There is one last person in the Buell Family that I have not covered yet, Horace Cyrus Buell. tHorace C. Buell was the he son of Nina Giles and Horace H. Buell.
[I was recently emailed by Mark Trainor who offered the following correction: Horace Cyrus Giles Buell’s grandfather was Cyrus Augustus Buell (1824-1904). His great grandfather was Horace Buell (1791-1837) of Troy, New York. I have no research showing Horace’s middle name was Cyrus].
Named after his great grandfather, Horace Cyrus Buell (1793-1870) of New York, he came from a theatrical family. His father was a portrait and landscape artist who also worked as a scenic artist. Buell & Son scenic studio was established in 1908, and the two painted many productions at the New Auditorium in Wichita, Kansas.
Horace C. Buell was born on April 29, 1891, in Santa Monica, California. He followed in his father’s footsteps as a scenic artist, but very little is known about him. The younger Horace remained relatively absent from print, other that a few brief mentions in Kansas newspaper; the polar opposite of his younger sister. Horace C. only appears in a 1900 US Federal Census, a 1905 Kansas state census, and a few Wichita City directories and newspaper clippings.
In 1908 Horace C. Buell was enrolled at the Wichita School of Music, the same institution where his father Horace H Buell briefly taught art classes (Wichita Daily Eagle, 6 Sept. 1908, page 12). In 1911, Horace C. Buell was listed as a student in Wichita, Kansas, residing at 1012 Lawrence Av. This was his parents home at the time.
While looking for artworks by his father Horace H. Buell, I stumbled across one painting by Horace C. G. Buell. The “G” was for his mother’s maiden name of Giles. Like the rest of his family, he was quite an accomplished artist. Unfortunately his career was snuffed out the early age of 24. Horace Jr. died on Sept 3, 1916, in Cleveland, Ohio, and was buried at the Brooklyn Heights Cemetery there.
Artwork recently sold at auction and erroneously attributed to his father Horace Hervey Buell. This is a still life by his son, Horace Cyrus Giles Buell (Horace C. G. Buell).Signature on painting – Horace C. G. Buell (1892-1916).
In 1915, Horace C. G. Buell enlisted in the New Work Guard, becoming a private in Co. F, 71st Inf. A year later he was dead, gone without any obituary or published memorial. I have no idea what happened, but the family had already splintered the year that he passed. Mother and daughter were working as scenic artists and Rapid City, Iowa, and his father was working elsewhere.
Horace H. Buell and Nina Giles Buell pictured in the “Wichita Daily Eagle” on Oct. 12 1911.
While looking for information about the Buell family I came across an article with both Mr. and Mrs. H. Harry Buell credited as the “Designers and Builders of Floats.” I have previously missed this article because the newspaper credits Mr. H. “Harry” and not H. “Hervey” Buell. This is the scenic artist Horace Hervey Buell, his wife Nina Giles Buell and children Mabel and Horace C. Here is the article from the “Wichita Daily Eagle” on Oct. 12 1911. This is simply a wonderful description of a community event and the artistic abilities of the Buell family.
“Work of Art is Electrical Street Parade.
Ten Floats Representing Historical Events, Seasons, ima and Civilization Prepared at Great Expense.
Parade Begins at 7:30 Thursday Night.
Line of March is Announced and Persons are Selected to Participate in Realistic Representations.
The Great Electrical Float parade which has been heralded far and near as the biggest conceived and built is now only a few days off, and the public is soon to be allowed to see the floats in all their glory and beauty. Months have been spent in the preparation of these floats but the tie has been well and skillfully used, and they are now completed and await only the word of the marshall of the parade to reveal their glories to the gaze of an admiring throng. Citizens of communities hundreds of miles from the Peerless Princess have signified their intention of attending the celebration of her Prophets and they will be well repaid for their trip.
There will be a slight change from the usual program and line of march. The parade will start promptly at 7:30 p. m. Thursday, October 12th, from the corner of Central and Main where it will be formed.
The parade will take its course south on Main to Lewis street, two blocks below Douglas; will double back on Main and Douglas; thence it will proceed east on Douglas to the Santa Fe tracks doubling back on Douglas to Market street, turning north on Market it will continue to First street where the parade will disband. Those having children in the parade will meet then in the second block on Market street after the conclusion of the parade.
