The Davenport Collection
- a growing resource on magic and entertainment history

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.

The life and times of George Mozart

The life and times of George Mozart

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 below to enter his world.

Poster for Maskelyne and Cooke at the Victoria Hall, Harrogate. 1872

Poster for Maskelyne and Cooke at the Victoria Hall, Harrogate. 1872

The poster gives details of the Maskelyne & Cooke show. The date is not known but, based on Monday 29 July, the year can only be be 1869, 1872 or 1878. However, 1869 was before Maskelyne and Cooke called themselves The Royal Illusionists (see Ref. no. N2353). Also, had it been 1878 the poster would definitely have mentioned the shows at the Egyptian Hall starting in 1873. So the year must be 1872.