Summary

Pass issued to Miss N Williams, a performer in the musical pageant Hiawatha, held at the Melbourne Exhibition Building in 1939. This was the first time Hiawatha was performed in Australia, although it was well known in England. The pageant is based on a poem by Longfellow, about a man who was born from the west wind and the moon who discovered the secret of fire, growing maize and how to fight disease. Longfellow's poem was based on Iroquois folklore.

The poem was dramatised and produced by London based director T C Fairbairn, with musical direction by Bernard Heinze.

The performance at the Melbourne Exhibition Building included a chorus of 700 singers made up from various Melbourne Choral Societies, with a ballet of 80 dancers. According to The Age (Friday, 29 Sept 1939): 'A Red Indian himself will play the role of Hiawatha.' The performance was sponsored by Melbourne City Council.

Physical Description

Typed envelope containing a cardboard performers pass .The performers pass is typed black ink and handwritten text.

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