Midwestern States Trips – Page 6

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Fort Scott, Kansas.

Scenery by Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934) for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Fort Scott, Kansas.

*Scenery by Thomas G. Moses for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite*

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Fort Scott, Kansas.

Scenery by Thomas G. Moses (1856-1934) for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Fort Scott, Kansas.

For More information about Scottish Rite theaters use the keyword search function.

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Fabric Studios of Chicago

I am currently exploring the life and times of scenic Thomas G. Moses in 1923. It seems a good time to share images from my visit to the Joplin Scottish Rite Theatre in 2018. The scenery was delivered by the Fabric Studios or Chicago in 1923. For more information about the Fabric Studios, visit https://drypigment.net…/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and…/

*Scenery by the Fabric Studios of Chicago, 1923*

For more information about the Fabric Studios, visit https://drypigment.net…/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and…/

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Twin City Scenic Co. Garden Drops

Here are two examples of a garden drop design by Twin City Scenic Co. artists. The design was used for the Brown Grand Theater in Concordia, Kansas, and St. Patrick’s Parish Hall in Shieldsville, Minnesota. I restored the Brown Grand garden drop in 2002 and the Shieldsville drop in 2017. It was fun to see the shift in technique and color palette by Twin City Scenic Co. artists over the course of a decade.

*The Brown Grand Theatre garden drop before restoration.*

Detail. *The Brown Grand Theatre garden drop before restoration.*

*The Brown Grand Theatre garden drop after restoration* by Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett.

*Minimizing water damage. The Brown Grand Theatre garden drop after restoration by Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett.*

*Same design for the Parish Hall at St. Patrick’s Church in Shieldsville, Minnesota. Deterioration included water damage, pigeon droppings and dusting pigment.*

*The Parish Hall garden drop after restoration* by Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett.

*Painted detail from the Parish Hall drop in Shieldsville, Minnesota.*

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Brown Grand Theatre, Concordia, Kansas.

Wood backdrop by the Twin City Scenic Co. 1907. This is part of a collection that I restored in 2002.

*The Brown Grand Theatre, Concordia, Kansas.*

Here is a link for more information about the the history of the theater: http://www.browngrand.org/support

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 1140 – P. T. Blackburn and the Fabric Studio of Chicago

In 1922 Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Started on a bunch of Masonic models, and it will take some time to do them. Went to Joplin, Mo., after a good contract. Was too high.” A similar thing would happen only a few months later, with Moses writing, “Made several trips to Davenport in hopes of getting the big contract of about $16,000.00, but we were too high.

*Stencil for the Fabric Studios for the Joplin Scottish Rite*

*Scenery by the Fabric Studios for the Joplin Scottish Rite*

Painted detail. *Scenery by the Fabric Studios for the Joplin Scottish Rite*

Sosman & Landis was nearing the end of its existence at the same time many other studios were getting their start. Sosman & Landis lost the Joplin job to another Chicago firm – The Fabric Studio. The Fabric Studio appeared on the scene as abruptly as it disappeared a few years later. However, between 1922 and 1923 the studio showed much promise. The same year that they landed the Joplin Scottish Rite project, they delivered some very impressive scenery to the Orpheum Theatre in Wichita, Kansas. Interestingly, by 1923, Thomas G. Moses and Fred R. Megan rented the Fabric Studios’ space as they waited to purchase the Sosman & Landis name; waiting for the firm to liquidate all their assets.

The Fabric Studio scenery painted for the Joplin Scottish Rite is colorful, impressive, and indicative of a changing aesthetic. I had an opportunity to visit the Joplin Scottish Rite and document the historic scenery collection during the summer of 2018 and document the scenery painted at the Fabric Studios. Here is link to my post about that visit: https://drypigment.net2018/07/03/travels-of-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-the-joplin-scottish-rite-july-2/

There was a studio stamp on many drops that included the address 117 N. State, 4th floor, Chicago, Illinois. At this time, there were three main individuals running The Fabric Studio, artistic director P T. Blackburn and stage carpenter J. A. Bannon. As most young studios, the men continued to work independently while getting the studio up and running. In the end, the Joplin Scottish Rite may be the only artistic legacy left of this short-lived studio.

