Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/613

LONDON 607 harmonic society ; the popular concerts and those of the choral society at the Albert hall ; at the Alexandra palace, Muswell hill, de- stroyed by fire June 9, 1873, two weeks after its opening, and subsequently rebuilt on an improved plan ; the musical union matinees at Willis's rooms ; Ella's concerts of the highest order of instrumental music ; the popular Mon- day and Saturday concerts and musical even- ings during the season ; the orchestral prome- nade concerts at Covent Garden theatre during autumn, under the direction of M. Kiviere, on the plan of Jullien and Mellon of former days, attended by overwhelming audiences ; and the private concerts at Hanover square rooms, Al- mack's, and St. James's hall. The two Italian opera houses were Her Majesty's theatre, or the opera house, in the Haymarket (burnt in 1867 and rebuilt in 1869, but never reopened), intended for 1,800 persons ; and Covent Gar- den theatre, or the royal Italian opera house (burnt in 1856 and rebuilt in 1858), accommo- dating 2,000. Drury Lane theatre has of late years been used as an Italian opera house, in place of Her Majesty's. These are the most fashionable houses, the boxes and the parquet being filled with the highest classes, and no- body being admitted to the pit and the more expensive seats unless in full dress; but this etiquette does not extend to the cheaper seats in the galleries. English opera and foreign opera Anglicized are given occasionally at the crystal palace, while operas of the lighter sort are performed in English at several of the mi- nor theatres, and in French at the St. James's theatre, but the latter is devoted during the season mainly to dramatic performances. The Lyceum and Alhambra theatres combine comic opera with plays, and the latter with panto- mimes and ballets ; an opera comique theatre was completed in 1871, and the Philharmonic is also devoted to comic opera and ballet. The principal theatres are the Haymarket, Adelphi (rebuilt in 1858), Princess's, Olympic, Koyalty, and Strand ; and among new ones are the Prince of Wales's, Gaiety, Globe, Vaudeville, New Bel- gravia, the Court, and the Criterion (opened in 1874 in connection with a large restaurant). All these are chiefly in the regions around Co- vent Garden. In other parts of London are the Holborn ; Sadler's Wells, St. John's street road, long noted for Shakespearian perform- ances ; Shoreditch, rebuilt in 1867 on the site of the old Curtain theatre, where Ben Jon- son acted ; Victoria, Waterloo road, Lambeth, popularly known as the Vic, with a gallery for 2,000 persons; Surrey, Blackfriars road, rebuilt in 1866; Alexandra, Highbury park ; Grecian, City road ; New Queen's, Long Acre, original- ly built in 1850 for Hullah's concerts, and re- built as a theatre after the fire of 1860 ; Pa- vilion, Whitechapel road ; Britannia, Hoxton ; New East London, Whitechapel road ; and Ast- ley's amphitheatre, Westminster bridge road, thrice burnt between 1794 and 1841, and re- built. There are several other theatres, the 506 VOL. x. 39 total exceeding 40, and the number changing from the closing of old and establishment of new ones, some having only an ephemeral existence owing to theatrical business being overdone. Madame Tussaud and son's wax works, Baker street, the Egyptian hall, Piccadilly, and other resorts attract numerous persons. There is a gymnastic club in Pall Mall, on the site of the British institution ; and a German gymnasium was established in 1866 in Old St. Pancras road, King's Cross, on the system of Jahn, for the use of a private association. Lord's cricket ground, St. John's Wood road, Regent's park, is the principal one of the kind. The most popular periodical amusements are the races, when all London seems to be on the move; the Thames regattas ; the shooting matches on Wimbledon common ; the military reviews in Hyde park, at the artillery ground near Fins- bury square, and at Aldershott; and the na- tional and international exhibitions ; while the parks and the rural and riverside regions give boundless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Few traces remain of the old taverns and cof- fee houses, which latter were once called pen- ny universities on account of the penny admis- sion fee and of their diffusion of political, liter- ary, and general information. The St. James's coffee house was frequented by Addison and Steele as the headquarters of the whigs. Wil- lis's or Ur win's was, as Macaulay says, "sacred to polite letters." Epicureans who gathered du- ring part of the night in the coffee houses formed convivial clubs, and soon arose the Kit Cat and other famous literary clubs. (See " Club Life of London, with Anecdotes of the Clubs, Cof- fee Houses, and Taverns of the Metropolis," by John Timbs, 2 vols., London, 1866.) These coffee houses and clubs were the precursors of the large club houses of the present day. White's, founded in 1730, and originally called White's chocolate house, is the oldest and most aristocratic club house, averaging 500 members, who are admitted without regard to political opinions. Brooks's (1764, 600 members) was long the great whig rival of Boodle's renowned tory club. Arthur's dates from 1765, with 600 members. The Guards' club was established in 1813, with nearly 300 members, for the offi- cers of the three regiments of foot guards only. The United Service (1815, 1,600 members), for officers not under the rank of major in the army and commander in the navy, is the most select professional club. Its offshoots are the Junior United Service (1827, 2,000 members), the Army and Navy (1838, 2,300), the Naval and Military (1862, 1,500 members), and the new Junior Naval and Military (1874). The Athenaeum (1824), with 1,200 members, is the resort of the learned professions, the highest order of artists and authors, and the upper cler- gy ; and the Junior Athenaeum (1864) has 600 members. The conservative Carlton club (1832) has 950 members, and its offshoot the Junior Carlton (1864) has 2,000, exclusive of peers and members of parliament ; another offshoot