Act Collection

Hogarth, Beer Street. A political print supporting a ministerial measure against the unlimited sale of gin. A scene of London life in which happy and healthy tradesmen

Hogarth, Gin Lane. A political print supporting a ministerial measure against the unlimited sale of gin (which later became the Gin Act)

Hogarth Actresses Barn
Strolling Actresses Dressing in a Barn Using a loophole in the law that defied actors to act outside London without a licence

Music / Opera / Verdi / Aida
AIDA Act II, Scene II: the triumphal return of Radames

Elsie on Hassan - Laura Knight
Oil on Canvas 68.6 x 76.2

Shakespeare; Titania
Act II, Scene I Titania, Queen of the fairies with her train; "...Fairies, away! We shall chide downright, if I no longer stay Date: 1908

THE TRAIL OF TEARS, 1838. The removal of the Cherokee Native Americans to the West in 1838. Oil on canvas, 1942, by Robert Lindneux

Zazel / Human Cannonball
Zazel at the Royal Aquarium, London. " A beautiful Lady shot from a monstrous cannon." This is thought to be the earliest photograph of a human cannonball act

Macbeth / Witches / Cauldron
Act IV, Scene I The witches in their cavern, gathered around the boiling cauldron; " in the poisn d entrails throw"

LA Boheme / Puccini / III
La BOHEME Act III: outside in the snow, Rodolfo declares that he loves Mimi more than anything else in the world Date: late 19th century

LA Boheme / Puccini / I
La BOHEME Act I: within the first few minutes of meeting, Rodolfo and Mimi declare their love for each other Date: late 19th century

The Gullet, Stafford Street, Birmingham
Under the Artisans and Labourers dwellings Improvement Act, 1875, slum areas like the gullet were cleared and improved. Date: 16 December 1876

Farrows Bank Ltd. - The Peoples Bank - 1 Cheapside, London. In setting up the bank, Thomas Farrow wished not only that unsuspecting people in need of money to tide them over a period of temporary

Actors on stage in the days of Shakespeare
Theatrical performance in the days of Shakespeare. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Romeo / Juliet / Balcony
Act II, Scene II The famous balcony scene

ENGLAND: TRADE CHARTER. Act of Parliament, 13 October 1698, establishing the English Company Trading to the East Indies, a rival trade organization to the East India Company; the new company was soon

Backyard carnival, 1800s
Children putting on a circus in the backyarrd, 1800s. Hand-colored halftone reproduction of a 19th-century illustration

The Rocky Twins dressed in drag as the Dolly Sisters, Paris, late 1920s late 1920s

The Rocky Twins dressed in drag as the Dolly Sisters, Paris, late 1920s late 1920s

Swan Lake ballet, Siegfried and Odette fall in love
Siegfried and Odette fall in love while the little swans dance. Because of an evil spell, they are swans by day, and only resume human shape at midnight

George Formby
Entertainer George Formby (1904-1961) and his wife Beryl Formby, nee Ingham (1901-1960), also a variety artist. Date: 1940

The Tempest, Ariel
Act I, Scene II Ariel guides the ship to safety Date: 1909

The Mikado at the Savoy
Sketches from The Mikado at the Savoy Theatre in London: The Mikado (Mr R. Temple), Nanki-Pooh (Mr Durward Lely), Katisha (Miss Brandram), Pooh-Bah (Mr R)

Gandhi breaking the Salt Laws - the civil disobedience in In
In 1930 Ghandi led the Salt March to Dandi, which was an act of non-violent protest against the British salt tax in colonial India

Please clean up after your dog sign, UK - it is now obligatory to clean up dog mess
MAB-37 Please clean up after your dog sign Gloucestershire, UK it is now obligatory to clean up dog mess and this sign on a lamp post reminds dog walkers in Woodmancote Mark Boulton Please note that

Music / Opera / Mozart
DON GIOVANNI the fracas at the country wedding (Act One Scene 20)

Horrors, my wife! by Webster Murray
Wife tracks her husband down, under the sea in a diving suit having an affair with attractive mermaid. Date: 1928

The Rocky Twins dressed as sailors, late 1920s late 1920s

The Rocky Twins with Mistinguett in Paris Miss, 1929 1929

Magic Flute Liebig 6
(The Magic Flute) Act 2 scene 27 : the old hag is transformed into Papagena, who immediately captivates Papageno, and they, too, live happily ever after

