Artistes of the Golden Age of Music Hall
George 'Zanetto' Bale
George was the eldest of the three brothers who formed the Royal Zanettos.
George's 1st wife was "the Beautiful Jessica" (see page "Jessica the Slack Wire Star"). She was a well-known slack-wire artiste and even topped the bill one year when appearing with The Royal Zanettos.
George was also popular for doing the turnip challenge. This feat previously performed by Jean Bedini involed a turnip beimg dropped from a great height and catching it on a fork held in his teeth. One such feat where he caught a turnip dropped from the Clifton Suspension Bridge is reported in the press and celebrated and written about here and here. You can still buy a postcard of the event.
Thanks to his moustache, and because he was the tallest of the Bale brothers, George is easy to recognise in many photos.
In some later close-ups, it looks as if he may have had "lucky teeth", with a slight gap between the top front two. If so, it may have helped to hold the fork on which he caught turnips.
However, it may also be the result of having lost a tooth due to the impact, which some reported as being enough to knock him over!
In 1891, George married "the Beautiful Jessica, a well-known slack-wire artiste who even topped the bill one year when appearing with The Royal Zanettos ...
In 1897, their divorce case was reported in the entertainment press - see below and here.
and also in the Times
(See page "Sandow" for more about this admirer of Jessica mentioned by George during the court case.)
And here we have the co-respondent
(see separate page "Jessica and Joe O'Gorman")
Here is George in "U.S.A." but with no other indication
(see "Poluskis and Bales")
Another photo taken in the USA
And this is Nellie, George's second wife
George's family
Son : Raymond Daughter Evelyn and her Son Paul Son: Tony
George and Pip were photographed in front of The Tower (Westminster Bridge Road) as part of the promotion for a Gala at Brinsworth (see page "Victorian Pubs").
He spent his last years at Brinsworth House in Twickenham, where he passed away in 1949. It was a home for retired showbiz artists sponsored by various charities such as The Grand Order of Water Rats and the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund. It was opened in 1911, and in 1914.
George is buried in Twickenham Cemetery.
The Royal Zanettos
George, Pip, Arthur, Frank & Albert Bale
Artistes of the Golden Age of Music Hall
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