Australian Variety Theatre Archive

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. This year, 2022, marks its eleventh year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 3,222 new records. Many of the original entries have also been updated since 2016.

Two projects initiated in 2016-17 were continued during past twelve months. These were:

1. Replacing all abbreviations in PDF biographies with full citation details; and
2. Updating and reformatting all Biograhies (PDFs) and Research Notes (PDFs), while also adding new ones. The rapidly increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – means that the traditional researched biography can now be out of date almost as soon as it is published. The Research Notes alternative therefore provides interim historical insights.

December 2021 also saw Dr Djubal and the Australian Variety Theatre Archive relocate from Brisbane (Qld) to Canberra (ACT).

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In addition to undertaking the two projects mentioned above, 22 new entries were published. This involved 20 new agent entries, and 13 new works entries,

Among the new entries are: Drysdale & Faye • Don Nicol • Billee Lockwood • Scott and Wallace • Billy Maloney’s Scandals [2] • Emerson & Wood’s Alabama Minstrels • Emerson’s Minstrels • U.S. Minstrels [1] & [2] • Guild Hall (Sydney) • Romantique Cabaret (Brisbane)

37 previously-published biographies (including research lists and chronologies), 14 sections/pages, and 9 research notes pdfs were updated, expanded and reformatted.

On 10 May 2022 the Australian Variety Theatre Archive comprised 1,574 agent entries (people, organisations, and miscellaneous industry activity); and 1,716 individual works entries (not counting revivals). To put this in perspective, that’s more than double the number of entries (up to and including 1935) currently recorded in AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, and at least five times as many Australian-written works identified by AusStage for the same period.* Both AustLit and AusStage are university-operated, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded databases. The AVTA is a privately-operated resource that hasn’t cost Australian tax-payers a single cent.

* NB: AusStage also records non-Australian-written productions (or events) produced in this country, which makes it very difficult to isolate locally-written works. AustLit, on the other hand, focuses on Australian works only – albeit with some basic records identifying any international sources for Australian adaptations (these are not included in the comparison count as they can be easily identified in the database).

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Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 14,457 people who viewed pages on the site between 10 May 2019 and 10 May 2020. Of these 4,731 people investigated the Archive further, at an average of 3.04 pages per visit. The busiest month was August 2021, with 1,477 views and 415 visitors.

While visits from Australia were the most common during 2021/22, the AVTA was also accessed by people from the USA, Spain, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, China, New Zealand, India, Switzerland, and France.

Industry

Curtis Catarrh Cure

Practitioners:

George Burness • Bruce Drysdale • Drysdale & Faye • Phyllis Faye • Don Nicol • Billee Lockwood • Scott and Wallace • Sisters Phillips (Ethel and Hilda)

Theatres/Venues

Guild Hall (Sydney) • Romantique Cabaret (Brisbane)

Troupes:

Australian Entertainers • Billy Maloney’s Scandals [2] • Bruce Drysdale’s Citizen’s Concerts • California Minstrels • Christy’s Aerial Beauties • Combination Serenaders • Emerson & Wood’s Alabama Minstrels • Emerson’s Minstrels • Gaiety Vaudeville Co (Melbourne) • U.S. Minstrels [1] • U.S. Minstrels [2]

Published and Unpublished Texts: 

“Ted Holland” (poem, 1905) • “Mr Wally Edwards (poem, 1910)

Works

Farces: Barnum’s Twins (1885) • Circus Difficulties (1884) • How Do You Like It? (1884) •  Juvenile Party (1884) •  Katrina in Ireland (1884) • My Walking Photograph (1885) • Professor of Dancing (1885) • Uncle Edward’s Visit (1885) • Warm Night, A (1889) • Wanted A Nurse (1884) • Who Killed Him (1885)

Images

3 new images were also added to the AVTA during the year: Christy’s Minstrels • Wally Edwards • Billee Lockwood

Biographies, Film Production Notes and Research Lists (PDFs)

Practitioners/People/Companies/Troupes/Venues Bios/Industry: Ayala Champagne • Bondi Aquarium (Sydney) • Bonnington’s Irish Moss • Dr Sheldon’s • Freeman & Wallace • G.W. Hean • Harry Clay’s Theatrical Agency & Booking Office (Sydney) • Manly Chute (Sydney) • Rexona

Wally Edwards • Gilbert Emery • Ted Holland • Gerald Shaw • Gladys Shaw • Mary Connolly • Gerry Connolly • Keith Connolly • Wykeham & Preston

Mo & His Merrymakers • Snowdrop Minstrels (Rockhampton) • So and Sos [1] • So and So’s [2] • So and So’s [3] • Stanley MaKay’s Mammoth Panto Co • Stanley McKay’s No 1 Panto Co • State Entertainers • Swastika Players • Topics of 1925 • Town Topics [2] • Trilby Tourists • Verto’s Biotint & Novelty Co • Verto’s Vaudeville Co • Weston & Hussey’s Minstrels • Who’s Who Costume Revue Entertainers • World’s Entertainers [4]

