but that will be saved for tomorrow.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Making My Way to Salina, Kansas, on June 29

Making My Way to Salina, Kansas, on June 29

As I planned our return trip from Santa Fe, I wanted to visit the Scottish Rite theater in Salina, Kansas, to meet the new steward of the Masonic Center –Mary Landes, the founder of Salina Innovation Foundation. The organization intends to keep the Masonic Center ownership local, for use by the community to foster arts, education, culinary, and business in Salina.\

Front curtain for the Salina Scottish Rite stage. Photograph from the 2010 scenery evaluation.

In 2010, I had the pleasure of evaluating the Salina scenery for the Salina Scottish Rite on one of my many trips to McAlester, Oklahoma, where I was restoring the Scottish Rite scenery there.

Looking up into the flies above the Salina Scottish Rite stage. Photograph from my 2010 visit

I wanted to see the scenery collection that was originally created for the McAlester Scottish Rite’s stage before their current 1929 home. The McAlester scenery was resold to Salina for their 1927 building. In 1922 the Salina Masons began planning a new Masonic complex that would be completed five years later.

McAlester sold the 1908 scenery to Salina when their third stage was constructed in 1929. Thomas G. Moses also listed both the 1908 and 1929 McAlester scenery in his resume as two of the installations under his supervision. In 1928, Moses created new designs and started painting the scenery for the 1929 McAlester Scottish Rite stage. An earlier scenery collection for McAlester was sold to the Santa Fe Scottish Rite in 1908 when the second Scottish Rite stage in McAlester was completed.

A photograph of the Scottish Rite scenery in McAlester, Oklahoma, 1904. This building was known as “The Tabernacle.” It’s scenery was sold to the Santa Fe Scottish Rite in 1908.

The 1908 McAlester stage replaced an earlier Masonic stage in a building called “The Tabernacle.” I photographed images of the Tabernacle stage scenery while restoring ye collection in McAlester. The Scottish Rite had several original photographs of the 1904 stage and scenery in a display case. At the time, I documented these precious photographs, as their placement in glass display cases subject to direct sunlight were taking their toll. Amazingly, I found the link between Santa Fe and McAlester while doing research for the Santa Fe Scottish Rite book. Here is a little historical context to explain the relationship between the Scottish Rite scenery collections in Santa Fe, New Mexico; McAlester, Oklahoma; and Salina, Kansas.

The Sovereign Grand Inspector General for Oklahoma until 1908 was Harper S. Cunningham. He had started out as Deputy for the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction in Indian Territory. In 1908, he transferred to Santa Fe, New Mexico. While advising on the planning and construction for the new 1912 Santa Fe Scottish Rite building, he encouraged the Santa Fe Scottish Rite to purchase the used scenery from McAlester. His reasoning was so that the members could practice the theatrical staging of degree productions during the construction phase of their 1912 theater. This is the same theater featured in “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018).

In Moses’ scrapbook, he pasted a newspaper clipping about the used McAlester Scottish Rite scenery collection that was purchased by the Salina Scottish Rite in 1927. The article reported, ”The one hundred and seventeen drops of scenery that has been in use on the old stage for twenty-five years, has been sold to the Scottish Rite Bodies of Salina, Kansas, and it has been shipped to them. There was nearly a carload of it. Brother John T. Leibrand, 33°, Wise Master of South McAlester Chapter of Rose Croix, negotiated the sale to the Salina brethren who came to McAlester to inspect it. The scenery was painted by Brother Tom Moses under the direction of that great Scottish Rite Mason and student Bestor G. Brown, and was said to be the finest in the Southern Jurisdiction at the time. Brother Tom Moses is painting the scenery for our new stage settings. He is also building stage properties, and all will be the last thing in that line. The brother that does not see this great stage and these wonderful properties at our Fall Reunion will miss something. The Salina brethren are negotiating with Brother John G. Redpath, who had charge of the old stage for years, to superintend the hanging of the drops in their temple.” This used scenery collection was clearly marked with standard Sosman & Landis labeling in charcoal on both the stage right and stage left sides. The charcoal notations denote the degree; the size of 18 feet high by 36 feet wide; and the original venue as “So. McAlester.”

Before Salina purchased the 1908 collection from McAlester, they contracted Sosman & Landis to produced their original 1901 scenery. This installation was also listed on Moses’ resumé, but not recorded in his typed manuscript. I am hesitant to believe that Moses painted the 1901 Salina scenery, as he was quite busy with other projects and had left Sosman & Landis by 1901 to partner with Will Hamiton, forming Moses & Hamilton (1901-1904). The Moses & Hamilton studio offices and paint frames were all located in New York City. My research suggests that the original 1901 Salina Scottish Rite scenery was primarily painted by David Austin Strong, the Sosman & Landis artist who Moses referred to as the “Daddy of Masonic Design.” Strong was one of the original artists hired by Sosman when the studio opened and worked closely with Moses in the early years. Strong was also a Scottish Rite Mason in Chicago’s Oriental Consistory. In the context of theatre history, Strong was one of the original scenic artists for “The Black Crook” at Niblo’s Garden in 1866. Strong’s painting is still visible in scenery currently used at Scottish Rite theaters in Austin, Texas; Yankton, South Dakota; Pasadena, California; and Cheyenne, Wyoming.

