Autograph
The Hallé, Ray Meert, Arthur Gaggs, Alexander Harris, Herbert Haworth, Joseph Ball, Stephen Whittaker
1912

A collection of autographs from Hallé performances. No given date, but other dated signatures in this particular book span 1911-1935.

'Little History' forcus: Arthur Gaggs (1879-1961).
Arthur came from a family of musicians, and was born and raised in Manchester. He followed in the footsteps of his father Joseph, who played second cornet with the Hallé in the 1860s. Arthur's career as second horn in the Hallé was cut short by the outbreak of WWI in 1914, but he had a storied and successful career in music nonetheless. He was considered among the foremost horn players in Manchester, and moved to the BBC Orchestra in 1934.

An image of Gaggs is viewable in the following exhibit, courtesy of the London Symphony Orchestra Archive.