Travels to distant parts of the world performed by Willam Hamilton, represented by an airship piloted by him that is acclaimed by people of different races. Colour lithograph, ca. 1900.

William's Hamilton is shown landing in an airship and being greeted by British, Chinese, Native American people and people of other places shown in Hamilton's painted panoramas, lectures, slide shows, variety acts and moving films. "Hamilton's Excursions" presented a tour of the world. The show was run by members of the Hamilton family (Hyde, loc. cit.). They included William Hamilton (1837-1907) who appears on the poster as the pilot of the airship, as well as being vignetted in the corner. The airship was either a metaphor for global travel, or, if it existed, was a stationary feature of the exhibition. "Towards the end of the nineteenth century Hamilton's panoramas, like the Pooles', became ever more concerned with events in Britain's growing empire, and fervently patriotic. Imperialistic adventures in Africa and Asia predominate in Hamilton programmes and posters" (Hyde, op. cit., p. 151)

Brixton Hall was an iron building on the site of the later Lambeth Town Hall, and was hired out for music-hall acts, magic acts, missionary societies, friendly society fundraisers, etc.

[Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], [1900?] (Netherfield, Notts. : Stafford & Co.)

1 print : lithograph, printed in colours ; sheet 68 x 102 cm

William Hamilton's excursions. Brixton Hall, Acre Lane, Brixton. Four weeks only commencing Monday August 24th

Ralph Hyde, Panoramania!, London: Trefoil, 1988, pp. 133-135, 150-151

Nick Hiley, 'Announcement slides', The magic lantern, 2017, no. 13, pp. 7-8

Wellcome Collection 575621i