Featured Welcome to the "Steele Box"

Hello everyone,

Here goes my first attempt at posting things found in the "Steel Box" I will try my best to post things appropriately as to make it easier on folks to find. First is if you have not read my intro here is a link to it that tells you more about the box itself.

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/hello-from-nj-introduction-to-me-and-the-steele-box.61531/

I don't know where to start so I picked something that may be interesting right off the bat, not sure.

Some of the things like envelopes in the box still had their original content. See is a broadside that was pulled from the box.

Item #1:

Adding this because of the content of the cover plus the face of the cover. It's from Low's Opera house in Providence Rhode Island. From what I can tell by using Google maps the building is no longer there.

The broadside that was in this cover measures about 5" wide by 30" tall. At the bottom of the broadside it mentions "Hermann the Great" who appears to be one of the more predominant magician during the same time that Houdini was around.

I plan on looking up some of the information on the broadside to find out if any of the other people are known to be famous. If I find anything out that is interesting I will add it to this post.

 

I wonder if this is Little Fanchon Campbell all grown up? The dates seem good.
Fanchon Campbell Theatre Credits, News, Bio and Photos (broadwayworld.com)

 

Item #2:



This is probably one of the more interesting items found in the box. This handbill is from the first kidnapping in the United States for ransom. It is one of a few that are still in existence. I did manage to find one on the Library of Congress website. Here's a little more on Charlie if you are interested. https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2019/04/the-kidnapping-of-little-charley-ross/

 

The timeframe does appear to be just right, thanks for sharing that.

 

Item #3:

As you can see the moisture did get to the front of this business card but yet the backside seemed to have faired much better....

 

Very interesting and very cool. Among notorious child kidnappings in the US, the next one on the list is often the Cudahy case in Omaha in 1900. The ransom note for the Cudahy child even referenced the Ross kidnapping. In an apparent copycat crime in 1901, two criminals attempted to kidnap my wife's great uncle in Bethlehem (they were one of the wealthy families then), but the gardener's son who was the same age and looked similar was kidnapped instead by mistake. The boy was finally able to convince them of their mistake, and they released him that night. The boy walked back home, arriving around midnight.

It's great that you were able to rescue all this nice ephemera. Sad that much ended up in the landfill.

 

Thank you! Your story is actually pretty amazing in itself. Thanks for sharing it.

 

Very interesting stuff! I imagine you'll be able to find a little information, at least, about most of the actors. Some more than others. I collect antique photos of people wearing costumes. I've ended up with a lot of 19th-century theatrical photos and have searched for many of the names. I don't recognize any of the cast of this production, but found one just now through a search... probably. I think Sig(nor) Majeroni was probably this fellow, Eduardo Majeroni. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Majeroni

Since he was affiliated with Adelaide Ristori, a very well-known Italian actress, he is likely to have been known. And somebody thought it worthwhile to give him a Wikipedia page...

Enjoy the search!

 

Item #4:

Hi Figtree3,

If you are a collector of CDV of actresses I have about 31 CDVs of actresses or burlesque actresses by Jeremiah Gurney. I will post a few. They are not in the greatest shape but you can still see who they are. Some have detached from the backing but the the whole thing is there. You should recognize some.

In the meantime you should also recognize this photographer I think.

 

Item #5:

These are just a few of the CDVs (I think that's what they are called or maybe they are called Cabinet Cards?) From Jeremiah Gurney. most of which have the actresses names on the back side. Please excuse the archival sleeves, these are pretty fragile.

Top Image (left) Lotta Crabtree - she made a bundle during the California Gold Rush and she like her cigars. As a matter of fact she had a house about 3 mile away from where I live on a lake called Lake Hopatcong in NJ. The house still stands and is beautiful.

Top Image (right) Pauline Markam - Was a performer in a Theatre show called "The Black Crook" which I have a few playbills from that I will post.

Middle Image (left) Marietta Ravel - Danced in "The Back Crook" and I am sure she doperfoemed in other plays.

Middle Image (right) - Olivia Rand - Could not find much on her but the costume is pretty neat. I just don't know what the costume is? Union soldier?

Bottom left and right images I am unsure since I can't really read the names possibly Alexandria and Mayilla or Mayello? To me this looks like the same actress but I could very well be wrong.

 

Hello Figtree3, my apologies I thought I replied directly to your post above. Please see the next section of images.

 

That's a treasure chest you got hold of!

 

It just makes me wonder in all of the years why I didn't look at it closer and share some of what was in it. I guess with work and other things it just wasn't a priority at the time. Silly me I should have at least had looked while COVID was in its prime. Who knew?

 

Very nice! Thanks for showing them!

 

I just sold the Charlie Ross Pinkerton flyer and the charlie ross book written by his father for $150 on etsy. The flyers are quite rare.

 

I did see that on Esty, congratulations!

 

Item #6:

A few of the more interesting business cards. I don't know really much about any of them. I am assuming certain things on them make them more collectible like the one with the bicycle.

 

Love the trade cards. You are correct that there is a premium for certain content and the quality graphics as shown on the bottom card really add to the desirability too.

 

It's the art work is amazing from back then.

 

Item #7:

Here are a few more cards that I have in the "Theatre" binder... Hope you like them. I know nothing about them but there is handwriting on the back of the second one that says the word "Famous".