SeaWorld 2014 / 5.

The Hippodrome, London 1921.

We are continuing the fight against humans forcing animals to perform for their profit.

Important notes are in – brown.

The postcard & other items referenced in this blog post are being cared for by the Ernest Bell Library.

Our articles are always ‘heavy’ with embedded links & notes.

Our goals are to help researchers & to inspire fellow animal rights activists.

…………….

A story from almost 100 years ago……

‘They were the grandparents of today’s animal rights militants, with a reputation for law-breaking and political activism that scandalised the Establishment.’ 

From a 2008 article. 

Ernest Bell‘s and Jessey Wade‘s activism being remembered in The Times newspaper, London. 

The Times’ journalists are specifically referring to the Performing and Captive Animals Defence League (P. A. D. L.) – the League was ‘planned’ 100+ years ago in London, in late 1913, by Ernest and Jessey. It was officially founded in 1914. In our Ernest Bell Library we have many of the League’s notes & records.

For more about the – Performing and Captive Animals Defence League (P. A. D. L.) – see the notes with this article.

The Hippodrome, London

Hippodrome – definition – a place where animals (especially horses) perform.

Wiki – Hippodrome – (Greek: ἱππόδρομος) was an ancient Grecian stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. The name is derived from the Greek words hippos (ἵππος; “horse”) and dromos (δρόμος; “course”). The term is used in the modern French language and some others, with the meaning of “horse racecourse”; hence, some present-day horse racing tracks are also called ‘hippodromes’, for example the Central Moscow Hippodrome.

1921 marked the first time that the “Royal Variety Performance” became an annual event, when His Majesty King George V decreed that the Monarch, or a close representative of the Monarch, would attend an annual Performance, in aid of the Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund, once a year thereafter.

Harry Marlow, Secretary of the Fund, was also responsible for securing His Majesty King George V as Patron of the charity in the same year. The evening raised £2,000 for the Fund, including £50 which the King himself gave for the Royal Box.

Harry Marlow was responsible for all Royal Performances until his death in 1956, when Mr. Arthur Scott took over the responsible task.

ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE – 25th November, 1921

Held in the presence of

HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V

and HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY

Presented by: Oswald Stoll

Musical Director: Julian Jones

Stage Director: H.E.Bright

FREDERICK SYLVESTER & CO

NORAH BLANEY AND GWEN FARRAR

G.S.MELVIN

RENEE & GODFREY

MALCOM NEIL MCEACHERN

REBLA

THE PEEP SHOW WITH ANNIE CROFT

& REGINALD SHARLAND, FRED ALLANDALE,

ALBERT DARNLEY, RUTH FRENCH, MARY GIBBS

MILTON HAYES

BILLY MERSON

THE FIVE PETLEYS – source

……but Jackie DID NOT perform! 

Our Ernest Bell & Jessey Wade had VERY EFFECTIVELY ‘put the kibosh‘ on that sick plan!

Ernest Bell Library Collection – Frank Marcelle and ‘Jackie’ the Seal – autographed ‘To Edith’ by Frank (we guess!)

…………….

Billboard – Dec 31, 1921

Transcribed –

The Performing Animal Defence League Again

When, as recently cabled, the announcement was made that Frank Marcelle and Seal was to feature in the gala performance, it was admitted that the “selectors” had done something to wipe off the smirch on animal men left by the yellow and scandal-monger press.

Note – ‘animal men’ = our predecessors – especially Ernest Bell – much more – here. 

Three ‘yellow’ UK newspapers of the period –  Sun, Star and Daily News – had backed anti-vivisection campaigns by Stephen Coleridge, Ernest Bell, Lizzy Lind-af-Hageby and Leisa Schartau in the years before this – see The Brown Dog Affair. 

Also ……

During 1921 and 1922, before the passage of the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act in 1925, a British parliamentary Select Committee undertook a detailed investigation into the degree to which animal performances in the circus and on the music-hall stage depended on cruelty. The investigation took place against a background of intense public interest that had been stimulated by the emergence of a new pressure group, the Performing Animals’ Defence League. – source.

That the Buckingham Palace officials knew what they were choosing there can be no doubt, as they wrote two letters confirming this individual choice. But no crowing or exultation was made in the lay or trade press. The Performing Animals Defence League got busy, wrote letters and pulled wires in influential quarters; so much so that Buckingham Palace got the wind up and informed Tennent, of the Moss Empires, that the seal act could not appear. There’s a pretty kettle of fish. They were to save their face and keep as quiet as possible. Accordingly, it was arranged that Marcelle’s seal was to go “sick”on the Thursday evening before the show and that it would not finish the week out, but that Moss Empires would pay the salary in full. The news broke Marcelle up.

Then rumour got busy on the Tuesday before the show and the papers came out with the stunt that the act had been “banned”. The P. A. D. L. immediately made great capital out of the matter and the papers were full of it, all over again. The truth is Buckingham Palace was not wise enough to remember the outcry against animal acts in the House of Commons, and were afraid to adhere to their selection. Of course the animal men are highly incensed at the capital made out of it, but had the artistes protested too loudly it was possible that the King might have been “sick” also and that would have finished everything.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Our Projects

The Henry Salt Archive is one of our, almost completed, projects.

The Humanitarian League is our Hong Kong registered charity.

The Ernest Bell Library was conceived in 1934. It is still strong & very active eighty years later –  its primary objectives are to: –

• Collect all of Ernest Bell’s book & non-book works and make them easily accessible to everyone.

• Collect the literature of vegetarianism and all the other humanitarian movements in which Ernest Bell was so deeply involved.

• Assist students and scholars in their research.

• Introduce all aspects of Ernest Bell’s life, including his writings, campaign work, influences and his circle of friends.

• Undertake our own research into missing aspects of Ernest Bell’s life and work.

We already have more than 300 pieces of Ernest Bell’s own writings.

We are also actively building a collection of examples of promotional material, campaign material, fundraising & marketing activities etc. – related to: –

1. veg(etari)an products.

2. veg(etari)an books & other publications.

3. veg(etari)an organisations.

4. veg(etari)an businesses.

5. animal rights organisations.

6. animal rights publications.

7. humanitarian organisations.

8. humanitarian publications.

9. rambling clubs run by members of the above groups & related publications.

10. the work of Richard St. Barbe Baker & the ‘Men of the Trees’ organization & its many sub-branches.

There are currently more than 2,000 items in the Ernest Bell Library.

We will complete the cataloging of the collection as & when adequate funds are available.

It is long past time for the library to go online!

 “I have little doubt that the proposal for the establishment of an Ernest Bell Library, which would specialize in humanitarian and progressive literature, and so form a sort of centre for students, will meet with a wide response.” 

Henry S. Salt – writing in September 1934

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

If anyone would like more information, please send an email to: – 

humanitarianleague (at) outlook (dot) com 

– or message me  through HappyCow – 

https://www.happycow.net/blog/author/JohnnySensible/
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

If you are a Tweeter, please consider sending this post out to your friends.

Thank you! 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Comment via Facebook