Henry Beaumont Herts (January 23, 1871 – March 27, 1933) was an American architect. Herts was born in New York City, attended Columbia University without graduating, and apprenticed under Bruce Price. He studied architecture in Europe at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and at the Universities of Rome and Heidelberg. In 1900 Herts, with partner

Hugh Tallant Hugh may refer to: *Hugh (given name) Noblemen and clergy French * Hugh the Great (died 956), Duke of the Franks * Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France under his father, Robert II * Hugh, Duke of Alsace (died 895), modern-day ...

, formed Herts & Tallant and became known for their theater designs. Tallant was the designer, and Herts serving as the engineer and businessperson. The 1903 New Amsterdam Theatre was their first big success, followed by the Fulton (razed in 1982), the

Gaiety Gaiety or Gayety may refer to: * Gaiety (mood), the state of being happy * Gaiety Theatre (disambiguation) * ''USS Gayety (AM-239'', former name of the ship ''BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20)'' See also *Gaiety Girls Gaiety Girls were the chorus girl ...

(razed in 1982), the Liberty (defunct in 1933), the Lyceum, the New German Theatre, and the

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...

. Herts perfected the cantilevered arch construction that enabled theater architects to support balconies without the use of columns.''Broadway: Its History, People, and Places: An Encyclopedia'', by Ken Bloom, Taylor & Francis, 2004, pp. 241-242. Fulton Theater, New York City

The partnership with Tallant ended in 1912. Herts continued in business with assistant

Herbert J. Krapp Herbert J. Krapp (1887, New York City, - 1973, Florida) was a theatre architect and designer in the early part of the twentieth century. Krapp was an apprentice with the Herts & Tallant firm until 1915. Between 1912 and 1916 Krapp began working d ...

and produced the Booth, its companion the Schubert, and the Longacre Theaters. Krapp left the firm in 1915. Herts also served as architect for the playground commission of New York City, and designed Rice Memorial Stadium in Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx (razed in 1989) and the Betsy Head Memorial Playground in Brownsville, Brooklyn. He also studied fireproofing methods and aided the New York City Fire Department in developing building codes and designed the Guggenheim family mausoleum at

Salem Fields Cemetery, Brooklyn Salem Fields Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery located at 775 Jamaica Avenue in the Cypress Hills neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, United States, within the Cemetery Belt. It was founded in 1852 by Temple Emanu-el. Salem Fields is the final ...

. Herts retired in 1928 due to poor health, died in 1933 at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx. His papers are held at the

Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library The Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library is a library located in Avery Hall on the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University in the New York City. It is the largest architecture library in the world. Serving Columbia's Graduate Schoo ...

at Columbia University.

References

External links

* Herts & Tallant paper finding aid
Held by the Department of Drawings & Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herts, Henry Beaumont 1871 births 1933 deaths American theatre architects Columbia University alumni Architects from New York City Defunct architecture firms based in New York City