Historic Opera

B.J. Falk's New York studio was located at 949 Broadway.

Benjamin J. Falk was often involved in litigation regarding the duplication of his photographic images into lithographic form. Two articles involving such situations are below:

“Benjamin J. Falk, the photographer, secured a verdict of $300 yesterday, in New York, against the Springer Lithographing Company for distributing lithographs of Lillian Russell, made from photos taken by him, which he had copyrighted afterward. The judgment was given by Judge Lacombe in the United States district court. The case is one of a number of suits brought by Mr. Falk against the Springer company for using copyrighted photos of Rose Coghlan, Lillian Russell and other prominent actresses and actors for lithographic purposes. Each of the originals testified that they had given Mr. Falk no permission to copyright their photos, and the case is important as showing that Mr. Falk had the right to do so without permission.” ----January 01, 1893

[Against Hellron & Phelps Lithographers] …”Judge Wheeler … handed up a verdict for $115 in favor of Benjamin J. Falk, the photographer, as damages for the infringement of his copyright of a photograph of the popular actress [Lillian Russell]…. It appeared in the evidence that Falk had photographed Miss Russell in a particular pose in the character of 'Dorothy' as she appeared in Alfred Cellier’s comic opera of that name. He copyrighted the photographic in November, 1887, and complied with the law, which have him the exclusive right to publish that particular photograph for twenty-eight years." ---- March 24, 1893

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Row 1:
Max Alvary.
Marianne Brandt.
Cleofonte Campanini.
Annie Louise Cary.

Row 2:
Leopold Damrosch.
Giuseppe De Luca.
Emma Eames.
Emma Eames.

Row 3:
Emma Juch.
Lilli Lehmann.
Lilli Lehmann.
Nellie Melba.

Row 4:
Emma Nevada.
Emma Nevada.
Francesco Tamagno.
Auguste-Charles-Leonard-Francois-Vianesi.

Auguste-Charles-Leonard-Francois-Vianesi:

"Mr. A. Vianesi, who resigns this month the position of leader of the orchestra of the Paris Opera in order to accept a similar position at New York, said recently to an Associated press correspondent who met him in Paris: “I have already been in American, as you know. I had the honor of conducting the opening performance of the Metropolitan opera house in New York when Mesdames Nilssen [sic], Sembrich and other stars sang, and I have also appeared in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, Baltimore, Cincinnati and St. Louis." [Note: New Orleans as well.]

“The position I am on the point of resigning has gained for me the decoration of the legion of honor and a place in the history of the twenty-six orchestra leaders who have held the post since 1669, when the Paris Opera was founded. The thought of revisiting the United States is very pleasant to me, for I cherish only the most agreeable recollections of my sojourn there.

“Musical art has reached a high degree of perfection in the United States. I know what American singers can do, for I have them before me almost every night, and have had for years on the stage of the Paris Opera. I do not hesitate to predict that the opera going public of New York will enjoy some fine treats next season, especially as those admirable artists, the brother Reszke, are to be members of the company." --- 14 Jun 1891

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Annie Louise Cary: "The members of the Pittsburg Cremation Society who offered Mrs. Raymond (Annie Louise Cary) free cremation, if she would sing for the benefit of their Cremation Fund, have not yet denied the queer story. Mrs. Raymond declined upon the ground that she could put no heart into a song upon such an occasion." ---- 7 Nov 1886.

Francesco Tamagno:
The event of the week was the appearance of Tamagno at the Metropolitan Opera House. In the small talk of the town Patti's reappearance was secondary in importance to the debut here of the famous Italian tenor .... Tamagno's Othello is worth consideration entirely apart from his singing. He presented a picture of the savage, jealous, infuriated and wholly uncontrollable Moor, which was far in advance, artistically, of that of Salvini .... Tamagno's voice is of the pure, though slightly nasal, tenor, and it seems to be fully as powerful in the upper as in the lower register. Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 30 Mar 1890.

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Emma Nevada performed often in concerts and a noted feature of them were her many changes of dress, culminating in the appearance of her wedding dress [she was married to Dr. Raymond Palmer]. The wedding dress was often spoken of in news reports… “It was announced that the soprano would wear her famous white velvet bridal dress at the concert. She wore a white dress, but whether it was velvet or not will always remain a mystery so far as I am concerned. When the tenor stepped on it accidentally, however, I noticed that he left the imprint of his heel on it plainly.”

Mme Nevada, who is a daughter of Dr. William Wallace Wixom, has had an eventful career. She was born in Austen, Nev., in 1862, and sang in public when she was only three years old. She was one of a party of young girls who went abroad under the care of Dr. Eberl to study music in Berlin. When the vessel on which they took passage anchored in the Elbe a small steamer came alongside to transfer the passengers to the shore. Dr. Eberl walked on board with the rest, but died as he entered the cabin. It was a great calamity for the party under his care. Miss Wixom, however, succeeded in reaching Berlin, and on her arrival there was recommended to go to Vienna to study with Mme. Marchesi. In 1880, through Marchesi’s influence, Miss Wixom, or Emma Nevada, as she then called herself, followed a custom of assuming the name of her native place, obtained an engagement at Covent Garden and made her debut as Amina in “La Sonnambula” on May 17. She did not reappear that season, her voice being considered too light, but three years later in Italy and afterward in Paris, she met with considerable success. For the past twelve years Mme. Nevada has made her permanent home in Paris. New York Times, 10 Sep 1899.

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