SHOP SIGNS. P. 467.-The following were some of the most known about 1720 to 1750: Lion and Glove, Water street, by Andrew Morris, glover; Lock and Key, Chestnut street; Paracelsus' Head, Market street, Evan Jones, chemist; afterward Crown and Cushion, Germantown, by the Quaker Meeting; The Whalebone, Chestnut street, by John Breintuall, 1731; Tobacco Pipe, Second street, next the meeting-house, by Hugh Black Boy, Market street, by John Prichard; The Still and Orange Tree, North Second street, by Nathaniel Still and Blue Ball, King street, by Benjamin Morgan; Adam, by Charles Williams, tailor; Easy-Chair, by Plunket Heeson, upholsterer, 1739; The Gun, Market steet, near John Kinsey's; The Green Stays, Front street; The Bell, Second street, opposite Baptist meeting-house; The Globe, Market street, by Simon Myer, pewterer; Golden Heart, High street, by Samuel Emlen, druggist; Spinning Wheel, Market street, by James Meredith; Golden Ball, Chestnut street, by Christopher Marshall, apothe cary; Amsterdam Arms, by Simon Siron; Highlandman, Second street, above High, by David Wells, tobacconist and distiller; Hand-saw, Market street, by Mordecai Yarnall; The Still and Greenman, Market street, corner of Strawberry alley, by Henry Dexter; Trumpet, Market street, by William Klemm; Dove, Third street, by John White, druggist; The Crown, Market street, by David Evans, olives and capers; Coopers' Arms, Front street, by Nathaniel Tyler, beef and pork; The Sun, Second street, by Samuel Roberts; The Rose and Crown, Front street, by Philip John. THEATRES. P. 471.-See Dunlap's History of the Stage; The American Stage, by James Rees, published in the City Item, July, 1853; Weymiss's Chronology of the American Stage; Durang's Early History of the Stage, with notes by the editor, Thompson Westcott, in the Sunday Dispatch, 1854; Wood's Personal Recollections of the Stage, 1855; Life of Edwin Forrest. It is not known exactly who were the first performers alluded to by Watson as appearing in 1749. The only play spoken of was that of the tragedy of Cato, which was acted in August, 1749, probably in Plumstead's store in Water street. Though some of the Quakers "expressed their sorrow," the company probably remained some time, as on January 8, 1750, the Recorder called the attention of Councils to the matter, as stated by Watson, and most probably the magistrates drove them from the city, as their arrival in New York was announced in the New York Gazette of February 26th, 1750, as a company of comedians from Philadelphia; the managers were Messrs. Murray and Kean. The Southwark Theatre was opened by David Douglass November 21st, 1766. It was the only theatre in the city until the Northern Liberties Theatre was erected by Kenna, in Front street, below Noble, in November, 1791. It was superseded as a fashionable theatre by the opening of the Chestnut Street Theatre April 2d, 1793. The South Street Theatre continued to be a place of occasional dramatic performances until it was burned, May 9th, 1821. The property was then purchased, the old walls built upon, and a distillery opened there. We never heard of Patrick Lyon's having any interest in that property. P. 473. The first Chestnut Street Theatre, in Chestnut Street, north side, above Sixth, was built in 1793 and burned down in 1820, on April 2d. Nothing was known as to the origin of the fire. It was rebuilt, and opened in 1822. Its popular name was "Old Drury." In this theatre Jenny Lind first sang, October 16th, 1850. She afterward sang in the Chinese Museum, corner of Ninth and Sansom streets, which was burned in 1854. About 1830 the New Orleans Opera Company, of which Davis was the manager, performed, at the Chestnut Street Theatre, La Gazza Ladra-a favorite piece at that day. The title was The Magpie Thief; and the subject of the plot was devoted to the misfortunes and sufferings of the heroine, who was suspected and persecuted VOL. III.