- Museum number
- 1864,0213.253-304
- Description
-
Volume 3 of 'The London Stage.' A compilation of scripts of plays performed at the Theatre Royal in letterpress with wood engraved illustrations. In a tree calf binding with "London Stage 3" lettered on the spine. Each script has a wood engraved vignette illustration beneath the title (See below for a list of contents below. See also Reid 4843.)
A table of contents is pasted inside the front cover states that the book comes with portraits of: "Mr. Kean, Mr. Fawcett, Mr. Blanchard, Mr W. Farren, Mr Keeley, Mrs. Davison and Miss Kelly."
The frontispiece represents bust length portraits of those actors named in decorative oval frames with Kean at the centre, their names inscribed below. Lettered at the foot of the page: "Theatrical portraits. Published Aug 26, 1826 for the Prop rs of "The London Stage" by Sherwood Jones & Co. Paternoster Row."
With a title-page illustration by George Cruikshank. Reid 3429. An ornamental border to the title the figure of Tragedy in a niche to the left, another of Comedy on the right, the royal arms at the top, and the intervening spaces filled with scrolls; a lyre forms the centre at bottom. Lettered at the centre of the design:
"The London Stage; A collection of the most reputed tragedies, comedies, operas, melo-dramas [sic], farces and interludes. Accurately printed from acting copies as performed at the Theatres Royal and carefully collated and revised. Vol III. London: Published for the proprietors by Sherwood, Jones and Co, Paternoster Row; and Sold by all booksellers." At the foot of the page: Gye and Balne, Typ.
1826
Letterpress and wood-engraving
Contents:
1. 'The heiress; a comedy, in five acts.' -By General Burgoyne. Illustration from Act III. Scene 2.
2. 'The Earl of Warwick; A tragedy in five acts.'- By Dr. Thomas Franklin. Illustration from Act IV. Scene 1.
3. Reid 3432. 'Monsieur Tonson; A farce in two acts.'- By W.T. Moncrieff. Illustration from Act 1. Scene 2.
4. 'The deuce is in him; a farce in two acts.' -By George Colman, the elder. Illustration from Act 1. Scene 1. Signed: "Jane Hughes."
5. 'First love; a comedy in five acts.' -By Richard Cumberland. Illustration from Act IV. Scene 2. Signed "Jane Hughes."
6. 'The deserted daughter; a comedy in five acts.' -By Thomas Holcroft. Illustration from Act III. Scene 3.
7. 'Love for love; a comedy in five acts.' -By William Congreve. Illustration from Act III. Scene I. Signed "Jane Hughes."
8. 'Gustavus Vasa; Or, the deliverer of his country: A tragedy in five acts.' -By Henry Brooke. Illustration from Act IV. Scene II.
9.'The deaf lover; a farce in two acts.' -By Frederick Pilon. Illustration from Act I. Scene 2.
10. 'The Irish Widow.; a farce in two acts.' -By David Garrick. Illustration from Act II. Scene 1.
11. 'A bold stroke for a husband; A comedy in five acts.' By Mrs Cowley. Illustration from Act III. Scene 2.
12. 'The Confederacy; a comedy, in five acts.'- By Sir John Vanbrugh. Illustration from Act V. Scene 2. Signed "Jane Hughes."
13. 'Fatal Curiosity; A tragedy in three acts.' By George Lillo. Illustration from Act II. Scene 1. Signed Jane Hughes.
14. 'Chrononhotonthologos; A burlesque opera in one act.'- By H. Carey. Illustration from Scene 3 (attributed to George Cruikshank, see comments.)
15. 'She would and she would not; or, the kind impostor; A comedy in five acts.'- By Colley Cibber. Illustration from Act III. Scene 1.
16. 'Count of Narbonne; A tragedy in five acts.' -By Robert Jephson. Illustration from Act IV. Scene 1.
17. 'The first floor; a farce in two acts.' -By James Cobb. Illustration from Act II. Scene 2.
18. 'The virgin unmasked; a musical farce in one act.' -By Henry Fielding. Illustration from Scene 2.
19. 'The provoked wife; a comedy in five acts.' -By Sir John Vanbrugh. Illustration from Act IV. Scene 1.
20. 'The Roman father; a tragedy in five acts.' -By William Whitehead. Illustration from Act V. Scene 1.
21. 'Love makes a man; or, the fop's fortune: A comedy in five acts.' -By Colley Cibber. Illustration from Act III. Scene 2. Signed "Jane Hughes."
22. 'The siege of Damascus; a tragedy in five acts.' By John Hughes. Illustration from Act V. Scene 2.
23. 'Cymon; a dramatic romance in three acts.' By David Garrick. Illustration from Act II. Scene 2.
24. 'Bon Ton; High life above stairs.; A farce in two acts.' By David Garrick. Illustration from Act II. Scene 2.
25. 'The foundling; a comedy in five acts.' By Edward Moore. Illustration from Act III. Scene 2.
