Search the Collection

Olive May (née Olive Mary Meatyard), Countess of Drogheda

(1886-1947), Actress; former wife of Lord Victor Paget, and later wife of 10th Earl of Drogheda

Sitter in 51 portraits
Olive May had the distinction of being a Gaiety Girl, who married into the peerage twice. Firstly, she became Lady Victor Paget (marrying in 1913 and divorcing in 1921), and then the Countess of Drogheda (marrying the 10th Earl in 1922). She retired from the stage in 1912. As Doris Bartle in Leslie Stuart's Peggy in March 1911 she sang 'The Lass With a Lasso'. A sextet of chorus boys in military uniform, were roped-in one by one by Miss May, whose character announced herself as being from 'Out West', 'where a horse's hooves, the beating of a heart and the swish of a lasso are the only sounds heard on the prairie'.

 Like voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Make a donation Close

List Thumbnail

Comments back to top

We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.

If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.