Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Henry C. Tryon worked as the scenic artist at the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, Colorado, from approximately 1881-1883. Henry E. Burky also worked there by 1884. Tryon and Burcky were both Chicago artists who intially partnered together in 1881. They painted scenery for the Cincinnati Opera Festival.
In addition to this storyline about Burcky, I am also writing about life and career of Tryon in “Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar.” For Tryon, I am currently exploring his work in the 1870s. His timeline complements that of Burcky and provides context for the lesser-known scenic artist. And the main reason that Burcky entered the picture is because of his scenery for the Tabor Opera House and Tabor Grand Opera House.
Last month I documented a scenery collection at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. There was one jungle wing stored in the attic that caught my eye as it was signed, “W. J. Moon carpenter and H. E. Burpey [sic.] scenic artist, October 6, 1890.” This information provided a creator and manufacture date for the entire set of eight jungle wings. The “Herald Democrat” confirmed his stay in Leadville at the time, reporting his departure from Leadville for Denver. On October 16, 1890 the newspaper announcement reported, “Mr. H. E. Burcky left last evening for Denver.” Burcky was also listed in the 1890 Denver Directory, but only for that year.
As an itinerant artist Burcky appeared in many city directories, including the Chicago Directory (1875, 1877, 1885, 1887, 1889), as well as the Cincinnati Directory (1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1888, 1889, 1900) and the Camden, NJ, Directory (1905). Although Burcky began his career in Chicago, he worked as an itinerant artist at theaters across the country. In 1884, “Harry Miner’s Dramatic Directory” listed “Burkey” as the scenic artist for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville. However, in the listing, he was noted as, “Burckey, scenic artists, Tabor Opera, Denver,” suggesting that he worked for both venues that year. The 1884 Denver directory also listed “Berky” as the scenic artist for the Academy of Music. Additionally, a scenic artist named “Burck” was credited in the same directory for the Masonic Temple in Louisville, Kentucky; likely Burcky, as theatrical directories are full of misspellings. In short, Burcky traveled to any place where he could secure work, crisscrossing the country by rail.
In 1888, Burcky was credited with scenery for “The New Karl. “ A comedy starring Charles A. Gardner, the Karl character was a peddlar. Gardner was advertised as a “great German comedian” who sang and danced. The “Wheeling Sunday Register” mentioned Burcky’s involvement with the production, reporting, “Scenic artist Burcky deserves credit for several new scenes which he painted for the play” (Wheeling Sunday Register, 19 Feb 1888, page 6). The following year Burcky painted scenery for another Karl production that played at Havlin’s Theatre (The Independent, 27 Aug 1889, page 4).
In 1888 Burcky settled in Cincinnati; well, as much as possible for an itinerant scenic artist at that time. On June 26, 1888, Burcky married Elizabeth “Lizzie” Smith. The following day, the “Cincinnati Enquirer” reported, “Henry Burcky and Lizzie Smith were married yesterday by Squire Hauser.” Louis Hauser was a justice of the Peace and this was not a first marriage for Lizzie. Here is where it gets a bit confusing. Lizzie’s maiden name was Clemmons. She married John J. Smith (b. 1850) in 1870; Smith worked as a janitor and there is no indication of a death, separation or divorce for the couple. In regard to Lizzie, some historical records list her birthplace as Pennsylvania and others Louisiana, but the year seems to remain consistent as 1853. While together, John and Lizzie Smith celebrated the birth of six children. Five of the six children included Charles (b. 1871), George Arthur (1875-1950), Thomas J. (1880-), Florence (m. Meehan, 1881-1964) and William Milton (1882-1914, m. Florence Holmes); one child possibly died in infancy. Lizzie and Henry Burcky celebrated the birth of a daughter in 1895. On Sept. 20, Marie “Alva” Burcky (1895-1969) was born in Hamilton, Ohio.
After Lizzie and Henry’s marriage in 1888, everyone was still living together. The youngest Smith child at the time took his step-father’s name and became William “Milton” Burcky. In 1889, the Chicago Directory listed “Henry E. Burcky, artist 254 Ogden Av.” Interestingly, he was also listed in the 1889 Lake City Directory: “Henry E. Burcky, scenic artist, r. 6611 Halsted, Englewood.” That same year his father Frederick Burcky and William E. Burcky were also listed in the Lakeside Director, each living at the same address as Burcky at 6611 Halsted. It is possible Henry forgot to notify the directory of his moved from Halsted to Ogden, or vice versa.
