Midwest Stage Lighting Company

ship

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Been doing a personal project - research into pre-1916 company - Chicago Stage Lighting for the past couple of years. While working on a bibliography for this forum over the weekend, I ran across a new company for me as listed in a 1954 book by Rubin of suppliers - Midwest Stage Lighting. Same address as Chicago Stage Lighting Company, and Chicago Stage Lighting wasn't listed.

As a company, Chicago Stage Lighting sort of dissappeared since the late 20's so far as I can tell so far in a few more period books to look into further, but none so far in a few having looked at already. No listings of them so far between 1929 and the new company in 1954.

Still looking for more info on this / these companies as Midwest Stage Lighting so far I'm also not familiar with. Address of 55 West Wacker Drive, Chicago.

Anyone able to give more info about this company? Anyone heard of or seen gear from this Midwest Stage Lighting company?
 
Believe it or not, I researched the phone number to this address and even called them in asking... nope.. no hope or idea of what I'm talking about.

Thinking this name change perhaps could have been a name change by way of further marketing, or buyout in a new company, but one I have never heard of before and new to me. Could be either in past history in a company in it's final throws or a new company I just never ran across before it's demise or buyout. After that... perhaps Grand Stage, Hub, Major or other companies bought them out - don't know and that's the history that is fascinating to find out. Know how Design Lab started out for the most part, this even if not written down. Stuff like that lost to history.

A lot of lighting companies out there to research. Giraffe Lighting.. never heard of them before I saw a fixture on E-Bay very similar to one I thought was from Display Stage Lighting which had the same name plate rivet holes. Think mine is Display Stage Lighting at least... A certain shortage of old catalogues is a huge problem and it does lack it's name plate. Display Stage Lighting catalogue? No such thing - only thru old lighting books for research or catalogue. Even the Kliegl and Strand Archive websites have seemingly gone to sleep over the past years as otherwise useful. Sent in a request for info about the #73 I was working on to the Strand Archive... no reply and link to it broken. Found it in reprint in Bentham's autobiography instead. Appairently the 1936 Strand catalogue listed in the book, those from the Strand Archive don't have access to info on.

Kliegl and Strand archives are both dead links it would seem at this point for update or active sites. Hoping Controlbooth becomes a new link to old gear catalogues. A few months ago I made copy of a 1916 Chicago Stage Lighting catalogue, Dave now has a copy of the Frank Adam Electric Co. Major System of Ligthing Control, (Major Lighting) catalogue from 1928. TBA more.

If you have any really old catalogues, print them to PDF or mail to me so I can... Dave the Webmaster at this point is not opposed to making an old fixture catalogue library - just will take some time before available. Concept in also being a social type site I think, also becoming a site for theater research. Working on it.
 
Ship, I'm headed back to my main venue Saturday and I know I've heard that name before (most likely from their or one other venue which I won't be looking at for a while), so I'll take a peak at some of the more ancient paperwork, if someone hasn't tried to throw it away again. Anyway, I'll see what I can find if it's still all there.

I am in the Midwest, and we use a company out of Arlington Heights, Intelligent Lighting Creations. They are a phenomenal company and I highly recommend them for just about everything. They have helped out with all of the rigging and purchases for our installs, and their rental list is extremely widespread, and they have by far the cleanest warehouse of any production company I have ever seen.

Hmm, I think you may have misread the topic...
 
You the best, and thanks. Tip of my tongue type of company also but it no longer exists. Getting closer though to the history of this Chicago Stage Lighing company still. Interesting that the building no longer exists in above note, thanks also on that.
 
Well, I might have some information for you, but it might be some you already have, I don't know. I went through a few of my books to see if I could find anything, and this is what I found. My book (c) 1936 lists Channon Corporation as the only Chicago based dealer/maufacturer of general stage equipment (1446-55 W. Austin Avenue Chicago, Illinois. - Google couldn't find this for me though) As to Lighting equipment/manufacturers it only lists: Belson Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., Curtis Lighting, Inc., Chicago, Ill., and lastly of course, Major Equipment Company, Chicago Illinois. It Also lists Benjamin Electric Company, Chicago, Illinois. under controlboard manufacturer/dealers. I'm going through the others still. Clearly not a comprehensive list by any means, but thought it might help.

