Divine Prominence: Sarah Bernhardt in Los Angeles, 1891
On September 14, 1891, Sarah Bernhardt, the most celebrated woman in the world, visited Los Angeles for a few hours, turning the town on its ear. The brouhaha surrounding the actress's 17-hour visit disrupted all municipal conventions as devotees and dilettantes alike scrambled to partake in a theatrical experience that promised to be unlike anything L.A. had seen before. Like some secular apparition, the "Divine Sarah" appeared, blessed Los Angeles with her gifts, and then vanished into the ether, leaving a fervent congregation behind. And for the man who summoned this goddess to the City of Angels, redemption from past failures and a rebirth as a master showman. This is the story of Sarah Bernhardt’s first visit to Los Angeles.
