October 3, 2021 Online Auction
At Britannic Auctions, we had the privilege of auctioning off a selection of remarkable items from the private family archive of the legendary Shubert family, synonymous with Broadway fame.
These collectible treasures offer a glimpse into the history of the Shubert theatrical dynasty and their connection to early Broadway.
Some of the auction highlights include:
- c1920s sterling silver letter opener personally owned by Lee Shubert
- c1920s Mappin & Webb cased traveling clock custom designed for J.J. Shubert
- Original 1923 candid photo of Al Jolson walking arm-in-arm with Lee Shubert at Palm Beach
- Keyring loaded with 21 keys, each leading to a different Broadway theatre in the Shubert’s theatrical galaxy
- Autographed photo of Tallulah Bankhead costumed as Sadie Thompson, inscribed to Lawrence Shubert Lawrence, Jr., head of the Shubert organization.
- Large painted rendering of Broadway's Shubert Theater lobby, circa 1960s, signed by the artist
- 1905 letter signed by Henry Birkhardt Harris (1866-1912), a famed Broadway producer and New York theatre owner who perished in the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912. His wife, American theater’s first female producer Renee Harris survived the sinking when she boarded the last available lifeboat.
- 1958 copy of Meredith Willson's "The Music Man", signed and inscribed by Robert Preston
About this Consignment Auction
The legendary theatrical dynasty began in the late 19th century by entrepreneurial brothers, Sam S. Shubert, Lee Shubert and J.J. Shubert.
Sam Shubert was tragically killed at just 26 in a railroad accident in 1905, leaving his brothers to helm the family's theatre empire.
By the mid-century mark, the family empire controlled or owned roughly half the theatres in the United States.
The Shubert Organization still stands today as America's oldest professional theatre company, having owned hundreds of theatres and produced over five hundred plays and musicals.
