Redpath Chautauqua Bureau
Biography
Circuit or "tent" Chautauqua had its beginning in the lyceum movement, which started in Massachusetts as early as 1826, and in the Chautauqua assemblies held at Lake Chautauqua, New York, beginning in 1874. The purpose of the lyceum movement was self-improvement through lectures and discussions on literary, scientific, and moral topics. After the Civil War, commercial lyceum bureaus were founded; among them was the Redpath Lyceum Bureau of James C. Redpath in 1868. In 1901, Keith Vawter purchased a one-third interest in the Redpath Lyceum Bureau and became the Redpath booking agent in Chicago, later moving his headquarters and operations to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In the summer of 1904, Vawter launched the first Chautauqua circuit with the assistance of Charles Horner.
The Redpath Lyceum Bureau had offices in other American cities, including White Plains, New York; Columbus, Ohio; Chicago; and Kansas City, Missouri. Vawter’s territory was roughly Iowa, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Missouri. Another Iowan and former Vawter employee, Harry P. Harrison, ran the Chicago office. Under the name "Redpath-Chicago," Harrison launched a major Chautauqua circuit in 1912. His territory was Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Gulf States. In 1912, Horner established in Kansas City the "Redpath-Horner Chautauquas." His territory was Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota. Circuit or tent Chautauqua began to expand and became an even greater influence about 1913, but World War I interrupted the circuits somewhat. In the years after the War (1920-1924), Chautauqua reached its peak of attendance. In 1920 there were twenty-one companies operating ninety-three circuits in the United States and Canada. The Great Depression brought an end to the circuits. The final circuit folded its tents in 1932 and the splendor of tent Chautauqua was over.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Redpath Chautauqua Bureau Records (this collection is currently under construction)
Commercial lecture bureau and booking agency for Chautauqua and lyceums throughout the United States and parts of Canada. Office files of the Redpath-Vawter Bureau of Cedar Rapids, IA, the Redpath-Chicago Bureau run by Harry P. Harrison and Charles Horner's Redpath Chautauquas. Included are: talent files consisting of correspondence, contracts, publicity brochures, and advertising flyers; business files including employee records; geographical location files with materials about cities and towns that sponsored Chautauquas and lyceums; periodicals; daybooks, cashbooks; and photographs.