By 1890, Burcky was listed in the Denver Directory, suggesting that there was enough work to prompt a permanent address for a year. He is also absent from the Chicago and Cincinnati directories in 1890, 1891 and 1892. In 1892, Burcky is credited as painting scenery for Keene’s “Richard III” (“Saint Paul Globe,” 13 Nov. 1892, page 11). “The Springfield Leader and Press” credited “the well-known scenic artist, Berkey,” as one of the artists for Keene’s touring Shakespearean productions that included “Richard III,” “Hamlet,” and “Othello” (4 Dec. 1892. Page 4).
In 1893 and 1894, Burcky was living in Newport, Kentucky, with the Cincinnati Directory listing: “Henry E. Burcky, scenic artist, Walnut Street Theatre, res. Newport.” He remained employed Cincinnati’s Walnut Street Theatre throughout 1893 and 1894. In 1894, the Covington, (Kentucky) city directory listed “H. E. Burcky, scenic artist, h. 936 Putnam.” By the way, Covington is across the river from Cincinnati. It was in the mid 1890s that Burcky’s career hits some sort of snag. He shifts from scenic art and works as a lithographer and paper hanger. In 1895, he is listed in the Cincinnati Directory as “Burcky, Henry E. lithographer, wks. 11 8th nw Main. In 1897, he is listed as “Burcky, Henry E., scenic artist, h. 330 E. 5th”. At this same time, he is listed as living at the same address as his step-sons Thos. J. Burcky and Geo. A. Burcky, both paperhangers too. By 1898, Burcky is again listed as a scenic artist, but still living with Thomas and George, each still employed as paper hangers. The listing was, “Burcky, Henry C., scenic artist, h. flat 7, 337 E. 5th. The “C” becomes another issue in tracking down Burcky, as the cursive “E” was often misread as a “C.”
The 1900 US Federal Census listed Henry and Lizzie living with five of their children, as well as Mattie, their daughter-in-law. Mattie was the wife of Thomas. The theatrical business was a family affair, with both Henry and his stepson Milton (18 yrs. old) working as scenic artists. George (24 yrs.) and Thomas (19 yrs.) were paper hangers, and Charles (age 27) was a carpenter. Interestingly, in 1899 Charles Burcky was previously listed as a paperhanger in the Chicago Directory.
Of the children, it was George A. Smith (m. Julia Anna) who remained involved with the theatre in various roles, including theatre electrician. His obituary noted, “George A. Smith, for many years employed at the Cox and Schubert theaters as stagehand manager, died yesterday at Bethesda Hospital. He was 75 years old. Mr. Smith is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Florence Meehan and Mrs. Alva Tigue, both of Paterson, N.J.; a brother-in-law, William Mack, Cincinnati, and an aunt, Miss Dena Eckhart, 2344 Wheeler Ave., with whom he made his home. His wife, Julianna preceded him to a grave. Mr. Smith was a member of the Oolah Kan Grotto, the Stage Workers Club and Robert Burns Lodge, F. & A.M. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Vitt and Sterner funeral home, Fairmont Burial will be in Spring Grove” (Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Oct. 1950, page 12).
Shortly after the turn of the twentieth century, the Burcky family eventually moved east. By 1905, Henry Burcky was living in New Jersey, listed in the Camden Directory. Alva Burcky was baptized in New York on April 20, 1907 at St. Jerome’s Church, Bronx, New York City. It remains unclear exactly when the family moved, or which members remained in the area after Henry’s passing in 1908. On February 21, 1908, Henry E. Burcky passed away in Manhattan, New York. Listed in the Episcopal Diocese of New York Church Records, he was buried at 377 3rd Ave, Mt. Olivet on February 26, 1908. Interestingly, church records list his age as 60, conflicting with previous documents that suggest a birth year of 1852. I have yet to locate any obituary for Burcky, or memorial. He seems to have passed in relative obscurity.
His daughter Alva ended up living in Manhattan by 1910. The US Federal Census listed that Thomas Smith was living in Manhattan with his wife Mattie, daughter Mildred, and “sister-in-law” Alva Burke. At the time Thomas was employed in a blacksmith shop as a “horseshoer.” It is difficult to track down much information about Alva, as she was listed by both first and middle name in historic records. Regardless, Alva married Patrick Tigue in 1918, listing her parents as Elizabeth Clemmons and Henry Burcky.
When Alva passed away in 1969, the obituary listed her mother as Elizabeth Williams Burcky, and not Elizabeth Clemmons Burcky. “Williams,” may simply have been a typo.
To be continued…
