Thomas G. Moses resigned
at Sosman & Landis on September 1, 1918 and began working for New York
Studios that fall. In 1919, he left the employ of David H. Hunt at New York
Studios and signed a new contract with the Chicago Studios. Even though Moses
was no longer affiliated with Sosman & Landis the company trudged on under
the management of Perry “Lester” Landis, son of the co-founder Perry Landis.
Much of the scenery credited to the studio in 1919, however, had been completed
under the direct supervision of Moses before his departure.
Advertisement for the DeKoven Opera Company’s production of “Robin Hood,” from the “Alton Evening Telegraph,” 15 April 1919, page 7.
In 1919, Sosman & Landis studio was credited with the scenery for the DeKoven Opera Company’s production of “Robin Hood.” Ironically, the scenic art was still credited to the firm’s two founders Sosman and Landis. On May 19, 1919, the “Post Crescent” reported,
“APPLETON THEATRE. ‘Robin
Hood.’
Did you really ever see a
first class performance of the best COMIC OPERA any American Composer has
written? ROBIIN HOOD is worth seeing and hearing, for both is joy. The time you
remember as the 13th century and the locale is the Medieval City of
Nottingham in England where the ubiquitous ‘Sheriff’ is the ‘Pooh Bah’ of the
town. Here is where Ed Andres the veteran comedian shines. Later his activities
extend to Sherwood Forest, and his complicated drolleries seem never ending.
The scenic artists Sosman & Landis have achieved a remarkable piece of work
in both of these settings for the DeKoven Opera Company, the Central square of
Nottingham being a magnificent panorama of the middle ages and the forest scene
with its rustic beauties a vista of rare beauty. The choral effects, the clever
dances, the kaleidoscopic lighting, and the delightful ensembles which Mr.
DeKoven wove into his most successful opera form a cycle of entertainment which
those who witness at the Appleton Theatre next Monday May 17 will long remember”
(Appleton, Wisconsin, page 7).
Early in 1917, Thomas G. Moses
wrote, “Did “Faust” for Sheehan and Beck, very complete.” Moses was referring
to Joseph Sheehan and Edward M. Beck. The scenery was for a summer touring
production. In 1917, Beck was managing the Boston Opera Company and Sheehan was
performing with the group.
The Boston Opera Company
selected “Faust” for their special limited tour of Canada, with Joseph Sheehan
playing the title role (“Ottawa Citizen,” 12 June 1917, page 7). On June 11,
1917, the “Ottawa Journal” reported, “From a standpoint of product The Boston
English Opera Company has excelled all previous efforts. Special attention has
been given that every detail is carried out to perfection making the scenic
picture one of rare beauty. There are few operas which give the opportunities
for beautiful stage setting which ‘Faust’ does; its different scenes all
picturesque to the extreme and full advantage has been taken to make this end of
the production on a par with its wonderful artists which comprise the Boston
English Opera Company” (page 11).
From the “Lansing State Journal,” 14 March 1914 page 11.
Of Sheehan’s performance, the
“Ottawa Journal” commented, “As Faust, Mr. Sheehan is at his best. His voice
meets its every requirement, and those who have heard the great American tenor
have noticed that strain of sentiment in his work which has made his
impersonation of Faust one of the best, if not the best, in his extensive
repertoire” (2 June 1917, page 21). Nelli Gardini played the role of Marguerite.
From the “Ottawa Journal,” 2 June 1971, page 21.
Moses first encountered Sheehan when he performed with the
Aborn Grand Theatre Company. In 1910, Sosman & Landis delivered scenery for
their production of “Madame Butterfly,” with Sheehan performing the role of
Pinkerton. That year Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We did an elaborate set for Mme.
Butterfly for the Aborn Opera Company at McVicker’s.” The “Gibson City Courier”
noted the production’s “special scenery of unusually beautiful design” (6 May
1910, page 6). Moses provided another “Madame Butterfly” for the Sheehan Opera
Company of Chicago in 1911. In advertisements, Sheehan was billed as America’s
Greatest Tenor and Famous Opera Star” (“Akron Beacon,” 5 April 1913, page 8).
He toured the company, starring in a series of operas that appeared in not only
large metropolitan areas, but also many small towns.
Sheehan continued as a repeat
customer at Sosman & Landis after he partnered with Edward M. Beck. In
1913, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Sheehan and Beck dropped in with ‘Bohemian
Girl.’” The Sheehan English Opera Co. production of “The Bohemian Girl” was on
tour of 1913. Sheehan and Beck were in Chicago with the production when made a
point of visiting Sosman & Landis about another project.
Another Sheehan-Beck production
with Sosman & Landis scenery that toured in 1913 was “Salome.” Of the
production, Moses wrote, “We turned out a big production of ‘Salome’ for
Sheehan and Beck – some very effective scenes.
A good portion of the contract price never saw our office – one bad
feature about shows that don’t go.” And then all was quiet for a few years,
until Sheehan and Beck contacted Moses again about scenery for “Faust.”
In regard to the 1917 production of “Faust,” the Boston English Opera Company revived “Faust” at the Strand Theater in Chicago after the summer tour (Chicago Tribune, 14 October, page 37). The Musical Courier reported, “Inasmuch as Chicago has not had a season of opera in English for several years and in view of the fact that this city has had an almost marvelous growth as a music center in the last few years, the announcement that the Boston English Opera Company has been incorporated to present a season of opera in the vernacular at the Strand Theatre, beginning Monday, October 1, will be of unusual interest to music lovers and music students. Edward M. Beck, who has had wide experience in the organization in the organization and management of English opera companies throughout the United States and Canada, has been engaged as a general manager of the new organization. Mr. Beck did not conclude to launch this enterprise until he had made a very careful investigation of the situation in which he found that there seems to be a great demand for English opera. (Musical Courier, Weekly Review of the World’s Music, Aug. 4, 1917). Of the performance, “Musical America” reported, “Joseph F. Sheehan, as Faust, astonished everyone by his singing, doing as well as he ever did in his palmiest days. His voice was full and rich, His phrasing and musicianship were above reproach, and he took the high C of “All Hail, Thou Dwelling” with perfect ease and rich tone” (Vol. XXVL, No. 26, October 27, 1917, page 32).
