The original four-hour £14,000 musical epic was the most elaborate and technically demanding production attempted to date in 1902.

'Unquestionably the most superb and artistic spectacle ever presented in Australia.'Sydney Morning Herald, 1902.

Most spectacular was a chariot race between Ben Hur and a Roman officer that featured teams of horses four abreast galloping at a furious pace on a treadmill in front of a moving panorama.

Tragically, only weeks after the premiere in March 1902, Her Majesty's was closed for a week due to an outbreak of bubonic plague. Then, just after reopening, fire destroyed the production and the theatre.

Approximate size of print is 100cm x 40cm