-Y for the stealing of jewels which the magpie had really carried away. The piece was afterward translated into English under the title of The Maid and the Magpie. Mrs. Jane Sheriff, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Seguin, the elder, played and sung in that piece throughout the United States. Fanny Elssler, the famous danseuse, arrived in this country in the spring of 1840, and performed at the Chestnut Street Theatre in the summer and fall of the same year. The opera of Norma was first produced in this country on the 11th of January, 1841, at two theatres in Philadelphia. At the Chestnut Street Theatre Mrs. Wood sustained the character of Norma. At Burton's National Theatre Madame Sutton was the prima donna. Miss Charlotte Cushman played the Actress of Padua at the old Chestnut Street Theatre, under the management of James Quinlan W. S. Fredericks, stage manager-in the season of 1850-51. The Chestnut Street Theatre was closed after the performance, on May 1, 1855, of the burletta of The Loan of a Lover and the comedies of Faint Heart never won Fair Lady and Perfection. The principal characters were personated by Miss Julia Daly, Mrs. Griffiths, Mrs. Mueller, Miss Annie Graham, Mrs. Monell, Mr. Griffiths, Mr. H. Lewis, Wayne Olwyne, Mr. S. W. Glenn, Mr. Morrow, and Mr. Jones. Olwyne and Griffiths were the managers. The house was torn down shortly after. The site is now occupied by Rockhill & Wilson's clothing store, and by the Evening Bulletin building. This latter was built by H. Cowperthwait, the bookseller. The Chestnut Street Theatre was purchased by Mr. Swift, a wealthy stock and exchange broker, and was taken down in May, 1855. Fine stores were erected upon its site. At the sale of old material and marble front Messrs. Struthers bought the four marble columns, which had cost a large sum to import, at twenty-five dollars each. The new Chestnut Street Theatre, above Twelfth street, was first opened for performances on the 26th of January, 1863, under the management of William Wheatley-Edwin Forrest playing the part of Virginius. There was a fire at the New Chestnut a few years after, which was fortunately extinguished without much loss. There have been twenty-five theatres in this city, as follows: Corner of South and Vernon streets, between Front and Second, opened 1759; the New Theatre, corner of South and Apollo streets, between Fourth and Fifth, opened 1766; Northern Liberties Theatre, Front street, above Pool's Bridge, 1792; Chestnut Street Theatre, Chestnut, above Sixth street, 1793; Olympic Theatre, corner of Walnut and Ninth streets; Apollo Street Theatre, opened 1811; Prune Street Theatre, Prune street, below Sixth, 1821; New Chestnut Street Theatre, opened 1822; Tivoli Garden Theatre, Market street, near Broad; Vauxhall Theatre, corner of Walnut and Broad streets; Arch Street Theatre, Arch street, near Sixth, 1828; Washington Theatre, Old York road, above Buttonwood street, opened 1830; Pennsylvania Theatre, Coates street, near Third, opened 1836; National Theatre, Chestnut street, near Ninth, opened 1840, burned July 5, 1854; Silsbee's Lyceum, south-east corner of Chestnut and Seventh streets; City Museum, Callowhill street, between Fourth and Fifth; New Chestnut Street Theatre; New Arch Street Theatre; Continental Theatre; Fox's American Theatre; New Walnut Street Theatre; Theatre Comique; Philadelphia Museum, Ninth and Arch streets; Kiralfy's Theatre, Broad street below Locust; New National Theatre, Tenth and Callowhill streets; New Adelphi Theatre, Broad street above Arch; Enochs' Varieties, Seventh street, below Arch. Some of these were originally erected for circus purposes. There have been several instances of circuses being turned into theatres, but none of which we know where theatres were turned into circuses except it might be temporarily. The circus buildings in Philadelphia have been as follows: First, Market street, near Centre Square; second, corner of Twelfth and Market streets; third, Ricketts' Circus, south-west corner Sixth and Chestnut streets; fourth, Lailson's Amphitheatre, Fifth street above Prune; fifth, Pepin & Breschard's Circus, corner of Ninth and Walnut streets; Washington Circus, Old York road; Cooke's Circus, Chestnut and