Walking stick presented to Percy Grainger by the Capitol Theatre, New York, 1921

Walking stick presented to Percy Grainger by the Capitol Theatre, New York, 1921

Grainger was the first pianist of international renown to perform at a moving picture theatre. The Capitol Theatre in New York, where Grainger played in 1921, was the largest cinema in the world at the time. Between 17 and 23 April, Grainger played to 20,000 people daily, with four repeated performances each day. Grainger’s appearances, which also featured the Duo-Art pianola, were sandwiched between screenings of Lyman H. Howe’s Famous Ride on a Runaway Train, and the comedy Officer Cupid.

Grainger was hailed as giving a new musical life to America and bringing culture to the masses.

Grainger Museum, University of Melbourne

Grainger Museum

1921

Grainger Museum

Grainger Museum Collection, 03.4117