
FANFARE MAGAZINE
November & December 2023
ON THE COVER: Standing at the entry to Eden Park is the iconic Elsinore Arch. In 1883, Cincinnati Water Works needed a new valve house near Eden Park. As the story goes, Music Hall hosted a Shakespearean Dramatic Festival in the spring of 1883, during which Hamlet was performed. A large (65-by-65 foot) beautifully painted backdrop of Elsinore Castle was part of the production. This backdrop became the inspiration behind the Elsinore Arch, which Charles B. Hannaford, son of Samuel Hannaford of the architectural firm Samuel Hannaford & Sons, built in late 1883. Samuel Hannaford was the architect for Cincinnati Music Hall and City Hall.