Story: Weekends

Amateur ballad concert, 1884

This advertisement for an amateur concert at the Parnell Hall illustrates one of the forms of entertainment available on a Saturday night in the Auckland of the 1880s. Saturday was pay day for most workers and many also had a Saturday half holiday. Saturday nights were a time for shopping and to go to entertainment events. The 'wax works' referred to in the advertisement were in fact a tableau, where live actors appeared as each of the wax works in question.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: Eph-A-VARIETY-1884-01

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Peter Clayworth, 'Weekends - Saturday – pay day, work day, half-holiday', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/39781/amateur-ballad-concert-1884 (accessed 23 April 2024)

Story by Peter Clayworth, published 5 Sep 2013