The Wizard of OZ...The first theatrical showing of the book by L. Frank Baum.... Original Premiere program from Sept 8, 1902

The Wizard of OZ was a great theatrical success. It started in Chicago in its premiere and worked its way to New York City and Broadway. It was an amazing success and played throughout 1903, till Dec 1904 on Broadway. It would open and play at the old Majestic Theater in New York. That theater was located on the Columbus Circle, not to be confused with the new Majestic that now shows Phantom of the Opera. Here is an early program from when the show first started in Chicago. It started at the Grand Opera House. Many of the routines and ideas done in this play would influence the movie in 1939. Although, it was an entirely different type of show and program than what the movie would become. In this program from Chicago you will see the play after its 14th week as a preview. It would as mentioned head to Broadway in January 1903.

Once again it was done with the blessings and nod of the author L. Frank Baum. Who incidentally wrote this play. But written to the specifications of the people in charge of the show. Perhaps one of the more rare items from this early show is its original program from Chicago where it started in its premiere. Here you can see it in its earliest form.
You can read much more about this play here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1902_stage_play)

Dennis O'Sullivan. Actor, Singer, Composer, Performer.(1868-1908) Born in America, trained in Europe, performed for 3 short months in the USA.

Denis O'Sullivan was the Irish Singer. He was know all over as a great and entertaining fellow and died far too young at 39. He was born in San Fransisco. He soon traveled to Europe were he studied and performed all over. He arrived back in the USA on November 22, 1907. He was a major headliner in the USA for a few short months. He made his first great success in the USA at McVicker's Theater in Chicago. He went on to Ohio and soon after died on February 20, 1908. His was a short career. Here are a few items from that very short American Career.Here is an announcement of his death
Here is a playbill of one of his last performances at the theater he first became famous in.

British Super Ocean Liners of the 1890's ...Pictures from cigarette cards of the era

In the 1890's, the ocean liner was reaching a large sense of improvement. improvement in size, safety, quality, and lastly speed. The age of a 5 day voyage from Europe had arrived. The three greyhounds pictured in the cigarette cards were the major liners of the last decade for the British. In the late 19th century the German greyhounds put the British ones to shame. But all I have at the moment are the British ships and I thought that it would be nice to share these. The Campania and Lucania were from 1893, while the Oceanic was from 1899.

Welcome to the Hotel New Yorker!! This was an ad that was fine in 1930, but today would raise the roof!

Well this is the bare facts when it comes to this ad. The Hotel New Yorker opened its doors in 1930, the same year this cute drawing was released.

A farwell letter to the doughboys in Europe in early 1919 by the commanding general, John J. Pershing.

A few little cards from the Astor Hotel in New York City

The Astor Hotel on Times Square was an institution. It was a place where people met stayed danced and frolicked for near 70 years. When it was removed for an ugly tower in 1967, it was a sad day for New York. Here are some items from when the Astor was a very special place in New York City.

A letter from Walter Winchell 1933.... A man loved, hated and feared!

Walter Winchell was loved, hated, but most of all feared. He was the critic of critics. If you were liked by him you were in like Flynn. If you were not liked by him, he could make your life hell. He lived this life till it caught up with him, and the last years of his life were very lonely.

But here is a short letter to a Miss Murray of Morristown , who I met and acquired a bit of this and that from her. She was a big fan of many on the radio and she wrote to many people on it.

The arrival of the RMS Olympic in New York on her maiden voyage. (older sister to the Titanic) Scientific American.. July 1, 1911

The RMS. Olympic was the first of the three massive sisters of the Olympic class of the White Star Line. Their names would be Olympic, Titanic, and originally Gigantic (later called Britannic).

The Olympic was first of the trio. She arrived in New York City Harbor after her maiden voyage in June of 1911. She was an absolute sensation. She was the "ship of dreams", "the millionaires special", everything that we think was said about the Titanic was said about the Olympic. She was truly the star of the trio.

She was largest ship in the world, practically unsinkable, and was also the most luxurious vessel on the sea. She also had as few lifeboats as the Lusitania and Mauritania. But since she was thought to be as unsinkable as the those vessels, she carried as few as they did. To be fair the Olympic and Titanic did carry more lifeboats than the previously mentioned ships.

Of course today we only know about the second ship of this series, the Titanic. In the thought of the time, she was just another Olympic. That is why there is so little press coverage of her voyage.

She was just another Olympic! Today few know about the most famous Olympic. The Titanic did what the Olympic never did...She sank!

This is the original article in Scientific American about the ship of wonder and her first arrival in New York.....The RMS. Olympic.