Theatregoers and the necessities of theatregoing on postcards. Click on pictures for detailed information!

Arriving at the theatre

Schauspielhaus, Berlin

Emperor Franz Joseph arrives at the spa theatre of Bad Ischl, c. 1905

Staatsoper, Wien

Prinzregententheater, München

Opéra (Palais Garnier), Paris

Festspielhaus, Bayreuth

Konzertsaal der HfM, Berlin

Hansa-Theater, Hamburg

Imperial Theatre, New York, in the 1990s

Majestic Theatre, New York, in the 1990s

Buying tickets

District Messengers hired to retain good places at the Aldwych Theatre, London

Lyric Theatre, 3rd Avenue, New York

Strolling the foyers

Hofoper (Semperoper), Dresden

Iroquois Theatre, Chicago, c. 1903

Opéra (Palais Garnier), Paris

Staatsoper, Wien

Burgtheater, Wien

Metropoltheater, Berlin

Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, New York

Semperoper, Dresden

Before the curtain rises

Stadttheater, Berndorf

Altes Residenztheater, München

Watching the performance

Redoutensäle, Wien, 1760

Baroque reenactment for a movie at the Markgräfliches Opernhaus, Bayreuth

Park Theatre, New York, 1822

Ted Mark's Big Sunday Night Concert
American Theatre, New York City, 1901-1902

An open-air crowd at Waldtheater, Oybin

Martin Monnickendam: Spectators in a box in the Amsterdam Stadsschouwburg, 1912

The ducal box at the Court Theatre, Braunschweig, 1913

Schauspielhaus, Leipzig

Teatro della Concordia, Montecastello di Vibio, 1929

Variety at the Scala, Berlin, c. 1932

Housewives' afternoon at a variety theatre, Essen

Gala opening at the old Metropolitan Opera, New York

Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Bolshoi Theatre, Moskva

Waldbühne, Berlin

Luise-Albertz-Halle, Oberhausen

Deutsches Nationaltheater, Weimar

Intermission

Patrons meeting ballerinas during an intermission
at the Paris Opéra - a favourite erotic pastime of the era

Tea Room at the London Coliseum, c. 1905

Theatre Royal patrons during an intermission
of Wexford Festival Opera

Intermission is over!
(Fanfare at the Festspielhaus, Bayreuth)

Applause!

A gala performance at the Weimar Court Theatre

Asolo Theatre, Sarasota

Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano, Royal Festival Hall, London, 1973

Konzerthaus, Wien

Leaving the theatre

At the cloakroom (postcard by Oscar Bluhm, 1867–1912)

Burgtheater, Wien

Burgtheater, Wien

Nationaltheater, München

Konzerthaus, Klagenfurt

St. James Theatre, London

The Queen leaving the Capitol Cinema, Den Haag, 1936