Walter Gordon

A carte-de-visite portrait of the actor William Gordon (1823-1892), who appeared in numerous productions at the Olympic Theatre during the late 1850s and early 1860s. By 1863 he was appearing at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. By the end of the decade he was appearing at the Queen’s Theatre in Long Acre.

According to a brief obituary which appeared in the Times(26 January 1892): ‘The death is announced of Mr William Aylmer Gowing, who under the name of “Walter Gordon” was well known in connexion with the London stage a generation ago. He frequently appeared at the Haymarket in conjunction with the Farrens, the Chippendales, and Messrs Buckstone, Compton, Howe, &c. Before this the deceased had appeared at the Olympic with Mr Robson and the Wigans. Mr Gowing died [aged 69] at his residence at Kensington on the 20th inst.’

Photographed in the spring of 1860 by Camille Silvy of London.