United States, Georgia, Bibb County, Macon, 32.84069, -83.6324United States, Georgia, Chatham County, Savannah, 32.08354, -81.09983United States, Georgia, Cobb County, 33.94147, -84.57667United States, Georgia, Dougherty County, 31.53337, -84.21625United States, Georgia, Dougherty County, Albany, 31.57851, -84.15574United States, Georgia, Fulton County, 33.79025, -84.46702United States, Georgia, Laurens County, 32.46366, -82.92224United States, Georgia, Lowndes County, 30.83386, -83.26771United States, Georgia, Lowndes County, Valdosta, 30.83334, -83.28032United States, Georgia, Muscogee County, Columbus, 32.46098, -84.98771United States, Georgia, Richmond County, Augusta, 33.47097, -81.97484Douglass, Charles Henry, 1870-19401912/1939The online collection consists of selected correspondence, financial records, contracts, and advertising materials from the Douglass Theatre's records in the Middle Georgia Archives' Charles Henry Douglass, Jr. business records, and it documents the amusements available to Macon's African American population and the business dealings of this African American entrepreneur from 1912 to the 1930s. The bulk of these selected records feature the period between 1920 and 1929, and describe the sporting events, vaudeville, and films brought to the theater, as well as the efforts to ensure its financial success. Handbills and booking correspondence document Georgia-based fighters such as Tiger Flowers and Texas Tanner who sought to fight at the venue in 1927. Douglass and Ben Stein, a white businessman who assumed ownership of the theater between 1927 and 1929, were affiliated with the Theatre Owners Booking Association (T.O.B.A.), a vaudeville circuit. This gave them access to bring prominent acts to Macon's African American community, such as well-known blues musicians Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, comedians Butterbeans and Susie, as well as musicals, revues, and sacred theater. When not hosting live acts, the Douglass also exhibited a wide variety of sound and silent motion pictures. Selected records feature race films (movies made specifically for African American audiences) of producers such as the Norman Film Manufacturing Company and Oscar Micheaux. The selections highlight other Southern African American theaters, such as the Palace Theatre in Valdosta, Georgia, Liberty Theatre in Columbus, Georgia, and the Liberty Theatre in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Web site also contains indexes to the documents, an introductory essay, and the finding aid for Douglass's business records.enghttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/Charles Henry Douglass business records, Theater records series, Middle Georgia Archives, Macon, Ga.Douglass, Charles Henry, 1870-1940--ArchivesMicheaux, Oscar, 1884-1951Stein, Ben--ArchivesDouglass Theatre (Macon, Ga.)--ArchivesNorman Film Manufacturing Company--History--20th century--SourcesTheatre Owners Booking Association--History--20th century--SourcesAfrican American boxers--Georgia--History--20th century--SourcesAfrican American entertainers--History--20th century--SourcesAfrican Americans--Georgia--Macon--Social life and customsAfrican Americans--Recreation--Georgia--Macon--History--20th century--SourcesAfrican Americans in motion pictures--History--20th century--SourcesAfrican Americans in the motion picture industry--History--20th century--SourcesBlues (Music)Race filmsTheaters--Georgia--Macon--History--20th century--SourcesTheaters--Southern States--History--20th century--SourcesVaudeville--Georgia--Macon--History--20th century--SourcesVaudeville--Southern States--History--20th century--SourcesBlues, Black vaudeville, and the silver screen, 1912-1930s : selections from the records of Macon's Douglass TheatreStillImageText