The Lorgnette

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The Lorgnette, subtitled "Theatrical Journal and Programme" (later "A journal for Amusements"), was a weekly magazine in Melbourne, Australia, devoted to theatre, opera and the concert stage. The magazine was published Saturdays and sold for 2d (two pence) at the major entertainment venues (Theatre Royal, Opera House, Academy of Music, Princess' Theatre, St George's Hall and Town Hall) where it had exclusive rights, and elsewhere.

For much of its existence, a four-page supplement was issued with the Saturday two pence (from 1890 one penny)[1] paper. The supplement was available gratis as a separate publication every other day of the week.[2] This supplement was printed (and contents updated) daily, and datestamped.

In order to promote forthcoming productions as well as providing up-to-date theatre news and current programmes, a great deal of its content was reprinted from one issue to the next, perhaps a unique characteristic of this magazine, while some features changed with every issue, notably the illustrated biographies, a list of which forms a large part of this article.

History

A sheet called The Lorgnette made its first appearance in Melbourne in July 1865, "a local Punch" without pictures"[3] and was hailed by The Argus for its "considerable spirit".[4]

In April 1877, following a complaint from Joseph Alfred Hildreth, publisher of rival theatrical paper L'Entracte,[5] John J. Liddy, publisher of "The Lorgnette" at Royal lane, off 106 Bourke Street east, was fined £5 with £2 2s. costs for having an unregistered press and types in his possession.[6]

William Marshall

In 1878 William Marshall, of Melbourne's The Record and Emerald Hill and Sandridge Advertiser ("The Record") newspaper, with printing works at Emerald Hill,[7] purchased The Lorgnette and its printery, and continued running both businesses.[8] Marshall divested himself of The Record in 1881.[9]

The printing works was adjacent the Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, which was destroyed by fire in April 1889. Marshall suffered significant losses[10] as did the Brough-Boucicault Comedy Company, lessees of the theatre. Members of the acting community put on a benefit performance for Marshall, which raised £582. Those involved included George Coppin, the Majeronis, J. C. Williamson, Richard Stewart, Grattan Riggs, Fred Maccabe, Alfred Dampier, Henry Harwood, and Bland Holt.[11]

A feature of issues from 11 May 1889 to 6 December 1890 was a biography of a prominent artist,[12] accompanied by a photo-engraved (perhaps leggotype) portrait, a list of which appears below.

In January 1889 Marshall purchased Fred E. Patey's interest in the Theatrical Courier[13] and henceforth the Lorgnette was subtitled "With which is incorporated The Theatrical Courier".

11 May 1889 saw the first of the weekly series of biographies which continued to December 1890.

17 January 1891 was the last (Saturday) weekly issue at 1d. It was followed with an issue labelled "4th Series No. 1" dated 18 January, and was supplied gratis. It appears that, as with the Supplements mentioned above, fresh issues with updates could have been printed every day.

John Liddy, who maintained a personal (if not financial) interest in the paper, died in January 1891[14]

In 1898 William Marshall & Co. moved from Royal Lane to new premises at 229 Little Collins Street (just above Swanston Street.[15] The old premises had been condemned as unfit in 1895 and again in 1896.[16] Marshall died on 12 June 1900, aged 55, fondly remembered by the theatre community.[17]

