According to page 193 of Kent Blackmore’s book on Levante, at the time of Levante’s tour of New Zealand in 1964, Levante’s wife Gladys took on a new stage name, becoming ‘Harlequin, the Lady of Shadows’.
Posters & Showcards
The majority of posters in the collection are theatre posters. These are either letterpress posters for variety theatres, or pictorial posters for a single magician or show.
A small number of other posters advertise books, exhibitions or events such as conferences.
To search for a specific date use the format 10 October 1924.
Arthur Sketchley (real name George Rose) was a journalist and a very popular Victorian entertainer with his humour and impersonations. Mrs. Brown’s exploits were very popular at the Egyptian Hall and also spawned a range of books covering topics from her views on Cleopatra’s Needle to her travels around the world. This is one of the items contained in a wooden box of 19th century ephemera, mainly relating to the Egyptian Hall. To view all the items from the box, click on View Details and then the Key Phrase ‘Wooden box items’.
The three items pasted onto the sheet of paper are a poster and a newspaper clip for the Egyptian Hall, and a programme for the Spa Concert Room, Harrogate. Miss Grace Egerton (Mrs. George Case) entertains as an actress, singer and danseuse. Her husband adds to the entertainment. This is one of the items contained in a wooden box of 19th century ephemera, mainly relating to the Egyptian Hall. To view all the items from the box, click on View Details and then the Key Phrase ‘Wooden box items’.
This was painted by magician and family friend Bryan Baggs in 2020. It is No. 2 of 30. It is based on a poster design for the stage act of Lewis and Julia Davenport, although no copy of the poster has ever been found. The image was also used for a postcard: see Ref. no. N450. Their act was silent, hence the billing ‘No Time to Talk’. Lewis and Julia performed from 1904-1909, so the date of the postcard is circa 1906.
George Mozart (1864-1947) was a musician and burlesque comedian. He wasn’t one of the top music hall stars, but he had a long, successful career as an entertainer. In the 1920s he worked for the Maskelynes at St George’s Hall. His road to success is a fascinating story which tells us much about life as an entertainer in late 19th and early 20th century Britain. Click here to enter his world.
In 1944 Paul Freeman had the incredible experience of being sold a magic prop by Will Goldston, wrapped up in a Servais Le Roy poster. Click below to join Paul for his account of this transaction and what Paul subsequently discovered about the poster, Adolph Friedländer the lithographic printer, and the performer Servais Le Roy.
The Wednesday 26 September 1945 variety show is Edythe Harrington and her Gang. Edythe was one of Winifred Wynne’s sisters, making her Lewis Davenport’s sister-in-law.
It was common for variety theatres in Germany to book a show for a month at a time. Lewis Davenport was on the bill.
It was common for variety theatres on mainland Europe to book a show for a month at a time.
The poster advertises the IBM British Ring show at the time of a Northampton convention. The bill includes George Davenport “Magic of 1933”, the man who swallows razor blades.