The Theatrical Observer - First Irish Review & Playbill Collection ! 1821

Shakespeare & Others

Edité par J.J. NOLAN, DUBLIN - 4, SUFFOLK-STREET, 1822

A propos de cet article

In most of the antiquarian theatrical observers, the theatres are named at the top of each of the playbills, this was the case for the London theatres.- In this: [First Irish] book, the theatres are not named on the playbills, so I had to do some research before I could say with any confidence which theatre these reviews and playbills related to. The book was published in Dublin, Ireland. It seems that during 1821 and 1822, the time period for this book, there was only one theatre in Dublin that was in existence. Here is a short history of my findings: The first Theatre Royal was opened by John Ogilby in 1662 in Smock Alley. The theatre was knocked down and rebuilt in 1735 and closed in 1787. Henry Harris bought a site in Hawkins Street and built the 2,000 seater Albany New Theatre on it at a cost of £50,000, designed by architect Samuel Beazley. This theatre opened in January of the following year [1821]. In August George IV attended a performance at the Albany and, as a consequence, a patent was granted. The name of the theatre was changed to the "Theatre Royal" to reflect its status as a patent theatre.The building work was not completed at the time of opening and early audience figures were so low that a number of side seating boxes were boarded up. The first review in this book is dated at: No. 1. Friday, December 21st, 1821, and is for [The Merry Wives of Windsor]. States: This play has been rarely seen on the modern Stage of Dublin. Of its origin the following description is given; Queen Elizabeth was so well pleased with the admiral character of Falstaff, in the two parts of Henry the Fourth, that she commanded Shakespeare to continue it for one play more, and to shew him in love. To this command we owe [The Merry Wives of Windsor], which Mr. Gildon said he was very well assured our Author finished in a fortnight. So, this must have been a review written before the theatre was officially opened the following month in January 1821. This is a bound volume containing [73] individual issues, of the Theatrical observer, which were published between: Friday, 21st December 1821 to Saturday, 16th March 1822. Complete Volume VIII [8] consists of 37 individual issues. Complete Volume IX [9] consists of 36 individual issues. This set is written on the first blank endpage, it appears to say 'half bound putum': Half-Bound - (of books) having the back bound in one material and the sides in another. May well have been written before it went on sale in 1822. There is an index to the front of the book but it does not contain all of the Shakespeare Reviews. Listed in the index are: Henry 4th and Richard the Third. The plays that are not mentioned: The Merry Wives of Windsor. Hamlet. Macbeth. and Othello.There are nuerous Shakespearean references throughout the text. - CONDITION & DESCRIPTION: - Two tone paper boards or [half bound putum] - bind the issues. Original binding. Spine is a bit tatty with original newspaper binding below and the text seems to pertain to: 'superstitions, 'abolish all monuments of superstition', Sacrifice, God, the poor and needy', etc, so it appears to be a religious text on the newspaper used under the original binding, and this would have been printed pre: 1822. I have not repaired the binding, so it is still in its amazing first state. There are a few small paper parts from the rear board binding which are loose but present. The issues are printed on lightweight paper so there is a fair amount of browning and foxing and light soiling. Page edges are roughcut throughout. The frontispiece [unknown creator/illustrator] states: ['Engraved for Nolan's Theatrical Observer, MR. TALBOT, Monsieur Morbleau] - It's a wonderfully, detailed engraving. The earlier issues are now just over 200 years old and issues from the Original Theatrical Observer, are incredibly rare. Our orders are shipped within 1 or 2 business days.

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Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: The Theatrical Observer - First Irish Review & Playbill Collection ! 1821
• Éditeur: J.J. NOLAN, DUBLIN - 4, SUFFOLK-STREET
• Date de parution: 1822
• Langue: anglais
• Reliure: Hardcover
• Édition: FIRST EDITION & FIRST PRINTING
• État de l'article: Fair
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • ANTIQUARIAN