As has been advertised so extensively, the parade will have in addition to the wonderful and unusual beauty, and educational value in their sequence, historically speaking. The first float representing the seasons covers all time, in that it represents the completed year and the completed cycle of existence, Following this, will come in detail the nine great characteristic period of human history as typified in the characteristic thought or country, or idea which dominated that period. In order that one seeing the trade may get his full value, it is suggested by committee that this article be clipped from the Eagle and taken to the parade.
The order and significance of the parade, together with a complete description of the floats and those privileged to occupy positions of hone upon them, follow. At the head of the parade will come Chief of Police, George T. Cubbon, with a pantoon [sic.] of mounted police. Following the pantoon [sic.] of policemen will be a pantoon [sic.] of cowboys from the stockyards and packing houses led my Marshall Fredericks. Following this body of Wichita Boosters, who represents one of Wichita’s greatest industries, will come the band of Oxford, Kansas, and immediately following this will be the first float, that of ‘the Seasons.’ This float is an entirely new conception of Mr, Buell, the official designer, and is one that will long be remembered. It is built in the form of a monument with four compartments in the base, representing Spring, Sumer, Fall and Winter. Those representing Spring will be Wilna Armstrong and Charles B. Payne, Harriet and Josephine Booth with be in the compartment of Summer. Raymond and Margaret Casey will represent Autumn and Elizabeth and Alfred Campbell impersonate the spirits of Winer. Surmounting these compartments will be characters representing the four seasons of human life. Anna C. Brown will represent childhood; Genevieve Saunders, Youth; Mrs. Gray and her baby will picture Motherhood; and Mrs. L. S. Carter will represent maturity of life.
Float Number 2 represents the ancient Oriental civilization, of which there were several, and all of which flourished before the Grecian era. History reveals the fact that the primal characteristics of the early days of any race was Religion, and this is portrayed in a striking manner. The Oriental idea is given by two immense pyramids, standing alone amid stretches of glittering sand. The sphinxes of Egypt and the winged bulls of Persia are the embellishments if the four corners of the floats. In a beautiful oasis in the midst of the desert appear the characters of the ancient religions. In a temple which will slowly revolve, spear Moses, represented by James Lawrence; Zoroaster by Dan Thurston; the priest of Buddha by Randall Cline; and the worshipper of Isis by Victory Mead. As an escort to this float will come the patrol of Midian Temple, under captainship of C. A. Baker, and accompanied by their inimitable band from the deserts of Arabia.
Float number 3 will take up the next era of human development and will represent the power and glory of Rome. This float has been skillfully designed and embodied a thrilling and lifelike picture if the Eternal City, as it burned in the time of Nero. The float is very gorgeous , and is one upon which the most action will take place. Nero, impersonated by Edwin Johnson, will sit high above the tumult upon his throne, enjoying the terrible sight. The Roman soldiers impenetrable in their reserve and steadfast in their discipline, will be represented by Jim Davidson, Fred Dold, Walter Innes, Theodore Johnston, Robert Campbell and Paul Johnston. Among the terrified populace, rushing in horror from the conflagration, will appear Marshall Mueller, Lloyd Taylor, Arthur Wolf, Gladys Wallace and Elizabeth Avey. A guard of Roman soldiers will be furnished by the Y.M.C.A.
Following the development of Rome, the world fell into a period of desuetude and decay. Learning in and the arts of civilization seemed to have disappeared, and savagery and superstition were rampant. The fourth float represents a scene in the forests of Germany among the old Saxon ancestors, before they assumed the habits and habiliments of civilization. Amid the forests, peopled by wild beasts of various sorts, will appear the Druids in their fire worship, before their rough stone altars. The Druids will be represented by Howard Anderson, and Nellie Hewey, Hortense Thompson and Milton Hutchinson. The Modern Woodmen of America will furnish and escort, i uniform, for this float.
Next in order is the Wichita Union band.
Float Number 5 will represent the Middle Ages and will represent a scene from King Arthur’s court. Irwin Bleckley will impersonate King Arthur and will be attended by two princes, Jack Stewart and Walter Taylor, and two guards, Neal Kirkwood and Rolle Thorpe. At the opposite end of the float will be the representation of knighthood rescuing womanhood from oppression. Orio Thorpe will be the Knight, and Ruth Mueller the fair damsel to be rescued. The dragon is pictured as a terrible creature, Harold Clark will see that the dragon does his duty.