Today, I examine the life and career of Henry E. Burcky. Burcky was credited as the scenic artist for the Tabor Opera House in “Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory” for the 1884-1885 season. As I noted yesterday, theatrical guides are tricky. There is no distinction between the scenic artist who worked at a theater and the scenic artist who simply produced stock scenery for a venue. By 1879, Burcky was a well-known scenic artist living in Chicago, traveling across the country for work. I believe that Burcky delivered painted scenery for the Tabor, but did not work at the venue, creating roll drops, borders, wings and shutters on site.
Painted detail from the wing and shutter scenery that predates the 1902 scenery at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.
Like many scenic artists of his day, Burcky travelled across
the country, following an ever-expanding theatrical network that steadily
spread from east to west. Traveling with cotton sheeting, dry colors, glue, and
brushes, Burky arrived on site. Once situated and after the paint frame was
built, he painted the entire stock scenery collection for the Tabor Opera
House. The railway had not reached Leadville in 1879; so all materials were
brought to town by coach. Keep in mind that the Tabor Opera House was just one
of many theaters that Burcky provided scenery for in 1879. He is quite a
fascinating individual.
Henry Burcky was born in 1852, one of three sons born to German
immigrants. Yes, the German contribution to American theatre again! His father,
Frederick Burcky (1814-1902), was a widower and baker; advertising in the 1862
Chicago city directory as running a bakery at 86 Wells. Eight years later, Baker
Burcky worked as a confectioner in downtown Chicago. He never remarried and
always lived with at least one of his sons.
Henry E. Burcky was the middle child; William was three
years older and Charles was nine years younger. The 1870 US Census listed all the
three boys attending school in Chicago; Burcky was eighteen years old at the
time, an advanced age for public schools. It is possible he was attending art
school, or another form of advanced education, the education institution
remains unknown at this time.
By 1875, the US Census Records lists Henry as an “artist” and
his younger brother Charles as a “printer,” all three sons are still living
with their father. The oldest son, William works at a restaurant. All three
boys were still living at home with their father, who was now working as a
baker and renting a unit at 173 Randolph Street. In 1876, Chicago’s Lakeside
Directory listed Burcky as a scenic artist working at 83 S. Halsted. By 1878,
Burcky painted the new scenery for “Our Bachelors” at Hooley’s Theatre in
Chicago. The program from January 28, 1878 noted, “Entire New Scenery for this
Piece. Painted by H. E. Burcky.” His
stage settings included a Breakfast Room at Mrs. Mouser’s, Terrace at Central
park, Drawing Room and Conservatory, and Bangle’s Bower on the Hudson.” In
1879, Burcky was still painting scenery for Hooley’s Theatre when he was also
credited wit the new scenery for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.
On May 26, 1879, Hooley’s production of “Adirondacks” also listed H. E. Burcky
as their “scenic artist.” Burcky continued to be listed as the scenic artist at
Hooleys until 1881, painting settings for “The Danites” that summer (March
20, 1881) and the scenery for “Mulligan’s Silver Wedding” (June 13, 1881). Later that summer, J. W.
Ritter was listed as the new scenic artist for the venue, as Burcky began a new
partnership.
1878 program listing H. E. Burcky as the scenic artist for Hooleys Theatre.1879 program listing H. E. Burcky as the scenic artist for Hooleys Theatre.1881 program listing H. E. Burcky as the scenic artist for Hooleys Theatre.
In many cases, large painting projects required more than
one scenic artist on site. Scenic artists would partner up, sharing experience
and contacts. In 1881, “The Cincinnati Enquirer” credited H. E.
Burcky and Henry C. Tryon as providing the scenery for the city’s Opera
festival (15 Feb 1881, page 4). The article reported. “The scenery is nearly
completed for every opera. Messrs. H. E. Burcky and Henry Tynor [sic. Tryon],
the young and talented artists who came here from Chicago to assist in painting
the scenery, have been doing excellent work. They are bright, intelligent and
rapid workers, and by for their assistance it would have been difficult to have
scenery ready by the Monday next. Mr. Burcky is scenic artist at Hooley’s
Theatre in Chicago, and Mr. Tryon at McVickers. They express themselves as
amazed at the extent and magnitude of the affair.” Messrs. Burcky & Tryon of Chicago were
especially credited with the sixth scene of the production, noted as a
“Beautifully painted scene – 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” (Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, 23 February 1881, page 4). Tyron
worked all over the country, including in the Sosman & Landis studio in
Chicago.
By 1885, the “Chicago Inter Ocean” reported that H. E. Burcky
provided new settings for Dion Boucicault’s Irish Drama “The Colleen Bawn,” at
the Olympic Theatre. (9 Aug. 1885, page
13). The article reported, “New sets of
scenery, showing the Lakes of Kiliarney, the cave by the sea, and other
beautiful bits of scenery incidental to the play have been painted for the
occasion by H. E. Burcky, the scenic artist.” That same year, the “Chicago
Tribune,” advertised “Realistic stage effects and the great battle scene by H.
E. Burcky” for the production of “Custer” at the Olympic Theatre. The
advertisement listed “Custer” as the great drama by Alfred Trumball that
starred Wm. J. Fleming and company.
