Vesta Tilley

Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum: 15th November 2008 – 28th February 2009

Vesta Tilley

Vesta Tilley was born Matilda Alice Powles in Commandery Row, Worcester in 1864, the second of thirteen children.  Her autobiography calls Worcester ‘the poor, proud and pretty city’.

Vesta Tilley in costume

With her father’s encouragement, Vesta took to the stage before she was even five years old and soon performed as ‘The Great Little Tilley’.  Later becoming known as ‘Vesta Tilley’ made famous for her male impersonation – including caricatures of social characters such as Monte from Monte Carlo, Algy the Piccadilly Johnny with the little glass eye and Burlington Bertie.

During World War Two she dressed in immaculate military uniforms to sing songs as tribute to our troops, of whom she was very proud.  Her songs were often used in recruitment drives and here performances led to an increase in men enlisting in the army, sometimes at the actual performance!

Vesta performed to large appreciative audiences throughout the country.  Birmingham, Nottingham, London, Liverpool etc., many of which made claims that she was born and lived there.  She was also well known as ‘The London Idol’ despite being from Worcester.

Vesta fell in love and married Walter De Frece who took over her management from her father; he was later to become a conservative MP.  The pair were honoured for their contributions to charities and made Sir Walter De Frece and Lady Matilda De Frece.

Vesta Tilley in sailor costume

At her retirement from the stage she was handed a series of books ‘The People’s Tribute’ containing two million signatures from her adoring fans including fellow celebrities such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini.

This exhibition will include those tribute books, some of Vesta’s original stage costumes, her music, images of her in costume and also information about Music Hall and Worcester as Vesta knew it.

Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum
Foregate Street, Worcester, WR1 1DT
Tel: 01905 25371  e-mail artgalleryandmuseum@worcester.gov.uk