The earliest mention of the Fabric Studio that I have located to date is from the summer of 1921. The company placed a want ad in the “Chicago Tribune,” advertising for girls to help in their sewing room (“Chicago Tribune,” 27 August 1921, page 14). The earliest work credited to the new form was for Princess Minstrel Misses. Advertisements placed in “The Richmond Item” announced, “Seven young ladies in ‘a Fanfare of Joy, Song and Dance and Music’ with Cecil Jefferson. A miniature minstrel production offered exclusively by seven talented girls with an elaborate stage setting. Hear these clever girls in the latest songs and jokes. Costumes by Hazel Rene, Chicago. Scenery by The Fabric Studio, Chicago. 20 minutes of Real Entertainment” (8 Dec 1921, page 5).

In 1922, The Fabric Studio of Chicago was competing with the Kansas City Scenic Co. for the contract to paint and install a new front curtain and scenery for the Memorial Auditorium in Wellington, Kansas. W. S. Mayer was the salesman for The Fabric Studio of Chicago (“Wellington Daily News,” 25 August 1922, page 1). That same year, The Fabric Studio also secured a substantial contract for Wichita’s Orpheum Theatre. The “Wichita Eagle” reported the Fabric Studio’s scenery included 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 (3 September 1922, page 48).

*The Orpheum Theatre in Wichita, Kansas with scenery by the Fabric Studios of Chicago*

*P. T. Blackburn, from the “Daily Times,” Davenport, Iowa, 17 May 1922, page 10.*

The chief scenic artist associated with the Fabric Studios at this time was P. T. Blackburn. He is quite an interesting individual. Blackburn was the head of the artistic staff for several stock companies over the years, including the Grand Players from Davenport, Iowa. Max Schroeder was another scenic artist who represented painted for the firm 1922, specializing in landscapes. Blackburn and Schroeder greatly contributed the studio’s colorful aesthetic. The firm’s head installation expert was J. A. Bannon, an older gentleman with extensive experience with stage machinery and the installation of stage systems.

Blackburn was credited as specializing in fine plushes, satins, and velours, such as the gold gauze front curtain and the silver gauze tableaux curtain for the Orpheum. Of the gold curtain delivered by the Fabric studio. The “Wichita Daily Eagle,” reported, “Scenery in the Orpheum theater ranks with that any vaudeville theater in the entire country, according to J. A. Bannon, who came to Wichita from Chicago, to install the scenery for the Fabric Studio, the makers. Bannon should be an authority since he is an old timer in the show business and has installed scenery in theaters in nearly every city in the United States. Bannon is very enthusiastic about the gold gauze curtain which he says is an unusually fine production. It portrays an exterior garden scene and was painted by Max Schroeder. A wonderful work has been accomplished in the floor perspective of the scene in the curtain. The perspective is only twenty-five inches in extent but gives the floor appearance of being twenty-five feet.” Of Bannon, the article reported, “Bannon started ‘trouping’ as a property man with Karafe’s Water Queen in the eighties. He soon became stage carpenter and traveled as such for years, visiting Wichita many times.”

In 1923, the “Quad City Times” include a portrait of Blackburn and reported, “Mr. Blackburn, scenery artist at the Grand theater is a star never seen by the audience. All of the scenery is painted by him. ‘It is an endless job – this business of being a scenery painter of a stock company – but I like it anyway,’ opined Mr. Blackburn yesterday, He had been with the Grand company for more than a year” (18 March 1923, page 21). In 1923, Blackburn was also producing scenery for productions, such as “Nice People” in 1923 (The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, 27 Jan 1923, page 8). Blackburn was mentioned as a scenic artist when he married in 1923 (The Daily Ties, 21 April 1923, page 7). The article announced, “Miss Erma Hermiston, youngest daughter of Mrs. Fred Hanson of DeWitt, was married to P. T. Blackburn, scenic artist for the Grand Players, now appearing at English’s Opera house, Indianapolis. Mr. Blackburn has for over a year and a half been artist for the company during the stay at the Grand in Davenport. Both he and his bride, who had made her home in this city, are very well known. The wedding took place at the First Presbyterian church, Rev. Milner officiating.” The couple was listed in the Colorado Divorce index on Sept 3, 1930.

