Joseph Jefferson
Joseph Jefferson III (February 20, 1829 – April 23, 1905), often known as Joe Jefferson, was an American actor. He was the third actor of this name in a family of actors and managers, and one of the most famous 19th century American comedians. Beginning as a young child, he continued as a performer for most of his 76 years. Jefferson was particularly well known for his adaptation and portrayal of Rip Van Winkle on the stage, reprising the role in several silent film adaptations. After 1865, he created no other major role and toured with this play for decades. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Philadelphia (largest city in Pennsylvania, United States), Died April 23, 1905 (Palm Beach (town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1897 - 1904
Roles Represented in DAHR: speaker, author
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berliner | 698 | 7-in. | 12/27/1897 | The toast | Joseph Jefferson | Recitation | speaker, author | |
| Berliner | 699 | 7-in. | 1/4/1898 | The reverie | Joseph Jefferson | Recitation | speaker, author | |
| Columbia | 1468 | 10-in. | approximately 1903 | Scene in the mountains | Joseph Jefferson | Recitation | speaker | |
| Columbia | 1469 | 10-in. | approximately 1903 | Rip meets Meenie after twenty years absence | Joseph Jefferson | Recitation | speaker |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jefferson, Joseph," accessed January 20, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103491.
Jefferson, Joseph. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103491.
"Jefferson, Joseph." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 20 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Jefferson, Joseph, 1829-1905 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82023992
Wikidata: Joseph Jefferson - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3185137
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/18419935
Getty ULAN: Jefferson, Joseph - https://vocab.getty.edu/ulan/500009367
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/87456 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/87456
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