Float Number 6 is a most beautiful allegorical representation of that period of awakening and development commonly called the Renaissance. This float of a beautiful galley, or ship. The oarsmen being represented by Gertrude McCullough, Ida Wilson, Ruth Heppe, Katherine Lewis, Genilee Gregg, Marion Dunn, Nannie Brubacher and Koa McComb. The pilot will be Gladys Warren. The spirit of the Renaissance, Katherine Stewart, while Hazel Johnson will impersonate the Herald which proclaims the coming of an enlightened age.
The seventh float will represent the landing of the Pilgrims. This float is certainly a work of art. A beautiful picture of the rugged, rock-ribbed coast, upon which are gathered a band of Pilgrims, while in the distance, in beautiful perspective rides a little bark, tempest-tossed upon the turbulent waves. the pilgrims will be Homer Hutchinson, Lawrence Rorabaugh, Grosvenor Charles, Aldrich Lasen, Robert Johnson, Marian Hutchinson, Nora Woods, Lillian Bailey, Helen Moore, Marie Gilbert, Lawrence McComb. The Indian will be impersonated by M. W. Longnecker.
Following this float will come the Moose band of this city.
The eight float will represent the United States, and will be one of the most beautiful and unique floats every seen anywhere. The idea of this float is ‘Zangwell’s idea of the ‘Melting to.; Columbus will be seated upon and immense throne and will be attended by four soldiers, Upon the front of the float are Liberty, Justice and Equality, represented by Helen Charles, Edith Saunders and Stella Armstrong. In the center fo the float is the Melting Pot from which arises the American flag as a result of the blending and amalgamation of all races.
The Ninth float will represent Kansas, and the spirit of the commonwealth is to be Miss Edith Gilbert, She, as queen, will be attended by her maids of honor, Anel Saunders, Francis A. Brown, Henrietta Allen, Helen Johnston, Cecil Gilbert, Dorothy Booth and Francis Williard. The center of this the float will be an immense cornucopia filled with overflowing products of the state. The best fruit in all lines has been contributed and will make a memorable show, presiding in all this display will be Pauline Ayers and Leon Cain.
The last float will of course be the climax of all ages and will represent Wichita, the Peerless Princess. The form of the float will be a monument to the greatness of the city. An immense granite monument has been built, surmounting which will be Miss Mabel Buell, representing Wichita. Upon the four wings of the base stand an Indian by the Buffalo he has killed, represented by Horace C. Buell, and the cowboy with his trappings, represented by David Jackman. These two representing the pioneers of the valley. Upon two other wings appear the mechanic and the traveling man represented by Phi Patterson and Harry Schuler. These representing two of the factors of the present financial greatness, Upon the front and rear of the float appear Bessie Applegate, May Weiss, Evelyn Rorabaugh and Helen Booth. representing Fairmount, Mr. Carmel, Friends and the High School, while Katherine and Margaret Ayres appear as pages to the queen.
In addition to these, the following gentlemen will be the marshals of the parade: J. A. Hopkins will be chief marshall of the floats, hill Messrs, Jay Gill, R. B. Campbell, Paul Wall, J. N. Chappie, R. E. Bird, C. L. DeLong, M. E. Garrison, Walter Parrott, James Crossfield and others will assist by being marshals with each float.
The committee consisting of G. M. Booth, H. W. Stanley, Lyman Woodruff and C. L. DeLong have worked tirelessly at the making a success of this parade, as of the other features of the carnival, and they feel that the result has justified the efforts put forth. They believe that no better float parade was every put on by any city. While this committee, however, has had supervision of the entire carnival, the particular task of designing building and decorating these floats has been delegated to H. Harry Buell. Mr. Buell is an artist of much ability and has in times past, as in this present instance done some exceedingly creditable work along artistic lines. Mr. Buell has been most ably assisted in the painting and decorative work by his daughter Mabel Buell and his son Horace Buell, who, seem to inherit a wonderful talent along this line. The detail work outside of the painting and construction, and of costuming has been left almost whole to Mrs. Buell, and she has made a great success of her work as Mr. Buell has at his. Wichita is to be congratulated upon having artists with the ability of the Buells.”
Yesterday, I explored the 1884 antics of Horace H. Buell
when he shipped himself in a crate from Chicago to Manhattan, Kansas. His strange
journey made headlines across the country. At the time he was married to Fannie
B. “Nina,” future head of Buell Scenic Co.
Buell was born in 1857, one of four boys born to Cyrus A.
