Authors "M" and "N" Selections from Stock

[MACCABE, Frederick.] A two-page autograph note, signed, from MacCabe to Joseph Maas. London: 31 August, 1880. 8vo leaf; minor foxing and wear; original folds. $50
The noted ventriloquist writes to complain (rather tongue in cheek) the singer Maas had been out when he visited with his children and mentions commencing on a month’s engagement at St. James’ Hall.

MACFARREN, George. MALVINA: A National Ballad Opera.... New York: Edward M. Murden, n. d. [1826]. Small 12mo; unbound; creasing and a bit of fraying to edges of title-page and terminal leaf; moderate foxing throughout. $25
The first American edition of MacFarren’s dramatic opera (music by T. Cooke). It had its New York premiere at the Park Theatre in 1826.

[MACFARREN, George.] OBERON; or, The Charmed Horn. A Romantic Fairy Tale. New York: Edward M. Murden, 1826. Small 12mo; unbound; variable foxing and toning; early name in ink to head of first page; untrimmed. $30
The first American edition of MacFarren’s two-act “fairy tale,” based upon Wieland’s poem. It was first performed at Drury Lane in March 1826.

[MACKARNESS, Mathilde A.] NEW CHARADES FOR THE DRAWING ROOM. A New Edition. London: Routledge & Sons, n. d. [c. 1874]. Small 8vo; yellow boards; color pictorial cover; a bit rubbed; finger soiling to margins of a couple of leaves; publisher’s advertisements to endpapers and at the end. $30
A yellowback edition containing a dozen charades for four to six characters. The one-word answers appear at the end.

[MACKEEN, (?).] A juvenile drama portrait, “Mr. McKeen as Alfonzo.” London: Hodgson & Co., 1821. Colored by hand; 1/2” tear to (blank) right edge. $60
The equestrian stands in right profile, legs apart, a plumed helmet on his head, shield held before him on his left arm and a sword held before his right hand. Mackeen was associated with Astley’s for several seasons.

[MACREADY, William Charles.]  A Covent Garden playbill announcing Macready in Beazley's The Steward, 7 October, 1819. A bit of offsetting. $35
The second piece on the bill was Reynolds' The Gnome King.

[MAGNIER, Marie.]  A lithographed portrait of Magnier as Clara de Fermanville in Les Respectables, by Steinlen, [1889]. 8 3/4" x 12"; colored by hand.$175
A lithograph by Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen from Costumes of the Modern Stage. It shows Magnier full length, standing in costume, with a parasol in one hand and a book in the other. Janvier de la Mote's drama opened at the Theatre de Vaudeville (Paris) in November 1889.

MAIDWELL, L[ewis]. THE LOVING ENEMIES: A Comedy.... London: for John Guy, 1680. First Edition. Small 4to; quarter speckled calf; marbled boards; joints worn; head of backstrip chipped; title-page dustsoiled and reinforced at gutter and lower forecorner; terminal leaf defective at upper gutter, affecting text (provided in holograph), with tissue reinforcement and repair; minimal marks of age to contents. $350
The sole edition of a particularly rare Restoration comedy, performed at Dorset Garden in the early spring of 1680. This was also Maidwell’s only play. “An exceedingly well-written and interesting play, both as regards the romantic incidents and the lighter scenes. One can only be surprised that it did not keep the stage, more particularly as many a worse comedy long maintained a place in the theatre. It is not improbable this disregard was the reason Maidwell did not make another essay in the drama (Summers).” The epilogue was written by Shadwell and refers to Dryden’s Rose Street adventure of the previous December. §Wing M284.

[MARIO, Giovanni.] A one-page autograph letter, signed. N. p.: 17 January, 1864. 4to leaf, folded; integral leaf blank; original folds. $275
A warm (salutation of “Caro”) and fine letter in French, with a very good signature.

[MARS, Mlle.] [Anne F. BOUTET]. A one-page autograph letter, signed. N. p.: n. d. [c. 1825(?)]. 8vo leaf, folded; original folds; hole from opening of wax seal, affecting two letters of text, with early backing to blank reverse. $85
The well-loved Comédie-Française actress writes to a Monsieur Empir asking payment of a sum due to her “que j’en ai grand besoin.”

