Owners and Managers of the Halls

Harry Hart

Harry Hart, born in 1828, enjoyed the longest recorded career among the music hall managers. He belonged to a theatrical family, (is it safe to assume that he was the brother of the man who assisted Renton Nicholson in his judge and jury performances?). The music halls which came under the control of this energetic Hebrew included the Raglan in Theobalds Road, and the renamed Salmon Hall in Union Street, Borough; the Montpelier in Walworth; the Marylebone, in succession to Oswald Stoll, who first converted the old theatre into a music hall; the Sun at Knightsbridge and the Bedford in Camden Town. He had further activities at Margate and Ramsgate.

His policy at the Lord Raglan (to give its full name) which he acquired in 1860, was a reflection of the methods of the first Canterbury. An amusing account of this hall, as it appeared to Edmund Yates, occurs in a number of a short-lived journal called The Train, in 1858. This contains a vivid little picture of the proprietor of the Raglan and may be quoted here; in this article the hall is called the Lord Somerset, but the identification with the Raglan is unquestionable.

"Over the side of a tavern are two enormous red lamps, on which, in white letters, are inscribed ' The Lord Somerset Music Hall,' Round the entrance are some half-a-dozen children, peering wistfully up the corridor and dancing fantastically before the looking-glass door which shuts out the glories beyond.

'Here's some swells! Now we shall see the hinside.' We pass the looking-glass door and find ourselves in front of a bar, at which a Jewish gentleman in a velvet waistcoat and much Mosaic jewellery is regaling. 'Take your tickets, gents,' says he in an authoritative manner. 'Sixpence the body of the 'all, ninepence the gallery, which is more select.' We ascend the staircase to the left. Passing through a swing door, we enter a broad gallery, furnished with narrow tables and Windsor chairs; and below us lies a large salle, similarly furnished and thronged with people."

The writer adds further that "A few, very few, of the frail sisterhood, are present," and that for the most part the auditorium is filled with tradespeople-the men smoking church warden pipes. There is, moreover, no yelling; no more than questionable   Chaff! The Opera Chorus performs the Misere from II Travatore with the assistance of a grand piano and a harmonium. The conductor is an ex-opera singer. Mr. Boss (eg., W. G. Ross) is announced and sings his "Hamlet" song in a costume divided equally between chain-mail and the traditional sables. Later, the piano and the harmonium are heard in Weber's 'Surprise.'"

This description completely conveys the homely atmosphere with its increasing admixture of "flash" characteristics which one imagines to be fairly representative of a second-class music-hall of the period. After a variety of activities Hart became the manager of the Argyll Rooms for Bignell and held this position at the time of its transformation into the Trocadero Music Hall. His death occurred a comparatively few years ago.                                                   From EARLY DOORS by Harold Scott

Speaking of a manager named Hart..." Anon, still keeping on the Surrey side he took over that old established tavern music-hall, the Star Bermondsey, and it was there during his regime that Bessie Bellwood...  took to the music-hall stage.             From Idols of the Halls by Chance Newton, Ch13