By 1887, roles had reversed for parent and child, as Burcky’s
father began boarding with his son at 254 Ogden Ave in Chicago, an address that
would remain constant until the younger Burcky married and moved to Cincinnati.
On June 26, 1888, Henry Burcky married his second wife Lizzie Smith, a native
of New Orleans, in Hamilton, Ohio. The “Cincinnati Enquirer reported, “Henry
Burcky and Lizzie Smith were married yesterday by Squire Hauser” (27 June 1888,
page 6). I have been unable to find any information about his first wife. By
1888, Henry and Lizzie were living at 6611 Halsted Englewood in Lake City,
Illinois, although Burcky was still listed at 254 Ogden Ave in the Chicago
Directory that year. His son Charles was
listed as a painter, residing at 3636 Dashiel. By 1889, the Chicago Business
Directory listed Henry E. at the Same address, still working as a scenic
artist.
By 1893 and 1894, Burcky was listed as the scenic artist for
the Walnut Street Theatre in Cincinnati, residing in nearby Newport. Burcky
remained in the area, and in 1897, Burky was living with his two sons, George
and Thomas, at 330 E. 5th Street, Both were paperhangers.
By 1900 the US Census listed Henry and Lizzie the couple
living with six adult children: Charles
(b. 1871), George (b. 1875), Thomas (b. 1880?), Charlene (b. 1880), and Milton
(1882). All of the sons were involved in the decorative arts with Henry and his
youngest son Milton working as scenic artists. Charlie worked as a carpenter,
with both George and Thomas making their living as paperhangers. In 1900 the
Burcky family was living at 716 Kenyon in 17 Precinct of Cincinnati with his
second wife Lizzie, five children and a daughter-in-law. However, the new
century brought new opportunities, as Burcky followed many other artists east
to the coast where another building boom was occurring.
In 1905, Burcky was listed as a “scenic painter” residing at
232 Ambler, in the Camden City Directory (New Jersey). And that’s where
Burcky’s trail has ended so far.
Walter W. Burridge. Undated newspaper clipping from the scrapbook of Thomas G. Moses.
Walter W. Burridge was a good friend and colleague of
Thomas G. Moses. In 1887, they established the scenic art firm Burridge, Moses
and Louderback, with well-known art dealer Walter Louderback. In 1914, Burridge
died after sketching scenes of the Grand Canyon for two months. His work was part
of the Santa Fe Railroad’s $300,000 exhibit for the Panama-Pacific Exposition
in San Francisco. Many newspapers covered Burridge’s death and burial, but it
was the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” that provided a wonderful recount of his
achievements (Brooklyn, NY, 26 June 1913, page 20). Although I have written
extensively about Burridge in the past, this is a lovely summery of his life:
“WALTER W. BURRIDGE SCENIC ARTIST DIES.
Brooklyn Man Succumbs to Heart Disease at Albuquerque,
New Mexico.
STOOD AT TOP OF PROFESSION.
Was Engaged on Big Contract for Panama Exposition When
End Came.
Word was received in Brooklyn today, that Walter W.
Burridge, one of the foremost scene painter of his time, has been found dead in
a hotel in the little city of Albuquerque, N.M., yesterday. Death was attributed
to heart disease super induced by acute indigestion. Mr. Burridge had just
arrived in Albuquerque from the Grand Canyon, where he had been painting
pictures for two months. He was 56 years old.
Walter Burridge was a Brookylnite, born and bred, and very
well known as a painter of theatrical scenery. In 1903, he executed at the
Academy of Music the largest scenery contract ever awarded to a scenic artist.
$200,000 worth of scenery, including eighty complete sets and 300 hanging
pieces, was turned out under his supervision. The work was done for Henry W.
Savage, manager of the Castle Square Opera Company. Its most important feature
was the preparation of special sets of scenery for each one of the operas in
the Castle Square Opera Company repertoire. One of the pieces he completed was
the magnificent storm scene in the first act of Verdi’s ‘Othello.” It was
considered the piece de resistance of all the scenic effects ever produced at
the Academy.
Mr. Burridge had, at one time or another, been associated
with all the prominent actors and actresses in the country, among them Otis
Skinner, Julia Arthur and Margaret Miller.
Mr. Burridge’s father, Henry, was the proprietor of the
old Mason’s Arms Inn, on Myrtle Avenue, which was noted in its time as a resort
for artists and actors. The leading lights of both professions met there
frequently and the boy learned to know them well.
Young Burridge had a magnificent soprano voice and sang
as a choir boy in St. Anne’s Church, the Church of the Redeemer, and St. John’s
Church, where he was solo singer. His voice bade fair to connect him with the
stage in another capacity than that of a scenic painter.
As a boy, Mr. Burridge helped produce the scenic waves at
the old Park Theatre, by doing stunts on his hands and knees under a layer of
canvas, The old theater carried with it many pleasing reminiscences for him.
There he met Fred Chippendale and his wife. Later, at the Brooklyn Theater,
which stood on the site of the present Eagle building, he was fortunate enough
to attract the attention of Harley Merry, who was a great scenic artist of his
day, He was apprenticed to Merry at the age of 13 and scored his first success
by painting a water fall that had to be gotten out during his master’s absence.
Mr. Burridge did most of his work in the West.
Thirty-five years ago, he painted many cycloramas. For the Philadelphia
Centennial he painted the ‘Siege of Paris,’ and supervised the reproduction of
the well-known ‘Battle of Gettysburg.’ He also executed a Government commission
in Hawaii. He was sent there to paint a cycloramic picture of the great
volcano, Kilauea, which was part of the Government exhibit at the Chicago
World’s Fair.
