Lydia (fl. late 19th/early 20th century),
chanteuse and Parisian celebrity
(photo: ? Reutlinger, Paris, late 1890s)

This real photograph cigarette card was issued in England about 1900 by Ogden’s of Liverpool in one of their Guinea Gold series.

Mdlle. Lydia

Lydia (fl. late 19th/early 20th century),
chanteuse and Parisian celebrity
(photo: ? Reutlinger, Paris, late 1890s)

This real photograph cigarette card was issued in England about 1900 by Ogden’s of Liverpool in one of their Guinea Gold series.

Eugene Ray

a carte de visite photograph of Eugene Ray (fl. 1880s), ‘fil de fer’ (wire walker)
(photo: Richard Stuart Brown’s Photographic Rooms, Edinburgh, probably early 1880s)

Keith’s Circus, Hyde, week beginning Monday, 3 July 1882
‘… Eugene Ray, a clever performer on the slack wire …’
(The Era, London, Saturday, 8 July 1882, p. 10b)

‘Sanger’s Circus
‘There is a considerable change in the programme at this establishment this week. After a month’s successful run, the pantomime of Dick Whittington, which has by its novelty delighted old and young, has been withdraw… . The first part of the programme is of the usual miscellaneous character, and comprises clever feats on barebacked horses by Mdlle. Lizzie and Mr. C. Clarke; a daring performance on the invisible wire by Eugene Ray, and Alfrano and Linder on the flying rings, Mdmme. E. Ray also introduces her highly-trained steeds, which go through some wonderful manoeuvres, and there is also an amusing sketch of a day’s shooting by a Cockney sportsman by Mr. Rolland and Little Sandy… .’ (Leicester Chronicle and the Leicestershire Mercury, Leicester, Saturday, 27 January 1883, p. 2a)hire Mercury</I>, Leicester, Saturday, 27 January 1883, p. 2a)

Lizzie Marshall

a carte de visite photograph of
Lizzie Marshall (fl. 1850s-1870s), English actress and singer
(photo: The London Stereoscopic & Photographic Co Ltd, London, circa 1870)

‘LEICESTER. Theatre Royal. – The Lessee, Mr John Windley, has never produced so good a Pantomime here as the present one of The Babes in the Wood; or Harlequin robin Hood and His Foresters Good and the Brave Little Soldiers of Lilliput. He has done well in entrusting the authorship to Mr Charles Horsman, who has written it smartly and intelligibly. For the burlesque portion of it, Miss Lizzie Marshall (from the Philharmonic Theatre, London), is specially engaged, and, as Norval Smith, is perhaps the most saucy, pretty, well-dressed ruffian of the age. She is seconded by Mr A. Thomas as Brown, No. 2 Ruffian. It is the best part we have seen him in. The pretty babes are richly burlesqued by Mr. Harry Windley and Mrs Charles Horsman, the latter the post prodigious baby extant. Mr Windley has some good songs, and introduces with effect several local matters into one of them. Miss Louisa Payne looks extremely nice as Robin Hood. Miss E. Windley is King of Lilliput, and songs, acts, and dances very creditably. She has, moreover, under her charge forty diminutive children, dressed as an army, and their surprising precision in marching, under Mdlle. Fanchette, their solo [sic] instructress, is decidedly the feature of the Pantomime. Mr Jackman was a cruet looking Uncle. Mr. G. Raffal, Mr. W.H. Whatton, and Miss K. Thomas represent the Governess, Black Diamond, and Little John. Mr Laffar has again distinguished himself as scenic artist; his efforts in the Ballet and Transformation scenes were worthily recognised. Mr C. Bigwood (Britannia Theatre, London) is Harlequin; Messrs Laffar and Raffal, Clown and Pantaloon; and Mdlles. Fanchette, Columbine and Harlequina. Mr. W.H. Whatton is the Policeman, and takes the customary cuffs with the air of a martyr. Mr T. Green has charge of the elaborate mechanical arrangements, Mr Selvidge the lime-light effects, Mr W.H. Nicholson is responsible for the overture, and Mr T. Weston for the incidental music.’
(The Era, London, Sunday, 31 December 1871, p. 10c)

