The Vauxhall Gardens Theatrical Entertainment in Victorian London

Artists of differing countries, art forms, and personalities came together in one place in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries--the Vauxhall Gardens of London. This collection, based on a 200-page scrapbook illustrating the history of the gardens from 1712 to 1860, was filmed from materials at the library of Sir William Fraser and given to The Garrick Club in London. It includes engravings, drawings, portraits, caricatures, handbills, newspaper clippings, and musical compositions relating to the history of Vauxhall Gardens.

Vauxhall became a popular resort in London, and its records represent the better part of two centuries of life surrounding the theater world.

In its prime, celebrities brought glamour to the gardens. Sculptor Louis Francois Roubiliac became famous after he sculpted a statue of Händel for the gardens, his first commissioned piece. Various European virtuosi appeared in the gardens as well as music masters Händel, Arne, and Boyce, who honored the gardens with original compositions.

Performances at Vauxhall included The Maid of the Mill, starring actors Lord Aimworth, Sir Harry and Lady Sycamore, and other actors of the period, and operas such as Rosamond.

Ideal for theater, music, and art historians, Vauxhall Gardens gives insight into the art and social life of the 18th and 19th centuries.