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Even in Death and Wax, the Eyes of the Emperor Were on the Former HQ of Denis Kearney’s Anti-Chinese Crusade
In late 1882 — just shy of three years after Emperor Norton died in January 1880 — two brothers, Dick and Jack Kohler — arrived in San Francisco from Australia.
The Kohler brothers were known as musicians — quite famous ones — and had spent much of the 1870s in San Francisco cultivating that reputation.
But, on this return visit, the Kohlers brought something new: 150 wax figures, which they set up as a wax museum on Market Street.
A month after opening the museum, the Kohlers added a new figure to the exhibit: Emperor Norton.
The specific venue where this waxen Emperor stood watch is as significant as the tribute itself.
It’s a fascinating story. Dig in!
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