Foster, Billy
setName: label: See more items in
content: Henry A. "Buddy" Graf and George Cahill Vaudeville and Burlesque Collections
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Billy Foster was born in approximately 1887. A burlesque comedian, Foster worked as a postal clerk before going on stage around 1912. He worked for the Columbia Wheel Circuit with partner Frank  Harcourt in  Joe Hurtig's  "Bowery Burlesquers". There is an archival collection at University of Pittsburgh, "Ralph G. Allen Burlesque Collection." Series 2 contains  audio recordings of burlesque performances of Billy Hagan, Frank X. Silk, Lou Browne, Floyd Hallicy and interviews with Billy Hagan, Billy Foster, Irving Harman, and Jack Coyle. Ralph Allen in his "Best Burlesque Sketches" says Billy Foster made his debut in 1912 and was still working in 1965 at the age of almost 90. Foster died circa 1967.
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1929, undated
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1484, Series 14
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: This series is divided into two subseries. Subseries 1, Scripts contains scripts, bound scripts that were written and/or performed by Billy Foster. Subseries 2, Music contains musical material. Materials are arranged alphabetically by title.