Title: Thomas S. Watson Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1911-1958

Creator:

• Watson, Thomas S., 1891-1977?

Call Number: Mss 820; PH 4609; NGA 058-060

Quantity: 5.6 c.f. (14 archives boxes and 1 flat box), 88 photographs, and 3 films

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers of Thomas S. Watson, the owner/manager of several motion picture theaters located in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Documentation primarily concerns the Superba and Stockton theaters, both of which were located in Freeport, Illinois, and it best covers the period 1917 to 1933. Included are box office records, check registers, contracts, advertising, extensive correspondence (mainly 1920-1925) with film distributors, and other records pertaining to the details and problems of theater operation. Relating to a later period in Watson's career when he resided in Blanchardville, Wisconsin, and operated a theater there is a small collection of film trailers and public relations films of the March of Dimes and the Red Cross. The photographs include images of Blanchardville, Wisconsin, theaters in Illinois, theater interiors and equipment, and unidentified towns and people. Miscellaneous material relates to organizations including the Ku Klux Klan.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00820

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Not a great deal is known about the life of Thomas J. Watson. He was born in Cherryville, Kansas on July 10, 1891. During the later 1890's the family relocated to Freeport, Illinois. According to photographs received with the collection, in 1911 when he was about 20 years of age, Watson was employed as a projectionist at the Majestic Theatre, in Freeport, Illinois. In December 1917 he began operating the Superba Theatre, 123 Stephenson Street, in Freeport, eventually purchasing the property from William S. Nichols. Watson's management of the theater was interrupted by service in the military during World War I, and during this period he apparently leased the theater back to the Nichols family. In 1920 Watson and W. H. Seitzler organized the Capitol Amusement Co., both men sharing equally in the proceeds from the Superba Theatre. Watson also operated the Harvard Theatre during this time.

In response to ongoing financial problems, in 1925 Watson formed Freeport Theatres, Inc., with Charles H. Miller, A.G. Spencer, and F.B. Swanson, all of Chicago, and transferred the Superba Theatre to the corporation. At that time Watson's partners agreed to acquire another Freeport theater which Watson was to manage and in which he was to have a one-quarter share. There is some evidence that Watson considered the construction of a $100,000, Law and Law-designed theater during this period. These plans did not work out, and as a result of continued financial problems Watson withdrew from the operation, leasing the theater to W.B. Jury (who had previously worked for him and who also operated the Royal Theatre in Warren, Illinois), and found other employment including work as a travelling salesman and as janitor at the local schools. In 1927 Jury took over full control of the theater. In 1930 Jury also took over operation of the Stockton Theatre in Freeport. Then, under unexplained circumstances in 1931 Watson again took over management of the Stockton Theatre. There is some evidence in the papers that he operated a theater in Warren, Illinois during the late 1930's. Later he began operating the Blanchard Theatre in Blanchardville, Wisconsin, although the date of this transition is not documented in the papers. Watson died about 1977.

The collection consists of BUSINESS RECORDS, CORRESPONDENCE, and PHOTOGRAPHS.

The BUSINESS RECORDS, 1920 to 1933 but best for the period 1920 to 1928, are arranged alphabetically by record type. They appear to relate to the operation of the Superba and the Stockton theaters and are quite detailed although apparently not complete.

In 1974 representatives of the Historical Society visited Watson and saw daily reports, bookings, and additional records that were never turned over to the Society. Also suggesting the incompleteness of the documentation is the fact that a small quantity of the business records now in the collection was purchased by an employee of the Historical Society at a Blanchardville auction. Although labeled as records of the Superba Theatre the information contained in this purchased material is quite different from the records received directly from Watson, and it may represent documentation of another theater owned or operated by him. (These records are listed in the contents list below as “unidentified box office reports, 1931.”) In addition to incompleteness and confusing labels, research use of the business records is complicated by the fact that their format changed over time. Regardless of these difficulties, the Watson papers are an unusual collection providing highly detailed evidential information about the operations of early motion picture theaters.

