I hope to assemble here some photographs not
normally seen.
This was taken on the stage of the Old Palace
Theatre, Manchester in 1915
when Vesta was 51 years. Many thanks to the
sender.
...and here is a beautiful image of Tilley as
she really was, which I just had to 'pinch' from Roy Hudd's
'Music Hall' published by Eyre Methuen in 1976. I am sure Roy
wouldn't mind (or rather, I hope he and the publisher won't!).
One of my 'spies' told me that a copy of this book was being sold
in the local second hand book shop where I duly liberated it
from. I would thoroughly recommend it as a good publication on
the Music Hall 'greats'.
And the best gem of all, a family wedding
photograph recently sent to me by a grandson of Vesta's brother
Fred. Both Tilley and husband Walter are here at the wedding of
Tilley's sister Lizzie to George Issacs, about the turn of the
century. Tilley is wearing a furcoat and hat, seated on the left
of the groom and alongside several sisters and Walter is behind
her. I have not yet ascertained whether her mother, Matilda
(BROUGHTON) who died in April 1901 aged 60 is on the photo.
Here are copies of four private photos,
including three that are signed by Tilley, sent to me by Pam,
great grand-daughter of John Greenwood, former Director of the
Northern Theatre in Halifax. He introduced his daughter Maud
(Pam's grandmother) to Tilley and they became close friends. Maud
often took her young son (Pam's father) to see Tilley from the
wings and Pam tells me that she liked kippers... something that I
recall in my granny's (her cousin's) household! The three signed
photos for Pam's grandmother Maud and her sister Lizzie were
taken at Tilley's house 'The Homestead' in Maidenhead, while the
oval one was taken in Monte Carlo. I am really grateful to Pam
for sharing these images which I don't think have been seen
before.
updated July 2001
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