Hugo Gerber, manager of the Lee Lash Studios at 1476
Broadway, Manhattan, who knew Mr. Burridge well, said today that he received a
telegram from the West confirming the news of the death of Mr. Burridge. ‘His
wife was with him at the time,’ he said. ‘Mr. Burridge had been working for us
lately and had been sketching in the Grand Canyon. He was preparing some very
important work there for the Panama Exposition, but I don’t know the details of
it.
‘We expected Mr. Burridge to return East in a short time.
The telegram we received was from his wife. It did not state the cause of
death.
‘Mr. Burridge had done much big work for Klaw &
Erlanger, but principally for Henry W. Savage. One of the last pieces of work
he did was painting the scenery for ‘The Trail of Lonesome Pine.’ He was one of
the most prominent scenic painter in the country.”
Burridge was survived by his wife, son Walter, two
brothers, Cyril and Harry Burridge (New York and Marblehead, Mass.), and a
sister, Miss Sarah Burridge (of Brooklyn). The loss of this artist in the prime
of his career was immeasurable, a shock to the fine art and theatre worlds. He
had so much potential and the Grand Canyon exhibit was to be one of the
pinnacles of his career.
There is so much more to Burridge’s story and his
accomplishments that I could not include in today’s post. However, I will end
with a quote from Burridge in 1902:
“Did you ever stop to think,” said Walter Burridge, one
of the best-known scenic artists in the country, “how the public says all kinds
of nice things about some popular theatrical production and throws bouquets at
everyone connected with it, except the man who painted the scenery? Of course
the man doesn’t care a rap for fame. His soul is wrapped up in his work; he
never comes before the gaze of the public, and never wants to. But at the same
time, it is a curious fact that the scenic artist is an individual whose
personality never becomes known to the public. If he paints a particularly
beautiful scene it never fails to elicit round after round of applause. The
people who are applauding, however, do not know who executed the painting, and
they don’t care. It is pretty and that is enough for them.” When Burridge was
interviewed by Chicago’s “Inter Ocean” on June 8, 1902, he was putting the
finishing touches on the scenes that were to be used in the production “The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz” that was opening at the Grand Opera House the next week
(page 42).
Walter W. Burridge with model of a theater design. Undated newspaper clipping from the scrapbook of Thomas G. Moses.
In 1911, Thomas G. Moses
wrote, “I did a good ‘Mme. Butterfly’ set for Joe Sheehan.”
Joe Sheehan pictured in the “Lansing State Journal,” 14 March 1914 page 11
Joe Sheehan was the star of the Sheehan Opera Company of
Chicago, also known as the Sheehan English Opera Company. While I was looking
for information pertaining to the company and show, I happened upon an
interesting blog by Mary Lois – “Finding Myself in Hoboken.” Unbelievably, one
entry included a gentleman’s reminiscences about his wife’s grandfather, Joe
Sheehan. Posted on May 29, 2008, it provides some basic information about
Sheehan from an interesting and familial perspective. Slezak had been sent Lois
a series of emails since he discovered her blog. Lois commented, “He likes to
remember what Hoboken was like in the late 1940’s and through the 1950’s, and
he describes it vividly” (https://myselfinhoboken.blogspot.com/2008/05/).
She included the following sample:
“My wife’s dad – what a nice guy he was…played with the big bands during
the war. (His dad was an opera singer from Dublin who toured Europe with the
Carl Rosa opera company..he came to America in 1900…and started his own opera
company, Joseph Sheehan Opera Company …you can look him up on the computer.
In them days he was the greatest tenor English opera singer in the world. After
he retired from that he worked for RKO Radio studios in NYC…and later it
became NBC studios…he lived on Garden Street just across the street from me)
My wife’s both grandmothers lived across the street from me when I was a kid. I
have a picture of me and my wife in the same picture – she was 5. I was 9, not
knowing I would marry her some day and spend the rest of my life with her. I
got lucky and always had good luck…with every thing I did in life.”
In advertisements, Sheehan was billed as America’s Greatest
Tenor and Famous Opera Star” (The Akron Beacon, 5 April 1913, page 8). He
toured the company, starring in a series of operas that appeared in not only
large metropolitan areas, but also many small towns.
As I was examining the various performance venues where Sheehan appeared, one jumped out – the Wieting Theatre in Toledo, Iowa. His performance is mentioned on their current website (https://wieting.tamatoledo.com/theOpening). The history page noted, “The new curtains of the Wieting Opera House parted for the first time at 8 o’ clock on the evening of Sept. 12, 1912. A capacity “house,” all dressed for the gala occasion (especially those in the box seats), had paid $1.50, $2.00 or $2.50 per ticket to see the Sheehan English Opera Company’s presentation of “Il Trovatore.” The show featured Joseph F. Sheehan, “America’s Greatest Tenor” and a supporting cast of more than one hundred.”
Until two years ago, I was unaware of Toledo, Iowa. A
scenery evaluation brought me to the small town during the spring on 2017 to
examine their front curtain and present some information about the painted
aesthetic for early-twentieth-century stages.
At the time the Wieting Theatre was well ino the process of renovating
their entire stage area. I stayed at the home of the executive director and learned
quite a bit about how the history of the Wieting theatre, and its two sister
theaters in Syracuse and Worcester, New York.
These three memorial theaters have an intereting history in their own
right.
The front curtain by Twin City Scenic Co. at the Weiting Theatre in Toledo, Iowa.Painted detail of the front curtain at the Weiting Theatre in Toledo, Iowa.Painted detail of the front curtain at the Weiting Theatre in Toledo, Iowa.
