Second Anniversary
On this occasion a Photographic Souvenir will be presented to each Member of the Audience, and a Photograph of the Auditorium will be taken during the Entre'Acte [interval]. For this purpose the audience are requested to retain their seats for a few minutes immediately on the fall of the curtain on the 1st Act. The Photograph is taken by a new process, unaccompanied by flash nor smell, and copies of the picture will be afterwards on sale in the Theatre.
The following pictures are taken from that souvenir printed to celebrate the second anniversary of this show at the Strand Theatre, October 5th 1903. Each member of the company contributed a short text and photograph. Photos by Lizzie Caswall Smith. Here is Elsie's text;
Good-bye
I devoted last Sunday evening to the writing of a story for this SOUVENIR; but for the first hour I thought, the second hour I wrote, the third hour I scratched out. The end of all my labours simply resulted in a page of horrible English, scraps of paper all over the floor, and a severe headache. I therefore gave up the task in despair, and, to divert my thoughts, took up a magazine in which I read the following. It is infinitely better than anything I could write myself, but I am unable to give the author's name, because the poem was published anonymously:-
GOOD-BYE
We say it for an hour, perhaps for years;
We say it smiling, say it choked in tears;
We say it coldly, say it with a kiss;
And yet we have no other word then this-
Good-bye.
We have no dearer word for our heart's friend,
For him who journeys to the world's far end,
And scars our soul with going. This we say,
As unto him who steps but o'er the way-
Good-bye.
Alike to those we love and those we hate,
We say no more in parting. At life's gate,
To him who passed out beyond earth's sight,
We cry as to the wanderer for a night-
Good-bye.
LILY ELSIE
) 2nd Anniversary Souvenir. |
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) Mr Frank Curzon. |
) George Dance. |
) Miss Louie Freear. |
) Mr Arthur Williams. |
) Miss Marie Dainton. |
) Miss Lily Elsie. |
) Mr Farren Soutar. |
) Mr Picton Roxborough. |
) Mr Ernest Boyd-Jones. |
) Miss Rhoda Cecil, Miss Florence Randle, Miss Florence Jamieson, Miss Alice Beaugarde (L-R). |
The programme. Price sixpence.
Note the 'De Reszke', cigarette advert, listing some 'famous smokers', including Sir Henry Irving. 'Supplied to the House of Commons'. 'Smoked by Royalty'.
) De Reszke Cigarettes. |
) Stagg & Mantle. |
) Programme, sixpence. |