Comments on: In & Out the Eagle Tavern

By: Neville Ware

Neville Ware — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:06:18 +0000

Charles Oliver, the man named at the bottom of the bill as the man to whom all (illegible) respecting the Bills should be made to, was the husband of my two-times great grand-aunt. He started working there as a Booking Clerk.

By: Dr Ann Dingsdale

Dr Ann Dingsdale — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 12:45:07 +0000

Lovely to see this collection of images of the Royal Grecian Saloon. I’m off to the Bishopsgate Institute to see the scrap book!

I am researching Miss Augusta Johnstone, who acted and sang there from about 1842 to 1865. She was also a writer and my interest in her was sparked by the fact that she is one of the 1,499 women to sign the 1866 Women’s Suffrage Petition to Parliament.

In her book of essays “A Woman’s Preachings for Women’s Practice” (1857) ( available on line) the chapter ‘Artistes ‘ gives a very interesting account of the experiences of a middle level actress, as she was at the Grecian Saloon .

She was responsible for the support of her elderly parents so also taught piano and was a journalist to earn money. Following her mother’s death in 1865 she concentrated on teaching aspiring performers for a couple of years, and put on three shows locally to showcase her pupils. One at least also included one of her fellow performers from the Grecian Saloon Miss Harriet Coveney.
With good wishes
Ann

By: Estelle Lee

Estelle Lee — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 23:38:54 +0000

Researching my Phillips family in London. Phillip Phillips scenic Artist who married Elizabeth Rouse (painter – Artist). Wondering who is the J. Phillips – printer – Russell St. Mile-end-Gate as searching for Phillips parents & siblings at present. Believe one of Phillip Phillips brothers – Thomas Phillips of Hackney Rd – died young – a Licensed Victualler.

Delightfull illustrations – pictures of the Grecian Theatre & Eagle Tavern, Shepherd & Shepherdess Wallk – City road – which I had only viewed in black & white previously.

Impressed with site – thank you. Estelle Lee – Hawkes Bay – New Zealand

By: Susan Lendroth

Susan Lendroth — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:10:57 +0000

Gentle Author, do you feel a kinship to that long ago journalist? I loved the way he had to resume his “arduous editorial duties” after the great wig-snatching caper. Thanks for taking us all to the theatre with you.

By: Gary

Gary — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 23:10:52 +0000

It is interesting to note that J.Phillips the printer of the last poster on the blog had committed the machine minders error of letting the spaces rise on the bottom line of the poster. This was caused by the compositor not justifying the line correctly and the minder not watching the run. This often happened on the old Wharfdale presses. Sometimes the minder knocked down the space with a bodkin instead of adjusting the spacing.
This is where the term “bodger” originated.
Gary

By: jeannette

jeannette — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 23:38:18 +0000

it looks and sounds like las vegas.
as for marie lloyd — 1858! i love how old man river just keeps rolling along and throwing these bits of flotsam and jetsam up for me to see. last i heard of marie lloyd, she was singing on stage in the diaries of virginia woolf, some sixty years later, and woolf used the word “crapulous” to describe her. first use i ever saw, and the last.
marie lloyd, wow.