1884 Redpath Lyceum Letter Nashville Students to Stephens Opera House Fulton NY

This original 1884 Redpath Lyceum Bureau letter was sent from Boston to Jonathan Stephens, proprietor of Stephens Opera House in Fulton, New York, confirming a performance by the Nashville Students on January 24, 1884, for a fee of $110. Jonathan Stephens (1837–1911) was the proprietor of Stephens Opera House in Fulton, New York, an active regional venue that regularly hosted Redpath Lyceum performances during the late 19th century. The Nashville Students were one of the early African American concert troupes that toured widely during the post-Reconstruction era, promoted by the Redpath Bureau alongside the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Printed on official letterhead of G. H. Hathaway & Co., Proprietors, the letter details the booking schedule and includes the Bureau’s signature at the bottom. An important document connecting the Redpath Lyceum circuit with the national spread of African American music and theater history in the 19th century.

– Date: January 17, 1884
– Issuer: Redpath Lyceum Bureau, Boston
– Recipient: Jonathan Stephens, Stephens Opera House, Fulton, New York
– Performers: Nashville Students
– Terms: $110
– Size: 8.5″ × 5.5″
– Format: Single-page printed and handwritten letter
– Theme: African American Music, Lyceum, Abolitionist Legacy, Theater History