Who is this lady?

[RJNorton]

What is this lady's name?

[Steve]

Elisa Bruno?

[RJNorton]

Steve, I can see a resemblance of the lady to opera singer, Elisa Bruno, but it's not her.

[Gene C]

Looks like a middle aged Vinnie Ream

[RJNorton]

Kudos, Gene! Indeed it is Vinnie Ream. The photo was taken c. 1885, and Vinnie was born in 1847.

I only posted part of the entire photo. The whole photo is here:

https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc230189/

[Steve]

She may not be Vinnie Ream, but I found a couple of Elisa Bruno recordings from 1902, for those of you who are opera fans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foPXjP9-QzU

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_WVMOhhl2E

[L Verge]

And speaking of opera - In February of 1861, Lincoln attended an operatic performance at the Academy of Music in New York City. What was the name of the opera, and who was its composer?

[Steve]

Hmm, 1861... that would probably be Verdi. His most recent opera would be "Un ballo in maschera" about a political assassination.

[Eva Elisabeth]

I agree, and I seem to recall it is the performance where Robert acted as a "Statist" (= not a serious role, rather living decoration, laymen...must look up the term), and there was some premonition with the entire performance.

---

As for Vinnie Ream - I wonder what a harp cost back then. It costs as much as a car now...

[RJNorton]

As for Vinnie Ream - I wonder what a harp cost back then. It costs as much as a car now...

Eva, thanks to Tom Bogar's kindness, I have a book entitled Vinnie Ream: An American Sculptor. I was able to find the answer in that book. Vinnie bought the harp from Evard Harp Manufactory for $600 with a seven-dollar extra charge for strings. This happened while she was in Paris in 1869. I put $607 into an inflation calculator, and it came to $11,213.12 in today's dollars. That seems low to me; there are several inflation calculators online. Possibly another one would yield a different amount.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks, Roger - I checked the Google, actually you get harps (meanwhile?) at 3,000€, however a "professional" is (still?) in and above Vinnie Ream's category.

---

I found what I was thinking of (wrote myself about the NY performance) - Robert played a gues role in the final "death scene", which his father missed because he had left earlier. It would have been the only performance with father and son in one theater - they never attended together. The plot is about the assassination of Swedish King Gustav III.

[L Verge]

I agree, and I seem to recall it is the performance where Robert acted as a "Statist" (= not a serious role, rather living decoration, laymen...must look up the term), and there was some premonition with the entire performance.

---

As for Vinnie Ream - I wonder what a harp cost back then. It costs as much as a car now...

Wow, that was quick Steve. Congrats. Also congrats to Eva - who now needs to explain the relationship to the opera and "Robert," whom I assume is Robert Lincoln??

---

I agree, and I seem to recall it is the performance where Robert acted as a "Statist" (= not a serious role, rather living decoration, laymen...must look up the term), and there was some premonition with the entire performance.

---

As for Vinnie Ream - I wonder what a harp cost back then. It costs as much as a car now...

Wow, that was quick Steve. Congrats. Also congrats to Eva - who now needs to explain the relationship to the opera and "Robert," whom I assume is Robert Lincoln??

My source also gave a tidbit related to Walt Whitman's attending the same opera there in April and exiting the theater to hear the newsboys shouting that Ft. Sumter had been fired upon.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Laurie - I'm not sure, so you are looking for more than in my very last post (#356)? (If so, I have no clue...)

[L Verge]

Laurie - I'm not sure, so you are looking for more than in my very last post (#356)? (If so, I have no clue...)

Am I right in thinking that the "Robert" is Lincoln's son and that he played a small role in the production? If so, do we know how and why he came to be a part of it? Harvard connection or anything?

I am not a fan of RTL, and he just doesn't seem like anyone with the personality needed of an actor. My apologies to Jason Emerson...

[Eva Elisabeth]

I totally agree with your feelings...yes Robert is the one who got that guest role in the death scene. I doubt it was a big thing and likely just to please the president. I think Tad often got little roles at Groover's (but I can see young Tad even more talented).