Images Dated 20th December 2018

The Highly Colored Tie by J Mills and F W Venton

The Highly Coloured Tie music hall song of 1893 by J. Mills and F. W. Venton, and sung by Arthur Albert. The illustration, by H G Banks, shows a gentleman wearing such a brightly coloured tie that had a profound effect on all who saw it, including being frightening horses, rained on and being accused of bringing cholera into a theatre although the common consensus seems to be that it was made by his mother from a patchwork quilt Date: 1893

© The Michael Diamond Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library

The Micawber Quadrille, by J Winterbottom

Promotional music sheet for The Micawber Quadrille of 1869 by J. Winterbottom, from the drama Little Emly by Andrew Halliday, first performed Olympic Theatre, 9th October 1869. G F Rowe plays the role of Mr Micawber. The play is based on David Copperfiled by Charles Dickens and centres on the eponymous heroine, Little Em'ly. who is seduced by David's school friend James Steerforth and with whom she disapears for several years. The smaller images reflect scenes from the plot. Date: circa 1869

© The Michael Diamond Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library

Faust in Five Minutes, by Henry Walker

Promotional music sheet for Faust in Five Minutes, a Musical Medley Historiette written by Henry Walker and sung by Howard Paul. This song of about 1874 was performed at Mr & Mrs Howard Pauls entertainment, a more refined entertainment than the music hall. Faust in Five Minutes tells the Faust legend, and was probably inspired by the French composer, Hector Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust which was first performed in 1846. This musical entertainment has compressed the story into five minutes. Howard Paul was a comic writer and singer, and here he appears as Mephistopheles. Mephistopheles is the Devil's henchman, and persuades Faust into bargaining away his soul. The illustrator of the music sheet is the celebrated artist Alfred Concanen Date: circa 1874

© The Michael Diamond Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library