Austin and Stone's Dime Museum
Austin and Stone's Dime Museum (ca.1880s-1900s) of Boston, Massachusetts, was an entertainment emporium in Scollay Square (no.4 Tremont Row), established by William Austin and Frank Stone.[1][2] It featured a freak show as well as dancing girls for entertainment. The freak show and other exhibits such as two-headed animals cost ten cents, while admission to the girlie show cost an additional dime. Performers included William S. Hutchings, the "lightning calculator."[3] Comedian Fred Allen wrote about the Museum in his memoir, Much Ado About Me.
References
[edit]- ^ Stulman Dennett, Andrea (1997). Weird and wonderful: the dime museum in America. New York: NYU Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-1886-5.
- ^ Boston Almanac and Business Directory. 1885, 1887, 1889, 1894
- ^ William S. Hutchings (1832-1911). New York Times, August 26, 1911
Images
[edit]- Advertisement, "international assemblage of giants," 1889
- Advertisement, "Prof. Welton's performing cats," 1893
- Advertisement, 1894
- Detail of 1896 map of Boston, showing Austin & Stone's Museum near Howard St.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Austin and Stone's Dime Museum.
- Fred Allen's Memoirs of Scollay Square
- Bostonian Society. Photograph of 3-7 Tremont Row, ca. 1908-1912