Charlotte Cushman (1816-1876) was the first actress of American birth who could claim legitimate fame upon the stage. She grew up the first daughter of a middle class couple, and from the beginning proudly declared herself a tomboy, not a flattering term at the time. A failing of her father's business dealings sent the family into poverty by the time Charlotte was a teenager, and she soon decided it was up to her to support her mother and brothers and sister. She began singing and her voice attracted the attention of many. A generous benefactor arranged for vocal instruction and within a few years she was a popular opera singer (contralto) in Boston. Traveling to New Orleans to continue building her career, however, she met with harsh critics who declared that she could not sing. Her voice began to decline, and that is when someone suggested she be an actor instead. Also in New Orleans was James Barton, a tragic actor who needed someone to play opposite him. He trained Charlotte, and a short time after the demise of her opera career, she opened with Barton as Lady Macbeth. The praise was immediate, Barton declaring her the greatest living actress on the stage. This praise would continue the rest of her performing days, as she built a name for herself in America for the next eight years. In 1842, friends thought it was time for her to have her own theatre. She took over the management of the Walnut St. Theatre, today the oldest theatre in America, in Philadelphia in September of that year. The Chestnut Theatre, its chief rival, was managed by another woman, setting up a rivalry which the owners hoped would bring income. The economy of the nation was still in recovery from the Panic of 1837, however, and the going was hard. Charlotte would give up management of any type of theatre just a year later. She would go on to become the first American to achieve theatrical fame in England and ended her long theatrical career in 1874. She died in 1876 of pneumonia while fighting cancer and was elected to the American Hall of Fame in 1915. This item is a circular which Cushman sent out to members of Philadelphia society on October 31, 1842. Business was not good a month into her management there, and so she appeals to the Theatre going public to come and see the changes her management has brought more order, decorum, honesty, and the promise to bring both good old and new plays to the public, therefore restoring Drama's good name. Business did not improve, however, despite Cushman's efforts to bring names like Edwin Forrest, Junius Brutus Booth, and John Brougham to play. She left the management there in 1843. Artistic role(s) represented: Edwin Booth (Actor).