Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
When the Tabor Opera House opened in 1879, the “Leadville Weekly Herald” included an article about the new structure entitled, “The Opera House. Description of Leadville’s New Place of Amusement” (November 15, 1879, page 3 ). In addition to an extensive description of the building and stage area, the article reported, “Mr. Lamphere, one of the finest scenic artists in the west, has charge of the scenes, their preparation and management, and he promises to produce as fine an effect as can be had in any of the largest theatres of the east, even including New York and Philadelphia, in both of which places he has at times been engaged. Mr. Barber is the stage carpenter and has always been considered first class in his line, and second to none in New York city, from which he has recently arrived…The drop curtain is a masterpiece from the brush of Mr. Lamphere, and represents a glorious mountain scene, at the base of which is a fine old castle, with a stream running at the foot; alongside of the water is a rugged road, which ends in the winding of canyon.” Two years later the building and stage were renovated. The scenery and stage machinery delivered by Lamphere and Barber was less than ideal.
Some recounts suggest that Lamphere was a well-known artist; very successful and from the east. Well, east is relative and can mean Denver or Omaha, as both are still geographically east. Lamphere moved from Omaha to Denver by 1872 and was still working as a decorative artist in 1879. He later marketed himself as a scenic artist, but was primarily a fresco painter when the Tabor Opera House was built.
James “Edgar” Lamphere was the son of Orrin Lamphere and Malinda Post. Born in 1839, J. E. Lamphere was the second of five sons born to the couple. His brothers were Milan “Milton” (b. 1840) George (b. 1842), William (b. 1864) and Alonzo Horace (b. 1848).The young boys moved with their parents from New York to Tompkins, Illinois, during the mid 1840s. Tragedy struck, and their mother passed away shortly thereafter, in 1850. Their father immediately remarried a woman called Harriet, and the couple celebrated the birth of a daughter in 1851. Harriet was almost twenty years his junior, and the couple added three daughters to the expanding family: Melissa (b. 1851), Alma (B. 1853) and Ida May (b. 1857). One by one, the sons from the first family moved out of the household, including James who soon married and began painting.
Although I have yet to discover a definitive marriage date, by 1860, James was married and had a daughter. By 1868, James was working as a house and sign painter, listed in the Omaha directory. He had his own establishment, working with his younger brother Alonzo Horatio Lamphere. The two were listed in the Omaha directory, each living at 515 12th. The 1870 U. S. Federal Census still listed J. E. Lamphere as a painter in Omaha. His wife Delia was 28 years old, with his children Clara and George, ten yrs. old and two years old respectively. The family also had a live-in servant. His younger brother, listed as “A. H. Lamphere” was still working in Omaha, but now living with another painter at a boarding house – A. N. Dobbins. Both James and Alonzo remained in Omaha until 1872, when they headed west to Denver. It remains unclear if Lamphere left his family, or if they chose to stay. However, he did remarry by 1879.
As far as Alonzo, he occasionally worked as a scenic artist as he continued west, eventually settling in California by 1880. Interestingly, their brother George also became a house painter in Chicago.
In 1872 J. E. Lamphere was working in Colorado as an artist. He remained in the west for at least a decade before fading from historical records. The Digital Collections at the Denver Public library have three mentions of J. E. Lamphere, as recorded in the Western History Subject Index. The index only lists the name, profession, date and newspaper. So, there is no way of knowing the context, and Lamphere may have simply been listed in the business cards section of the paper. In 1872, 1879 and 1881, Lamphere was mentioned in the “Rocky Mountain News.” In 1872, he was listed as an artist (March 27, page 1, column 4). In 1879, he was noted as a fresco painter ( Feb 25, 1879, page 4, column 5). Finally, in 1881, Lamphere was listed as a scenic artist (Sept. 4, page 8, column 3).
In 1879, the Denver Directory lists James E. Lamphere as a fresco painter and grainer, not a scenic artist or connected to any theatre, instead working for C. A. Trea. Charles A. Treat ran a wallpaper and sign works company located at 306 15th St. in Denver (Western Magazine, Vol. 4, 1880, page 5). Treat had been a fixture in Denver’s decorative artist scene for some time, placing advertisements as early as 1872 in the ”Denver Daily Times” (9 Aug. 1872). By the time Lamphere was working for Treat in 1879, Lamphere was living at the West Lindell Hotel. By 1880, Lamphere had moved to Leadville, living with his second wife.
