Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith (February 8, 1871 – February 25, 1958) was an American vaudeville performer, clubwoman, and businesswoman, based in Los Angeles.
Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith
Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith, in a 1922 publication
Born
(1871-02-08)February 8, 1871
Allegheny, Pennsylvania
Died
February 25, 1958(1958-02-25) (aged 87)
Occupation(s)
Vaudeville performer, clubwoman, and businesswoman
Lillian Burkhart was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Adolph Burkhart and Rosalie Cirker Burkhart. Her parents were both Jewish immigrants: her father was born in Russia, and her mother was born in Germany. Lillian trained as a teacher in the Pittsburgh area.[1]
Careeredit
In her early years, Lillian Burkhart produced and performed in more than two dozen one-act sketches, and was remembered as "the foremost comedienne in vaudeville".[2][3][4] After she married her second husband and moved to California, she continued giving recitations and dramatic readings,[5] often for community groups,[6] and she produced "municipal pageants" and theatrical events, including a benefit show for the victims of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and the Los Angeles pageant marking Shakespeare's tercentenary.[7][8][9][10]
In Los Angeles she was an officer of the Ebell Club, the founder and first president of the Philanthropy and Civics Club (beginning in 1919),[11] and the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women (from 1924 to 1930).[12] She developed a successful career of buying and improving property in the growing city,[13] and funded the building of clubhouses for several of philanthropic organizations.[1] She established the first Girl Scout Council in Los Angeles, and was its first commissioner.[14] She began and funded the Lillian Burkhart Fund, which supported college scholarships for disadvantaged students.[15]
Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith lectured against prohibition.[16] She was monitored and questioned by the U. S. Justice Department during World War I, because her mother was German and because she gave a lecture, "What the World is Thinking and Feeling", which was perceived as possibly influencing clubwomen against the American war effort.[17]
Personal lifeedit
Lillian Burkhart was married to a fellow vaudeville performer, Charles Dickson, in 1891; the couple appeared in shows together.[18][19] She married George Goldsmith in 1903. They had a daughter, Rosalie Faith Goldsmith, born in 1904. Lillian was widowed in 1928,[14] and died in 1958, aged 87 years.[20]
Referencesedit
^ abKaty Lain, "Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith: Shaping the City" Southern California Quarterly 89(3)(Fall 2007): 285-306.
^"Lillian Burkhart, Who Came Back and Who Also Was 'Born Again'" Los Angeles Times (June 21, 1911): II14.
^"Lillian Burkhardt's Art; The Favorite Actress of the Vaudeville Stage Wins a Warm Welcome In a Bright Little Comedy" Los Angeles Herald (December 3, 1901): 9; via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
^"Vaudeville Stage: A Gifted Comedienne" New York Dramatic Mirror (March 13, 1897): 18.
^"Shakespeare Club Hears Fairy Stories: Mrs. Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith Entertains Club in Charming Way Yesterday" Pasadena Star (April 15, 1914): 9.
^"Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith to Entertain at Informal Gatherings Next Month" Los Angeles Herald (September 25, 2011): 5; via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
^Paul Henry Dowling, "The Masque of the Nativity: A Triumph of Municipal Pageantry" The American City 15(December 1916): 655-657.
^"Of Thee We Sing, Hannah!" Long Beach Independent (January 25, 1948): 16. via Newspapers.com
^"Pretty Flower Girls Capture Much Coin" Los Angeles Herald (May 4, 1906): 8. via Newspapers.com
^"In Remembrance of Shakespeare: Los Angeles to Join in Nationwide Celebration; Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith Asked to Take Charge of the Pageant Commemorating the Tercentenary of the World's Greatest Dramatist in April" Los Angeles Times (January 26, 1916): I12.
^Louis Lyons and Josephine Wilson, eds., Who's Who Among the Women of California (Security Publishing Company 1922): 133.
^Myra Nye, "What Women are Doing: Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith" Los Angeles Times (August 16, 1925): D9.
^"Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith Tells How She Converted City Lot into Retreat for Herself and Daughter" Los Angeles Herald (November 26, 2010): 4; via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
^ abMyra Nye, "Club Leader Carrying On: Mrs. Lillian Goldsmith Combats Grief" Los Angeles Times (June 24, 1928): C29.
^"Miss Burkhart Has a Mission" Minneapolis Star (November 25, 1922): 8. via Newspapers.com
^"'Wet' and 'Dry' Cross Swords" Los Angeles Times (October 9, 1914): II3.
^William H. Thomas, Unsafe for Democracy: WOrld War I and the U. S. Justice Department's Covert Campaign to Suppress Dissent (University of Wisconsin Press 2009): 51. ISBN9780299228934
^Charles Musser, "The May Irwin Kiss: Performance and the Beginnings of Cinema" in Vanessa Toulmin and Simon Popple, eds., Visual Delights Two: Exhibition and Reception (John Libby Eurotext 2005): 107. ISBN9780861966578
^Robert Grau, "The Growth of Vaudeville" Overland Monthly (October 1914): 392.
^"Mrs. Lillian Goldsmith, Civic Worker, Dies; Founder-Member of the Hollywood Bowl, She Was Also Active in Philanthropies" Los Angeles Times (February 26, 1958): A10.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith.
Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith's gravesite, at Find a Grave.
A photograph of Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith taken in 1956, when she was 85 years old; in the collection of the USC Digital Library.
Another silk fan donated by Lillian B. Goldsmith to the Los Angeles County Community of Art.
Katherine Lain, "Creating a class and its culture: Self-made women, architecture, and the development of elite suburbs and institutions in Los Angeles: 1889--1930" (M. A. thesis, California State University at Northridge 2010).
