The Davenport Collection website includes a number of items relating to Harry Hemsley. He was best known as a child impersonator on stage, radio, and television. He had an imaginary family of four children: Johnny, Elsie, Winnie and Horace. Horace spoke baby-gibberish and only Winnie could understand him. Hemsley would ask, “What does Horace say, Winnie?” and this became his catchphrase.
Courtesy of Chris Woodward and his London Palladium Collection, I share here some images relating to Hemsley’s Palladium appearances in 1919 and 1920. Chris recalls seeing him at the Birmingham Hippodrome in the late forties. He had no need for ventriloquism when he stood on stage, because his face was hidden behind an open newspaper when he was creating the conversation between Horace and Winnie etc.