Tag Archives: Me

Lizzie May takes the stage in 1875

This stage photo of Lizzie May in costume is owned by the George Stewart collection at the University of Calgary,a fantastic collection of photos of the stage in the late 19th century.

The University of New Brunswick Libraries is a treasure trove of antique theater posters. I was so excited to find playbills to two plays that Lizzie May acted in at the start of her career. In fact, these are the only mentions that I can find for the 1875 season as unfortunately so much from that time period has been lost. Tracing the steps of this young actress’ career in the late 19th century shows that Lizzie May led an extraordinary life

Lizzie May acted steadily throughout 1874  building a career in small roles and productions throughout the North East.  On September 11, 1875 she had a leading role in the play Divorce by Robert Reece at the Portland Museum Theatre in Portland, ME.  This was not a huge role in a huge production in a huge city but it did connect her with a well-known playwright of the day. Robert Reece (1838– 1891) was a British comedic playwright and librettist  (opera/musical theatre) popular through the 1870’s. He wrote flashy musical burlesques and the comic operas that were all the rage. Reece was also popular for his sarcastic farces and for adapting popular French operettas into English. Lizzie May was starting to act in bigger productions by well-known writers increasing her visibiliy greatly and advancing her career.

A month later on October 9,1875 Lizzie May was once again at the Portland Museum Theatre  appearing in a lesser known play by Dion Boucicault. Boucicault was a popular Irish actor and celebrated playwright. According to wikipedia:

Boucicault was an excellent actor, especially in pathetic parts. His uncanny ability to play these low-status roles earned him the nickname “Little Man Dion” in theatrical circles. His plays are for the most part adaptations, but are often very ingenious in construction. They have had great popularity.

Lizzie May was a traveling  actress, a mother to a 2 year old (baby George Jr. was born in 1873) and a wife. Somehow she managed to juggle it all. It is interesting to note that her husband/step-brother George was not listed on the playbills for these performances. Maybe he was taking care of the baby on the nights that Lizzie performed? Or perhaps her career was starting to take off but he had yet to find his niche.

 

Next Up: Terror On Tour

Charley

The Army of the Potomac Paraded Down Pennsylvania Avenue
at the end of the Civil War. May 23, 1865. Library of Congress

What happened to our fearless Charley Ulmer after the Civil War?

First thing of course was to go back home to Maine and spend time with his family. But Charley did not rest on his laurels and fade into obscurity, he had the big dreams of a man who had cheated death and lived to tell the tale.

Back in 1858 at fifteen, Charley had published the Bunker Hill Grammar School paper which he called “The Charlestown Newsboy”. With money he earned on the farm he bought the best printing equipment he could afford and spent his free time teaching himself printing methods. He most likely learned a lot from his father who may have been a newspaper man himself.

Charley took his newspaper prowess with him to war. He brought part of his printing equipment with him, using it to print orders for his regiment and cards for his fellow soldiers to send home. Now that the War which had consumed his life for 3 years was over, he was free to pursue his passion for printing.

He also pursued a young woman who he had fallen for under unusual circumstances. As his brother George explained in his memoirs:

During the war,our soldiers would often receive little useful articles, such as stockings, shirts, etc., made by the ladies who formed themselves into societies all over the country and furnished these things for distribution among the soldiers at the front. The young ladies had a great craze at that time of marking their names or initials upon whatever they made. One day my brother received a pair of hand-knit stockings with a little tag sewed on each of them, and written on the tags the letters L. A. D., Islesboro, Maine. They were so acceptable at the time that he declared that if he lived to get out of the army, he would be “gorramed” if he didn’t find the girl that built those stockings, and kiss her for them. He began writing to Islesboro, making inquiries, and received several letters signed “Tab.” He was determined not to give it up, however, and when mustered out, the first thing he did, was to go to Islesboro, Maine, to find “Tab.” He found her, she was a schoolma’m, and soon after married her, and they are now living way out in Port Angeles in the State of Washington happy as bugs in a rug, and every meal time you can find several little “Tabs” around the table, some large enough to tell the story of how Pa found Ma, and a great desire to try the same thing themselves. 

The woman was named Laura and she and Charley were married in 1868. By all accounts the marriage was a happy and busy one, they had 5 sons and 2 daughters!

Next Up: What next for George?