One of the Scottish Rite drops in Salina, Kansas, that was originally produced for the Scottish Rite in McAlester, Oklahoma.

But the current Scottish Rite scenery in Salina, Kansas, has another story connected to the venue; one that I discovered during the 2010 evaluation. On November 13^th 1923, the Secretary of the Salina Scottish Rite received a letter from the executive offices of the Sosman & Landis Company, with a stamp noting that their new offices were now located at 6751 Sheridan Road. The letterhead also contained the address of their previous office location at 417 South Clinton Street in Chicago. In 1923, a new scenic studio was leasing the old Sosman & Landis space at 417-419 Clinton Street; the company was Chicago Studios.

In retaliation for Chicago Studios pretending to be Sosman & Landis, Perry Landis contacted many of the Scottish Rite venues 1923. The Sosman & Landis letter said,

“Dear Sir:

It has recently come to our attention that a certain studio is advising our old customers that they have bought the Sosman & Landis Company and are now operating some, combining it with their original company. We wish to assure you that this is not fact and that our original organization is intact, but our studio has been moved to new and better quarters. Mr. Thomas G. Moses, our Art Director would like the opportunity of meeting with your scenery committee to submit our designs and specifications covering your requirements. You will perhaps recall that we were favored with your original scenery order, working through the M. C. Lilley Co., and therefore, it is not necessary for us to give you any reference as to our ability and quality of our workmanship.” They were referring to the scenery created for Salina’s first Scottish Rite stage and before the purchase of the used 1908 scenery from McAlester, Oklahoma.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Book Release, June 24

The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Book Release, June 24

“The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018)

The four contributors to “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018). Left to right: Jo Whaley, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Khristaan Vilella, and Rick Hendricks.

Wendy Waszut-Barrett at “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre”book release event

The entire reason for my journey to Santa Fe, New Mexico, has been to participate in a special event: the book release for “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018). We started the day with a technical rehearsal for that afternoon’s program. From the beginning, we wanted much more than four contributors signing books around a table. One of the things that I lobbied for was showing as many theatrical scenes as possible to those attending the event. We finalized the “scenic spectacle” portion of the program on the morning of the event with a series of six scenes that would be presented over the course of ten to fifteen minutes. Each scene included costumed participants, props, and organ music. We wanted to provide a unique experience for local residents who had never entered the Scottish Rite or witnessed the magic of historical scenery. Many of the people who showed up for the event had never been in the building before.

A packed house for both programs at the “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” book release party on June 24, 2018.

The event started with bagpipes at 4:00PM, organ music in the theater at 4:15PM, and the hour-long author presentation and scenic spectacle program from 4:30-5:30PM.

From 5:30-6:00PM was the first round of book-signing and hors d’oeuvres. The theater program began with Bert Dalton making a general housekeeping announcement and the Deputy of the Supreme Council for New Mexico, Wes Thorton, welcoming the audience.

Jo Whaley discussed the project and how the book came to be, this wonderful collaborative effort that came to be over the course of four years.

Then all of the contributors spoke about their chapters: Rick Hendricks about the arrival of Freemasonry to New Mexico; Khristaan Vilella about the Moorish-Revival style architecture; and me about the historic theatre, scenery lighting and costumes.

Khristaan Vilella speaking about the Moorish Revival Architecture of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite building

It was a family affair as both my husband and son worked backstage for the event. My husband also donned two costumes for the treasury scene and King Solomon’s apartments.

My husband, Andrew Barrett, and the Personal Representative for the Valley of Santa Fe, John Adams, appearing in the last scene of the book release program.

After the scenic spectacle, the program concluded with a piper emerging from the Solomon’s Temple Ruins scene and leading a procession into the ballroom where the book signing took place. F you didn’t know, bagpipes are a big thing at Masonic events.

My son, Aaron Barrett, waiting to cue the bagpipes backstage

The second program ran from 6:00-7:00PM with a book signing and hors d’oeuvres at 7:30PM. Over two hundred books were sold over the course of four hours. More than 100 had been sold before the actual event. Amazon stopped selling the book as their stock had run out a few days prior to the event. This first print run is only 2000.

