The British Music Hall Society is a registered charity in the United Kingdom. The charity's objects ('the Objects') are:
To advance the education of the public in the traditions of the British Music Hall and Variety Theatre and the art of present day performers; and To preserve an archive appertaining to Music Hall and Variety Theatre in the form of records, films, electronic media, photographs, literature, ephemera, costumes and performers' personal properties.
The charity was founded by Raymond Mackender and Gerald Glover in 1963. The Society President is Su Pollard. "Su Pollard is the new President of the British Music Hall Society", BMHS, 3 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023 Its patrons are John Major, Michael Grade, Anne Dodd, Cliff Richard, Alan Titchmarsh, Alison Titchmarsh, Jools Holland, Jan Hunt and Gary Wilmot. Previous patrons included Des O'Connor, Ken Dodd and Val Doonican.
History The society was created following the demise and demolition of The Metropolitan Theatre, Edgware Road and other music halls in the early 1960s, coupled with Mackender and Glover's awareness that this period of performing history was being forgotten. Mackender put a series of advertisements in The Stage appealing for items of music hall interest 'for safekeeping....'.The Stage, 21 March 1963; 18 April 1963; 1 August 1963 Out of this emerged the British Music Hall Society ("BMHS").The Stage, 19 September 1963
An Exhibition and Variety Show, known as the "Festival of Music Hall", was organised by the society and the then Variety Artistes' Federation on 2 November 1963 to celebrate the centenary of McDonald's Music Hall (now Hoxton Hall).Daily Telegraph, The Stage 7 November 1963
In December 1963, the first edition of the society's journal, The Call Boy, was published.The Stage, 12 December 1963 The Journal continues as a quarterly publication, free to society members.
The first of what was to become a regular monthly meeting of the society took place on 7 January 1964 at the Garrick Hotel, Charing Cross Road, London, with Ada Reeve as the guest of honour.London Evening Standard, 8 January 1964
In 2013, the society celebrated their 50th anniversary with a Festival of Music Hall (and Variety) at Wilton's Music Hall, Whitechapel, London. Since 2014, the society has held an annual one-day event, Day by the Sea, at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne, featuring comedy, music, discussion and film footage.
The society holds an extensive archive, with photographs, posters, sheet music, playbills, programmes and the personal items of many artistes including Marie Lloyd, Little Tich, Max Miller, Florrie Forde, Ida Barr, Hetty King, Ella Shields and Harry Tate. They also hold a sound archive. The society is a member of the Association of Performing Arts Collections (APAC).
Presidents - past and present 1963–1979 - Don Ross 1980–1983 - Lew Lane 1984–1985 - Ellis Ashton 1986–1992 - Louis Benjamin 1992–2020 - Roy Hudd 2020–2023 - Paul O'Grady 2023–present - Su Pollard
References
External links Official website British Music Hall Society page at the UK Charity Commission website