19 December 2023
By Bill Miller
This is the second part of a two-part article by rowing historian Bill Miller, who is undertaking a huge project to search for 19th-centuary rowing articles published in the Boston Globe. In this article, Bill shares what he found about George Hosmer, the professional sculler – and actor! (Part I is here.)
In Part 1, I wrote about a few of the professional scullers and their “on land” activities such as boxing, pedestrianism, rowing machine competitions and demonstrations. In Part 2, we will follow one special activity of the professional sculler George Hosmer of Boston.
A Dark Secret
The National Standard Theater in East London was the largest theater in London in the 1860s. It boasted of a stage that could be removed to handle extravagant productions such as equestrian jousts.
It hosted an unusual event in 1886 of the production A Dark Secret in five acts. It was based on scenes at Henley Royal Regatta.
After the great success at the Standard Theater in London, the play was adapted to the American stage in 1887.
Perhaps it is helpful to have a brief description of A Dark Secret’s story line. I haven’t found a good narrative, so what I know isn’t nearly complete, but a few sentences printed in various articles give us a hint. The story goes that a wealthy English gentleman died leaving his estate to his daughter. The deceased’s brother plotted to eliminate the daughter and claim the inheritance. The climatic scene takes place on the Thames at Henley Royal Regatta. The dastardly brother arranges to have his niece thrown into the river to meet her demise. She sinks to the bottom of the river but is valiantly saved.
In the 1880s, Boston’s favorite professional sculler was George Hosmer. Apart from his professional sculling successes, he ventured into various activities, including acting.
The first stop for the production of A Dark Secret in America was in Philadelphia at the Walnut Street Theatre in September. Both George Hosmer and John Teemer were hired for the sculling scene.
Then later in September 1887, the production moved to the Academy of Music in New York City where it continued through November. It received rave reviews.
By the time A Dark Secret reached Boston in March 1888, the production was an extravaganza. The Globe Theater turned its stage into an aquatic mega scene. A huge tank was constructed that held 30,000 gallons of water. The front face of the tank was glass so the theater patrons could view the action underwater.
The scene was Henley Royal Regatta. On the aquatic stage live geese and swans were swimming about. If their movement was too sluggish, a stagehand out of site would propel a pellet at them to invigorate their activity. A realistic rain shower was produced that drenched the actors. A real steam launch and spectator craft floated across the scene. Prior to opening night in New York, the steam launch had to pass an inspection by the city authorities.
Such a complex production didn’t go without a hitch.
The Diamond Sculls Grand Finale race brought the greatest excitement. Hosmer and another sculler sat in their shells just out of site of the patrons, with a push two stagehands thrust the scullers into site, and they managed a few strokes at forty strokes per minute as they raced across the stage. Then two stagehands caught the bows before reaching the other side of the tank, again out of site of the patrons. Night after night Hosmer won the Diamond Sculls.
It was a huge success. “The theater shook with applause.”
The production was so popular that it was extended for two weeks.
Perhaps George Clooney could have picked up a few pointers from A Dark Secret.