K&P on stage

Three years before K&P’s first catalog and three years after Charles Peterson’s first patent, the Peterson Patent Pipe made its debut on the London music hall stage in E. W. Rogers’s “Mary Ann McGinty (Smoking Song).” Edwin William Rogers (1863-1913) was a fairly prolific English songwriter for music hall performers at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, remembered for “Ask a P’Liceman” and “Lambeth Walk” among others. As the cover of the New York-issue of the sheet music proclaims, “Mary Ann Maginty” was “Sung & Smoked by Walter Munroe, also by Miss Maggie Dugan.” According to the Footlight Notes blog, Munroe (1866?–1928) was “a music hall agent and sometime entertainer,” and Duggan a well-liked chanteuse with versatile comedic talents. In the September 9th edition of The Era, a British weekly paper (1838-1939) that was noted for its theatrical and sports coverage, Munroe took out the following ad: Success enormous. Everyone delighted with New Song, the Famous Travestie on Mr Horace Wheatley’s song “After the Ball,” “After the Ball,” by Powell & Arnold, pub- lished by B.Mocatta and Co. MR WALTER MUNROE begs to inform Managers of Music Halls, Theatres, and Burlesque Companies, that his Smoking Song, “Mary Ann Maginty,” must not be used in any way without his written consent. Miss Mary Duggan is the only Artiste who has any right. Written and Composed by E. W. Rodgers; published by Francis Bros. & Day; Pipe, by Kapp and Peterson, Dublin. Agent, Macdermott. (bold added)   A music hall audience of the period: notice the tables for eating and drinking. The ladies don't seem to be having much fun, do they? The song thus seems to have been performed either by Munroe or by Duggan, but not as a duet. Either way, it’s a bit of a pipe smoker’s comic fantasy: Mary Ann’s boy must smoke or she’ll have nothing to do with him! (So much for progress, lads.) Music halls were fairly rowdy places at the time and rarely frequented by respectable young women. Derek B. Scott writes that “the saucy song with a sexual theme was part of music hall from its beginnings,” and this one is no exception: I’m in love with a nice young girl, that’s so, you know, Eyes like violets and teeth like pearl, a treat, complete, She consented when first I met her She would have me, for worse or better, Oh! to clasp her waist so slender, She is the best of the feminine gender. Here she is, good ’biz! “How do? How're you? Pa’s out, no doubt! to-night? All right!” I’m off to seek the kitchen fire, And spoon the charmer I admire. Chorus: She’s sweet, neat, small feet, och bedad she is a treat! Face, style, grace, smile, lips you feel you’d like to eat, Hair fair, form rare, just the girl you’d like to spoon, And I’m in love with Mary Ann Maginty, and I’ll marry her to-morrow afternoon. My girl says she must have…