Subject: Re: politics and the arts
From: David Mooney (moko@city-net.com)
Date: Mon Jan 07 2002 - 17:59:48 EST
Mike McFerron wrote:
> Somewhat off the topic, but something you may find
> interesting:
> While reading about the origins of "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
> (yes...I have no social life), I came across this
> resolution from the Continental Congress dated October 16,
> 1778. I think it speaks to the tradition of censorship in
> the United States. They wrote:
>
> "Whereas frequenting Play Houses and theatrical
> entertainments, has a fatal tendency to divert the minds
> of the people from a due attention to the means necessary
> for the defence of their country and preservation of their
> liberties: Resolved, that any person holding an office
> under the United States who shall act, promote, encourage
> or attend such plays, shall be deemed unworthy to hold
> such office, and shall be accordingly dismissed."
My wife works in the special collections area of a library.
She recently stumbled upon meeting notes dated 10 Feb 1910
in which librarians dicuss the effects of nickelodeons on
the reading habits of library patrons. Several participating
in this meeting go to great lengths to point out they,
personally, never go to nickelodeons--eg "I have never been
in one as I doubt the propriety of the Branch librarians
being seen entering a nickelodeon."
And later, "There are no nickelodeons in [the] West End. One
was opened a year ago but was driven out by the combined
efforts of the churches and local newspapers." A long and
consistent thread in the USA.
>
>
> I got this from Music and Musicians in Early America by
> Irving Lowens -- New York: W.W. Norton (1964), page 93.
> It references: Journal of the Continental Congress, XII
> (1778), as quoted in Thomas Clark Pollock, The
> Philadelphia Theatre in the Eighteenth Century
> (Philadelphia, 1933), pp. 38-39.
>
> As you can see, this was not a good environment for actors
> and artists. Just thought it was interesting, and
> possibly relevant to your search.
>
> warm regards,
> Mike
> ****
> ************************************************************************
>
> ** Mike McFerron
> ** Lewis University
> **
>
> ** Homepage
>
> ** http://home.earthlink.net/~mikemcferron/
> **
> ** MP3.com website
> ** http://www.mp3.com/mikemcferron
> **
> ** Lewis University Music Dept.
> ** http://www2/lewisu.edu/~mcferrmi/
>
> ****************************************************************************
-- David Mooney dmooney@city-net.com http://www.city-net.com/~moko/"Opaque melodies that would bug most people" (Don "Captain Beefheart" Van Vliet)
The Rhythmicon: http://www.city-net.com/~moko/rhome.html
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