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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 ...

Highland dress and the tartan are among the most powerful, romantic and dramatic of all the symbols of Scotland. It has been claimed that 'a man in a kilt is a man and a half', their really is something about the wearing of the kilt that confers extra stature on its owner. It is absolutely no coincidence that the kilted 51st Highland Division was rated by the Germans as the most formidable of all the formations they came across during the First World War. Certainly the British government had no doubts on the matter when, after the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie, they banned the use of Highland dress and the tartan, which they clearly saw as an incitement to further subversion. Offenders were killed or sent to the colonies. The form of Highland dress has always owed much to the army and it was the Highland regiments which kept the kilt and the tartan alive until at last, in 1782, their use was once more permitted. Before that time, Scots were only permitted to wear any Scottish wear, if they joined the British Armed Services. Source: theauldalliance.com/index.php?pagendx=141&p=a9#:~:tex....

* Her real name: The birth name of Mary Maguire is Hélène Teresa Maguire Her nickname was Maguire Peggy. * Mary Maguire's zodiac sign was Pisces. * She graduated from the Academy Of Mary Immaculate * Mary Maguire was an Australian actress who briefly became a Hollywood and British film star in the late 1930s. * Her first feature film was The Boys from County Clare (2005). She was 86 when she starred in this movie. Since 2005, she has appeared in 14 feature films. The last one is The Outsider (1939). In this movie, she played the character Lalage Sturdee. * Mary Maguire had two marriages. She married Robert Gordon-Canning (78), in 1939. Mary Maguire was 19 and Robert Gordon-Canning was 50 years old. After 5 years, they break up in 1944. * She had one child, Dominic. * She died on May 18, 1974, she was 55 years old. Source: www.howold.co/person/mary-maguire