Deacon Crankett/ The Deacon to the front, He is coming sure.

Object Details

Strobridge Lithographing Company

Description

This colored print depicts a man in a two-wheeled buggy being pulled by a horse that is racing with another man in a sulky. A lake, trees, and building appear in the background. The title “Deacon Crankett”/ by John Habberton/, Author of “Helen’s Babies” appears at the top of the print and at the bottom are the words “The Deacon to the Front. He is Coming Sure. / Park Theatre / Two Nights only / Tuesday & Wednesday Nov. 1 & 2.”

Deacon Crankett was a successful play described as both a “domestic drama” and “comic amusement.” The reviews in the New York Times mentioned it was a simplistic presentation “of weak morality and absurd situations.” The original name of the play was Joe Thatcher’s Revenge and Joe, the main character was first played at Haverly’s Fourteenth Steet Theater in the fall of 1880 by James O’Neill with Harry Lee as the understudy. It supposedly was performed over 500 times between 1880-1892.

The play was a creation of American dramatist, novelist, and literary critic John Habberton (1842-1921). Habberton published his critical writings in the New York Herald for twenty years, but he became best known for his 1876 novel Helen's Babies, which was part of the Ruby Books series for boys and girls. The book's humorous account of a bachelor salesman babysitting two small children was a hit with readers of all ages, including Rudyard Kipling. A silent film version of Helen's Babies was released in 1924. John Habberton also wrote a series of stories about early California life, many of which were collected in his 1880 book, Romance of California Life: Illustrated by Pacific Slope Stories, Thrilling, Pathetic and Humorous.

The Park Theater was built in 1798 on Park Row in Manhattan and was New York City’s premiere performance space in the early 19th Century. It attracted a diverse audience with each class sitting in its preferred section. Working class men sat in the pit; members of the upper class and women in the boxes; while the less affluent including immigrants, people of color, and prostitutes sat in the balcony.

This chromolithograph was produced by Strobridge Lithographing Company. The Strobridge firm was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio ca 1847 by lithographer Elijah J. Middleton (cited in some sources as Elijah C. Middleton). Middleton was known as one of the pioneers of chromolithography in the United States. By 1854 another lithographer, W. R. Wallace, along with the bookseller Hines Strobridge (1823-1909) had joined the firm as partners. After the Civil War, Strobridge acquired sole ownership of the company and renamed it after himself. Strobridge and Company became especially well known for circus, theater, and movie posters. After leaving the company, Elijah Middleton established a reputation as a portrait publisher, producing prints of George and Martha Washington, Daniel Webster, and other American historical figures.

Location

Currently not on view