The Arcade Theater
The 1,000 seat Arcade Theater, located on the second floor in the southwest corner of the Arcade Building, opened on Jan. 9, 1883.
Detail from a 1910 Sanborn map, showing the layout of the Arcade Building.
The Theater is in the bottom left quadrant.
The Theater took a long time to open because of its elaborate design and appointments. The famous
Hughson Hawley, scenic artist of Madison Square Theater in New York City painted the curtain and scenery, according to the Chicago Times, June 14, 1882, over an eleven week period. Hawley, a renowned theater artist, also contributed to the decorations of the Arcade library. While working in Pullman, he lived at the Hotel Florence.
Hughson Hawley, Nathan Barrett, and Solon Beman pose for their official portrait.
The Chicago Tribune's depiction of that opening day described the elegance of the Theater. Its entrance was reached by "ascending a massive stairway" on the west side of the Arcade Building. The foyer and hallway ceiling of the theater entrance was painted sky blue with stars painted on it. A giant gas chandelier hung from the frescoed ceiling inside the theater, which had five elegantly decorated boxes on each side of the main seating area, extending from a balcony. Seats in the orchestra were covered in red leather, and the whole Theater was decorated in a Moroccan/Persian motif.
Composited image of the Arcade Theater.
Note that this image was created from Photoshop by melding together 2 Johnson photographs.
The Theater opened with great pomp and ceremony. The guests of honor, which included Pullman,
John Crerar, and
General P. H. Sheridan, arrived by special train, consisting of 6 brand new coaches.
The guests were met by the Pullman band under an awning run out to the tracks for the occasion.
As the Tribune breathlessly reported at the time (Jan. 10, 1883): "Both ladies in gentlemen were in full dress, and the broad staircase, vestibule, and foyer, thronged with the gaily-dressed crowd, presented a festive appearance..."
After a brief speech by Pullman and a 20-minute opening address by
General Stewart L. Woodford, the curtain rose at 8:30 p.m. to the play
Esmerelda, performed by the
Madison Square Theater Company (New York) and co-written in 1881 by
Frances Hodgson Burnett and
William Gillette.
One of the actors appearing was probably the famous actor
John Edward Owens who was starring in
Esmeralda with Madison Square Company in 1882.
The Theater played host to a number of productions and companies over the years. According to the Daily InterOcean, on June 7, 1883,
Mr. Arthur Sullivan (of Gilbert and Sullivan) himself oversaw the production of his 1871 comedy
On Guard. In Sept., 1888, Sisson and Brody's
Little Nugget company opened. Oct. 21, 1888 saw the opening of
Mattie Vickers and her company. And Sep. 1888 saw the debut of Murray and Murphy, "famed Irish comedians" in their act called
Our Irish Visitors.
Handbill for the play Dombey and Son, by Charles Dickens, undated.
The Pullman family also dabbled in theater production. The Tribune of Nov. 29, 1890 reported "The neat little Arcade Theater at Pullman was filled last evening with an audience which heartily enjoyed a musical and literary entertainment given for the benefit of the Pullman Public Library... The entertainment was planned and managed by Misses Florence and Harriett Pullman and Mrs. G. D. Smith, and netted about $300 for the Pullman Library."
The Theater also served as a lecture hall and convention center,
and was an essential part of the campaign circuit for Republican
candidates. On Dec. 15, 1893, the Tribune reported "The Swift rally
[
n.b., Chicago mayor George B. Swift] in the Arcade Theater,
Pullman was on the exact spot where John Patrick Hopkins [
n.b., Chicago mayor] made his first inning in business
in the city."
Reporting about an upcoming rally for Republican
gubernatorial candidate "Private Joe" Fifer (
Illinois
Governor Joseph W. Fifer), the Tribune on Sep. 30, 1888 reported "If
the weather is favorable 'Private Joe' will speak in the public square,
immediately south of the Hotel. In case of rainy weather the
demonstration will take place in the Arcade theater."
