Mr. E.D. Davies, Ventriloquist.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1823, 18 December 1875, Page 5 (Supplement)

Mr. E.D. Davies, Ventriloquist.

On Friday next, Mr E. D. Davies, the premier ventriloquist of the world, will give the first of his remarkable entertainments in the City Hall. Daring the past few months Mr Davies has made a most successful tour through the Australian colonies and Southern provinces. His previous career is thus related by himself: —l am a native of the Emerald Isle, having been born at Mohill, County Leitrim, Ireland, September 24th, 1836. My earliest years were spent in Dublin, my father removing his wife and family to that city when I was a mere baby. I was a born mimic and inherited the gift of ventriloquism to an extraordinary degsee, so much so that when only ten years old I could imitate the voice of my old schoolmaster to perfection. I was decidedly too perfect. I remember on one occasion receiving for my simulating his voice a severe castigation, which I richly merited. It mattered not what sound took my boyish fancy, whether it was the barking of a dog, the mewing of a cat, the sawing of wood, the voice of a schoolfellow, I could instantly produce it without effort or straining whatever. I am quite convinced that my constant indulging my propensity for mimicing everything in my youth, laid the foundation of my future success as a ventriloquist. I continued at school until I was fourteen years old. Through the influence of Mr Webb, an eminent actor, ;and afterwards lessee of the Queen's Theatre* Dublin, I made my first public appearance on the stage of the Queen's Theatre in Dublin as ventriloquist and Irish comedian. Owing to my extreme youth {I at that time only 15 years old), I took the cognomen of the Dublin " Boy." My entrance into public life was eminently successful. I procured immediately plenty of engagements* and played in all the principal cities of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. When about nineteen years old I made the acquaintance of Dr. James Roberts, a retired physician, a man well advanced in years, and a profound scholar. He, admiring my ventriloquism, advised me to assiduously study the anatomy of the vocal organs. I followed his excellent counsel, and became familiar with the mechanical construction with all those necessary to ventriloquism. After an absence of 5 years I returned to Dublin, yearning to see my parents and friends. Daring this period I performed at Dublin Castle before

the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the late Earl of Carlisle, who presented me with a handsome watch and chain, honouring me with a few appropriate words of approbation, at the same time predicting for me a brilliant career as a ventriloquist. Since that time I have performed before several of the crowned heads of Europe, and to the most fashionable and critical audiences of the Old World, receiving from many admirers of my art splendid tokens of admiration. Somo few years after that I married. My wife advised me to give an entertainment consisting of ventriloquism only. Considering it advisable to cultivate to the

utmost and improve the gift I was by nature so richly endowed with, I commenced with the two figures "Tom" and "Joe," and added by degrees different imaginary voices, discarding entirely from my entertainment the imitations of animals' peculiar cries, the sawing of wood, in fact everything appertaining to mimicry, giving strictly a legitimate ventriloqueal performance, calling my entertainment " Valentine Vox," resuscitated by E. D. Davies in his original entertainment entitled "Anecdotes and adventures of the funniest of funny folks." My'entertainment on being introduced in London,

England, created a perfect "furore," it being so entirely diffeernt to any of my compeers, always presenting to my audience a front face, never turning my back to them, articulating my words as plainly and clearly in ventriloquism as when speaking naturally; my simulated voices never appearing to emenate from myself, even singing songs in ventriloquism without any visible movement of the lips or muscles of the face, previous artists in my line as a rule making their efforts more or lefs painful to behold. I received visits from celebrated physicians, philosophers and savans, those gentlemen wishing to see me, and judge for themselves the perfection I had brought ventriloquism to. I received, on concluding my first engagement at the Royal Polytechnic Institution, London, an institution devoted especially to science and arts, testimonial from the late celebrated Professor Owen, the chairman of the Board of Committee connected with the institution. I played at all the principal theatres and halls in London, performing frequently five times in one day and as many as 400 consecutive nights. I had repeatedly received offers from American managers. Finally I made an engagement with Mr J. E. McDonough of Philadelphia. I made my first appearance in America at the St James' Theatre, 28bh street Broadway, New York, Oct. 23rd, 1871, achieving a perfect triumph, receiving from the audience on concluding a perfect ovation. I had intended only staying in America six.or nine months. However, engagements poured in which I accepted, taking me nearly two years to fulfil them. I could fill a large book with detailing practical jokes I played in my youth on different individuals, but for some years new I bave retained my ventriloquial powers for the stage." —Mr Davies has written

many ballads and popular songs, and has been a contributor to one of the most popular American comic paper*;, under a well-known nom-de-plume. He is also the author of several valuable works on ventriloquism. The " Art of Ventriloquism" has already reached the fifth edition. Mr Davies was the first public performer who gave entertainments for the benefit of charitable institutions. He inaugurated thoae perfomances at Paisley 15 years ago, for the benefit of the patients in the Lunatic Asylum, and in whatever town he is staying he invariably takes his company and amuses those poor people who cannot amuse themselves. This he has done all over the world.