On January 1, 1881, the “Leadville Daily Herald” included James E. Lamphere and Mary S. Faxson (nee Ainsworth) as one of the couples married in Leadville during 1880 (page 5). Mrs. M. S. Faxon was listed in the 1880 Leadville City Directory as living at 314 W 8th. The couple’s marriage did not last long, as a notice of their divorce was published in the “Leadville Weekly Democrat” on Feb. 1, 1881: “Mary S. Lamphere vs Lamphere; judgement and decree of divorce for plaintiff at her costs.” Mary remained in Leadville, and remarried on June 5, 1881. Her next husband was Thomas J. Lanchan; they were also married in Leadville. I have yet to uncover any mention of Lamphere after that date.
In past writings, I proposed that James E. Lamphere solely functioned as the interior decorator for the Tabor Opera House; someone else painted the scenic art. My rationale was that there were plenty of well-known scenic artists working at theaters in Leadville by 1879; why hire a fresco painter from Denver who did not specialize in scenery? Furthermore, I suggested that as Tabor was ordering the best of everything, why skimp on the painted scenery. Well, I think that I found my reason: a lack of understanding pertaining to theatre production and the architectural construction of the Tabor Opera House auditorium and stage may have been the reason.
Significant funds were spent on the direct patron experience, such as the façade of the building, the entrance and theatre seats. The stage mechanism as a whole, or the necessary accommodations for productions would have taken a back seat to the opera boxes, fancy opera chairs and auditorium lighting on the main level. The balcony, scenic appointments, other areas vacated less by Tabor or affluent patrons may have been considered trivial. A lack of attention to detail in other areas beyond those that Tabor would have had direct contact may have taken a backseat, even the basic engineering of the building.
On November 15, 1879, the “Leadville Weekly Herald” described the new Tabor Opera House in detail, reporting “One of the greatest attractions on Harrison avenue is the newly erected Tabor Opera House next door to the Clarendon hotel. It is a three-story brick structure trimmed with Portland cement, and has a frontage on the avenue of sixty feet and extends back one hundred and twenty feet.” The article then described each area of the structure in detail, noting that 450 individuals could be comfortably accommodated on the first floor,
Less than a month later, a much larger venue opened in Leadville – the Grand Central Opera House. It was one particular article about this opera house that made me reevaluate my previous notions about the the Tabor.
The Grand Central Theatre opened on Dec. 12, 1879, located on the same spot as the previous the Theatre Comique and boasting 1,500 seats. The large size and shady location were a problem from the beginning, but the stage accommodations were much more complete than the small stage and ten settings at the Tabor. The proscenium opening measured 26’ w x 27’h and there were fifty-five sets of scenes. Tabor’s second theatre, the Tabor Grand, would also boast fifty settings in 1881.
An 1880 article in “The Leadville Daily Herald” made an interesting comment about the Tabor Opera House in relation to the Grand Central Theatre. On Dec. 9, 1880, the article reported “As the Tabor Opera House has no company, all stars and combinations are obliged to contract with the Grand Central, and [Billy] Nuttall is using his utmost endeavors to secure the best talent which is available. Having a stage possessing accommodation far superior to any other, and with a company which embraces all the dramatic talent in the state, together with the liberality of expenditure for which he has always been noted, even from his earliest connection with the camp, there is no reason why this theatre should not become a recognized resort for the most respectable people.” This really places the Tabor Opera House in perspective, especially when considering the scenic appointments for each stage.
Furthermore, money was spent on the exterior façade and not the structural integrity of the Tabor Opera House. Keep in mind that the Tabor Opera House was built in 102 days, with groundbreaking occurring Aug. 1, 1879. Of the Tabor Opera House’s construction article placed in the “Leadville Weekly Herald” reported Messrs. Roberts took the contract for erecting the building for $30,000. Some three weeks ago Mr. J. T. Roberts sold out his interest in the business, and Mr. L. E. Roberts continued, and has finished the building to the satisfaction of the gentlemen interested (15 Nov. 1879). It appears that corners were cut and details overlooked in the process. Furthermore, without a theatre company or extensive scenery collection, possibilities for booking productions were limited. Recognizing the deficiencies, the Tabor Opera House underwent a massive renovation to fix several problems by August 1882. The building was less than two years old at the time and there were significant areas of concern.
