pianomusic

These colour lithograph covers are exquisite.

Benjamin Fuller operated many companies (one of them being Brennan & Fuller Circuit") presenting first-class vaudeville, revue, pantomime, melodrama, operetta, and film. At the height of his career, he had 40 separate companies. He, and to a lesser extent his brother John, was the important entrepreneur of John Fuller and Sons. He was its general manager from 1901 onwards and came to Sydney in 1912 taking over the Brennan Vaudeville Circuit. The Depression in 1929 impacted the theatrical business and the two brothers split Fullers' Theatres Ltd in 1934. In 1941 they went into partnership with Garnet H. Carroll forming after the war the Carroll-Fuller Theatres. The Fullers owned many theatres and had eclectic tastes in entertainment which included showing movies from 1922. Source: catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/346367

(1906-1912) Between 1906 and 1911 James Brennan (Brennan’s Vaudeville Entertainers) operated a circuit comprising Sydney (National Amphitheatre) and Melbourne (Gaiety Theatre). He began sending companies to other interstate capitals in 1911, and the following year floated the business as a public company (Brennan’s Amphitheatres Ltd). He over-reached his financial reserves in 1912, however, after building a new Melbourne theatre, and was forced soon afterwards to sell his interest in the company to the Fullers. The circuit operated as Brennan-Fuller until 1915, by which time its former owner’s name was dropped. Source: ozvta.com/organisations-a-l/

HAROLD MIDDLETON Associated for many years with W. H. Palings, both in Sydney and Brisbane, Harold Middleton began to establish his reputation as a writer, composer, and accompanist in Brisbane around the early to mid1920s. His pantomime, Hop O' My Thumb was staged by the Famous Diggers in 1924, and he wrote at least one comedy sketch for the troupe during its lengthy Cremorne engagement. Another pantomime, Puss in Boots (1928) was also produced in Brisbane. A number of Middleton's songs were published during the 1920s. Source: ozvta.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/middleton-harold-311...

Shorley, Ezra Thomas 1868-1946 Most widely held works by Ezra Thomas Shorley, First World War lyricist and poet. * Poetic reflections in rhyme and reason 1937 * Australia's emblem of gold, or, Our golden wattle 1919 with Helena Miler * Our Mary Jane from the farm: comic song 1918 with Stan Wood * March on, march on Australians : patriotic song 1917 with Helena Miler and more Source: worldcat.org/identities/viaf-93876567/