Every so often I like to touch on someone from the area who made it “big.”

This month I'll write about a man who was very famous in his time, but who is largely forgotten today. A couple of months ago I went to a local auction and picked up, among other things, a colored pen and ink drawing of a stylish lady dressed in a long form fitting gown, a wide brimmed fancy hat and carrying a parasol. I didn't buy it particularly because I was interested in women's fashion, but because I recognized the name of the artist: Harry Tryon.

Harry was born in Weedsport in 1886, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Tryon of North Seneca Street. At the tender age of 3 he was creating hats on pictures in fashion magazines. This was the beginning of the career of Harry who went on to achieve fame as a designer of ladies clothing from Broadway to Europe.

He attended Weedsport Schools, Syracuse University and went on to study in New York. Color and design seemed to come naturally to him and he seemed to be able to almost magically transform the female form into something beautiful.

Typical of his work was the “Gibson” girl look, when women wore large hats topping heads of flowing curls. The hats featured bright colors, birds, flowers, drapes of fabric, lace, feathers and fringe.

One of his creations, a large black velvet hat with a huge aqua plume and lace band is a treasure artifact in our museum. It was donated to us many years ago by Harry's sister, Hazel Tryon.

He was to become one of the most famous Broadway designers of the time, designing costumes and stage settings for the Ziegfield Follies, The Triumph of an Empress and for producers such as Schubert and Lasky.

His pen and ink drawings similar to the one I acquired at the auction regularly appeared in the New York Herald and the American Journal.

He also designed clothing specifically for many New York socialites such as Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish and famed actress Mary Astor.

Tryon was employed by Lady Duff Gordon, who was a fashion promoter in London. Known as “Lucille of London” she started the craze at the time of wearing a wide satin band around the head.

By 1912, Harry had accomplished another of his goals: designing for famous actress Lillian Russell. Russell liked the work of the young artist and felt his designs made her appear more slender. Harry designed the gowns worn by Miss Russell when she appeared in the show “Hokey Pokey” which opened on Broadway in February of 1912.

At the very zenith of his success he became ill with consumption (tuberculosis) and returned to Weedsport to die at the age of 27 in the spring of 1913.

Before his passing he had been ill for about a year and had plenty of time to design and create a setting for his own funeral. He arranged to be buried in a white kidskin casket with his head resting on a pillow of violets and lilies of the valley, with a cross of white roses at his feet. He chose the decorations for the church and the music which included the hymns “Sometime We'll Understand” and “He Knows.” Many of Harry's friends and acquaintances from the Broadway stage attended his funeral. Harry lies at rest in The Weedsport Rural Cemetery.

At the Museum we have about 50 of his watercolors and pen and ink drawings, including a large oil painting of Lillian Russell where we strive to make people of today aware of the long and storied history of our community.

Denny Randall is president of the Old Brutus Historical Society in Weedsport.