Part 314: Solomon E. White , Scenic Artist for “On the Suwanee River”
By 1879, Solomon E. White was listed as living at 276 John Street in Cincinnati. He was thirty-eight years old and publicly recognized as a scenic artist for almost fifteen years. The following year, the White family returned to Grand Rapids, where they lived at 43 Curtiss Street. White would work as a scenic artist and fresco artist in the city for the next five years.
Little is known of White’s career after 1885. Unfortunately, I could not find his name in print again until a decade later. By 1895, White was again listed in the Cincinnati Business Directory section as a fresco decorator. However, he did not stop working as a scenic artist. That same year, White created the settings for “On the Suwanee River.”
The Notable Kentucky African Americans Database recorded that during a trip to Florida, White made several sketches of the region. He used his artwork as source material for the scene design and painting of “On the Suwanee River.” The touring production visited Newark, Ohio, in 1899. Julius Cahn’s Theatrical Guide also included this touring production in several issues.
The Dixon Evening Telegraph reported that this “popular play of the Sunny South” held “an indefinable charm” (Dixon, Illinois, 8 Dec. 1902, page 5). It brought “its clientele back to the theatre to see a re-enactment of this pretty story” year after year. The article continued, “Stair & Nicolai have given the play a thorough scenic environment for this, its sixth season, and the company is practically the same as it has been in the past. Stella Mayhew will again be seen as the old colored mammy, Aunt Lindy. Miss Mayhew’s portrayal of the role is a characterization of rare excellence. As an entirety ‘On the Suwanee River” is a classic in comparison with the average attraction playing the popular priced theaters.”
The managers for the production were Stair & Nicolai. This was George H. Nicolai and E. D. Stair. They also ran the Majestic Theatre in New York, with Stair as the Lessee and Manager and Nicolai as the business manager. The theatrical managing firms of Stair & Nicolai and Stair & Havlin were both located at 1493 Broadway in New York City. Nicolai was a silent partner in Stair and J. H. Havlin in their enterprise. They partnered in many ventures as Nicolai was Stair’s brother-in-law.
Stair & Havlin managed a large chain of theaters primarily situated in smaller cities and towns from the East Coast to Kansas City, offering melodrama and farce. Many of the attractions were proprietary, but the company also featured Broadway hits that toured the major theatrical centers. Stair & Nicolai also managed the productions of “The Night Before Christmas,” “Don Caesar de Bazan,” and “Romeo and Juliet” during 1901.
White would have first encountered Stair in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Stair was the lessee for the Grand Opera House. Stair and C. J. Whitney were lessees for the Power’s Theatre in Grand Rapids too. These were just two of many theatres where Stair was listed as a lessee, often with another partner. Other venues were in Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, and Louisville. Stair also managed the Kery & Mason touring company
After White’s painting of the scenery for “On the Suwanee River,” little is reported about White until his passing in 1912. He died a widower in Cincinnati. Solomon E. White was 71 years old.
To be continued…
For more information about Solomon E. White, here is the link to Notable Kentucky African Americans Database – (http://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/2507)
