Music sheet cover, 'The Palace Lancers'

Music sheet cover
'The Palace Lancers'
Designed by H. G. Banks, printed by Charles Sheard and Company
1891
Palace Theatre, London
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The Palace Lancers music cover celebrates the opening of the Palace Theatre of Varieties in London's Cambridge Circus. The theatre originally opened in 1891 as the Royal English Opera House, built by D'Oyly Carte to house Sullivan's serious operas. This was to placate him for writing the more lucrative operettas with Gilbert. When the opera house failed to attract business, successful producer Sir Augustus Harris took it over and opened it in November 1892 as a variety theatre. At the end of the 20th century, as the Palace Theatre, it became the home of the long-running musical Les Miserables. The image on the cover depicts the front of the theatre and Harris, who had received his knighthood in 1891. The cover design, featuring roundels, is a style that is typical of the illustrator H.G.Banks.

Music sheet cover, 'Mr Gorilla, The Lion of the Season'

<p> Music sheet cover Mr Gorilla, The Lion of the Season, designed by Alfred Concanen, printed by Stannard and Dixon, mid to late 19th century</p>

Music sheet cover
'Mr Gorilla, The Lion of the Season'
Designed by Alfred Concanen, printed by Stannard and Dixon
Mid to late 19th century
Museum no. S.676:1-2012
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

This song, sung by Howard Paul in one of his popular entertainments, probably in the early 1870s, satirised the exploits of African explorer Paul Du Chaillu. The song begins with the lines 'Ladies and gentlemen how do you do, I am the gorilla of Monsieur Chaillu'. Paul Chaillu was probably the first white man to see a gorilla. In his 1859 book Explorations and Adventures in Equatorial Africa he tells the story of his travels, including chasing the gorilla, and cannibal tribes which filed their teeth to keep them sharp. He claimed to have travelled 8,000 miles on foot during his journey. He shot and stuffed 2,000 birds and brought back the first specimen gorilla. However people ridiculed his achievements and coined the phrase 'Du Chaillu' , referring to someone who would tell wild stories. Nevertheless, Chaillu's expedition was defended by the Royal Geographic society of Great Britain. It is thought that Chaillu was the inspiration for the book Tarzan of the Apes written by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Music sheet cover, 'Bother the Men'

Music sheet cover
'Bother the Men'
Sung by Mrs Howard Paul
Mid to late 19th century
Museum no. S.750-2012
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Bother The Men was a topical song sung by Isabelle Hill, or Mrs Howard Paul, probably in the early 1870s. This illustration shows her dressed as the fictitious Women's Rights campaigner 'Miss Grym', lecturing on Women's Rights. The suffrage movement began to cause a stir in London at the turn of the 20th century when women campaigned for the right to vote. However women had been campaigning for rights to land, property and inheritance long before this. Mary Walker, whose name appears on the spine of one of the books in this illustration, was an American feminist who was the first woman doctor in the American Civil War in the 1860s. She was arrested several times for masquerading as a man and published two books in the early 1870s. In their bid to raise public awareness of their fight suffragettes gained a reputation for being loud, aggressive and unfeminine. 'Bother the Men' seems to satirise such women.

Music sheet cover, 'Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay'

Music sheet cover
'Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay'
Sung by Lottie Collins
Designed by W. T. Stannard, printed by Charles Sheard and Company, written by Richard Morton, music arranged by Angelo A. Asher
About 1891
Museum no. S.4105-2009
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Music hall performer Lottie Collins became a household name thanks to the song 'Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay' and the dance that went with it. She would begin the song slowly and quietly and then at the end of the first verse she would leave a long pause, put one hand on her hip and launch into the chorus and a wild can-can dance. Her high kicks, accompanied by a big drum and 'an excited foam of lace petticoat' delighted or shocked audiences, depending on their sensibilities. The playwright George Bernard Shaw went to see her perform in 1892 while still in his 20s and described how she did three low kicks on the 'Ta-ra-ra' and then a high kick on the 'boom'. He added admiringly, 'Miss Collins appears to be in fine athletic training.'

Music sheet cover, 'The Belle of Belgrave Square'

Music sheet cover
'The Belle of Belgrave Square or Lady Audley's Kitchen Maid's Secret'
Published by Hopwood and Crew, written by Watkin Williams, composed by C. Solomons
Late 19th century
Museum no. S.338-2012
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The Belle of Belgrave Square or Lady Audley's Kitchen Maid's Secret. This music hall song refers to the popular novel Lady Audley"s Secret, which was written by Mary Elizabeth Braddon in 1862. That was a lurid and melodramatic tale of bigamy, gold- digging and murder amongst the aristocracy of London"s Belgravia. The young, beautiful and gracious Lady Audley, who recently married the elderly Sir Michael, has a dark and sinister secret, and only her maid knows the truth. Lady Audley is driven to increasingly desperate measures to keep her secret, and eventually goes mad. The book became a sensation, and was frequently dramatised in late Victorian London. This song parodies the book. Lady Audley"s maid also has a secret - the young man she is seeing. As he creeps through the house for a clandestine meeting, he has a noisy accident, that gives the game away. The music sheet cover includes a short verse that explains the scene: 'Oh! headlong in the dark I went, and with my arms outspread, Down came champagne and port wine bottles, smashing on my head, I felt the Port Wine trickling down my forehead, face, and neck. Then heard a loud voice shouting out a policeman go and get.' Buying this piece of sheet music would have cost you two shillings and sixpence, which today would be about £5.50.