Most useful of the business records are the daily box office reports of the Superba and the Stockton theaters, the check registers detailing expenditures (1922-1926), the ledgers (1917-1920), and the personal income tax forms (1917-1928). These records detail not only the daily revenue from ticket sales and daily expenses, but also the weather conditions, films shown, and film rental and shipping. For some periods the records include information on employee payrolls. Other records in the collection facilitate access to the financial records; these include indexes to titles and distribution exchanges and, for a later period, the exhibitors date books which serve a similar purpose. Also of interest are two small notebooks which document the newspaper advertising for films shown at the Stockton and the Superba in 1925 and 1928 and a miscellaneous assortment of theatrical supply catalogs.

Grouped with the business records are film titles shown between features; a small collection of trailers; and two films, a poster, and a promotional packet that were to be used in the theatre for fundraising or promotional purposes.

The CORRESPONDENCE is primarily arranged into categories established by Watson himself: 1920-1924 (actually containing a few items of other dates), 1931-1932, and 1932-1933. The remaining correspondence was organized in the Archives into a file that covers the period from 1921 to 1930 and into a personal correspondence file. The four categories of business correspondence, which are alphabetically-arranged, consist largely of letters to and from film exchanges, brokers, and theatrical supply dealers. Also present are contracts, notices of film availability, bills, and advertising orders. These letters detail Watson's chronic financial troubles with film distributors and the Chicago Film Board of Trade, as well as problems caused by inclement weather and competing local entertainment. The small personal correspondence file includes letters from relatives (chiefly regarding health), several letters from a partner, information on his attempt to patent a sound synchronization devise, and letters about his other financial investments. By no means, however, does the file provide full documentation of his career.

Also filed here is some information on a local Bible study class, the Freeport Odd Fellows, and the Ku Klux Klan, although Watson's membership in none of these is certain.

The PHOTOGRAPHS series documents Watson's personal life and his career and includes views of Blanchardville, Wisconsin, exteriors of movie theaters in Illinois, and unidentified theater interiors and equipment. Also included are images of recreational activities including amusement parks, circuses, and parades as well as a number of unidentified towns, buildings, and people.

The Wisconsin Historical Society Museum holds a radio cabinet and a poster display case received with the Watson Papers.

Acquisition Information

Portions presented and portions loaned for copying by Thomas S. Watson, Blanchardville, Wisconsin, 1965-1974. Portions presented by Mary Diezel, Hollandale, Wisconsin. Accession Number: F65-134 (not found in 1992 and presumed discarded), MCHC74-97, F74-153/1974-355, M78-298

Processing Information

Processed by Linda Sperber and Carolyn Mattern, 1992.

