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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

The Alhambra Sandgate was once owned by George Leybourne junior, son of the famous Champagne Charlie himself George Leybourne. #MHVD2026

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

#MusicHallVarietyDay The Alhambra Sandgate, by the seaside near Folkestone, saw many of the popular artistes in the early days of their career including Charles Coburn ‘The Man who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo’ who wrote about it in his memoirs. #MHVD2026

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

I’ll see you for Souper at the Alhambra, Leicester Square. 1899 #MHVD2025 #MHVD

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Loughborough Road Histories @roadsw9.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Lily Burnand was a music hall comedienne well know for comedy songs. She enjoyed a day out when not working and was an enthusiastic coachist. Was she driving? July 1906 her coach trip to Box Hill from her ‘charming residence’ on Loughboro’ Road was reported in the The Era. #MusicHallMonday

Black and white photo postcard of music hall comedienne Lily Burnand with a fluffy white dog

The Era 21 July 1906 from British Newspaper Archives
Notice of Lily Burnand’s coaching party to Box Hill

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Loughborough Road Histories @roadsw9.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Blanche’s sister, Lilian, was another acrobat, performing with family till she formed the glass pyramid acrobatic act, Victoria and Ramoo with her husband Alf. A bit here by @legmania.bsky.social about them www.layersoflondon.org/map/records/... #IWD2025 #musichall 2/4

layersoflondon.org

Victoria & Ramoo, 8 Mostyn Road [1914-1916]

Married couple, Victoria and Ramoo, whose real name was Alfred Edwards, lived for a while at 8 Mostyn Road while they were performing with their amazing crystal pyramid. The pyramid was made from glas...

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Alison Young @youngalison.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

As those who know my posts from ‘the other place’ I have been a keen observer of the sub-category #MusicHallTeeth Here’s a clipping from the Music Hall & Theatre Review Aug 1906- The People’s Teeth Association, ‘Dainty Teeth for Actresses’ 🦷#MusicHallMonday

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

It’s #MusicHallMonday. Time for another selection of #MusicHall programmes 1895-1905. There’s a bit of competition for moustache of the week. @musichallsociety.bsky.social @youngalison.bsky.social @roadsw9.bsky.social @intothelimelight.bsky.social

Three music hall programme covers all with different graphic type face. The programme on right shows illustration of building. The centre programme showing small cameo photos of 3 men with moustaches

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Loughborough Road Histories @roadsw9.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Fantastic start yesterday to 1st European Circus History Conference yesterday with a walk to visit Astley’s Amphitheatre and Hughes Royal Circus sites. #circus #circushistory

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British Music Hall Society @musichallsociety.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

As the 1st European Circus History Conference takes place this weekend, as a nod to that, for #SheetMusicSaturday here is the Hippodrome March by Theo. Bonheur feat. an equestrian show in the ring #MusicHall #circus

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Charlie Holland @charlieholland.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

It's raining in London today but the forecast is sunny for Friday and the Birth of the Circus walk! The speakers' presentations are arriving and look amazing. There are a handful of tickets left for the 1st European Circus History Conference so join us if you can circusconference.org. #c18th #c19th

illustration: a circular riding arena with an equestrian standing on a horse. There's a viewing gallery to one side and in the background are trees and an expansive sky. 1777 Astley’s interior by William Capon - © The Trustees of the British Museum. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution - Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence.

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

The 1890s Alhambra Theatre programmes were stylishly simple on the outside but had everything going on inside. #MusicHallMonday #MusicHall

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Heather Tweed @heathertweed.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

#musichallmonday Music Hall Starter Pack reminder! 🔔 Great folk to follow for all your Music Hall requirements!🎶 🥾🎭 go.bsky.app/B9UJdQY

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Alison Young @youngalison.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

How many ‘handsome’ cigar/cigarette/card cases did the #MusicHall profession dole out? 125 years ago #OTD The Era recorded these two #MusicHallMonday