By 1931, Blackburn was credited with the settings for Loew’s and Paramount’s “Lysistrata” ( “Los Angeles Record,” 28 Dec 1931, page 8). He also did the sets for “Shanghai Gesture” (Los Angeles Evening Express, 1 Sept 1931, page 10). In 1932 he was noted as a “well known Hollywood stage designer and artist,” associated with the comedy “Just Married” (Honolulu Star 7 July 1932, page 8). By 1949, Blackburn was 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, Blackburn and his department also developed new stage equipment and curtain tracks for scenery painted by Paramount artists.

To be continued…

TABOR OPERA HOUSE, LEADVILLE, COLORADO: Nineteenth-century double-painted wing with practical opening.

This wing was discovered in the attic of the TaborOpera House; one of several wings that had been cut down and tacked to a wall in the attic.

*Front side. A double-painted wing that was once nailed to an attic wall. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado.*

*Back side. A double-painted wing that was once nailed to an attic wall. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado.*

The original height of the wing was 16′-0″. During June 2018, I first visited the Tabor Opera House attic and uncovered some of the wings and shutters in a dusty pile.

*Tabor Opera House attic, Leadville, Colorado, June 2018.*

Wings revealed behind the pile of dusty scene. Tabor Opera House attic, Leadville, Colorado, September 2020.

This was one of many pieces hidden under a vast pile of beautiful artwork. I returned to Leadville earlier this year (February 2020) to document the historic scenery contained on the stage of the Tabor Opera House. During a second trip to Leadville (Sept. 21-27, 2020) I led a group of local volunteers to document the attic scenery. The attic pieces received a preliminary cleaning before being lowered to the stage floor 40 feet below.

*Double-painted wing after it was lowered to the stage floor.*

This double painted wing is the only example that remains, depicting an exterior garden and rocky pass.

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Western Minnesota Steam Thresher’s Reunion, 2019

I return to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses tomorrow, after almost a month on the road. Travel in August brought me from Whitehorse in the Yukon to a small rural town near Fargo, North Dakota. Unbelievably, cellular service was far better in the Yukon than northern Minnesota – go figure. My final trip was to the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion (WMSTR), a yearly exposition held every Labor Day weekend near Rollag in Northwestern Minnesota. For 47 years, our family has attended the show. My annual trip to Rollag continues to fuel my love and appreciation of history. There is nothing like seeing a tractor fueled by steam slowly inch by, puffing all the way.

My mother was the first person to make history come alive for me. She has always excelled as a storyteller, a skill that greatly helped her communicate information to not only me, but also to her students over the years. The next greatest factor that contributed to my fascination with history was the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion, a unique type of living history museum that features a steam locomotive, a pioneer exhibit, a horse-power farm, two sawmills, and a multitude of engines powered by steam, kerosene and gasoline. People come from across the country to see the power of steam and how it tamed the prairie. The show has become the largest of its kind in North America.

The WMSTR Railroad’s No. 3, also known as the Porter Engine

My father was the first of our family to venture to this four-day event with his good friend and co-worker Ray Granstrom during the 1960s. He helped install the Corliss engine, a massive machine with a 17-foot flywheel.

By 1972, my mother and I attended the show for the first time and instantly became hooked. I have only missed four shows since 1972. Two of those times were when my children were mere infants, and I refused to let their little lungs get a good dose of airborne particulates wafting from various steam engines.

Plumes of black smoke pour from hundreds of steam engines on the grounds at WMSTR

In the beginning, camping was primitive, with outhouses and limited access to running water. As a small child, this was an added bonus, no shower for almost a week! Our friends and family always knew that each Labor Day weekend we were working on the show grounds in some capacity. Over the years, our work changed as our roles shifted within the organization. My father started out in the Blacksmith shop, making little rings out of nails. He later ran the sound system in the Threshermen’s Memorial Building (TMB) before becoming the official Hobo on the WMSTR railroad.

My mother started out doing a variety of thankless jobs that no one wanted to do, including cleaning toilets. At the time, playing music on the grounds wasn’t considered “work” and each member had to sign up for a specific job. Progress was slow, but eventually the contributions of musicians were recognized, sadly a little too late for many. My mother went from borrowing Arne Gunderson’s accordion in 1972 to play in the Quonset building, to running the entire music program on the grounds. The greatest lesson that I learned from her over the years was how to make everyone feel respected and appreciated, regardless of their skillset. She still encourages young musicians, cajoles older ones, and makes sure that everyone has a chance to be in the spotlight.

