Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1923, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Left El Dorado for Tulsa, Oklahoma, spent a day with Barnard and saw the city. Enjoyed it immensely.” The next year Moses wrote, “I spent several days with my old friend Herbert Barnard. We had quite a good showing at his studio.” Moses was talking about fellow scenic artist, Herbert Barnard (1880-1949).
By 1923, Barnard had gained quite a reputation throughout the south. On July 22, 1923, the “Tulsa Tribune” reported, “As director and designer of outdoor festivals with their floats and other spectacular trappings. Barnard stands almost unrivaled in America. Despite the number of years that he has been engaged in scenic decoration, his work displays ever-increasing ingenuity and originality. He builds the floats in keeping with the spirit and nature of the event for which they are designed, and in some of his former connections has produced carnivals and festivals of bewildering lavishness and startling originality.”
Herbert Barnard was born on August 20, 1880 in Chicago, Illinois. He changed his last name from Bernard to Barnard by 1918 when he registered for the draft in San Antonio. His draft registration listed his physical appearance as medium height and medium build, with dark hair and brown eyes. Herbert’s extended family was quite large. His grandparents, Martin and Elizabeth Bernhard, emigrated from Germany two years apart; Elizabeth arriving in 1849 with the first of their two children. The couple settled in Chicago, where their family expanded to thirteen children. They eventually moved to New Canada, Minnesota, after all but four children became adults. When Martin passed away in 1886, Elizabeth moved back to Chicago and began living with her children. In 1900, she was living with Phillip – Herbert’s father; the census, however, listed her as “head” of the family.
In regard to Philip Bernhard, he dropped the “h,” going Phillip Bernard. Herbert would further alter the name to Barnard (replacing the “e” with and “a”). In Chicago, Phillip Bernhard worked as designer, although I have to locate any firm or specifics. Regardless, Phillip encouraged his son’s artistic abilities, with Herbert entering the scenic art trade.
It is very likely that Herbert first met Thomas Moses in Chicago at the Sosman & Landis shops, staying with the firm until he moved south. By 1911, Herbert moved to San Antonio Texas, with his young wife Katherine. In 1913, the couple was boarding at 418 S. Press with Herbert’s brother Jacob. The City Directory listed Herbert as working at a studio located on Soledad St. Jacob was working for the architectural firm of Harvey L. Page Co. In 1918, he was still listed as an artist, now running his own business, and living at 610 St. Mary’s in San Antonio, Texas. The couple moved around in San Antonio during the 1920s, going from 310 W. Grammency Place in 1924, to rooming at 1508 Main Ave. in 1926, and finally settling on W. Woodlawn in 1927.
By 1929, the San Antonio City Directory listed Barnard as an art director at Walter J. Daly Studios. Walter J. Studios was responsible for the stage scenery and equipment for a reinforced concrete and stone open-air theater in the Lone Star Garden in San Antonio. I have not found out much more about that scenic studio yet.
The 1930 US Federal Census lists Barnard as an artist and decorator, living with his wife Katherine (42 yrs. old) and son Phillip (19 yrs. old). I have uncovered very little about his work in the 1930s to date. Barnard’s WWII Draft registration card listed a new employer – the WPA Engineering Department, specifically, “Mr. Steinfeldt at Randolph Field in San Antonio, 2036 Addison, Houston, Texas”.
On May 12, 1949, the “Abilene Reporter-News” reported “Texas Artist Dies. Houston, May 11 – Herbert Bernard, 68, San Antonio, died of a heart attack Tuesday night as the home of his son here.” (page 11).
The “Lubbock Morning Avalanche” published a longer obituary, noting “He came to Texas from Chicago in 1911, and since had been associated with the major festivals and parades in the Southwest, including the Battle of Flowers in San Antonio, the Tulsa Oil exposition, and the Mardi Gras celebration in Galveston. He exhibited many paintings of the Texas state flower, the Bluebonnet, and designed and decorated floats for numerous parades throughout the state.”
To be continued…
I have a 30’ x 60’ mural painted by Herbert Barnard in 1939-1940 in my building in Sabinal Tx.