USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Annals of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania in the olden time; being a collection of the memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 40
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Cooke's equestrian circus company first opened in Philadelphia at the circus building, Chestnut street below Ninth, especially erected for their use, August 28, 1837. The company appeared at the Walnut Street Theatre after it was burnt out at the Front Street Theatre, Baltimore.
The circus at the north-east corner of Walnut and Ninth streets was first opened to the public February 2d, 1809, by Pepin & Breschard, equestrians. It was rebuilt and opened by Inslee & Blake, January 21st, 1829. It was then a theatre and circus combined. After the ring performances, Mr. Cowell, who was
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the manager, played Paul Pry. It was until within a recent pe- riod known as the Olympic Theatre, and now as the New Amer- ican or Walnut Street Theatre. One circus company, we think, was under the management of Turner the equestrian, who per- formed from February 7th to March 14th, 1842, in a movable ring set on the stage.
Dan Rice and company of equestrians performed at the Walnut Street Theatre for two weeks, commencing March 3d, 1862. The ring was built upon the stage. Nixon's Royal Equestrian Troupe exhibited at the Walnut Street Theatre June 11th, 1860, a gutta- percha ring being placed upon the stage.
Some years ago the most fashionable places in the theatre were the boxes and first and second tiers. Next was the pit, now called the parquet. And lastly, the gallery, now called the am- phitheatre. The dearest seats were those of the orchestra, adjoin- ing the musicians. The "pit " originally built at the Arch Street Theatre remained without change until the season of 1852, when Thomas J. Hemphill, then lessee, remodelled the house, removed the old pit, and fitted the space occupied by the benches with seats in the parquet style. With these alterations the theatre was opened August 21st, 1852. The theatre was first opened October 1, 1828.
List of Places of Amusement burned in Philadelphia .- The following is a list of all the theatres and places of amusement destroyed by fire in Philadelphia : Rickett's Circus, south-west corner of Sixth and Chestnut streets, December 17, 1799; Vaux- hall Garden, north-east corner of Broad and Walnut streets, burned by a mob, September 8, 1819; Chestnut Street Theatre, north side of Chestnut street, east of Sixth, April 2, 1820 ; South- wark Theatre, corner South and Apollo streets, between Fourth and Fifth, May 9, 1821 ; Maelzel's Hall, Fifth above Prune, 1845; Athenæum (Barnum's Museum and Theatre), south-east corner Seventh and Chestnut, December 30, 1851; Assembly Buildings, south-west corner of Tenth and Chestnut streets, March 18, 1851; Sanford's Opera-House, Twelfth street below Chestnut, December 9, 1853; National Theatre, south side of Chestnut street, east of Ninth, July 5, 1854; Chinese Museum, north-east corner of Ninth and Sansom streets, July 5, 1854; American Museum, north-west corner of Fifth and Chestnut streets, December, 1854; Melodeon, north side of Chestnut, be- tween Sixth and Seventh, 1857; Fox's American Theatre, Wal- nut street, west of Eighth, June 19th, 1867; City Museum The- atre, Callowhill street, between Fourth and Fifth, November 25th, 1868 ; National Hall, south side of Market street, east of Thirteenth, January 29th, 1874; Harmonie Hall (German The- atre), Coates street near Seventh, March 8th, 1871; Sanford's Opera-House, Second street above Poplar, October 17th, 1871; Arch Street Opera-House (Simmons & Slocum's), Arch street,
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west of Tenth, March 20th, 1872; Fox's American Theatre, Chestnut street, above Tenth, February 25th, 1877.
Lailson's Amphitheatre and Concert, north-west corner of Fifth and Prune streets, was destroyed by the falling in of the dome July 8th, 1798.
The Vauxhall Theatre, north-east corner of Walnut and Broad streets, was used for various forms of exhibitions and for balloon ascensions, and more particularly for displays of fireworks and other attractive amusements, etc. On the evening of September 8, 1819, it was destroyed by an infuriated mob who took offence at being disappointed in a balloon ascension. The elm that stands on Walnut street, overhanging the street, was an old tree then. One other old tree-a cedar-is still standing in the garden of the Dundas mansion. At the Old Vauxhall, many years ago, a fight took place between two gentlemen (one a broker in Third street, the other a celebrated dentist in New York). They had an old quarrel, and resolved to come out to the garden some eve- ning with a few friends and fight it out; which they did, the for- mer decidedly getting the worst of it. But the attractions attend- ing the Old Vauxhall Garden have all passed away. Mr. Durang mentions in his History of the Philadelphia Stage several instances in which plays were performed at Vauxhall.
