Stewart Cal Stewart (c. 1856 – 1919) began his career in vaudeville after injuring his hand and foot working on a railroad. by 1895 he was performing in New York City at the Union Square Theatre, and in 1897 he made his first phonograph recordings. Stewart was best known for his monologues depicting stereotypical "rubes" and "Yankees". Working extensively as a performer and recorder up to the time of his death in 1919, he became a nationally celebrated humorist. The curators of the collection identified Stewart as the most likely performer of the first two tracks of the disc. Russell Hunting Russell Hunting (1864–1943) worked as a stage manager for a Boston theater, and recorded comedy routines centering on stereotypical Irish Americans from the early 1890s. His recurring character "Michael Casey" became a centerpiece of his comedy and was widely imitated. Hunting was actually arrested by Anthony Comstock in June 1896, and served three months in prison as a result; he returned to the recording business upon his release, but emigrated to England in 1898. There he continued using the Casey routines to great success and worked as a recording executive. The curators of the collection identified Hunting as the most likely performer of tracks 3–11. James H. White James H. White (1872–1944) was the manager of the motion picture wing of Thomas Edison's business from 1896 to 1903. Concomitantly, he took over the recording of the "Michael Casey" sketches after Hunting was arrested. After 1903 White moved to England and managed portions of Edison's businesses there. The curators of the collection identified White as the most likely performer of tracks 12–14. Critical reception Archeophone Records issued the compilation to CD in 2007 with extensively researched liner notes. The New York Times noted the compilation's historical importance and noted that the jokes "still kill" more than 100 years after being recorded. NPR noted that the compilation was "as lewd and often obscene as anything Howard Stern has to offer." Metro noted in jest, "Some of this material would get you arrested, even today". The compilation was nominated for two Grammy awards, for Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album. Track listing Believed to be by Cal Stewart 1. "Learning a City Gal How to Milk" 2. "The Tapeworm Story" By an Unknown Performer, Possibly Russell Hunting 3–4. "Gimlet's Soliloquy/The Rascal Detector" (by "Manly Tempest") 5. "The Whore's Union" 6–7. "Boarding