| Description | The front cover of this small programme reveals that the 'Tableaux Vivants' given by the school's staff and pupils illustrated the life and work of the school's founder and first headmistress Frances Mary Buss (1827-1894). The 'Tableaux Vivants' were narrated scenes depicting different stages in the life of both Frances Mary Buss and the North London Collegiate School.
The scenes included depictions of Miss Buss's early education and her founding of the North London Collegiate School for Girls in 1850. The first decade of the school was portrayed alongside scenes illustrating the school's struggle for recognition between 1860 and 1870 and the transition of the school from a private concern to a public institution in the 1870s. The last set of tableaux depicted the school in the 1880s and 1890s, including a scene showing gymnastic lessons. The finale, entitled 'Frances Mary Buss', celebrated the life of the school's founder.
The programme reveals that extensive preparations had been undertaken for the performance of the 'Tableaux Vivants', including the production of costumes, painted scenery and the arrangement of music. |