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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 276-300 of 574 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 1513 10-in. ca. 1903 Si Pettingill's brooms Cal Stewart Comic monologue author, speaker  
Columbia 1513 7-in. ca. 1903 Si Pettingill's brooms Cal Stewart Comic monologue author, speaker  
Columbia 1515 10-in. ca. 1903-1908 Hoosier Hollow quilting party Male vocal quartet (unidentified; Columbia Records) Male vocal quartet author  
Columbia 1515 7-in. ca. 1903 Hoosier Hollow quilting party Male vocal quartet (unidentified; Columbia Records) Male vocal quartet author  
Columbia 1518 10-in. ca. Jan.-July 1903 Uncle Josh on an automobile Cal Stewart Comic dialogue author, speaker  
Columbia 1518 7-in. ca. Jan.-July 1903 Uncle Josh on an automobile Cal Stewart Comic dialogue author, speaker  
Columbia 1696 10-in. ca. 1903 Threshing time at Pumpkin Center Cal Stewart Comic monologue, with banjo and vocal quartet author, speaker  
Columbia 1696 7-in. ca. 1903-Oct. 1905 Threshing time at Pumpkin Center Cal Stewart Comic monologue, with banjo and vocal quartet author, speaker  
Columbia 1702 10-in. ca. 1903 Uncle Josh on the Ohio Cal Stewart Comic monologue author, speaker  
Columbia 1710 10-in. ca. 1903 Political meeting at Pumpkin Center Cal Stewart Monologue, with vocal quartet and orchestra author, speaker  
Columbia 1757 10-in. ca. Jan.-Apr. 1904 Evening time at Pumpkin Center Cal Stewart Comic scene, with organ author, speaker  
Columbia 1868 10-in. ca. Jan.-Nov. 1904 Uncle Josh and the insurance company Cal Stewart Comic monologue author, speaker  
Columbia 1868 7-in. ca. 1904 Uncle Josh and the insurance company Cal Stewart Comic monologue author, speaker  
Columbia 1906 10-in. ca. Jan.-Nov. 1904 Uncle Josh's courtship Cal Stewart Comic dialogue author, speaker  
Columbia 3021 10-in. between 1904 and January 1905 Uncle Josh on Jim Lawson's horse trade Cal Stewart Comic monologue author, speaker  
Columbia 3021 7-in. ca. 1904 Uncle Josh on Jim Lawson's horse trade Cal Stewart Comic monologue author, speaker  
Columbia 3046 10-in. ca. 1904-Jan. 1905 When the circus comes around Cal Stewart Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist, composer, speaker  
Columbia 3046 7-in. Jan.-Mar. 1905 When the circus comes around Cal Stewart Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist, composer, speaker  
Columbia 3058 10-in. ca. 1904-Feb. 1905 Wedding of Uncle Josh and Aunt Nancy Smith Cal Stewart ; Mrs. Cal Stewart Descriptive scene speaker, author  
Columbia 3112 10-in. ca. Jan.-Apr. 1905 Uncle Josh at the White House Cal Stewart Comic monologue author, speaker  
Columbia 3151 10-in. ca. Jan.-May 1905 Uncle Josh and Aunt Nancy in the subway Cal Stewart Comic monologue author, speaker  
Columbia 3209 10-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1905 I wants a graphophone Bob Roberts Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 3229 10-in. ca. Jan.-Aug. 1905 Uncle Josh and Aunt Nancy go to housekeeping Cal Stewart ; Mrs. Cal Stewart Comic dialogue speaker, author  
Columbia 3288 10-in. between January and November 1905 Christmas time at Pumpkin Center Cal Stewart ; Mrs. Cal Stewart Descriptive scene speaker, author  
Columbia 3311 10-in. approximately 1905 Uncle Josh's New Year pledge Cal Stewart Comic monologue author, speaker  
(Results 276-300 of 574 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Stewart, Cal," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103525.

Stewart, Cal. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103525.

"Stewart, Cal." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103525

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