Golden Gate Gardens (Sydney) • Guild Hall (Sydney)

Works

Farces: He Carries A Razor • Kiss in the Dark • Lawyer’s Clerk • Rival Artists

Research Notes

 Hamilton Continentals (Brisbane) • North’s Concerts (Melbourne) • Tivoli & Lyric Continentals (Brisbane) • Tivoli Continentals (Brisbane)

Sections/Pages

American Minstrel Show Collection • Austral Harmony • Bibliography • Concerts and Theatre Programs Collection (AWM) • Farces • Historical Insights • Hood Collection • Index 1 (People) • Index 2 (Misc) • Nat Phillips Collection – Fryer • Nat Phillips-Fryer Finding Aid • Texts: Published (Patter & Comedy Routines) • Texts: Published (Poetry, Prose & Short Stories) • Variety Timeline 1 [1800-1899] • Variety Timeline 2 [1900-2000s]

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The AVTA is another publication from

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. This year, 2020, marks its tenth year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 3,200 new records. Many of these entries have also been updated since 2016.

Two projects initiated in 2016-17 were continued during past twelve months. These were:

1. Replacing all abbreviations in PDF biographies with full citation details; and
2. Updating and reformatting all Biograhies (PDFs) and Research Notes (PDFs), while also adding new ones. The rapidly increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – means that the traditional researched biography can now be out of date almost as soon as it is published. The Research Notes alternative therefore provides interim historical insights.

˚˚˚

In addition to the above projects, 80 new entries were published. This involved 46 new agent entries, 28 new works entries, 1 new expanded biography, and 5 new research notes PDFs.

The new expanded biography was: Town Topics [2]

Among the other new entries are: Bobby Helpman (later Sir Robert Helpmann), Julius Grant, Frederick W. Weierter, Bailey and Grant, Robert Roberts, Edward Cahill, and Charlie Fanning’s Concert Co.

64 previously-published biographies (including research lists and chronologies), 25 theatrical works, and 7 research notes pdfs were updated and/or reformatted.

On 10 May 2021 the Australian Variety Theatre Archive comprised 1,554 agent entries (people, organisations, and miscellaneous industry activity); and 1,714 individual works entries (not counting revivals). To put this in perspective, that’s more than double the number of entries (up to and including 1935) currently recorded in AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, and at least five times as many Australian-written works identified by AusStage for the same period.* Both AustLit and AusStage are university-operated, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded databases. The AVTA is a privately-operated resource that hasn’t cost Australian tax-payers a single cent.

* NB: AusStage also records non-Australian-written productions (or events) produced in this country, which makes it very difficult to isolate locally-written works. AustLit, on the other hand, focuses on Australian works only – albeit with some basic records identifying any international sources for Australian adaptations (these are not included in the comparison count as they can be easily identified in the database).

˚˚˚

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 16,104 people who viewed pages on the site between 10 May 2019 and 10 May 2020. Of these 5,725 people investigated the Archive further, at an average of 2.85 pages per person. The busiest month was May 2020, with 2,190 views and 741 visitors.

While visits from Australia were the most common during 2020/21, the AVTA was also accessed by people from the USA, the UK, New Zealand, China, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.

Entrepreneurs

P.A Howells

Historical Insights

“Memories of Perth’s Early Vaudeville” (1937) • “Vaudeville in England and Australia” (1926)

Industry

Jack Fanning • Julius Grant • William O’Sullivan

International Tourists

Harney & Haynes • Arthur Tinsley

Music Directors & Composers

William Butland • Frederick W. Weierter

Organisations and Partnerships

Bailey & Grant

Practitioners:

Edward Cahill • George P. Carey • Bobby Helpman • Louise Larson • Lee White & Clay Smith • Billee Lockwood • James Martin • Robert Roberts • Frank Stevens •  Tracey & Adson • Tracey & Stevens

Theatres/Venues

Arcadia Theatre (Lewisham, Sydney)

Troupes:

Alf Lawton’s All Nations Co • Town Topics [2] • Charlie Fanning’s Concert Co • Dan Tracey’s Vaudeville, Minstrel & Specialty Co • So & So’s [4] • Tracey & Adson’s Vaudeville, Comedy & Specialty Co • World’s Star Gaiety Co Ye • Olde Englyshe Fayre Co (WA, 1896/97)

Works

Farces:  Arrival of the California Mail • The Awkward Squad • Brown’s Clothes • Burnt Alive • Communication • Domestic Felicity • A Husband in a Fix • The Little Madcap • The Mischievous Nigger • Nan the No Good • A Night in a Coffee Palace • Patients • P.M. For a Day •  The Rifle Brigade • Sim Dipsey’s Arrival • The Tailor of Tamworth • Turning Head • Turning the Tables • Two Jim Crows • What Time Do You Have Lunch?