Mss 820	Series: Business Records
Box   1 Folder   1	Ads, Superba Theatre, undated
Box   1 Folder   2	Advertising logs, Stockton Theatre, 1925, Superba Theatre, , 1928
Box   15	Blueprints from James K. and Edward J. Law, 1925
	Box office reports
	Superba Theatre
Box   1 Folder   3-8	1918, May-1923, June
Box   2 Folder   1	1923, July-December
Box   2 Folder   2	1924, March-June
Box   4 Folder   3	, 1924 (Superba Theatre?)
Box   2 Folder   3-6	1925-1926
Box   3 Folder   1-3	1927-1928
Box   3 Folder   4	Unidentified, 1931, April-July
	Stockton Theatre
Box   3 Folder   5-7	1932, July-1933
Box   4 Folder   1-2	1934
	Check registers
Box   5 Folder   1	, 1922 (and cash disbursements)
Box   5 Folder   2-3	1923-1924, September (and cash disbursements)
Box   5 Folder   4	1924, September-1926 (and cash received)
	Exchange logs of films shown (Superba)
Box   5 Folder   5-6	1916-1918
Box   6 Folder   1	1927
	Exhibitors date books
Box   6 Folder   2	1926-1928
Box   6 Folder   3	1931-1932
Box   6 Folder   3	1936-1938, Warren, Illinois
NGA 058	Film: Titles, undated and trailers, 1937-1945
Mss 820 Box   6 Folder   4	Income journal (and expense record), 1923-1925, January
Box   15 Folder   1	Income tax forms, 1917-1927
	Ledgers of receipts and expenditures
Box   6 Folder   5	1917, September-1918, February
Box   6 Folder   6-7	Superba, 1919, October-1920, October
Box   6 Folder   8	Legal papers, 1918-1925
Box   6 Folder   9	Petty cash, 1923, November-1925, January
	Public service
Box   14 Folder   5	Brotherhood Week packets distributed by United Artists, 1957-1958
NGA 059	March of Dimes “Be It Ever So Humble” film, circa 1948
NGA 060	Red Cross, “Report from the Front with Humphrey Bogart” film, 1944
Mss 820 Box   14 Folder   2-4	Supply catalogs
	Title index
Box   6 Folder   10	1922-1924, 1925-1928, February
Box   7 Folder   1	1931-1934
	Series: Correspondence	⇧
	1920-1924
Box   8 Folder   1	Addressograph, 1922-1924
Box   8 Folder   2	American Film Company, 1920
Box   8 Folder   3	American Releasing Corp., 1922-1923
Box   8 Folder   4	Associated Exhibitors, 1921-1923
Box   8 Folder   5	Bartola Musical Instrument Co., 1920-1923
Box   8 Folder   6	Beehive Film Exchange, 1920
Box   8 Folder   7	Blackstone Pictures, 1921
Box   8 Folder   8	Bushmint Synchronized Scenario Music, 1921
Box   8 Folder   9	Celebrated Players Film Corp., 1920-1929
Box   8 Folder   10	Century Films, 1920
Box   8 Folder   11	Commonwealth Pictures Co., 1921-1922
Box   8 Folder   12	Doll-Van Film Corp., 1921
Box   8 Folder   13	Educational Film Exchange, 1920-1922
Box   8 Folder   14	Empire Film Company, 1920-1921
Box   8 Folder   15	Exhibitors Supply Company, 1920-1924
Box   8 Folder   16	Famous Players-Lasky Corp., 1922-1925
Box   8 Folder   17	Favorite Players, 1921
Box   8 Folder   18	Film Booking Office, 1922-1924
Box   8 Folder   19	First National Exhibitors Exchange, 1920
	Fox Film Corp.
Box   8 Folder   20	1920-1921
Box   9 Folder   1	1922-1924
Box   9 Folder   2	Goldwyn Distributing Company, 1920
Box   9 Folder   3	Gollos Enterprises, 1920
Box   9 Folder   4	Greater Stars Productions, 1920-1921
Box   9 Folder   5	Grevier Productions, 1922-1924
Box   9 Folder   6	Hallmark, 1920
Box   9 Folder   7	Hedman Manufacturing Company, 1920
Box   9 Folder   8	Hodkinson Company, 1920-1924
Box   9 Folder   9	Illinois and Indiana Film Exchange, 1920-1922
Box   9 Folder   10	Interstate Film Service, 1921-1922
Box   9 Folder   11	Masterpiece Film Distributing Corp., 1920
Box   9 Folder   12	Merit Film Exchange, 1920-1921
Box   9 Folder   13	Metro Picture Service, 1920-1925