Lou Waszut and Donna Peterson grew up miles apart. yet did not meet until 1972. They played music for years and remain close friends. The two would eventually become honorary Steam Queens.

My mother now plays accordion in the Mercantile Building for eight-hours every day of the show. My father is still a drummer, but now only accompanies her on nursing home day. Over the years, my parents have played with a variety of musicians on the show grounds, at parades, across the country and at home in the Twin Cities. I grew up listening to musical selections that spanned genres and decades. Whether is was polkas, waltzes, old time, country, or pop, I intimately knew all of the melodies and lyrics for each. There is something to be said about being an only child in a room full of musicians. I spent countless hours sketching in the corner with laughter and music in the background.

Our eldest child, Isa, singing in the Mercantile Building for the WMSTR. 2016

I watched friendships develop between musicians whose political and religious views were diametrically opposed. Fights occasionally erupted over a variety of social issues, but they would eventually subside, each friendship continuing on as before. They all shared the common language of music and this single commonality overrode a multitude of differences. I miss hearing the peacemaking and an overall desire to respect each other despite their differing views. Music bridges the gaps between individuals.

My own work on the grounds shifted over the decades too. By the age of seven, I was scooping ice cream and selling balloons. As a teenager, I worked alongside Maxine and Edra in the Ladies Boutique, selling handmade trinkets and chatting with visitors. These service jobs taught me how to handle both people and money, an invaluable asset that would greatly assist me later in my career. Other jobs included setting up and running the soundboard in the TMB under the direction of my father, as well emceeing the style show.

It was the latter that shaped my public speaking skills and ability to think quickly on my feet in front of a crowd. Beginning as a model at the age of four, I was first handed the microphone as a pre-teen to describe my historic outfits. By my late teens, I was co-emceeing of the style show and describing a variety of outfits that randomly appeared on stage. By the age of twenty, I was sole emcee, upping my game and providing historical context for the shifts in fashion. Instead of having models appear in random outfits, I started to have groups come out, each representing the various fashion trends for every decade, starting in the 1870s. We spruced up the stage and I donated some backdrops. For years, my mother and Donna Peterson also rushed over to provide background music, appropriate songs for each decade.

As the style show themes increased in complexity, so did my preparation. Over the years themes included, a Century of Progress, Women’s Rights, Courtship Through the Ages, World Fairs, Military Attire, and much more. My husband became integral to the style show, prompting other men to join in, always a very rare resource. Both of our children also joined in. Our eldest, Isa, and Andrew performing duets between decades. However, after twenty years of preparation, study, selecting historic outfits for random individuals, pairing groups of models, and emceeing, I passed the baton to another; I was burned out.

The style show strengthened my ability to discuss a topic and improvise for almost two straight hours without any intermission. The whistle of the steam engines and noise from the passing machines would compete with every show, training me to pause and make sure the audience could clearly understand me. I learned not to rush and acknowledge those working on the show, whether they were a dresser, model, musician, or sound technician.

I never used notes for the show, unless I was reading a specific quote that pertained to the times. Occasionally an outfit was assembled without my knowledge, a surprise that mismatched several eras at once. This opportunity trained me to think quickly on my feet and not get flustered. In the end, I learned about American history and how to communicate interesting information to others, all the while entertaining them.

Times have changed on the grounds; the old time fiddle jamboree has disappeared, replaced with more contemporary country music. There are very few of the older musicians left. The farmers who would dutifully show up with their fiddle to jam are a rare sight. Yet, I still hear the echo of every musician that played with my parents. Although many are no longer known or remembered, they are still part every show for me.

Looking across Gunderson Lake at the WMSTR showgrounds

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Ascher’s Capitol Theatre in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

After returning from the League of Historic Theatres’ national conference, I immediately was on the road again. I ventured east to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where I had the opportunity to visit a lovely theater in the midst of another renovation. Manitowoc has a population of 33,000 people and is located just south of Green Bay, Wisconsin on the shores of lake Michigan.

Originally constructed as Ascher’s Capitol Theatre, the venue opened on June 16, 1921. It was a combination house, featuring both vaudeville and film. Brothers Arthur and John George were responsible for the endeavor, the two well known as owners of a local wholesale grocery store.

On July 17, 1921, the “Herald News” reported, “You will gasp with astonishment at what has been erected for your entertainment.” The article continued, “You will hardly recognize that you are in Manitowoc. It will remind you of big-city stuff. The lighting the effects, the music, the program, all will combine to force the conviction that George Bros. have spared no expense or effort to give Manitowoc and vicinity the most wonderful amusement palace in the entire northwest.”

The theater is now known as the Capitol Civic Theatre, or Capitol Civic Center. I toured the impressive building on August 2, 2019, with the executive director as my guide.

The auditorium is currently undergoing a 3.5 million dollar restoration that includes the complete replacement of all theater seating, slightly reducing the overall capacity to include larger seats. The space is lovely, has a beautiful flow and ample room for patrons during pre-show and intermission times. Renovation on this historic space began in earnest during 1987 after the Capitol Civic Center, Inc. was established in Manitowoc to focus on the old theater. Ron Kaminski spearheaded the endeavor with support from local individuals and groups, such as of members of the Masquers. The renovated space opened on October 30, 1987, complete with a new Clancy rigging system.

Current Clancy system at the Capitol Theatre

In addition to the original theater, there are many other spaces that take up a substantial footprint on the downtown block. The Capitol Civic Center, Inc. complex currently includes total seven individual buildings. The website reports, “The West Auditorium (renovated in 2013 with campaign support from The Manitowoc Company), is enhanced by the Capitol Grand Lobby (the Mertens Family Lobby/Kadow Movie Museum and the Salutz Family Lobby just off the Box Office). The annex houses the administrative offices, the technical department, the green room, and loading dock facilities. Capitol Studios, expansive storage, and a non-operational historic pub and boarding house complete the properties.

Five full-time and five part-time employees, as well as over 170 volunteers staff Capitol Civic Centre, Inc. Now a successful enterprise, the organization received the Chamber Manitowoc County’s Non-Profit of the Year award in both 2007 and 2014. Now noted as an “anchor for activity in the heart of downtown Manitowoc,” approximately 40,000 individuals attend performances each year.

The renovated auditorium and new gathering areas are lovely, each serving as a tribute to the past. So what about the material cultural and history beyond the architecture and renovated spaces? The history of the stage appears sporadically throughout the complex, such as the historic lighting board, now serving as a decorative element in the new lounge and bar area. There area also a couple of historic scenic pieces tucked away in storage areas.

Once used for stage lighting, it is now a decorative element in a lounge at the Capitol Theatre

Until recently, the original painted fire curtain completed the architectural ornamentation of the auditorium. Citing the expense of encapsulation to preserve this painted piece, the historic artifact was disposed of and replaced with a non-descript and modern fire curtain. This was the last painted element hanging above the stage. The executive director shared images of the painting on his computer. Although it was not the most ornate composition that I have encountered, it unified the auditorium space, completing the fourth wall of the theater. I have encountered many similar designs in the Performing Arts archives at the University of Minnesota libraries and elsewhere over the years. 1920s asbestos curtains often continue the auditorium’s color scheme and painted décor. Once this painted ornament is removed from the auditorium, the entire dynamic of the space shifts.

An example of an Asbestos curtain design in the Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota

The executive director could not have been more accommodating during my visit, taking time to share historic images of painted scenes where once a prominent part of the stage house. We wandered into a storage area, so I could examine an extant wing and a tri-fold set piece. The painted wing composition was standard affair for a late 19^th century tormentor, complete with painted drapery, ornate column and pedestal. The other set piece depicted a fancy interior with some lovely gold ornament. I was allowed to to photograph details of the painting techniques. Examples that I will use in the upcoming professional development work shop with Jenny Knott this month. We are again partnering to teach a painting class at CITT/ICTS Rendez-Vous Annual Conference. This is the Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology, similar to USITT. One week from today, I journey to White Horse, a remote town in the Yukon where the conference is being held this year.

