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Cal Stewart

Cal Stewart (b. 1856 Charlotte County, Virginia, d. December 7, 1919) was an American comedian and humorist who pioneered in vaudeville and early sound recordings. He is best remembered for his comic monologues in which he played "Uncle Josh" Weathersby, a resident of a mythical New England farming town called "Pumpkin Center" or "Punkin Center", leading to a number of small towns across the U.S. adopting those names.

Born in Charlotte County, Virginia in 1856, Stewart spent his early life working in circuses, medicine shows and vaudeville to great acclaim as "Uncle Josh Weathersby from Way Down East". It was on the road that he befriended Mark Twain and later Will Rogers, two men who shared similar wit in comedy.

Around 1897, Thomas Edison's studios hired him to cut several cylinder recordings of his famous speeches and songs. They were well received by the public, and launched an entire series of recordings based on the Uncle Josh character. Stewart's trademark on these recordings is the easily recognizable laugh that precedes his speeches.

Best-selling recordings included "Uncle Josh’s Arrival in New York" (1898), "I'm Old But I'm Awfully Tough (Laughing Song)" (1898), "Jim Lawson's Horse Trade With Deacon Witherspoon" (1901), "Uncle Josh's Huskin' Bee Dance" (1901), and "Uncle Josh Buys an Automobile" (1903). He wrote the song "Ticklish Reuben" in 1900.

Stewart continued recording on Edison, Columbia, Victor, and independent labels up until his death on December 7, 1919. He also wrote two books based on his monologues and performed in theaters across America with his wife Rossini Vrionides and her brother and sister.

Stewart is represented on the 2007 compilation Actionable Offenses: Indecent Phonograph Recordings from the 1890s.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1856 (Charlotte County), Died December 7, 1919

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1897 - 1928

Roles Represented in DAHR: speaker, author, vocalist, composer, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 401-425 of 574 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Edison 3768 10-in. 5/10/1915 The village gossips Steve Porter ; Cal Stewart Comic dialogue author, speaker  
Edison 3776 10-in. 5/12/1915 Uncle Josh keeps house Cal Stewart Monologue author, speaker  
Edison 3777 10-in. 5/12/1915 Show troop at Pumpkin Center Steve Porter ; Cal Stewart Comic dialogue speaker  
Edison 3782 10-in. 5/12/1915 Town topics of Pun'kin Center Cal Stewart Monologue author, speaker  
Edison 3830 10-in. 5/28/1915 Uncle Josh's huskin' bee Cal Stewart and Company Descriptive scene author, speaker  
Edison 3833 10-in. 5/29/1915 War talk at Pun'kin Center Cal Stewart Monologue speaker  
Edison 6815 10-in. 6/3/1919 The opera at Pun'kin Center Cal Stewart Monologue speaker, author  
Edison 6827 10-in. 6/10/1919 Uncle Josh in a cafeteria Cal Stewart Monologue speaker, author  
Edison 6841 10-in. 6/2/1919 Train time at Pun'kin Center Cal Stewart and Company ; Billy Murray Comic scene author, speaker  
Edison 6848 10-in. 6/26/1919 Uncle Josh and the honey bees Cal Stewart Monologue speaker, author  
Edison 6861 10-in. 7/8/1919 Uncle Josh and Aunt Nancy put up the kitchen stove Ada Jones ; Cal Stewart Comic dialogue speaker, author  
Edison 6874 10-in. 7/16/1919 The Chautauqua at Pun'kin Center Cal Stewart Monologue author, speaker  
Edison 6884 10-in. 7/23/1919 Uncle Josh takes the census Cal Stewart Monologue speaker, author  
Edison 6898 10-in. 8/5/1919 Uncle Josh and the soldier Cal Stewart Monologue speaker, author  
Edison 6914 10-in. 8/27/1919 Moving day at Pun'kin Center (A rural story) Cal Stewart Monologue speaker, author  
Edison 6915 10-in. 8/27/1919 Ragtime at Pun'kin Center Cal Stewart Monologue author, speaker  
Edison 6916 10-in. 8/26/1919 Uncle Josh and the sailor Cal Stewart Monologue author, speaker  
Edison 6917 10-in. 8/26/1919 The county fair at Pun'kin Center Cal Stewart Monologue author, speaker  
Edison 6920 10-in. 8/28/1919 Uncle Josh's birthday Cal Stewart Monologue speaker, author  
Zonophone 618 9-in. ca. Sept. 1903 Uncle Josh in a department store Cal Stewart Monologue speaker  
Zonophone 621 9-in. ca. Sept. 1903 Uncle Josh's trip to Boston Cal Stewart Monologue speaker  
Zonophone 627 9-in. ca. Sept. 1903 I'm old, but I'm awfully tough Cal Stewart Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone 631 9-in. ca. Sept. 1903 Ticklish Reuben Cal Stewart Male vocal solo, with piano vocalist  
Zonophone 635 9-in. Before 1904 Uncle Josh and Aunt Nancy on a visit to New York Cal Stewart Monologue speaker  
Zonophone 686 9-in. ca. Sept. 1903 A husking bee Cal Stewart Monologue speaker  
(Results 401-425 of 574 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Stewart, Cal," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/103525.

Stewart, Cal. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/103525.

"Stewart, Cal." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/103525

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