Doubling Back: Autobiography of a Traveling Actor 1916 Edwards Hoag Meade ~ Theater, Stage ~ Juneau to Boston ~ Oregon & Northern California

Title: Doubling Back: Autobiography of An Actor Serio-Comical

Author: Edwards Hoag Meade
Illustrator: Vade Garton [Vadron Barclay Gartin]

Description: Green cloth stamped in gilt. Bit of wear to cloth; some blemishing and light soiling on rear cover. Remnants of a ''For Sale by the Author'' sticker on the front paste-down, otherwise unmarked. Pages are generally clean. Illustrated with seventeen original cartoons and ten photographic illustrations on plates. 180 pages.

The autobiographical account of Ed Meade, a traveling actor in the United States between the years 1885 and 1912. The narrative is infused with Meade's optimistic view of life and features a diverse plethora of interesting anecdotes, including few touching on famous fellow stage performers such as Joseph Jefferson, George M. Cohan, and Lawrence Barrett, and the humorist Edgar Wilson "Bill" Nye.

From Juneau to Boston, Meade traveled all across the country, and in his chronicle identifies many of the cities, and several of the stages, stock theatre companies, actors, managers, and his fellow travelers, as he wended his way around the nation. From the late-1890's on, he mainly traveled the west coast circuit, mainly in Oregon and northern California (but with time in Alaska during the Gold Rush and in Nevada).

Edwards Hoag Meade (1863-1926) suffered from a bout of total paralysis in 1913 and appears to have then retired from acting. He settled down for a few years in Marshfield, Oregon, and from whence he published and sold this volume. Around 1920, he removed to Bedford, Virginia, and took up residence at the Elks home. He was born in Sandwich, Dekalb County, Illinois.

Illustrated by Vadron (''Vade'') Barclay Gartin (1896-1964), a young cartoonist from Coos County, Oregon.

Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Very Good
Jacket Condition: None

Publisher: [Hammond Press / W. B. Conkey Company]
Place: [Chicago]
Year: 1916

Keywords: biography, autobiography, actors, theatre, fin-de-siecle, stage actors, performers, vaudeville, entertainers, American, United States, Illinois, Oregon, California,