Florrie Forde (1875–1940), singer and music hall performer, was born in Melbourne and first sang publicly at Sydney's Polytechnic Hall at the age of sixteen. For the next five years she sang and acted in Sydney and Melbourne; in Adelaide she performed the saucy song 'She Wore a Little Safety Pin, Behind' for members of the Australasian Federal Convention. By 1897 she was making her debut in London, singing 'You Know and I Know' at three separate music halls on the same night. Henceforth she was never out of work, remaining a star until her death through songs in which her audiences joined enthusiastically, including 'Down at the Old Bull and Bush', 'Pack Up Your Troubles' and 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary'. In 1912 she appeared before King George V in the very first Royal Command Variety Performance. At the peak of her career during the First World War, she continued to perform, mentor up-and-coming stars and record songs in her strong Australian accent through to the 1930s, also appearing as herself in two films. She performed as one of the 'Veterans of Variety' in another Command performance in 1935.
This autographed publicity photograph of Forde wearing fur was taken around 1930. She died a decade later after entertaining patients in a naval hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Purchased 2017
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