Jay T. Last collection of entertainment: Schaefer's Opera House business correspondence, 1867-1900

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Summary

Creators:
Last, Jay T.
Abstract:
The Schaefer's Opera House business correspondence, a subset within the Jay T. Last collection of entertainment prints and ephemera, contains records of the Schaefer's Opera House entertainment venue of Canton, Ohio, from approximately 1867 to 1900. Approximately 420 items focus on venue contracts for various entertainment acts and productions, including commission percentages, dates, and other terms. Also included are receipts, tickets, and other ephemera.
Extent:
approximately 420 items
Language:
English.

Background

Scope and content:

The Schaefer's Opera House business correspondence, a subset within the Jay T. Last collection of entertainment prints and ephemera, contains records of the Schaefer's Opera House entertainment venue of Canton, Ohio, from approximately 1867 to 1890. Approximately 420 items are housed in 4 binders, and focus on venue booking agreements for various entertainment acts and productions, including commission percentages, dates, and other terms. The materials are predominantly correspondences, but ephemera such as reciepts and tickets are also included.

The opera house contracts specify the percentages of gross receipts received by the show managers and the opera house for “each and every performance,” and sometimes list what each party will furnish as part of the signed agreement. That list for the house could include: a lighted, heated and cleaned theater or hall, stage men, stage furniture, ushers, bill posting and distributing, ticket sellers, and advance sales; and for the managers: the company, entertainment and perishable properties, an orchestra and conductor, door tenders, and “all printing necessary for the proper advertisement of the entertainment.”

Biographical / historical:

Louis Shaefer was born December 25, 1815, in France. He was schooled there by his father (a teacher), and the family moved to Ohio in 1830, where they settled in Osnaburg Township. Shaefer worked first in a country store, then later studied law in the firm of Griswold & Grant in Canton, Ohio. He was also very involved in public affairs, serving as a member of the City Council and Board of Education, and he devoted much of his time to the local public schools. Schaefer also helped develop Canton’s water works system, and, while a county commissioner, Schaefer spearheaded a move to build a county courthouse.

Schaefer’s Opera House was first opened in the season of 1867-8, and was personally managed by Schaefer for 21 years. It was the second opera house in the state, and according to contemporary accounts, the move prompted other cities to follow suit in the years following. Many acts and performances graced the stage of Shaefer’s Opera house, resulting in Schaefer’s acquaintance and friendship with the likes of Mary Anderson, Lawrence Barrett, Edwin Forrest, Thomas W. Keene, Margaret Mather, and Clara Morris. Other managers also held Schaefer in high regard, including John Ellsler, Brooks & Dickson, Augustus Pitou, and Shook & Collier. Through Schaefer's efforts, Canton residents enjoyed national touring productions of Hamlet, Merchant of Venice, and Uncle Tom's Cabin, as well as local productions of lesser-known plays, concerts, and touring operas.

Schaefer’s Opera House was demolished shortly after Schaefer’s death in 1889. It was replaced by the Canton Grand Opera House, which operated until 1945.

Acquisition information:
This collection forms part of the Jay T. Last Collection of Graphic Arts and Social History, which was donated to the Huntington Library by Jay T. Last in 2005 as a gift in progress. The bulk of the entertainment ephemera was transferred to the Library between 2010 and 2013 . The Schaefer's Opera House records described in this finding aid were transferred in 2013 and 2016 .
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged alphabetically by company or performer.

Rules or conventions:
Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Note:

Finding aid last updated on March 26, 2020.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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