Wikipedia:Today's featured list/July 8, 2013

The English comic actor Dan Leno (1860–1904) performed various songs, sketches and monologues that earned him vast popularity during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. In addition to his acting roles on the London stage, Leno originated and popularised many songs, sketches and monologues in his music hall acts, and he recorded some of his work shortly before he died. Although his recording period was brief (1901–03), he produced around thirty recordings that were released by the Gramophone and Typewriter Company. For his music hall sketches, Leno created characters who relayed comic observations on everyday life in London. He aided his repertoire by purchasing songs from the foremost music hall writers and composers of the day, including Harry Dacre, Joseph Tabrar and George Le Brunn. Le Brunn's compositions earned Leno the most success: "The Detective", "The Jap", "All Through a Little Piece of Bacon" and "The Detective Camera" proved popular with London audiences and elevated Leno to the forefront of music hall entertainment. (Full list...)