Broadway star Miss Hilda Spong was painted by Tom Roberts in 1893.
Narrator: Perhaps you’re wondering who she was. Well, she was Hilda Spong. Miss Hilda Spong. And she was a star.
Perhaps the first Australian to conquer the theatres of London’s West End, and to have Broadway at her feet. The Cate Blanchett of her day, do you think? Or the Nicole Kidman? She had the fame, the fans, the glowing reviews, the scandals, and the love affairs. The portrait remains. Her performances do not.
We perhaps think that she looks quaint and pleasant rather than glamorous and fascinating. Well, tastes change. But in her day, she was Miss Hilda Spong, with love.
Dr. Sarah Engledow discovers the amazing life of Ms. Hilda Spong, little remembered star of the stage, who was captured in a portrait by Tom Roberts.
Explore portraiture and come face to face with Australian identity, history, culture, creativity and diversity.
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