The Fayre Sisters Circus Concertina Virtuosi Antique Large Photo

CHAU3962  Antique 8" x 4" original photo for the Fayre Sisters bar small places in great condition (vg+/ex-)

During the 1920s and 30s, the concertina virtuosi known as the Fayre Four SistersInga, Tina, Sylvia, and Lillian Webb were among the most popular performers on the British music hall and vaudeville circuits. They represented the end of the line for the class act that combined female good looks, fancy choreography and sets, and a repertory of light classical music (some of which had been popular since the early nineteenth century), along with more recent pop hits.

The sisters were the daughters of Joseph Webb, one-half of the popular musical-clown act of Root Toot (also called Ruté) and JoJo (Root Toot was Josephs brother Robert) that was active from the 1880s to the 1920s.  As did many other musical clowns, the brothers incorporated a number of instruments with comic potential into their act. And with its floppy bellows and easily wrought squeaks and squawks, the concertina had broad appeal to circus performers. The Web brothers even had a giant concertina built which consisted of a large shell that surrounded a real, playable instrument. It was not long before they were imitated both in England and on the Continent. Even novelty acts on the vaudeville and music hall circuits were soon smitten by the instrument, and we thus have tales of concertinists accompanying magicians and even singing parrots.