Published and Unpublished Texts: Billy Gifford (poem, 1912) • “Essie Clay” (poem, 1910) • “Jack Campbell” (poem, 1912) • “Julius Grant” (poem, 1907) • “Late John F. Sheridan, The” (poem, 1909) • “Our Libel Action: Comedian v Journalist (prose, 1913) • [Tis not so long since certain sages wrote…] (Garnet Walch poem, 1887) • “Wail from Fremamntle, A” (poem, 1898)

Research Notes (PDFs)

Julius Grant • Bobby Helpman • Theatre Royal, Coolgardie (WA) • Topics of 1925

Photographs

38 new photographs were also added to the AVTA during the year: Arthur Adams • Arthur Aldridge • Bailey & Grant (incl. Edmund Duggan) • Elton Black • Bill Butland • G.P. Carey • Victor Champion • The Chasers • Cremorne Theatre (Brisbane) • Essie Clay • Jack Fanning • Julius Grant • Bobby Helpman • Francis Hart • P.A. Howells • George A. Jones • Glanmore Jones • Sam Keenan • Alec Kellaway • Jack Kellaway • Sylvia Kellaway • Lee White & Clay Smith • Claire Lloyd • Billee Lockwood • Albert McKisson • Robert McLeish • Billy Maloney • Durham Marcel • Johnny Matlock • D.B. O’Connor • Robert Roberts • Vic Roberts • Ida Tauchert • Town Topics [1] • Town Topics [2] • Lou Weichard

Biographies, Film Production Notes and Research Lists (PDFs)

Practitioners/People/Companies/Troupes/Venues Bios/Industry: Arthur H. Adams • Arthur Aldridge • Apollo Music Hall [2] (Melbourne) • Arcadia Theatre [2] (St Kilda) •Tom Armstrong • Oscar Asche • J.C. Bancks • Elton Black • Fred Bluett • Grosvenor Bunster • The Chasers • Marcus Clarke • Harley Cohen • Walter H. Cooper • W.J. Curtis • Gallipoli Strollers [1] • Francis Hart • Jack Landow • Eva Lee • W.J. Lincoln • J.A. Lipman • Frank Reis • Town Topics [1] • Dan Tracey • Trilby Tourists • James H. White

Research Lists: AVTA Farce List (Genres) • Bibliography • Index 1 • Index 2 • International Tourists Index • Legitimate Music Theatre Index • Legitimate Music Theatre [1900-1935] • Works Index

Works Chronologies: 1833 • 1840 • 1841 • 1842 • 1843 • 1844 • 1845 • 1846 • 1847 • 1848 • 1849 1860 • 1861 • 1862 • 1863 • 1864 • 1865 • 1866 • 1867 • 1868 • 1869 • 1872

Works

Farces: Back Box Justice • Bloodless Duel • Casey the Fiddler • Dissection • A Dreadful Tragedy • Fracas • Hard to Kill • He Carries a Razor Rehearsal • He is Dead • He’s Dead. Who? • He Would be an Actor • Hurrah for Casey • I’ll Get You Something • The Indian Chief • Jack Sheppard Outdone • McGowan the Millionaire • Married Bliss • Oysters • Rehearsal • The Russian Count •  Thompson’s Dead • Un Coup Rasoir • The Untamed Savage

Variety: Don Juan (1948) • King Crispen (1847)

Research Notes

Beauford Merrymakers • Hussey, Kelly & Holly’s Celebrated Comedians • Kenna’s Empire Minstrels • Eva Lee • Robert McLeish • Billy Maloney • Frank Weston

Sections & Pages

Film & Vaudeville • Historical Insights • International Tourists: T

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The AVTA is another publication from

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. Today, 10 May 2021 marks its tenth year of publication.

Coming soon: What happened in the AVTA over the previous 12 months. Here are some hints:

In no particular order:

Bobbie Helpman (later Sir Robert Helpmann) • Essie Clay • Julius Grant • Ida Tauchert (aka Ida Kearns) • Johnny Matlock • D.B. O’Connor

Stay tuned.

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The AVTA is another publication from

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. This year, 2020, marks its ninth year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 3,000 new records. Many of these entries have also been updated since 2016.

Two projects initiated in 2016-17 were continued during past twelve months. These were:

1. Replacing all abbreviations in PDF biographies with full citation details; and
2. Updating and reformatting all Biograhies (PDFs) and Research Notes (PDFs), while also adding new ones. The rapidly increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – means that the traditional researched biography can now be out of date almost as soon as it is published. The Research Notes alternative therefore provides interim historical insights.

˚˚˚

In addition to the above projects, 114 new entries were also published. This involved 57 new agent entries, 28 new works entries, 9 new sections, 3 new expanded biographies, and 17 new research notes PDFs.

The three new expanded biographies are: Dudley Glass • Prof. Louis Haselmayer • Moore Park Sandhills (Sydney).