Tightrope Cycling Act
A German husband and wife team perform a dramatic tightrope cycling act

George Whitefield / Anon
GEORGE WHITEFIELD Methodist preacher depicted in the act of preaching

LADY MACBETH & DAGGERS
Macbeth, Act II, Scene ii Lady Macbeth: "give me the daggers..." Date: 1925

Balloon Festival Canberra
Hot air balloons are seen flying over Lake Burley Griffin during the 2015 Canberra Balloon festival in Canberra

A Bonzo juggling act
Bonzo, the cute canine created by artist George Studdy in The Sketch magazine during the 1920s, performs a marvellous trick by balancing a plate, cutlery

Sir John George Shaw-Lefevre
Caricature portrait of Sir John George Shaw-Lefevre KCB (1797-1879). Shaw-Lefevre was a British barrister, Whig politician, and civil servant

David Lloyd George leaving Downing Street
Lloyd George pictured leaving Downing Street after his resignation with his wife and daughter Megan. His resignation announcement featured in the Court circular of 19th October

Verdi / Rigoletto / Liebig
The celebrated quartet from the last act

Midsummer Nights Dream
Act IV, Scene I Bottom & Titania; T: " Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed/While I thy amiable cheeks do coy, "

Oberon & Titania
Act II, Scene II Oberon squeezes the flower onto Titanias eyelids

Crofters of Lewis Riot
The crofters of Lewis, in the Hebrides, riot against enclosures by landowners : the Riot Act is read at Aignish Farm, near Stornoway

The Ravens of Wotan

The Rocky Twins in London, 1929
The Rocky Twins dressed as sailors in London, April 1929 1929

Henry V / Agincourt
Act IV, Scene I Henry V, victorious after the battle of Agincourt; H: " Praised be God, & not our strength for it!"

The Wallenda Family performing on the high wire, Olympia, 19
Photograph showing the Wallenda family performing their high wire act, as part of Bertram Mills Circus, at Olympia, London, 1931

Parsifal - Liebig 6
Act three : Parsifal heals Amfortas with the sacred Spear

Hotspur and his Wife
Act II Scene 3 Hotspur and his wife (Lady Percy)

47TH FEDERAL PARLIAMENT OPENING
Crossbench MPs Allegra Spender, Zoe Daniels, Kylea Tink, Zali Steggall, Monique Ryan, Dai Le, Sophie Scamps and Kate Chaney take the affirmation of allegiance in the House of Representatives during

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Unveiling the Power of Act: From Hogarth's Gin Lane to Zazel's Human Cannonball" Step into a world where art becomes an act, weaving tales of triumph and tragedy. With each stroke of the brush or flicker of the stage lights, these captivating moments come alive. In Hogarth's "Gin Lane, " we witness the destructive consequences that arise from indulgence and excess. Contrastingly, "Beer Street" portrays a scene of merriment and camaraderie, reminding us that they can shape our society for better or worse. Laura Knight's masterpiece "Elsie on Hassan" captures the grace and elegance in every equestrian act, showcasing their bond with nature. Meanwhile, Shakespeare introduces us to Titania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream, " reminding us that even fairies engage in acts both mischievous and enchanting. George Formby strums his ukulele as he entertains crowds with his comedic acts, bringing joy to all who listen. Yet amidst laughter lies history's pain; Robert Lindneux depicts "The Trail of Tears, " a heart-wrenching act that saw Cherokee Native Americans forcibly removed from their ancestral lands. Zazel defies gravity as she soars through the air as a human cannonball—an extraordinary feat demonstrating courage beyond imagination. In Shakespeare's "The Tempest, " Ariel enchants audiences with magical acts while Macbeth succumbs to dark forces conjured by witches around their cauldron. "Lady Macbeth & Daggers" encapsulates one woman’s descent into madness through her chilling actions—a reminder that even within ourselves lie untamed desires waiting to be unleashed. The Gullet in Birmingham stands tall as an architectural marvel—a testament to mankind’s ability to create awe-inspiring structures through collective effort. Webster Murray unveils domestic turmoil in his painting titled "Horrors, my wife. "—a stark reminder that acts within the confines of our homes can hold immense power and consequence.