He moved to New York in 1907 and began attending the Art Students League where he studied with William Merritt Chase and Frank Vincent Du Mond.

[1] In 1909 took life classes with Robert Henri at the New York School of Art, which he found of great importance to his formative style.

Among the awards he received was the Beck Gold medal for portraiture at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia in January 1920, for his painting Russian Girl.

Recognized for his work in portraiture, Speicher’s renown allowed him to support himself with commissions, and he also executed many flower still lifes and landscapes.

With a strong technique and great capability as a draughtsman, Speicher’s compositions are analytical and methodical in their design and execution.