‘MISS LIZZIE MARSHALL (late of Philharmonic Theatre) thanks Managers for offers of Engagements, and begs to say she is Specially Engaged by F. Strange, Esq., ROYAL SURREY GARDENS, to sustain the part of MERCURY in Orphee aux Enfers.’
(The Era, London, Sunday, 30 March 1873, p. 1a)

‘MR. E. MARSHALL (ROYAL PHILHARMONIC THEATRE, every Evening), the original Gendarme, Genevieve, 450 Nights; Sam Crisp, Cabinet Secret, 126 Nights; Dr O’Toole, Irish Tutor, 100 Nights; Wormwood, Lottery Ticket, 150 Nights. Miss LIZZIE MARSHALL, as MERCURY, ROYAL SURREY GARDENS, every Evening. At Liberty shortly, London or America.
‘Agents, Messrs English and Blackmore.’
(The Era, London, Sunday, 1 June 1873, p. 1d)

‘Lord’ George Sanger

‘Lord’ George Sanger (1827- 1911),
English circus showman entrepreneur
and proprietor of his music hall and pleasure garden ‘Hall-by-the-Sea,’ Margate, Kent
(photo: unknown, mid 1880s)

For further information about ‘Lord’ George Sanger, see Julie Goddard’s Oh! What a Circus: ‘Lord’ George Sanger – Son of Newbury. For the ‘Hall-by-the-Sea’ see Dreamland, Margate, Kent. See also the Margate Civic Society’s Newsletter, Spring 2011.

Sanger’s manager at Margate was Gustavus Foster (1847-1901), who was a photographer before becoming a publican and licensed victualler.

Mabel Hite

a photograph of Mabel Hite (1883-1912),
American vaudeville comedienne and musical comedy actress
(photo: Moffett, Chicago, circa 1908)

‘FIVE NEW ACTS IN VAUDEVILLE SHOW
‘Oakland Orpheum Has Mabel Hite and Mike Donlin at Head of Bill
‘OAKLAND, June 12 [1909]. – Mabel Hite and Mike Donlin open at the Oakland Orpheum tomorrow afternoon at the head of an unusually strong vaudeville show. Probably Mabel Hite and Mike Donlin would be sufficient in themselves to crowd the theater, but the management has associated with these brilliant players a galaxy of artists, including some of the highest prices vaudeville acts in the world. There will be five new acts in the show.
‘Mabel Hite is know as one of the cleverest comediennes in the land. Mike Donlin, her husband, the idol of New York ball players, for years one of the Giants and now an actor, has become under Mabel Hite’s tuition an interesting stage figure. They will appear in a musical sketch entitled ”Stealing Home.”
‘An extraordinary attraction is promised in the contribution of Gillingwater and his players. He was once one of Charles Frohman’s stars and made a hit in vaudeville. His play, a ”Strenuous Rehearsal,” is one of the vaudeville classics.
‘Mazuz and Mazotte will provide snappy acrobatic comedy. The Vindebonas from Europe have a musical novelty. Billy Van, an old minstrel star, will entertain. The sunny south act of 10 colored dancers and singers, the Baader-La Velle trio of cyclists and Peter Donald and Meta Carson in ”Alex McLean’s Dream” make up the bill.’
(The San Francisco Call, San Francisco, California, Sunday, 13 June 1909, p. 24e)

