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VAUXHALL GARDENS ARCHIVE, c1660-1859 from Lambeth Archives, London

Introduction to the Microfiche Collection

The Vauxhall Gardens Archive is held by the Borough of Lambeth Public Library in London.  It provides insights into various aspects of eighteenth and nineteenth century social life and entertainment.  The Gardens opened in 1660 as a place of entertainment for Londoners on the south bank of the Thames.  The next two hundred years saw the staging of a variety of theatrical performances, as well as balloon ascents and spectacular firework displays.  The Gardens were also used for dancing, dining, and as a meeting place.  The material in the Archive is all contemporary, with some of the oldest press cuttings dating from 1732 and songbooks from 1773.  The microfiche have therefore been produced using a process specially developed to enhance the reproduction of old and delicate material.

Fiche 1-5: General History

The items on these fiche comprise 4 volumes which provide a background and general history of the Gardens.  Two of the volumes take the form of weekly newsletters bound together.  The title of each volume appears on the header strip.

Fiche 6-35: Bound volumes

These fiche contain 6 bound volumes (classmark IV/162/12-17), into which items such as press cuttings, play bills and pamphlets, have been pasted in approximate chronological order.  The header strip gives the volume number (1-6), the range of dates found in the volume and the page numbers of the first and last frames of the fiche.  Each volume begins on a new fiche.  Very large items are reproduced separately on fiche 79; this has been noted in the relevant frame of the fiche.

Fiche 36-40: Press cuttings and playbills

Fiche 36-38 comprise press cuttings (classmarks IV/162/2/1-16 and IV/162/3-4) and fiche 39-40 contain playbills (classmarks IV/162/5/1-19, IV/162/6 and 14/581A-B), both groups arranged in chronological order.  The header strip indicates the date of the item in the first and last frames of the fiche.  Large playbills are reproduced on fiche 79.

Fiche 41-43: Pictures

These fiche contain a collection of pictures relating to the Gardens, including both colour and black and white prints and sketches of the Gardens, as well as some playbills and songsheets.  They possess the classmarks LP14/581/1-96.  They are reproduced in classmark order, the classmark appearing at the bottom right of most frames.  Those pictures which are coloured are filmed again on fiche 79.

Fiche 44-76: Songs

These fiche comprise the main body of songs and music within the collection.  Reproduced here is the card index of songs, various volumes of songs and bound and loose songsheets.  The card catalogue is reproduced on fiche 44.  The catalogue cards have been photographed with eight cards to each frame.  The cards are arranged from top to bottom in the left column and then from top to bottom in the right column of each frame.  The ‘S’ number given on the bottom of each index card refers to the accession number of each volume of song sheet which can be found on the title page or its reverse.  The index, arranged by composer, includes all the songsheets and books that contain the music score as well as the lyrics.

Fiche 45-57 contain various items:

A single song sheet ‘Gaffer Gray’ classmark IV/16/10

Songs Sung at Vauxhall 1773 IV/162/11

The Merry Companion 1773 14/267

Songs performed at Vauxhall (Manuscript) IV/162/8

Surrey Pamphlets: a Collection of songs P374

Hook, J: ‘Songs for Vauxhall Gardens’ IV/162/9

‘Sharpe’s Comic Song Book’ 14/267/S2

The songsheets, produced for the use of visitors to the Gardens, are presented in two forms either bound into volumes or loose.  The bound volumes (fiche 58-72) are arranged in date order, followed by volumes containing various dates and then those without dates.  The loose sheets reproduced on fiche 73-76 (classmark 14/267) are arranged in 4 sequences as indicated on the headerstrip.

Fiche 77-78: Miscellaneous material

These fiche contain a short section of miscellaneous material:

Surrey Pamphlets ‘The Vauxhall Affray’ 1773 classmark P753

Surrey Pamphlets ‘A Short Description of The Vauxhall Gardens’ S373

Bill of Sale 1841 IV/162/1

Journal of Receipts 1822-59 IV/162/7

Fiche 79: Colour items

The material on fiche 79 forms 3 groups as indicated on the header strip, each beginning on a new row:

Colour Prints:

Row A1-12: classmark 14/581/1,2,4,5,5B,7B,10A,10C,11A,12A,13B

Row B1-12: 14/581/14a,32a,37,38,40,41,42,43,44,46A,46B,46D

Row C1-11: 14/581/46E,48,49,51,53,58,59,60,92,93,94

Bound Volumes:

Row D1-12: vol 2 pp 238 top, 238 btm, 300, 301, 310, 360, 372, 380, 402, 414, 415, 416

Row E1-11: vol 3 pp 23, 44&45, 111, 162, 169, 184, 199, 244&245, 266, 281, 407

Row F1-7: vol 4 pp 75, 117, 129, 131, 133, 135, 137

Playbills:

Row G1-3

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