Painted detail of an extant set piece stored at the Capitol Theatre

Painted detail from an extant wing at the Capitol Theatre

After looking at the painted flats, I was guided up a long flight of stairs to see a historic drop. In a previous phone conversation, I was told that one rolled-up backdrop had survived and was neatly tucked away in an upper lever. I was not expecting to unroll anything, but wanted to see the wooden battens and quality of fabric, hoping to date the piece. In fact, there were three rolled up scenes, resting on a series of metal bars above a long hallway at the top of the stairs. In many ways, this is an ideal location for access to the drops, even though one would stop traffic if they were removed from the building.

Three drops in storage in a building adjacent to the Capitol Theatre

The wooden battens and fabric of the pieces suggest that all three pre-date the venue and were likely delivered to another theater. It is possible that the scenes were refurbished and sold to the Capitol Theatre in 1921, but more likely the scenes were “adopted” over time, finding their way over from a nearby opera house. Manitowoc was home to several theaters over the years, including the Manitowoc Opera House, located on the 400 block of North Eighth Street.

Unfortunately, I was unable to verify that any of the rolled backdrops were those depicted in the historic photos. It was obvious that one was a foliage composition, either a border or leg drop, as the piece was once netted. In regard to the other two, it is impossible to identify any subject matter.

I would be curious to see the painted compositions and if there are any studio markings to identify origin. However, these historic artifacts remain very low on the theater’s list of priorities and I doubt they will be unrolled anytime soon. At least they are safely tucked away where they may be forgotten, inadvertently preserving this history.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Thomas G. Moses, the National Theatre Supply Co. and William Lemle Inc.

On my return trip home from the League of Historic American Theatres conference in Philadelphia, I stopped by the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois. While examining the old fire curtain, I spotted not only the Union stencil, but also a stencil with “National Theatre Supply Company” above it. Over the years, National Theatre Supply Co. has popped up on my radar, time and time again.

The Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois

The fire curtain for the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois, painted by William Lemle Co. and delivered by the national Theatre Supply Co.

As I peered at the faint type above “National Theatre Supply Company” on the asbestos curtain, I first made out the word “Lemle,” and then “Painted by William Lemle Co.” The Egyptian Theatre fire curtain is extremely significant in the course of American Theatre history for this stencil alone, as it links together two significant scenic studios in 1929.

Back of Egyptian Theatre fire curtain noting, “Painted by William Lemle Co. in Chicago for National Theatre Supply Co.”

I immediately thought of another project delivered by the two studios the same year, a second Egyptian-themed theater that was built in McAlester, Oklahoma. National Theatre Supply Co. and Wm. Lemle Co. delivered one of the largest Scottish Rite scenery collections in the United States to the Scottish rite Theater in McAlester, Oklahoma. In a newspaper article from November 1929, Moses was noted as a representative for both the Lemle Co. and the National Theatre Supply Co. in regard to the McAlester Scottish Rite project. Moses designed and painted the entire collection, recording that the stage settings were 40’-0” high by 60’-0” wide and the stage was 140’-0” deep.

While researching these two studios in 1929, I encountered a letter sent to Moses at “Wm. Lemle Co., Chicago, Ill.” Penned by William H. Fuller, Venerable Master of the Albert Pike Lodge of Perfection in McAlester, he mentions that the scenery was damaged en route to the McAlester Scottish Rite theater, and specifically requests for either the Lemle Co. or the National Theatre Supply Co. to write a letter recording their grievance.

So what do we know about the National theatre Supply Co. and Moses’ involvement with the firm? Let’s start with the end of Sosman & Landis in 1923. That year the studio is liquidated, their space rented to another firm and the name sold. Moses partners with Fred Megan of the Kansas City Scenic Co. and they attempt to purchase the name of the company. Before they are able to legally use the name “Sosman & Landis,” they work under the studio name Moses & Megan. Hoyland and Lemle purchased the Sosman & Landis studio contents at that same time. Later William Lemle Inc. would use the old Sosman & Landis studio space.

Moses & Megan lease the Fabric Studio in Chicago, the same company that delivers the Joplin Scottish Rite scenery. Moses & Megan produce the 1926 Salt Lake Consistory scenery, as well as the 1927 Oakland Scottish Rite scenery. Moses and Megan would continue working together until 1931, but Moses would also begin representing both the William Lemle Co. and the National Theatre Supply Co.

