From the end of the 1800s through the early 1900s, most theatre and opera house managers in the United States and Canada had to book their entertainment through Syndicates which controlled the touring schedules of most traveling shows and entertainers. One of the most prominent Syndicates was run by Marc Klaw and Abraham Lincoln Erlanger in New York City. This lot is a letter written from B. F. Elbert, co-manager of the Princess Theatre in Des Moines, Iowa, to Charles Osgood, who was the booking manager at Klaw and Erlanger The letter indicates that Elbert was sending a signed contract for an upcoming performance of “Everywoman.” The typed letter is signed by Elbert. The letter was typed on marble-style paper.

Famous entertainers of the era got their start at the Princess. Conrad Nagel, a silent film star who successfully made the transition to “talkies,” had his first acting experience at the Princess while he was still in high school. He later helped establish the Screen Actors’ Guild and was a co-founder of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and one of the creators of the Oscars. Ralph Bellamy, a respected Broadway and movie actor, performed at the Princess for three years. Later, when he moved to Hollywood to make movies, he appeared in over 100 films. Robert Armstrong, who appeared in over 160 films including the first “King Kong” movie, had his start in the Princess.

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