Historic Photos of Broadway: New York Theater 1850-1970

Very good. The author has a real sense of the people and the era. Edgar Selwyn, an almost forgotten actor, writer, director, builder of major New York theaters, producer on Broadway and in Hollywood is given coverage for the only time that I am aware of. He is worth a full biography, had a fascinating life from Broadway leading man to playwright, director and producer who was friends with and worked closely with such as Louis B Mayer, George Gershwin, Samuel Goldwyn, directed Helen Hayes on screen to a best actress Oscar and so much more.

I purchased this book for my future father-in-law as a Christmas gift. Anyone with a serious love of the history of Broadway, from classic Broadway recordings to those original productions of current revivals, will love the pictures and the well thought out commentary by Leonard Jacobs. My future father-in-love loved the book, spending hours flipping through it, and pointing out pictures to me of shows that I had never heard of. It's a great book for Broadway lovers and also a great book to share with those of your family and friends who are not.

Broadway past has never looked so good! The selection of photos and writing is beautifully put together. Highly recommended!Seller made this happen by delivering product on time as promised. Thank you!

Great book for anyone who likes the history of Broadway theatre.

I can't seem to get enough information about old theatres - particularly the old theatres of New York. This is book is a treasure trove of photos - most of which I've never seen before - of both the theatres themselves as well as the performances inside. No collector of theatrical history can do without this wonderful book!

Beware of this product and purchase process. Do not allow yourself to have your money stolen from you the way Amazon just did with me!

This book is fascinating, representing a comprehensive visual account of some of the most important people, shows, and theaters in Broadway history. One of the book's many charms lies in affording us the chance to stare in wistful wonder at the exteriors and interiors of some wonderful old theaters that no longer exist, such as the gorgeous Casino Theater (torn down to accommodate a growing garment district) and the lovely Morosco (razed to make room for the hideous Marriott Marquis and the characterless Marquis Theater).What makes the book compelling is that, rather than focusing on the well known stars and shows of recent memory, Jacobs skews his coverage toward older and lesser known people, places, and productions. I was especially pleased to see photos from obscure but significant shows that I cover in my Boston Conservatory course, including:The Black Crook: (1866) What many historians consider to be the first American musical, actually just the first long-running, home-grown hit. A loosely plotted spectacle peppered with irrelevant songs as well as dances from a homeless troupe of French ballet dancers. The theater that the dancers were supposed to have performed in burned down, and the producer of The Black Crook simply added them to the mix, with no connection whatsoever to the show's Faustian plot.Babes in Toyland: (1903) The first significant show with a score by one person, rather than a collection of previously existing popular songs. Composer Victor Herbert also made the first significant use of underscoring and connecting music.Very Good Eddie: (1915) The first of the influential, but now largely forgotten, "Princess" musicals, so named because most of the shows played the Princess Theater (demolished in 1955). The production team of Jerome Kern (music), Guy Bolton (book) and P.G. Wodehouse (lyrics) came together to create a new type a musical, one that would attempt to integrate all the elements into a cohesive whole. The "Princess" shows (which also include Oh, Lady! Lady!, Oh, Boy!, and Sitting Pretty) were fluffy, fun, and economical, and greatly influenced such future greats as Richard Rodgers and George Gershwin.Shuffle Along: (1921) The first successful Broadway musical produced, written, and performed by African Americans. The show broke color barriers on both sides of the footlights: it was also the first time blacks were allowed to sit in the orchestra. It was a separate section of the orchestra, but it represented the beginning of the end of segregation in the theater. The show itself was offensive by modern standards: the actors performed in blackface, and the song titles included "If You Haven't Been Vamped by a Brownskin, You Haven't Been Vamped at All" and "Uncle Tom and Old Black Joe."Of course, the Jacobs book also features photos of such iconic musical performers as Mary Martin and Ethel Merman, and of such seminal musical works as Oklahoma!, Guys and Dolls, and Fiddler on the Roof. Plus, it's a great book for people like me: adults with ADD who don't always like to read things cover to cover, but rather just skim and skip around to our hearts' content. As the title suggests, the book comprises photos with captions, albeit in chronological order, but that doesn't mean you have to read the book that way.

What a treat this book is! Not only do we get 240 well chosen photos from Broadway from the mid-19th Century through 1970, the text is more extensive than in the other books of historic photos published by Turner. Leonard Jacobs has a keen eye for what is interesting, surprising, informative, and what brings balance between the stars, the shows, the theaters, the writers, composers, and the producers. I found it hard to put the book down. The book also has an index to help you look up the artists and shows you are interested in finding.The book is organized chronologically into seven chapters: Pre- and Proto-Broadway (1850-1870), The Fin De Siècle Approaches (1870-1910), Tests, Trials, and Transitions (1910-1920), The Roar of the Postwar Greasepaint (1920-1930), Sing Me a Song of Social Studies (1930-1940), A Pax Americana on Your Houses (1940-1950), Golden Era, Post-Broadway, and Beyond (1950-1970).I found lots of things that were completely new, some fresh looks at things I new a bit about, and some delightful shots that brought back memories from the shows I enjoyed growing up here in the Midwest far away from the Great White Way. Seeing the evolution, the changes in theatrical fashion, and the way tastes in shows evolved helped me understand Broadway in a new way.Just delightful. Great job!Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

This is a good book with rare photos of Broadway Productions from years gone by. The reproduction quality is good, and the choice of photos is wide ranging.