The improvements were described in detail under the heading “Improving the Tabor” (Leadville Daily Herald, August 23, 1882, page 4). On August 22, 1882, work commenced on the auditorium ceiling. The article reported, “All plastering and ceiling of the hall will be removed, and then eighty-six jack-screws will be put in and the building roof raised three inches. New iron plates and screws will be put into the roof, and instead of plastering there will be put the best quality of ducking canvas on the ceiling, which will be thoroughly calcimined. New and substantial columns of support will be placed throughout the building. The interior arrangements of the hall will be left at present as they are, with the exception of the gallery, which will be materially improved. Its ventilation, which has heretofore not been what it ought to be will be made as perfect as possible, and the seats arranged in such a manner that they will no longer be a source of trouble and annoyance. The guttering of the whole building throughout will be put in new, and much larger than heretofore, and the sewage of the lower floor will be materially improved.” Big changes for big problems.
This renovation extended to fixing other problems associated with the Tabor Opera House in the stage area. The “Leadville Daily Herald” reported, “Of the stage there will be a change for the better in regard to scenery, scene shifting and drop curtains. Those ridiculous hitches in scene shifting that have heretofore occurred on one or two occasions will no longer take place. An experienced stage man has been secured in the person of Mr. H. C. Sprague, who has had extensive experience in the east, and was in Leadville before, in the early days. All these improvements will take until about the first of September to execute. As soon as the house is in perfect order, say about the fourth of September, J. Rial’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin troupe will commence an engagement of three nights” (August 23, 1882).
Havens & Beman were contracted for the improvements, and the firm appointed J. T. Roberts as their superintendent. Remember that this is the half of the Roberts construction team that walked away mid-construction progress, leaving the project to L. E. Roberts.
By September 1, the “Leadville Daily Herald” described, “The ceiling has been elevated six inches in the center, thus giving it a slight arch. The plaster has all been removed there from and canvas will be substituted, both of which improvements will greatly improve the acoustic properties of the theatre. The roof has been raised three feet in the centre and materially strengthened with Howe trusses, while heavy timber braces and supports have been introduced in the stage which will make the house so secure that there can be no possibility of its ever taking a tumble unless it drops through the ground. The canvas ceiling is now being put in place and will be taken down and a few seats that remain on the stage will be put intact. Three new ventilators have been inserted in the ceiling and will aide very materially in keeping a large supply of air in the house at all times. While the work has been pushed in every particular and Mr. Roberts is to be thanked for the punctuality and correctness which he has displayed in the repairs. Had not Messrs. Havens & Beman known his ability and trustworthiness they would have never left such a responsible piece of work to his solo charge.”
The completed opera house improvements attracted a new class of production. The Abbott English Company performed “Chimes of Normandy” and “King for a Day” that fall. The September 26, the “Amusements” section announced. “For the first time in the history of the carbonate camp, there was presented at the Tabor opera house last evening, a perfect representation of grand opera, not only in so far as the mis en scene was concerned, but also in regard to the caliber of the artists appearing on the stage (Leadville Daily Herald, page 1). But Tabor’s troubled did not end with the repairs and eventually extended to the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver. This was before long before Tabor fell on hard times financially.
On September 28, 1882, the “Fairplay Flume” reported, “Governor Tabor, while inspecting the improvements in the Tabor opera house, accidentally stepped through a trap on the stage, falling a distance of several feet. Happily, he was uninjured beyond a few slight bruises” (page 2). This is yet another indication of Tabor’s ignorance concerning the stage. It is understandable, as Tabor had no understanding of theatre beyond that of an audience member; he would not think to look down for open traps.
Structural issues carried over to his Denver venue. On February 24, 1883, newspapers reported “A rumor comes from Denver, Col., that the Tabor [Grand] Opera House is falling in. The bricks made in Denver are so porous that a nail can be readily driven into them. Hence, they are not suitable for buildings of the Tabor Opera House magnitude” (Lima Democrat, Lima, Ohio, 24 Feb 1883, page 5). To be continued…
