Local craftsman Henry Bergeson has been dazzling the world with his handmade kaleidoscopes for over 30 years. On a snowy Colorado afternoon, I had the pleasure of interviewing Henry in his Conifer home workshop. I learned much about the detailed nuances necessary to produce just one ornately beautiful kaleidoscope, and walked away with a deep appreciation for the craft Henry has spent his life mastering.
As the son of a ship builder, Henry gravitated toward tinkering. He grew up watching his father construct and develop boats, and when he was old enough, he worked beside him. He loved figuring out how things worked by taking apart lawn mowers and later working on cars. His mechanical prowess was further nurtured when he went to Northeastern University for Mechanical Engineering. However, the world of engineering didn’t seem to quite fit Henry.
After graduating, he worked with his father for a short while, then landed a job as a design engineer at a medical equipment company. It was a visit to an art gallery during his lunch break that changed the course of Henry’s life. He happened upon a kaleidoscope exhibit and was fascinated. He thought to himself, “I could do that!” And so he did.
Henry wound up using the model shop of the company he was working for to create his first kaleidoscope. It was his boss who told him that he could probably make a better living creating kaleidoscopes than working as a mechanical engineer. Within a few weeks, Henry was laid off from the last job he would ever have, and set off for Colorado to visit his sister and begin his fruitful career as a kaleidoscope artisan. This was in 1987, and he never looked back.
“As the son of a ship builder, Henry gravitated toward tinkering.”
Kaleidoscopes are typically considered a child’s toy. I can’t remember the last time I looked into one. But when I peered into one of Henry’s magnificent creations, I was transported back to the giddiness of childhood through the symphony of geometric patterns that enveloped my eyes. Stars, petals and spirals intertwined and blossomed into infinite variations. Crimson reds swirled into soft pinks, morphing into emerald greens and electric blues, each hue fracturing and multiplying as it met its twin on the other side of the glass. To ingest such playfulness into my soul as an adult was a magical experience.
Henry begins each kaleidoscope with the interior mirror, which creates the iconic mandalas. Different designs come to life depending on how he aligns the mirrors. Next, he creates “the home” for the mirrors, which is the smooth as silk wooden exterior Henry is famous for: each piece chosen, cut, carved, sanded, and stained by hand to produce a graceful kaleidoscope that would be the talking piece in any home.
Unlike the telescope-esq kaleidoscopes of yore, most of Henry’s “babies” are tabletop pieces intended to be viewed from above. Every kaleidoscope has a glycerin-filled moveable tube that holds a myriad of colorful small objects such as seashells, swirly marbles, and other random (yet intentional) pieces. These items reflect the mirror, creating a psychedelic feast for the eyes.
I honestly never knew I needed a kaleidoscope until I witnessed the attention to detail and love that Henry puts into each of his creations. Not everything we own needs to have a purposeful function. Sometimes an indulgence is exactly what our heart requires to shake things up! I also thought about how one of those beauties would be the perfect gift for that person who has everything. We all deserve more color in our lives!
Visit henrybergesonkaleidoscopes.com or his Etsy account, HTBKALEIDOSCOPES, to view, purchase or have a piece commissioned. Better yet, experience one of his mesmerizing kaleidoscopes in person at The Evergreen Gallery in downtown Evergreen.