Edit: Hm, nothing about it in the other book. I'll keep you posted as to what/if anything I find over the weekend.
 
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got Channon rope lock book ends from 1926. Not a lighting company, though for you it's hoped, your own personal project in what ever happend to Channon as a company?

Sorry, Channon isn't realated to my research project, though in active memory I didn't note that of Channon being Chicago based. Thanks for that to remember further for my research.

So what is this book, auhor and date you were looking at? If I don't have it, I might consider an inter-library loan type of thing for any number of books I have.

Overall goal for all - research and I hope I have inspired into you a research into it also for "our history." Channon is totally your project to research now and at this point. If you need help, let me know but otherwise totally your project in research. Two places to start from would be the management of Grand Stage in Chicago and the management with J.R. Clancy in Yonker's if I remember correctly. Good start once you get past the common sales person.

Your personal project now in research I hope you take on. All of us no doubt are curious about the company history and how old it was. As with Major verse Kliegl and other lighting/control companies early on, I think Channon verses Clancy would be another really good at least turn of the century company research project that would be a challenge to research. Hoping you take them on for research.
 
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ship

A few suggestions that might help with the “when” questions:

Since you have the address, you could look into Sanborn Fire Insurance maps (although you’ll have to pay for the service). Sanborn might be able to tell you what years they have for the address for free, but I don’t know for sure.

You could see if any of the colleges or universities have digitized (or otherwise have on file) old, detailed maps. (For example, the University of Pittsburgh digitized a tremendous number of maps of Pittsburgh.) There may be old City of Chicago or Cook County surveys and mapping out there.

Check in old phone books at libraries.

Check into genealogy resources. Not census information, but other local histories that genealogy groups have digitized or pdf’d.


Joe
 
Books I was referring to are Stage Scenery and Lighting by Samuel Selden and Hunton D Sellman. I have the revised edition (1936) and the third edition(1959). Overall they are interesting reads in parts, however the main reason I bought them was for the 10+(at least in the revised edition, third is smaller) page bibliographies. Massive list of books and old companies and manufacturers to track down when one has the interest, time, and money.
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As for the paperwork, it seems as though it may have been thrown away or misplaced unfortunately, but I have asked the manager to keep a look out for it. Will check around a couple other places as I think of them too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Ah' yes Selden. Got the same reference or two but not sure on the dates. Books from it and others are logged into the TBA bibliography. That's where I got the cross reference of address from.
 
I know that this is an old thread, but my grandfather John (Jack) C. Higgins owned and operated Midwest Stage lighting. His shop was originally at 55 W. Wacker. Later he moved to a location in Wilmette.
Been doing a personal project - research into pre-1916 company - Chicago Stage Lighting for the past couple of years. While working on a bibliography for this forum over the weekend, I ran across a new company for me as listed in a 1954 book by Rubin of suppliers - Midwest Stage Lighting. Same address as Chicago Stage Lighting Company, and Chicago Stage Lighting wasn't listed.

As a company, Chicago Stage Lighting sort of dissappeared since the late 20's so far as I can tell so far in a few more period books to look into further, but none so far in a few having looked at already. No listings of them so far between 1929 and the new company in 1954.

Still looking for more info on this / these companies as Midwest Stage Lighting so far I'm also not familiar with. Address of 55 West Wacker Drive, Chicago.

Anyone able to give more info about this company? Anyone heard of or seen gear from this Midwest Stage Lighting company?
Iknow
 
Talk to Ted Jones at Chicago Spotlight for information on Channon and its last owner, Max Roller.

I'd think Glenn at Grand Stage would be best resource for Chicago Stage Lighting and Midwest Stage Lighting.

In terms of old gear and manufacturers, Theatre A-Z by Warren Lounsberry had a lot of names and history - or did in editions 25 to 30 years ago. Leant mine and never returned.
 
Talk to Ted Jones at Chicago Spotlight for information on Channon and its last owner, Max Roller.

