Ireland Thomas Explained

Damon Ireland Thomas
Birth Date:	August 16, 1875
Birth Place:	Houma, Louisiana
Death Date:	1955
Nationality:	American
Occupation:	Entertainment writer and critic
Era:	1920s
Employer:	The Chicago Defender
Known For:	Reviews of Black film, music and theatre

Damon Ireland Thomas (1875-1955) was an American stage performer, newspaper columnist, and theater manager.^[1] An influential film critic, he wrote for The Chicago Defender in 1920s, reviewing Black film and events at African American theaters.^{[2] [3]}

Thomas managed the successful Lincoln Theater in Charleston, South Carolina, which served African American audiences from 1922 until his death in 1955.^{[4] [5]} He also managed the Bijou Theater in Tampa, Florida and another theater in Atlanta, Georgia.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Inventory of the Various Small Collections, 1786 - 2011, and undated (0040. Damon George Thomas and Damon Ireland Thomas). August 13, 2021. Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture.
2. Book: Lupack, Barbara . Early Race Filmmaking in America . May 26, 2016 . Routledge . 9781317434245 . Google Books.
3. Web site: African American Historic Places in South Carolina: Addendum 2019 – 2020. August 13, 2021. State Historic Preservation Office, South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
4. Web site: Inventory of the Various Small Collections, 1786 - 2011, and undated (0040. Damon George Thomas and Damon Ireland Thomas). August 13, 2021. Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture.
5. Web site: Lincoln Theater. August 13, 2021. Charleston Preservation Society.