California Dime Museum / People's Theater

116 N. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 | map |

Opened: It was running by January 1888 as a tented venue called the California Dime Museum. The location was the east side of the street just north of 1st. Later & Theater was added to the name. In May 1889 the rebuilt premises reopened as People's Theater. Later it was back to the Dime Museum name and eventually was rebranded as the People's Amphitheater. 

 

"Thousands of Visitors Daily!" It's a January 18, 1888 ad from the Los Angeles Herald. 

 

 

 

"New Pavilion, New Auditorium, New People." It's a March 28, 1888 ad from the L.A. Herald. 

 

"New Attractions!" It's a May 7, 1888 ad from the L.A. Herald.  

 

 

 

"2 Monster Shows 2... In Theatre - Hawkin's Famous Colored Georgia Minstrels." It's a July 16, 1888 ad from the L.A. Herald. 

 

Prof. Schweigerling's Theatre Foutoche. It's an August 19, 1888 ad from the L.A. Herald. 

"About 8 o'clock last night a couple of pistol shots, fired in rapid succession, were heard in the tent of the California Dime Museum, on Main street, near First, immediately following which a rather handsome young woman rushed out of the then and up Main street, screaming, 'I’m shot, I’m shot!' The street was filled with people, and in a few minutes a crowd of about 500 people had gathered about the tent, anxious to learn the cause of the shooting..."

-- A September 11, 1888 item in the L.A. Times that was located by Jeff Bridges.  

 

Charles Doyle and a Mr. Isaacs were operating the venue in late 1888 and wanted to replace their tented structure with a roof. This news appeared in the December 2, 1888 issue of the L.A. Herald in a column of items discussed at a meeting of the fire commissioners. 

 

"More Marvels! More New Artists!" It had become the California Dime Museum & Theater by the time of this December 23, 1888 ad from the L.A. Herald. 

A c.1889 view north toward 1st St. with the new U.S. Hotel in the distance. It's a California Historical Society photo by C.C. Pierce in the USC Digital Library collection. The Huntington Library also has a version of the photo. On the right just in beyond the awnings it's the Grand Opera House, 110 S. Main after the street renumbering. Earlier it was using an 8 S. Main address.

 

 

A detail from the c.1889 image showing the area north of 1st where 116 N. Main was. That's the 1st St. intersection in the lower right. The California Dime Museum was operating at the time of the photo but it's unknown which of the structures seen was its entrance. The Kline Clothing Co. on the corner got a 2 N. Main address in the 1890 directory and had the same location listed as 100 N. Main in 1891. 

 

"Monster Holiday Bill." It's a January 2, 1889 ad from the L.A. Herald. 

 

 

Don't miss the Vivisectionist! It's a January 16, 1889 ad from the L.A. Herald. 

 

 

 

"A smile through tears is the rainbow of peace." It's a February 21, 1889 ad from the L.A. Herald.  

 

Isaacs and Doyle closed the venue sometime in early 1889. When it reopened in May 1889 under different management it was called the People's Theater. 

 

"The People’s Theater opened Saturday night to a good sized audience. The theater is built and operated on the cheap plan and has grown out of the old Dime Museum on North Main street. The management has put in a stock company of a very ordinary caliber, which opened in the old drama 'The Streets of New York.' Another good house turned out last night and seemed to enjoy one of the most mediocre performances ever given outside of a country town."

-- A May 13, 1889 mention in the Times that was located by Jeff Bridges. 

"A great old time all day tomorrow, and tickets to the theater free. FREE. Two thousand tickets of admission to the People’s Theater will be distributed to lady patrons only who purchase the amount of $1. Four hundred tickets for Monday’s performance and 400 for each succeeding night; all will be given away tomorrow..."

-- Copy in an ad for the People's Store in the May 26, 1889 Times. Thanks to Jeff Bridges for spotting it.

 

This August 2, 1889 ad from the L.A. Herald revealed that W.C. Crosbie and C.T. Arper were the managers of the venue as the People's.

 

 

The People's Theater era was brief. Sol Isaac & Son were the operators by the time of this September 21, 1889 L.A. Herald ad. And it was again back to its earlier name. It's unknown if this was the same guy earlier listed as a partner under the last name "Isaacs."

 

 

An item in the September 21, 1889 L.A. Herald noting that business had been good since the reopening. 

 

 

An October 9, 1889 item from the L.A. Herald.

 

 

 

It's an October 12, 1889 ad from the L.A. Herald.

 

 

It's a October 16, 1889 ad from the L.A. Herald.

In the 1890 City Directory they were still using old addresses on Main St. with the block north of 1st using two-digit numbers, soon to be renumbered 100 to about 160. The directory has this listing: "California Dime Museum and Family Theater, Sol. Isaac & Son, proprietors, 14 North Main." Frederick H. Hewitt was listed as the business manager. 

 

 

Sol Isaac must have closed for the holidays. Here he's having a grand (re)opening. It's a February 28, 1890 ad from the L.A. Herald. Note the new address after the street renumbering.

 

 

 

"...the largest vaudeville stage and most complete scenery on the Coast." Sol was leaving town. It's a March 10, 1890 ad from the L.A. Herald.   

 

 

"Everything New in Museum and Theater." Charles Doyle, once a partner in the operation, was back in town and reopened the museum and theatre on December 6, 1890. A Mr. Kniffen was along as a partner. It's a December 7 ad from the L.A. Herald. 

 

Looking for new items to exhibit. It's a December 19, 1890 ad from the L.A. Herald. 

 

 

 

Looking for performers "of good vocal and histrionic talent..." It's a December 20, 1890 ad from the L.A. Herald. 

 

 

 

Searching for an operator for the theatre's concessions. It's a December 21, 1890 ad from the L.A. Herald. 

 

 

"Visit the dime museum..." and "A clean, honest entertainment..." Two of the venue's teaser ads in a column of classifieds in the December 11, 1892 L.A. Herald.  

 

 

"Stage Performance Every Hour." It looks like Mr. Doyle was taking a break from the operation, here rebranded as the Los Angeles Dime Museum. It's a January 2, 1893 ad from the L.A. Herald. 

 

Mr. Doyle was back at the time of this February 1893 L.A. Times ad for what was then called the People's Amphitheater. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for spotting this one for a post on the Facebook page Photos of Los Angeles.

 

More exciting events in February 1893 under "Pointers for Today." If you wanted to skip the city council meeting you could watch the boomerang throwers at People's. That Park Theatre was the building better known as Hazard's Pavilion. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the item.

Closing: The date is unknown. Perhaps 1893 was it. 

Status: Everything once on the block has been demolished. The lot is part of the City Hall South complex.

More information: There isn't any yet.

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