Champagne Charlie
Music
ca. 1866 (published)
ca. 1866 (published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Illustrated music sheet for 'Champagne Charlie', written and sung by George Leybourne, music by Alfred Lee, the front cover illustrated with a colour lithograph by Alfred Concanen, published by C. Sheard, London, ca.1866.
Music hall entertainer George Leybourne (1842-1884) became a star through the popularity of his song 'Champagne Charlie', written with composer Albert Lee in 1866. The song and the singer epitomised the high life of fashionable young men about town, out all night and ‘swimming in Champagne’ Leybourne was able to enjoy this lifestyle himself: in 1868 he was contracted to appear at the Canterbury Music Hall in London for an annual salary of £1500. The Hall’s manager William Holland gave his star performer a carriage drawn by four horses and instructions about his drinking: in public he was to drink nothing but champagne. The fast living and alcohol took their toll and Leybourne was dead at the age of 42.
Music hall entertainer George Leybourne (1842-1884) became a star through the popularity of his song 'Champagne Charlie', written with composer Albert Lee in 1866. The song and the singer epitomised the high life of fashionable young men about town, out all night and ‘swimming in Champagne’ Leybourne was able to enjoy this lifestyle himself: in 1868 he was contracted to appear at the Canterbury Music Hall in London for an annual salary of £1500. The Hall’s manager William Holland gave his star performer a carriage drawn by four horses and instructions about his drinking: in public he was to drink nothing but champagne. The fast living and alcohol took their toll and Leybourne was dead at the age of 42.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
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| Title | Champagne Charlie (published title) |
| Materials and techniques | Chromolithograph with printed text |
| Brief description | Illustrated music sheet for Champagne Charlie, written and sung by George Leybourne, music by Alfred Lee, the front cover illustrated with a colour lithograph by Alfred Concanen, published by C. Sheard, London, ca. 1866 |
| Physical description | Illustrated music sheet for "Champagne Charlie", written and sung by George Leybourne, music by Alfred Lee, consisting of 8 pages, comprising a front cover, blank on the reverse, 5 printed pages of music with lyrics, and a page listing other songs and music published by C. Sheard of 192 High Holborn. The cover is illustrated with a colour lithograph by Alfred Concanen, showing a full length portrait of Leybourne, with Dundreary whiskers, dressed in a yellow jacket, blue and white striped trousers and a top hat, and smoking a cigar. In his right hand he holds a walking cane, with which he points at the champagne bottle held in his left hand. The cork from the bottle has flown off, propelled by a fountain of champagne, and has struck the song title, the cork forming the dot on the letter i in the word 'Charlie'. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Gabrielle Enthoven Collection |
| Summary | Illustrated music sheet for 'Champagne Charlie', written and sung by George Leybourne, music by Alfred Lee, the front cover illustrated with a colour lithograph by Alfred Concanen, published by C. Sheard, London, ca.1866. Music hall entertainer George Leybourne (1842-1884) became a star through the popularity of his song 'Champagne Charlie', written with composer Albert Lee in 1866. The song and the singer epitomised the high life of fashionable young men about town, out all night and ‘swimming in Champagne’ Leybourne was able to enjoy this lifestyle himself: in 1868 he was contracted to appear at the Canterbury Music Hall in London for an annual salary of £1500. The Hall’s manager William Holland gave his star performer a carriage drawn by four horses and instructions about his drinking: in public he was to drink nothing but champagne. The fast living and alcohol took their toll and Leybourne was dead at the age of 42. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.935-2017 |
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| Record created | September 1, 2017 |
| Record URL |
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