Joseph Weyrich

World War I veteran Private Joseph Lewis Weyrich, a Baltimore native, was a casualty of the “Great War,” but of something more deadly than the war itself. Private Weyrich’s entire military service was at U.S. Army General Hospital No. 2, a 3,000-bed facility erected on the grounds of Fort McHenry to treat and care for the wounded from the European battlefields. Soldier-artist Weyrich was the instructor in commercial art, teaching his wounded and convalescing students the finer techniques of the art world as a member of the educational department staff at the hospital.

His budding art career took him to exhibitions of his works in Philadelphia, Washington and New York, where he established a studio. Although registered as a member of the Society of Friends in 1917, he started in his position at the hospital in June 1918. His promising career, both artistically and militarily, was cut short when he was one of the first of the post staff to come down with the Spanish flu. He succumbed to the disease on October 8, 1918 at age 29. The Spanish flu was part of a great wave of influenza, a lethal virus that swept across America and around the world in 1918 and 1919, not to unlike what we are experiencing today with the coronavirus. Before it was all over, it killed an estimated 670,000 Americans in one year, and 100 of them would die from it during the pandemic at U.S. Army General Hospital No. 2.

 

Left image
The sally port entrance of the star fort, image taken in the WWI era.
Credit: Plamann

Right image
Joseph Weyrich's painting of the sally port entrance to the star fort.
Credit: Plamann

 

On October 10, 1918, The Baltimore Evening Sun ran an article, “Death of Weyrich Loss to Art World, Brush of Baltimorean, Who Died at Fort McHenry, Promised Great Future by Critics.” The article goes on to praise his artistic efforts stating “although only in his twenties, young Weyrich had already earned a place in art.” His funeral was held at the First Unitarian Church in the city. The article further states the “remains will be accompanied to the grave by a military escort from Fort McHenry.”

An effort to find his final resting place in order to place a commemorative display honoring him as a part of a centennial observance of the “Great War” would end at Loudon Park Funeral Home and Cemetery. Here it was learned he had been cremated and his ashes sent to Provincetown, Mass. It was there where the young budding artist had in 1916 joined with other artists and playwrights to form a group which became known as the Provincetown Players. The organization is still in existence today with a theatre museum in New York. Dr. Jeffrey Kennedy, historian for the group, writes in a book he is working on that “The program of the first bill lists “The Playwright’s Theatre decorated by Joseph Lewis Weyrich,” crediting this Baltimore-based artist who led the team and/or the design of the auditorium.” He is also known to have designed sets for the Baltimore’s Vagabond Theatre as well as the theatres in New York and Provincetown. It became obvious to us he chose his earthly remains to be buried or scattered in an area about which he was especially fond.

 

One of Joseph Weyrich's postcards depicting several hospital beds.

Plamann

For many years after his passing a monetary prize awarded in Weyrich’s memory was given to a deserving Maryland artist. At the hospital, a series of 6 postcard views of the hospital designed by the late soldier-artist, were published and put on sale at the Post Exchange for the "benefit of disabled soldiers."

While there is no known grave to decorate, the visible legacy of this promising and talented young man’s artistic endeavors can be found in private homes and public museums including the Baltimore Museum of Art where 15 of his works are in their collections.

by Fort McHenry volunteer (and retired ranger) Paul Plamann, first published by the Baltimore Sun in 2018.