Box   9 Folder   14	Miscellaneous ads, 1923-1925
Box   9 Folder   15	Miscellaneous equipment
Box   9 Folder   16	Miscellaneous film services
Box   9 Folder   17	Monsoon Cooling System, 1920
Box   9 Folder   18	Mt. Carroll Opera House, 1920-1921
Box   9 Folder   19	National Screen Service, 1923-1924
	Pathe Exchange
Box   9 Folder   20	1920-1921
Box   10 Folder   1	1921-1924
Box   10 Folder   2	Invoices
Box   10 Folder   3	Pioneer Film Corp., 1921-1922
Box   10 Folder   4	Realart Pictures Corp., 1920-1922
Box   10 Folder   5-7	Reelcraft Pictures Corp., 1920-1923
Box   10 Folder   8	Republic Distributing Company, 1920
Box   10 Folder   9	Robertson-Cole Distributing Corp., 1920-1922
Box   10 Folder   10	Rosenthal & Saperstein Film Service, 1919
Box   10 Folder   11	Silee Film Exchange, 1920
Box   10 Folder   12	Select (Selznick) Distributing Corp., 1920-1924
Box   11 Folder   1	Special Pictures Corp., 1920
Box   11 Folder   2	Superior Screen Service, 1920-1922
	Swanson, Fred (FBO)
Box   11 Folder   3	General, 1923-1924
Box   7 Folder   2	Booking schedules for Superba and Midway, 1923-1924
Box   11 Folder   4	Tiffany Productions, 1922
Box   11 Folder   5	Tisdale Industrial Film Corp., 1920
Box   11 Folder   6	Triangle Distributing Corp., 1920
Box   11 Folder   7	United Artists Corp., Illinois, 1921-1922
Box   11 Folder   8	United Picture Production Company, 1920
Box   11 Folder   9	United Theatrical Equipment, 1920
Box   11 Folder   10	Unity Photoplays, 1919-1922
Box   11 Folder   14-15	Universal Film Exchange, 1921-1923
Box   11 Folder   11	Universal Motor Company, 1922
Box   11 Folder   12-13	Vitagraph, 1920-1923
Box   11 Folder   16	World Pictures, 1918-1919
	1921-1930
Box   11 Folder   17	Chicago Film Board of Trade, 1922-1930
	Insurance
Box   15 Folder   2	1917-1929
Box   11 Folder   18	New York Life, 1921-1928
Box   11 Folder   19	Projectionist Sound Institute, 1929-1930
	1931-1932
Box   11 Folder   20	A
Box   11 Folder   21	Availability notices
Box   11 Folder   22	Columbia Pictures Corp.
Box   12 Folder   1	D-E
Box   12 Folder   2	Fox Film Company
Box   12 Folder   3	G
Box   12 Folder   4	Insurance
Box   12 Folder   5	Newspapers
Box   12 Folder   6	M
Box   12 Folder   7-8	Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Box   12 Folder   9	Movie Poster Service
Box   12 Folder   10	N-O
Box   12 Folder   11	Paramount
Box   12 Folder   12	RKO
Box   12 Folder   13-14	S-V
Box   12 Folder   15	Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc.
	1932-1933
Box   12 Folder   16	Ads for Stockton Theatre
Box   12 Folder   17	Advertising
Box   12 Folder   18	Columbia Pictures Corp.
Box   15 Folder   3	Contracts (Alpha order)
Box   12 Folder   19	D
Box   13 Folder   1	Fox Film Company
Box   13 Folder   2	Insurance
Box   13 Folder   3-5	M-R
Box   13 Folder   6	Security Pictures
Box   13 Folder   7	Universal Film Exchanges, Inc.
Box   13 Folder   8	W
	Personal files
Box   13 Folder   9	Bible study at First Baptist Church, Freeport, circa 1928
Box   14 Folder   5	Blanchard Theatre memorabilia, undated
Box   13 Folder   10	Correspondence, 1920-1944
Box   13 Folder   11	KKK memorabilia, 1920, undated
Box   13 Folder   12	Odd Fellows memorabilia, 1922
Box   14 Folder   1	Watson v. Watson
PH 4609	Series: Photographs	⇧
Box   1 Folder   1	Blanchardville, Wisconsin
	Movie Theaters
Box 1 Folder 2	Illinois - Exteriors
Box 1 Folder 3	Interiors and Equipment
Box 1 Folder 4	Amusement Parks, Circuses, Recreation, Parades
	Unidentified
Box 1 Folder 5	Towns
Box 1 Folder 6	Buildings
Box 1 Folder 7	People