Among the other new entries are Alf Latell (international tourist), Cass Mahomet (the “Indian Digger”), Will Wynand, Lulu Eugene, Marshall Palmer, Pierrot Entertainers, as well as nine Brisbane venues (mostly from the Northern Suburbs), and four Digger troupes.

62 previously-published biographies (including research lists and chronologies), 6 theatrical works, and 5 research notes pdfs were updated and/or reformatted.

On 10 May 2020 the Australian Variety Theatre Archive comprised 1,508 agent entries (people, organisations, and miscellaneous industry activity); and 1,686 individual works entries (not counting revivals). To put this in perspective, that’s more than double the number of entries (up to and including 1935) currently recorded in AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, and at least five times as many Australian-written works identified by AusStage for the same period.* Both AustLit and AusStage are university-operated, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded databases. The AVTA is a privately-operated resource that hasn’t cost Australian tax-payers a single cent.

* NB: AusStage also records non-Australian-written productions (or events) produced in this country, which makes it very difficult to isolate locally-written works. AustLit, on the other hand, focuses on Australian works only – albeit with some basic records identifying any international sources for Australian adaptations (these are not included in the comparison count as they can be easily identified in the database).

˚˚˚

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 16,804 people who viewed pages on the site between 10 May 2019 and 10 May 2020. Of these 5,764 people investigated the Archive further, at an average of 2.91 pages per person. The busiest month was September 2019 with 1,792 views and 545 visitors.

The AVTA was accessed by people from almost every country on the planet (notably absent was South America, Greenland, and some countries from the African and the Middle-Eastern regions). While Australia was naturally the dominant place of origin for these visitors, significant numbers of people also looked at the site from the USA, UK, New Zealand, Ireland, China, Canada, Spain, and Indonesia.

Pierrot Entertainers (Genres) • Regional Queensland: A Brief History

Entrepreneurs

Walter Fuller • Alex Gunn • Bossie Martoo • John Washington Smith

Genres

Pierrot Entertainers • Harry Primrose’s London Pierrots • Wyn Leslie’s Pierrots

Historical Insights

“Stray Leaves from the Diary of a Showman” (J.W. Smith)

Industry

Continentals • Prof. G.W. Gibson • Moore Park Sandhills • S.S. Decoy (Perth) • Tivoli Continentals (Brisbane) • Tivoli & Lyric Continentals (Brisbane)

International Tourists

Alf Latell

Music Directors & Composers

Dudley Glass

Organisations and Partnerships

John Fuller & Sons • Alex Gunn & Sons

Practitioners:

Lulu Eugene • Prof. Louis Haselmayer • Eva Lee • Billy Kershaw • Wyn Leslie • [Thomas] Lesso • Lesso & Rexo Cass Mahomet • Eileen & Gwen Moloney • Peggy Mortimer • Marshall Palmer • Harry Primrose • Rexo [2] • Theodore • Will Wynand

Theatres/Venues

Albion Public Hall (Brisbane) • Arcadia Theatre [2] (Ascot, Brisbane) • Crystal Palace Theatre (Windsor, Brisbane) • Elite Picture Gardens (Ascot, Brisbane) • Elite Picture Gardens (Wooloowin, Brisbane) • Great Varieties Hall (Coolgardie) • Hamilton Band Stand (Brisbane) • Hollywood Theatre (Greenslopes, Brisbane) • Martoo’s Grounds (Ipswich) • Martoo’s Olympia (Ipswich) • Royal Picture Theatre (Wooloowin, Brisbane) • Star Theatre (Kalinga, Brisbane) • Theatre Royal (Coolgardie) • Tivoli Gardens [3] (Hamilton, Brisbane)

Towns & States

Wanderer: A Winter Tour Through Queensland series (in Theatres & Venues: Regional Queensland page)

Troupes:

Digger Troupes: The Boomerangs • The Gum Leaves • Y.M.C.A. Returned Soldiers’ Concert Party [1] • Y.M.C.A. Returned Soldiers’ Concert Party [2]

Other: American Vaudeville Co • London Vaudeville Stars • Lynch Family Bellringers • Southern Cross Comedy Co

Works

Variety: Aladdin; Or, The Wonderful Lamp (1906) • Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (1909) • Ali Baba; Or, The Forty Thieves (1904) • Cinderella (1909) • Don Juan; Or, The Spectre on Horseback (1841) • Don Juan; Or, The Spectre on Horseback (1848) • The Fairy Queen; Or, The Charmed Arrow (1842) •  Fiend of the Wave; Or Harlequin and the Fairy of the Coral Rock (1844) • Harlequin and Little Bo-Peep; Or, The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe (1844) • Harlequin and the Fairy of the Lake (1844) • Harlequin and the Fairy of the Silver Star (1844) • Harlequin Turned Bumpkin; Or, The Village Ghost (1841) • The Lottery Ticket (1905) • The Magic Mirror; Or, The Hall of Statues (1844) • The Magic Wand; Or, The Genii of the Ring (1842) • Old King Cole and His Fiddlers Three (1847) • Robinson Crusoe; Or, Harlequin and the Frozen Regions (1843) • Robinson Crusoe; Or, The Bold Buccaneers (1843) • Sinbad the Sailor (1908) • Sparklets (1904)