January 01, 1970
lillian, burkhart, goldsmith, february, 1871, february, 1958, american, vaudeville, performer, clubwoman, businesswoman, based, angeles, 1922, publicationborn, 1871, february, 1871allegheny, pennsylvaniadiedfebruary, 1958, 1958, aged, occupation, vaudeville, p. Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith February 8 1871 February 25 1958 was an American vaudeville performer clubwoman and businesswoman based in Los Angeles Lillian Burkhart GoldsmithLillian Burkhart Goldsmith in a 1922 publicationBorn 1871 02 08 February 8 1871Allegheny PennsylvaniaDiedFebruary 25 1958 1958 02 25 aged 87 Occupation s Vaudeville performer clubwoman and businesswomanSpousesCharles Dickson m 1891 wbr George Goldsmith m 1903 d 1928 wbr ChildrenRosalie Faith Goldsmith Lillian Burkhart from a 1901 publication Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editLillian Burkhart was born in Allegheny Pennsylvania the daughter of Adolph Burkhart and Rosalie Cirker Burkhart Her parents were both Jewish immigrants her father was born in Russia and her mother was born in Germany Lillian trained as a teacher in the Pittsburgh area 1 Career editIn her early years Lillian Burkhart produced and performed in more than two dozen one act sketches and was remembered as the foremost comedienne in vaudeville 2 3 4 After she married her second husband and moved to California she continued giving recitations and dramatic readings 5 often for community groups 6 and she produced municipal pageants and theatrical events including a benefit show for the victims of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the Los Angeles pageant marking Shakespeare s tercentenary 7 8 9 10 In Los Angeles she was an officer of the Ebell Club the founder and first president of the Philanthropy and Civics Club beginning in 1919 11 and the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women from 1924 to 1930 12 She developed a successful career of buying and improving property in the growing city 13 and funded the building of clubhouses for several of philanthropic organizations 1 She established the first Girl Scout Council in Los Angeles and was its first commissioner 14 She began and funded the Lillian Burkhart Fund which supported college scholarships for disadvantaged students 15 Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith lectured against prohibition 16 She was monitored and questioned by the U S Justice Department during World War I because her mother was German and because she gave a lecture What the World is Thinking and Feeling which was perceived as possibly influencing clubwomen against the American war effort 17 Personal life editLillian Burkhart was married to a fellow vaudeville performer Charles Dickson in 1891 the couple appeared in shows together 18 19 She married George Goldsmith in 1903 They had a daughter Rosalie Faith Goldsmith born in 1904 Lillian was widowed in 1928 14 and died in 1958 aged 87 years 20 References edit a b Katy Lain Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith Shaping the City Southern California Quarterly 89 3 Fall 2007 285 306 Lillian Burkhart Who Came Back and Who Also Was Born Again Los Angeles Times June 21 1911 II14 Lillian Burkhardt s Art The Favorite Actress of the Vaudeville Stage Wins a Warm Welcome In a Bright Little Comedy Los Angeles Herald December 3 1901 9 via California Digital Newspaper Collection nbsp Vaudeville Stage A Gifted Comedienne New York Dramatic Mirror March 13 1897 18 Shakespeare Club Hears Fairy Stories Mrs Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith Entertains Club in Charming Way Yesterday Pasadena Star April 15 1914 9 Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith to Entertain at Informal Gatherings Next Month Los Angeles Herald September 25 2011 5 via California Digital Newspaper Collection nbsp Paul Henry Dowling The Masque of the Nativity A Triumph of Municipal Pageantry The American City 15 December 1916 655 657 Of Thee We Sing Hannah Long Beach Independent January 25 1948 16 via Newspapers com nbsp Pretty Flower Girls Capture Much Coin Los Angeles Herald May 4 1906 8 via Newspapers com nbsp In Remembrance of Shakespeare Los Angeles to Join in Nationwide Celebration Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith Asked to Take Charge of the Pageant Commemorating the Tercentenary of the World s Greatest Dramatist in April Los Angeles Times January 26 1916 I12 Louis Lyons and Josephine Wilson eds Who s Who Among the Women of California Security Publishing Company 1922 133 Myra Nye What Women are Doing Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith Los Angeles Times August 16 1925 D9 Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith Tells How She Converted City Lot into Retreat for Herself and Daughter Los Angeles Herald November 26 2010 4 via California Digital Newspaper Collection nbsp a b Myra Nye Club Leader Carrying On Mrs Lillian Goldsmith Combats Grief Los Angeles Times June 24 1928 C29 Miss Burkhart Has a Mission Minneapolis Star November 25 1922 8 via Newspapers com nbsp Wet and Dry Cross Swords Los Angeles Times October 9 1914 II3 William H Thomas Unsafe for Democracy WOrld War I and the U S Justice Department s Covert Campaign to Suppress Dissent University of Wisconsin Press 2009 51 ISBN 9780299228934 Charles Musser The May Irwin Kiss Performance and the Beginnings of Cinema in Vanessa Toulmin and Simon Popple eds Visual Delights Two Exhibition and Reception John Libby Eurotext 2005 107 ISBN 9780861966578 Robert Grau The Growth of Vaudeville Overland Monthly October 1914 392 Mrs Lillian Goldsmith Civic Worker Dies Founder Member of the Hollywood Bowl She Was Also Active in Philanthropies Los Angeles Times February 26 1958 A10 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith s gravesite at Find a Grave A photograph of Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith taken in 1956 when she was 85 years old in the collection of the USC Digital Library A silk fan donated by Lillian B Goldsmith to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Another silk fan donated by Lillian B Goldsmith to the Los Angeles County Community of Art Katherine Lain Creating a class and its culture Self made women architecture and the development of elite suburbs and institutions in Los Angeles 1889 1930 M A thesis California State University at Northridge 2010 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith amp oldid 1217019079, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