Buell, a hatter. At the age of thirteen, Buell moved with his family to
Wabaunsee, Kansas and then Manhattan, Kansas. At the age of 18, Buell was sent
to Brooklyn to live with his uncle, where he worked as barber. Eventually he
returned Manhattan, Kansas, initially working as a barber and later an artist.
In Manhattan he established his own art studio by the age of 22 years old. On
May 30, 1879, the “Manhattan Nationalist” included an advertisement for H. H.
Buell’s “new photograph gallery” (page 2). Located over the post office,
Buell’s services included tintypes, photographs, crayon portraits and oil
portraits. By the early 1880s, Horace opens another art store in Topeka,
Kansas. On April 15, 1882, “The Topeka Daily Capital” reported, “H. H. Buell, a
telented [sic.] young artist of this city, proposes giving an art drawing at an
early day in Union hall. He has a number of beautiful paintings and artotypes
to dispose of” (page 8). Interestingly, in Topeka Buell was active in the
Knights of Pythias, Topeka Lodge No. 38, (Daily Commonwealth, 29 Jan. 1882,
page 1).
By the summer, however, Buell sets his sights on better
opportunities in Chicago and left Topeka. “The Topeka Daily Capital” announced,
“H. H. Buell went East yesterday to take a position under Geo. Pullman, of the
palace car company” (13 June 1882, page 8). It was purported that Buell met his
future wife there, as she was a Pullman relative. By the end of the year. Buell
married Fannie B. “Nina” Giles on Dec. 1. The Buell’s were encountering
financial difficulties in the Windy City by 1884, and work was not a plentiful
as Buell had hoped. On May 31, 1884, the “Salina Semi-Weekly Journal,” reported,
“Manhattan is just now enjoying the excitement of a novel romance. Saturday
night a large box of express matter was rolled out at the station, and on being
opened was found to contain a young man who figured quite prominently here two
years ago, a crayon artist, society blood and capital guard. H. H. Buell is his
name. He was in Chicago, got broke there, wanted to get home, so shipped
himself C.O.D., by express. Lawrence
Herald” (page 4). Note there is no mention of his wife, at all. Buell did
not return to Chicago and was still living in Manhattan the next year. The
“Manhattan Nationalist” reported, “H. H. Buell has been doing some nice work in
his line lately. All who have ever seen anything from his brush recognized
unusual ability. The battle scenes that added so much to the impressiveness of
the opera house were his latest works” (5 June 1885, page 1). This was the first mention that I have
located to date that mentioned Buell as a scenic artist.
By 1886, both Buell and his wife were living in Kansas City,
Missouri, at 1328 Lydia Ave. Not much is known of their life in Kansas other
than nearby familial ties. Soon, they headed west, settling in California by early
1890s and welcoming two children to their home – Horace, Jr. (1892) and Mabel
(1896). In regard to their daughter, sources vary about a birthdate. 1896 is
Mabel’s birthdate on census reports and the gravestone that she shares with her
daughter. However, newspapers and the social security administration list consistently
list Mabel’s birthday as 1900. Keep in mind that newspaper articles give
Mabel’s age as four years younger than she actually was at the time. So,
working as a sixteen-year-old scenic artist by herself in 1916 really meant
that she was twenty; this puts a slightly different take on her wunderkind
status in retrospect.
By the turn of the twentieth century, the Buell family moved
Portland, Oregon. The 1900 US Federal census
lists a 41-years-old Horace Sr. working as a portrait and landscape artist and
living in Portland with his family. Nina
Giles Buell, was still listed as “Fannie B.” in this census, but the children
remain the same Horace C. and Mabel A., ages 8 and 6 respectively. Both children
were attending school.
The Buells returned to Kansas in 1904, the same year that Buell’s father (Cyrus Augustus Buell (1820-1904) passes away. Until 1904, Buell artistic endeavors are primarily absent from print, as he was working as a portrait artist and not connected with any theatrical productions. There are mentions of his checking into hotels and visits home to Manhattan, Kansas. In 1904, the “El Paso Herald” announced, “H. H. Buell of San Francisco, has completed the work of painting a large oil painting of the city of Alamogordo, 12×21 feet, for the Alamogordo Townsite company, to be displayed at the World’s Fair. It is a beautiful piece of work” (3 June 1904, page 2).
