Victoria, Vesta, 1873 - 1951
Dates
- Existence: 26 November 1873 - 7 April 1951
Biography
Victoria Lawrence aka Vesta Victoria was born on 26 November 1873 in Leeds, England to music hall entertainers Joe Lawrence and his wife Emma Thompson. Victoria made her first appearance on stage with her parents aged six weeks as Baby Victoria. She continued using that name, appearing on stage with her parents singing and dancing, until 1883 when she change it for Little Victorian for her first London appearance.
She used that stage name until she finally changed it to Vesta Victoria in 1892 to initiate her solo career.
Although Victoria was from Yorkshire, she developed a Cockney character for her performances, which made her into one of the most successful and best paid British music hall singer and comedians at the turn of the twentieth century, not only in England but also in America, where we travelled widely.
The painter Walter Sickert (1860–1942) painted her portrait entitled Vesta Victoria at the Old Bedford, c1890.
Vesta retired after the First World War, only to return to stage in 1926. However, by this time, both music halls and her popularity were in decline. She continued working through the 1930s and 1940s recording some of her old hits and appearing in films and variety theatres and in 1932 she was part of the Royal Variety Show at the Palladium.
Vesta died of breast cancer in Hampstead, north London, on 7 April 1951.
Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:
A Pretty Little Song for Pretty Little Children Song Booklet, 1892
Bill Barnes Collection
Programmes, posters and photographs mainly related to the Poole family's travelling Myriorama show.
Cyril Critchlow Collection
Programmes , 1881 - 2016
Pre-Film and variety and music hall programmes mainly related to the travelling shows of Joseph Poole and Harry Poole, Harry H. Hamilton, Mapleston Brothers and Adams but it also includes other showmen.