After visiting the home of Thomas G. Moses, I ventured over to see the gravesite of another scenic art legend – Walter Wilcox Burridge (1857-1913). The day had turned into a scenic art pilgrimage, as both Moses and Burridge were incredibly significant within the framework of American scenic art.
On Saturday, June 28, 1913, the “Oak Leaves” reported, “The funeral of Walter W. Burridge, late of New York, took place this Saturday afternoon from Grace church. Mr. Burridge died in New Mexico and the funeral took place here because Oak Park has become the home of Mr. Burridge since he became ill. Interment will take place at Forest Home” (page 34).
Unfortunately for me, my visit coincided with an intense heat wave in the Midwest. It was far too hot to be traipsing about the Forest Home Cemetery, yet I persisted, realizing that this opportunity may not dome again. Moving the car from one shaded spot to another and donning my sunhat, I finally located the Burridge’s tombstone. Kneeling in the grass before his grave, I took a moment to contemplate the life of this extremely talented artist. Despite the heat, I thought about his many projects in a relatively short period of time. Burridge died from “heart disease” at the age fifty-six years old while on a sketching trip to Albuquerque. He was working on an upcoming project for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition.
A line from the musical “Hamilton” popped into my head while kneeling in the warm grass, “I ask myself, what would you do if you had more time.” Moses included an article by T. D. Williams article about Burridge in his scrapbook. Here is the article, “Great Colorist Dead.”
“A number of Chicago gentlemen prominent in the paint business have been life long friends of Walter W. Burridge, an artist of national, and one might almost say, international repute, because he visited London several times in the interest of art, who just dies while at Albuquerque, N. M., where he had gone to make sketches for pictures to be exhibits at the Panama-Pacific Exposition. The pictures painted by Mr. Burridge of the Grand Canyon earned him great praise, while other well known works have brought him equal prominence. He studied color, as every artist must do, and he sought and obtained pleasing effects for his scenic work, and is probably best known for his wonderful production of stage scenery. Many leading theatrical managers, actors and authors engaged him to paint settings and illustration for their productions, and there are few men who in the present time have painted as many excellent scenic and studio pictures. His beautiful pictures of Yellowstone National Park scenery have never been surpassed, while his wonderful scheme of color, so true to nature, makes a living record of the beauty and grandeur of the Yosemite valley, cataracts, lakes, giant rocks, towering domes and all the beauty spots of the valley which he faithfully transferred to canvas. The studio pictures of Mr. Burridge have frequently been exhibits in the various art institutions and galleries of this country. Nature was his great teacher. His mastermind gave him supreme command of the scale of color, which is evidenced by the many beautiful works of art which he has left. Mr. Burridge came from New York and was a resident for many years in La Grange, Illinois, the beautiful suburb in Chicago, in which he had many friends.”
Although I have written extensively about Burridge in past installments of “Tales of a Scenic Artist and Scholar,” here is a brief recap of his career:
At a very early age, Burridge apprenticed himself to a sign painter from Hoboken, New Jersey. His talent and outgoing personality soon brought him in contact with key personalities who were connected with the old Park Theatre in Brooklyn. Burridge soon found himself engaged as a part-time scenic art assistant, and by the age of thirteen was working full-time for Harley Merry at his Brooklyn Studio. Merry was the “artistic alias” for English stage performer Ebenezer Brittain.
Burridge was only was thirteen tears old at the time. He accompanied Merry to complete distant projects in both Chicago and Philadelphia, making all of the necessary connections for his career to soar. Burridge’s early career included a series of mentors, such as Russell Smith, who took a great interest in shaping the career of this talented young artist, later recommending him for a series of projects. Burridge’s talent and magnetic personality drew people toward him, providing one opportunity after another. His network of support included well-known performers and producers, including actress Mrs. John Drew.
Burridge’s artistic endeavors throughout the duration of his career spanned all across the continental United States and Hawaii. I will include just a few of the more notable venues. In Philadelphia, Burridge did a considerable work at the Arch Street Theatre, Broad Street Theatre, Walnut Street Theater, and Academy of Music. He also painted scenery for the Academy of Music in Baltimore, before moving to New York City where he accepted an engagement under J. H. Haverly, painting for many of Haverly’s theaters from New York to California, including the Fifth Avenue, Fourteenth Street, Niblos’ Garden, and Chestnut Street theaters. Other artistic endeavors included panoramas. In 1876, Burridge painted the “Siege of Paris” for the Centennial and later the “Battle of Gettysburg.”
He moved to Chicago by 1882, settling in suburban La Grange with his wife and securing work at the Bijou, 14th Street Theatre and Standard Theatre. Around this time, Burridge was also under contract with John A. Havlin from 1882 to 1885 for work at the Grand Theatre. He also worked for six years as the scenic artist at the Grand Opera House and at McVicker’s Theatre; the man seemed unstoppable and scenic art was a thriving business. From 1887 until 1882, Burridge partnered with Thomas Moses (1856-1934) and successful art dealer M. Louderback to found Burridge, Moses & Louderback, located at the Columbia Theatre in Chicago. During less than two busy years, Burridge, Moses & Louderback stocked six theatres with all of the necessary scenery – no small task. Unfortunately personality clashes between Burridge and Louderback ended the partnership; Louderback came from a “managing art” background while Burridge came from a “creating art” background.
It was only a few years later, Burridge partnered with Ernest Albert (1857-1946), and Oliver Dennett Grover (1861-1927), to form “Albert, Grover & Burridge, Scenic and Decorative Painters” by 1891. Ernest Albert. Albert and Burridge, both artists first worked for Harley Merry at the Park and Union Square Theatres in New York. Albert, Grover & Burridge had a studio with over 12,000 square feet of working area, and another 2,500 square feet devoted to storage and sewing rooms. They had twenty paint frames, ranging from 56 by 35 feet to 30 by 20 feet. The firm did a considerable amount of business for the World’s Columbian exposition of 1893, including the cyclorama, “Volcano of Kilauea.” Burridge traveled to the Hawaiian Islands, making a series of faithful reproductions to capture this natural phenomenon, with his final composition measured 54’ x 412’ and was also a major attraction at the Mid-winter Fair in Sacramento. Unfortunately for Albert, Grover & Burridge, their business venture went bankrupt in two years and Burridge was again on his own.
By 1900, Burridge was the scenic artist for the Chicago Auditorium and the Great Northern Theatre. He was also engaged by Henry W. Savage to prepare the scenes for the Castle Square Opera Company at the Studebaker Music Hall. We also know that Burridge designed the scenery for the premiere of “The Wizard of Oz” at the Chicago Opera House.
In 1900, Horace Lewis recalled a visit with Burridge writing, “every object, from his devoted wife to the pictures upon the walls, and his den in the garret, is indicative of the genial, most modest nature and simple poetry of the man who finds his greatest wealth within that home.”
Burridge passed away during a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico while visiting the area to sketches for the upcoming 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. His funeral was at Grace Episcopal Church in Oak Park, Illinois, although the family did not attend the church. One can only imagine the projects that Burridge could have accomplished had he lived beyond the age of fifty-six.
Know as “Wallie” to his close friends, he was laid to rest at Forest Home Cemetery on June 24, 1913. His son would join him at Forest Home Cemetery three years later after an accidental drowning at the age of 30. The family grave now contains Burridge, his son son Walter C. (1886-1916) and wife Jane Anne (1860-1938). After losing her husband and son in such a short span of time, Jane lived for another twenty-two years, passing away when she was of 78 years, 4 months, and 20 days old.
To be continued…
