Arts and Theatre
A Love Of The Arts
Robert McCallum was a man of society in the best sense with a rich and varied social life. He was a study in contrasts, equally at adept at confronting the harsh conditions of untamed land in his construction work, as sitting in the opera theatre nattily attired in a gentleman’s coat, vest and hat.
His tastes were urban and his diaries display a passion for the arts, theatre, opera, musicals, dances, books, and cinema.
Theatre
McCallum was an avid theatre-goer, and regularly attended opera, concerts, and plays.
He attended hundreds of performances over the years and his journals leave a record of which musicals and theatrical productions were enjoyed in the 1890’s and early 1900‘s.
Many of these are classics, familiar to most such as Hamlet and The Mikado. Others are less well-known and offer research opportunities.
Critic
He was also an opinionated critic. After noting he “spent an evening at the theatre”, and recording the name of the show, we also learn if the diarist thought it was any good or not.
Sometimes it was “splendid” or “very enjoyable”. Other times it was “a very poor show”, or “not worth the money”, or “walked out at intervals”. Another time after going to the concert he oddly remarks “damn bad seats”.
The result is not only a record of musicals and plays that he attended but also a personal critique of theatre of the time.
Sample Opera, Concerts And Plays He Attended
A Great Chinaman
A Ladder of Life
A Lives Revenge
MidSummers Night Dream
A Royal Bridal
A Runaway Girl
A Trip to Chinatown
A Woman and lot of Birds
Achievable
Amazons
Are you a Mason
As You Like It
Belle of New York
Bill Adams
Blood and murder play
Bush King
Called Back
Casino Girl
Conquelli
Country Girl
Dante
Darting of the Sods
David Garrach
Dick Whittington
Djin Djin
Dorothy
Face of the Window
Flora Dora
Hamlet
Hands across the Sea
Hans the Boatman
Harbour Lights
HMS Pinafore
Home to see our Boys
Jo
Justice at Last
La Mascotte
Lady Slavery
Le Pupil
Light Bat
Lillin Tres
Little Brune
Man from Scotland Yard
Man to Man
Manage of Kitty
Merchant of Venice
Message from Mars
Mia noi Bassett
Mikado
Mistakes will Happen
Mon Dupan
Monsieur Beaucare
Monte Cristo
Mooush Maid
Moulin Rouge
Mrs. Dooley’s Letter
Mutiny F.S. Ewingtons
Old Madrid
One Man Shoes
Princess Ida
Prisoner of Zenda
Professors Love Story
Rich and Poor of London
Rob Roy
Royal Divorce
Said Pasha
San Toy
Sans Foy
Sapho
Saturday Night in London
Scarlet Pumpernickel
Sherlock Holmes
Sign of the Cross
Silver King
Spun
Sweet Nell
Sweet Nell of Old Drury
Teffen
The Circus Girl
The Eternal City
The Fortune Teller
The French Maid
The Geisha
The Girl in the Train
The Magic Kettle
The Man with the Snakes
The Rose of Persia
The Shooting Girl
The Taming of the Shrew
Tittell Bern
West’s Pictures
What Happened to James
Whom London Sleeps
Venues
McCallum records visiting some of the venues of the time, both locally and nationally including the Hippodrome in London.
“it is no doubt the greatest place of variety shows I ever saw”
Crystal Palace
Daly’s Theatre
Dix’s New Theatre
His Majesties Theatre
Opera House
Theatre Royal
Athenian
Folly Theatre (Canada)
Kensington Theatre
Fullers Opera House
Books And Reading
McCallum was a moderate reader, intellectually curious but typically too active to sit quietly for periods of time to read.
When he did read, it tended to be onboard ships during long ocean crossings. His reading preference was non-fiction.
The books and authors he read tell a little about the man and his interests and also what might have been popular reads of the time:
- A Bid Fortina
- Age of Reason
- Black Spider
- Dakkus (poetry)
- Final War
- Godaida
- Gods Good Man
- Jess
- Count of Monte Cristo
- Scent of the Raft
- Secret History-Court London
- Story of the Heavens
- Von Luckner
- Zola