Author "A" Selections from Stock

A’BECKETT, Gilbert A. KING JOHN TRAVESTIE. London: Thomas Hailes Lacy, n. d. [c. 1860]. 12mo; original decorative wraps; wear to edges of rear cover; upper forecorners chipped; frontisportrait; unopened. $15
This piece was first performed at the St. James’s Theatre in 1837. The frontisportrait depicts H. Hall as King John.

[ACROBATS.] A chromolithographed poster, "The Popesco." Paris: Affiches Louis Grace, [c. 1912]. 31" x 49"; minor crease marks; linen backed; overall very good. $600
This chromolithographed poster shows several acrobats of the troupe "in their sensational act of seven horizontal bars" They perform on bars on a platform surrounding the earth. Below this an acrobat is shown, in several steps, vaulting and turning between sets of bars over a steamship sailing through a rocky passage, the leap illuminated by lighthouse beams crossing from either shore. At the head the name of the troupe is spelled out by the skywriting of an early biplane.

[ACROBATS and EQUILIBRISTS.] An Engelbrecht Kullisentheater or peepshow, No. 20: "Panduren-Exercitien in ihrem Lager." [Augsburg]: Mart[in] Engelbrecht, [c. 1750]. 4to; five hand-colored engraved and cut sheets; one hand-colored engraved back scene; first scene with margins trimmed close; head tabs to four sheets; some dusting; colors very good. $1750
One of the scarcest of Engelbrecht Kullisentheaters, showing a troupe of Magyar acrobats, equilibrists, and gymnasts practicing their performances in their traveling camp. The figures, in flamboyant costumes and camps, are seen tumbling, creating human pyramids, walking on ribbons and balanced pikes, and performing a round dance. The back scene is of a Middle-European town and the decorative front sheet includes a proscenium of fountains. §Strehler, p. 60.

ADDISON, Joseph. THE MISCELLANEOUS WORKS, in Verse and Prose.... With Some Account of the Life and Writings of the Author, by Mr. Tickell. London: for J. and R. Tonson, 1765. 4 vols. Contemporary full speckled calf; decorative gilt panels; elaborate gilt to spine compartments; morocco title and volume labels (but missing three of the original oval numbering over-labels); varied wear to joints and ends; frontisportrait and portrait plate to first volume; three engraved plates to Vol. 2 and 30 to Vol. 4; marbled endpapers; later facsimile printings tipped in at the end of one volume; marbled edges. $200
The second volume contains the dramatic works.

[AERIALIST.] A pictorial Russian poster for the aerialist Miss Louran, [c. 1914]. 13 1/2" x 28 1/4"; printed in dark blue; three gentle horizontal creases and one central vertical; very good. $300
One oval bust portrait of the aerialist, below which, in a decorative border, she is depicted in three parts of her act. These are spinning full length around the bar of a trapeze, descending a diagonal tightrope by her mouth, and doing a backbend contortion on a trapeze's suspension ropes. Her name is spelled out in a stylized typeface at the head.

[AGOSTA-MEYNIER THEATRE.] A chromolithographed poster for the "Merveilleux Theatre. Mme. Agosta." Paris: Moullot, [c. 1900]. 30 1/2" x 45"; very minor creasing; linen backed; very good. $600
A bright chromolithographed poster for the puppet theatre of the Agosta-Meynier's. Auguste Meynier was one of the most prominent of fin-de-siecle French conjurors, publisher of the periodical Le Prestidigitateur, and the founding president of the Association Syndicate des Artistes Prestidigitateurs (1903). He was also the proprietor, with Mme. Agosta, of this puppet presentation. This poster depicts the conjuror full length, standing to the right of a puppet booth. In his hands he holds the strings of several marionette characters. Other puppet figures are shown above and on the stage. A large oval portrait of Mme. Agosta appears to the upper left.

[ALDRICH, Louis.] A program announcing Aldrich at the Boston Theatre, Christmas Day, 1872. 4to; some creasing and wear; some minor foxing. $30
The former child actor (the "Ohio Roscius") and soon-to-be star of frontier dramas featured on this bill as the lead in the two equestrian spectacles Mazeppa and The Cataract of the Ganges. The other pages of the program include theatrical notices and J. G. Saxe's poem "The Blind Men and the Elephant."

