AMONG THE THEATRICAL GREAT

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 65, 20 September 1940, Page 12

AMONG THE THEATRICAL GREAT

— An Autograph Hunter At Large |

EW musicians have come and seen New Zealand without falling conquered before the sight of Emison Gilby’s autograph book. A musician himself, with a long connexion with the stage and concert platform, Mr. Gilby has lost no opportunity to confront celebrities with his book. Some samples of his bag are reproduced here. Clara Butt heads one page, carrying also the names of Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Kreisler, Felice Belli, Lorna Forbes. Anna Pavlova heads another page, with Peter Dawson nearby. And these are only a few. As a member of the old Wellington Professional Orchestra, Mr. Gilby was always in contact with visiting celebrities and musical companies. He had plenty of opportunities, and lost few. Inscribed through the pages of a book of verses, from which these reproductions of signatures were taken, he has an imposing collection of famous names. One Book was Burned Tragedy came to him recently. The book he is now filling was started only in 1924. He had another book, kept since 1906. A little while ago a friend arranged for it to be re-bound. ‘It was left with a firm whose premises were burned -while the book was still there. However, the book he has left is sufficiently impressive to widen the eyes of any autograph hunter. John Brownlee’s mame decorates an early page. Following him comes an almost endless succession of famous names. Alexander Kipnis signed his name in 1938. Between his name and the signature of Mischa Schneider, of the Buda-

pest String Quartet, comes the autograph _ of Dunedin’s Gil Dech, witha bar of his favourite music. attached. Allan Wilkie fol. lows close after, and above is Ray Stanley, who toured with: tae >-F.°..05 Williamson vaudeville in 1925. Nannette Tyrer’s name is on the same page as Feodor Chaliapin’s. The famous bass signed in 1926. Benno Moiseiwitsch sprawls his name _ clear across a page. Elsa Stralia signed in 1925. A few leaves further on, our ‘memory has_ to switch to the Gilbert and Sullivan Companies. Patti

Russell heads a page which also carries Pat Hanna. Wilhelm Backhaus comes °soon after, with Essie Ackland on the same page. Joseph Hislop signed with the same fill of ink as Vera Jeffries. Sydney Granville is there, too. Zimbalist signed in 1927, and below Derati, "Maestro, Covent Garden Ballet Company," added his name in 1939. Gladys Moncrieff heads a page nearby. Gus Bluett another. Malcolm Sargent used a blue pencil for his signature. Dion Boucicault found , room to hurry his name precisely across a corner. Isidor Goodman used ordinary lead pencil to sign in 1931, and the same year brought Mark Hambourg into the clutches of Mr. Gilby.

Every Page a Memory Next year he caught Paul Vinogradoff; on the fourth of May, to be precise. Over the page time jumps back to 1928, when Fraser Gange signed. Jan Cherniavsky omitted the date. Jan Kubelik is on the same page as William Heughan, and Percy Grainger is one page over. So it goes on, every page a memory of a violin speaking to entranced audiences, pianos played as never before, songs sung by precious voices. Ernest Jenner sketches in a line from a song by Yeats, Ken Alexander incongruously draws a nigger boy. Musical comedy has its place. Dion Wheeler came with the "East of Suez" Company, Rosamond McMillan with "Garden of Allah." Leon de Mauny is caricatured by K. J. Magill. R. Kennerley Rumford is on the same page as Professor James Shelley. Joseph Szigeti signs in thin, sharp writing that seems to suit his name peculiarly well. Here is one of the Spivakovskys, his name all curls and curves and long sharp flourishes. Bernard Manning’s name revives memories of a jovial Pooh-Bah, or was it the Pirate King? Names, and more names; Sybil Thorndike, Andersen Tyrer, Amelita GalliCurci, Eileen Joyce, Maurice Moscovitch, Margaret Bannerman; have all these people been to New Zealand? It seems they have. Whether they come again, wherever they are now, whether they are dead, living, famous, or declining as all must into obscurity, they are all in Mr. Gilby’s book.