Broadway History: The Great White Way
The Great White Way is a nickname for the New York City Theater District; more specifically, a twelve block stretch of Broadway from 41st up to 53rd street. The Theater District was given this name in the late 19th century, but let's rewind all the way back to when America was just a baby to give you some context.
Theatre in Manhattan began in the late 1700s at the bottom of the island. A little theatre on Nassau Street, built in 1732, was the first true performance space in NYC. It wasn't until 1895 that the very first theater was built in Midtown. The Olympia Theatre was owned by Oscar B. Hammerstein and was the first theatre to move to Longacre Square (later renamed Times Square.) The city hadn't installed electric streetlights yet by his theater, so Hammerstein decided to be a trendsetter and covered it in electric lights. As new theaters were built in the area, they all followed suit and went electric.
The celebrated American inventor Thomas Edison patented the incandescent light bulb in the 1870s. This revolutionized the theater industry. Theater fires in 19th century (1801-1900) NYC were a big problem, because the theaters were lit by gas and had bad ventilation. New York architects realized at the beginning of the 20th century the electric bulb would be useful for advertising purposes and was way safer to have in theaters than exposed flames. Regardless, the electric light bulb completely changed theater safety and advertising tactics – turning Broadway into the Great White Way.
On February 3, 1902, the headline "Found on the Great White Way" appeared in the NY Evening Telegram. The nickname “The Great White Way” was inspired by all the electric white lights on the theatre marquees and billboard signs that illuminated the area. By the 1920s, the spectacle that was Times Square had become famous, and the Great White Way nickname became known worldwide.
While I was researching this topic, I found the coolest picture featured on the front page on the Chicago Tribune from 1908. It must have been taken from a skyscraper and looked down on the Theater District. The landscape was completely dark, except for the glowing strip that was Broadway. It was quite literally a great white way! (Can you tell I'm passionate about theater history?) I love this story so much because it’s a reminder that the theater industry and Manhattan grew up together in a way.
FUN FACTS
Only 5 Broadway theaters are physically located on Broadway. The Minskoff on 45th, Marquis on 46th street, the Palace on 47th, the Winter Garden on 50th, and the Broadway on 53rd.
The street Broadway runs the entire length of Manhattan, through the Bronx and ends 18 miles north of the city past Sleepy Hollow.
Broadway is the oldest north-south main road in NYC and dates back to the first New Amsterdam settlement.
Broadway is the English literal translation of the Dutch name “Brede weg” which means “broad road”.
Broadway was one of the first electrically lit streets in the US. In 1880 almost a mile of Broadway was illuminated by Brush Arc lamps.
Being a goober in Times Square. February 2017.
Exploring Broadway with my family. December 2009.
