Chamberlain and Lyman Brown theater diaries, 1909-1914
The Chamberlain and Lyman Brown Theater Diaries consist of nine volumes that document the brothers' theatergoing experiences (mostly in Boston, Massachusetts) as young teenagers, for the years from 1909 to 1914. Four of the diaries were kept by Chamberlain, the other five by Lyman. These commercially produced blank volumes, which were distributed by the Chicago firm of Brewer Barse under the title, Plays and Players: A Theatre-Goer's Record, had been gifts from an aunt whom the brothers would visit in New York during the Christmas holidays; productions they attended in New York during these stays are documented in the diaries as well. Each diary includes information recorded by one of the Brown brothers for approximately forty-five productions, but Chamberlain's diary for the 1909-1910 season contains about seventy-two entries. Most of the volumes have cast lists and clippings for each play, but some contain entire programs and publicity brochures. Ticket stubs are sometimes included, especially in the earlier volumes. There are also a few photographs in one or two of the diaries, as well as some loose clippings related to a production. A number of autographs can also be found on the clippings of actors' photographs. The collection, which includes documentation of numerous operettas, revues, and vaudeville productions, provides an interesting perspective on the early twentieth century theater scene in Boston and New York
Archival Material, English, 1909
1909