[MARS, Anne Françoise.] A lithographed portrait, "Melle. Mars, Premier Théâtre Français." [Paris]: Demanne, [c. 1830]. 5 1/2" x 9", plus wide margins. $25
A half-length portrait of the actress, facing and looking to the front with arms crossed at her waist, within an oval.

MARSOLLIER, [Des Vivetières, B. -J.] EDMOND ET CAROLINE, ou La Lettre et la Réponse, Comedie.... Paris: M. -N. Barba, 1819. Disbound; foxing to title-page, terminal leaf, and head of some leaves. $35
The libretto to a one-act comic opera, the music by Frédéric Kreubé, first performed at the Opéra-Comique in August 1819. The cast list is printed.

[MARSTON, Henry.] A hand-colored juvenile drama portrait of Marston as MacDuff. London: J. Redington, [c. 1865]. Colors bright; very good. $35
Marston stands, legs apart, in kilted costume. He holds a shield on his upraised left arm and a sword in his right hand.

MARTIN, Sadie. THE LIFE AND PROFESSIONAL CAREER OF EMMA ABBOT. Minneapolis: L. Kimball, 1891. First Edition. Original red cloth, decorated in black and gilt; gilt to spine; extremities rubbed; frontisportrait and 27 plates to text after photographs; decorative endpapers; t.e.g. $50
The Chicago-born soprano-impresaria Abbot was America’s first populist prima donna. After training and touring in Europe she formed the Emma Abbot English Grand Opera Company (1878). With this company she toured all of America, from the operatic palaces of the major cities to the smallest of opera houses in the heartland. She was also noted for interpolating “specialties,” such as popular ballads, into operas in the repertoire. The text is accompanied by 28 plates of Abbot in her roles.

[MARTYR, Margaret.] A line-engraved portrait, “Miss Thornton, at Vauxhall.” London: J. Bew, 1778. 3 1/8” x 4 1/2”; window mounted to a larger album leaf. $40
A full-length portrait of Martyr, when Miss Thornton, in an open gown, to the front singing, music held down in her right hand. From the time of her appearances at Vauxhall just prior to her first season at Covent Garden.

[MATHEWS, Charles James.] A one-page autograph letter, signed, [1836 (?)]. One leaf, black bordered; original folds. $25
The actor turns down an invitation as he is “completely enveloped in the dusty horrors of packing and moving....”

[MATHEWS, Charles James.] A one-page autograph letter, signed. [London]: 24 December, 1873. Original horizontal crease. $30
Mathews declines a Christmas Eve invitation on account of a cold caught in "the awful wings of the Gaiety."

[MATHEWS, Charles James.] An autograph note, initialed, from the Haymarket. [London]: 10 July, 1861. Three horizontal creases; slight dust soiling. $15
Addressed to “Carissimo Dottore,” asking for the name of the “famous purifier of blood” as his wife has of course forgotten it. The actor’s name has been added in ink to the head.

[MATTHEWS, John T.] A juvenile drama portrait of Matthews as Clown. [London]: A. Park, [c. 1860]. Trimmed at foot, affecting a few letters of title; two minute stitching holes near head. $22
The pantomime clown Matthews stands with bowed legs and hands in his pockets.

MAY, Earl Chapin. THE CIRCUS FROM ROME TO RINGLING. New York: Duffield and Green, [1932]. Purple cloth; spine a little faded; numerous illustrations. $25
“A useful reference work, particularly on the modern American circus and the artistes performing with the Ringlings (Toole-Stott).” Amongst Toole-Stott’s “100 Best Circus Books.” §Toole-Stott 488.

[MEADOWS, Drinkwater.] A two-page autograph note, signed, to Charles Perkins. [London:c. 1825 (?).] 8vo leaf; original folds; light dusting. $40
Meadows offers congratulations to his fellow actor Perkins (at the Adelphi) and continues in a fairly chatty manner on greenroom subjects.

[MEILHAC, Henri.] A pair of lithographed plates, “Margot,” from Costumes of the Modern Stage, [1889]. Each 8 3/4” x 12”; colored by hand. $25
The plates are of costumes for a revival of Meilhac’s Margot in 1889. They depict Martel as Carline and Bertiny as Valentine.

