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Les origines (1852-1896)

Lors du recensement de 1861 (Londres), la mère d'Edward J. Dale est déjà veuve. Par la suite (recensement de 1871), il travaille auprès de l'opticien F. J. Cox, avant de rejoindre le célèbre prestidigitateur Robert Heller (1826-Philadelphie, 28/11/1878) avec lequel il part en tournée à de multiples reprises : 

THE LATE MR. E. J. DALE.
The late Edward Jonathan Dale was, as a youth, with Mr F. J. Cox, optician, of Ludgate-hill, and left to join Robert Heller, so celebrated for his marvellous feats of legerdemain and music. With Mr Heller, he travelled as stage assistant in all parts of the world, including three journeys through the United States and Canada. On the sudden death of Mr Robert Heller at Philadelphia, U.S.A., Mr Dale went on to New York, and performed as illusionist and conjuror with much success.

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The Era, Londres, samedi 6 mai 1900, p. 18.

À New York, il va donc engager une carrière de magicien et fait la connaissance de Mary Wood en [mai 1878] qui devient sa partenaire, puis son épouse en juillet 1879. 

Robert Heller [D.R.]	The Buffalo Sunday Morning News, Buffalo, dimanche 1er juin 1879, p. 1.

Le couple rentre ensuite en Grande-Bretagne où Edward reprend ses affaires avec son frère :

[...] eventually returning to England, and becoming a partner in the firm of H. and E. J. Dale, opticians and electricians at Little Britain and elsewhere. This business was carried on successfully on a large scale for a number of years, and eventually sold to a company. He then became associated with various theatrical ventures as illusionist and electrician, and also continued to perform with success as a conjurer. He afterwards became connected with Olympia. He constructed many of the most successful illusions and pieces of stage apparatus and trick tables, &c., for many celebrated professors.

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The Era, Londres, samedi 6 mai 1900, p. 18.

Dès le début des années 1880, les deux frères associés font passer dans la presse des encarts publicitaires. En 1881, la famille est toujours recensée à Londres).

Building News, vendredi 24 décembre 1880, p. 63.	Building News, vendredi 10 février 1882, p. 2.
Building News, vendredi 10 juillet 1885, p. IV

C'est vers 1886 qu'Edward J. Dale commence à présenter quelques numéros de magie dans des soirées comme celle de la Blue Ribbon Association à laquelle il prend part :

Soiree at Maize Post.
The fourth annual soiree in connection with the Blue Ribbon Association was held on Tuesday evening last, in the lecture hall, when there was a large assembly of members and friends. The hall was prettily decorated with flags, and special mention must be made of an elegant and novel table fountain, kindly lent by Mr. W. Tucker (the patentee). It is made of white metal, and is so arranged as to combine a flower and fruit stand as well as a chandelier. It is about three feet high, and from the top (by touching a spring), beautiful sprays of water or scent are sent up some two or three feet. Besides this there were electrical experiments during the evening, and an entertainment of mirth, magic, and mystery, by Mr. E. J. Dale; also a vocal and instrumental entertainment, in which the following took part :—Pianoforte, Mr. and Miss Monkton, Miss Ada Tuttlev and Miss Allden ; vocalists, Miss Langridge, Miss Jennings, Miss Jennings, Miss E. Cope, Mr. H. Teakle, jun., Mr. Airriess, and Mr. and Miss Monkton ; cornet solo, Mr. Rowboy ; recitation, Mr. G. Monkton. In the course of the evening the Rev. W. Penfold Cope delivered an address. Great credit is due to Mr. W. Fitzgerald and Miss Suttley (hon. secs.) for the excellent arrangements. There were several services of refreshments.

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South London Chronicle, Londres, samedi 13 février 1886, p. 6.

C'est également à cette époque que les deux frères se lancent dans la commercialisation d'appareils photographiques.

Benjamin Wyles, Instructions for beginners in photography, Londres, The Scientific Publishing Co Limited, 1885, p. 125.	London Evening Standard, Londres, mardi 13 juillet 1886, p. 7.

