April 30, 2006
In this week’s podcast we’ll marvel at beautiful Lotta Crabtree, quintessential star of the late 1800s. She was the protege of Lola Montez, the highest paid performer on Broadway, the darling of the entire nation, and the most popular comedienne of her era.
As you may already suspect, her story begins right here in California, and the city nearest and dearest to her heart was the gold rush town which had bestowed the first of many nicknames to come: the “San Francisco Favourite”.
For further edification:
» Lotta Biography – with photos
» Lotta’s Legacy – essay by J. Kingston Pierce
» “San Francisco Rising” coverage – Leah Garchik
» “San Francisco Rising” photos – San Francisco Sentinel
» Fountain refurbishment – San Francisco Chronicle
» Lotta’s opera – live on Market Street
- #48: Mark Twain and the Great Earthquake of 1865
- #13: The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
- #61: Lefty O’Doul — The Man in the Green Suit
- #36: Birth of San Francisco #3
- SepiaTown — a virtual San Francisco
Musical support:
Bandjoe for this week’s banjo tunes “Old Joe Clark” and “Cluck Ole Hen”, provided through a Creative Commons license.
5 responses to “#56: Lotta Crabtree — the San Francisco Favourite”
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Pingback from San Francisco Timecapsule: 01.12.09 » San Francisco History Podcast - Sparkletack
January 12, 2009 at 1:01 am[…] in the Sierra Nevada. It was there that she taught a tiny red-haired neighbor girl to dance. Little Lotta Crabtree would grow up to be the most acclaimed and beloved performer in San Francisco history, eventually […]
Sparkletack was the blog and podcast of a guy obsessed with diggin' up San Francisco history. The site is on permanent hiatus.
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May 14, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Hi,
That is a great podcast about Lotta Crabtree! I’ve been a fan of hers for a while, but learned some new things about her from this podcast. She is really underated, and deserves all the recognition she can get! She pretty much started it all! I’d love to learn more about her. I’m sure she’d be proud that there are people keeping her awesome legacy alive! Thanks!
Sincerely,
Mr. Peace Grimaldi
June 18, 2007 at 3:04 pm
This was my first Sparkletack podcasts downloaded. I can’t thank you enough for bringing alive San Francisco’s remarkable history and in such an engaging way.
I live in New York City, but San Francisco has always been my favourite city in the world….and thanks to you it is staying alive within me even while 3000 miles physically apart.
Kudos,
Roger Pratt
July 26, 2009 at 11:14 am
Does any one remember the singing trio’s name that featured Rae Harkness in San Francisco? This would have been somewhere in the 1920’s. If so, please email me at the following address: crsmith1957@gmail.com
Thank you.and it is urgent!
March 6, 2011 at 6:12 pm
HI I LIVE IN NASHVILLE TENN AND MY MOTHERS MAIDEN NAME IS CRABTREE …DOTTIE. AND MY GRANDFATHER WAS A COUSIN? …TO LOTTIE CRABTREE AND MY MOTHER SUPPOSSEDLY WAS NAMED AFTER HER ..LATER AS I WAS COURIOUS ABOUT LOTTIE I SAW THAT HER NAME WAS LOTTA BUT MY GRANDMOTHERS NAME WAS BERTHA AND HE CALLED HER BERTHY SO HE PROBABLY THOUGHT HE WAS NAMING MY MOM AFTER LOTTIE WHO WAS ACTUALLY LOTTA.NANCY WENBERG NASHVILLE TENNESSEE.ENJOYED YOUR INFO