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S. Henry Pincus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

S. Henry Pincus (died February 25, 1915, Houston)[1] was an American theatre impresario, theatre manager, stage actor, and inventor.

Life and career

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Born into a Jewish family in Philadelphia,[2] Pincus toured the United States as a member of Edward Askew Sothern's theatre troupe.[1] He also appeared on Broadway, making his debut as Henry Clay Rustler in Leander Richardson's Anselma at the Madison Square Theatre in 1885.[3] As an impresario he established several theaters. In Philadelphia he commissioned the building of the Winter Circus at the corner of Broad and Cherry Streets.[1] In conjunction with William J. Thompson he established two theaters in Wilmington, Delaware.[1] He also managed several theatres in Philadelphia during his lifetime.[2]

In addition to his work in the theatre, Pincus was an inventor.[2] His most notable invention was a pumping mechanism for gas which he patented on March 23, 1880.[4] An 1898 report from the American Gas Light Association reported that 236, 622 homes were using this device.[5]

Death and interment

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Pincus died in Houston, Texas on February 25, 1915. His body was returned to Philadelphia and was subsequently interred at a cemetery there.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Obituary: S. Henry Pincus". Variety. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 1. March 3, 1915.
  2. ^ a b c Henry Samuel Morais (1894). The Jews of Philadelphia: Their History from the Earliest Settlements to the Present Time; a Record of Events and Institutions, and of Leading Members of the Jewish Community in Every Sphere of Activity. Levytype Company. p. 356, 384.
  3. ^ Weldon B. Durham (1986). American Theatre Companies, 1749-1887. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 326.
  4. ^ Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office. United States Patent and Trademark Office. January 11, 1881.
  5. ^ "The Proceedings of the American Gas Light Association, 26th Annual Meeting". XV. December 1898: ci. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)