A Guide to Spencer's Boston Theatre/ 1855-1862
A Guide to Spencer's Boston Theatre/ 1855-1862 ROGER E. STODDARD WHEN W. V. Spencer^ opened his bookstore at 128 Wash- ington Street in 1852, commerce in printed plays was well established in America. Customers included theatres, actors both professional and amateur, and play-goers. Publishers could obtain texts from prompters or managers if printed copies could not be found. The works of British playwrights could be published without authorization or royalty since they were not protected by copyright in America. The works of native playwrights, a mere fraction of the professional reper- toire, could be copyrighted, but many were never entered. Such free and easy access to texts attracted specialist pub- lishers who issued their wares as cheap pamphlets in printed wrappers, sometimes numbered in series so they could be sold singly or in bound sets. The use of stereotype and electrotype plates enabled publishers to maintain large stocks which could 'William Vaughan Spencer, bom May 3,1821, died May 26,1870. Spencer's middle name is found in Rolls of Membership of the New-England Historic Genealogical Society 1844-1890 (Boston, 1891), p. 31. Spencer resigned from the Society a few months be- fore his death. His birth date is computed from his age at death as recorded at Cam- bridge Cemetery where he was buried. For obituaries see Boston Daily Evening Tran- script, May 27, 1870, p. 3, col. 5; Saturday Evening Gazette, Boston, May 28, 1870, p. [3],col. 2;and The Cambridge Press, Mzy2S,Í870, p. [2], col. 3. 45 E JKTCER'S 15 O S T O N THE DIES, DRA3IAS, Each NumberJB*^; cîslM^or Ono Dollar.
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