The theaters are connected to Dr. P. G. Wieting and Helen “Ella”
Wilder. The couple was married on December 5th 1866, and initially lived in Worcester,
New York. Only staying in the area a short while, heir second homes was located
in Toledo Iowa by 1867. Dr. Wieting was successful dentist in Toledo, but also was
involved in many other business ventures. In 1878 Dr. Wieting and Helen’s father
started the Toledo City Bank. Though the Wietings eventually returned to the
East Dr. Wieting continued to be involved with the Toledo bank until
his passing in 1906.
To honor her husband after his death, Mrs. Wieting donated
theatres to the communities of Worcester, New York, and Toledo, Iowa. These
theatres were intended to carry on the name of her late husband while enriching
the communities. The Wietings were also
responsible for the construction of a previous Wieting Opera House in Syracuse,
New York. Although there had been a series of Weiting Opera Houses in Syracuse since
1852, Mrs. Wieting was responsible for the third and final building. The first
Wieting Opera House was donated to Syracuse by 19th century
physician and medical lecturer John M. Wieting, M.D. (1817-1888).
Attached are a few images of the front curtain from Toledo, Iowa.
In 1910, Thomas G. Moses wrote,
“We did an elaborate set for Mme. Butterfly for the Aborn Opera Company at
McVicker’s.” The “Gibson City Courier” noted the production’s “special scenery
of unusually beautiful design” (6 May 1910, page 6).
Detail from a program featuring the Aborn English Grand Opera Company, 1912
On May 6, 1910, “The Daily
Herald” reported, “ ‘Madame Butterfly,’ the most popular of the modern
reperatory of operas, will be used by the Aborn Grand Opera Company to
inaugurate their season of grand opera in English at McVicker’s Theatre,
Chicago, Sunday night, May 8” (Arlington Heights, Illinois, page 9). Other
shows that season included “Il Trovatore,” May 15; “Faust,” May 22, and “Aida,”
May 29.
The “Daily Herald” also noted, “
Edward Temple, stage manager at the wonderful New York Hippodrome for three
years, and for many seasons stage director at the Metropolitan Opera House in
New York, has been engaged to stage the grand operas in English, which will be
heard at McVicker’s Theatre, beginning Sunday, May 8, with a production of
Puccini’s ‘Madame Butterfly” (15 April, 1910, page 5).
The cast included Dora De
Fillippe in the title role, with Joseph Sheehan playing the role of Pinkerton.
Other performers in the cast included Ethel Dufre Houston, Ottley Cranston and
Chevalier N. B. Emanuel.
The “Daily Herald” reported,
“There has never been an attraction in Chicago which has received such an enthusiastic
praise as has the Aborn Grand Opera Company in its performances of grand opera
in English at McVicker’s Theater, Chicago…The critics of Chicago, without
exception, have talked of the wonderful orchestra, the complete mise-en-scene,
the splendid principals, the adequate scenic production and the excellence of
the big chorus employed by the Aborn company.”
Prices for the production in
Chicago were the standard 25 cents, 50 cents, and 75 cents with $1 options.
The Aborn Opera Company was active from 1895 until 1922. Founded by Milton and Sargent Aborn in New York City, the company toured extensively across the country. The two brothers began as theater managers in 1885.
A drop curtain by H. J. Reid was described in the article “Well-known
Drop Curtain in Philadelphia Theatres” (The Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec. 18,
1894). The J. was a misprint, as the scenic artist was Hugh Logan Reid (1853-1928).
The Empire Theatre, located at Broad and Locust
Streets from 1891 to 1898, produced large scenic productions during seven-years
existence. Originallydesigned by architect Willis G. Hale, the building
was soon razed for the construction of the Walton Hotel in 1898.
The Empire Theatre in Philadelphia
Of Reid’s drop curtain for the theater, the “Philadelphia
Inquirer” reported:
“Curtains that show reproductions of famous paintings are
among the most expensive in the world to obtain, because it is not every artist
who is willing to put his name to the painting which is going to be critically
compared to, perhaps, the greatest painter in the world, and when he does make
up his mind to do so, he will want to work very slowly and to be paid a very
good sum for his worry and time. Such a curtain is the masterpiece displayed at
the Empire Theatre. This subject was selected by Manager J. B. Worrell, during
one of his European trips. The curtain was painted in 1891, by H. J. Reid, of
New York, a young artist rapidly rising to fame. The scene presents the
interior of the ducal hall. The duchess appears seated, her ladies in waiting
about her, and her husband, the duke, standing behind her, when an old
musician, with a battered mandolin, and accompanied by his blind daughter and a
lean, apparently half-starved dog, enters the apartment. The old musician plays
while his blind daughter accompanies him in song. The well-kept dog belonging
to the duke meanwhile scrapes and acquaintance with his less fortunate canine
friend. Through an open door at the rear is seen an attendant entering with a
tray, containing wine and other refreshments for the half-famished visitors. So
realistic is the scene that the ruffled up edge of the large moquette rug in
the foreground of the picture seems not to have been painted, but to be
actually placed on the curtain. There are eleven full-sized figures in the
scene, not including the dogs. The border of this curtain is painted with a
conventional design, representing a deep gilded frame, ornamented with
dimple-cheeked cherubs, busts of women, wreaths, and festoons of flowers, with
medallions in bas relief in the lower corners.”
Reid was well-respected as a figure painter. Reid was an associated
with the Providence, Rhode Island, area, but he also worked in many eastern
cities as an itinerant artist, such as Boston, Philadelphia and New York.
In Harry Miner’s American Drama Directory, for the 1882-1883 season, Reid was
listed as the scenic artist at the Providence Opera House.
By 1883, Reid was working from coast to coast. According
to the “Boston Globe,” he furnished scenery for a new theatre at Los Angeles (7
Oct. 1883, page 10),. That year, Reid
also worked with Jos. Clare to produce the sets for the “Duke’s Motto, ‘I am Here!’” at the Fifth
Avenue Theatre in New York (Boston Globe, 8 Dec. 1883, page 7).