ALLINGHAM, John Till. THE MARRIAGE PROMISE: A Comedy. London: for James Ridgway, 1803. First Edition. Later quarter roan, worn; marbled boards; engraved head piece. $25
Allingham's comedy, dedicated to John Bannister, was first performed at Drury Lane in April 1803 with Charles Kemble and Dorothea Jordan.

[ALMAR, George.] A juvenile drama portrait, “Mr. Almar as Himalaya in the Demon of the Ganges.” [London]: Dyer & Co., [c.1834]. Trimmed just within plate mark; mounted to light card. $60
Almar is shown in decorative battle dress and turban, a shield held up in his left hand, a saber in his right hand. The background includes a mountaintop castle. Almar’s melodrama opened at Sadler’s Wells in October 1834.

ALTROCCHI, Rudolph. GABRIELE D'ANNUNZIO, POET OF BEAUTY AND DECADENCE. [Chicago]: The Chicago Literary Club, 1922. Original decorative wraps; an inscribed, presentation copy. $12

[AMPHITHEATRE.] An engraved plate, “Theatrum Cornelli Balbi Gaditani,” [1612]. 9 1/4” x 7”, plus margins; near fine; matted. $100
A handsome engraved plate, from a series on the “splendors of Rome,” (1612). It depicts the ancient Roman amphitheatre. With descriptive text to the bottom and the reverse.

[AMSTERDAM SCHOUWBURG.] A group of four engraved plates, each with two views, of the exterior or sets at the Schouwburg, Amsterdam, [c. 1775]. 8” x 13” (to 11 1/2” x 18” sheet); slight dusting and fraying to some edges; fresh, strong impressions. $600
Each of the eight individual engravings measures 8” x 6 1/2”. They show the façade and the inner courtyard of the old Schouwburg (1772 — the year it was destroyed by fire) and six (fairly elaborate) stage settings. One scene involves wood demons rising up from trapdoors, one a flying Mercury, and one a pair of deus ex machina. The performances represented date between 1760 and 1771.

[AMSTERDAM SCHOUWBURG.] A large engraving of a stage scene, “De Romeinsche Hof-Gallery,” at Amsterdam’s Nieuwe Schouwburg. Amsterdam: J. W. Smit, 1788. 16” x 13”; margin slightly trimmed at
head. $200
A handsome engraving depicting the stage and set in the midst of a performance of the tragedy Titus, the wings, the orchestra, and the foremost portion of the pit and boxes (including the audience). The new Schouwburg opened at the Liedseplein in 1774.

[AMUSEMENTS.] A tall, narrow broadside for an Easter costume carnival at the Olympian Club skating rink at New York's American Institute Building, 15 April, 1884. 3 1/2" x 21"; pink stock; engraved vignette illustration at head; margin trimmed slightly at head; horizontal creases. $50
The broadside announces a fancy dress carnival on roller skates, lists the various classes of awarded prizes (the first place horse, saddle, and bridle are pictured at the head), and describes the four acts in the "fine display of trick bicycle riding and fancy skating . . . ."

[AMUSEMENTS.] A four-page advance promotional flyer for the "Second Tour of America of the Famous Girard & Volkes' World's Celebrities" at the Rutland Bicycle Club Rink, 29 August, [1885]. Folio leaf; blue stock; gentle central horizontal crease; short tear to foot of fold; overall very good. $80
Three of the pages have the program for the first American tour of the "renowned Mid-Summer-Night Carnival" featuring Prof. Fred. Hinds ("wizard bicyclist"), Prof. W. H. Chivers ("skatorial phenomenon -- England's most famous champion skater"), and Mlle. Zetta ("bewitching Parisian artiste -- skatorial queen"). Each with fulsome praise for their act. The fourth page contains two columns of press notices.

ANCELOT, [Virginie]. ISABELLE, ou Deux Jours d'Experience, Comedie.... Magasin Theatral. Paris: [and] Bruxelles: Marchant [and] Librairie Belge-Française, 1838. Thin 8vo; decorative green wraps; engraved vignette to head of first leaf; text in double columns; unopened. $25
This piece premiered at the Théatre-Français in March 1838. The vignette to the first page illustrates a scene in the play.