The Garden Theatre, called the Tivoli Theatre, was originally opened by Lawrence Astolfi, about the year 1815, under the name of the Columbian Garden. It was not very successful, in consequence of the superior attractions of the Vauxhall Garden Theatre. After the latter was destroyed by a mob in the year 1819 the star of the Columbian Garden began to shine again. It was leased by Stanislaus Surin, a juggler, who gave it the name of Tivoli, after the celebrated Italian cascade near the city of the same name in Italy. It was first opened under that name for musical performances on the 22d of May, 1820. On the 29th of May it was opened as a summer theatre, and closed on the 21st of October. Stanislaus then procured the use of a building in Prune street, between Fifth and Sixth-which was latterly used as Roussel's mineral-water establishment-which he opened on the 20th of November, 1820, as the Winter Tivoli Theatre. The Tivoli Garden Theatre was never used as a circus. The property on Prune street belongs to Swaim's estate. On Saturday, Nov. 1, 1856, it took fire, and owing to a high south-west wind its de- struction appeared inevitable, but it was extinguished in about an hour, after destroying the roof and much of the upper stories. Shortly after the roof of the African church on Fifth street, above Prune, was discovered on fire, but was soon extinguished.
FOX'S FORTUNES.
Robert Fox has been for a long time connected with the variety business in this city, and during that time has met with various
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fortunes. His first connection was with the Casino, an establish- ment which was opened for variety performances in the old build- ing which had been for many years occupied as Jones's Hotel, in Chestnut street, between Sixth and Seventh streets. He was at this place for some time, but, ambitious for a better establishment, he changed his quarters to the old Continental Theatre, in Wal- nut street, above Eighth. This building had seen many changes. It was constructed on a large lot running from Walnut to Sansom streets which had been occupied in 1831 by Roper's, and after- ward by Barrett's, Gymnasium. Raymond & Waring erected the first building there for the purposes of a menagerie, and occupied it with their zoological collection for some years, being succeeded by Welch & Lent, and subsequently by General Rufus Welch on his own account. During its occupancy by Welch & Lent as a zoological institute a tragic accident occurred to two fine large elephants that were drowned in the Delaware. They were called Virginius and Bozzaris. The mistake was in chaining them. All efforts to get them on the ferry-boat were futile, and it was at length decided to swim them over. Elephants are good swim- mers, and have the power of raising and lowering themselves in the water without any apparent effort, and also of remaining in the water a long time ; which, when the drivers are in a hurry, detains them. It was to overcome these peculiarities that they were shackled, so that the keeper could go alongside in a boat and hurry them up. In the middle of the river, from some unknown cause, they became entangled, and were eventually drowned. A man-William Williams-was killed by the elephant Romeo at winter-quarters near Philadelphia.
The elephant Columbus, which was exhibited at the Zoological Institute, assaulted William Kelly, a keeper, on the 24th of De- cember, 1847. Kelly died a few days afterward. It being feared that the elephant would break out of the building, the mayor pro- vided a piece of cannon, which was planted in front of the doors ; but the animal did not come out.
Ballard & Stickney altered this place for the purposes of a circus, and opened it for equestrian performances on the 3d of December, 1853. After the National Amphitheatre, Chestnut street, east of Ninth-now a portion of the site of the Continental Hotel-and occupied by Welch & Lent, was burned, July 5th, 1854, negotiations were made for the Walnut Street Menagerie. They succeeded Ballard & Stickney, and the house was for some years known as Welch's National Amphitheatre and Circus. It was opened for that purpose July 5th, 1854.
William Wheatley succeeded General Welch. He tore out the ring, put up a stage, altered the house for dramatic purposes, and opened the house as the Continental Theatre-a speculation which was not fortunate. It was at this house, during Mr. Wheatley's management, that the Gale sisters lost their lives by their dresses
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taking fire while they were performing on the stage. The house seemed doomed after that, and Mr. Wheatley abandoned it about 1861. Allison & Hincken succeeded, and opened the place as a variety theatre in 1862.
