Big in St. Paul & Omaha

 

Omaha World-Herald, 14 July 1900.

Agnes Atherton kicked off the summer of 1900 on the familiar Palace Theater stage in St. Paul, Minnesota for a three week run in June before returning to Omaha, Nebraska. Two years before she had a long run in Omaha of shows in the summer and fall of 1898, and was highly regarded in both locations. Mullen's Concert Garden and Vaudeville Theater promoted Agnes as "burlesque queen".

Omaha World-Herald, 30 June 1900.

Omaha World-Herald, 11 July 1900.

I like the quote from the mid-July article, that she was "undoubtedly one of the best known and most popular performers ever appearing in Omaha" by 1900.

On the vaudeville circuit, 1899

 

St. Paul Globe, 21 Mar 1899.

After a successful months long run of performances in Omaha during the summer and fall of 1898, and reuniting with her father, Agnes Atherton returned to familiar stages in St. Paul & Minneapolis in the spring of 1899. She had a three week run at the Palm Garden, performing sketch comedy and singing, followed by the first week of May at Horner's Palace Museum in Minneapolis.

St. Paul Globe, 11 Apr 1899.

She then went from Minneapolis to Buffalo, New York, at appear at the Wonderland theatre in May. This kicked off several months in New York state through October 1899, where Agnes performed during the summer in Binghampton, Oswego, Buffalo and Cayuga Lake park at Geneva. Toward the end of October, she performed at the Tivoli Fountain Theater in Buffalo.

Buffalo Times, 10 July 1899.

Oswego Daily Palladium, 24 July 1899.

Problems in Erie County

Apparently the Deputy Sheriff in Erie County, New York complained about the vaudeville performances on 16 July 1899, forcing a "strictly sacred show" and Agnes had to perform in "street clothes" instead of her normal stage costume.

Buffalo Courier, 17 July 1899.

Omaha, 1898

 

Photo by F. A. Rinehart. Kirchner's Orchestra. Omaha, 1898.

In 1898, Agnes Atherton took her talents to Omaha, Nebraska for several months of performances during the Trans-Mississippi International Exhibition. This was similar to the Chicago World's Fair which ran in 1893. The photo above was captured by noted photographer Frank Rinehart, showing performers, waitresses and Kirchner's Lady Orchestra from the German Village. Agnes performed at the German Village in July 1898.

Omaha Evening World-Herald, 28 July 1898. 

Photo by F.A. Rinehart. German Village, 1898.

Omaha World-Herald, 28 May 1898.

Agnes' performances in Omaha were highly regarded and regularly referenced in the papers as "the queen of burlesque." Her shows at Mullen's Concert Garden ran for eight weeks through mid-October 1898. Afterward the show went on the road to Kansas City, Missouri for two weeks (starting 24 October). Agnes returned to Omaha in November 1898 for more performances with Kirchner's "On the Midway" company.

Omaha World-Herald, 25 Sep 1898.

Omaha World-Herald, 30 Aug 1898.

Omaha World-Herald, 18 Sep 1898.

Omaha World-Herald, 18 Nov 1898.

I do not know if this Agnes is in the photo by Frank Reinhart taken at the German Village, but I'd like to think it may have been her.

Possibly Agnes? Omaha. 1898.

Chicago, 1897

 

Chicago Chronicle, 4 May 1897.

By Spring 1897, Agnes had a steady run in the vaudeville shows at the Opera House, Haymarket and Olympic theaters in Chicago. During this time, she was often billed as a "serio-comic vocalist".

Chicago Chronicle, 30 May 1897.

Chicago Chronicle, 5 May 1897.

In July 1897, Agnes returned to Minnesota for a series of shows in Duluth, and closed out the year in St. Paul.

Sweetheart Lou

 

Minneapolis Tribune, 30 Sep 1895

In 1894 and 1895, Agnes spent extended time performing in Minnesota. While there, she recorded a song with a local composer, Richard Hanch. The song was published in 1895, and the words were included in An Annotated Compendium of Old Time American Songs, by James Alverson III.

SWEETHEART LOU.
Copyright,1895, by Waverly Music Co.
Words And Music by Richard R Hench

A pretty little charmer with blue eyes,
That's Louise, my sweetheart Lou;
A girl who makes you think that she's an angel in disguise,
Is winsome Lou, the one that I adore;
Her smile is like a burst of sunlight
From gloomy skies above;
in all this world there's not one girl

Chorus.
Sweetheart Lou, I love you;
Days come, days go, still my love remains the same;
The sun shines brighter, my heart seems lighter
Ever since you came.

Some day we'll have a cosy little home,
Just us two, my sweetheart Lou;
You'll be the queen, my darling, and I'll worship at your throne,
Love will reign supreme forever more;
Your heart will never know a sorrow
While I am by your side;
I'll always love you, darling mine,
No matter whate'er may betide.-Cho.

Agnes was a popular performer in Minnesota.

St. Paul Globe, 8 Sep 1895.
By 1896, Agnes was back on the road, appearing in Sheboygan, Wisconsin (March 1896) and St. Louis (October 1896). 1897 marked a return to extended performances in Chicago, and I'll have more on that in the next post.