[MENKEN, Adah Isaac.] An illustrated report related to Menken and Dugue and Bourgeois’ Les Pirates de la Savane in “La Chronique Illustrée du Petit Figaro,” 23 August, 1868. Large folio; central horizontal crease; a few short closed tears to fore-edges; well illustrated; fairly well preseved for having been printed to newsprint stock. $45
A report on the revival of Le Pirates... at the Théâtre de Châtelet. The largest of the three portraits to the front page shows Menken in costume (after a photograph by Trinquart), while to the back page is one of Sahra Dowe as Léo in the same spectacle at the Châtelet. Amongst the other illustrations (some caricatures) is an engraved view of the new Vaudeville Theatre.

[MENKEN, Adah Isaacs.] A double-page, broadside bill for Astley’s featuring Menken in the first performances of Brougham’s The Child of the Sun, the week of 9 October, [1865]. 19 1/2” x 14”; trimmed at head and foot, affecting some letters (including upper half of “Astley’s”); minor wrinkling and toning; early reinforcements to verso at folds and edges. $500
Menken played four different roles in Brougham’s new extravaganza -- the Creole Leon, Zamba “a dumb Peon slave,” Metoxa the chief of the Comanches, and the Mexican cabollers Don Leon de Mendez. Primarily a vehicle to display Menken to the fullest advantage, it nowhere neared the success of Mazeppa (presented, also at Astley’s, the previous year).
 

[MENKEN, Adah Isaacs.] A tall Howard Athenaeum playbill for the "benefit and positively last appearance of... Menken, on which occasion she will appear in 4 of her most popular characters," Boston, 1 August, 1862. Approximately 6 1/2" x 19"; near fine; matted and glazed in an antiqued frame; not examined out of frame. $500
Menken was seen as Mary in The Outlaw's Steed, Mazeppa, and Cornet FitzHerbert and Mrs. Trictrac in The Married Rake. "The beautiful, intelligent, trick horse Zofloie, trained by... Menken, will be introduced by her, and go through his wonderful performances for the first time in public." The trick equestrian R. E. J. Miles also performed.

[MEYERBEER, Giacomo.] A double-page playbill for The Fiend-Father at Covent Garden, 2 March, 1832. Pale blue stock. $30
An arrangement of Robert le Diable, with Braham as Robert.

[MEYERHOLD THEATRE.] A two-color poster for the production of Vishnevsky's Poslednii Reshitelni at the Meyerhold Theatre, 1931. 35" x 23 3/4"; boldly printed in black and green; three small mounting tears to head (the largest 34"), three closed tears to (blank portion of) lower right edge; one central, horizontal crease; neat vertical creases; some abrading to creases with slight loss at four points. $650
The boldest of the poster's typography is consigned to Meyerhold's name (32 1/2" x 8"). Meyerhold's production of Vishnevsky's The Last, Decisive "was a dazzling display of theatrical tricks (E. Braun)" including a production number which parodied the Bolshoi ballet and an effects-laden final scene.

[MEYNIER, Auguste.]  A two-color lithographed poster for the conjuror, known as Agosta, "la plus Grande Nullité du Jour." [Paris (?)]: Dusseque, [c. 1908]. 32" x 47"; early creases, slightly rubbed and lightly embrowned; two halftone portraits; linen backed. $400
Agosta was one of the most prominent of French conjurors at the start of the last century, publisher of the periodical La Prestidigitateur,  and the founding president of the Association Syndicate des Artistes Prestidigitateurs (1903). This poster is printed in green and red with decorations to two corners and a duotone portrait of the performer to the other two.

MOLIERE, J. B. Poquelin. OEUVRES DE J. B. POQUELIN DE MOLIERE. Édition Stéréotype. Paris: Hector Bossange, 1828. 8 vols. 12mo; contemporary calf-backed marbled boards; extremities rather rubbed; minor, scattered foxing; light stains to edges of some leaves; gilt decorations to spines; marbled edges. $100
A pleasant little eight-volume set containing 33 pieces.

[MOLKAU, Johann Carl.] A playbill announcing Molkau and his company at the Theater, Augsburg, 29 February, [1825 (?)]. Decorative woodcut border; nearly fine. $20
A benefit performance for Molkau, including declamatory performances, a musical piece called Pygmalion, and a one-act farce.