Mr. Fox followed them, and gave up the Casino, which, after a few months' trial in other hands, was unable to compete with better attractions, and was closed. Mr. Fox gave to the building on Walnut street the name of Fox's American Theatre, and opened it to the public August 23d, 1865. He remained there with much success until June 19, 1867, when the building was totally destroyed. The Black Crook was in the course of per- formance when the fire broke out, about half-past nine o'clock in the evening. Fortunately, the audience was warned in time, and vacated the building safely. But notwithstanding this happy circumstance, there was a great loss of life. While the firemen were laboring faithfully, the front wall of the theatre fell out into the street, by which thirteen persons were killed and sixteen wounded. After this disaster Mr. Fox with great energy applied himself to the rebuilding of the house, and it was opened in the same year. He remained here for about three years. In conse- quence of difficulties with his landlord, he turned his attention to a new situation. He bought from the Academy of Fine Arts the large lot on Chestnut street formerly occupied by that institution, and opened Fox's New American Theatre, December 17th, 1870. The Academy of Fine Arts sold the property upon which the theatre was erected to Mr. Fox for one hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars, subject to a ground-rent of three hundred and twenty dollars per annum. This theatre was destroyed by fire February 25th, 1877, involving, besides several other houses, the Mercantile Library in partial destruction. It was rebuilt with more elegance, and opened for performances in November, 1877.
Forrest and Macready .- The late Edwin Forrest, the American tragedian, while in England, claimed to have been badly treated by Macready, and Forrest admitted he hissed Macready when playing Hamlet in London for "introducing a fancy dance." When Macready visited this country in 1848, he made several addresses in which he spoke against Forrest, to one of which, at the Arch Street Theatre, on November 20th, Mr. Forrest replied. This theatrical war had numerous partisans on each side, and waged hot for a time, and what was known as the Forrest-Ma- cready riots took place May 7, 1849.
Capacity of the Present Theatres .- Walnut Street Theatre, parquet and parquet circle, 800; total seating capacity, 1800. Chestnut Street Theatre, parquet and parquet circle, 558; total seating capacity, 1846. Arch Street Theatre, parquet 500; total seating capacity, 1500. Academy of Music, parquet and parquet circle, 1078; total seating capacity, 2960.
Academy of Music .- This the finest structure in the city for
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operatic performances, was commenced in 1855, the corner-stone being laid July 26th, with an address by Mayor Conrad, at the corner of Broad and Locust streets. It holds 3000 persons. The architects were Napoleon Le Brun and Gustavus Runge. It was opened for use Jan. 26, 1857, with a concert and a splendid ball, which was crowded; during four or five nights promenade concerts were given and well attended, though the weather was very unfavorable. The charge for tickets to the ball was $5 for gentlemen and $2.50 for ladies. The adorn- ments and fittings are very elegant, and the chandelier is superb. The gaslights are lit by electricity. The stage is perhaps the largest in the country.
The business of the Academy of Music for 1877 was smaller than for any year since 1865. There were 123 representations during the year, of which 25 were operas, 25 dramas, and 31 concerts. The receipts were $38,859.44, and the expenditures $30,600.45; $25,375.50 was received as the rent of the Academy. The net receipts, after paying interest, etc., were $164.87. The institution is out of all debt, the total stock held amounting to $289,900.
MODERN ACTORS.
The great comic actor Jefferson was the delight of the visitors of the (late) Chestnut Street Theatre sixty years ago. Many who had seen Munden, Liston, and all the great comedians of that day said that Jefferson excelled them all. He had a son-known as J. Jefferson-who was of no great excellence, taking such parts as Rosencrantz in Hamlet. The audiences were so accustomed to laugh when the elder Jefferson appeared that they thus greeted him when he appeared in parts that were not comic, such as Polonius. The present Joseph Jefferson is the son of Joseph Jefferson, who was the son of the original Joseph Jefferson, who was the first actor of that name who came to this country. He came to the United States in 1796, and was a leading member of the old Chestnut Street Theatre company for nearly thirty years. His son, Joseph Jefferson the second, was really an artist and scene-painter, and of more ability in that line than as an actor ; but his wife, known to old theatre-goers as Mrs. Burke, who was a widow when she married Joseph Jefferson the second, was a lady of exceedingly fine talent, and was a great favorite. There are many of our older citizens who recollect Charles Burke, the comedian, who was half-brother of the present "Rip Van Winkle " Jefferson, and who was one of the best comic actors on our stage. The present Joseph Jefferson (Rip Van Winkle) is the third of the name. Temperance Hall, in North Third street below Green, was bought by the temperance people to purify it. It had previously been known as the Northern Exchange, and was a flash sort of drinking-house, kept by John Vasey. Con- certs had been given there occasionally, and in October, 1834,
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Joseph Jefferson-father of the present Joseph Jefferson-fitted up the grand saloon of the second floor as a theatre. It was used as such for two or three months, but proved to be a failure. During that time, and afterward, concerts were given there.