In 1905, a snapshot of the Buell’s life was again captured
in a state census report. Horace H. Buell, Fannie B. (Nina) Buell, Horace C.
Buell and Mabel A. Buell are listed and living together in Manhattan. The
“Manhattan Nationalist” included a Buell advertised: “Portraits and frames.
Studio at residence, southwest corner of Fifth and Houston. –H.H. Buell,
Artist” (31 March 1905, page 4). Later
that summer, Buell’s advertisements noted that his studio was located on North
Second Street, opposite of the Manhattan Marble Works. The second advertisement
announced, “We make portraits and photographs at the summer school of painting
and photography, Positions furnished to students in photographic retouching as
soon as qualified” (Student’s Herald, Manhattan, Kansas, 8 June 1905, page 2).
Not everything went well for Buells in Manhattan. The
“Manhattan Nationalist” reported an unfortunate incident at the Buell home:
“The other night, after H. H. Buell had installed water pipes in his house, he
felt water dripping on the bed where he slept. He got up to investigate just in
time to avoid a large mass of plastering which fell from the ceiling. As the
ceiling is high, he probably made a lucky escape” (30 June 1905, page 4). This
just made me think of the crate story.
The family left Manhattan and moved from Kansas City to
Wichita in 1908, presumably for better employment opportunities. In Wichita,
Buell became the scenic artist for the Wolfe Stock Company, providing scenery
for their production of “The Princess and the Girl” at the New Auditorium that
summer (Wichita Daily Eagle, 18 June 1908, page 12). He also painted the
scenery for “Salomy Jane” that fall. Of
the production, the “Wichita Daily Eagle” reported, “Mr. Horace H. Buell, the
Wolfe scenic artist, and his assistants, have made a record for themselves painting
the life-like reproduction of the famous California redwoods in which the Bret
Harte stories are laid” (11 Nov 1908 page 10). Buell’s son, Horace C. Buell was
sixteen years old at the time. Buell’s scenic work in Wichita continued with
the help of his children and wife. By December 1908, the scene painting work
for Manager Wolfe at the New Auditorium was credited to Messrs. Horace H. Buell
& Son (6 Dec. 1908, page 15). Horace Sr. and Horace Jr. painted scenery for
“The Eternal City”. The “Wichita Daily Eagle” reported, “For the past two weeks
the scenic artists of the New Auditorium, Messrs. Horace H. Buell & Son,
have been busy preparing the backgrounds for this richest of all plays, and
they will show the Holy City as true to life as it is possible for brush and
colors to depict on canvas.” In 1923, Mabel would recall, “Of course I learned much from my
father, though even he was more often than not loath to have me around. It was
my brother who used to act as his ‘paint boy,’ cleaning his brushes and mixing
his paints. But I made the most of my opportunities. I hung around and picked
up what information I could, and always kept in mind that some day I was going
to climb to the bridge and do scene painting all by myself.’
The Buell’s were still living in Wichita in 1911 when Buell
began working for the Wichita College of Music’s art department. The “Wichita Daily Eagle” reported, “The art
department, under the direction of H. H. Buell, late of Paris and London, will
be a success…H. H. Buell, who is a thorough artist, will be in a position to
give very valuable instruction as well as produce some specially artistic work”
(22 Jan 1911, page 6). Little is known of his trip abroad, the timeline or
purpose. However, his trip to Paris was again sited when Buell received the
contract to design electrical floats for the Peerless Prophet’s Parade that
year too. The “Wichita Daily Eagle” reported “Paris Man to Design Electrical
Floats. Contract Let to H. H. Buell for $2,000 Feature of October Jubilee” (23
July 1911, page 3). In the “Hutchinson News,” Buell was actually noted as the
“well known scenic artist” (9 Sept. 1911, page 1). It is uncertain when Horace
H. Buell & Son became known Buell Scenic Co.
By 1912, Horace was working as an itinerant artist and mentioned in a few newspapers across the country, including Jacksonville, Florida. Four years later, his wife and daughter were working in Sioux City, Iowa at the Princess Theatre, with not mention of Horace H. Buell. This is the same year that Horace Jr. passed away.
The notice of Horace H. Buell’s own passing was brief, and
appeared in only few papers. The “American Art Annul” reported, “Buell, Horace
Hervey. – a painter and head of the Buell Scenic Company, died in New York,
December 22, 1919” (Vol. 16, page 266).
