Echoes from 1917: An Autograph, A Playbill, and a Forgotten Star

A century-old music hall autograph book reveals its treasure.

There’s something unsettling—thrilling, even—about holding an object that once belonged to someone long gone. A signature in faded ink, a name scrawled with practiced flair, the startling imprint of a moment.

I have an autograph book from 1917, filled with signatures of music hall artists who performed at the Chatham Empire during the First World War. Th…