Ninth streets; National Circus, Walnut street, above Eighth; Warner's Circus, corner Tenth and Callowhill streets. The Academy of Music, corner of Broad and Locust streets, although at times. used for theatrical purposes, can scarcely be classed among the list of theatres. There have also been very good theatrical companies exhibiting at other places-as, for instance, McAran's Garden, the Chinese Museum, the old Masonic Hall, in Chestnut street, the Assembly Buildings, and other places. Ethiopian minstrelsy has had during this period but two buildings specially devoted to its purposes, being Carncross & Dixey's Eleventh Street Opera-House and Simmons & Slocum's Arch Street Opera-House. Cooke's equestrian circus company first opened in Philadelphia at the circus building, Chestnut street below Ninth, especially erected for their use, August 28, 1837. The company appeared at the Walnut Street Theatre after it was burnt out at the Front Street Theatre, Baltimore. The circus at the north-east corner of Walnut and Ninth streets was first opened to the public February 2d, 1809, by Pepin & Breschard, equestrians. It was rebuilt and opened by Inslee & Blake, January 21st, 1829. It was then a theatre and circus combined. After the ring performances, Mr. Cowell, who was the manager, played Paul Pry. It was until within a recent period known as the Olympic Theatre, and now as the New Amierican or Walnut Street Theatre. One circus company, we think, was under the management of Turner the equestrian, who performed from February 7th to March 14th, 1842, in a movable ring set on the stage. Dan Rice and company of equestrians performed at the Walnut Street Theatre for two weeks, commencing March 3d, 1862. The ring was built upon the stage. Nixon's Royal Equestrian Troupe exhibited at the Walnut Street Theatre June 11th, 1860, a guttapercha ring being placed upon the stage. Some years ago the most fashionable places in the theatre were the boxes and first and second tiers. Next was the pit, now called the parquet. And lastly, the gallery, now called the amphitheatre. The dearest seats were those of the orchestra, adjoining the musicians. The "pit" originally built at the Arch Street Theatre remained without change until the season of 1852, when Thomas J. Hemphill, then lessee, remodelled the house, removed the old pit, and fitted the space occupied by the benches with seats in the parquet style. With these alterations the theatre was opened August 21st, 1852. The theatre was first opened October 1, 1828. List of Places of Amusement burned in Philadelphia.—The following is a list of all the theatres and places of amusement destroyed by fire in Philadelphia: Rickett's Circus, south-west corner of Sixth and Chestnut streets, December 17, 1799; Vauxhall Garden, north-east corner of Broad and Walnut streets, burned by a mob, September 8, 1819; Chestnut Street Theatre, north side of Chestnut street, east of Sixth, April 2, 1820; Southwark Theatre, corner South and Apollo streets, between Fourth and Fifth, May 9, 1821; Maelzel's Hall, Fifth above Prune, 1845; Athenæum (Barnum's Museum and Theatre), south-east corner Seventh and Chestnut, December 30, 1851; Assembly Buildings, south-west corner of Tenth and Chestnut streets, March 18, 1851; Sanford's Opera-House, Twelfth street below Chestnut, December 9, 1853; National Theatre, south side of Chestnut street, east of Ninth, July 5, 1854; Chinese Museum, north-east corner of Ninth and Sansom streets, July 5, 1854; American Museum, north-west corner of Fifth and Chestnut streets, December, 1854; Melodeon, north side of Chestnut, between Sixth and Seventh, 1857; Fox's American Theatre, Walnut street, west of Eighth, June 19th, 1867; City Museum Theatre, Callowhill street, between Fourth and Fifth, November 25th, 1868; National Hall, south side of Market street, east of Thirteenth, January 29th, 1874; Harmonie Hall (German Theatre), Coates street near Seventh, March 8th, 1871; Sanford's Opera-House, Second street above Poplar, October 17th, 1871; Arch Street Opera-House (Simmons & Slocum's), Arch street, |