Laura Henderson

Laura Henderson
Laura Henderson, 1944
Born
Laura Forster

(1863-12-06)6 December 1863
Died29 November 1944(1944-11-29) (aged 80)
SpouseRobert Henderson
Children1

Laura Henderson (6 December 1863 – 29 November 1944) born Laura Forster,[1] rose to prominence during the 1930s when, as a wealthy and eccentric widow, she founded the Windmill Theatre in London's Great Windmill Street, in partnership with Vivian van Damm. Under the leadership of Henderson, as owner, and van Damm as manager, the theatre became a British institution, famed for its pioneering tableaux vivants of motionless female nudity, and for having "never closed" during the Blitz.[2]

At the time of her death in 1944, newspapers described her as "the mother of non-stop variety in London."[3][4][5]

  1. ^ Laura Henderson biography accessed 1-1-2016
  2. ^ "Windmill Theatre Owner Is Dead." Kingston, Canada: The Kingston Whig-Standard, 30 November 1944, p. 19 (subscription required).
  3. ^ "Mrs. Laura Henderson: Famous Stage Figure Dead." Birmingham, England: Birmingham Gazette, 30 November 1944, p. 3 (subscription required).
  4. ^ Laura Henderson's death notice, in "In Brief." London England: Daily Herald, 30 November 1944, p. 3 (subscription required).
  5. ^ "Theatricals' "Fairy Godmother" Is Dead." Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Newcastle Journal, 30 November 1944, p. 1 (subscription required).