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

With expert hairdresser and chiropodist! They thought of everything

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

It is a revelation @victurk that Brixton baths were advertised as both ladies & gents where others were gents only or ladies only. Thanks

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Victorian Turkish Baths @victurk.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

These are the ones. Opened, with plunge pool, by Earle Bird on 22 Oct 1892. Bought by Hy Wm Rance c.1900 who sold it to the amazing William Cooper in 1910. He added others to form the Savoy Baths chain. He initiated use of betowelled gentleman who appeared on London signs & sandwich-boards. 🗃️ #19thc

Photo of the exterior of the baths in Rance's time, with keyhole overlays over the upper floor windows. The general appearance, both inside and outside, was in a pseudo-Moorish style.

Busy street scene with the baths, now part of Cooper's Savoy chain, visible centre background. The spindle decorations still show, but the sign has changed.

Betowelled bather as a lifesize enamelled sign, with Savoy Turkish Baths in large type over the towel, and listing the branches that were still open in the 1920s.

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Be still my beating heart💕 and the be-towelled gentlemen ooh la la

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

I bet Julie didn’t didn’t do much bookkeeping after she sold the restaurant!

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Oh that’s great. I’ve been researching the development of Burton crescent too for a biography of a jobbing builder. I’ll be keen to follow your progress. Chris

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

I see see and raise you the magnificent Alhambra with the icky red Bartholomew’s baths in Leicester Square #MusicHall ❤️ #TurkishBaths

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Charlie Holland @charlieholland.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Here are the Turkish Baths in Leicester Square, pre-1872

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Victorian Turkish Baths @victurk.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Not seen that before—thanks for sharing. I have used 1st image below because the lettering shows clearly, & when the baths caught fire on 10 August 1930, the life of one of the attendants, Miss Evans, was saved when she hung onto a letter till the fire brigade rescued her. 🗃️ #MusicHall #TurkishBaths

Postcard showing Bartholomew's Turkish Baths and the Alhambra on the opposite side of Leicester Square, with people crossing the road in the foreground.

Newspaper cutting (source unknown) with photo of the outside of Bartholomew's Turkish Baths after the fire in 1930, and another of part of the burnt out cooling-room.

A second-class ticket for Bartholomew's Turkish Baths in Leicester Square, London, numbered 896.

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Victorian Turkish Baths @victurk.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Music Halls and Victorian #TurkishBaths don't seem to go together very often. I wonder if this will do?

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Well hello @victurk.bsky.social Here are the Stamboul Turkish baths just across from Brixton Empress #MusicHall and nearby Brixton theatre. Who knew we had so much in common 🎭 @musichallsociety.bsky.social @youngalison.bsky.social

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Restaurant Cavour run by Monsieur Oscar Philippe, with his exotic figs & fruit tree garden. Philippe, a young French waiter arrived in London in the 1860s scraped up to buy the run down cafe. He died 1907, leaving an estate worth £99000 to Julie, his bookkeeper. Sold in 1920s becoming Cafe Anglais

1900s view of Leicester Sq showing building with sign says Cavour being three houses down from Alhambra theatre

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

I see see and raise you the magnificent Alhambra with the icky red Bartholomew’s baths in Leicester Square #MusicHall ❤️ #TurkishBaths

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Paintings of London @paintingsoflondon.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

'Gallery of the Old Bedford' (c.1895) by Walter Sickert (Walker Art Gallery)

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Charlie Holland @charlieholland.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

For #MusicHallMonday, here’s a later 1937 Variety Artistes’ Federation membership card (biro for scale) with subscription stamps and death levy stamps!

Eight stamps filling the provided spaces on a page for Red Subscription Stamps.

