View showing the Walnut Street Theatre at 827-833 Walnut Street (corner of Ninth and Chestnut streets). The theater, originally built as a circus in 1809, was altered to a theater in 1816, and remodeled from 1827-1828 after the designs of Philadelphia architect John Haviland. Also shows men sitting and standing near the corner of the building, along with adjacent row homes on the north side of the block looking east., Title from inscription on mount., Inscribed on mount: No. 1486., Reproduced in The Print and Photograph Department of the Library Company of Philadelphia's Center City Philadelphia in the 19th century (Portsmouth, N.H.: Arcadia Publishing, 2006), p. 17., Arcadia caption text: The rowhouses on the north side of the 800 block of Walnut Street shown here c. 1865 no longer exist, but the Walnut Street Theatre still stands, holding the title of America’s oldest theater. Built by Victor Pepin and Jean Breschard, circus promoters who brought their equestrian and human acts to the United States from Europe, the theater has operated continuously since opening in 1809 as the New Circus. Architect John Haviland made extensive alterations in 1828, when it permanently changed its name to the Walnut Street Theatre., Digitization funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Creator
Cremer, James, 1821-1893, photographer
Date
ca. 1865
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereo - Cremer [P.9107.1]
View showing the Walnut Street Theatre at 827-833 Walnut Street (corner of Ninth and Chestnut streets). The theater, originally built as a circus in 1809, was altered to a theater in 1816, and remodeled from 1827-1828 after the designs of Philadelphia architect John Haviland. Also shows adjacent buildings, including a lager beer saloon. Street traffic includes a horse-drawn omnibus and several carriages., Yellow mount with square corners., Title from manuscript note on mount., Originally part of a McAllister scrapbook., Digitization funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Date
ca. 1863
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereo - unidentified - theaters [(8)1322.F.5c-2]