 Published and Unpublished Texts: [Anet Samuels’ sandwich] (Charlie Vaude poem) • “Another Confession”  / “Forgiveness – For the Strollers” (poems) •  “Billy Gifford (An Old-time Advance Agent)” (poem) • “Early Bioscope Days in Victoria” (A.H. Gunn, 1926) • “Jack Kearns (The Well-known Vaudeville Comedian)” (poem) • [The rowdy dowdy club…] (anon poem) • “A Wasted Life” (Tom Armstrong, poem) • “Wise, Wise, Wise” (Harry Ross – lyrics)

Research Notes (PDFs)

Arcadia Theatre (Ascot, Brisbane) • Cheer-Oh Girls • Crystal Palace Theatre (Windsor, Brisbane) • Prof. G.W. Gibson • Eva Lee • Hamilton Continentals • Hamilton Band Stand (Brisbane) • Harry Primrose’s London Pierrots • Cass Mahomet • S.S. Decoy (Perth) • Star Theatre (Kalinga, Brisbane) • Bella Sutherland • Tivoli Continentals (Brisbane) • Tivoli & Lyric Continentals (Brisbane) • Tivoli Gardens & Theatre [1] (Hamilton, Brisbane) • Tivoli Gardens & Theatre [2] (Hamilton, Brisbane) • Wyn Leslie’s Pierrots

New Sections & Pages

Pierrot Entertainers (Genres) • Regional Queensland: A Brief History

Biographies, Film Production Notes and Research Lists (PDFs)

Practitioners/People/Companies/Troupes/Venues Bios/Industry: Steve Adson • W.M. Akhurst • Anzac Coves • Tom Armstrong • Australian Flying Corps Concert Party • Australasian Sketcher • Australian Variety • Fred Bluett • The Chasers • Maurice Chenoweth • Harley Cohen • Coo-ees • Everyone’s • Famous Diggers • John Fuller Snr • Fuller News • Gallipoli Strollers [1] • Bert Gilbert • Gum Leaves • International Tourists [W] • Kookaburras • W.J. Lincoln • J.A. Lipman • Lorgnette • Mechanics’ Institutes • Morris & Wilson • Alf ‘Redhead’ Wilson • Rege Robins • “Reminiscences of the Stage” (Valentine Day series) • Sentimental Blokes • Smart Set Diggers • Stage Lights • Sunbeam Panto Children • Sunshine Kiddies • Theatre Magazine • Tivoli Gardens, Hamilton (Brisbane) • Claude E. Webb • Weston & La Feuillade’s Minstrels

Research Lists: Bibliography •  Index 1 • Index 2

Works Chronologies: 1833 • 1840 • 1841 • 1842 • 1843 • 1844 • 1845 • 1846 • 1847 • 1848 • 1849 • 1900 • 1901 • 1902 • 1903 • 1904 • 1905 • 1906 • 1907 • 1908 • 1909

Works

Alice in Wonderland (1906) • The Fun Doctor (1905) • Little Red Riding Hood (1903) • Puss in Boots (1900) • Robinson Crusoe (1901) • Sinbad the Sailor (1904)

Research Notes

W.G. Alma •  Graphic of Australia  • Hamilton Bandstand (Brisbane) • Robert McLeish • Tivoli & Lyric Continentals

Sections & Pages

Australian Legitimate Music Theatre: 1840-1899 • Australian Legitimate Music Theatre: 1900-1935 • Historical Insights •  Media (Industry 2) • Music Publishers • Poetry, Prose and Short Stories [published] • Socio-Cultural Factors • Variety Timeline 1: 1840-1899 • Variety Timeline 2: 1900-1999 • Yakkas

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The AVTA is another publication from

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive proudly presents…

a new biography of Austrian magician

Louis Haslemayer

(1839-1885) Austrian-born magician, musician, necromancer, composer, animal and bird trainer, businessman, author.

Louis Haslemayer may not be remembered today as one of the great magicians of the nineteenth century, but audiences who saw him during his extensive international travels between 1865 and 1885 were left with no doubt that he was a prestidigitator of unparalleled inventiveness. As one Australian critic records in 1880: “Professor Haselmayer’s… entertainment throughout is really an illustration of science in so pleasant a garb that, under the idea of amusement, we are insensibly beguiled into obtaining knowledge.” Haselmeyer mounted his own tours through Australasia (1872-1875 and 1880-1882) and, unusually, spent much time in regional areas. He died in Vienna aged only 46 from complications that arose after having contracted malaria while in India in 1884.

