The A. B. Marcus Show is the most traveled variety show in U.S. history. The Show first performed in 1913 and by the end of 1921, it had toured every state in the continental U.S. The show survived talkies, Technicolor, and two World Wars before finally closing in 1947. This lecture covers the first two decades of the show and is the story of William Porteous's wife's great-uncle.

 

William Porteous was born and raised in Michigan, where he spent time reviewing courthouse vital records and real estate filings. Bill worked with Central Michigan University to digitize most of his hometown newspaper. He has photographed the gravestones of his Michigan ancestors, his wife’s New England ancestors, and all the gravestones in Lawrence's Children of Abraham Cemetery. Bill has traced his parents' ancestry to the Mayflower and documented it in the Mayflower Quarterly. He has lectured on DNA, real estate research, and the true story of Holly Fine and Danny Kaye. Before retirement, Bill worked in R&D and holds chemical engineering degrees from MSU and MIT. Bill lives with his wife in North Andover.

 

Come join us at the Georgetown Peabody Library, free and open to the public.

 

Georgetown Peabody Library

2 Maple St

Georgetown, MA