Ok, here is the text of G.W. Johnson's death: Rumors have alleged that the first Black recording star died either in a racism motivated lynching, or alternatively that he was hanged after he committed murder. Neither story is true. George W. Johnson died apparently of natural causes, while in the employ of Len Spencer as doorman for the Lyceum Theater in Manhattan. ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Maeder" <appywander at hotmail.com> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l at oldcrank.org> Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 9:55 AM Subject: RE: [Phono-L] Len Spencer's Lyceum On Tim Gracyk's site, the page detailing what happened to recording artists states that Spencer was a doorman at the Lyceum at the time of his death, but the NYT obit I refer to would seem to contradict that. > From: Bruce78rpm at comcast.net > To: phono-l at oldcrank.org > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Len Spencer's Lyceum > Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:28:42 -0500 > > The Lyceum Theatre is the oldest contiunously operating theatre in NYC, at > 149 West 45th Street in Midtown Manhatten. Per the interesting Funeral > notice that I posted last week concerning Len Spencer's unusual Funeral > Arrangement in December of 1914, his booking office was nearby at 245 West > 42nd Street, so it is likely that Spencer probably owned the theatre for a > time, or at least put on programs there. > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyceum_Theatre_(New_York) > > Bruce > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "George Glastris" <glastris at comcast.net> > To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l at oldcrank.org> > Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 7:50 AM > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Len Spencer's Lyceum > > > > Most likely they were used for "sing alongs" between acts. They would > > be > > projected on a screen from a magic lantern and the audience would > > participate. Later, when animation came to be used, they added a > > "bouncing ball" to make it easier to follow the music. > > > > I assume Len Spencer owned a theatre somewhere named the Lyceum, most > > likely in his hometown or wherever his home base was. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "michael funk" <funk at insightbb.com> > > To: <phono-l at oldcrank.org> > > Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2007 4:14 PM > > Subject: [Phono-L] Len Spencer's Lyceum > > > > > >>I was cleaning out some boxes I had with old phono materials in them and > >> came across a tin box full of glass slides illustrating lyrics or > >> photos > >> to > >> a song. The box in embossed "property of Len Spencer's Lyceum". How > >> would > >> these have been used at the Lyceum? To accompany singers and > >> phonograph > >> records as they played? Is it possible there was also an arcade that > >> with a > >> coin op machine that played a record and showed the glass slides (like > >> a > >> kinetescope)? I was not able to find anything with Google. Thanks in > >> advance for your help, > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> P.S. Mike and I had a fun project yesterday. We had bought a huge > >> Nipper > >> at > >> Stanton's that has a speaker fixed inside with a screen in his neck > >> area. > >> We were able to combine the old speaker wire with new wire and hook it > >> up > >> to > >> a CD player. We were thrilled to hear Fred Van Epps coming from > >> Nipper! > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> Suellen > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Phono-L mailing list > >> http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Phono-L mailing list > > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > > > > > -- > > No virus found in this incoming message. > > Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: > > 269.16.7/1152 - Release Date: 11/26/2007 10:50 AM > > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.7/1152 - Release Date: 11/26/2007 10:50 AM