Image: Courtesy of the W.G. Alma Collection, State Library of Victoria.

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Click below to go to the AVTA page containing the Professor’s biography.

<<Take me to Louis Haselmayer>>

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. This year, 2019, marks its eighth year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 3,000 new records. Many entries have also been updated.

Two projects initiated in 2016-17 were continued during past twelve months. These were:

1. Replacing all abbreviations in PDF biographies with full citation details; and
2. Updating and reformatting all Biograhies (PDFs) and Research Notes (PDFs), while also adding new ones. The rapidly increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – means that the traditional researched biography can now be out of date almost as soon as it is published. The Research Notes alternative therefore provides interim historical insights.

˚˚˚

In addition to the above projects, 32 new entries were also published. This involved twenty-five new agent entries, four new works entries, one new section, and two new Research Notes PDFs. Seventy-five biographies were updated and expanded, too. Among them are: George Wallace, W.H. Bent, Arthur Aldridge, Lawrence Campbell, Albert and Maude Bletsoe, Lester Brown and E.J. Carroll. Two previously published research notes pdfs were updated and/or reformatted.

On 10 May 2019 the Australian Variety Theatre Archive comprised 1,451 agent entries (people, organisations, and miscellaneous industry activity); and 1,658 individual works entries (not counting revivals). To put this in perspective, that’s more than double the number of entries (up to and including 1935) currently recorded in AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, and at least five times as many Australian-written works identified by AusStage for the same period.* Both AustLit and AusStage are university-operated, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded databases. The AVTA is a privately-operated resource that hasn’t cost Australian tax-payers a single cent.

* NB: AusStage also records non-Australian-written productions (or events) produced in this country, which makes it very difficult to isolate locally-written works. AustLit, on the other hand, focuses on Australian works only – albeit with some basic records identifying any international sources for Australian adaptations (these are not included in the comparison count as they can be easily identified in the database).

˚˚˚

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 18,534 people who viewed pages on the site between 10 May 2018 and 10 May 2019. Of these 6,280 people investigated the Archive further, at an average of 2.99 pages per person. The busiest month was June 2018 with 2,239 views and  782 visitors.

The AVTA was accessed by people from almost every country on the planet (notably absent were China, and some countries from the African and the Middle-Eastern regions). While Australia was naturally the dominant place of origin for these visitors, significant numbers of people also looked at the site from the USA, UK, New Zealand, France, Canada, Indonesia and Germany.

Public Halls • Warwick [Queensland Theatres]

Entrepreneurs

Barnett Levey

Industry

Masonic Halls

Organisations and Partnerships

Hisocks & Wilson • Wilson & Majeroni

Practitioners:

G.W. Desmond • Leslie Dix • Little Gulliver • Albert McKisson • Amy Rowe • Tubby Stevens

Scenic Artists

George Gordon

Theatres/Venues

C.Y.M.S. Hall (Warwick) • Hibernian Hall/Masonic Hall [2] (Warwick) • His Majesty’s Theatre (Warwick) • Masonic Hall [1] (Warwick) • Masonic Hall [3] (Warwick) • Olympia (Warwick) • The Stadium (Warwick) • Warwick Town Hall [2] • Warwick Town Hall [3]

Troupes:

English Glee and Burlesque Opera Co • Harry Borradale’s Sparklers • Trump Cards Revue Co  • Tubby Stevens’ Tit-Bits Revue Co

Works

Variety: Babes in the Wood (1892) • Cinderella (1931) • Robinson Crusoe (1897) • Stupid (1932)

Updated Biographies, Film Production Notes and Research Lists (PDFs)

Steve Adson • W.M. Akhurst • Arthur Aldridge • Anzac Coves • Verna Bain • S.S. Baldwin • Harry Barrington • Ike Beck • Syd Beck • James Bell • Madame Bell • W.H. Bent • Elton Black • The Bletsoes • Bletsoe’s Tabloid Musical Comedy Co • Fred Bluett • Harry Borradale • Bovis Bros • Martin C. Brennan • Lester Brown • Lawrence Campbell • Les Cannis • E.J. Carroll • Cheer-Oh Girls • N.H. Connolly • Claude Dampier • William Edgeley • Ted Gabriel • Alexander Habbe • G.W. Hean • Dick Heaney • Andy Kerr • Frank Levy • John Little • Harold T. Morgan • George Wallace

Fads & Fashion: Dance • Fads & Fashion: Flappers • Fads & Fashion: Physical Culture & Sports Crazes • Fads & Fashion: Technology

International Tourists: A • International Tourists: B • International Tourists: C • International Tourists: D • International Tourists: F • International Tourists: H • International Tourists: IJ • International Tourists: K • International Tourists: L • International Tourists: P • International Tourists: R • International Tourists: S • International Tourists: T • International Tourists: W

About • Site Map • Timeline 1 [1800-1899] • Timeline 2 [1900-1999] • Index 1 • Index 2

1890 • 1891 • 1892 • 1893 • 1894 • 1895 • 1896 • 1897 • 1898 • 1898 • 1899 1930 • 1931 • 1932 • 1933 • 1934 • 1935

Works Index

New Research Notes (PDFs)

• New York Serenaders [1] • Olympia (Rockhampton, Qld)

Updated Research Notes

Golden Gate Gardens (Sydney) • Mechanics Institutes

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The AVTA is another publication from

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. This year, 2018, marks its seventh year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 3,000 new records. Many entries have also been updated.