I'd think Glenn at Grand Stage would be best resource for Chicago Stage Lighting and Midwest Stage Lighting.

In terms of old gear and manufacturers, Theatre A-Z by Warren Lounsberry had a lot of names and history - or did in editions 25 to 30 years ago. Leant mine and never returned.

It's actually spelled Lounsbury. I only correct because he was my mentor in graduate school at the Univ. of Washington in the early '70's. A wonderful and knowledgeable man. The original edition, Backstage from A to Z, was published in 1959. I have the revised version (1972) of the later 1967 edition titled Theatre Backstage from A to Z and it doesn't have many manufacturers listed beyond the major players of the time period. Hub, Superior Electric, and Ward-Leonard are the most exotic ones listed! It's still a great reference book.
 
Talk to Ted Jones at Chicago Spotlight for information on Channon and its last owner, Max Roller.

I'd think Glenn at Grand Stage would be best resource for Chicago Stage Lighting and Midwest Stage Lighting.

In terms of old gear and manufacturers, Theatre A-Z by Warren Lounsberry had a lot of names and history - or did in editions 25 to 30 years ago. Leant mine and never returned.

Thanks on the above, I'm also a member of the "loaned book club", though I have my copy of the above and believe I went thru it in notes but will again with that and Encyclopedia of Stage Lighting - by Briggs. Will have to get with those contacts at some point - they were also the main suppliers and friends of my former Mentour.
 
Hello, my grandfather was one of the partners of Chicago Stage Lighting Company in the early 1900s. I have some information about the end of the company if this discussion is still going. Thanks, Joe O'Connor
 
Hello, my grandfather was one of the partners of Chicago Stage Lighting Company in the early 1900s. I have some information about the end of the company if this discussion is still going. Thanks, Joe O'Connor

Do tell! The history of this industry is interesting to many of us. You may have information that's not available anywhere else. Not everything is on Google.
 
Contactacted by Joe O'Connor (related but might go back a few generations and only coincidence of more than one family in Chicago at the time with the same name.) Still - Fascinating now personally in addition to being the base lighting company for my research for almost ten years now..

Will work with him on further research once he replies back off line to PM and E-Mail in easiest.

In the mean time, if anyone has any information about Chicago Stage Lighting Company or Midwest Stage Lighting Company beyond what's already posted, or anyone that knows someone at Midwest Stage Lighting, and info not posted about CSL... Let's post and research. Further research can also be done by anyone wanting to help about patents of their or other gear like Major, Chicago Cinema Equipment, Madelite etc. and thru business ownership documents that tell who owned the companies. I know in the past I have found documents that posted about cities, the companies in them, who are the owners, comptrolers etc. that with names etc. can help in info. 1920 was a book for like NY at least I found a refrence.

What is known:
CSL was at 112 N. LaSalle st. in Chicago until at least 1920 [1920 List of Corporations = 112 N. LaSalle St., Chicago] - the on-line PDF catalogue of my leather bound pocket guide to their lights published on this website. Fuch's "Stage Lighting" 1929 lists them as a fixture supplier at a different address 55 West Wacker Drive, Chicago. This later listed in 1954 as the location of Midwest Stage Lighting by way of Rubin. 1954 seems to be a popular publishing date for stage lighting books and I have a few of them. In one of them in the resources section Midwest Stage Lighting is in the same address. Small detail as that company later moved to Wisconson.

A search of this "1920 List or Corporations" might find the owner name, and further research of that topic thru the years might find when it moved and changed names. Joe says in PM that his Great GrandPa died the 1920s suddenly. I'm wondering once Great GrandPa's name is known what year he died? How does that relate to the move or the start of the "Great Depression?" At what point does Midwest Stage Lighting take over the same building - something that has to be related, and given 1929 is really late in the 20's, I wonder if Great GrandPa died before the move or at some point before the company become some other name? Fascinating for me at least amongst lots of details.

Ok, in going back a few years.... Scooby Doo Mystery hunt.... Go for it!

I have called the 55 Wacker address w/o any help, also Midwest with no luck in the past.
 
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