Fanny Davenport
Encyclopedia
Fanny Lily Gipsy Davenport (10 April 1850- 26 September 1898) was an English
-American
stage
actress. The daughter of Edward Loomis Davenport
and Fanny Vining, she was born in London
, England
, but was brought to America when a child and educated in the Boston public schools. When seven years old she appeared at the Howard Athenæum
in Boston, as the child of Metamora, but her real début occurred in 1862.
In February, 1862, she appeared in New York
at Niblo's Garden
at the age of twelve as the King of Spain in Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady. Later (1869) she was a member of Augustin Daly
's company; and afterwards, with a company of her own, acted with especial success in Sardou's
Fedora (1883), Cleopatra (1890), and similar plays. She took over emotional Sardou roles that had been originated in Europe by Sarah Bernhardt
. Her last appearance was in Chicago
at the Grand Opera House on the 25th of March 1898, shortly before her death.
Her first husband was Edwin B. Price, an actor. They married in 1879 and later divorced. She was the wife of Mr. Willet Melbourne MacDowell (later a silent movie actor), her second husband, whom she married in 1889. She died in Duxbury, Massachusetts. She was the aunt of actress Dorothy Davenport
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
actress. The daughter of Edward Loomis Davenport
Edward Loomis Davenport
Edward Loomis Davenport was an American actor.Born in Boston, he made his first appearance on the stage in Providence, Rhode Island in support of Junius Brutus Booth. Afterwards he went to England, where he supported Mrs. Anna Cora Mowatt , William Charles Macready and others...
and Fanny Vining, she was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but was brought to America when a child and educated in the Boston public schools. When seven years old she appeared at the Howard Athenæum
Howard Athenaeum
The Howard Athenæum in Boston, Massachusetts, was one of the most famous theaters in Boston history. Founded in 1845, it remained an institution of culture and learning for most of its years, finally closing in 1953.- History :...
in Boston, as the child of Metamora, but her real début occurred in 1862.
In February, 1862, she appeared in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at Niblo's Garden
Niblo's Garden
Niblo's Garden was a New York theatre on Broadway, near Prince Street. It was established in 1823 as "Columbia Garden" which in 1828 gained the name of the Sans Souci and was later the property of the coffeehouse proprietor and caterer William Niblo. The large theatre that evolved in several...
at the age of twelve as the King of Spain in Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady. Later (1869) she was a member of Augustin Daly
Augustin Daly
John Augustin Daly was an American theatrical manager and playwright active in both the US and UK.-Biography:Daly was born in Plymouth, North Carolina and educated at Norfolk, Va...
's company; and afterwards, with a company of her own, acted with especial success in Sardou's
Victorien Sardou
Victorien Sardou was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play...
Fedora (1883), Cleopatra (1890), and similar plays. She took over emotional Sardou roles that had been originated in Europe by Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage and early film actress, and has been referred to as "the most famous actress the world has ever known". Bernhardt made her fame on the stages of France in the 1870s, and was soon in demand in Europe and the Americas...
. Her last appearance was in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
at the Grand Opera House on the 25th of March 1898, shortly before her death.
Her first husband was Edwin B. Price, an actor. They married in 1879 and later divorced. She was the wife of Mr. Willet Melbourne MacDowell (later a silent movie actor), her second husband, whom she married in 1889. She died in Duxbury, Massachusetts. She was the aunt of actress Dorothy Davenport
Dorothy Davenport
Dorothy Davenport was an American actress, screenwriter, film director, and producer who appeared in silent film for Biograph Studios under the direction of D.W. Griffith.-Early career:...
.
Publications
- Benton, in Mckay and Wingate, Famous American Actors of To-Day (New York, 1896)
- Montrose J. MosesMontrose Jonas MosesMontrose Jonas Moses was an American author, born in New York, where he graduated from the City College in 1899....
, Famous Actor-Families in America;; (New York, 1906)
External links
- Fanny Davenport picture gallery at NYP Library