Why is Moses so adamant to retain the studio name? Because Moses has been a major player in Sosman & Landis scenery production since the very beginning. The studio name is synonymous with quality and Moses is integrally linked to the company. One could even surmise that Moses was the face of the company, as his reputation was intertwined with their work since 1880. In 1904 after Moses returned to Chicago after a successful career in New York City (Moses & Hamilton), he assumed all control over all Sosman & Landis design, painting, construction and installation. He becomes the vice-president and was even rewarded $5,000 in stocks in addition to control over production. He later becomes company president after the death of studio founder Joseph S. Sosman. Moses had an incentive to remain connected with the studio name until quite late in his career. In later years, he is listed as the artistic director of Sosman & Landis.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind as National Theatrical Supply is established in the shadows of Sosman & Landis’s close. In 1920, six Sosman & Landis scenic artists leave to form Service Studios. Many of the black and white photographs in their sales books are exact replicas of Sosman & Landis Masonic models. In other words, they are peddling the same designs without the Sosman & Landis name. Service Studios is soon sold and becomes ACME studio. The ACME studio also uses the Sosman & Landis designs in their sales catalogues.

This all happens after a big upset at Sosman & Landis. Two key figures responsible for the Scottish Rite connection pass away just before WWI; founder Joseph S. Sosman and M. C. Lilley representative Bestor G. Brown. Their passing causes the alliance between a major regalia company and a significant scenic studio to cease, allowing another studio takes the reins of Masonic degree production – Toomey & Volland. Under the leadership of Hugo R. Volland, St. Louis Scottish Rite backstage director and president of Toomey & Volland, this St. Louis-based scenic studio is awarded dozens of Masonic contracts in the post-WWI years.

Now back to the another firm delivering Scottish Rite scenery in the 1920s – the National Theatre Supply Co. Founded in 1926, the National Theatre Supply Company advertised as the “largest theatre equipment and supply service organization,” with “31 well managed, well stocked branch store in operation throughout the country, doing a volume of business considerably in excess of what was transacted when the field was being served by individual dealers. And, too, more dependable and satisfactory service is in evidence on every hand.”

Their advertisements explain, “chain store operation in other American industries is one of increased efficiency in service and pronounced economy in merchandising, reacting directly and favorably to the advantage of those who buy. This condition is being exemplified in the operation of the National Theatre Supply Company.” This paragraph is hard to read without thinking of the massive theatrical complexes targeted by this new company and not think, “Super-size me.”

In 1927, the National Theatre Supply Company noted that a new scenery and drape department was formed under its direct supervision. The new department was paced under the direction of Mr. P. L. Landis, “a specialist in stage technique with headquarters in the general offices of the Company in Chicago.” Landis was credited with being “well known to the trade, having been a member of the original Sosman & Landis Company in Chicago. With 12 years of experience in all braches of scenery production and stagecraft, he is particularly fitted to head the new department.” When Moses was elected Sosman & Landis Co. president in 1915, Arthur Sosman was elected vice-president and Perry Landis treasurer.

National Theatre Supply Co. advertisements note the following:

“The National Theatre Supply Company manufacturers nothing, nor has it any direct control over factory costs or factory list prices of any article it sells. It is strictly a sales organization and service representative of a majority of manufacturers of theatre equipment and supplies. It is therefore obvious that the establishment of selling process is not within its power, except insofar as quantity purchasing and increased consumption are concerned. Quantity production and distribution governs the price of everyday commodity or service, regardless of its nature. The same conditions apply to the theatre supply industry and any readjustment of prices must necessarily result from the patronage and support. And when manufacturers are given a suitable volume of business, their products serviced promptly and reliably and their bills paid in accordance with terms there s very little likelihood of an increase in price of these products.”

The same National Theatre Supply catalogue included a photograph with the caption, “Spacious scenic studio of William Lemle Inc. of Chicago, the entire output of which will be distributed through national service.” The problem is that the photograph actually depicted the Sosman & Landis studio prior to WWI, complete with Joseph Sosman in the center and Moses painting one of the drops. The Lemle company was simply using an old photograph of the space.

Image brought to my attention by Bob Foreman, courtesy of Rick Zimmerman

To be continued…