Mr Coppin’s Tour of Civil War America

‘I have every expectation to anticipate a kindly reception in America’

That was George Coppin’s heartfelt hope in the Australian summer of 1864. But when the most industrious theatre impresario in the colonies reached America later that year, the reception was anything but kindly.

The United States was horribly dis-United. North and South were still at loggerheads over slavery with no sign of the war between them ending. Then, just when he was ready to present Shakespeare on Broadway with the eminent English actors Charles and Ellen Kean, calamitous events in Washington upended all his plans.

‘Mr Coppin’s Tour of Civil War America’ recounts these dramatic events using rarely seen carte de visite images of prominent 19th century Americans including Abraham Lincoln, PT Barnum and Edwin Booth. This presentation by Melbourne writer-researcher Simon Plant is based on a new book about the tour entitled ‘Entertaining Mr Coppin: An Australian Showman in Civil War America’.

Presented by Theatre Heritage Australia. Part of the 2024 Australian Heritage Festival

Host or Publisher Theatre Heritage Australia