The Lorgnette biographies

More information Date, Name ...
DateNameaka
1889 05 11Miss Isabel MorrisUK actress[18]
1889 05 11Dion Boucicault Jr.IRE manager[19]
1889 05 11Robert BroughUK actor manager[20]
1889 05 18Alfred DampierUK actor manager[21]
1889 05 25Grattan RiggsThomas G. RiggsUS actor[22]
1889 06 01George S. CoppinUK actor manager[23]
1889 06 08Philip Beck[24]Phil BeckUK actor[25]
1889 06 15Miss Myra KembleMrs J. H. WhiteAUS actress[26]
1889 06 22Fred Maccabe[24]Fred McCabeUK standup comic[27]
Married Mdlle Minnia[28]
1889 06 29Eduardo MajeroniITA actor manager[29]
1889 07 06Thomas P. HudsonUK entertainer / manager[30]
1889 07 13Miss Maggie KnightAUS actress[31]
Married H. R. Jewett[28]
1889 07 20Harry LynchLynch Family bellringersAUS bellringer[32]
1889 07 27Miss Emma ChambersMrs Albert Marsh (1889–)UK actress manager[33]
1889 08 03Arthur Garnermember, "The Triumvirate"AUS manager[34]
1889 08 10G. H. SnazelleUK entertainer[35]
1889 08 17Miss Janet AchurchUK actress[36]
1889 08 24Miss Jennie LeeUK actress[37]
Married J. P. Burnett[28]
1889 08 31Signora Majeroniniece of RistoriITA actress[38]
1889 09 07George Fawcett RoweGeorge FawcettAUS actor[39]
1889 09 14The Royal MidgetsGeneral Mite; Mrs Mite
Francis J. Flynn (died in Broken Hill November 1898)		entertainers[40]
1889 09 21Edward Armes BeaumontArmes BeaumontAUS operatic tenor[41]
1889 09 28Henry EdwardsUK actor[42]
1889 10 05Wybert ReeveUK actor playwright[43]
1889 10 12Edwin F. ThorneUS actor[44] Note that a correction to the filename is pending at WM Commons
1889 10 19Miss Edith Blande[24]UK actress[45] married critic, stage biographer Austin Brereton (1862–1922)
1889 10 26Miss Olive Berkley[24]US child actress[46] born Olivia Venetia Berkley in New York, 1879, played Little Lord Fauntleroy
1889 11 02Martin SimonsenAUS violinist manager[47]
1889 11 09Henry BracyUK light opera[48]
1889 11 16Miss Elsa MayElcia MayAUS operatic prima donna[49]
Married Boothroyd Fairclough[28]
1889 11 23Frank ThorntonUK comedian[50]
1889 11 30Miss Lilian TreeUK operatic singer[51]
1889 12 07Knight AstonUK light opera[52]
1889 12 14George Sutton TitheradgeUK actor[53]
1889 12 21W. G. CareyAUS actor[54]
1889 12 28Miss Lily Dampierdaughter of AlfredUK actress[55]
1890 01 04Madame Fanny SimonsenFRA operatic prima donna[56]
1890 01 11Charles WarnerUK actor[57]
1890 01 18James AllisonAUS stage manager[58]
1890 01 25Miss Fanny WisemanMrs William SouthUK actress[59]
1890 02 01James F. CathcartUK actor[60]
1890 02 08Mrs Robert BroughFlorence TrevelyanAUS actress[61]
1890 02 15George R. IrelandAUS actor[62]
1890 02 22Benjamin N. JonesUS stage manager[63]
1890 03 01Mrs Brown-PotterUS actress[64]
1890 03 08Miss Gracie WarnerUK actress[65]
1890 03 15John Lawrence TooleUK comedian[66]
1890 03 22Madame Marian BurtonUK opera singer[67]
1890 03 29George DarrellAUS actor author[68]
1890 04 05George William AnsonUK actor[69]
1890 04 12Percy LyndalUK actor[70]
1890 04 19Miss Pattie BrowneAUS actress[71]
Married W. Baumann[28]
1890 04 26John BillingtonUK actor[72]
1890 05 03Jules SimonsenAUS light opera[73]
1890 05 10Alexander MayneAUS manager recitations[74]
1890 05 17Sir Charles HalléUK pianist[75]
1890 05 24Henry R. HarwoodUK comedian[76]
1890 05 31Dion BoucicaultIRE actor[77]
1890 06 07Miss Jenny Watt-TannerAUS actress[78]
1890 06 14Cecil WardAUS actor[79]
1890 06 21Professor S. S. BaldwinUS entertainer[80]
1890 06 28George RignoldUK actor[81]
1890 07 05Mrs Bland HoltFlorence AndersonUK actress manager[82]
1890 07 12William RignoldUK actor[83]
1890 07 19Miss Maude WilliamsonUK actress[84]
1890 07 26Cecil ForresterAUS actor[85]
1890 08 02Miss Roland Watts-PhillipsUK actress[86]
1890 08 09Edward SassUK actor[87]
1890 08 16A. E. GreenawayAUS actor[88]
1890 08 23Kyrle BellewUK actor[89]
Married Eugenie Le Grande[28]
1890 08 30A. Litherland CunardUK stage manager[90]
1890 09 06Christine DarrellAUS actress[91]
1890 09 13George LeopoldUK comedian[92]
1890 09 20Hubert O'GradyIRE comedian author[93]
1890 09 27Miss Eloise JunoSCO actress[94]
1890 10 04Miss Olga NethersoleUK actress[95]
1890 10 11Miss Maggie MooreMrs J. C. WilliamsonUS actress[96]
1890 10 18Laurence CautleyUK actor[97]
1890 10 25John Rodger GrevilleAUS comedian manager[98]
1890 11 01Madame PateyUK singer[99]
1890 11 08Mrs Walter HillAUS actress[100]
1890 11 15Miss Fanny EnsonUK actress[101]
1890 11 22Miss E. RomerUK actress[102]
1890 11 29William EltonUK comedian[103]
1890 12 06George LeitchGeorge Ralf WalkerUK comedian playwright[104]
Close

Digitization

Photographic copies of The Lorgnette from 1 July 1878 to 1 December 1898 have been digitized by the National library of Australia and may be accessed via Trove. In the "4th Series" a representative issue from the first of each month has been digitized.

References

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