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His interests included his extensive charitable and benevolent work and a lifelong interest in horse-racing, as owner, spectator, and keen gambler. He retired in the early 1920s and a benefit concert was held for him at the
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described Elvin as one of a handful of physical comedians who "made significant changes in music-hall fare." Elvin developed the character of the loud, lovable, and irreverent
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Vaudeville, Old and New: An
Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America Volume 1 by Frank Cullen with Florence Hackman and Donald McNeilly. Published by Routledge (2006)
176:, who died in 1951. The two frequently appeared together as 'Keegan and Elvin', including at the 1887 variety performance benefit for Charles Ash at the
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the theatres that broke the strike. This action led to the formation of the 'Variety
Artists Federation' (VAF), which decades later was absorbed into
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Elvin was the son of Joseph Peter Keegan (1840 – 1901), an actor and music-hall artiste, and his wife, Annie
Delaney. He was educated at a
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in 1871 and began his music-hall career the following year as a juvenile comic and clog dancer at
Crowder's in
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Dave
Russell, 'Elvin, Joe (1862–1935)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
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when they persuaded other less well paid music hall artistes to strike for better pay and conditions and to
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while at the same time receiving tuition in dancing and other performance skills. He made his début in
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In
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31:; 29 November 1862 – 3 March 1935) was an English comedian and
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charity. With other leading performers he took part in the
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artistes in their strike for better pay and conditions.
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400:Elvin on the Grand Order of Water Rats website
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297:It's Behind You! - The Music Hall Pantomimes
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218:. Elvin served as 'King Rat' in 1894.
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134:working man having a good time. With
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202:In 1889 Elvin was a founder with
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95:. During a season for the
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188:Grand Order of Water Rats
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377:at www.arthurlloyd.co.uk
229:He appeared in the 1900
148:'Music Hall War' of 1907
318:at freespace.virgin.net
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420:1935 deaths
415:1862 births
231:silent film
144:Little Tich
140:Marie Lloyd
126:Impresario
92:Bleak House
409:Categories
347:2013-08-08
257:Jack Lotto
245:Wallington
204:Jack Lotto
128:Fred Karno
97:vaudeville
73:Brighton's
63:school in
49:music hall
33:music hall
391:Joe Elvin
216:water rat
88:Dickens's
80:Greenwich
69:pantomime
55:Biography
25:Joe Elvin
356:cite web
312:Archived
234:The Rats
61:Catholic
328:Results
206:of the
182:Lambeth
132:cockney
84:Poor Jo
249:Surrey
156:Equity
152:picket
27:(born
263:Notes
212:Derby
395:IMDb
362:link
255:and
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