Hmmm I think there is some confusion here. From what I understand, Spencer's friend and fellow entertainer George W. Johnson, the first black ever to make a phonograph record, had the job as doorman, and he also had a room there as well. Bruce ----- 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