Record of the Metropolitan Fair in Aid of the United States Sanitary Commission Held at New York in April 1864
Dublin Core
Title
Record of the Metropolitan Fair in Aid of the United States Sanitary Commission Held at New York in April 1864
Subject
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876
Booth, Edwin, 1833-1893
Actors and Actresses--US American
Praise
Description
The excerpt praises Cushman's performance of "Macbeth" together with Edwin Booth retrospectively"
"It was perhaps the most memorable of all the public performances given to the Sanitary Commission."
The record ispublished in 1867, three years after the performance when Cushman is officially retired from the stage and lives in Rome.
"It was perhaps the most memorable of all the public performances given to the Sanitary Commission."
The record ispublished in 1867, three years after the performance when Cushman is officially retired from the stage and lives in Rome.
Credit
US National Library of MedicinePublisher
Hurd and Houghton
Date
1864-04-22
Type
Reference
Event
Article Item Type Metadata
Text
pp. 216-217:
"Though it only appears in the Treasurer’s report as $13,829.72, and has to suffer a final deduction which leaves $13,593.44 as the actual and serviceable contribution of the Dramatic Committee. But it is not alone from the pecuniary point of view that the labors and gifts of this committee are pleasing. To any kind-hearted lover of amusements what can be more gratifying than to see pleasure ministering to duty; — or, to put the case again tropically, who loves not to see the Old World muses, Melpomene and Thalia, turned Christian, and waiting on the footsteps of mild-eyed Charity? Such a spectacle has been often granted to us in these latter days, and the Sanitary Commission was, during its short but wonderful career, many times blessed with the rewards of such good service. There are many New Yorkers who remember a performance of “Macbeth” at the Academy of Music, — one of a series of benefits given by Miss Charlotte Cushman to the Sanitary Commission. There was Miss Cushman and Edwin Booth; and the glittering house was packed to the roof with patriotic play-goers. How much a thing of memory that evening is—there is no repeating it. The great actress was not only making a noble gift to the cause of her country, but was bidding farewell to both stage and native land. The scene of her action has passed away; the object for which she played has finished its work and no longer exists. But though three years have worked such a change, they have not destroyed the memory of that occasion. It was perhaps the most memorable of all the public performances given to the Sanitary Commission — the place, the combination of two such actors, the circumstances, all help to lift it into preeminence. Perhaps an old play-goer, here and there, remembered that it was in “Macbeth” that Miss Cushman won her first success a quarter of a century ago; and then he thought over the long line of triumphs “unto this last.” The actors, the spectators, the times suggested by such a retrospect, could not fail to come into curious contrast with the present occasion; but we must turn our backs upon the tempting theme to consider one equally seductive, which may be found in our arid-looking list of the returns of the Dramatic Committee. At the very end of the list there is set the legend—"
"Though it only appears in the Treasurer’s report as $13,829.72, and has to suffer a final deduction which leaves $13,593.44 as the actual and serviceable contribution of the Dramatic Committee. But it is not alone from the pecuniary point of view that the labors and gifts of this committee are pleasing. To any kind-hearted lover of amusements what can be more gratifying than to see pleasure ministering to duty; — or, to put the case again tropically, who loves not to see the Old World muses, Melpomene and Thalia, turned Christian, and waiting on the footsteps of mild-eyed Charity? Such a spectacle has been often granted to us in these latter days, and the Sanitary Commission was, during its short but wonderful career, many times blessed with the rewards of such good service. There are many New Yorkers who remember a performance of “Macbeth” at the Academy of Music, — one of a series of benefits given by Miss Charlotte Cushman to the Sanitary Commission. There was Miss Cushman and Edwin Booth; and the glittering house was packed to the roof with patriotic play-goers. How much a thing of memory that evening is—there is no repeating it. The great actress was not only making a noble gift to the cause of her country, but was bidding farewell to both stage and native land. The scene of her action has passed away; the object for which she played has finished its work and no longer exists. But though three years have worked such a change, they have not destroyed the memory of that occasion. It was perhaps the most memorable of all the public performances given to the Sanitary Commission — the place, the combination of two such actors, the circumstances, all help to lift it into preeminence. Perhaps an old play-goer, here and there, remembered that it was in “Macbeth” that Miss Cushman won her first success a quarter of a century ago; and then he thought over the long line of triumphs “unto this last.” The actors, the spectators, the times suggested by such a retrospect, could not fail to come into curious contrast with the present occasion; but we must turn our backs upon the tempting theme to consider one equally seductive, which may be found in our arid-looking list of the returns of the Dramatic Committee. At the very end of the list there is set the legend—"
Provenance
Location
NYC, NY, US
Geocode (Latitude)
40.7127281
Geocode (Longitude)
-74.0060152
Social Bookmarking
Geolocation
Collection
Citation
“Record of the Metropolitan Fair in Aid of the United States Sanitary Commission Held at New York in April 1864,” Archival Gossip Collection, accessed April 18, 2024, https://www.archivalgossip.com/collection/items/show/679.