The Life of a Theatrical Treasure Hunter
The arts and antiquarian world mourns the passing of Barbara Cavanagh, a revered theatrical bookseller and ephemera dealer who dedicated her life to preserving performance history. She died at the age of 86, leaving behind a profound legacy within academic and collecting circles.
Barbara was a self-taught expert who developed an immense knowledge of manuscripts, ballet ephemera, and 19th-century theatre. Her scholarly work involved researching and cataloguing significant collections, including costume designs assembled by the legendary Russian ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev and a massive archive containing over 25,000 theatre programmes.
From Welsh Roots to London's Literary Heart
Born in Mumbles, Swansea, Barbara's early life was shaped by her parents, Fred and Edna Davies, who ran a local bakery. A pivotal childhood memory was witnessing the aftermath of the 1947 Samtampa steamship disaster from her home above the Mumbles lifeboat station. Her passion for literature blossomed during primary school, where she would often visit Oystermouth library during lunch breaks.
After attending Brynmawr secondary modern school in 1950, she maintained a lifelong connection to the Welsh coast, regularly returning to walk the cliffs and swim in the Gower bays. Her professional journey began at 18 as a library assistant at Swansea University. A year later, she moved to London to work at a Westminster bookshop run by theatre historian Ifan Kyrle Fletcher, co-founder of the Society for Theatre Research.
Building a Legacy in Literature and Life
In 1962, Barbara married John Cavanagh, a customer at the bookshop. The following year, the couple founded Motley Books in 1963, travelling across Europe to gather stock which they sold via catalogue to academic institutions, public collections, and private collectors like the emerging film-maker Bill Douglas.
In a significant life change, they left London in 1972 to become tenants of Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire, a National Trust property where they provided public access and tours. Barbara's entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish a small primary school within the vast house, employing a dedicated teacher. For two decades, the abbey hosted productions by touring company Theatre Set-Up, the local Maskers Theatre Company, and King Alfred’s College, becoming a vibrant hub for plein-air theatre and garden parties.
Following her separation from John in 1993, Barbara shifted her focus to dealing in ephemera – everyday transient documents including sheet music, playbills, and letters. While selling at an ephemera fair in 1997, she met conceptual artist David Troostwyk, who became her partner until his death in 2009.
In 2012, Barbara moved to Hastings, East Sussex, to help raise her newborn granddaughter, where she embraced the local music scene and cherished her seaside location, sharing a beach hut with friends and family. Remarkably, she continued dealing in theatrical material until the end of this summer, recently selling rare prompt books for La Perouse, an early 19th-century play, to the Garrick Club library in London.
Barbara Cavanagh is survived by her two daughters, Catherine and Olivia, her granddaughter, Erin, and her brother, Peter.
