User:Annjen

 Annjen works by day as an academic, and by night as a passionate researcher of Victorian life in England, particularly theatre.

Why we must check the facts
Many of the early accounts of theatre life were anecdotal and light on references and sources. Some of the journalists of the time such as H. Chance Newton and James Agate, were interested in carving their own place in history, and they were far from objective in their reporting. They often seem to claim a level of intimacy with their subjects that seems improbable given their ignorance of some important aspects of a subject's life, such as one who was an observant Jew yet lauded for his cordial attitudes towards Jews. So, in matters of fact relating to characters in the Victorian theatre,I advocate checking against the census, The Times and London Gazette or Jewish Chronicle, at the very least, and then going to theatre archives for posters and handbills rather than being guided by the memories of these old journo's.