Lithograph for The Great Chang Polka, Egyptian Hall

This poster publicises The Great Chang Polka. Chang was a giant who held audience at the Egyptian Hall in 1865. The caption tells us ‘Shaking hands with everybody within reach, and The Giant’s reach is long, to the tune of a very pretty Polka, composed by Chang’s “Aide de Camp”, Mr. Marquis Chisholm. (Vide Times, Sept 28th 1865)’. We are told the polka is performed at all levees at the Egyptian Hall. Much is written on the internet about Chang Woo Gow, The Great Chang, not all of which tells the same story. The lithograph is signed Alfred Concanen, a leading lithographer of the Victorian era. The Davenport Collection also has a handout from 1865 which contains Chang’s address, as well as that of Chung Mow, who is the small person on the right of the poster. See Ref. no. N1932.