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Dancing Waters Poster King Show Prints and Enterprise Show Prints1 January 1920
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Dancing Waters Woodblock in Yellow King Show Prints and Enterprise Show Prints1 January 1920
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Dancing Waters Woodblock in Red King Show Prints and Enterprise Show Prints1 January 1920
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Dancing Waters Woodblock in Blue King Show Prints and Enterprise Show Prints1 January 1920
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Choir Boys Zinc Woodblock in Black King Show Prints and Enterprise Show Prints1 January 1920
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Agnes MacPhail, Canada's First Woman Member of Parliament1920
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Agnes MacPhailIt was Community Chautauquas which first introduced Agnes MacPhail, Canada's first woman member of parliament, to the Chautauqua field. While it had been a long-standing policy of all Chautauqua companies to refrain from engaging lecturers who were prominent in national politics, Graham recognized that Miss MacPhail had established a reputation as a colorful and unique public speaker who could fluently and expertly discuss many current public problems involving the farming industry, education, international relationships, prison reform, all with a new outlook, and with deep sincerity. There was more than a mere touch of showmanship in her manner of making quick and cutting retorts when heckled in Parliament or public meeting.
It was on the Community Chautauqua circuit that she create a story given considerable prominence by the press of the day.
While Miss MacPhail was speaking, a man in the front row of seats kept saying, "Aw, why don't you get a husband." For a while she ignored these interruptions. The pointing at him, she walked to the front of the platform and told him to "get up!" It was only after she repeated the command, which the audience echoed that the man got up awkwardly and stood there.
"I suppose you're married," said Agnes.
He mumbled in agreement.
Then she spoke to the audience: "Now, I'd bet he wasn't like this when his wife married him 10 years ago."
Pointing her finger again at the man, she said: "what guarantee have I that anybody I married now wouldn't turn out like you in 10 years?"
It was the sort of repartee which audiences enjoyed immensely.
Miss MacPhail was paid $100 per week, the salary usually paid lecturers on prairie circuits. A few received $125.
She enjoyed her tour very much and with the feeling she was reaching people wholly unfamiliar with her crusade against social and economic injustices in Canada, particularly those involving agriculture and rural life. ...
It was following Miss MacPhail's break-in with Community Chautauquas that she became well-known as a lecturer in the United States, being booked by entertainment bureaus for special appearances at conventions and group gatherings. (Excerpt from Paper, Pen and Ink by Andrew King, Pg 95-6)
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In 1929, Chautauqua had begun to lose its charm, mainly for the reason that local people became tired of selling tickets, the work of putting up tents of the summer Chautauqua, and all the many little chores involved, and then finally handing all the receipts over to the company - with maybe a little more if the ticket sales were not up to the mark. In addition, the shades of the coming depression had begun to fall, with money becoming a bit tighter. ...Community Chautauquas in 1929 sold all its contracts for 1930 to Dominion Chautauquas, and Enterprise Show Print lost a fine customer. (Excerpt from Paper, Pen and Ink by Andrew King, Pg 98-99)
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