Rare 1905 Leadville, Colorado Elks Opera House archive of original stage carpet and ground-cloth samples, correspondence and related advertising material.
This group came from business correspondence and materials that were left behind at the Opera House in Leadville, Colorado and preserved by my grandmother. They have remained in the family since.
The centerpiece is an original May 13, 1905 letter from R. A. Humphrys’ Sons, 1021–1023 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, addressed directly to:
Elks Opera House
Leadville, Colo.
The letter provides an unusually strong connection between the surviving textiles and the Opera House. Humphrys writes in response to an inquiry from the Elks Opera House and states:
“we can furnish ground cloths like samples enclosed”
The letter specifies Light Green, Dark Green, Light Brown and Dark Brown and quotes a price of $33.00 each. It also discusses the number of grommets desired, available weights, approximately two weeks for custom manufacture, and 48-hour shipment for regular stock.
The group also contains an original O. W. Richardson & Co., Chicago carpet-sample mailing piece addressed to:
Geo. D. Casey
Leadville, Colo.
The illustrated Richardson mailing advertises the company as “Originators of the Carpet Sample Business” and “The Largest Jobbers of Cut Carpets in the World.”
Included are three surviving Richardson carpet samples with their original printed labels:
No. 10 — Union Stage Carpet — 49¢ per yard
No. 20 — All Wool Filled Stage Carpet — 62½¢ per yard
No. 30 — Best All Wool Warp Stage Carpet — 72½¢ per yard
The original labels specifically identify the material as STAGE CARPET and retain the company’s period pricing and ordering information.
Also included are the additional period textile/ground-cloth samples shown in the photographs. These have been kept with the correspondence and are being sold with the archive rather than separated.
Provenance
These materials were part of correspondence and business material left behind at the historic Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. They were kept by my grandmother and subsequently preserved by our family.
The pieces are being offered together and as found. Original rusty staples, attachments and other evidence of their period use have intentionally been left undisturbed.
This is an unusual surviving piece of early Colorado theater history documenting the practical operation of the Leadville Opera House—not simply advertising material, but correspondence and actual material samples sent for consideration and purchase.
Excellent material for a collection relating to Leadville, Colorado; the Elks; historic theaters and opera houses; theatrical stage equipment; antique textiles; early carpet manufacturers; Colorado history; or early-20th-century commercial ephemera.
Everything pictured is included. Please see all photographs, which are part of the description.
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