Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
“W. J. Moon carpenter and H. E. Burpey [sic.] scenic artist, October 6, 1890” is penciled on the back of a jungle wing at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. William J. Moon was a local resident and Henry E. Burkey was a scenic artist who began his career in Chicago. By 1884, “Harry Miner’s Dramatic Directory” listed “Burckey, Tabor Opera, Denver” as the scenic artist for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville; he was working for both venues. Burckey was still working for Tabor five years later. After completing the jungle wings for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, the “Herald Democrat” reported his departure for Denver on October 16, 1890, noting “Mr. H. E. Burcky left last evening for Denver.”
Yesterday I wrote about stage carpenter and stage manager W. J. Moon. Today I explore the life and career of Henry E. Burckey (1852-1908). Burckey was been a bit tricky to track down, as the spelling of his name greatly varies in newspaper accounts and historical records. Variations included Burckey, Burkey, Bercky, Berkey, and Burcky; I am going with Burckey.
Born in 1852, Henry E. Burckey was the son of German immigrant Frederick Burckey (1813-1902). The 1850 US Federal Census lists that Frederick Burckey was born in “Frankfurt-Main” and emigrated from Germany in 1830. He eventually settled with family in Chicago area where he resided until his passing on October 21, 1902. Frederick was employed as a confectioner until he opened a restaurant with Augustus Berlin. He later worked as a clerk.
The 1870 census listed that Burckey was living with his three sons William, Henry and Charles, ages 16, 13 and 7. Between 1870 and 1875, Henry entered the theatre industry and became a scenic artist. He entered the scene about the same time that Thomas G. Moses did, about 1873-1874. By 1875 Henry was listed as “scenic artist” in the “Chicago Directory” living at 83 S. Halsted. Interestingly, Henry’s younger brother Charles followed him into the painting business and was listed as a “painter” in the 1880 Census. Burckey remained in the directory for the next decade, despite working for extended periods of time in other regions. At this time Chicago was a major theatrical hub with equal access to almost all of the country; it was the place to be during the second half of the nineteenth century. Ever-expanding railways provided easy routes for the marketing and shipping of both goods and services. A vast transportation network allowed remote communities access to a variety of services when constructing a performance venue that included scenic art. Many scenic artists, such as Burckey and Moses, made the Windy City their home and constantly traveled to new venues. Even when working for a studio, their lives remained that of itinerant artists.
By 1880, Henry Burckey, painted an old mill scene for the “Frog Opera.” The production toured New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. By the spring the production played at Chicago’s Central Music Hall (Chicago Tribune, 16 May 1880 page 11). As Burckey made a name for himself, he began to partner with other well-known and respected scenic artists, such as Henry C. Tryon.
In 1880, Tryon was working as a scenic artist at McVicker’s Theatre, where he came in close contact with Thomas G. Moses, as well as Joseph Sosman, of Sosman & Landis. Moses joined Sosman & Landis in 1880 as their first employee, Tryon would follow four years later. There was an abundance of work for many, and the fortunate few secured permanent positions in popular theaters and opera houses.
By 1881, “H. E. Burcky” was listed as scenic artist at Hooley’s Theatre in Chicago. At this same time Burckey partnered with Tryon to provided scenery for Cincinnati’s Opera Festival. They worked alongside some other very respected gentlemen, including Fox, Magnani, Humphreys, Hughes, and Rettig & Waugh. An article in the “Cincinnati Enquirer,” reported, “Messrs. H. E. Burcky and Henry Tynor [sic.], the young and talented artists who came here from Chicago to assist painting the scenery, have been doing excellent work. They are bright, intelligent and rapid worker and but for their assistance it would have been difficult to have the scenery ready by Monday next. Mr. Burcky is scenic artist at Hooley’s Theater in Chicago, and Mr. Tryon at McVickers. They express themselves as amazed at the extent and magnitude of the affair” (“Cincinnati Enquirer,” 15 Feb 1881, page 4).” Burckey and Tryon were applauded for one “Magic Flute” setting, heralded as a “Beautifully painted scene.” The “Cincinnati Daily Enquirer” article described the painting; “…massive rocks in the foreground appear so real as almost to deceive the eye. Rich masses of dark foliage relieve their barrenness while their golden-yellow color is projected boldly from the deep blue sky. Two transformation tableaux occur in this scene, the first the ordeal, by fire, remarkable for its brilliancy and warmth of color; the second, the ordeal by water, for its cool and delicious coloring, complete contraries delightfully portrayed” (23 February 1881, page 4).
The opera festival was not only a game changer for each artist, but an incentive to travel westward. By the fall of 1882, Tryon had left Chicago and was working in Denver, Colorado, for Horace Tabor. Even when Tabor traveled to Salt Lake City for work, newspapers listed the artist as “Mr. Henry C. Tryon, of the Tabor Grand Opera House” (“Ogden Standard,” 30 Sept, 1882, page 3). Two years later, Burckey became known as “H. E. Burckey, the artist of the Tabor Grand” (“Memphis Daily Appeal,” 19 Nov. 1884, page 2). It remains unclear if they worked together on scenery at the Tabor Grand between 1882 and 1884.
Regardless, Burckey became the sole scenic artist at the Tabor opera house by 1884, the same years that Tryon returned to Chicago to work for Sosman & Landis. In 1884, Moses wrote, “Henry C. Tryon came to the studio to work. He enthused Young and I more than anyone ever had. He was a pupil of Thos. Moran and James and William Hart and was very clever, but awfully eccentric.” Tryon also joined Moses and John H. Young on a sketching trip to West Virginia in 1885. I will expand Tryon’s story in the next few weeks.
Between 1880 and 1884, Tryon submitted a series of articles about the scenic art profession in papers across the country. On Dec. 19, 1880, the “Chicago Tribune” published “ Scene Painting: Some hints to the Public Regarding a Special Department of the Painters’ Art Not Well Understood” by Henry C. Tryon (page 19). Here is the link to the article as I included it today as part of my “Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar” storyline (part 1087): https://drypigment.net2020/10/11/tales-from-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-part-1087-henry-c-tryon-scene-painting-some-hints-to-the-public-regarding-a-special-department-of-the-painters-art-not-well-understood/
To be continued…
