Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
On this day in 1882, scenic artist C. Louis “Lou” Malmsha passed away. He was only 35 years old at the time of his death, yet many believed him to be one of the greatest scenic artists of his day. On October 22, 1882, Henry C. Tryon published an article in the Salt Lake Tribune, writing, “As an humble follower, ardent admirer, friend, and confrere of this dead artist, I felt it my duty to render tribute and homage to his transcendent genius. He was the best in the profession. Every artist who has seen his work has without qualification given him this position as a matter of simple fact. I have seen samples from the hands of the best scenic artists in England, France, and Italy, and from what I have seen and learned, I am convinced that Mr. Malmsha was the greatest scenic painter in the world. His identity appeared to be unbounded. The most familiar with his work could not guess how he would paint next. Week after week and year after year, his productions were a constant succession of surprises. He was entirely an artist and used none but purely art means to accomplish even a mechanical object. His compositions, the motive of which was ever noble and elevated, were entirely original and were produced with astonishing rapidity. He united power and strength with the sweetest tender and delicacy, with grace, sublimity, and loveliness. I have yet to see in American art any examples which manifest the wealth of genius that this man proved that he possessed. I am quite certain that had he turned his attention to the painting of pictures that he would have ranked as the greatest artist that our country has ever produced for his genius was certainly preeminent. His position in his profession was an isolated one. He had no peers. His place vacant, now there is none can fill.”
There is nothing left of Malmsha’s work and little known of his personal life beyond a family grave plot at Riverside Cemetery in Stoughton, Wisconsin. I visited this cemetery last week, and contemplated the love that went into Malmsha’s memorial. The base reads, “Erected by his Wife and Artist friends.” In front of the broken column are five smaller headstones for the entire Malmsha family: Papa, Mama, Freddie and two with “Baby.” I have yet to uncover anything about Malmsha’s personal life, nor his marriage to Emma. They were married quite young, and only a short time after Malmsha arrived from Sweden.
On a cloudy fall day, it was difficult to look at the gravestones without experiencing profound sorrow. By the age of 32, Emma Malmsha had lost three children and her husband. She never remarried and lived for three more decades, passing away in 1912. I have yet to locate a single historical record about her life, or even a marriage license to Lou.
When Emma was seventeen years old and Lou was twenty years old they mourned the loss of
their first child on Aug. 30, 1867. The name at the base of the gravestone is badly chipped, possibly reading “Daws,” but “Our Baby” remains clearly legible.
They would not celebrate the birth of another child for six more years. That second child was born to the couple the same year that Thomas G. Moses met Lou Malmsha – 1873.
When Thomas G. Moses began his artistic career, he assisted Malmsha who was lead artist at Jevne & Almini, fresco painters. Moses recalled Malmsha years later, writing “He was a very clever man. In all the years that have passed since then, I have never found a man that could do so little and get so much out of his work, very simple in drawing and color, but very effective.”
In the fall of 1873 and at the beginning of 1875, Lou and Emma celebrated the birth of two more children. Despite a string of continued successes in the theatre, the family’s personal life began to crumble, as did Lou’s health. On June 23, 1877, the couple lost their second child, only two years and six months old. A small gravestone simply carries the name of “Baby” at the top.
Less than a year later, they lost their third child. On March 3, 1878 Freddie passed away at the age of four years and six months old.
The loss of Freddy occurred just before Lou left for Minnesota to paint stock scenery for the St. Paul Opera House. On site, Malmsha must have thrown himself into work, painting six scenes that included a kitchen, a landscape, a three-door chamber, a forest, the street, and a garden.”
Just prior loss of their two children, Lou also began showing the signs of illness; he suffered from consumption. Despite his ill health, Malmsha continued to work as a scenic artist for McVicker’s Theatre in Chicago. Upon his passing in 1882, Henry C. Tryon wrote, “For the past ten or twelve years he had been afflicted with consumption so that it was difficult for him to exert himself violently or to do more than two or three hours a day, but as he was for the past few months required to do none but purely artwork, other artists doing all of the preliminary work possible to make his labor easier, he was enabled, no doubt up to a recent period, to astonish and delight the audiences at McVickers with the exhibition of phenomenal genius.” This meant that Malmsha began suffering from consumption in his early 20s.
Malmsha was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1847. Demonstrating a strong talent for painting at an early age, Malmsha emigrated to America in 1863, soon settling in Chicago and securing employment with the fresco artists, Jevne & Almini. While working for the firm, Malmsha became interested in scenic art and soon was assisting Mr. Arragon at Crosby’s Opera House.
In 1866 he moved to New York where he executed the first scene for “The Black Crook.” This was just prior to the loss of his first child. In New York Malmsha also was engaged multiple times at the Union Square Theatre, as well as Dan Bryant’s Old Hall on 23rd Street and Kelly and Leon’s Minstrels. While in New York City, Malmsha designed and painted scenery for the Tammany Amusement Co. On March 14, 1869, Malmsha was also credited with several scenes for “Harlequinade,” including the settings that depicted Horse Cars on Sixth and Eighth avenues, the Wildcat Bank, and a Seminary for Young Ladies” (New York Daily Herald, 14 March 1869, age 9).
