Harry RICKARDS

(Stratford, 1843-Londres, 1911)

rickards harry

Jean-Claude SEGUIN 

1

Benjamin H. Leete épouse Mary Ann Leete. Descendance:

  • Benjamin Harry Leete dit "Harry Rickards" (Stratford, 04/12/1843-Londres, 13/10/1911)
    • épouse (Bromley, 10/03/1862. Divorce: 27/01/1880) Caroline Hayden (a) Carrie Tudor.
    • épouse Kate Roscoe. Descendance:
      • Noni Leete Rickards (Plymouth, 10/1880-Woollahra, 24/03/1921) épouse Edward Harold Maas (Rotterdam, 25/05/1881-Rose Bay, 15/08/1957). Descendance:
        • Harry Rickards Maas (Woollahra, 23/01/1906-Belrose, 05/04/1990) épouse Marjorie Joyce Rice (1907-1998)
        • Noni Rickards Maas (1907-1981)
        • Dorothy Ada Rickards Maas (1909-)
        • Edward Rickards Maas (1919-1988)
        • enfant
      • Madge Adelaide Rickards Harwood
  • Emma Leete (1859-)
  • John, Charles Leete

2

Fils d'un conducteur de locomotive, Benjamin Harry Leete est né dans le quartier londonien de Strarford en 1843. La famille est recensée à Strood en 1851. Dès 1859, il entame une carrière d'artiste de music-hall. Il réside, en 1861, à Bromley. Puis, il reprend le Swiss Cottage Music Hall (South Hackney). Entre 1871 et 1874, "Harry Rickards", son nom de scène, fait une longue tournée en Australie et en Nouvelle-Zélande avant de partir pour les États-Unis en 1874-1875 (San Francisco, New York). Recensée à en 1881 à Londres. En 1885, il organise une nouvelle compagnie et organise une nouvelle trounée en Australasie. De nouveau en Australie en 1888, il s'y installe quatre ans plus tard. À Sydney, il loue l'Opera House (inauguration le 10 décembre 1892).

Le cinématographe (1896-1906)

Le 22 août 1896, Carl Hertz présente son cinématographe en Australie dans les théâtres de Harry Rickards, à Melbourne et à Sydney. En août 1897, la famille repart en Australie à bord du Polynesien qui appareille de Marseille. En 1906, c'est également dans le circuit de ses salles de spectacle que Harry Rickards propose des séances de chronophone :

THE CHRONOPHONE. The Gaumont Invention to the Fore. We learn that Mr. Harry Rickards, the well-renowned Australian manager and proprietor, has purchased a number of Chronophone singing and talking picture machines from Messrs. Gaumont A Co., and has contracted with the same firm for sole rights with the Chronophone for Australia for six months; for which privilege he has paid a handsome premium. Mr. Harry Rickards lirst saw the Chronophone on his last visit to Europe, twelve months since, and was very much impressed with it. He could not, however, at that time obtain immediate delivery of machines, he was fully booked up. The matter was not forgotten, however, and having been in constant correspondence with Messrs. Gaumont A Co. on the subject, Mr. Rickards made it his lirst business on arriving in Europe this year to secure the novelty. Messrs. Gaumont have made a very good year’s progress with their programme of talking and singing subjects since Mr. Rickards first saw the machine, and there can be no further doubt that the mechanism of this marvellous instrument has now reached perfection in its simplicity and reliability, while the pictures which the inventors and proprietors are now able to show are simply wonderful. We hear of many developments in connection with this machine in the near future, and predict that the Chronophone will be seen and heard in many quarters during the coming autumn. That enterprising concern, the St. Louis Animated Picture Co., owned by Messrs. •I. 11. lies and Co., have just completed one of the most successful tours in which animated pictures have figured, and they attribute their unprecedented success to the Chronophone. Messrs, lies and Co. are putting out a duplicate company with a second Chronophone this autumn. This is, in itself, a sufficient indication of their success with the first.


London and Provincial Entr'acte, Londres, vendredi 13 juillet 1906, p. 11

Il décède en 1911 et son testament donne une idée de son patrimoine. 

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