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Arts & Entertainment

Local Actor Brings Henry Mercer to Life

Take a closer look at what inspires the man behind the mustache.

C. Jameson Bradley had never seen a photograph of Henry Chapman Mercer before he was asked to portray the Doylestown benefactor 12 years ago.

Even he admitted the likeness was eerie.

A cabinet-maker by day, Bradley uses his years of community theater experience to transform into the man with the mustache for special events at , and .

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“I’m bringing Henry to life today as if he were 155 years old and well-preserved,” said Bradley, a resident of Haycock.

But the gig doesn’t just involve donning a cream Victorian suit and hat and shaking hands at the Memorial Day Parade. Bradley continues to learn as much as he can about Mercer, a man he’s found to be just as much rooted in the past as ahead of his time.

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An outspoken intellectual born in 1856, Mercer traveled the world, spoke five languages and was a staunch animal rights activist.

Bradley recalled his favorite stories about how Mercer would pester strangers with caged canaries until they let them fly free.

Once, when the township threatened to round up all the stray dogs and put them down, Mercer went straight to the courthouse and paid enough for all of the dogs to be documented and licensed.   

What Bradley said he is inspired by most, however, are Mercer’s quirks – the fact that he loved animals, but loved a hearty breakfast of lamb chops and scrambled eggs even more. Or that he often entertained friends and family with a hoarded supply of Bushmills Irish whiskey during Prohibition.

“If you tried to put him in a box today, he wouldn’t fit neatly. That’s sometimes the plight of forward-thinkers,” Bradley said.

As a carpenter who uses modern power tools to build antique reproduction furniture, Bradley said he appreciates Mercer’s affinity for using ordinary materials like concrete in unconventional ways.    

“Doylestown wouldn’t be Doylestown without what he did to this place,” Bradley said, conjuring to mind the iconic Mercer Museum and the treasures within.

Bradley speculates that one reason Mercer was such an avid collector of 19th century artifacts is because he never married or had a family.

“In many ways, you see some of the drive. This is his legacy,” Bradley said. "He felt it very important for our future children to learn about the past.”

The Mercer Museum continues its historical outreach with the production of three original plays this fall, for which Bradley will serve as technical director.

The first two, on Sept. 18 and Oct. 9 at 2 p.m., tell the stories of two escaped slaves who secured their freedom in the Doylestown area during the Civil War era.

The weekend of Nov. 4, a costumed Bradley will host Mercer Madness Trivia Night, appearing as the self-proclaimed “Victorian Pat Sajack,” followed by the Mercer Museum’s final original performance inspired by its collection of letters written by Civil War soldiers.

Looking to the future, Bradley said he will continue to enjoy bringing the past to life and giving a face to Doylestown.

"I want to see it go forward," he said. "Henry has been my outlet."

For more information on Mercer Museum programs and events, visit www.mercermuseum.org/events_calendar.htm

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