Autographed 5" x 6" heavyweight album leaf autographed by the legendary German-American conductor and violinist.  A Warren's of Boston original carte de visite photograph was glued beneath the autograph, likely when signed, New York Jan. 1878.

Theodore Thomas (1835-1905) is considered to be the Father of the American orchestra.  Originally a violinist, Thomas came to the US with his family at the age of 10.  by 1848 he was a member of the United States Navy Band with his father.  He toured the country as a concert violinist before settling down as a first violinist with P.T. Barnum's traveling concerts with Jenny Lind.  His reputation grew and over the next few years he accompanied tours as a concertmaster in the orchestras for other traveling legends in the US including, Henrietta Sontag, Giulia Grisi & Giovanni Mario, Anna de la Grange, Marietta Piccolomini and Signismund Thalberg.  In 1854 he was invited to join the New York Philharmonic Socierty as a first violinist.  He then began to play chamber music and then his first orchestra in 1864.  From 1877-1878 and 1879-1891 he was Music Director of the New Yorm Philharmonic. From 1862-1891 he was the Music Director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, in 1890 he was invited to Chicago to help form The Chicago Symphony Orchestra which he led until his death in 1905.

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