L'année 1888 va être marquée par le divorce d'Edward Dale dont la presse londonienne se fait largement l'écho :

(Before Mr. Justice BUTT and a Common Jury.)
DALE v. DALE AND DALE v. DALE AND BINSTEAD.— These are consolidated suits. In the first suit the wife seeks for a decree of judicial separation by reason of the alleged cruelty of her husband. In the second suit the husband seeks for a divorce on the ground of his wife's misconduct with the Co-respondent, Mr. Arthur Morris Binstead, who it was stated was the "Tale Pitcher" of the Sporting Times. Mrs. Dale did not appear, and the counsel who represented her stated that she "had bolted to America." The Corespondent had not entered an appearance, but was in Court.—Mr. Crump, Q.C. who appeared for Mr. Dale, said that Mr. and Mrs. Dale had lived together before marriage. They were married in America in 1879, and subsequently came to this country. There was no issue of the marriage. In London Mr. Dale carried on the business of an electrical engineer. He lived with his wife at Islington and at Highgate. In 1882 the wife appeared to have made the acquaintance of the Co-respondent, who was a frequent visitor at their house in the absence of her husband. On one occasion Mr. Dale came home unexpectedly, and surprised his wife and the Co. respondent, when she introduced Binstead to him as the "doctor's assistant." Mr. Dale accepted his wife's suggestion, but subsequently he discovered a letter addressed to his wife from "Arthur," commencing "My darling Maudie." His wife snatched the letter from him but he got possession of it after it had been torn in two. Subsequently the Respondent and the Co-respondent often met together under circumstances which led to the filing of this petition. On inquiry being made, it was ascertained that the Corespondent wrote for the Sporting Times under the cognomen of the "Tale Pitcher " (laughter).—Mr. Edward Jonathan Dale, the Petitioner, said that before his marriage he was in America as an engineer with Mr. Hillar, after whose death he carried on the business. While on a tour he made the acquaintance of the Respondent, and lived with her for 15 months. At his suggestion they were married at Boston, on July 3, 1879. The Witness then proceeded to bear out the opening statement of his counsel.- -Evidence was then given by Witnesses to the effect that while Mr. Dale was at business, Binstead was a frequent visitor at his home; that letters passed between him and Mrs. Dale; and that they had been seen together at various public places.—ln the result, the Jury found for Mr. Dale, and the learned Judge pronounced a decree nisi, with costs against Binstead.

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The Evening Standard, Londres, jeudi 26 avril 1888, p. 1.

Vers la fin des années 1880, Edward J. Dale dispose de son propre établissement situé au 9 Kirby-street.

The Era, Londres, samedi 27 avril 1889, p. 24.

Lors du recensement de 1891 (Londres), Edward J. Dale réside chez la famille de son frère Henry. Ce dernier figure comme "manufacturing Electrician), quant à Edward, il s'occupe de "manufactures of stage Illusions". Cette même année, il dépose un brevet pour A new Stage Illusion" (GB6251. avril 1891). Dans les années suivantes, il continue à donner des spectacles d'illusionisme.

South London Observer and Camberwell and Peckham Times, mercredi 7 août 1895, p. 4.

En 1897, il va faire l'objet d'un long article sur les "Distorting Mirrors" dans la célèbre revue The Strand Magazine.

L'animatoscope (1897)

Son intérêt pour le cinématographe naissant va le conduire à rencontrer le pionnier Robert W. Paul et à commencer l'exploitation de son animatoscope dont il a fait l'acquisiton vers le début de l'année 1897 :

Upon the introduction of the Cinématograph he was with Mr. R. W. Paul, of Hatton-garden, and in charge of various exhibitions of this popular novelty in London and provincial music halls.

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The Era, Londres, samedi 6 mai 1900, p. 18.

L'une des premières présentations semble avoir eu lieu en février 1897 à l'occasion d'une réunion du Press Club Smoker :

