Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Stage history; Theater -- England
offered for the provisional committee's deliberations. Some were in favour
of a "Shakespeare Temple" to "serve the purposes of humane learning, much
in the same way as Burlington House has served those of natural science."
This suggestion, however, called forth a protest, and on February 27,
1905, a letter appeared in the _Times_ in which it was stated that "any
museum which could be formed in London would be a rubbish heap of
trivialities." The letter was signed by J. M. Barrie, Professor A. C.
Bradley, Lord Carlisle, Sir W. S. Gilbert, Mr. Edmund Gosse, Mr. Maurice
Hewlett, the Earl of Lytton, Dr. Gilbert Murray, Lord Onslow, Sir A. W.
Pinero, Sir Frederick Pollock, Mr. A. B. Walkley, and Professor W. Aldis
Wright. On the next day was held a public meeting at the Mansion House,
with the Lord Mayor presiding. No special mention of a statue was made,
nor of a "Shakespeare Temple," while Mr. Bram Stoker pointed out the
difficulties and expense of a National Theatre. On the proposition of Dr.
Furnivall, seconded by Sir H. Beerbohm Tree, the following resolution was
passed:
"That the meeting approves of the proposal for a Shakespeare Memorial
in London, and appoints a general committee, to be further added to,
for the purpose of organizing the movement and determining the form
of a memorial."
On this general committee I was asked to serve and was duly elected.
On Thursday, July 6, 1905, the general committee was summoned to the
Mansion House to receive the report of the special committee appointed to
consider the various proposals. This committee, which was elected by the
general committee, was as follows: Lord Alverstone, Lord Avebury, Lord
Reay, Sir Henry Irving, Sir R. C. Jebb, Sir E. Maunde Thompson, Mr. F. R.
Benson, Mr. S. H. Butcher, Mr. W. L. Courtney, Mr. Walter Crane, Dr. F. J.
Furnivall, Sir G. L. Gomme, Mr. Anthony Hope Hawkins, Mr. Bram Stoker, Dr.
A. W. Ward.
The recommendation made by this committee, which was unanimously adopted,
was that "the form of the memorial be that of an architectural monument
including a statue." But it was also recommended, if funds permitted, as
a possible subsidiary project, "the erection of a building in which
Shakespeare's plays could be acted without scenery." This part of the
scheme met with strong opposition from some members of the general
committee, and Sir Herbert Tree, as representing the dramatic profession,
declared that he could not, and would not, countenance it.
Finally, by the narrow majority of one vote (that of the chairman, Lord
Reay) it was decided that this part of the report should be dropped, as
well as the proposal to use, as a site, a space near the new London County
Hall, recommended for its proximity to the locality of the old Globe
playhouse.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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