‘MABEL HITE DIES AFTER BRAVE FIGHT
‘New York, Oct. 23 [1912]. – Mabel Hite is dead. After a brave fight against conditions which were hopeless from the first, the little vaudeville actress and musical comedy star passed away at her apartment, 526 West One Hundred and Eleventh street, at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon. She was conscious up to within a few minutes of the end and then fell into a sleep which merged into painless death.
‘Mrs. Elsie Hite, her mother, was with the actress when she died, but her husband, Mike Donlin, well known as a ball player, was not. Mr. Donlin was in Youngstown, O. where he had just opened in a vaudeville act, with Tom Lewis as his partner. He was notified by wire and replied that he would start for New York immediately. Until he arrives plans for the funeral will be held in abeyance.
‘Mabel Hite had been a Broadway favorite ever since her metropolitan debut as Nerissa in A Venetian Romance. She always displayed a distinct personality in grotesque parts and an unusual versatility in character roles. She had the facility of making her audience laugh or cry with her as she saw fit.
‘Miss Hite was born at Ashland, Ky., on May, 30, 1883. she was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Hite. Most of her girlhood was spent in Kansas City. Her first professional appearance on the regular stage was with Dunn & Ryly’s Company in [Charles Hoyt’s] A Milk White Flag.
‘Her first real hit was made as Estrelle in The Telephone Girl, which part was created by Clara Lipman.
‘Later Miss Hite appeared in vaudeville in partnership with Walter Jones. She married Michael J. Donlin early in 1906, when he was with the New York Giants. Vincent Bryan wrote them a baseball sketch and it was with his wife that Donlin made his first stage appearance. (The Newark Daily Advocate, Newark, Ohio, Wednesday, 23 October 1912, p. 10b/c)

Patricia Olive

a photograph of Patricia Olive (fl. 1916-1920),
English chorus girl, as she appeared during the run of Chu Chin Chow
(produced at His Majesty’s Theatre, London, 31 August 1916, for a run of 2238 performances, closing on 22 July 1921),
in one of a series of costumes introduced in a tableau on the play’s first anniversary
(photo: F.W. Burford, London, 1917)

Evie Greene

Evie Greene (1876-1917),
English actress and singer,
as principal boy in the pantomime
Babes in the Wood and Robin Hood,
produced at the Tyne Theatre, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Christmas, 1897
(photo: unknown, 1897/98)

This real photograph cigarette card of Evie Greene as principal boy in the Christmas 1897 pantomime Babes in the Wood and Robin Hood, produced at the Tyne Theatre, Newcastle-on-Tyne, was issued about 1900 in England in one of Ogden’s Guinea Gold series. Other members of the cast included Maggie Duggan, Marie Yorke, May Marton, Nellie Christie, Lulu and Valli Valli, Robb Harwood, Harry Elliston, Harry Lupino, Charles Cassie (eccentric doll dance), Volti and Ray (bar act) and the Harlow Brothers (The Newcastle Weekly Courant, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Saturday, 1 January 1898, p. 1b)

Teddie Gerard sings ‘Hawaiian Butterfly’

song sheet cover for the song ‘Hawaiian Butterfly,’
lyrics by George A. Little and music by Billy Baskette and Joseph Santly,
sung by Teddie Gerard in Andre Charlot’s successful ‘musical entertainment,’ Bubbly,
produced at the Comedy Theatre, London, on 5 May 1917
(photos: left, Malcolm Arbuthnot; right, Wrather & Buys, London, 1917)

Miss Gerard, accompanied by a chorus and the Comedy Theatre Orchestra conducted by Philip Braham, recorded ‘Hawaiian Butterfly’ for the Columbia label (L-1188) in London during May 1917.

Carlton Sisters

a cabinet photograph of the Carlton Sisters (fl. late 1880s/early 1890s),
American duettists and dancers
(photo: unknown, USA, circa 1880)

‘At Doris’s big Eighth Avenue Museum the attractions next week will be Barney Baldwin, the man with the broken neck; George Williams, the turtle boy; Capt. Wesley Baum and sister, South American tattooed people. Frank Brown and sisters, albinos, and Mr. and Miss Sage. On the stage the Goff Comedy Company will give hourly entertainments, and among those to appear are Billy Clayton, John P. Curley, the Carlton sisters, Eugene Ward, a footless dancer, and Dora and Frank Goff, who will present The Lightning Porter.
(The Evening World, New York, New York, 8 November 1890, p. 3b)