What is this lady's name?

Elisa Bruno?

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

Looks like a middle aged Vinnie Ream

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/

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

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?

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

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.

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

(02-06-2019 08:49 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  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.

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.

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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.

(02-06-2019 08:49 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  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.

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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??

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(02-06-2019 12:06 PM)L Verge Wrote:  

(02-06-2019 08:49 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  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.

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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.

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

(02-06-2019 03:52 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  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...

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).