Pianist and Variety Performer

[Oates]

I've posted these before separately with no replies but perhaps in this board, I'll have more luck. A mod could delete this post and move the originals here or delete the originals and leave this one if there's a problem.

My gg grandfather (1871-1932) was, according to my grandma, a paper blinds factory owner and also a pianist for the silent movies and a piano tuner and teacher. (From a different branch of the family to the trick cyclist in the other thread).

Does anyone know where I might find mention of any of this? Would any of it appear in old newspapers for example or could there be records for the factory somewhere? I've found bits about silent film pianists on the internet. This site was useful - https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/re..._pianist.shtml Could there be something about individual cinemas and their pianists somewhere?

Also, my great grandfather's brother (b1882) on the other side of the family was a trick cyclist who at some point supposedly performed in front of the King/Queen. According to the 1901 census, he was already a 'cyclist rider - variety stage' by this time. He is boarding with a family in Middlesbrough but what I didn't notice before is the profession of another boarder in the same house: an American - Mr Cornstock - is manager of Poole's Myriorama. I haven't found a mention of Mr Cornstock anywhere else on the internet though. Most of their neighbours are labourers at iron or steel works but there is a musician and also an 'electrician at theatre' on the same page.

Poole's Myriorama was a travelling panorama show (almost like an early cinema) featuring variety acts. This newspaper advert from 1897 shows examples of some of the acts and this advertising brochure from 1901 might have some more information (held by the National Media Museum in Bradford). There's also a book about it by Hudson John Powell.

I was wondering if anyone remembers anything about it or has an ancestor who worked for the myriorama (not anything from the internet, I've got plenty of that). Also, does anyone know of records for this type of thing (e.g. old theatre bills) in particular for Royal Variety Performances?

The first performance, on July 1, 1912, was called the Royal Command Performance, and this name has persisted informally for the event. This was held in the Palace Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, London, in the presence of King George V and Queen Mary. The king said he would attend a once-yearly variety show, provided the profits went to the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund, as the EABF was then known. This first staging was a lavish occasion, and the theatre was decorated with 3 million roses draped around the auditorium and over the boxes.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Variety_Performance)

I've had a look around various websites but haven't found anything yet. Percy and Mr Cornstock (can't see a first name for him on the census) aren't listed on any of the fairground censuses here and neither is the myriorama.

[Sue Mackay]

Have you tried the Times Digital Archive? An ancestor of mine, Tom BLACKLOCK, was sraight man for Wee Georgie Wood, and was in the 1927 Royal Variety Performance, and I found a small write up in the Times. My father was also a theatre producer, and when I put his name into the search engine I got hundreds of hits, which got me quite excited until I realised half of them were advertisements for the same long running play he produced in the West End!!

[Oates]

Good idea. Will do. Can that be accessed for free at the local library?

[uksearch]

Good idea. Will do. Can that be accessed for free at the local library?

Amongst other places you can get it when you join the 24 hour library service run by Manchester City Council.

https://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/sc...0&pageNumber=1

[Mutley]

Or join up for the online service at:

https://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/cgi-bin/vlib.sh

then click Information and Reference, Newspapers Online

[Oates]

Thanks Mutley. I joined that one because the Manchester one requires a 5 day wait for a welcome pack to be sent. Sadly, I haven't found him yet. I have found a Percy Clark, surgeon for the police who comes up in most of the entries. I'll keep looking though.