Clara Fisher (14 July 1811 – 12 November 1898) was a British prodigy who, at the age of six, began performing on the London stage in 1817. Ten years later, she made her New York debut in 1827. Her acting career lasted for 72 years and in her later life she was commonly called "the oldest living actress".

The British stage

Clara Fisher was born in London, England, on 14 July 1811. Her father was Frederick George Fisher, a librarian and well-known amateur actor. Her earliest memories were of attending concerts and plays with her family. When she was five years old, her father enrolled her in acting lessons. Her first performance was on 10 December 1817 at the Drury Lane Theatre as Lord Flimnap in the production of David Garrick's ''Lilliput'', where she "astonished the audience with her great talent". After her success at Drury Lane, Clara moved on to successful engagements at Covent Garden. By her teens, she had successfully performed Richard III, Shylock,

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. She was hailed as Britain's "child wonder" and was regarded as the most successful child actor of her time. She performed on the provincial theatre circuits, including the Stamford Circuit theatres at Newark and

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in December 1825.

The American stage

In 1827, at the age of 16, Clara Fisher, along with her family, emigrated to the United States. She made her debut on the American stage at the Park Theatre to rave reviews. She was the "favorite Star" of every city where she performed. She "electrified" audiences with her portrayals of

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama '' Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends u ...

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and Susanna. She sparked a "Clara Fisher craze". Poems were written about her and her name was given to babies, hotels, stagecoaches, race horses, steamboats and almost anything else Americans could think of. Her plays were attended by the social and political elite of the time. In December 1834, Fisher married James Gaspard Maeder (1809–1876), a composer and vocal coach, who wrote an opera for her entitled ''Peri, or the Enchanted Fountain''. Together, they opened a theater in

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and had seven children. Fisher performed with most of the great actors of the time, including

William Charles Macready William Charles Macready (3 March 179327 April 1873) was an English actor. Life He was born in London the son of William Macready the elder, and actress Christina Ann Birch. Educated at Rugby School where he became headboy, and where now the t ...

Edmund Kean Edmund Kean (4 November 178715 May 1833) was a celebrated British Shakespearean stage actor born in England, who performed, among other places, in London, Belfast, New York, Quebec, and Paris. He was known for his short stature, tumultuo ...

, Edwin Booth (brother of

John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who assassinated United States President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the prominent 19th-century Booth ...

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, Joseph Jefferson,

Laura Keene Laura Keene (20 July 1826 – 4 November 1873) was a British stage actress and theatre manager. In her twenty-year career, she became known as the first powerful female manager in New York. She is most famous for being the lead actress in ...

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. Due to her immense popularity and success, she was able to earn a large fortune that allowed her to retire in 1844. Bad investments and extravagant tastes forced her to resume acting six years later.

Later years

Fisher continued to act from 1850 to 1888. Though her popularity declined and she was forced to play the roles of older women, she was still given respect for the strength of her dramatic work and was often referred to as "the oldest living actress". After her second retirement, she wrote her autobiography, which she finished in 1897. Fisher died on 12 November 1898 at the home of her daughter in

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, and is buried at the Woodlawn Cemetery in New York.

References

External links

Autobiography of Clara Fisher Maeder By Clara Fisher
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fisher, Clara 1811 births 1898 deaths 19th-century English actresses Actresses from London Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) English stage actresses