The Dago

The Online Brooklyn Daily Eagle has proven an absolutely priceless resource in the writing of my forthcoming generational baseball novel, which I've chosen to set in Brooklyn. (Mostly.) Some terrific librarian (or team of librarians) at the Brooklyn Public Library has scanned and sub-divided and hotlinked hundreds of thousands of pages from 1841-1902, letting researchers search by date, keyword, and special subjects.

I was researching turn-of-the-century Brooklyn vaudeville theaters one day when I came across this gem:

BEDFORD AVENUE THEATER.

Humorous possibilities in our recently acquired brethren from Southern Europe are to be illustrated this week in a comedy styled "The Dago." The Carrolls, formerly well known in variety shows, will assume the leading characters and the minor ones will be intrusted to people who can brandish their legs in jigs, clogs, winz dances and the like and who can likewise sing in tune with the band. The Brooklyn bridge, a tenement attic, a fire scene and a blizzard are among the pleasant subjects of contemplation in this play.

The Online Brooklyn Daily Eagle is, astoundingly and commendably, a free public service.