Lew Bloom, who now makes his home in the village of Mount Penn, Berks county, is a man of versatile talents, having been actor, musician and artist. He was born in Philadelphia on the site where Penn made his famous treaty with the Indians, Aug. 8, 1859, son of Lewis and Louisa (Moyer) Bloom, the latter a sister of George Moyer, who was a central figure for so many years in Phoenixville, Pa., and who was the draftsman for the great bridge works at that place. Lew Bloom was reared in Reading and was educated in the public schools and the academy at Williamsport, Pa. At the age of thirteen years he began riding as a jockey in running races for Peter Hurdick and "Kentucky" Schettler, of Reading. When still a youth he had a tendency for all kinds of show business, and was only a boy when he ran away and joined a circus, but was brought back home. He again ran away and found employment as a driver on a canal boat, the "Letitia King," on the old Pennsylvania canal. He started in the show business as a gymnast, for which he had trained while working as an oyster opener in a restaurant. He would practice on the horizontal bar in the back yard, with a neighbor's boy, Howard Cantner, who aspired to be a juggler, and who became his "side-partner" in the beginning of his stage career. Mr. Bloom's first venture which proved a financial success was acting the "wild man" at country fairs, his cage being an old crockery crate, and his acting was so perfect that even the most learned were deceived. The impersonation in which Mr. Bloom has won his most notable success, however, was that of the tramp, he being the originator of this "act." He was one of the "headliners" when Keith presented his first big "star" vaudeville bill in Boston and he has appeared at nearly every big vaudeville house in the United States and Canada, being recognized as one of the foremost and most popular comedians on the vaudeville stage. In 1886 Mr. Bloom began the breeding of fine dogs, and since that time has developed one of the finest kennels in the country. In 1879 he was presented a fine English bull terrier, a white dog, named facetiously "Bloom's Blackberry" by Mr. Bloom, the giver being Colonel Snowden, president of the United States Mint. His kennels are made up of black and tan and Boston terriers, the head of his stud being "Champion Boney Boy," Manchester black and tan, the only champion dog ever owned in Berks county, which has taken prizes at many bench shows in this country and Canada. Mr. Bloom's kennels are the leading black and tan kennels of the world. He is a fraternally connected with the B. P. O. E., Lodge No. 1, New York City.

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ML Clipping Lew Bloom 1907
Today is the birthday of Lew “Bud” Bloom (Ludwig Pflum, 1859-1929), billed in vaudeville as “The Society Tramp”. Originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, he started out as a circus clown, boxer, and actor in melodramas. In 1888, he played the part of a tramp in a play called “The Red Spider.” His portrayal was so popular he worked up a vaudeville act around it and played it on the circuits for years. By the early 1890s he was a headliner. Bloom can be said (and he did say it in his publicity) that he was the first of the tramp stage comedians, preceding even Nat M. Wills. Starting in 1892 he had an act with his wife Jane Cooper, called “A Picture from Life”, with her playing the New England spinster foil to his objectionable hobo. One of his jokes was “I don’t spend all my time in saloons. I can’t. They have to close sometimes!”

Bloom is also notable for having become a friend to the painter R.A. Blakelock and a major collector of his works. He also dabbled in oil painting and late in life was guilty of an art hoax, having forged a painting of Mary Todd Lincoln, claiming it was by Francis Carpenter. This story broke last year; see the New York Times article about it here.

(courtesy of Find A Grave contributor Neil D Scheidt)