“Unparalleled.” That’s the word repeatedly expressed by Dr. Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett after examining the hand-painted backdrop collection at Galveston’s Scottish Rite Temple theatre—and she should know.
The country’s pre-eminent scenery restoration consultant and practitioner, Waszut-Barrett has traveled the world as a scholar of historic stage sets. As owner of the Minnesota-based company Historic Stage Services, LLC, her expertise about the history of Masonic stage scenery is sought after by lodges across the nation.
Her findings at the Galveston Scottish Rite brought her full circle with the beginnings of her work with Masonic Scenery.
“I had my undergraduate research program opportunity grant that ran from 1989-1990. During that time, I processed what was called the Great Western Stage Equipment Company Collection.”
As part of the project, Waszut-Barrett was presented with a scenic design traveling salesman’s suitcase that had been acquired by the University of Minnesota. It was filled with sales books, business records, notes about the amount of time required to paint a variety of the backdrops, and typed descriptions of the Masonic degrees to aid the salesman in understanding the various sceneries required as he visited Scottish Rite locations.
Also included were a complete set of original preliminary drawings for a set of backdrops. “They were really rough drawings on manila paper along with all of the pertinent notes and marked with ‘GAL’ in large letters – which I always thought were someone’s initials. I realized on this trip (to the island) that they weren’t initials, they were a place—Galveston,” she shared with audible excitement.
“The collection that I catalogued and created the database metadata for to put online for the university included the original concept drawings and the final, full color rendering for each drop. The designs were so successful that there was also a letter from the Scottish Rite Valley in the collection that was written as a testimonial about how wonderful it was. That letter was dated June 20, 1929.”
“It’s remarkable that the particular collection I examined in Galveston was painted from the same set of designs that I was introduced to freemasonry with during my undergraduate work!”
“It’s unparalleled in all of the United States to have the entire process and finished pieces documented. We’re able to see the complete set of sketches that they made when they met with the client, the approved set of color renderings that were done for the studio so that the artists could follow them and then the 67 drops in Galveston as the final set of products.”
The complete chronological representation of the artistic process by the Great Western Stage Equipment Company is the only one known to exist.
She also located a clue to solve the mystery of a long-standing rumor of whether the drops were painted on site: an actual photo of one of the Galveston drops being painted in the studio on the frame. That picture was included in a company catalog.
“If you talk about the artistic provenance this is really incomparable. There are other places that will have a sketch and drop that match but not the complete collection that hasn’t been altered, especially a complete collection that has survived hurricanes.”
Though Galveston has experienced numerous hurricanes since the building was erected it only incurred water damage twice, each time causing minimal damage to the precious drops.
“Yes, there is water damage, but other than on two of the drops it’s like little guardian angels were there the whole time. The water damage is either off to the sides, or the dark lines (black lines that appear at the edges of water damage) are where they blend in with the (portrayed) architecture. You really can’t see them from the audience.”
“They were painted on cotton sheeting, like dressmaker’s muslin, with dry pigment that was mixed into a paste and diluted with a hide glue. There is no product today that provides that vibrancy of color or flat finish. Water streaming down any of them should have reactivated the paint and washed it off leaving large areas of exposed white canvas, and that didn’t happen. I’m astounded with how minimally damaged they are considering that water was in the building twice. It’s a little miracle story, really.”
“I’ve tracked down the designer, George Farnsworth Moody (1886-1944) - no relation to the Galveston Moodys - and I did a biographical write up on him. He was living in Kansas City and representing that company when they opened in 1925. Getting the contract to create the backdrops for the well-known Galveston Scottish Rite was a sign they had ‘arrived’ as a successful company.”
When asked why Galvestonians should care about this find, she explains “because they are the same aesthetic that drew the community together for a shared experience in the 1920s. This type of painting was everywhere, not just in Masonic temples. It was on the stage, it was at the Hippodrome in New York, it was at Coney Island, countless amusement parks, and world fairs.”
“It’s the same scenic illusion that also transferred over to film with a slightly tighter style. But all of those uses were ephemeral, and they all disappeared. This is a time capsule of what didn’t disappear, and what everyone had experienced. So, for someone from your community to step into that building and have the opportunity to see a painted scene is a chance to be transported back in time not only to see what their relatives (if they were Masons) would have experienced, but what the general public would have experienced at the opera house,” she added.
The scholar, who has been doing this type of work with Scottish Rites for 30 years, enthuses that the men of the Galveston Scottish Rite could not have been more kind, professional, courteous or enthusiastic about the project. If they make the decision to follow a plan devised during her visit, she will be making return trips to the island to stabilize and repair those drops that require attention.
“There are a handful that desperately need attention, because they’ll continue to deteriorate.” She also provided them with measures to take in the meantime to prevent any further damage, as well as an outline of a long-range preservation plan.
“They received all the condition reports for each of the pieces, the replacement appraisals and a brief written historical provenance. For each scene, I’ve paired up the pencil sketch, color rendering and drop so that process was evident. The men are to be commended for caretaking such a unique and nationally important treasure.”
Though Waszut-Barrett’s visit to Galveston was brief and tightly scheduled, she enjoyed “being in town and seeing that theatrical history she’s written about - completely separate from the Scottish Rite - is very much alive on the island.”
She was especially excited to see a reference to Frank Cox, who she had studied during her work for the famous Tabor Opera House, on a small plaque on The Grand 1894 Opera House.
“He’s the guy that in 1888 visited the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, and delivered scenery. He was also a ‘lightning’ artist and did quick sketches in addition to painting scenery, so he had his own little show. He signed and dated a lot of the scenery that’s at the Tabor Opera House. He then worked his way to New Orleans where he opened the Great Southern Studios with his brothers,” she said.
“The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston is one of dozens that he did that are still standing. It was one of his flagship opera houses.”
Though she didn’t have the time to explore some of the properties like this that hold such great interest to her, she hopes to have that opportunity during a visit back to Galveston in the near future.
“I can’t wait to get back.”
Want to know more?
More information about Waszut-Barret’s work can be found in her book The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre, and in her online blog at www.drypigment.com.