Thomas Allston Brown was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 theater critic, newspaper editor, talent agent and manager, and theater historian, best known for his History of the American Stage, published in 1872. Brown was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts

Newburyport, Massachusetts

Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...

. He began his career as the Philadelphia correspondent and theater critic for the top entertainment journal of the time, the New York Clipper

New York Clipper

The New York Clipper, also known as The Clipper, was a weekly entertainment newspaper published in New York City from 1853 to 1924. It covered many topics, including circuses, dance, music, the outdoors, sports, and theatre. It had a circulation of about 25,000. The publishers also produced the...

. He freelanced for other show-business publications and published his own paper, called The Tattler.

In 1860, Brown entered show business as the advance man for the Henry Cooper English Opera Company. He later worked for Gardner & Madigan's Circus as treasurer and manager of the box office. During one circus performance, the assistant to the ropewalker Blondine went missing. Blondine's opening stunt was to walk a tightrope from the stage to the balcony with a person on his back. T. Allston Brown filled in for the missing helper, and the Baltimore Press dubbed him "Colonel" for the deed. Brown adopted the honorary title and used it for the remainder of his career.

In 1863, Brown was named editor of the New York Clipper. He kept the post until 1872, when he retired from journalism. He next pursued a career as an agent and manager for entertainers. His clients included the famous female impersonator Ernest Byne, the Hanlon Brothers, and Mlle. Marie Aimee. Brown became co-owner of the Simmonds & Brown Dramatic Agency and continued to run the company after Simmonds died.

As early as 1858, Brown had begun compiling stories and biographies of theatrical performers in the United States. Much of his material came from players in the field, who supplied biographical sketches. He began to write a book on the subject, and in 1870, he published the exhaustive History of the American Stage. In 1906, he retired from show business to devote more time to history and writing. He died in 1918.