26. 'The stranger; A drama in five acts.' -By Benjamin Thompson. Illustration from Act IV. Scene 1.
27. 'Tamerlane; A tragedy in five acts.' -By Nicholas Rowe. Illustration from Act 1. Scene 1.
28. 'Lover's vows; a play in five acts.'- Altered from the German by Kotzebue by Mrs Inchbald. Illustration from Act 1. Scene 1. Signed "I[?].R. Dodd."
29. 'Richard Coeur de Lion; an historical romance in three acts.' Altered from the French of M. Sedaine by General Burgoyne. Illustration from Act I. Scene 1.
30. 'Two strings to your bow; a farce in two acts.' -By Robert Jephson. Illustration from Act II. Scene 2. Signed "I[?].R. Dodd."
31. 'Ways and means; a comedy in three acts.' -By George Colman the younger. Illustration from Act II, Scene III.
32. 'Hero and Leander; an operatic burletta, in two acts.' -By Isaac Jackman. Illustration from Act II. Scene 2.
33. 'The mysterious husband; a tragedy in five acts.' -By Richard Cumberland. Illustration from Act V. Scene 1.
34. 'He would be a soldier; a comedy in five acts.' -By Frederick Pilon. Illustration from Act IV. Scene 1.
35.'The guardian; a comedy in two acts.' -By David Garrick. Illustration from Act II. Scene 1.
36. 'The sultan; or, a peep into the Sergalio; a farce in two acts.' By Isaac Bickerstaff. Illustration from Act I. Scene 1.
37. 'Better late than never; a comedy in five acts.' -By Miles Peter Andrews. Illustration from Act II. Scene 1. Signed "I[?].R. Dodd."
38. 'Giovanni in London; or, the libertine reclaimed: an operatic extravganza in two acts.'- By W.T. Moncrieff. Illustration from Act 1. Scene 1.
39. 'The recruiting sergeant; a musical entertainment. ' By Isaac Bickerstaff. Illustration from scene 1.
40. 'Every man in his humour; a comedy in five acts.' Altered from Ben Jonson by David Garrick. Illustration from Act IV. Scene 1.
41. 'All for love; or, the world well lost: A tragedy in five acts.'-By John Dryden. Illustration from Act III. Scene 1.
42. 'The Grecian daugher; a tragedy in five acts.' -By Arthur Murphy. Illustration from Act V. Scene 3.
43. 'The careless husband; a comedy in five acts.' -By Colley Cibber. Illustration from Act V. Scene 5. Signed "I[?].R. Dodd."
44. 'Love a la mode; a farce in two acts.' By Charles Macklin. Illustration from Act I. Scene 1.
45. 'The maid of the oaks; a dramatic entertainment in two acts.' -By John Burgoyne. Illustration from Act II. Scene 3.
46. 'The tender husband; or, the accomplished fools: A comedy in five acts.'-By Sir Richard Steele.
47. 'The orphan; or, the unhappy marriage: a tragedy in five acts.' -By Sir Thomas Otway. Illustration from Act II. Scene 1. Signed "I[?].R. Dodd."
48. 'Lover's quarrels; or, like master like man: An interlude in one act.' -Altered from 'The mistake of Sir John Vanbrugh.' by T. King. Illustration from Scene 3
49. 'The two misers; a musical entertainment in two acts.' Illustration from Act 1. Scene 1. Signed "I[?].R. Dodd."
50. 'Lady Jane Grey; A tragedy in five acts.' By Nicholas Rowe. Illustration from Act V- Scene 2.
- Production date
- 1826
- Dimensions
-
Height: 215 millimetres (approx. page height)
-
Width: 130 millimetres (approx. page width)
- Curator's comments
- The third of four volumes, published between 1825 and 1827, held in the Department of Prints and Drawings, see 184.f.1-4. The plays are nearly all seperately paged and were issued in weekly numbers. (See Cohn 507.)
Kotzebue's play 'Lover's Vows,' adapted by Mrs Inchbald for this edition, features in Jane Austen's 'Mansfield Park.'
Cohn (507) states that the frontispiece and six of the illustrations are by George Cruikshank. ('Dragon of Wantley,' 'Tom Thumb.', 'The Lord of The Manor.'in the second volume, and 'Monsieur Tonson,' 'Crononhotonthologos.' and 'The Recruiting Sergeant.' in the third volume. Cohn states: "That to 'The Lord of the Manor' is the only one signed, but I have them all signed by the artist in ink." Reid also catalogues illustrations to the series by George Cruikshank see nos, 3429-3434.
Thomas Charles Wageman is credited for the original portraits of actors in the frontispiece of Volume 1 although later volumes are inscribed: "Engraved by W.T. Fry from original portraits" without reference to Wageman.
Another version of the frontispiece illustration can be found in the National Portrait Gallery's collection NPG D38604.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- In a fragile condition, with loose pages at the front of the book.
- Acquisition date
- 1864
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1864,0213.253-304