Eight stamps filling the spaces provided for Blue Death Levy Stamps

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Monomania @intothelimelight.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Have a look at the new blog post at intothelimelight.org featuring Maggie Duggan. Hope you like it. @musichallsociety.bsky.social

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

#MusicHallMonday More #MusicHall programmes. The Ardwick Empire, Manchester 1918, with photo of Oswald Stoll, the Australian born theatre manager who founded the Stoll Moss group; the Shepherds Bush Empire 1907, another Stoll theatre, & the Lewisham Hippodrome, 1911

Three Music Hall programmes showing front panel only. Each showing an illustration of the grand buildings housing the theatres. The Ardwick Empire cover shows photo of Oswald Stoll managing director

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Loughborough Road Histories @roadsw9.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

#MusicHallMonday a gaggle of music hall burial plots at Lambeth Cemetery. Sadly few headstones. Plan shows 3 Water Rats plots. Memorial stone to Burford, Medley, Coyne and Booker. No headstones for Le Brunn, Le Clerq and others in Rats plots. JW and Amanda Cragg with headstone nearby. 1/2

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

#MusicHallMonday The London #MusicHall Shoreditch 1900. Managing Director E S Barnes. (Shoreditch High Street, demolished)

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

#MusicHallMonday 1903.The Royal Holborn Theatre of Varieties & The Middlesex Music Hall #MusicHall

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

#MusicHallMonday The Oxford Music Hall, London. Manager Harry Lundy, 1895 (Cnr Oxford St and Tottenham Court Road - demolished)

A Music Hall Programme cover in colour illustration in three panels. Centre panel says The Oxford Programme

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Some Music Hall programmes for #MusicHallMonday The vibrant colours and paper quality of the late 19th century changed as WW1 neared. #MusicHall #NineteenthCentury

Collection of 5 colourful covers of Music Hall Programmes with artwork

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Alison Young @youngalison.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

For #musichallmonday a programme for The Paragon on Mile End Road from the excellent ‘Cockney Rebels’ exhibition at Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archive #musichall

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Charlie Holland @charlieholland.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Anyone know if it is by design or coincidence that the Coade stone lion, that originally topped a nearby brewery, now faces the site of the first circus, Astley’s Amphitheatre, on London’s Southbank? #MondayMusings as circusconference.org approaches.

The Coade stone lion from the rear, its head angled towards St Thomas’ Hospital and the site of the first circus.

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Paintings of London @paintingsoflondon.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

'Piccadilly - Looking West (After Rain)' by Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith (1846-1923) (Private collection)

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Women of South London @womenofsouthlondon.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Driscoll House, a landmark building in Old Kent Road built in 1913, was known as Ada Lewis Women’s Lodging House and provided accommodation for the many young women arriving in London to work. Ada Lewis, a wealthy widow, died in 1906 and bequeathed money to build this and other similar hostels.

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Legmania @legmania.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Isn’t it great. The LOC collections are a treasure box. Beware the hours that disappear.

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Larry the Cat @number10cat.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

The Christmas tree has arrived on Trafalgar Square! It's a gift to the people of London from the people of Oslo. A tree has been given annually since 1947. Thank you our Norwegian friends 🇳🇴 🎄

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Paintings of London @paintingsoflondon.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

'London by Night in the Coronation Year of George The Fifth' (1911) by Fortunino Matania (Private collection)

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Charlie Holland @charlieholland.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Check out the awesome speakers and range of events at the 1st European Circus History Conference, in London, Fri 28/2 – Sun 2/3 2025. It focuses on the early evolution of European circus and its disciplines, c1760s – 1860s. Please spread the word! circusconference.org

A Polyorama Panoptique of the gas lit interior of the Cirque des Champs Elysées, circa 1850, with a rider holding a hoop whilst standing on a galloping horse. Image courtesy of F. Binetruy.

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Tim Hitchcock @timhitchcock.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Just because I miss some good images on here. Entry to The Strand from Charing Cross, plate twenty from Original Views of London as It Is (1842) - Thomas Shotter Boys (English, 1803-1874). Art Institute Chicago

A wide urban street scene, with an equestrian statue of Charles II on the right, a wide street ahead, and on the left St Martin in Fields church. in the foreground are two men hauling an odd carriage, spraying water. with more people on the left below the statue. There is also a couple on horseback, and a coach in the background heading across the scene.

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