Theatre

A collection of theatre bills relating to performances at The White Hart Inn Todmorden in 1824

sold

As You Were by the legendary Douglas Byng pub Duckworth 1970 1st (only?) edition. A VG copy in unclipped DJ. Byng's memoirs of a life in musical comedy, cabaret & pantomime. Boldly signed to front endpaper, 'Best wishes to Ruth Wilson from Dougie Byng, 1970'. An added plus are the signatures of the comedy duo Ethel and Doris Waters, the actress and and dancer Elsie Randolph (partner of Jack Buchanan) and 'Mr. Pastry' (Richard Hearne). Perhaps gathered at the launch of the book?

The very rare A System of Equestrian Education (4th edition) 1801 portrait frontis, 9 plates as called for but also extra illustrated with a further twenty plates by Charles Parrocel. half roan, spine faded, bookplate of William Bates, AB with a Birmingham connection. half roan, marbled boards, spine faded. Edge of frontis repaired nicely.

First published in the same year I cannot help but wonder if he was pulling a bit of a stunt by suggesting it was running through several editions so quickly! He wouldn't have been the first to try and suggest that it was selling out so quickly he had to bring out new editions of it.

Parrocel illustrated Robichon de la Geuriniere's Ecole de Cavalerie considered to be one of the most beautiful equine books in France. The plates here appear to have been engraved by Tardieu after Parrocel's beautiful plates for that (very expensive!) work.

A copy of English Actors their Characteristics and Their Methods, a discourse by Henry Irving delivered in the University Schools at Oxford, on Saturday June 26, 1886. Published by the Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1886.

The text of a lecture given by Irving on Burbage, Betterton, Garrick and Kean. This copy made unique by the inscription from Irving. 'to E. Eavis (?) from Henry Irving (he only received his knighthood in 1895). A quote from Richard II is also in Irving's hand. "I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul remembering my good friends".

Marbled boards half leather, marbled endpapers, hinges sound, small octavo some foxing to endpapers.

A marvelous evocation of the circus and fairground performers of the time (1889) written by the Frenchman Hugues le Roux. This copy bound in half red Morocco, decorated boards, gilt titles to spine, five raised bands. A really beautiful copy of a splendid book. many illustrations integrated within the text after photographs, and hand coloured. A classic of circus literature covering, clowns, midgets, jugglers, arcobats, animal trainers, horse acts, fairgrounds. A stunning copy in excellent condition.
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