Sam Cowell (1820-1864) was one of the earliest music hall performers, although he began his theatrical life in the legitimate theatre. He later specialised in character comedy songs such as ‘Villikins and his Dinah’ and the sad tale of ‘The Ratcatchers Daughter’. In addition to several early photographs, the Collection also has two scrapbooks given by his descendants. Consumption and alcohol caused Sam’s death at the age of 44.

Belle Elmore (1873-1910) had little success as an opera singer and not much more as a music hall performer. However she achieved a kind of fame through marriage – her husband was Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen who poisoned her.

Marie Lloyd (1870-1922)
Perhaps the best known figure in the history of the music-hall, Marie Lloyd was an enormously popular figure and many of her 'character' songs such as 'Oh Mr. Porter' are still staple fare of most music-hall revivals. Her colourful private life was unacceptable to the moral standards of the establishment but never diminished her popularity with the general public.

Gracie Fields (1898-1979)
'Our Gracie' was probably as popular in her own day as Marie Lloyd had been in hers. From her humble beginnings in Rochdale, Lancashire, she became a star on both stage and screen. At one time she appeared in a straight play, 'S.O.S.' in which she committed suicide at the end of Act 1, thus enabling her to appear later that evening in variety at the Coliseum and Alhambra theatres, followed by late-night cabaret at the Café Royal!

Ed. E. Ford
Not everyone became famous, of course, and there is very little we can tell you about Ed. E. Ford apart from the fact that he called himself 'The Australian Paradoxical Physiognomist'. If you know more, perhaps you could tell us!