Mr. Clapham speaks in the highest terms of praise of his first manager, Col. Haverly, because he gave him (Clapham) the opportunity.
Harry J. Clapham was born in Lincoln, England, November 16, 1840.
Kelly and Leon was a great trade-mark in minstrelsy forty years ago.
Edwin Kelly was a vocalist and an actor; Leon was a female impersonator; and none were more successful than he. Together they were famous for their burlesques, which they put on in a lavish manner.
In 1860 each were members of Geo. Christy’s Minstrels; the following season they joined Morris Bros., Pell and Trowbridge’s Company in Boston, and in 1862 they were with Arlington and Donniker’s Troupe. A year later Kelly and Leon were interested in the management of the company, which soon after was known as Kelly and Leon’s Minstrels in Chicago.
October 1, 1866, the company opened at Hope Chapel, New York, and for more than two years they were established there, meeting with pronounced success.
January 9, 1869, they gave their final performance, and shortly after sailed for London, England, opening with Montague’s “Christy’s,” May 9. After a brief engagement they organized Kelly and Leon’s “Christy’s” Minstrels, giving their initial performance July 6, 1869. Six weeks later, August 16, they appeared with Delehanty and Hengler’s Combination in Boston. They made their first appearance in San Francisco November 7, 1871.
August 26, 1872, they began an engagement at Bryant’s Minstrels in New York, which terminated November 16. Kelly and Leon then reorganized their own company, opening at their old stand, November 25, three days later, November 28, 1872, the theatre was destroyed by fire.
The following Summer they returned to California, where they played an engagement in San Francisco with Maguire’s Minstrels.
Returning East they opened in Philadelphia with Simmons and Slocum’s Minstrels, closing November 8, 1873.