Broadway Contrasts. George Beban and Holbrook Blinn.

Broadway Contrasts. George Beban and Holbrook Blinn.

Below is a image that is titled "Broadway Contrasts. George Beban and Holbrook Blinn." and it features two men back-to-back who were famous actors at the time. The man on the right is Holbrook Blinn who looks more business dressed with a rounded hat and a suit, while George Beban is creepier looking man wearing a trench coat with a pointier hat. After researching these men, I discovered both of them were from San Francisco and both became Broadway actors, and they both died from horse accidents but this image depicts them in two very different ways. I had three different interpretations of this image, but was not sure which one seemed most accurate. The first being, I think this can reflect the reaction to the influx on immigrants during the Gilded Age. There were so many immigrants coming into the city jobs were becoming more competitive as there were many cultures to choose from whites males had to work harder to maintain a respected job. The second interpretation I had for this illustration, was the two different types of men of Broadway and it made me think of Crane's novel "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets." I feel like the man on the right (Holbrook Blinn) is what Pete would look like, and this would be a man that looked and was wealthy, but would get caught up in prostitution. On the other hand, George Beban looks more like the men described towards the end of the novel, who were creepily questioning Maggie. This leads to the third interpretation, which is also describing the differences in men. Even though both the men at the time were successfully involved with Broadway, there were differences between their careers. Holbrook Blinn (man on the right) looks more like a man that would flaunt his successes and wealth for all those to see because he had no trouble growing up a stage child. On the other hand, George Beban, would have been a man that had much success, but disregarded the need to flaunt. The way he is looking at Blinn it looks like men similar to Beban could have been annoyed with those who obnoxiously displayed for wealth. This whole third interpretation also pertaining to Crane's book as it could be a contrast between Jimmie and Pete. Also Beban faced a lot of trouble with his father accepting is stage career, therefore he had to work for it more. Overall, I think this illustration could have many interpretations and that is why they left it so broad.

Unknown. Robinson Locke (Collector)

Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library. "Broadway contrasts. George Beban and Holbrook Blinn." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1870 - 1920. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/9908ddcb-18da-443e-e040-e00a180668a6

The New York Public Library Digital Collections

December 14, 2015

Taylor Caldwell

1870 - 1920