Thursday, June 21, 2007

Dan'l Boone #1 1891


SAVE2990, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

"The On The Trail or Daniel Boone and Specialty Co."

I assume this to be a meller-drama plus a few acts, like the Blue Show today.

Posted by Buckles at 6/21/2007 06:16:00 AM

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

What are the origin of these pictures? Do they refer to Col. E. Daniel Boone?
In 1891 he was touring with Forepaugh.
He had his own "Monster Aggregation" and "Arena of Wild Animals" after 1894/5.

Paul Griffiths

23 June, 2007 03:46
Buckles said...

My father enjoyed collecting anything pertaining to under-canvas entertainment, Circuses, Carnivals, Minstrel Shows, Repertoire or Stock Companies, Side Shows, Pit Shows, etc.
He usually supplied what details he had on the back of each item and in this case "The On the Trail Or Daniel Boone and Specialty Co." Hastings, Nebraska 1891.
This suggests to me that a Stock Company did a Daniel Boone drama (which no doubt included the bear)and "Specialty Co." indicates that songs, dances and snappy patter were also included in the program.

23 June, 2007 06:43
Anonymous said...

Buckles...
Thanks for the explanation, yes it fits, if I had thought about it...as Forepaugh didn't go to Hastings in 1891...I was just getting excited!!
I'm on the lookout for anything to do with Col. E. Daniel Boone, especially when he had his own touring animal show 1894/1896. I've found the odd press cutting and a couple of adverts for that period, but it would be great to find an image!!!

Paul Griffiths

23 June, 2007 09:22
Anonymous said...

Paul:

You are probably aware that Col Boone played the Tennessee Centennial in 1897, the outfit being called Gorman and Boone at the time.

Buckles:

I's a shame that we see so little in the way of feedback to these pictures. In 1927 there were over 400 tent theaters of various kinds on the highways and byways of this great country and only a few folks are now aware of their existence, I'm sure you know about the group that meets at Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

23 June, 2007 13:04
Anonymous said...

For many, pictures of the shows we remember are enjoyed but for some of us, photos of the shows we never got to see because we were born way too late are the best. Thanks, Buckles, and thanks to your dad for having such wide-ranging interests.
For those who might like to learn more, Bill Slout's "Theatre in a Tent" is well-known but I also enjoy Jere Mickel's "Footlights on the Prairie" publihsed in 1975 and still in print at $12.50 (and available from amazon.com). The book has a good number of photographs, many of which came from the late Al Pitcaithley.
Dick Flint
Baltimore

23 June, 2007 14:06
Anonymous said...

Ole...
Thank you, yes I was aware of his Tennessee Centennial appearance, and Fred Dahlinger kindly sent me a reference to a New York Clipper report of the event. It referred to his daughter, Dodo (who would have been about 11 years old) making her first bow as a lion tamer... "A success from the first step, although the Colonel had to interfere at times"

Back in 1884 Colonel Boone and Miss Carlotta were appearing in London - The Celebrated American Lion Tamers - and a poster with a splendid engraving is now on-line in the Evanion Collection at the British Museum.
www.collectbritain.co.uk/collections/evanion (search on Boone and it should pop up straight away)

I don't know about the group that meets in Iowa...can you save me 'googling'it?!!

Paul Griffiths

23 June, 2007 14:35
Anonymous said...

The Theatre Museum of Repertoire Americana was established in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, about 35 years ago through the energy of Neil and Caroline Schaffner whose Toby show was one of the last to tour. They sponsor a conference each spring, produce a play each summer, maintain a collection, and publish a newsletter called "Winging It." You can find their website at http://www.oldthreshers.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=theatre.main
Buckles, I wonder if these two photos are really from the same year as the window design on the coaches are different and I can see no evidence of a second and similar show rail car. By the way, there is a good chance that this show played the local opera house rather than in a tent. It might be easy to clarify, however, through checking the routes and show news columns of the "New York Clipper."
Dick Flint
Baltimore

23 June, 2007 16:25

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