The event could not have been more successful from a variety of standpoints. First and foremost, the Santa Fe Scottish Rite is once again very visible within the local community. Hopefully, this will lead to increased rentals and the subsequent income for the necessary maintenance of the building. Secondly, the Fraternity is collaborating with the local community. For any historic venue to survive, it must have the support of a local community; it has to be not only appreciated , but also recognized as a culturally significant landmark. To survive into the future, a Scottish Rite must become recognized as a community treasure, this will help the venue survive membership decline. With the book release, the Valley of Santa Fe may have just secured a safety net for their future. Granted, there is a lot of hard work yet to do, but they now have a book that showcases the internationally significant cultural aspects of their building.

This entire experience has been absolutely wonderful. I was fortunate to be selected as a contributor and as volume editor. Although the book is something that I am extremely proud of, the journey was worth far more than the final product. Working with Rick Hendricks, Khristaan Vilella, Jo Whaley, Dan Irick, George Watson, John Adams, and the rest of the crew will remain a highlight in my career as a scenic artist and scholar.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Promoting “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” June 22

Promoting “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” June 22

On the morning of June 22, our family was able to enjoy some of the local scenery. We drove up the mountain and then visited the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and the Santa Fe Plaza.

My father and son in Santa Fe National Forest near the Scottish Rite Temple

My mother and son enjoying the sites of Santa Fe

I needed to be back at the Scottish Rite Temple that afternoon, as I had a radio interview about the book with another contributor, Khristaan Villela. “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” was featured on the Richard Eades radio show at Hutton Broadcasting. This was the same day that the book also made the front page of Pasatiempo (an insert for the Santa Fe Journal) and the Albuquerque Journal.

Pasatiempo, an insert for the Santa Fe Journal

The book conveys a message that goes beyond the historical significance of the building and its cultural artifacts – it is the gathering of community. Since the building was constructed, the Santa Fe Scottish Rite united people; those from different countries, religions and political affiliations. For many, the Fraternity created a sense of belonging and not exclusion. Were the early Freemasons in the area perfect? No. There were bad people who joined and horrific personalities that rose to power, but the Scottish Rite Valley managed to survive. The building has been threatened many times, but there is always a core group of amazingly good men who have saved both the building and the organization.

My first journey to Santa Fe was in 2002 when I came down to evaluate the scenery. At that time, the Scottish Rite knew that their scenery needed some help and they wanted to plan for the future. I drove down with my four-year-old daughter during the spring. We stayed with my folks in an RV in a campground east of Albuquerque as they were wintering in the area. Over the course of a week, I evaluated everything, driving the “Turquoise Trail” everyday to fully evaluate and document the scenery, props and costumes. At the end, I processed twelve rolls of film and came up with a multi-phase restoration proposal. By that summer, we were restoring eight backdrops at a time in the theatre and grand ballroom. I had a crew that ranged from 4 to 18 who were a combination of Masonic volunteers, their families, and local artists.

During the restoration, we lived in the Scottish Rite dormitories. This is a feature common to many Scottish Rites that would house much of the membership during a Scottish Rite Reunion. It was always a challenge and an adventure. The dorms were old, the building haunted, and the schedule unbearable, but it was absolute MAGIC. Wandering in the dark down to the theatre to fetch something at night; dinners in the courtyard; and walking to the city center was part of a surreal fairytale. Daily highs in the 90s with nighttime lows in the 50s – sleep was blissful without the distraction of any mosquitos or other bugs. The open windows did not require any screens.

Our first visit to Sandia Peak in 2002. We would go hiking when I had a day of during the Santa Fe Scottish Rite restoration

Hiking with our daughter in 2002 at Tsunkawi Ruins near Santa Fe

The courtyard of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite

I kept a diary every day of my adventures, every discovery and every obstacle. At the time, I was comparing this 1912 scenery collection by Sosman & Landis with a 1911 scenery collection in St. Paul, Minnesota, also by Sosman & Landis. I would leave a restoration phase in Santa Fe to work in St. Paul. It was hard on me and even harder on my family. I was fortunate to have such talented volunteers and a hired staff who helped in each state, including my husband and father. Simultaneously restoring these two collections gave me great insight into the studio practices and materials of the Sosman & Landis Studio.

Attaching netting to a cut drop during a restoration phase in 2005 at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite

I was in graduate school working on my doctorate, freelancing as a scenic artist and running a restoration company. Life was busy and complicated, yet never stopped being exciting.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: A Repeat Visit to the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado on June 19, 2018

I just realized that I missed posting June 19! Here it is!

A Repeat Visit to the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado on June 19, 2018

I woke up on the morning of my 49^th birthday and arrived at the Tabor Opera House by 8am. The auditorium manager, Mark Hanson, was there to meet me before his shift started so that we could dig through some of the older scenery.

