Lizzie May’s growing fame

Late 1876 through 1877 were tumultuous years for young Lizzie May. She had the pressures of a young wife and mother as well as the stresses of  traveling Atlantic Canada and New England with one of William Nannary’s theater companies .

Nannary dominated Atlantic Canadian theatre from 1873 to 1880. He promoted, helped sustain and, where it was lacking, attempted to provide a substantial theatrical presence, at one time paying salaries approaching $4,700 per week while employing over 100 people in various enterprises. 

While not an over night success, Lizzie’s fame was growing. She was  enough of a stand out to have had her portrait painted by the celebrated African-American painter Nelson A. Primus (1842-1916). This painting as seen above is currently on display at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford,CT.  The label on the back of the painting listed George T. Ulmer as the addressee. Did husband George commission the painting of his beloved Lizzie and if so how on earth could he afford such a luxury? Or had Lizzie somehow captured the attention of Primus himself? Perhaps Primus or a benefactor had spotted Lizzie in a performance? It is fun to speculate.

The Hartford Courant dated January 16,1877 reports;  

“Primus had completed a fine portrait of a little actress in Boston (Lizzie May Ulmer) and that it had received the highest praise from the critics of that city.” The painting of Lizzie May became one of Primus’ best known works.

Then by  1879 William Nannary’s successful run at the box office was slumping, tastes were changing. In July of 1880 he called it quits and emigrated with his family to America settling in San Francisco.

After an exhausting touring season and the terror of being caught up in the Great Fire of St. John, Lizzie and George needed a break. They left Canada returned to their beloved Boston.

Meet Lizzie May Ulmer

My numerous Google searches of Lizzie May Ulmer have taken me down the rabbit hole and around in circles. There are snippets here and there but pulling her story together is a challenge. One thing is certain, by 1876 when her portrait was painted, Lizzie was a well-known young actress.

This beautiful portrait  is by the celebrated African-American painter Nelson A. Primus (1842-1916). This oil on canvas painting is currently on display at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford,CT. The original research on the painting has some discrepancies. While Lizzie May was definitely from Maine, her age would have been 20-21 at the time of the painting. The label on the back of the painting listed George T. Ulmer as the addressee and there was discussion as to which relative this was. My research shows that George T. Ulmer was actually her husband at the time. According to many articles written about her and also articles and books that her husband wrote, it is very obvious that he was very much in love with her and may have commissioned the painting.

The Hartford Courant dated January 16,1877 reports that “Primus had completed a fine portrait of a little actress in Boston (Lizzie May Ulmer) and that it had received the highest praise from the critics of that city”

This painting of Lizzie May became one of Primus’ best known works. The life of Nelson A. Primus is definitely worth the read. Born in Hartford he moved to Boston and then later to San Francisco where his art became inspired by the culture of  Chinatown.

N. A. Primus Advertisement – from the East Boston Advocate 29 April 1882 :

My research of Lizzie May has taken me in no certain order throughout her life. This is not a timeline nor a biography but more an inquisitive journey into the past.

Next up, piecing together Lizzie May’s confusing childhood…

The trunk

   When I was a kid and wanted to find out anything, it meant hours poring over the Encyclopedia. Every family I knew had one and it took up two full shelves on our living room bookshelf.

  Now I just Google everything and am always amazed (and sometimes frustrated) by all the information. That said, I Googled “old trunks”. Through this random and unscientific search  I found a website called  ‘This Old Trunk‘. This is a fantastic website for antique trunks and a fun peek into the way people traveled a century or more ago. No 50 pound limits, no carry-on. Everything you owned fit into a trunk and followed you on your long and arduous journey by stagecoach or rail. The fact that any of these trunks survived is a true testament to this lost craft.

     After scanning the website for contact info I sent off an email to Marvin Miller. Marvin was so helpful and he really knows his trunks. I knew that the trunk had been manufactured by Likly, McDonald and Rockett of Cleveland,Ohio because the original plate was still inside the trunk and in excellent condition.

   From my photos Marvin was able to tell that the trunk is a canvas covered Barrel top or Round Top trunk. This style was made mostly during the 1880’s and 1890’s. It was a popular style in its day. On “Lizzie’s” trunk the inner tray is missing. This is where a woman would have stored her “delicates”as well as gloves, accessories, etc. Apparently , there also used to be a piece in the center lid that is missing which was a papers envelope for letters and such.

   Another search shows the Likly, McDonald and Rockett company STILL in business in Ohio but it is now called the Likly-Rockett Luggage Co. I have contacted them  to see if they kept any old ledgers listing the sales of their trunks. It’s a long shot.

    Now that I have an approximate date of the trunk, my search for it’s owner “Lizzie May Ulmer, young actress” begins…

The beginning…

The beginning was not all that auspicious. I was moving out of my tiny apartment in a century old  house. As I packed my meager  belongings into my car I realized that I had forgotten a few boxes that were  stored in the attic. It was a hot summer day. Stagnant. I debated whether I wanted to climb the three flights of stairs again just for a few boxes of books and decorations. Did I mention the lack of air conditioning and that it was a HOT day? In the end I climbed into that stifling, dusty attic. As I dragged my boxes towards the stairs I took one last glance around and spied an old trunk hidden under the eaves.

The trunk looked old. Really old. The dust was was so thick I had a sneezing fit. The lock was broken and the handles were missing. I wiped some dust off with my already filthy hands and opened the lid. No jewels or gold doubloons. No antique clothing or exciting knickknacks. Nothing but more dust. Still, it looked like it could be just the thing to store towels and sheets and the like in my new place so I dragged it down to my car and off we went.

That was 15 years ago. With every move I have dragged this beaten up old trunk with me. For the last 7 years it has sat in my guest room filled with towels and blankets.

A week ago I was cleaning the guest room and took a good look at the trunk for the first time in years. The paper decorations lovingly glued inside, the broken but beautiful hardware and the faded and ripped playbill glued to the side that you can barely make out. It reads, ” young actress….Lizzie May Ulmer“.

For some reason I cannot  fathom, I walked over to the computer and googled her name. And so the adventure begins…