Lounging in the Aq

Sheet music for the popular music hall song 'Lounging in the Aq.' Composed by Alfred Lee with lyrics by T.L. Clay the song was popularised by the music hall performer George Leybourne.

The colour lithographed cover, illustrated by Alfred Concanen, depicts George Leybourne standing before a fish tank at the Royal Aquarium in London.George Leybourne was one of the fashionable 'swells' of the music hall, known collectively as the Lions Comiques. The fashionable evening dress of the Lions Comiques performers contrasted greatly with the cloth-cap coster cockney image adopted by many other music hall performers. Along with The Great Vance and Arthur Lloyd, George Leybourne had a reputation of living the high life and it was commented, in the late 19th century, that these Lions Comiques were men who set women just a little higher than their bottle. Leybourne's most famous song was Champagne Charlie. As top of the bill at the Canterbury Theatre he drank nothing but champagne in public and drove around London in a carriage drawn by four white horses.

The Royal Aquarium located in Westminster opened in 1876. As well as 13 aquarium tanks the venue included a live music performance space, reading and smoking rooms, an ice rink and art gallery. Unfortunately the Aquarium tanks soon developed operational problems and the venue quickly developed a reputation as a place where unaccompanied women came in search of male companionship.