By the end of the decade, Malmsha briefly worked alongside William Voegthlin. The two painted scenery for “Robinson Crusoe and His Man Friday,” a pantomime burlesque at the Tammany theatre. Malmsha’s settings for the production included the Island of Sorosis, the Rocky Shore of the Island, London in the Olden Times, the Forest Dell, the Firework Shop and Groceries, Seaman’s Home and Pawn Shop, and the Caverns of Gloom (New York Daily Herald, 25 April 1869, page 16).
Working as an itinerant artist, Malmsha next partnered with Barney Macauley of Cincinnati. At this time, he was listed in the Cincinnati Directory, boarding at 69 W. 6th.
He returned to Chicago just before the great fire in 1871, and began working at McVicker’s Theatre with James Howard Rogers. Rogers had already been at the venue for twelve years. A few weeks into this job, the great fire prompted Malmsha to return to Cincinnati. It is doubtful that Malmsha’s family traveled with him to each city. Emma was likely living in Stoughton, waiting for her husband to return between projects. This was certainly the case with Tom Moses and his wife Ella.
In March 1871, Malmsha was credited with painting new scenery for “Streets of New York” at Wood’s Theater in Cincinnati. (“Cincinnati Enquirer,” 9 March 1871, page 5). Other productions painted by Malmsha there included “Blue Beard,” starring Miss Lydia Thompson” (Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Dec. 1871, page 5). Malmsha was listed as a scenic artist in the Cincinnati Directory from 1871 to 1873, residing at 73 W. 3rd. On February 18, 1873, the “Cincinnati Enquirer” credited Malmsha as the “leading scenic artist of the day” for Dion Boucicault’s new one-act play, “Kerry, or Night and Morning” (page 8). The article reported:
“Wood’s Theater. – The engagement of Dion Boucicault at Macauley’s theater is so far the dramatic event of the season. Boucicault is the Shakespeare of scenic effects, and we might almost say the creator of the modern stage, materially speaking. He is also the most successful playwright of the generation, and last night he proved himself likewise the most powerful emotional actor and the truest delineator of Irish character that has ever appeared here. If more is wanting to justify our opening assertion, it is easily supplied. The actor and author brings with him as support his accomplished wife, professionally “Agnes Robertson,” and several other powerful supports, while the manager of the theater, appreciating the occasion, has not only strengthened his company, but has, with the aid of the leading scenic artist of the day, L. Malmsha, “put on” the plays in a style unexampled here.” The production was Boucicault’s new one-act play “Kerry, or Night and Morning.” On Nov. 24, 1873, the “Cincinnati Enquirer” included an advertisement crediting “L. Malmsha” for “entirely new scenery” for “Divorce,” the great society play, at Wood’s Theater.
Malmsha returned to Chicago by 1874 and began working at McVicker’s Theatre again It is possible that the birth of his second child prompted his return to accept a permanent position closer to his wife in Stoughton, Wisconsin. In 1877, Malmsha was listed in the Chicago Directory’s “Artists” section, living at 768 Wabash Ave. By 1878, Malmsha was credited with the new Opera House scenery in St. Paul. “Manager Hains has secured the services of Mr. Louis Malmsha, the scenic artist of McVicker’s theater, Chicago, to repaint and add to the scenery of the opera house. Mr. Malmsha is one of the best scenic artists in the country. He will arrive in St. Paul this morning and begin work at once” (“Daily Globe,” 12 August 1881, Vol 4, No. 224). The “Saint Paul Globe” reported the work was completed by “Mr. L. Malmsha, renowned throughout the entire theatre-going public as the scene painter of McVicker’s establishment, Chicago” (11 July 1878, page 4). As part of a four-week renovation, the “Saint Paul Globe” reported, “This consists in the refitting of the entire stage scenery behind the curtain with new “flats” and “wings,” depicted on new canvas. The scenes so far completed are six in number, but, with the “set piece” and others to follow will, when finished, amount to twenty-four in all. The six completed scenes were last night privately exhibited to a very few invited guests and to the members of the press. They consist of a kitchen, a landscape, a three-door chamber, a forest, the street, and a garden.”
Regardless of other projects. Malmsha continued to work with Rogers at McVicker’s Theatre in Chicago, painting “Little Innocents” (1877), “After Dark” (1878), and “The Parson” (1880). The two were also credited with scenery for Gotthold & Rial’s touring production of “Uncle Tom” (Racine Daily Herald, 6 Feb 1879, page 4). Despite his failing health, Malmsha continued to paint. Upon his passing, newspapers noted that although physicians advised Malmsha to “seek a more salubrious climate,” he remained in Chicago to continue his art.
Rest in Peace.