Me with Mark and Brendan after handling historic scenery

You see the Kansas City Scenic Co. backdrops were created for the renovated stage in 1901 after the Elks Lodge purchased the building. The Elks replaced the original stage, roll drops, shutters and wings with an enlarged stage, fly loft and new scenery. Almost all of the old scenery, was just tucked away and left undisturbed until my birthday. This was the best birthday present ever! Unfortunately, I cannot share images or details about my discoveries, but I will give you some history in regard to the Tabor Opera House from its original construction in 1879 to the Elks renovation in 1901.

Sectional of Tabor Opera House in 1901 after the Elks Lodge renovate dthe building and installed a fly tower.

Horace W. Tabor and his first wife Augusta arrived in Denver during 1858. The following year, they traveled into the mountains. In a nutshell, the Tabors were in the right place, at the right time and the couple made their fortune in mining. Their Matchless Mine is now a historic site in Leadville that we had the pleasure visiting on June 19. Tabor’s second wife, was Elizabeth McCourt Doe, who earned the nickname Baby Doe. Yes this is THE Baby Doe in the opera, “The Ballad of Baby Doe,” that was written by Douglas Moore and premiered at the nearby Central City Opera in 1956. The Tabor’s went bankrupt after silver prices fell, due to the government’s repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, causing the panic of 1893. In the end, Tabor died in 1899 and Baby Doe spent the remainder of her life mourning his passing until her death in 1935. In 1962, Gordon Langley presented a copy of his book “The Two Lives of Baby Doe” to Florence A. Hollister, then owner of the Tabor Opera House. We also toured the Baby Doe house where she spent the last lonely years of her life, penniless. Eveleyn E. Livingston Furman published a very detailed account of the Tabor’s mining activities and his life in “The Tabor Opera House: A Captivating History” (1984).

Baby Doe’s cabin at the Matchless Mine in Leadville, Colorado

Layout of Horace Tabor’s Matchless Mine in leadville, Colorado. This is now a National Historic site

Last picture of Baby Doe in front of her cabin at the Matchless Mine at the age of 79

In the early years, Tabor’s rapid accumulation of wealth helped support a fire department, cavalry company, churches, schools and hospitals. He also built the opera house and helped build the Clarendon Hotel. This was all an attempt to help make Leadville a “first-class” city. In 1880 when he moved to Denver, he also built the Tabor Opera House there. It was in Denver that Tabor met Elizabeth McCourt Doe, who had recently divorced her first husband Harvey Doe. She was nicknamed “Baby Doe” while still married and living in Central City.

In the 1890s, the Tabor’s fortune dwindled and the opera house in Leadville became the last of his holdings, his prized possession. The building was dear to him as he has the second floor suite that overlooked Mountain Massive and the rest of the range.

At the turn of the century, the building changed hands and was purchased by the Elks Lodge of Leadville. It was at this time that a fly loft was added, and the stage and auditorium enlarged.

The original opera house was contracted for $30,000, but ended up costing more than $78,000. This did not include any of the furnishings, scenery, or other equipment. Many of the materials were not provided locally, and were shipped from Denver by stagecoach, as no railroad had arrived in Leadville yet. In the end, the building was constructed in only 100 days and opened on Nov. 20, 1879. The seating capacity for the venue was reported to be 800.

According to the book, the original scenery for the 1879 opera house was credited to J. B. Lamphere, who provided ten sets of scenery that consisted of roll drops, shutters and wings. The drop curtain featured a charming castle alongside a stream that snaked back into a winding canyon. Atop this composition was a portrait of Horace Tabor. Other settings depicted a forest, a mountain waterfall, a view of the Royal Gorge, a street scene, a formal garden scene, a Palace scene, a “Light Fancy,” a plain chamber scene, a new England kitchen scene and a Baronial Hall. The mountain waterfall setting was composed by placing two shutters together. At this time, I am unsure of which scenes were roll drops and which scenes were composed of two shutter hat slid together. The street scene was said to depict a view of Harrison Avenue in Leadville. Many of the interior painted setting were composed of double-sided flats.

The Elk’s Lodge continued to use some of the original settings when they took over the building and enlarged the space. They were identified as being shorter in size than those created by the Kansas City Scenic Company. The original drop curtain moved to the Tabor Opera House in Denver to be used during the film premiere of “Silver Dollar.” It’s current condition or whereabouts are unknown.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: A Visit to the Tabor House in Leadville, Colorado on June 18, 2018

A Visit to the Tabor House in Leadville, Co. June 18, 2018

We left Denver at 7am and headed to Leadville, Colorado. I had a 10am appointment with the executive director of the Tabor Opera House. Normally a two-hour trip, we planned on an extra hour for sightseeing, stopping several times along the way for “scenic overlooks” and “points of interest.” As we left Denver, overcast skies turned into puffy clouds scattered across brilliant blue skies.