By 1884 Reid entered into another partnership with Harley
Merry and J. L. Getz, establishing “Getz, Merry & Reid.” Getz was also from the Boston area, with Merry
located in Brooklyn. The firm lasted approximately five years. Theirbiggest
success was the creation of scenery for Wm. J. Gilmore’s “The Twelve
Temptations,” an attraction advertised as “a scenic, ballet, and pantomimic
spectacle.” The painted settings
included sixteen full stage pictures with a moving panorama.
In 1887, Reid created scenery for Imre Kiralfy’s “Grand and
Colossal Revival of the Famous Ravel Pantomime, Mazulm the Night Owl” (The
Times, Philadelphia, 25 Dec. 1887, page 9). At the time, Reid was listed as the
scenic artist for the Globe Theatre. Another notable production with scenery
credited to Reid was E. E. Rice’s “World’s Fair” in 1890 (The Boston Globe. 27
July 1890, page 10). By 1891, the “Boston Globe” reported that Reid was “one of
the most noted scenic artists in the country (13 Sept. 1891, page 9).
Reid moved to New York City and officially established
his residence there. In New York Reid began painting for a variety of theaters,
but was primarily associated with Daly’s Theatre of Manhattan (The Standard
Union, Brooklyn, 17, Aug. 1902, page 15).
He became the primary scenic artist for Henry W. Savage’s
the Castle Square Opera Company during 1899. Other scenic artists for the venue
during the company’s existence included Thomas G. Moses, Walter Burridge, Frank
King, and John Clare. Reid’s design’s included “The Grand Duchess,”
“Rigoletto,” “Olivette,” “La Gioconda,”
“Mikado,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” “Carmen,” “The Barber of Seville,” “Faust,”
“Il Trovatore,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Aida.” (The increased volume of
subscriptions during the first three seasons of the Castle Square Opera
Company, supported Savage’s plan to establish at the American Theatre a
permanent home for opera in English. The
opera company also had branches in Chicago and St. Louis. By 1900, it was advertised as “the largest
operatic company in the world,” having “gained a larger clientele than any
other established musical organization.”
A commemorative book, “500 Times,” documented the success of the Castle
Square Opera Company’s performance of operas in English by Monday, October 16,
1899.
For other theaters, he worked alongside Richard Marston,
Walter Burridge, John H. Young, Homer Emens, and Harley Merry onvarious
projects. This same group created the scenery for Margaret Mather’s “Cymbeline”
at the Columbia Theatre (Evening Star, Washington, D.C., 13 Feb. 1897, page
24).
Reid placed an advertisement in Julius Cahn’s Official
Theatrical Guide for the 1902-1903 season. It, he listed his studio office at
1380 Broadway, New York City. He listed past projects at the following New York
theaters: Fifth Ave. Theatre, Murray Hill Theatre, Metropolis Theatre,
Manhattan Theatre, People’s Theatre, Miner’s Bowery Theatre, and the Weiting
Opera House (Syracuse). Other theaters included the Lyric Theatre (Allentown,
PA), Columbia Theatre (Boston), Grand Opera House (Boston), Bowdoin Square
(Boston), Lyric Theatre (Hoboken, N. J.), and the Bijou Theatre (Brooklyn).
Advertisement from Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the 1902-1903 season
In 1902, Reid was credited with producing scenery for
“one of the most important theatrical events” for the season” – “The Tempest.”
The “Standard Union” reported, “The scene of storm and shipwreck with which the
play opens will be one of those realistic and marvelous episodes which are rarely
seen except on stage of the old Drury Lane Theatre in London…The new scenery
for this production has been painted by H. Logan Reid, for many years the
scenic artist at Daly’s Theatre in Manhattan” (Aug. 17, 1902, page 15). Of
Reid’s association with Augustin Daly, the Saint Paul Press” commented, “The
several scenes, which were painted by H. Logan Reid, who was associated with
Augstin Daly for so many years, are by a multiplicity of beautiful
transparencies made to melt one into the other, as if by the very agency of magic
which pervades the original text of Shakespeare. This treatment has had the
best results in the opening scene of the play, which gradually changes from a
peaceful fairy-like forest glen to the shore of the island, showing the tempest
tossed ocean, with the great ship bearing the more mortal characters of the
story to its treacherous rocks” (4 March 1903, age 4).
Interestingly, the John Rothgeb papers at the Harry
Ransom Center included a letter written by Charles H. Stewart of Somerville, Massachusetts
that mentioned H. L. Reid. Stewart
wrote, “I do know he was an old man when he died, for my father worked with him
in the Opera House season 1909-1910. I am still looking – he was fired so Urban
could take over. Urban had a studio/office in Boston in 1910 but soon left for
New York.” What an interesting tidbit of lost theatre history to know that an
aging scenic artist lost his position to the up and coming Joseph Urban, twenty
years his junior. Reid was 57 years old at the time.
In 1915, Reid
created a succession of painted settings for a submarine attraction for the Panama-Pacific
Exposition. He was sixty-one years old at the time. World Fair midway passengers
entered the steel submarine and toured the labyrinths of Neptune, a succession of
painted scenes. Of the attraction, “The Red book of Views of the
Panama-Pacific International Exposition” described:
“The first thing to greet the eye of the visitor to this great spectacle is an
allegorical front, with cascades of moving water typifying the restlessness of
the ocean. Neptune sits proudly over all, basking in the beams from a
near-by lighthouse. At the dock the passenger enters a steel submarine,
is taken beneath the waters where he sees a shipwreck, marine animals, and a
typical ocean floor. Landing again, he is taken through the labyrinths of
Neptune, a succession of wonderful scenes by H. Logan Reid of New York City.”
