Madge Robertson (Mrs Madge Kendal)

A carte-de-visite portrait of the actress Madge Robertson (1846-1935), later Dame Margaret Kendal.

Born Magaret Shafto Robertson, Madge Robertson was one of the pre-eminent English actresses of her day. She and her husband, William Hunter Kendal, brought new respectability to the theatre.

Originally a child actress, her adult debut was as ‘Ophelia’ in 1865. Although she usually outshone her husband on the stage, William Kendal was an astute businessman who chose plays that would best display his wife’s talents. From 1879 to 1888 they managed the St. James’s Theatre with great success. The couple retired from the stage in 1908, and in 1926 Mrs Kendal was created a Dame Commander of the British Empire.

Photographed by A.W. and H. Cox of Nottingham.