PRESS CLUB SMOKER.
FAVORITES OF THE STRAND GIVE FLEET-ST. A TURN.
Mr. Charles Lock was an excellent chairman at the Press Club smoker on Saturday night, and tapped the right vein with his presidential hammer in introducing so many old friends to the journalists. Most of the entertainers were such as had often before helped to make the Pressmen’s merry Saturday nights merrier, and all were well known to the stages. That all things passed off hilariously goes without saying, as may be well understood on consideration of the following splendid ‘‘cast”: Mr. Herbert Grover, Mr. Charles Tilbury (Carl Rosa Opera Company), Mr. Walter G. Churcher (comic recitation), Mr. Bantock Pierpoint, Mr. Wallis Arthur, Mr. Herbert Linwood, Stavordale Banjo Quartet, Mr. H. Kendal Ward, Mr. Philip Cathie (violin), Mr. George Neville, Opollo Part Singers (Messrs. George Pearce, Alfred Sherrard, Edgar Lunnon, and Carl Brandt), the Jasmine Mandoline Trio, Mr. Hugh Cochrane, Mr. Fred Darrell, Mr. George Blackmore, Mr. Francis Böhr (pianist), Mr. Haydn Grover, Mr. Gordon Tanner (violin), Mr. Henri Kowalski (pianist), Mr. Scott Russell (Savoy Theatre), Mr. Arthur Helmore, Mr. Barry Lindon, Mr. Sydney Paxton (Globe Theatre), Mr. R. A. Roberts (Egyptian Hall), Mr. Alec White, Mr. Arthur Grover, Mr. Rod Mackenzie, Mr. Robert Dennant, Mr. W. Noel, Mr. John Peachey, Mr. E. J. Dale's Animatoscope (introduced by Mr. R. W. Witham), and Mr. George Pearce. The accompanists were Messrs. Alfred Smythson and J, A. Collings.

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Morning Leader, London, lundi 8 février 1897, p. 5.

The Era, Londres, samedi 13 mars 1897, p. 28.	The Era, Londres, samedi 3 avril 1897, p. 27.

Edward J. Dale continue à exploiter son animatoscope pendant encore quelques mois :

MR E. J. Dale, the well-known illusionist, has turned on a capital set of the Jubilee animated photographs by means of his Animatoscope at the Crystal Palace, where they are received with applause by the visitors to the Imperial Victorian Exhibition.

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The Era, Londres, samedi 7 août 1897, p. 17.

Et après... (1898-1900)

Il intègre, par la suite, la Goodall's Trades' Exhibition et participe aux tournées dans le nord de l'Angleterre et en Écosse :

For some two years past Mr Dale had been on tour in the north of England and in Scotland with Goodall's Trades' Exhibition. He was highly esteemed by the members of the exhibition, and by Mr W. Goodall, the manager.

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The Era, Londres, samedi 6 mai 1900, p. 18.

C'est en mars 1900 qu'il décède soudainement alors qu'il se trouve à Dunfermline. La note nécrologique apporte plusieurs informations sur sa brève carrière :

THE LATE MR. E. J. DALE.
The late Edward Jonathan Dale was, as a youth, with Mr F. J. Cox, optician, of Ludgate-hill, and left to join Robert Heller, so celebrated for his marvellous feats of legerdemain and music. With Mr Heller, he travelled as stage assistant in all parts of the world, including three journeys through the United States and Canada. On the sudden death of Mr Robert Heller at Philadelphia, U.S.A., Mr Dale went on to New York, and performed as illusionist and conjuror with much success, eventually returning to England, and becoming a partner in the firm of H. and E. J. Dale, opticians and electricians at Little Britain and elsewhere. This business was carried on successfully on a large scale for a number of years, and eventually sold to a company. He then became associated with various theatrical ventures as illusionist and electrician, and also continued to perform with success as a conjurer. He afterwards became connected with Olympia. He constructed many of the most successful illusions and pieces of stage apparatus and trick tables, &c., for many celebrated professors. Upon the introduction of the Cinématograph he was with Mr. R. W. Paul, of Hatton-garden, and in charge of various exhibitions of this popular novelty in London and provincial music halls. For some two years past Mr Dale had been on tour in the north of England and in Scotland with Goodall's Trades' Exhibition. He was highly esteemed by the members of the exhibition, and by Mr W. Goodall, the manager, and all were greatly shocked and grieved by his unexpected death, after a short illness, at Dunfermline, on March 22d. At the funeral on the Monday following, the whole of the company attended, and several beautiful wreaths were sent, and a subscription was made sufficient not only to purchase the grave, but to erect a marble cross over it in the pretty cemetery of Dunfermline, where he now rests in peace.

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The Era, Londres, samedi 6 mai 1900, p. 18.

Sources

LEWIS L. B., "Distorting Mirrors", The Strand Magazine, v. 14, juillet-décembre 1897, p. 313-318.

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