expressive

Inkwell owned by Walter Bentley According to the donor, this inkwell was presented to the actor Walter Bentley from the city of Newcastle, NSW, in 1914. Walter Bentley made his professional stage debut in New Zealand in 1873 before returning to Britain determined to be a successful actor. After becoming one of Britain's leading Shakespearean actors, including three and a half years working with Henry Irving, he founded his own theatre company and starred opposite the famed Italian actress Adelaide Ristori. In 1883 Bentley left Britain for the USA and toured there for three years playing at first Wilfred Denver in the popular drama 'The Silver King,' a character he created in many important US theatres, followed by leading roles in 'Burr Oaks' and then 'Love or Money' which he wrote. The role of Wilfred Denver was one of the great triumphs of his career and was considered the most successful in his repertoire when he toured Australia and New Zealand between 1891 and 1900. In 1891 he played at George Coppin's Theatre Royal in Melbourne as Rob Roy and Hamlet, a role he performed in Sydney in 1893. He appeared as Richelieu in 'The Three Musketeers' at Sydney's Her Majesty's Theatre. Australian audiences at this time also saw him play Matthias in 'The Bells', Hamlet and David Garrick. After a ten-year absence, Bentley returned permanently to Sydney in 1909 to perform again as Hamlet. The 'Sydney Morning Herald' wrote 'Mr. Bentley held the crowded audience, and he must be classed amongst the few Hamlets of the day whom all good judges of acting would make a point of seeing'. Around 1912 a Melbourne publisher produced an edition of 'Hamlet' 'arranged for stage representation from the 1623 folio edition by Walter Bentley'. He played Hamlet again at Sydney's Theatre Royal in 1913, but he was reportedly past his prime. Dr. Sue-Anne Wallace, granddaughter of Walter Bentley is currently researching for a biography of Walter Bentley. She believes it was probably the Scots community in Newcastle who, delighted to have such a world-renowned Scottish actor in their midst, organised to have this Inkwell presentation piece made to honor Bentley's skills and versatility as an actor. (Conversation with Curator Glynis Jones 9/02/2021) Source: collection.maas.museum/object/9448

Thanks for this Vesna Verencevic. The State Library was looking for information to advertise "World Theatre Day" on the 27th March 2022. Your information on this photographs will assist. Keep up the great work ...

Thanks for adding this AMAZING image :] James.

Clown in the middle is 'Whimsical Walker', I think the man on the right is Pimpo Freeman? Whimmy Walker was with Sangers, Henglers and Bertram Mills

I wonder if there is an egg painted somewhere with these faces - that may help with identification? Perhaps one in Gerry's collection at Wooky Hole?

what year was this?

Emma Miller (26 June 1839 – 22 January 1917) was an English-born Australian pioneer trade union organiser, suffragist, and key figure in organisations which led to the founding of the Australian Labor Party in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In Queensland, Miller worked as a gentlemen's shirt maker and seamstress. Along with May Jordan McConnel, she formed the first women's union in Brisbane, the Brisbane Women's Union, in September 1890 supported by a campaign by William Lane in the Brisbane Worker newspaper.[2] As a seamstress she gave evidence at the 1891 Royal Commission into Shops, Factories and Workshops, that highlighted the existence of many sweatshops that exploited women workers.[1] Through this period Miller was an active participant in the Early Closing Association. With the great strikes of the 1890s, Miller was active in supporting the 1891 Australian shearers' strike and in setting up the Prisoners' Relief Fund for the twelve arrested strike leaders. While William Lane chose to set up in 1892 the New Australia community in Paraguay along socialist lines which attracted many labour activists, Miller believed Lane was "opting out of the struggle" and became a foundation member of the Workers' Political Organisation, a forerunner of the Australian Labor Party in Queensland. She became colloquially known as "Mother Miller", as she was the most dominant female figure in the Queensland labour movement.[1 In August 1917 the Worker magazine published a poem in memorial to Miller.[6][7] In 1922, a marble bust of her by James Laurence Watts was unveiled at the Queensland Council of Unions.[1][8] A statue is located in King George Square in Brisbane,[9] and there is also an Emma Miller Place located off Roma Street in Brisbane. In 1987 the Queensland Council of Unions established the Emma Miller Award, which is presented each year to women who have made an outstanding contribution to their union.[10][2] Bust of Miller held at Queensland Council of Unions In 2003, Miller's life story was featured in the exhibition "A Lot on Her Hands", presented by the Australian Workers' Heritage Centre.[11] The electoral district of Miller created in the 2017 Queensland state electoral redistribution was named after her.[12] Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Miller