Playbill — Illustrated playbill advertising the programme at the Bower Saloon, 31 May 1853, London, 1853
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1853
Playbill in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number S.318-2016), made in London, dated 1853. The museum's brief description reads: Illustrated playbill advertising the programme at the Bower Saloon, 31 May 1853.
Woodcut and letterpress. Museum description: Woodcut and letterpress poster printed in red and black ink on white paper, with two woodcuts coloured by hand, advertising the programme for the Bower Saloon for the evening of 31st May 1853 when it was managed by Mr. Biddles. The evening was for the Benefit of Mr. T. Lamb and comprised Richard Coeur de Lion, or, the Dog of the Standard based on Sir Walter Scott's Tales of the Crusaders starring Mr.
Crauford as Richard Coeur de Lion, with Mr. Byron, Mr. Murray, Mr. Willis, Mr. Marchant, Mr. T. Lamb, Mr. Huntley, Mr. Connor, Mr. Baker, Mr. W. Whitely, Mr. Burroughs. Miss C. Biddles, Mr. Stanley, Miss A. Biddles, Mrs. Wood, Miss Harley, and the dog Carlo; followed by Ceda, the inimitable American Dancer, with Mr. R. Gambia the 'renowned banjoist' in their Ethiopian Entertainment, followed by a dance from Miss Wright, and the 'serio-comic ballet' The Sailor's Progress, or, a Night in California, featuring Mr.
Whitely, Mr. Huntley, Mr. Lamb, Miss Wood and Mr. Lamb's dogs Nero and Carlo.… The museum records it as Printing ink on paper; letterpress and woodcut coloured by hand, measuring Height 75.3 cm; Width 27.3 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The Bower Saloon in London's Stangate Street, Lambeth, was originally attached to the Duke's Tavern, and operated as a place of entertainment from 1837 until 1878. During the 1850s when owned by Victor Hazelton, it made its name for the production of melodramas starring dogs. This playbill features two woodcut image, which were particularly good for attracting the attention of passers-by, especially those who couldn't read. The clientele of the Bower Saloon, which advertised itself as 'the only theatre for the working classes', would have included many of those, attracted by for low ticket prices, action-packed presentations including melodrama, farce and nautical drama, and the availability of alcohol, the sale of which was a popular feature of 19th century theatres like the Bower that styled themselves as saloons rather than theatres. Stage plays starring dogs had been successful 19th century fare since December 1803, when Frederick Reynolds' play The Caravan, or the Driver and His Dog opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The scene when Carlo the Newfoundland dog leapt into an artificial lake on stage to rescue a child from drowning caused a sensation, and spawned specially written dog dramas, the most famous of which, Le Chien de Montargis, ou la Forêt de Bondy, based on an old French legend, premiered in Paris in 1814. Translated as The Dog of Montargis, or the Forest of Bondy, the play became one of the staple dog dramas presented at the Bower Saloon. On this…
Physical characteristics
- Material
- paper, printing ink, watercolour
- Dimensions
- Height 75.3 cm; Width 27.3 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Printing ink on paper; letterpress and woodcut coloured by hand
- Place recorded
- London
Identification
- Museum object name
- Playbill
- Museum object number
- S.318-2016
- Museum system number
- O1360611
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.