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Irwin's buxom figure was much in vogue at the time and, combined with her charming personality, made her one of
America's most beloved performers for more than thirty years. In 1914, she made her second
258:'s stock company from 1883 to 1887, where she made her first appearance on the theatrical stage. This comedian was known for her improvisation skills. An immediate success, she went on to make her
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in August 1884. By the age of 25, she was earning $ 2,500 a week. In 1886, her husband of eight years, Frederick W. Keller, died unexpectedly. Her sister Flora married New York State
Senator
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A highly paid performer, Irwin was a shrewd investor and became a very wealthy woman. She spent a great deal of time at a summer home on secluded Club Island, a small island off of
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The sisters proved popular enough to earn regular spots for the ensuing six years, after which 21-year-old May set out on her own. She joined
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In addition to her performing and singing, Irwin also wrote the lyrics to several songs, including "Hot Tamale Alley", with music written by
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in
December 1874. By late 1877, their careers had progressed and they were booked to appear at New York's Metropolitan Theater, then at the
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215:. Originally from Canada, she and her sister Flo Irwin found theater work after their father died. She was known for her performances as a
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Irwin had two sons by her first marriage, Walter Keller (born ca. 1879 - when she was 17) and Harry Keller (b. 1882 - when she was 20).
291:, she introduced "The Bully Song", which became her signature number. The performance also featured a lingering kiss, which was seen by
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and filmed for the most part at her own sprawling home in New York. Still pictures showing May survive from this movie.
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The cover of sheet music featuring one of Irwin's songs originally performed in the
Broadway musical
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By the early 1890s, Irwin had married a second time and developed her career into that of a leading
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597:"World of Cabaret - American Music and the Birth of Cabaret from the Early Jazz Era to Present"
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694:"Sex in Cinema: Pre-1920s Greatest and Most Influential Erotic / Sexual Films and Scenes"
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performer with an act known at the time as "Coon
Shouting", in which she performed
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May Irwin died in New York City on
October 22, 1938, aged 76. She is interred at
341:. Several of these recordings survive and give a notion of the actress's appeal.
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Types of
Canadian Women and of Women who are or have been Connected with Canada
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May Irwin was married twice. Her first marriage was to
Frederick W. Keller, of
337:. In 1907 she married her manager, Kurt Eisfeldt, and began making records for
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Her own pieces included " The Widow Jones", " The Swell Miss
Fitzswell", "
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June 27, 1862 ā October 22, 1938) was an actress, singer and star of
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819:. Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield: University of Illinois Press.
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May Irwin: Singing, Shouting, and the Shadow of
Minstrelsy
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appearance, this time in the feature-length adaptation of
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Whitby Public Library and Archives Digital Collection
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309:, became the first screen kiss in cinematic history.
749:"Georgina May (Campbell) (Keller) Irwin (Eisfeldt)"
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918:Musicians from the Regional Municipality of Durham
787:Stardust and Shadows: Canadians in Early Hollywood
663:. Toronto: Natural Science of Canada. p. 79.
570:Tim Gracyk's Phonographs, Singers, and Old Records
603:. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008.
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299:to repeat the scene on film. In 1896, Edison's
243:Theatre, a popular New York City music hall.
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316:", "Kate Kip-Buyer", and "Sister Mary".
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963:Canadian emigrants to the United States
884:Collected Works of May Irwin recordings
759:from the original on September 15, 2018
127: 1879; died 1886)
938:People from Jefferson County, New York
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704:from the original on October 29, 2019
732:. Toronto: Williams Briggs. p.
463:The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog
16:Canadian-American actress and singer
928:People from Brevard County, Florida
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295:, who hired Irwin and her co-star
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640:from the original on May 13, 2010
576:from the original on July 8, 2019
379:, before retiring to a farm near
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196:Signed drawings of May Irwin by
973:19th-century Canadian actresses
661:The naughty nineties, 1890-1900
281:-influenced songs. In the 1895
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913:Canadian vaudeville performers
903:Canadian silent film actresses
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634:Thousand Islands Life Magazine
628:Lunman, Kim (April 13, 2009).
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968:People from Clayton, New York
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933:Actresses from New York City
878:photo gallery at NYP Library
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200:for the Cincinnati Post 1920
185:, recorded in April 1896 by
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958:Burials at Kensico Cemetery
943:People from Whitby, Ontario
595:de Lafayette, Maximillien.
362:Famous Players Film Company
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853:Internet Broadway Database
630:"May Irwin and her Keeper"
227:Born on June 27, 1862, in
613:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
601:International News Agency
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908:Canadian stage actresses
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219:and for her recordings.
659:Callwood, June (1977).
501:The Incorrigible Dukane
386:Irwin retired in 1925.
377:Merritt Island, Florida
898:Canadian women singers
815:Ammen, Sharon (2016).
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209:Georgina May Campbell;
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223:Early life and career
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47:Georgina May Campbell
923:Singers from Ontario
564:Gracyk, Tim (2006).
724:Morgan, Henry James
114:Frederick W. Keller
82:New York City, U.S.
484:Mrs. Black Is Back
355:Mrs. Black is Back
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326:Courted Into Court
314:Courted Into Court
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413:in Valhalla, NY.
381:Clayton, New York
369:Grindstone Island
237:Buffalo, New York
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373:Thousand Islands
351:George V. Hobart
279:African American
198:Manuel Rosenberg
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335:George M. Cohan
288:The Widow Jones
268:Thomas F. Grady
264:Toole's Theatre
262:stage debut at
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151: 1907)
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57:June 27, 1862
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37:Irwin in 1905
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763:February 22,
761:. Retrieved
753:RagPiano.com
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708:February 22,
706:. Retrieved
698:AMC Filmsite
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692:Dirks, Tim.
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644:December 28,
642:. Retrieved
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578:. Retrieved
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303:production,
297:John C. Rice
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217:coon shouter
208:
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182:
77:(1938-10-22)
18:
953:1938 deaths
948:1862 births
775:Works cited
566:"May Irwin"
552:Foster 2000
511:Uncredited
507:A Charwoman
489:Mrs. Black
417:Filmography
347:silent film
301:Kinetoscope
241:Tony Pastor
233:Canada West
65:Canada West
892:Categories
826:0252040651
801:1550023489
537:References
473:uncredited
275:vaudeville
213:vaudeville
99:1870sā1922
53:1862-06-27
882:May Irwin
876:May Irwin
867:Flo Irwin
863:May Irwin
849:May Irwin
840:May Irwin
468:Mrs. Dam
396:St. Louis
353:'s play,
205:May Irwin
25:May Irwin
784:(2000).
757:Archived
702:Archived
638:Archived
609:cite web
574:Archived
443:The Kiss
306:The Kiss
283:Broadway
160:Children
851:at the
679:5172430
527:Short,
471:Short,
371:of the
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129:
121:
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104:Spouses
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677:
667:
433:Notes
427:Title
260:London
229:Whitby
207:(born
61:Whitby
516:1936
496:1915
479:1914
458:1905
452:Short
438:1896
430:Role
424:Year
405:Death
285:show
147:(
143:
123:(
119:
865:and
844:IMDb
821:ISBN
796:ISBN
765:2020
710:2020
675:OCLC
665:ISBN
646:2009
615:link
582:2020
72:Died
43:Born
869:at
842:at
734:172
894::
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607:{{
599:.
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544:^
524:ā
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149:m.
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51:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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