Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) studied at the Royal Academy of Music, learning piano with William Sterndale Bennett and composition with John Goss. Felix Mendelssohn, a friend of Her Majesty Queen Victoria and His Royal Highness Prince Albert, offered support and encouragement to the Academy in its earliest days and in 1856 Sullivan became the first winner of the Mendelssohn Scholarship, which was extended for two further years, the final of which was spent in Leipzig.

Sullivan became famous in particular in his partnership with W. S. Gilbert. Their Savoy Operas included ‘The Mikado’, ‘HMS Pinafore’ and ‘The Pirates of Penzance’.  Sullivan bequeathed the original autograph full scores of ‘The Mikado’ and ‘The Martyr of Antioch’ to the Academy.

Apollo catalogue - search list of keywords:
Art and iconography – portraits - engravings, drawing, chromolithographs, production photographs
Documents – digitised pages from ‘The Mikado’
Instruments – Broadwood cottage piano
Musical accessories – batons
Objects – monogrammed silver, medals, cigarette case, jewellery; buttons and buckles, tie-pin, writing accessories; smoking accessories

The Library holds the Sullivan Archive, prepared by the composer’s most recent biographer, the late Arthur Jacobs, who also taught at the Academy.  It contains microfilm copies of the 20 volumes of the composer’s diaries (the original copies are held at Yale University), conference papers, a personalia database and other material.

Images on this page (from left to right):

- Portrait of Sir Arthur Sullivan, signed in lower right corner on white border 'Arthur S. Sullivan', July 1898 

- Cigarette box, batons, tie pin, buttons, medals and other items presented to Sir Arthur Sullivan.