Piper’s Opera House and The Comstock Foundation present 2023s first lecture series – a Chautauqua performance of Lillie Langtry presented by Gabrielle “Ellie” English.This performance about the life of Lillie Langtry includes a 30-minute discussion of her life from her perspective. During this presentation, Ms. English performs a monologue from Lillie’s favorite role as Rosalind […]

Description: Beginning in December of 1903 with the Edison/Porter Silent Classic “The Great Train Robbery” both the movie Western and birth of the motion picture industry was born. The dynamic image of a train and steam locomotive helped propel the excitement and imagery to audiences as never before. Join us as our own Jim Clark […]

DESCRIPTION: In 1950, Velma Bronn Johnston, a shy Nevada ranch wife and secretary, came upon a horse trailer leaking blood. When she discovered the destination of the trailer and its occupants, a trio of terrified and badly injured wild horses – she launched a crusade that     eventually reached the halls of Congress and […]

Description: By the 1930's the profitability and popularity of the "Juke" box was well established and mass production was underway by companies such as Wurlitzer, Mills, Seeburg, Rock-Ola and AMI in the USA. Jupiter in France, Chantal and Ditchburnin in England. The big attraction of the of these juke boxes is the bodywork, with its […]

Description: "Anna Harris was the first woman in the County of Douglas and possibly the State of Nevada that was granted a Sole Proprietorship License, even though she was married and her husband was still alive. Anna and her family were instrumental for supplying the Comstock, Bodie, Aurora and other mining areas during the Gold Rush era as traders, […]

Description: George Whittell, Jr. was at one time the richest man in America, owning the entire east shore of scenic Lake Tahoe. He grew up on San Francisco's Nob Hill, inherited a family fortune, was a commissioned officer in WWI then built the beautiful Thunderbird Lodge at Lake Tahoe as his private "castle in the sky". […]

DESCRIPTION: Maude Adams was an American actress and stage designer who achieved her greatest success as the character Peter Pan first playing the role in the 1905 Broadway production of Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. Adams' personality appealed to a large audience and helped her become the most successful and highest-paid […]

Description: Have you ever wondered about the fourth Comstock King? You've heard of Mackay, Fair, and Flood, but what of O'Brien - the one they called The Jolly Millionaire? Come and learn about his life, his generosity, and his congenial nature; learn about the social scandals that surrounded him, and how he was duped by […]

Description: For many people, the word prospector conjures an image of tough, rowdy men panning for gold in boom towns across the west. However, many daring and determined women caught the gold fever and set out hoping to strike their fortune in the desert and mountains of Nevada. From Josie Pearl staking her first claim […]