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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 376-400 of 574 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 78621 10-in. 9/4/1919 Uncle Josh's birthday Peerless Quartet ; Cal Stewart Comic scene, with male vocal quartet speaker, author  
Columbia 78921 10-in. 1/10/1920 Where the Wabash waters flow Peerless Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Columbia 30223 12-in. 3/8/1909 A possum supper at the Darktown church Cal Stewart and Company Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Columbia W145195 10-in. 11/10/1927 Ticklish Reuben Parker and Woolbright Male vocal duet, with banjo and guitar lyricist, composer  
OKeh S-70309 10-in. Nov. 1921 Uncle Josh at the circus Byron G. Harlan Monologue author  
OKeh S-70310 10-in. Nov. 1921 Uncle Josh buys an automobile Byron G. Harlan Monologue author  
OKeh S-70330 10-in. Nov. 1921 Village gossip Byron G. Harlan ; John Riley Dialogue author  
OKeh S-70410 10-in. Jan. 1922 Uncle Josh and the dentist Ernest Hare ; Byron G. Harlan Dialogue author  
OKeh S-70658 10-in. May 1922 Uncle Josh on the radio Byron G. Harlan Monologue author  
OKeh [OK cat 1273-A] 10-in. approximately 1919 Uncle Josh and Aunt Nancy Ada Jones ; Cal Stewart Comic dialogue speaker, author  
OKeh [OK cat 1273-b] 10-in. approximately 1919 Uncle Josh and the soldier Cal Stewart Comic monologue speaker, author  
Brunswick 10211-10212 10-in. 3/29/1923 Uncle Josh at the circus Byron G. Harlan Monologue author  
Brunswick 10213-10214 10-in. 3/29/1923 Uncle Josh buys an automobile Byron G. Harlan Monologue author  
Brunswick 10215-10216 10-in. 3/29/1923 Uncle Josh in a cafeteria Byron G. Harlan Monologue author  
Brunswick 10230-10231 10-in. 3/31/1923 Uncle Josh on the aeroplane Byron G. Harlan Monologue author  
Brunswick 10232-10233 10-in. 3/31/1923 Uncle Josh at the opera Byron G. Harlan Monologue author  
Brunswick 10234-10236 10-in. 3/31/1923 Uncle Josh playing golf Byron G. Harlan Monologue author  
Edison 746 Not documented 7/14/1911 Uncle Josh keeps house Cal Stewart Monologue author, speaker  
Edison 747 Not documented 7/14/1911 Uncle Josh and the sailor Cal Stewart Monologue author, speaker  
Edison 1203 10-in. 8/13/1912 Uncle Josh's huskin' bee dance Cal Stewart and Company Descriptive scene speaker, author  
Edison 1204 10-in. 8/13/1912 Uncle Josh in a barber shop Cal Stewart and Company Descriptive scene speaker, author  
Edison 1205 10-in. between 8/13/1912 and 8/20/1912 Fourth of July at Pumpkin Center Cal Stewart and Company Descriptive scene speaker, author  
Edison 3765 10-in. 5/8/1915 Fourth of July at Pun'kin Center Cal Stewart Monologue author, speaker  
Edison 3766 10-in. 5/10/1915 Uncle Josh in a barber shop Cal Stewart Monologue author, speaker  
Edison 3767 10-in. 5/8/1915 Uncle Josh buys an automobile Cal Stewart Monologue author, speaker  
(Results 376-400 of 574 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Stewart, Cal," accessed May 2, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103525.

Stewart, Cal. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103525.

"Stewart, Cal." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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