MORISSET, B. LES CONTES DU PREMIER ET DU SECOND AGE, ou Le Pouvoir des Bons sur les Mauvais Génies. Paris: Libraires Associés, 1807. 12mo; contemporary blue wraps, rather scuffed; neat reinforcement to fore-edges of inside wraps and foot of backstrip; engraved frontispiece, colored by hand; a hint of dusting, primarily to fore-edges; a few fore-corners turned up; a few upper fore-corners stained; completely untrimmed; in a protecting box. $175
An unsophisticated, desirable copy of a pleasant juvenile, with a hand-colored frontispiece. Two of the four stories are "Les Mauricauds, ou, L'Origine des Arlequins" and "La Bella Fortuna, ou, Le Palais des Nains."

MORTON, Thomas. THE CHILDREN IN THE WOOD. An Opera. New York: E. B. Clayton, 1830. 12mo; unbound; untrimmed; stitching gone and signatures separated; some wear along fore-edges; some enbrowning. $25
An American edition of Morton’s opera, with introductory remarks and a biographical sketch of Elliston. With the holograph ownership inscription of the Boston Museum to the title-page and one leaf of text.

MORTON, Thomas. COLUMBUS: or, A World Discovered. An Historical Play. The Second Edition. London: for W. Miller, 1792. Disbound; a hint of foxing to half-title and a few leaves of text. $45
Deriving from Marmontel’s tale of the Incas and covering much the same ground as Kotzebue’s Die Spanier in Peru. Nicoll rates it “a truly amusing piece” -- presumably ridiculous rather than comic -- for its anachronisms and impossibilities such as Columbus conversing freely with those who have never encountered a European.

MORTON, Thomas. SPEED THE PLOUGH: A Comedy. London: for Longman and Rees, 1800. Disbound; publisher’s advertisement leaf at the end. $25
The best known of Morton’s plays, a successful blending of pathos and broad comedy, famous for introducing the (off-stage) character of the moral watchdog Mrs. Grundy. First published the same year.

[MOSCOW STATE CIRCUS.] An illustrated poster for the Moscow State Circus on tour, [c. 1930]. 21" x 28 1/2"; boldly printed in red; two halftone illustrations; creased to quarters; minor wrinkling; one short line of small ink stains; else very good. $250

[MOSS, W.] An engraved plate, “Mr. Moss in the Character of Caleb.” [Edinburgh: Hugh Paton, 1842.] 5 1/4” x 8”, plus margins; a bit of dusting and creasing. $25
A full-length portrait of the Scottish actor by John Kay (1787). He is shown on stage, with a long sword, hat in upraised right hand. Below is the song “I’m the Dandy O!”, by Crosfield, in Pilon’s He Would Be a Soldier.

[MOTTLEY, John.] WIDOW BEWITCH’D. A Comedy. London: for J. Watts, 1730. First Edition. Modern red half calf and cloth; title-page torn and laid down; tissue repair to gutter of terminal leaf. $65
A comedy of sentiment and sensibility, according to Nicoll, which he also admits is “even more immoral” than Killigrew’s Chit-Chat or Haywood’s Wife to Let. It was performed at Goodmans-Fields in June of 1730.

MOUTTET, Félix (Editor). LE LIVRE DES JEUX D’ESPRIT. Énigmes, Charades, Logogriphes, Recueillis et Mis en Ordre. Paris: Ch. Ploche, n. d. [1852]. 12mo; modern polished half-calf and marbled boards; gilt to spine; marbled endpapers; moderate foxing; mild stain to upper fore-corner of some leaves. $95
A 64-page collection containing 50 charades, 52 logogriphes, and 75 enigmas. In a modern fine binding by Ivicta Livro.

MOWATT, Anna Cora. ARMAND; or, The Peer and the Peasant. A Play.... New York: Stringer and Townsend, 1851. First Edition. Disbound; some foxing; primarily to first signature and margins. $40
Mowatt’s second play and the first to be publicly performed. It was premiered at New York’s Park Theatre in September 1847 and in London in January 1849. On both occasions Mowatt took the part of Blanche. §Roden, p. 96.

[M-ROV, G. T. (Pseud.).] [OUT OF THE FIRE AND INTO THE FLOOD (?). Drama....] [Tomsk: P. I. Makushina], 1896. 8vo; original paper-covered boards; marbled paper to rear cover; extremities rubbed; front cover a trifle soiled; erased letter-code to upper left edge of cover; black cloth spine; Library of Congress duplicate stamp to front flyleaf; binding tight; contents clean. $50
A five-act drama. M-rov was the pseudonym of Gamaliil S. Gantimurov.

