Archive & Collections
Resources
Echoes of Jenny Lind - a celebration!
On Friday, the 2nd of February 1849, Jenny Lind, the renowned Swedish soprano famously referred to as the Swedish Nightingale, took the stage at College Hall in Worcester to raise funds for the Infirmary.
On Friday, the 2nd of February 2024, exactly 175 years later, Hatpin Productions CIC hosted a tribute performance at the Jenny Lind Chapel in the Charles Hastings Building of the University of Worcester, previously known as the Infirmary. To commemorate this special occasion, soprano April Fredrick took the stage as Jenny Lind, captivating the audience with her rendition of Qui La Voce Sua Soave (Bellini), one of the arias selected by Lind for her performance in 1849.
Hatpin Productions has continued to organise events connected to this celebration of Jenny Lind.
We are in the process of creating an archive and a collection of resources centered around Jenny Lind. While our primary focus is from 1845 to 1850, our materials encompass her entire life and career.
As we collaborate with Worcestershire LitFest CIC for an upcoming workshop on the 3rd of January 2025, along with a related writing competition, we will showcase one item each day from our archives and collections. These items will be presented in various formats on our website and social media platforms, including text, photographs, audio, or video recordings.
Fashion Plate - January 1849
Images showcasing Victorian fashion plates from January 1849.
The Victorian era saw rapid changes in fashion, and our Hatpin Productions team keeps this in mind while exploring costume choices for our performances.
This image plate is from January 1849. Jenny Lind performed in Worcester, Worcestershire, UK, on the 2nd of February 1849.
Cross-hatch letter
Jenny Lind reference
Letters of this kind were initially created to conserve paper, which was both costly and valued. Although they were challenging to read, these letters gained popularity.
Over time, this writing style became somewhat of an obsession for certain individuals and was deemed fashionable in select circles.
The example provided, dated 1847 and sent from Tunbridge Wells, UK, references Jenny Lind's attorney (legal representative). This may relate to the infamous case involving theatre manager Alfred Bunn (Manager of the Theatre Royal - Drury Lane). We possess details regarding that court case in our archives and will provide samples of the information on this resource page.
The displayed image is quite hard to decipher, and the original document is extremely delicate. To aid our researchers, we have included a photograph of one side of the letter with a digital highlight. The highlighted section indicates the reference to Jenny Lind.
Archival research
A single copy of the original programme from the College Hall concert featuring Jenny Lind on February 2, 1849, is preserved in the archives at The Hive, the main library of Worcester City and the University. This photograph shows the archive folder content.
The Programme on display
We hosted one of our two Elgar Festival (2024) events at The Hive, where the library archive team graciously showcased the 1849 programme. This item belongs to The Hive, we can only exhibit the specific page they publicly displayed. If you want to see the complete program, please visit the library archive department and request a viewing. It is worth a visit!
Page two of the programme
Here is a more detailed representation of page two of the programme, as showcased by the archivists at The Hive in May 2024. The performance event titled 'Echoes of Jenny Lind - a celebration!' closely aligns with the content of this original programme. In this image, you can identify the participants from the 1849 performance. Our archive department, along with our researchers, will be enhancing this resources page with additional information about the 1849 performers and programme details. If you wish to discuss any part of this information, please feel free to reach out through our 'contact us' page.
Hatpin Productions CIC is a Community Interest Company registered in England and Wales. Reg 14214408
Registered Office Address: Regency House, 48 Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove B61 0DD
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