One of our stops was in the town of Frisco. The name rang a bell and I soon realized that it was because Thomas G. Moses mentioned the town during his 1884 sketching trip to Colorado. This was his trip with tree other scenic artists to see the mountains.

The town of Frisco, Colorado, where Thomas G. Moses visited in 1884.

Frisco is situated on the shores of Lake Dillon, seventy miles west of Denver. Henry Recen founded the town after a mining boom in the 1870s and soon boasted two railroads, many businesses, hotels, and saloons. The town was the center of mining activity because of the railroads and a stagecoach stop, serving as the gateway to the towns and mines in Ten Mile Canyon. It later became the sleepy little town that Moses encountered during his 1884 sketching trip. Of Frisco, Moses wrote, “We soon came to a little cemetery. One rough head-board had the following epitaph, printed with black letters: ‘Here lies the body of John Sands. A Frisco miner, an honest man and an old timer.’ No dates nor age. Near by was the small town of Frisco, which at one time was a prosperous mining town of about three thousand inhabitants. The mines gave out, no one stayed, and homes and stores were left to the elements. As we struck the main street we looked about, but we couldn’t see a living thing, excepting a few chickens which convinced us, however, that someone must have stayed. The feeling we had among the deserted homes and stores was rater uncanny. The buildings had been hastily built; all very rough, and very few of them had been painted. The signboards were a hot, badly spelled and very typical of a frontier mining town; a regular mushroom town – it grew over night.”

After enjoying the bustling town, getting the contact for the city historian and walking about the marina, we headed to the Tabor Opera House in Leadville for our 10am meeting. I had asked Ziska Childs to join me on this particular adventure and we spent the morning looking at historic scenery produced by Kansas City Scenic Company. The drops are suspended by a hemp system – no counterweights or sand bags. As at the Brown Grand Opera House in Concordia, Kansas, the drops are raised and lowered by an individual pulling the full weight on the three ropes that are connected to the drop’s top batten. I was fortunate to help at one point and able to examine the pin rail and rigging. While assisting with one line, I was delighted to discover that the original paint frame that was still suspended from one of the lines. No, we didn’t lower it. I was told that it takes three men to handle the lines when either raising or lowering it!

Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado

The Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado

Wood scene with backdrop, two legs and a foliage border.

The four historic scenes at the Tabor Opera House include a drop curtain, a garden drop, a landscape and a street scene by Kansas City Scenic.

Front drop curtain at he Tabor Opera House

Detail of drop curtain at he Tabor Opera House

“Kansas City Scenic Co.” on bottom right corner of the front curtain in the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, CO.

Pin rail above the stage to raise and lower drops.

There are other historic scenery pieces along the back wall that were too buried to uncovered. There area also older roll drops, wings, and profile pieces are stored in the attic for both this stage and the previous stage before the Elks altered the building in 1901. Unrolling a few backdrops will be part of my morning adventures today. The Executive director explained that the scenery has been rolled up for over a century. I am curious to see what the original 1879 scenery in the attic looks like from the original stage.

The existing fly drops above the Tabor Opera House stage were produced by Kansas City Scenic. Lemuel L. Graham (1845-1914), a previous employee of Sosman & Landis, as well as one-time business partner of Thomas G. Moses founded this studio. Moses left the Sosman & Landis studio during May 1882 to partner with Graham. That year Moses recorded that while they were working on the Redmond Opera House project in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Graham boarded at a hotel and fell in love with the head waitress, eventually marrying her. Moses wrote, “she proved to be a good wife and good mother.” Moses wrote that Graham “was a regular Shylock, a good fellow and a hard worker, but altogether too close to please me.”

The partnership of Moses & Graham only lasted a little over a year. In 1883 they returned to the Sosman & Landis studio. After Moses and Landis encountered each other while bidding on the same job, they rode the train back together for Chicago. Sosman met them at the station and the three discussed a possible return. Sosman & Landis wanted Moses and Graham back, they were each offered $45.00 a week. Moses wired Graham their proposal, but Graham was not so eager to accept and countered “$50.00 and extras.” The studio agreed and on May 1, 1883, Moses and Graham were both painting in the Sosman & Landis studios again. It lasted less than a year for Graham, however, and in 1884, he left Sosman & Landis to form Kansas City Scenic Co.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: A Visit to the Cheyenne Scottish Rite on June 17, 2018

A Visit to the Cheyenne Scottish Rite on June 17, 2018

The Scottish Rite Theatre is in the Cheyenne Masonic Temple, located at 1820 Capitol Avenue. This three-story building was initially constructed in 1901 at a cost of $45,000. In 1903, the building was gutted by fire. After receiving $35,000 from the insurance company, the interior was reconstructed. Our guide, Ron, explained that an addition to the building occurred during the 1920s and included the theater.

