The Hanlon Brothers: From Daredevil Acrobatics to Spectacle Pantomime, 1833-1931

Note on the Chronology of the Hanlon Brothers

Note on the Chronology of the Hanlon Brothers During the preparation of this book, I repeatedly encountered undated playbills and newspaper clippings in archives. While these provided tantalizing peeks into the history of the Hanlons, at times it was difficult to trace changes in the company’s personnel, the origins of certain routines, and the routes of their annual tours. In addition, some published histories of the stage displayed blatant inaccuracies when it came to the historical record, most notably T. Allston Brown’s A History of the New York Stage, and to a lesser extent George C. D. Odell’s Annals of the New York Stage. Subsequently, the errors in these early works were exported into later studies. Sadly, many of these inaccuracies were fostered by the Hanlon Brothers, attempting to compensate for their advancing years and eager to clean up their occasionally “untidy” past. Hence, I have prepared “A Chronological Outline of the Hanlon Brothers, 1833–1931,” an attempt to arrange the Hanlons’ perambulations from 1833, when Thomas was born, through 1931, when Edward died, nearly a century later, in St. Petersburg, Florida. In constructing this outline I relied primarily on the New York Clipper, whose pages I combed for fleeting references to the family. I’ve supplemented this invaluable resource with dated playbills and clippings I researched over the years. A perusal of the Hanlons’ chronology provides a dizzying glimpse into the itinerant world of popular performance, as experienced by a prominent family of acrobats and pantomimists. Scholars are encouraged to use this resource as appropriate. The complete chronology is available online at http://www.siupress. com/product/Hanlon-Brothers,2874.aspx and at webpub.allegheny.edu/employee/ m/mcosdon/hanlons.htm. I welcome additions, corrections, and emendations. Please write to me at mcosdon@allegheny.edu. xi ...