Julius Cahn's Official Theatrical Guide

   The bible of booking agents and advance men was published annually from 1896. The heart of it was the listing of theatre facilities in each state. For each town with a theatre, the guide indicated the population, theatre contact information, dimensions of the stage and its accoutrements (rigging, traps), seating capacity, ticket prices, printing requirements, local transfer company, local physician, local newspapers, hotels and their rates, and railroads serving the town. The 1899-1900 edition shows that theatres in large cities were equipped with electricity, and the guide specified the voltage, which varied from one facility to another. A wealth of additional information is found in the advertising, in the listing of companies on the road that season, in the railroad maps, and even booking sheets for every date in the year, including listings of holidays. The full text of copyright laws pertaining to theatre is also included.