Image of the attraction at the Panama-Pacific Exposition, 1915
Part 518: Palette & Chisel, October 1927 – The Paint Studio
Thomas G. Moses was a member of the Palette and Chisel Club in Chicago and contributed a variety of articles to their monthly newsletter during the late 1920s. His series for “Stage Scenery” started during September 1927.
Here is the first part of the October installment during October 1927:
“The scenic artist has gradually drifted from the theatre to the scenic studios, where productions are designed, built and painted. The dramatic or operatic stock company employs its own artists and stage mechanics. The dramatic company usually has its scenery painted in the theatre. The opera company usually has so much scenery, and the greater part is carried over from year to year, that it has to have a large storehouse and usually combines a storehouse and paint room.
We visit the theatre studio first, picking our way down an unlighted alley until we find a door marked “STAGE ENTRANCE. NO ADMITTANCE.” The fine old crab who guards the door is one of the “down and outs” of the profession. He has held all of the good positions offered by the profession and he will tell you: “Me and Booth played together at Oshkosh.” He was quite likely, a property man or stage hand, hardly veer an actor or scenic artist. He is usually deaf, but his sense of feeling and seeing are very acute, so a piece of silver felt and seen opens the door and one is directed to the stairway which is found in the corner, is circular in shape and built of iron.
After a dizzying climb of thirty feet above the stage floor you will land on a solid floor called a “fly floor,” From here all scenery which is fastened to a set of lines, is raised and lowered. The drop curtain is also managed from here. In the modern theatre all of this work is done from the stage floor level. Thousands of feet of half-inch rope is required to handle the scenery, to say nothing of the steel cable that I used.
You feel your way along the rail called the “Pin rail”; to this all of the lines are fastened. You will see a bright light at the rear of the stage; this is the “paint bridge” – six feet wide and reaching from one fly floor to the other. Between this bridge and the back wall is hung the paint frame, also one on the other side of the bridge. These two frames are skeleton frames, as light as possible, but strong enough to hold the frame pieces of scenery of the drops and borders to be painted. These are operated from the floor by a windlass; plenty of counterweights are used to balance the heavy load of scenery. Everything that hangs is operated over pulleys placed on the “gridiron,” sixty feet above the stage floor. A “strip” light is necessary for painting. The artist has a designing room on the fly floor. The palette is two feet wide and eight feet long, two feet and six inches high, mounted on a table with castors. A smooth surface is required for mixing of tints, a set of palette bowls, each six inches in diameter, about sixteen in number and filled with the colors mixed in the pure state with water – other tints are mixed in pans or small pails; a pail of glue size and a pail of clean water, a few brushes. A few strong strokes, with a crayon stick filled with charcoal, you see the design and the painting starts immediately.
In this case we will not do any painting until we find out just what it is going to be. Before any actual work is done the playwright has to give over the manuscript to the manager who has agreed to produce it. The stage director is called in and sometimes whole scenes are cut in spite of anything the playwright may say. He often rehearses the play. If he is a big man, with a reputation, he pays no attention to any one and does as he pleases. When everything is O.K.’d by everyone the manuscript is handed to the scenic artist who, in turn, reads it very carefully and makes notes of the principal “business bits” which are usually marks with red ink. This is very important, as the playwright has fitted the scenes and play together and has specified as follows: “Act 1. Scene 1. A library – Tudor Gothic – one large arch C – fireplace R C – recessed window with seat, doors down L door 2-R night. Place, any place in England, early Nineteenth Century.” By making notes and reading carefully we find a character opens and enters the recessed window, necessitating a different construction; door down right must open on stage.”
Reflections on the Tabor Opera House, Henry Burcky and Henry C. Tryon, June 21
We left Taos before 8am and headed to the Rio Grand Gorge just west of the city.
Rio Grand Gorge bridge near Taos, New Mexico
We also briefly stopped by the colony of earth ships on our way to the Santa Fe Scottish Rite.
An earth ship near Taos, New Mexico
After a beautiful drive, we arrived at the Scottish Rite just in time for a quick meeting before I headed to the Albuquerque airport to pick up my folks. There is something wonderful about being greeted with a “Welcome Home” when I entered the building. The building and area are very near and dear to my heart.
Courtyard at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite
On my drive to the airport in Albuquerque, I could not stop thinking about the Tabor Opera House in Leadville and the scenic artist for the 1879 roll drops, borders, wings and shutters. Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory for the season of 1884-1885 listed Burkey as the scenic artist for their stock sets. This was Henry E. Burcky of Chicago.
Burcky listed as the scenic artist for the “realistic stage effects and great battle scene in ‘Custer,'” from the Chicago Tribune, 26 July 1885, page 6
In 1876, Henry Burcky was listed as a scenic artist at 83 S. Halsted in Chicago’s Lakeside Directory. He was still listed as a scenic artist in Chicago directories by 1881. During his time as a scenic artist in Chicago, Burcky traveled west and painted the scenery for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville and the Tabor Grand in Denver. As with most scenic artists of the time, many of the stage settings were painted on site. By spring of 1881, Burcky also worked as a scenic artist at Hooley’s Theatre in Chicago, painting settings for “The Danites” (March 20, 1881) and the scenery for “Mulligan’s Silver Wedding” (June 13, 1881).