Music sheet cover, 'The Boys that Mind the Shop'

Music sheet cover
'The Boys that Mind the Shop'
Sung by Vesta Tilley
Printed by Francis, Day and Hunter, written by Edgar Bateman, composed by Bennet Scott
Late 19th to early 20th century
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Vesta Tilley is depicted on this music sheet cover in dapper, close-fitting military uniform, one of the costumes that made her such a successful male impersonator. She was a huge draw on the music hall stage strutting about immaculately dressed as a serviceman, policeman, or man about town, at a time when women weren't seen wearing trousers. 'The Boys That Mind The Shop' was written by the author of music hall songs, Edgar Bateman. It poked gentle fun at one of the Rifle Volunteer battalions, part-time regiments formed in 1859 to supplement the regular forces to defend Britain against invasion or to enforce domestic order. A 19th century 'Dad's Army', they were known as 'Saturday Night Soldiers', which was when they did their training. Tradesmen and professional people alike joined the units, which is why this illustration by H.G. Banks depicts the butcher and draper as a major and captain. The song claimed that they were good shots who got bulls-eyes in rifle shooting and so deserved cheering, not sneering! When they weren't training to mind ' the shop' (Great Britain), a lot of volunteers really were minding shops - in this case a rather military shop which even features a tin of the dangerous dum-dum bullets. By 1908 the Rifle Volunteers were taken over by the Territorial Army, which still exists today.

Music sheet cover, 'Champagne Charlie'

Music sheet cover
'Champagne Charlie'
Designed by Alfred Concanen, printed by Charles Sheard
About 1860s
Museum no. S.2778-1986
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Born in 1842, George Leybourne started off singing in the East End under his real name, Joe Saunders. His big break came when he was engaged for a year at the Canterbury Music Hall at £25 a week. The song 'Champagne Charlie' was such a hit that it sent his wages up to £125 per week. He was the Victorian equivalent of a film star and lived the lifestyle to match his image, riding around London in his own carriage and four horses, with a selection of beautiful women. He dressed the part too, in a shiny top hat and fur collared coat and grew huge whiskers known as 'Piccadilly Weepers'. The song Champagne Charlie earned him the sponsorship of champagne producers Moet and Chandon because of the advertising he provided for their company. They gave him a retainer and supplies of their product. His lifestyle caught up with him eventually and he died in 1884 at the age of 42.

Music sheet cover, 'I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark'

Music sheet cover
'I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark'
Printed by Francis, Day and Hunter, composed by Egbert Van Alstyne
Early 20th century
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Hetty King was a male impersonator who worked in music hall in the early 20th century. Male impersonators like King and principal boys' in pantomime who looked entirely feminine. This music sheet, dedicated to Hetty King and featuring a photograph of her, is for a piano solo of a two-step, a ballroom dance. It is based on the music hall song 'I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark' that played on the discrepancy between appearance and reality. The young man tells his new wife that he doesn't come home till dawn because he is afraid of the dark (which we don't believe), but there is an extra edge to the joke because the young man on the stage is really a woman. Hetty was best known for her songs 'All the Nice Girls Love a Sailor' and 'Piccadilly'. She continued working as a singer until she was in her 80s.

Music sheet cover, 'She was a Clergyman's Daughter'

Music sheet cover
'She was a Clergyman's Daughter'
Sung by Ada Reeve
Printed by Francis, Day and Hunter, composed by Austin Rudd
About 1910
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Ada Reeve gave her first performance at the age of four in the pantomime Red Riding Hood on Boxing Day 1878 at the Pavilion Theatre in London's Whitechapel. She went on to make her name in George Edwardes' musical comedies at the Gaiety Theatre in the 1890s when she appeared in The Shop Girl opposite Seymour Hicks. She continued to perform as a leading lady in successful shows including Floradora at the Lyric Theatre. ‘She Was a Clergyman’s Daughter’ was a risque but seemingly innocent music hall song about a clergyman's daughter who wasn't quite as naive or charitable as she made out. It was the type of song that Marie Lloyd sang so well with knowing winks and gestures. As we see from the photograph on the sheet music, Ada Reeve sang this in a demure costume of a beaded and flounced dress and bonnet. Ada Reeve’s career spanned over 70 years. She performed in comedy and vaudeville in South Africa, the USA and Australia. In 1935 she settled again in England appearing in cabaret, revue, theatre and, later on, film and television. She was a much admired performer well into her 70s and died in 1966 at the age of 92.

Music sheet cover, 'Bubbles'

Music sheet cover
'Bubbles'
Printed by Ascherberg, Hopwood and Crew Limited
May 1917
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

This music sheet is for ‘Bubbles’, a piano solo arrangement of songs from the popular revue Bubbly. It includes the songs 'We'll have a little Cottage', 'Reckless Reggie' and 'She'd a Hole in her Stocking'. Bubbly opened at the Comedy Theatre in May 1917 and featured 12 sketches, or 'Bubbles', as they were billed. The public loved the light and frothy mixture of songs and sketches which were a much-needed antidote to the gloomy news about World War I. The cast included the 25 year old Jack Hulbert, who went on to become a star of musical comedy. Bubbly was produced by Andre Charlot, the Frenchman who was one of the most prolific 20th-century West End producers. He became famous for his series of intimate revues, some co-produced by the great showman C.B.Cochran.