1901 Masonic Temple in Cheyenne, Wyoming before the 1903 fire.

1903 Masonic Temple in Cheyenne, Wyoming, that was rebuilt after the fire.

In 1921, “The Billings Gazette” reported that Wyoming had 1906 thirty-second degree Masons, an increase of 245 members in twelve months. Furthermore, the secretary of Wyoming Consistory No. 1 in Cheyenne reported, “the total resources of all four bodies of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite amount to $189,958.88” (17 Sept 1921, page 8). There were 2,090 members in the Rocky Mountain Lodge of Perfection; 1,961 members in the Albert Pike Chapter of the Knights of Rose Croix; and 1,961 members in the Cheyenne Council of Kadosh No. 1. At the time of the article, a new Scottish Rite Cathedral was being built in Cheyenne. Plans for this new Consistory building had been in the works since 1920, when the “Casper Star-Tribune” reported, “Tentative plans for the cathedral which Wyoming Consistory No. 1, A.A.S.R., is to erect at Capitol Avenue and Twentieth Street, have been approved. They call for a structure of Grecian architecture, with a frontage of 132 feet on Capitol Avenue, which will cost approximately $500,000. Aside from the fact that it will be the largest and finest fraternal society building in Wyoming architecture. Work on the building, it is planned and will begin next fall” (29 May 1920, page 9).

End view of sandwich batten on Scottish Rite scenery in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Some of the scenery that is currently on the stage is identified as being delivered to “Scottish Rite Bodies. Masonic Hall. Cheyenne, Wyoming.” This information is stenciled on the back and front of some bottom sandwich battens. The stenciling on the back of some drops confirms the destination of Cheyenne, and is characteristic of standard Sosman & Landis Studio labeling during the first decade of the twentieth century.

Stencil on back of a Scottish Rite drop in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

That being said, there are three distinct collections when examining the stencil placement, yet two are consistent with Sosman & Landis. The three collections also are not a standard size, as some are much taller and some are much wider. Furthermore, many of the drops were obviously hung in another venue prior to their transport to the current stage. This is confirmed by charcoal markings indicating previous line numbers for another space. Finally, the painted surface of the collection is primarily consistent with the Sosman & Landis installations for current collections in Santa Fe, St. Paul, Winona, Tucson, Ashville, and Grand Forks. What is not consistent with Sosman & Landis labeling in Cheyenne is that for their painted profile pieces, meaning the painted flats accompanying many of the painted scenes are not identified with stencils. The ones in Cheyenne are not labeled at all beyond a few pencil markings. The design and construction is also not characteristic of standard Sosman & Landis profile pieces. They are also much brighter in color than the remainder of the collection too.

A profile piece, likely produced by Volland Studio of St. Louis in 1924.

Finally, the stage machinery also predates the 1920s addition and is characteristic of those installed by Sosman & Landis during the first decade of the twentieth century.

Now, here is where it gets interesting. Thomas G. Moses records that he supervised the painting of the Scottish Rite scenery for Cheyenne in 1911. Why did they know about Sosman & Landis in Cheyenne? Well in 1881-1882 Sosman & Landis also provided the stock scenery for the Grand Opera House in Cheyenne. They had a foothold in the community already. This helps confirm the majority of scenes that are distinctly Sosman & Landis designs with their standard stencils. However, Volland Studio records also indicate that they delivered Scottish Rite scenery in 1924, about the same time that the Scottish Rite held reunions in their new theater in Cheyenne. The painted profile pieces and the few scenes that are inconsistent with Sosman & Landis Masonic compositions and may be attributed to Volland Studio.

Detail from one of the drops likely attributed to Volland Studio due to the bright coloration and painting technique. This is more characteristics of the 1920s.

Backdrop is likely by Volland studio artists in 1924. The cut drops are consistent with those created by Sosman & Landis Studio of Chicago during the first decade of the twentieth century.

What I have not had time to do is categorize the drops based on stencil placement, charcoal markings, composition, and other consistent characteristics that helps divide up the entire collection. Finally, there were even more drops stored at the Cheyenne Masonic Temple that had sat for decades, rolled up in an offstage area. Unfortunately they were disposed of a few years ago.

Scottish Rite scene in Cheyenne, Wyoming, by Sosman & Landis Studio

In short, I can confirm that the Scottish Rite Masons were using Sosman & Landis scenery in 1911 that was delivered to the Cheyenne Masonic Hall. And then there is the dead hung drop curtain against the back wall.

