Fadettes of Boston facts for kids

The Fadettes, an all-women orchestra, around 1897

The Gartland March music sheet, 1907. It says the Fadettes played it with "Tremendous Success."

The Fadettes of Boston was a famous orchestra made up entirely of women. It was based in Boston, Massachusetts. The group started in 1888 and performed until about 1920. Caroline B. Nichols was their director.

The orchestra began with only six musicians. By 1898, it had grown to twenty members! They played many different instruments. These included violins, violas, cellos, and basses. They also had flutes, clarinets, cornets, and trombones. Plus, they used drums and a piano. In 1895, the group officially became "the Fadettes of Boston."

Touring the Country

The Fadettes became very popular. In 1898, a big vaudeville manager named B.F. Keith hired them. Vaudeville was a type of entertainment with many different acts. The Fadettes performed in Keith's theaters all across the United States.

Caroline B. Nichols said that between 1890 and 1920, the Fadettes played over 6,000 concerts! About half of these shows were as the main act in top vaudeville theaters. For example, in a 1902 concert in Pittsburgh, they played many different kinds of music. They performed marches, waltzes, and songs by various composers. The group also played at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.

The Musicians and Their Legacy

The Fadettes were known for their performances. The musicians wore "shimmery gowns" on stage. Some of the talented musicians included Annie Andros Hawley, Mildred Rogers, and Lillian Thain, all of whom played the violin.

Caroline B. Nichols led the orchestra for thirty years. She was a very important part of their success. She also helped train more than six hundred women. These women went on to have professional careers as orchestra musicians. The Fadettes showed that women could be amazing professional musicians.

Variant names

Images for kids

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  Portrait of Carrie Nichols, the conductor, around 1897

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  Portrait of Ethel Atwood, who helped start the orchestra and managed it, around 1893

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  The entrance to Keith's Theatre in Boston, with a poster for the Fadettes, 1906

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  A newspaper article about the Fadettes from the Pittsburgh Press, 1909

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  A close-up from a promotional brochure, 1910. It says: "Our watchword: 'advancement'"