Ok, for those who are interested, here is the full text of it. Spencer indeed had hired Johnson as the doorman at the Lyceum, and Johnson also had a room there. Johnson died in January of 1914 followed by Spencer who died there that same year in December.
Fred Rabenstein, Edison's longtime paymaster, provided Jim Walsh this description of George W. Johnson's final years with his old recording partner Len Spencer in New York: "When Len opened his Lyceum he had a doorman in full regalia--he was none other than George W. Johnson (who made the old laughing song records). George was something to behold in his full dress admiral (or was it general?) uniform. "It was all right for a while--George had a room at the Lyceum, but after they moved from 14th Street up to 28th Street things caught up with George. He used to run errands and always being a little short of cash he used to borrow money from clients. He never paid back and after a while he was afraid to go to some of the places. George could only do the 'Laughing Song,' and therefore it was hard for him to pick up extra money. Then he liked to drink. After George died Len started to clean out the room and in the closet they found remains of many lunches (bread, bottles, ham, etc.), including roaches and other livestock. Len didn't get another doorman, but had an office boy. We understood that Len treated George all right, but was afraid to let him have much money because the 'doorman' would be indisposed for several days afterwards." George W. Johnson passed away in 1914, followed a few months later by Len Spencer. ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Maeder" <appywan...@hotmail.com> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@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: bruce78...@comcast.net > To: phono-l@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" <glast...@comcast.net> > To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@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" <f...@insightbb.com> > > To: <phono-l@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 From f...@insightbb.com Mon Nov 26 11:08:53 2007 From: f...@insightbb.com (michael funk) Date: Mon Nov 26 11:09:09 2007 Subject: [Phono-L] LEN SPENCER'S LYCEUM Message-ID: <000001c8305f$c9237670$6401a...@your4dacd0ea75> Sorry for the slow load and the large images that first appear. Eventually the images will go into a viewable size. The address on the box is 46 East 14th Street. The address for the Lyceum is 149 W. 45th St. Could there have been 2 Lyceum's? One with Len Spencer (maybe an arcade or music parlor) and one with the "Name acts". http://www.cash-on-the-barrelhead.com/DSC01197.JPG http://www.cash-on-the-barrelhead.com/DSC01193.JPG http://www.cash-on-the-barrelhead.com/DSC01194.JPG I bought the box about 10 years ago at an antique mall in the Midwest. Suellen