A peak at the dead hung drop curtain at the Scottish Rite in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

I was able to identify that it was a drop curtain due to the painted fringe and draperies. It also has identical bottom battens to the oldest scenery that is currently hanging. Yet, the front curtain would have been not wide enough for the current proscenium opening. Maybe it was kept for sentimental reasons. I would love to see what the composition is, as we were unable to see beyond the bottom two feet of the drop.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: A Visit to the Hastings Scottish Rite on June 16, 2018

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: A Visit to the Hastings Scottish Rite on June 16, 2018

During the summer of 1930, “The Nebraska State Journal” reported that the new $400,000 Hastings Masonic Center building was nearing completion (24 August 1930, page 39).

Postcard of the Masonic Center in Hasting’s Nebraska. We visited the Scottish Rite theater in the building on June 16, 2018.

We left our hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska, at 6:30am yesterday and headed to Hastings. At 8:30am we were scheduled to meet Phil and some volunteers to look at the scenery. There were two volunteers to help with the scenery, John and Jim.

Lines at the Scottish Rite in Hastings, facing the stage from the stage right side.

Lines and old Frank Adam lighting board at the Scottish Rite in Hastings, Nebraska

The old light board for the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

The layout of the stage was intriguing. The drop lines were handled at stage level and caged off in the stage right area. There were 70 line sets, but not necessarily placed in numerical order, suggesting that a few lines had moved over the decades. The shape of the stage was bizarre; not a rectangle, but the shape of the letter “D” with the curve upstage. The back of the stage was angled and much smaller than the proscenium opening, almost as if it were the corner of the building. However, this area was perfect for storing musical instruments, as not drops could be hung from above. The original Frank Adam lighting board was still present, just no longer in use. It was located up a small flight of stairs, stage right.

My records indicated that the drops were produced by Volland Studios during 1929 and installed in 1930. Interestingly, it appears as if not all the drops were constructed for this particular stage at the same time, or for this particular venue. Some were much too wide – folded back at the sides to fit on the pipes. The backdrops were originally constructed with jute webbing and tie lines on top and pipes pockets on the bottom.

I have come to realize that pipe pockets don’t last over time, even when they are part of the original installation. The sewing for pipe pockets introduces weakness into the original fabric; these weak areas, where the needle pierced the original fabric, fail over time. After several decades, it is like a perforated page and the pipes will fall to the stage. Depending on the type of fabric used to construct the pipe pocket, the actual fabric may fail also start to fail if the pipe rusts. In humid environments, the pipes not only rust, but also adheres to the fabric.

In Hastings, the fabric used for the pipe pockets was incredibly thin. It was almost like a lightweight dressmaking muslin, just black. All of the pipe pockets have started to fail and my Scottish Rite representatives realized that this was becoming a liability. We talked about a variety of options for the future – options that could be done immediately by the Masons for safety precautions. In one case we removed a pipe, and as we did, the fabric had to be pealed off of the pipe as rust had bonded the two together in areas.

Detail from the treasure scene at the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

As far as the drop construction, there were several features characteristic of the late 1920s. Typical to Scottish Rite scenery dating from this era includes an abundance of spatter throughout the composition. Also, characteristic of the time, the sides of the drop were finished prior to the painting, with the original tack marks to secure the fabric placed 2 ½ to 3 inches apart. This meant that there was no scalloping along the edges.

Scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

Treasure scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

Egyptian scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

King Solomon’s apartments scene from the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

Painted details from King Solomon’s apartments scene at the Scottish Rite stage in Hastings, Nebraska.

The painting is beautiful, but the new lighting system is not. A lot of money was spent for a system that does not work well for painted scenery, or is easily used by its members. The area lights are not even on the stage floor, and there are hot spots all over the scenery. Not for the first time, a Scottish Rite was talked into something that doesn’t work for a historic venue; this is always frustrating to encounter.

To be continued…

Winona Scottish Rite Scenery Auction

November 29 was a difficult day – not just for me, but also for theatre history and Masonic scholarship. It was a day when I hoped to celebrate a victory with a friend on his birthday.

The Winona Scenery Collection went up for auction and sold for $10,010.00. This was a minuscule fraction of the cost to replace the 73 pieces of this 1909 scenery collection by Sosman & Landis. The scenery is irreplaceable anyway. The bid came in at only ten dollars more than I recommended that my client should spend. I could not advise him to spend any more, even though some of it was going to replace Scottish Rite scenery that had been destroyed years ago. There was too much water damage to justify spending more. I had gathered a coalition of personal representatives and SGIGs from various Scottish Rite Valleys to bid on the Winona scenery. Why? Each Valley could use a portion as it would match their existing collections beautifully and start a new one. It would also stay within the Fraternity. My only current hope is that the scenery as been sold to some other Scottish Rite theatre in need of replacements.

You see every collection that I evaluate and take care of is like a child. I am their advocate. When the City of Winona decided to split up the collection I was devastated and compared it to keeping a teacup and abandoning the remainder of the Royal Doulton collection. I did everything within my power to keep the scenery collection together, or at least ensure that portions of it found their way to a Masonic home. It is possible I failed and only time will tell where the backdrops end up.

