Dates

• Existence: 1847 - 21 October 1906

Biography

Joseph Poole Panorama proprietor and nephew of Charles Poole (1821-1877) and George Walter Poole (1828-1877).

Joseph was born in Malmesbury, Wiltshire on September 1847, the oldest son of agricultural labourer John Poole (1817-1889) and his wife Matilda Poole (1824-1899).

John and Matilda had five sons Joseph (1847-1906), George (1849-1929), Henry (Harry) (1850-1925), Charles William (1858-1918) and Fred (1867-c1907), all of who followed their uncles’ footsteps into the Panorama business from a young age, Joseph joining the business in 1863 when he was sixteen years old.

In 1870 Joseph partnered up with his brother George and they started to travel their own Panorama under the name Messrs. Strange and Wilson, name they adopted in agreement with their uncles to avoid confusion between their shows, which ran in parallel. In 1878, not long after the death of their uncles, Joseph and George changed their business name to Joseph and George Poole, probably upon the acquisition of the Poole and Young company from their aunt Ellen, who inherited her husband’s George Walter business, after his death.

Joseph married Susannah Mayer on 1 August 1869 and they had four children Florence, Minnie, Ada Violet (1875-1954) and Joseph Wolseley (‘Tubby’) (1878-1954). Joseph children became involved in the family business as it was common, with Ada Violet performing as a dancer and vocalist from the age of four and Joseph eventually becoming the manager of Joseph Poole’s No. 1 Company at twenty one years of age.

Messrs. Joseph and George Poole run several shows including two Dioramic shows, two Phantoscopic shows and by 1899 a No. 1 Myriorama Company, managed by his son Joseph Wolseley Poole and a No. 2 Company managed by his brother in law Fred Mayer.

By 1883 Joseph had bought Verona house at Malmesbury, where he established a studio for the maintenance of the equipment associated with the shows.

Joseph became a member of Wiltshire County Council and an Alderman and served as the second Mayor of his home town of Malmesbury in 1889.

Joseph business ventures also involved travelling English opera in the 1860s and 1970s and optical illusion shows including the most famous of all, Professor Pepper’s ‘Ghost’.

Joseph died in Malmesbury on 21 October 1906 and left his business to his wife with his son Joseph Wolseley and his brother in law Frederick to act as managers.

Found in 6 Collections and/or Records: