H Beard Print Collection
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From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
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From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This black-and-white print shows the Gaiety Theatre’s packed stalls, gaslights glowing, actors bowing on stage. The boxes and pit are full—ladies in crinolines chat while men in top hats lean forward. A stagehand holds a rolled-up curtain rope at the wings. The Gaiety opened in 1868 and became famous for pretty burlesque shows. This print appeared in the Illustrated London News just weeks later. It’s one of the few images we have from its first season. Next time you’re near the Strand, look up the Victoria and Albert Museum’s theatre collection.
