The attached advertisement was brought to my attention by a descendent of Harley Merry, Victoria Brittain. She has graciously shared many images as she continues her genealogical research.
Victoria recently discovered an advertisement for the Harley Merry Studio in Julius Cahn’s Theatrical Guide from 1902-1903. Theatrical Guides for touring shows are an amazing source of information about North American theaters and theatrical suppliers.
In the big picture, Merry was instrumental in the training of Ernest Albert, Walter Burridge and many other nineteenth-century scenic artists. For additional information about the significance of Harley Merry and his contribution to scenic art, see my past posts from “Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Acquiring the Fort Scott Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center” (installments #138-146). There are many other mentions about Harley Merry in this blog too, just do a search on his name!
www.drypigment.net is intended as a resource for those interested in theatre history, specifically the artisans who created painted illusion and visual spectacle.
Here is the link to the ad: https://books.google.com/books?id=xrNEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36&dq=%22harley+merry%22&source=bl&ots=SDymahEcHq&sig=NefMkdJNmH3K5V-tXDwmH-FvqKw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQuLOWrZHYAhXCeCYKHf-hAp04ChDoAQhEMAg#v=onepage&q=%22harley%20merry%22&f=false