ANCELOT, [Jacques]. LOUIS IX, Tragédie.... Seconde Édition. Paris: J.-N. Barba, 1820. Disbound; publisher’s advertising leaves at the end; very mild dampstaining to edges of a few leaves; foot and some fore-edges untrimmed. $20
A neoclassical tragedy, dedicated to Louis XVIII, first performed at the Théâtre Français in November 1819

ANDREWS, Miles Peter [and Frederick REYNOLDS]. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. A Comedy. London: for J. Ridgeway, 1790. Disbound; half-title loose. $35
Written jointly with Reynolds, whose part is not acknowledged, and with the aid of Edward Topham. Andrews, in an advertisement, thanks Kemble for his “skilful arrangement, and liberal attention” and Mrs. Jordan for her “wonderful exertions.” The play is dedicated to the Duchess of Leeds whose husband wrote the prologue.

[ANDREYEV, Leonid.] [ANATHEMA. A Tragedy.] [St. Petersbug: “Shipovnik,” 1909.] [bound with] [KING HUNGER. A Play....] [St. Petersburg: “Shipovnik”], 1908. 2 vols. bound together in 1. 8vo; later half red cloth and marbled boards; leather lettering-piece on spine; original illustrated wraps to first work bound in; first work without the three leaves of advertisements mentioned in Kilgour; upper wrapper of second work bound in; folding engraved frontispiece and seven full-page illustrations to the second work; contents very good; marbled edges. $500
The first editions of these two plays by Andreyev. They are amongst his principal efforts in Symbolism. Anathema is Andreyev’s most successful excursion into an allegorical drama of existence (with certain echoes of Faust). The illustrated wrappers to this work were designed by G. Narbut. The cover and several intriguing illustrations to King Hunger (including a triptych frontispiece) are by Lansere. Scarce, only two copies of the first work and a sole copy of the second work are recorded in NUC. §Kilgour 35 & 33.

[ANDRIEUX, François G. -J. -S.] LES ETOURDIS, ou, Le Mort Supposé, Comedie.... Paris and Bruxelles: J. L. DeBoubers, 1788. First Edition, Disbound; near fine. $45
The second of only two plays by Andrieux, a three-act verse comedy first performed at the Theatre Italiens in December 1787. It would appear to have been quite popular with Brenner recording several subsequent performances. §Barbier II, 305.

[ANIMAL SAVANTS.] A lithographed plate of a group of animals of an itinerant troupe, by Moulleron, after J. Stevens. Paris: Berlauts, [c. 1860 (?)]. 7 1/2" x 10", plus wide margins; near fine; in modern light mat. $65
In an inn yard two costumed monkeys sleep on the back of a horse, behind two dogs (one in costume) rest by the showman's drum.

[ANNATO, Palmyre.] A large lithograph, "Mlle. Palmyra Annato (Cirque National de Champs-Elysées)." [Paris]: A. Prevost, [c. 1850]. 26" x 19"; image itself 18" x 12 1/4"; inconsequential light offsetting; some fraying to uppermost margin; fine tone to image; in a modern mat. $500
The famous French equestrienne is seen inside the circus pavilion, a rapt audience surrounding her, landing en pointe on the back of a galloping horse having jumped through floral hoops held up by four men standing atop the walls of the ring. To the side stands a small group (including two clowns) and to the center the ringmaster who guides the horse onwards. Annato was the leading attraction with the Cirque de Champs-Elysées in Paris around the middle decade of the 19th century. She also appeared in London with Franconi's company and, from 1851, at the Vauxhall Gardens Circus.

[ANONYMOUS.] ACADEMIE UNIVERSELLE DES JEUX, Contenant le regles des jeux de Quadrille & Quintille, de l'Hombre à trois, du Piquet, du Reversis, des Echecs, du Trictrac; & de tous les autres Jeux. Avec des Intrustructions Faciles pour apprende à les bien joüer. Paris: Theodore Legras, 1730. Large, thick 16mo; full contemporary calf, marked and worn; raised bands; elaborate gilt to compartments; morocco label; head of spine chipped; marbled endpapers; engraved frontispiece; ink ownership inscription to foot of title-page, offset to frontispiece; engraved decorations to text; contents fresh. $375
An important early publication explicating the laws and conventions for playing a great number of games, sometimes attributed to Lucien Bellecour. The engraved frontispiece shows groups of people (and puti) playing different board, dice, table, and card games. §Hargrave, p. 410.

[ANONYMOUS.] CHOIX DES MEILLEURES PIECES DU THÉATRE ITALIEN MODERNE, Traduites en François, avec des Dissertations & des Notes. Par M. E. B. D. Paris: Morin, 1783. Full contemporary speckled calf; lower fore-corners of covers worn; upper hinge worn; gilt to spine; remnant of early paper label to foot of spine; light dampstaining to gutter of a few leaves; engraved head- and tail-pieces; marbled endpapers. $80
The anonymous author provides a 25-page Discours Préliminaire and a translation of Pietro Chiari's Dissertation Historique et Critique sur le Theatre (with significant footnotes). These are followed by an adaptation of Goldoni's La Docte Intigante.

[ANONYMOUS.] DÉNONCIATION AU PUBLIC, A l'occasion de quel ques Écrits anonymes, particuliérement d'une Comédie ayant pour titre, La Cour Pléniere, calomnieusement attribués à Monsieur Bergasse; Avec des détails sur sa retraite en Suisse, l'epogue & les motifs de cette retraite; des Reflexions sur le danger de ce qu'on appelle Bulletins A La Main, &c.; & les moyens sourds qu'emploie une cabale pour favoriser & faire renaître les anciens abus de la Police. Suivis de la Lettre Circulaire Aux Notables. Paris: n. p., 1788. 8vo; contemporary wraps, stained and worn; upper margins of text embrowned. $80

[THÉÂTRE ANTOINE.] An illustrated program for the Theatre Antoine, 15 and 16 December, 1900. Decorative wrappers, printed in sepia; stapled; halftone illustrations. $20
The evenings’ bill featured Ajalbert’s La Fille Élisa (after de Goncourt). With ten halftone vignette portraits of actors.

ARNAULT, A[ntoine]-V[incent]. GERMANICUS, Tragédie.... Paris: Chauerot, 1817. First Edition. Disbound; signatures to verso of half-title; mild dampstaining to upper fore-corners; untrimmed at foot. $40
The first edition of Arnault's verse tragedy which premiered at the Comédie in March 1817 (with Talma, Duchenois, and George). A major riot erupted at the theatre as Arnault (as a close friend of Napoleon) was then in exile and his supporters seized the opportunity to demonstrate for his return. "To make matters worse, Mlle. Mars appeared in the afterpiece wearing the Imperial violet and Mlle. Bourgoin the Bourbon lily, encouraging further reaction from both factions in the audience. The following day Germanicus was banned and sticks and canes were forbidden in all theatres (Carlson)."

[ASTLEY’S AMPHITHEATRE.] A tall double-sided bill for Astley’s Royal Amphitheatre, the week of 22 May, 1826. 7 1/2” x 19 1/2”; engraved illustration to head of verso; two horizontal creases; faint bleed through from each side; dense with text; nearly fine. $425
An unusual playbill for Astley’s, then under the management of Ducrow and West, announcing the equestrian spectacle Paul Pry on Horseback, or, A Peep at the Election (a “new local, characteristic, eccentric, panoramic, pedestrian and equestrian speaking picture of life, manners, and peculiarities of the present day”); the exhibition of Herr Cline on the elastic cord; Ducrow in the character of a Chinese Enchanter “riding three horses, at one time, at their full speed”; and Ducrow, Gomersal, Cartlich, and Amherst in the military spectacle War in India. On the verso of the playbill are three verses titled “Paul Pry’s New London Directory for 1826,” headed with an engraved illustration of Pry on a runaway horse. In the verses London tradesmen, various areas of the metropolis, and the city’s entertainments are amusingly portrayed: “There’s Regent Street that was built by Mr. Nash/For those who can pay a good rent and cut a dash....” In remarkably fresh condition.

[ATKYNS, ?.] A juvenile drama portrait, "Mr. Atkyns, as Alwyn the Saxon Chief." [London]: n. p., [c. 1825]. Some fraying to margins; very light stain to lower left corner. $50
A fairly early print by an unidentified publisher. The actor stands, legs bent and apart, in battle armor and plumed helmet. He holds a sword up in his right hand and a shield before him in his left.

[AUBER, Daniel F.-E.] A playbill for Auber’s opera Der Schnee at Stuttgart’s Königlisches Hof-Theater, 10 March, 1830. Near fine. $20
The opera (La Neige) was given in German, the translation by Castelli.

AYSCOUGH, George Edward. SEMIRAMIS, A Tragedy.... London: for J. Dodsley, 1776. First Edition. Disbound; stitching holes to gutter; minimal spotting to half-title. $50
The sole edition of this adaptation of Voltaire’s Sémiramis, with an epilogue by R. B. Sheridan.