Two projects initiated in 2016-17 were continued during past twelve months. These were:

1. Replacing all abbreviations in PDF biographies with full citation details; and
2. Updating and reformatting all Biograhies (PDFs) and Research Notes (PDFs), while also adding new ones. The rapidly increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – means that the traditional researched biography can now be out of date almost as soon as it is published. The Research Notes alternative therefore provides interim historical insights.

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In addition to the above projects, 122 new entries were also added. This involved 60 new agent entries, 62 new works entries, and  2 new sections. All previously published research notes pdfs (55) were updated and/or reformatted. 8 new Research Notes PDFs were also published. Several biographies were updated and expanded, too, – notably Fred Bluett and Ella Airlie.

On 10 May 2018 the Australian Variety Theatre Archive comprised 1,426 agent entries (people, organisations, and miscellaneous industry activity); and 1,654 individual works entries (not counting revivals). To put this in perspective, that’s more than double the number of entries (up to and including 1935) currently recorded in AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, and at least five times as many Australian-written works identified by AusStage for the same period.* Both AustLit and AusStage are university-operated, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded databases. The AVTA is a privately-operated resource that hasn’t cost Australian tax-payers a single cent.

* NB: AusStage also records non-Australian-written productions (or events) produced in this country, which makes it very difficult to isolate locally-written works. AustLit, on the other hand, focuses on Australian works  only – albeit with some basic records identifying any international sources for Australian adaptations (these are not included in the comparison count as they can be easily identified in the database).

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Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 22,606 people who visited the site between 10 May 2017 and 10 May 2018 (another new record). Of these 7,917 people investigated the Archive further, at an average of 2.62 pages per person. The busiest month was July 2017 with 2,271 visitors.

The AVTA was accessed by people from almost every country on the planet (notably absent were China, and some countries from the African and the Middle-Eastern regions). While Australia was naturally the dominant place of origin for these visitors, significant numbers of people also looked at the site from the USA, UK, New Zealand, France, Canada, Indonesia and Germany.

Radio & Variety • World War I

Film and Vaudeville

British Biograph Co [1] • Williamson’s Bio-Tableau

Industry

Charlie Vaude’s Sporting Globe Series • Laurence Halbert • Tom Liddiard

International Tourists

Mel B. Spurr

Organisations and Partnerships

Birch, Carroll & Coyle • Brooks Amusement Co

Practitioners:

Bluett & Mo • Louis Braham • Peter Brooks • Maggie Buckley • Tommy Clyde • Dinks & Trixie • Rus Garling • Reg Harrison • Minnie Hope • Josie Johnson • Ada Juneen • Claire Lloyd • Fred Monument • Cyril Northcote • Seyffer Twins • Elvie Stagpoole • The Sundowners • Will Watkins

 Practitioners: Other

Len Budrick

Radio & Variety

Four Bright Spirits • The Futurists • Harry Graham’s Snapshots • Radio Revellers •  Wal Rockley’s Old Time Minstrels

Revusical Ballets and Chorus’

Paul Stanhope Revue Co

Stage Characters

Billo and His Little Bit of Fluff

Theatres/Venues

Astley’s Amphitheatre (Melb) • Empire Theatre (Brunswick, Melb) • Opera House [2] (Melb) • Princess Theatre [1] (Melb) • Tivoli Theatre [2] (Sydney)

Troupes:

Ada Juneen’s English Burlesque & Comedy Co • Brooklyn Entertainers • Dandies of 1923 • The Follies [Hobart, 1920-1921] • Futurists [1] • Futurists [2] • Harry Ross Revue Co • Josie Johnson’s Pantomime Co • Josie Johnson Wonder Kids • Kelly and Leon’s Comedy Opera Co • Leon & Cushman’s Minstrels • Liddiard’s Lilliputians • Luxor Smilers • Merry Mascottes • Punchinellos [1] • Punchinellos [2] • The Radios • So and So’s [2] • Tait’s Variety Entertainers • Vaudeville Specialty Union

Works

Variety: The Bag (1926) • Bric-a-Brac (1919) • Count Ivanitch (1926) • Dixie Maid (1927) • The Doll-Makers (1923) • Explosions (1928)  • Here and Hereafter (1923) • Hoity Toity (1928) • In or Out (1920) • Mixed Bathers (1928) • Pot Pourri (1928) • Revueland (1923) • School Days (1919) • The Silver Slipper (1920) • Snip Snaps (1928) • Special Mixtures (1928) • The Spring of Gladness (1923) • Star Shells (1927) • Tip Top (1920) • Tumble Inn (1919) • 25 Whizz-Bangs (1927) • Vanity Fair (1919) • Yes and No (1920)

