A large Collection of Old Play-Bills, Show-Bills, Cuttings from Books, Old Newspapers, Biographical Sketches, Water Colour Drawings, Engravings, Manuscript Contributions by W. Upcott, etc., illustrative of Bartholomew Fair
1703-1850
thick 4to.,
half bound
loose in a portfolio, with leaves
1
English
£6.
10s.
S010.5d; V18.24; C007.11
Lobby7
Bedroom on landing, shelf 6, item 10
This curious collection was evidently intended by Dickens to be used in some projected work on Bartholomew Fair. The drawings, executed with skill and taste, comprise: I. Jacob Hall (the famous rope dancer). II. His house, 10, Nevill's Court. III. The beautiful Mrs. Mynn, for whose booth Settle prepared 'The Siege of Troy,' etc. IV. A humorous Drawing of the Fair disturbed by a loose Bull. V. Joe Miller, in his favourite character of Teague in Miller's Booth. VI. The Anchor, Hosier Lane; also a Pen and Ink Drawing of the Booth of Fawkes, the Conjurer; and some engraved Portraits. Among the Bills of Shows are those of Pidcock, Fawkes, Jobson, Penkethman, Flockton and Powell, Richardson, Cibber, Henry Fielding (the Novelist, when young), etc. Announcements of Giants, Dwarfs. Fairies, Quack Doctors, Wild Beasts, Clock Work, O'Brien, Miss Biffin, etc. Operas, Plays, Drolls, and Pantomimes, including Beggar's Opera; Hunter, or the Beggar's Wedding; The Constant Lovers (Mrs. Pritchard as Chloe); Don Carlos; Midas; Tempest; Dorastus and Faunia; Siege of Troy; Jane Shore; Tamerlane the Great, with the Fall of Bazajet; etc. It is not generally known that not only Cibber was proprietor of a Show and performed in it, but that Henry Fielding kept a Show at Southwark and Bartholomew Fairs: the Play Bills of both, for several years, are included in the above collection.
'Bartholomew Fair, materials for Henry Morley's book on'