Dates

• Existence: 20 March 1858 - 1918

Biography

Charles William Poole was a Panorama proprietor, manager, and performer, nephew of Charles Poole (1821-1877) and George Walter Poole (1828-1877).

Charles was born in Malmesbury on 20 March 1858, the fourth son of agricultural labourer John Poole (1817-1889) and his wife Matilda Poole (1824-1899) and brother of Joseph (1847-1906), George (1849-1929), Henry (Harry) (1850-1925) and Fred (1867-c1907), all of who followed their uncles’ footsteps into the Panorama business from a young age, Charles joining the business in 1871 as a thirteen year old boy.

By 1883 Charles was managing his uncles’ shows aged twenty-five and four years later he was travelling his own shows, which eventually including Charles W. Poole’s Myriorama, Charles W. Poole Imperial Myriorama, C.W. Poole’s No. 1 Myriorama, Charles W. Poole’s Imperial Myriorama, and Charles W. Poole’s Royal Myriorama.

Charles married Elizabeth Deborah Nott and had two children with her Lillian Maude (1879-1946) and Charles William (b.1880), who were brought up by their father’s siblings when his marriage to Elizabeth failed.

Charles remarried in March 1881 Elizabeth Frances Churcher (1856-1937) aka Madame Poole Garland. Charles and his second wife had another two children John Reginald (‘Jack’) (1882-1950) and Vivan George (1893-1929).

All of Charles’ children went into the family business, Lillian performing as a vocalist, Vivan as a lecturer, Charles junior as a manager and John Reginald as a lecturer and manager, and later proprietor of his own Myriorama.

As well as a business owner, Charles was a performer and was involved in the entertainment served to his audience during the Panoramic presentation, making solo appearances as a double comedy act with his wife Elizabeth.

Charles was based in Gloucester, where he served as Alderman on the City Council. He built his own empire including multiple travelling shows and static venues part of Pooles Theatres Ltd. including the Palace of Varieties in Gloucester and other venues at Stourbridge, Treherbert and Porth. In the 1890s he added two venues in Gloucester to his portfolio, the Albert Hall, where he produced panoramas and a disused chapel, which he converted into his Myriorama studio. He also had studios in Brighton, Malmesbury, and King’s Lynn and was travelling various Myrioramas, Panoramas, Dioramas, and Panstereoramas at the same time.

Charles died in 1918.

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