John Drew .- He first made his appearance at the old Chestnut Street Theatre, under Quinlan's management, in 1852; went to the Arch, with Wheatley, in 1853; went to England in 1855; was abroad travelling until the latter part of the year. Mrs. Louisa Drew says : "Mr. John Drew acted at the Walnut Street Theatre (Mr. Marshall then being manager) in November, 1855, immediately upon his return from a visit to England and Ire- land. He took the National Theatre on Walnut street, and opened it May 16th, 1857, producing then the Naiad Queen, with Joseph Jefferson, George Boniface, Theodore Hamilton, Edwin Adams, and Mary Devlin (afterward Mrs. Edwin Booth). The theatre was unsuccessful, and closed August 8th, 1857, Mr. Drew having lost all his property in the venture. Mr. Drew and my- self acted at the Walnut Street Theatre, under the management of Mrs. D. P. Bowers, either late in 1857 or early in 1858; and Mr. Drew played a farewell engagement there previous to his departure for California and Australia in the latter part of No- vember, 1858, Mrs. Garretson then being lessee. He reappeared at this theatre (Arch Street) on the 13th of January, 1862, played one hundred nights, and died on the 21st of May, 1862." Mrs. John Drew appeared as a prodigy in Washington, D. C., during Pres. Jackson's administration. Her name then was Louisa Lane.
Junius Brutus Booth .- A contributor (L. A. G.) says : " In the story of the elder Booth's 'double' there is no truth. When Booth arrived in this city to fill an engagement, he was imme- diately put in charge of William Ford, a tall man, who was a retired constable, whose business it was to deliver Booth at the stage-door every afternoon in time to dress for his part in the evening; and he was often thus delivered at the stage-door of the old Walnut. Bill Ford and Booth generally were very drunk. At one time his guardian was George Clopp, also an ex-constable, and at one time keeper of the Lamb Tavern, on the road to the Falls of Schuylkill. Nor was the ' double ' responsible for ' many of the drunken and eccentric acts' of the elder Booth, as it is a well-known fact he needed no assistance in them. The 'double' of Booth was a young man by the name of Delarue, who made his first appearance on the stage at the Chestnut Street Theatre (Old Drury) in 1827 as Sylvester Daggerwood, in which he gave imitations of actors with a fidelity the most remarkable. The most striking, however, was that of Junius Brutus Booth. De- larue was the living picture of this great actor in size, features, voice, and action. Scandal had given a probable cause for such a resemblance. He occasionally enacted one act of Richard III. in imitation of Booth with an accuracy that was wonderful; hence
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the idea of 'a double.' He was eccentric and erratic-in fact, flighty. Had his mind been as well balanced as were his powers of imitation, he would have been an actor of no common order." The following from Rees's Life of Edwin Forrest may not be without interest in connection with the subject :
"On another occasion, in company with several gentlemen, Forrest visited the Castle of St. Angelo. Originally it was called the Mausoleum of Hadrian, a rounded pyramid of white marble. For a while they stood entranced-so much to see, so much to admire and comment upon. All around them were the traces of former greatness. Rome, with its majestic ruins-Rome, in the solemn grandeur of its churches and palaces-Rome, with its end- less treasures-Rome, with its church of St. Peter's, built at the expense of the whole Roman world-Rome, the glory of modern architecture-loomed up before them! The Pantheon, the most splendid edifice of ancient Rome-the Vatican, the palace of the pope,-all these were more or less visible to the eye as they stood gazing in wonder and awe. In one of the pauses of their con- versation a voice came up from behind a ruined column bearing upon its surface the impress of ages, saying, ' Mr. Forrest ! have you been to see the ruins of the Coliseum ?' Forrest turned round at these words to see from whom they proceeded. There, lying at full length on another pillar, was a young man whom none of the party knew. He went on : ' It is a splendid ruin, sir ! They say it held one hundred thousand people.' 'You know me, it seems ?' said Forrest. 'Know you? Why, cer- tainly ! Don't you remember Delarue ? I played Richard III. at the Walnut Street Theatre in imitation of Mr. Booth.' 'What! you here ? Get up, man ! and let me have a good look at you.' Up jumped the eccentric individual ; and as he stood before the group he appeared a fac-simile of the great tragedian he could imitate so admirably."
"The last heard of Delarue was in the year 1852. He was then living in New York." Junius Brutus Booth died on board the steamer J. S. Chenoweth on the Mississippi River November, 1852. We saw him perform in this city at the Athenæum, after- ward Barnum's Museum, corner of Seventh and Chestnut streets, in 1851. A few days afterward (in January, 1852) he played his last engagement in this city at the old Chestnut Street Theatre to a " beggarly account of empty boxes."
John May, the celebrated clown, was born in Cherry Valley, Otsego county, New York, May 7th, 1816. He was struck on the head out West by a stone, from the effects of which he became insane. He died in the insane department of the Blockley Alms- house June 12th, 1854.
The theatrical biographical dictionaries say that Mrs. Alexina Fisher Baker was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, in 1822, and made her début at the Chatham Theatre, New York, October
-3.
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11th, 1824, as Cora's daughter in Pizarro. She made her first appearance in this city in September, 1831. She played the parts of boys and young misses. She played leading business at the Park Theatre when only fourteen years of age.
Uncle Tom's Cabin was brought out at the National Theatre, Walnut street, near Eighth, by S. E. Harris (Wesley Barmore), for the first time in this city, on September 8th, 1853-Uncle Tom, S. E. Harris ; Topsy, Mrs. Jerry Merrifield, formerly Miss Rose Cline ; Eva, Miss Clara Reed ; St. Clair, Mr. White ; Phineas Fletcher, Mr. Ryan ; George Harris, Mr. Fanning. It was played until the 31st of October, when the season closed. The same piece was brought out at the Chestnut Street Theatre, under the Quinlan management, some time afterward. There was a story published in the newspapers to the effect that some old negro, who claimed to be the original of Uncle Tom in Mrs. Stowe's novel, was travelling through England, making as much money as he could under false pretences. As the character was fictitious- made up partly from imagination, and also perhaps from observa- tion of some pious old negro whom Mrs. Stowe may have known -it is not probable that there was an original. Lotta played Topsy, in Uncle Tom's Cabin, at the Walnut Street Theatre three years ago. The street-corner posters announcing this per- formance bore in large letters the word " Topsy," and contained no reference at all to the name of the drama.
Madame Janauschek made her first appearance in Philadelphia in the German language at the Chestnut Street Theatre, Decem- ber 18th, 1867, in Grillparzer's German tragedy of Medea. She first appeared in an English-speaking part at the same theatre, October 31st, 1870, as Marie Stuart.
Conrad's play of The Heretic was first brought out at the Arch Street Theatre, thus:
"FIRST NIGHT OF "EDWIN ADAMS,
who will produce, for the first time on any stage, a new play, written by the late Judge Conrad especially for Edwin Forrest, Esq., entitled
"THE HERETIC.
To be presented this (Monday) evening, April 13th, 1863, with the following superior cast :
Adrian de Teligny, the Huguenot, . . Edwin Adams.
Eleanor de Teligny, wife of Adrian, . . Mrs. John Drew."
Mr. Adams afterward performed this play under the title of The Huguenot Captain. Afterward it was performed at the Arch Street Theatre on the night of November 27, 1863. Mrs. Bowers sustained the character of Miriam.
The Original Jim Crow .- Thomas D. Rice-the original " Jim
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Crow Rice "-was born in New York on May 20th, 1808, and died in the same city, from paralysis, September 19th, 1860.
The Introduction of Negro Minstrelsy in this City .- Stickney sang " Backside Albany stan's Lake Champlain " at the Walnut Street Theatre during the management of the Chapmans. He was dressed in the conventional sailor style, with stick and bundle on his shoulder, and his face blacked. During the performances on this occasion the actors wore tri-colored badges, and the act- resses were profusely adorned with sashes of similar colors. There had been a military parade during the day, and soldiers were present, and there had been a grand demonstration in honor of the success of the French Revolution in 1830. The next was Leicester at the same theatre, whose specialties were " Brudder, let us leabe Buckra Land for Hayti" and "Settin' on a Rail," and not long after came the great Rice with his "Jim Crow." Both performers carried their specialties to England, and the career of Rice is well known, but nothing was afterward heard of Leicester. About 1845-46 the Virginia Serenaders gave a series of concerts in the lower hall of the Philadelphia Museum, on Ninth street below Chestnut. This room was built for the reception of Dunn's collection of Chinese curiosities, and was known as the Chinese Museum. It was in this room and with this band of minstrels that Jim Sanford introduced the song of "Carry me Back to Old Virginny." Belonging to this band was Winnemore, a good singer of fine personal appearance, and who did such speaking as was necessary. This was the second negro- minstrel troupe in Philadelphia ; S. S. Sanford's was the first.
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