Joseph Clare facts for kids

Joseph Clare (1846–1917) was a talented English artist. He was known as a scenic designer, meaning he created the backgrounds and sets for plays. He was also a painter who belonged to the Pre-Raphaelite movement, a group of artists who liked detailed and colorful art. Many people thought he was one of the best set designers in America. His designs were admired for being elegant and fitting the time period of the play.

Life and Career

Joseph Clare was born in England in 1846. When he was young, he learned how to be a scenic designer at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool. This was like an apprenticeship, where he learned the skills by working with experienced designers.

After that, he worked for five years at the Theatre Royal, Portsmouth. There, he became the main scenic designer. He was very successful at creating sets for plays based on books by the famous writer Charles Dickens. In 1865, during his first year at the theatre, he met Dickens and they became good friends. They stayed close until Dickens passed away in 1870.

In 1871, a theatre owner named Lester Wallack brought Clare to the United States. Clare became the main scenic designer for Wallack's Theatre on Broadway in New York City. Broadway is famous for its many theatres and shows. He worked there until the theatre company closed in 1887. Later, in 1894, he designed the sets for a new play called Gismonda at the Fifth Avenue Theatre on Broadway.

Joseph Clare died on June 3, 1917, when he was 71 years old. He passed away in Central Islip, New York.