The collection was sold by the City of Winona with a representative who never understood what they were losing. Even as I looked the auction description, all of the specifications were wrong. The city sited that the scenery tubes were 36’ long. No, they were 20’ long. The city explained to prospective buyers that the tubes were 2-3’ in diameter. No, they were two or three drops wrapped on 6” rolls. Incompetence? No. Simple apathy. It was a lack of caring for these artifacts that sealed their fate, not ever understanding that they represented a shared cultural heritage between the Fraternity and American Public. It is a loss of epic proportions. I can say no more.

Here is my goodbye to the Winona Scenery Collection…painted details from King Darius’ Festival Palace for the 16th Degree.

Painted detail of Darius Festival Palace recently sold for auction by the City of Winona, Minnesota. It was created as a Scottish Rite backdrop for the Valley of Winona. Orient of Minnesota in 1909.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring The Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 8.

While Wendy Waszut-Barrett is traveling for research and art acquisitions (October 14-29, 2017) she is reposting the first fifteen installments from “Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar Acquiring: The Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center.” Here is her eighth post from February 22, 2017.

Part 8: Our First Day on the Job in Fort Scott

I was unable to conduct a complete evaluation due to time restrictions imposed by the CEO on our August road trip. My preliminary evaluation only depicted the individual drops and I needed to accurately record how each drop was paired with others to stage a complete scene and the subsequent spacing. This was crucial to any understanding of the entire collection as a whole prior to its removal and transportation. It was also imperative that there be “before” pictures for both historical documentation and as a resource during restoration and installation. Furthermore, as Curatorial Director one of my tasks would be to create a publication documenting the acquisition, restoration, significance and artistic provenance of this scenery collection. Therefore, the first two days in Fort Scott were spent documenting all of the scenes.

View of the bottom battens and counterweights at the Fort Scott Scottish Rite theater. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

The project’s lead rigger, Brandon, and his second, Todd, were on site that first day. The remaining two members of the crew were still in transit from Jackson, Tennessee, hauling up the necessary supplies and tools for the project. The first morning, after cordial but stilted introductions, we left for the Scottish Rite.

Entrance to the Scottish Rite in Fort Scott, Kansas. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Lobby of the Scottish Rite in Fort Scott, Kansas. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Upon entering the building, we noticed the chill. Our working environment was going to be a cold one. Before lowering anything, we decided to explore the theatre area and inspect our working environment. It was also an opportunity for us to gradually become acquainted with each other. Within the first fifteen minutes of our journey I knew that everything would be fine throughout the duration of the project. Our personalities were well matched. It was obvious that both men were smart, easy going, and had that perfect amount of self-deprecating humor to make any project entertaining.

There is something delightful about exploring all of the nooks and crannies in an abandoned building with others who also see it as an adventure. The space adjacent to the theatre had been a bank and only the old safe remained as a silent reminder of its past grandeur. The space was now a deteriorated shell, the windows all gone. Puddles suggested a recent rainstorm and the only remaining inhabitants were birds and vermin. We left the space feeling slightly deflated, barring the doors once again with a tree branch to prevent unwanted visitors into the theatre.

The old bank connected to the Fort Scott Scottish Rite building. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Old Fort Scott bank adjacent to Scottish Rite building. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Detail of old safe in abandoned Fort Scott bank. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

We went on to examine the staircase leading to the space above the auditorium ceiling. In all of my travels, I have crawled high above stages and balanced on planks above plaster ceilings. Every time, it was a treasure trove of artifacts left by the original workmen. Unexpected finds often included Prince Albert in a can, old newspapers, tools, and other abandoned artifacts long forgotten by various individuals. This investigation is always delightful when accompanied by fellow explorers, each seeking clues from a long-forgotten time. Although short and uneventful, this quest formed a basic foundation for the entire project.

Top of staircase leading to space above auditorium at Fort Scott Scottish Rite theater. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

View of Fort Scott scenery collection from organ room above the proscenium arch. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Returning to the stage floor, we slowly began the time-consuming process of pairing drops to create the appropriate settings for each degree. We also tried to backlight any transparent area. Lighting was limited as many of the stage lights were missing. I would soon realize that we had not viewed the entire Fort Scott collection during our August visit. There were many more than 80 drops, 94 to be exact. That was eighteen percent more scenery than I had anticipated for this project. In the big picture, all of my estimations were off and it would be a challenge to complete the project before Thanksgiving.

This was a direct result of the CEO ignoring my expertise and request to complete a proper evaluation. Ironically, I would end up shouldering the blame for his ignorance.

View of the stage left side of the Fort Scott Scottish Rite stage and the bottoms of the drops. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

To be continued…