H. E. Burckly listed as the scenic artist at Hooley’s Theatre
Hooley’s Theatre in Chicago
Interior of Hooley’s Theatre in Chicago
In 1881, “The Cincinnati Enquirer” reported that H. E. Burcky, the scenic artist at Hooley’s Theatre in Chicago, was working with Tryon, the scenic artist at McVicker’s theatre in Chicago. The article reported these “two young and talented scenic artists” came from Chicago to paint on the scenery for the Opera Festival in Cincinnati (15 Feb 1881, page 4). The Chicago Inter Ocean reported that H. E. Bercky, the scenic artist, provided “new sets of scenery showing the Lakes of Kiliarney, the cave by the sea, and other beautiful bits of scenery incidental to the play “The Colleen Bawn,” Dion Boucicault’s standard Irish Drama at the Olympic Theatre. (9 Aug. 1885, page 13). Messrs. Burcky & Tryon of Chicago were credited with the sixth scene of the production: “Beautifully painted scene – 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” (Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, 23 February 1881, page 4). The other scenic artists for the Opera Festival included Charles Fox of Her Majesty’s Theatre in London and Rettig & Waugh.
The partnership between Burcky and Tryon was a surprise to me. This was Henry C. Tryon (b. 1847), another Chicago artist who started at Sosman and Landis during 1884. Tryon was Lemuel L. Graham’s replacement at the studio, after he left to found Kansas City Scenic Co. In 1884, Tryon also accompanied Thomas G. Moses and John H. Young on a sketching trip to West Virginia.
He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Design and was a pupil of Thomas Moran and William Hart. Tryon worked with Lou Malmsha at Wood’s Theatre in Cincinnati and later at McVicker’s Theatre in Chicago with him. After Malmsha’s passing in 1882, Tryon wrote a tender tribute that rendered homage to his friend and colleague: “Louis Malmsha. A Tribute to the Great Scenic Artist” (“Salt Lake City Herald,” October 22, 1882). See past installment #124, #198, and #199 for more information about Tryon.
Of Tryon, Moses wrote, “he enthused Young and I more than anyone ever had…and was very clever, but awfully eccentric.” It may have been that eccentricity that caused Burcky and Tryon to part ways. Shortly thereafter, Tryon created the Scottish Rite scenery for the Indiana Consistory. Tryon’s theatrical projects during 1882 and 1883 drew him to the Salt Lake City area; his projects there included the Scottish Rite. Shortly thereafter he joined Sosman & Landis. Newspapers at the time acknowledged Tryon as a scenic artist and stage machinist with a “national reputation.”
Back to Burkey. A decade later in 1892, “The Springfield Leader and Press” mentioned “the well-known scenic artist, Berkey,” crediting him as one of the artists for Keene’s Shakespearean productions that included “Richard III,” “Hamlet,” and “Othello” (4 Dec. 1892. Page 4). “Artists in Ohio, 1787-1900: A Biographical Dictionary” list Henry E. Burcky as a scenic artist, employed at the Walnut Street Theatre in Cincinnati (Hamilton) in 1893-1894, while he was listed as a scenic artist and a resident of Newport Kentucky in the directory.
By 1901, Burcky was still listed as a scenic artist in Cincinnati at 716 Kenyon Avenue. This was the same year that the Kansas City Scenic Co. was contracted to produce the scenery for the new stage at the Tabor Opera House, now called the Elk’s Opera House in Leadville, Colorado.
Cover for a musical selection from “Miss Bob White”
In 1902, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We did one act in “Miss Bob White” and went to Philadelphia to put it on. It was a quaint musical comedy. Hitchcock starred in the leads.”
Raymond Hitchcock, 1910
Moses was referring to Raymond Hitchcock, a comic opera comedian who was born in Auburn, New York. His theatrical career started as an amateur actor, with his debut in “Ingomar.” The reviews condemned his performance so badly that he was stranded in Philadelphia and ended up working behind the counter in Wanamaker’s store. Hitchcock recovered from this experience and became a chorus member in the Charleston Opera Company during 1891. For twelve years he played various roles, working for Dan Daly, George W. Monroe, Peter F. Dailey, Robert Hilliard, Mary Irwin and Henry W. Savage. His talents allowed him to perform either musical roles or straight acting. Savage offered Hitchcock a principal part with the Castle Square Opera Company. It was Savage who convinced Moses to be his lead scenic artist for the Castle Square Opera Company at the American Theatre, prompting Moses to move to New York in 1901. This is where Moses would have first encountered Hitchcock.
Raymond Hitchcock, 1910
For the Castle Square Opera Company, Hitchcock played Sir Tobin Topax in “The Golden Wedding,” Uncle Hank in “We ‘Uns of Tennesee,” and David Tooke in “Three Little Lambs.” Other shows at this time included “The Belle of Bridgeport,” “A Dangerous Maid,” “Vienna Life,” “The Burgomaster,” “Miss Bob White,” and “King Dodo.”
During Hitchcock’s two years with the Castle Square Opera Company, he appeared in numerous shows, including “Miss Bob White.” It was the show that followed “Miss Bob White,” however, that would elevate Hitchcock to stardom under Savage’s management in the production of “King Dodo” at Daly’s Theatre in Chicago (1902).
“The American Stage of To-day: Biographies and photographs of one hundred leading actor and actresses” featured Hitchcock in 1910. The article reported, “Mr. Raymond Hitchcock furnishes a composite instance of a facile character actor who has swung back and forth between the two branches of his profession” (page 103).
Article on Raymond Hitchcock in “The American Stage of To-day,” 1910. Page 103
Willard Spencer’s “Miss Bob White” premiered at the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia on April 15, 1901. Hitchcock was part of this production too. This three-act musical comedy involved two millionaires, Billy Van Million (John Slavin) and Artie Tre Billion (Raymond Hitchcock) who live as tramps for two months after losing an election bet. They head for a farm and are followed by an heiress, Clare Livington (Ethel Jackson). Livington disguises herself as a milkman, “Bob White.” By the end of the show, she wins the love of Artie. The show included twenty-six musical numbers and was a success in Philadelphia, completing a 136-performance run.