[MRVINA, Eugeniya.] A cabinet card photograph of Mrvina in costume. [St. Petersburg: for the Imperial Theatres, c. 1890.] Image a trifle light; minor marking, away from image; mount corners rubbed. $50
The great soprano is shown three-quarters length, in costume, in a performance pose. Mravina studied with Pryanishnikov in Russia, Artôt in Berlin, and Marchesi in Paris. She made her debut (1885) at Vittorio Veneto as Gilda (Rigoletto). This intelligent and highly regarded singer was a mainstay at the Mariinsky Theatre between 1886 and 1897 -- creating the roles of Oxana in Rimsky-Korsakov's Christmas Eve and Fornarina in Arnesky's Rafael.

[MUNDEN, Joseph Shepherd.] A silk playbill for Munden as Old Rapid in Morton’s A Cure for Heart-Ache at the New Theatre, Brighthelmston, 6 July, 1798. Trimmed at foot; four small holes to (blank) upper right margin. $100
A silver-silk bill for a performance at the Brighton theatre, by desire of the Countess of Bective. Munden was also seen as Darby in O’Keefe’s The Poor Soldier.

[MURDOCH, James E.] A photogravure portrait, "James E. Murdoch as the Stranger [Count Waldbourg]." [New York]: Gebbie, [c. 1887]. 8 1/2" x 11 1/2", plus wide margins; very minor spotting to margins. $10
A full-length portrait of Murdoch, seated, in costume.

[MURPHY, Arthur.] KNOW YOUR OWN MIND: A Comedy.... London: for T. Becket, 1778. First Edition. Disbound; early ink inscription to one leaf; some dusting and minor foxing. $40
Based on L’irrésolu of Destouches.

[MURPHY, Arthur.] THE ORPHAN OF CHINA, A Tragedy.... The Second Edition. London: for P. Vaillant, 1759. Disbound; dusting to title-page and final leaf; stitching holes to gutters. $25
An adaptation of Voltaire's L'Orphélin de la Chine, a Roman drama transferred to a Chinese setting. Appended is an open letter from Murphy, a "patriotic epistle to Voltaire, commenting unfavorably on that author's anti-English strictures (Nicoll)."

NEWTON, H. Chance. THE OLD VIC. And Its Associations. Being My Extraordinary Experiences of “Queen Wictoria’s Own Theayter.” Foreword by George Dance. London: Fleetway Press, n. d. [c. 1922]. Small 8vo; green wraps, edges dust soiled; pictorial vignette to front cover; frontisportrait; plates. $20
Recollections of the first 100 years of the London theatre and the plays, variety entertainments, and principal stars seen there.

NIKLAUS, Thelma. HARLEQUIN PHOENIX, or, The Rise and Fall of a Bergamask Rogue. London: The Bodley Head, 1956. Cloth; pictorial dustwrapper (design by Mervyn Peake); illustrated. $30
A well-documented history of the commedia figure tracing him from his Italian roots through to modern representations. “There is a particularly interesting account of the shows given in the fairgrounds and... a description of Grimaldi’s technique (R. Toole-Stott).” With an appendix of “Some Celebrated Players of Harlequin” and one of early scenari. §Toole-Stott 523.

[NIXON, John (?).] An engraved caricature, "Country Acting -- or no Tricks upon Travellers." London: Laurie & Whittle, 1804. 9 3/4" x 7 3/4", plus full margins; slight dust soiling to outermost margins; hand colored; very good. $175
"Tricks upon travellers" was a catch-phrase, perhaps deriving from Foote's The Orators (1762). This hand-colored caricature, attributed to Nixon, depicts a kitchen scene. An Irishman, wearing smart (spurred) top boots, bastes a bird on a spit. He is interrupted by an actor in the costume of an African prince who inquires as to when the fowl will be finished. The Irishman responds angrily to the "outrageous looking Rascal" that the chicken is for his dinner and he does not mean to share it. The actor responds: "My Dear Sir I dont want your Fowl I am going to play Oroonoko in this House and we cannot begin for want of the Jack Chain." §George 10357.