Description of site

Constructed originally in 1690, the buildings located at 1 Graces Alley, Whitechapel London, comprised many forms of entertainment to the people of London, but one no more relevant than the music hall that John Wilton designed, marking the start of an era of popular entertainment to Londoners in the mid to late 19^th century. Whitechapel historically was a working poor neighbourhood during the early 20^th century, and many people looked to entertainment to fill desires for happiness[1]. With claims of being the oldest grand music hall in the world, John Wilton (a music hall pioneer) purchased 5 houses and a pub at 1-4 Graces Alley and 19 Wellclose Square with reconstructive intentions to transform them into a music hall in the 1860's[2]. Featuring a concert room (added in 1839), and a pub that catered to seafarers and merchant traders before its time as a music hall, this location was converted from a sailor's bar into a place of entertainment for all classes of people until the 1880's, when it served as a Methodist missionary until 1956[3]. Boarded up for years but then saved from demolition in the 1960's, the music hall has since slowly been renovated back to its 19^th century form, featuring a full theatre, green room (cocktail bar) and operating concert layout[4]. From the 1990's on, it had been used in one off performances and film and television shoots, keeping hopes of full restoration alive. In 2011, the operation faced shutting its doors for good, needing £3.8m in renovations to bring the building up to safety standards[5]. After budgeting and securing necessary funds in 2013 through donations, renovations moved forward and Wilton's Music Hall continues in operation of tours and shows under the London Music Hall Trust to the current day[6].

This destination is the first stop on the Mass Entertainment prior to 1939 Tour.

Tour Overview

http://www.guidetags.com/mindmaps/explore/hist-3p55/3700-mass-entertainment-in-london-prior-to-1939:-music-halls-and-theatres-of-variety

Wilton's Music Hall is a prominent site that represents both our walking tour and themes related to mass entertainment in the mid to late 19^th century. It is extremely important to include it in the tour due to its current preserved state as a snippet of 19^th century history in London, its rich and documented history and simply because it remains as one of the few surviving historic grand music halls that exist in London today[1]. The hall has been considered to be a pioneer by historians and the first of many successful music halls that would entertain people of all classes in London[2]. It was noted that John Wilton's music hall at Graces Alley, would usher in an important era in Britain's entertainment history after being transformed to cater shows to all classes, not just poor sailors[3]. In a London newspaper from Sunday, September 1^st, 1861, Wilton's renovations and new cast at the music hall were deemed as a "marvelous transmogrification" and a "splendid establishment now in existence as Wilton's Music Hall"[4]. Grand entertainers would frequently come through the doors, by the likes of 'Champagne Charlie' and Arthur Lloyd[5]. John Wilton, a music hall pioneer and investor created a cornerstone of music hall that would become an established genre of entertainment, and built a place where, "the poor (ought to be treated) the same as the rich"[6]. Despite once being a notorious sailors bar (Old Mahogany Bar), the location thrived as an entertainment hub from 1860-1880, offering admission for sixpence, including two pints of ale, pie and access to prostitutes[7]. Wilton's Music Hall offers an insight to leisurely life in Whitechapel in the mid to late 1800's and early 1900's, citing how people looked locally for forms of entertainment. The sometimes free or cheaply entry to a night of entertainment appealed to the lower working class people in Whitechapel, who only found free time come evening. The halls later life also catered to the poorer working groups of the area, as it later became a Wesleyan mission (1880-1956), and a rag sorting depot (1956-1960?) before being boarded up and slated for demolition by the city[8]. The bustling music hall of the past found new use in the 20^th century becoming a shelter for the poor and a place of employment. The venue, like many other historic grand halls should have been demolished, but donations and petitions by people who knew its value saved it from destruction[9]. In 2013 the music hall was renovated into a performing arts venue, maintaining its 19^th century form and currently offers a guided hour-long tour (must book in advance).

