A recent acquisition is a broadside flyer (10 1/2 x 14 in.) advertising an entertainment including ‘Culver’s Panorama of the Indian Massacre in Minnesota, the Modoc War in the Far West and the recent outbreak under Sitting Bull’.
The flyer notes ‘the hardships of the pioneer, the desperation of the Indian, and the terrible issue of that great tragedy, the Sioux massacre, and the execution of its fiendish perpetrators. It is a show grand and graphic in outline, complete in detail, yet inoffensive to the most delicate’, and has a ‘synopsis of the programme’ listing various scenes including the ‘shooting of Jones and Baker’, ‘Settlers fighting the Indians’, ‘Negro Goodfrey’, and ‘Custer’s conflict’. The show involved ‘three changes of canvas during which time the Parker Bro’s, assisted by the company, will appear in their character songs and sketches representing Irish, Dutch and Negro characters, in which they are seldom equaled’.
The item clearly postdates the Modoc War of 1873 and Black Hills Expedition of 1876. A variation of the flyer bears the penciled date of 1882-1883. Little can be found for the Parker Brothers although one source lists them as the Parker Brothers Theatre Company. A search of nineteenth century newspapers also failed to locate any mention of the entertainment nor the impresarios. Similarly, no information was found for Culver’s Panorama. It is unclear therefore where these shows were held.