The Man Who Lit Lady Liberty: The Rise & Fall of Actor M.B. Curtis

As the Statue of Liberty stood unlit and unloved by American politicians in 1886, one of her saviors was creating a theatrical sensation at New York's Fourteenth Street Theatre. Actor M. B. Curtis. He had achieved overnight success in “Sam'l of Posen”, a groundbreaking play that transcended the common stereotypes of Jewish characters current at the time, was basking in public accolades at every curtain call when he came to Lady Liberty's aid. Curtis's rise to the top of his profession and his resulting fall from grace is a dramatic arc that rivals anything created for the stage. Actor, producer, real estate developer, promoter, hotelier, benefactor, and M**der suspect, Curtis reached the highs of celebrity and fame as well as the lows of failure, illness, and a faltering career. Richard Schwartz’s book “The Man Who Lit Lady Liberty” rescues his story from the dusty archives of forgotten history and reexamines an actor whose creativity and cultural influence still resonate today.

“In this outstanding new biography of that remarkable immigrant thespian M.B. Curtis, Richard Schwartz gives readers a lost episode in the story of the Statue of Liberty and her torch―that it was none other than Curtis himself who helped pay for Miss Liberty's first electric lighting bills in November 1886. This is just one of the many absorbing episodes in this biography of one of the most talented character actors of his time.” -- Barry Moreno - Historian and author, the Bob Hope Memorial Library at Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty National Monument

Richard Schwartz is an historian and the author of "Eccentrics, Heroes, and Cutthroats of Old Berkeley"; "Earthquake Exodus, 1906"; "Berkeley 1900"; and "The Circle of Stones". The Man Who Lit Lady Liberty (April 2017) is his fifth book and was selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library to be included in their collection. The book was also recently awarded the bronze medal in the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards.

The lecture will be followed by a question and answer period and a Champagne reception with savory hors d'oeuvres and delicious sweets. Please reserve a place as soon as possible by calling Richelle Lieberman 510.381.1973 or booking on Eventbrite

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Pardee Home Museum, 672 11th Street, Oakland, United States