Film & Vaudeville: The Adventures of Algy (1925) • [Alfred Cunningham] • [Australian Talkie Shorts] • [The Dartos] (1901) • Getting Through (1929) • [Honi Soit – Five Minute Movie] • Hullo Marmaduke (1924) • [Jack Cannot] • Lindsay Kemble (1915) • Nice Goings on at Henley Beach (1914) • Percy Gets a Job (1912) • Percy’s First Holiday (1914) • Show Girl’s Luck (1931)

Radio & Variety: At the Farmer’s Ball (1927) • At the Old Bush Camp (1929) • Billy Maloney & His Scandals (1924) • Four Bright Spirits • The Futurists (1927) • Harry Graham’s Snapshots (1928) • [Humphrey Bishop Revue] (1929) • Midnight at Maxim’s (1930) • [Mirth Quakers Revue] (1929) • Modern Costume Comedy (1930) • Now and Then: Sidelights on Old Sydney (1930) • Radio Revellers (1927) • Sundowners Radio Revue (1927) • [Sunshine Comedy Co Revue] (1930) • [Sydney Operatic Society Revue] (1929) • [untitled revue] 1930 • Wal Rockley’s Old-Time Minstrels (1930)

 Published and Unpublished Texts: “Forgiveness” (n/e) • “Miss Nellie Stewart…” (Finn, 1908) • “Mr Bill Noble…” (anon, 1913) • “Mr Harold Ashton (anon, 1912) • “Mr Tom Liddiard…” (anon, 1911) • “Pretty Pictures: Jack Campbell. (Of the Newtown Hippodrome)” (anon, 1912) • “Soldier Boy” (Phillips, 1918″) • “Sydney — Ninety-Nine” (Farrelly, 1940) • “Twenty Years Ago” (Bluett, 1920)

New Biographies (PDFs)

[Australian Talkie Shorts] (1929) • Getting Through (1929) • [Honi Soit Five Minute Movie] (1918) • Lindsay Kemp (1915) • So and So’s [1]

Updated Bios, Film Production Notes and Research Lists [rl] (PDFs)

A.R. Abbott • Adventures of Algy (1925) • An Interrupted Divorce (1917) • Ella Airlie • Fred Bluett • Jimmy Boyle • Jack Campbell • Charlie at the Sydney Show (1916) • Charlie Vaude Sporting Globe Series (1939-1940) • Cinesound Varieties (1934) • Diggers (1931) • Diggers in Blighty (1933) • Efftee Entertainers (1931-33) • Films Featuring Variety Practitioners [rl] • Alexander Habbe • Harmony Row (1934) • Hello Marmaduke (1924) • His Royal Highness (1934) • William Kinchela • Dot Mendoza • Oh What a Night (1932) • Show Business (1938) • Strike Me Lucky (1934) • Tivoli Celebrity Vaudeville • Variety Practitioners in Film [rl] • Fred C. Whaite • Who’s Who Costume Revue Entertainers

New Research Notes (PDFs)

A.E. Balnaves • Bluett & Mo • Len Budrick • Fred Monument • Nightingale Serenaders [1] • Punchinellos [1] • Punchinellos [2] • So and So’s [2] • So and So’s [3] • Reg Stoneham

Updated Research Notes

W.G. Alma • Alma’s All-Star Co • Apollo Hall (Melb) • Australasian Publicity Bureau • Mona Barlee • Bert Ralton & His Havana Band • George H. Birch • Oswald Bishop • Blondonette Lady Minstrels • British Bioscope Company • May Brooke • Frank Cane • Myra Carden • Billie Carlyle • Gilbert Emery • H. Florack • George Gibbons • Golden Gate Gardens (Syd) • Ben Goodson • Goodson Brothers • Nat Hanley • Charlie Horton • Frank Hussey • Joe Slater Publishing • Richard Kenna • Stanley A. Kilminster • Marie La Varre • Hal Lashwood • Tom Liddiard • Vaibin Louis • Robert McLeish • Lottie’s Royal Magnet Troupe • Lyceum Pictures • Eric Masters • Dot Mendoza • Fred Monument • Nightingale Serenaders • Cyril Northcote • Northcote Theatre (Melb) • North’s Concerts (Melb) • Lang Page •  “Banjo” Patterson • Prince of Wales Theatre [1] (Melb) • Punchinellos [1] • Punchinellos [2] • The Racoons • Joe Slater • Stampini • State Entertainers • Swastika Players • J. Harding Tucker • Frank Weston • Weston & Hussey’s Minstrels

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The AVTA is another publication from