This week we have added 114,026 new pages to The Archive. We have updated three of our Irish titles, and there are also updates to titles covering the city of Liverpool and the county of Gloucestershire. There are additions to one of our Scottish titles, the Peeblesshire Advertiser.

This week sees the addition of the year 1890 to our fascinating title the Music Hall and Theatre Review. Offering an intriguing glimpse into the world of Victorian entertainment, issues from 1890 contain delightful coloured cartoons of the most popular acts of the day.

One such portrait is of Fred W Millis, the great Australian ventriloquist. With the paper’s particular energetic and at times whimsical approach to narrative, a depiction of the entertainer’s life is offered. From Australia to New Zealand, Fred W Millis honed his ‘peculiar gifts,’ also finding the time to save, ‘at great risk to himself,’ four people from drowning. Travelling then to Hawaii, and on to San Francisco, he found great success, often using his abilities to throw the general public into much confusion. His ‘bright, crisp and sparkling’ wit eventually saw him arrive in London, and grace the pages of the Music Hall and Theatre Review.

Music Hall and Theatre Review | 15 November 1890

The Music Hall and Theatre Review’s special charm lies in its backstage glimpse into the inner workings of the entertainment industry. However, it is not only the entertainment industry that is addressed in this way. In an issue published on 12 July 1890, the writer describes arriving at the Music Hall offices, only to find a large crowd assembled outside with reports of a riot circulating.

Inside, the writer encounters the entire staff dancing and whooping around the office, with tables smashed and documents destroyed. Meanwhile, the unfortunate office boy, under the influence of excitement and bad whisky, had put his head through a glass door. The rioters demanded ‘£10 per week, lodging, washing, and drinks included; three hours work a day and holidays when they required them.’

‘Not very exorbitant’ terms, the writer dryly remarks. Whether or not this riot actually occurred, it is an interesting glimpse into working life at an 1890s newspaper. You can read the article in full here, and discover more about performing arts newspapers in The Archive by reading this blog.

UPDATED TITLES

This week we have updated some of our recently added titles.

You can learn more about each of the titles we have added to this week by clicking on their names. On each paper’s title page, you can read a FREE sample issue, learn more about our current holdings, and our plans for digitisation.

Register now and explore the Archive

You can keep up to date with all the latest additions by visiting the recently added page.  You can even look ahead to see what we’re going to add tomorrow.