Primary Sources

"Graces Alley (1921-1937): Wilton's Music Hall", Google Arts and Culture Archive, Google

Expeditions (Photo) https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/wilton-s-music-hall

"Map of Lambeth area of London circa 1940". Maps of London. http://www.maps-of-

london.com/map-lambeth.htm

"Sunday September 1^st, 1861: Wilton's Music Hall" The Era (London England), Issue 1197

"Survey of Islington, 1871". https://maps.nls.uk/view/103312997

Secondary Sources (Non-Scholarly)

"Canterbury Hall". Theatres Trust. (2017).

https://database.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatres/show/3182-canterbury-hall

"Deacon's Music Hall". Theatres Trust. (2017).

https://database.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatres/show/3251-deacon-039-s-music-hall

"The Canterbury Theatre, 143 Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, London". Arthur Lloyd,

Music Hall and Theatre History. (2019). http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/canterbury.htm

"The Story of Music Hall". Victoria and Albert Museum.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-story-of-music-halls/

Rucki, Alexandra. "Wilton's Music Hall in east London names among top secret holiday spots",

Evening Standard (2014)

"Whitechapel London History". Victorian Era. (2019). http://victorian-era.org/whitechapel-

london-history.html

"Wilton's." History. Accessed February 21, 2019. http://wiltons.org.uk/heritage/history

Scholarly Sources

Assael, Brenda. "Wilton, John (1820-1881), Music Hall Proprietor". Oxford Dictionary of

National Biography (2004)

Baggs, AP., Bolton, Diane K. and Croot, Patricia E C. "Islington: Social and cultural activities,"

in A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8, Islington and Stoke Newington Parishes, ed. T F T Baker and C R Elrington (London: Victoria County History, 1985), 45-51.

Bailey, Peter. Music Hall: The Business of Pleasure. Open University Press: Milton Keynes,

1986.

Barker, Kathleen M. D. "Dance and the Emerging Music Hall in the Provinces." Dance

Research: The Journal of the Society for Dance Research 5, no. 2 (1987): 33-42.

Earl, John. "Building the Halls". Open University Press. (1986). 1-32.

Gore Langton, Robert. "Wilton's Music Hall: The Good Old Days", The Spectator, vol 315,

issue 9530 (2011): 68-9

Luckhurst, Roger. "The Music Hall & Popular Culture." English Literature in Transition 1880-

1920, no. 2 (2006): 194.

Mander R. & Mitchenson, J. British Music Hall. London: 1965.

"New Lease of Life for Historic Music Venue", Music Week no. 36 (2011): 15

Senelick, L. "Politics as Entertainment: Victorian Music-Hall Songs". Victorian Studies, vol 19,

1975-6.

"Wilton's Music Hall: The East End Aka The Old Mahogany Bar" The Methodist Church,

Registered Charity: (2013)

(1)

[1] "Whitechapel London History". Victorian Era. (2019). http://victorian-era.org/whitechapel-london-histor...

[2] "Wilton's." History.

[3] "Wilton's Music Hall: The East End Aka The Old Mahogany Bar" The Methodist Church, Registered Charity: (2013)

[4] Roger Luckhurst. "The Music Hall & Popular Culture." English Literature in Transition 1880-1920, no. 2 (2006): 194.

[5] "New Lease of Life for Historic Music Venue", Music Week no. 36 (2011): 15

[6] Roger Luckhurst. "The Music Hall & Popular Culture." English Literature in Transition 1880-1920, no. 2 (2006): 194.Replace this text with your description of this Point of Interest].

(2)

[1] Roger Luckhurst. "The Music Hall & Popular Culture." English Literature in Transition 1880-1920, no. 2 (2006): 194.

[2] Brenda Assael. "Wilton, John (1820-1881), Music Hall Proprietor". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004)

[3] Ibid.

[4] "Sunday September 1st, 1861: Wilton's Music Hall" The Era (London England), Issue 1197 (From British Library Newspaper's, Gale Primary Sources, British Newspapers, Brock Databases)

[5] "New Lease of Life for Historic Music Venue", Music Week no. 36 (2011): 15

[6] Brenda Assael. "Wilton, John (1820-1881), Music Hall Proprietor". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004)

[7] Robert Gore Langton. "Wilton's Music Hall: The Good Old Days", The Spectator, vol 315, issue 9530 (2011): 68-9; "Wilton's Music Hall: The East End Aka The Old Mahogany Bar" The Methodist Church, Registered Charity: (2013)

[8]Robert Gore Langton. "Wilton's Music Hall: The Good Old Days", The Spectator, vol 315, issue 9530 (2011): 68-9

[9] "Graces Alley (1921-1937): Wilton's Music Hall", Google Arts and Culture Archive, Google Expeditions (Photo)