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Mrs. Abington as the Comic Muse.
Mrs. Abington as the Comic Muse.
P. Wray sculpt.
[British, n.d., c.1790s.]
Copper engraving with some stippling, 110 x 175mm. 4¼ x 7". Pin hole to image; stitching holes to upper margin. One foxmark below title.
The famous comic actress Frances Abington (1737 - 1815) as Thalia, in classical dress with long billowing scarf, head directed and looking to left, where she is about to crown a bust of Shakespeare, on a pedestal, with laurel. She holds up a comic mask in her left hand, behind to left, a tree, pipes tied to a branch; in oval. Mrs Abington was rumoured to have spent her teenage years working as a prostitute. For the Court, City & Country Magazine. The image is extracted and reversed from the stipple by Bartolozzi after Richard Cosway (1742 - 1821).
[Ref: 24050]   £65.00   (£78.00 incl.VAT)
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[Mrs Abington.]
[Mrs Abington.]
[n.d., c.1795.]
Etching, sheet 182 x 135mm. Trimmed inside plate.
A rare and charming portrait of Frances Abington (1737 - 1815), famous comic actress. Etched by James Bretherton (1750 - 1799; fl.), dealer and publisher in London. Brother of Charles Bretherton, he is particularly associated with Henry William Bunbury, many of whose works he engraved and published. His stock of plates was auctioned in 1799. From the painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
Ex: Collection of Alec Clunes.
[Ref: 7834]   £220.00   (£264.00 incl.VAT)
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Roxalana. Mrs. Abbington in that Character, in the Sultan.
Roxalana. Mrs. Abbington in that Character, in the Sultan. Sultan (alone) "She's not handsome, that is, what is call'd a beauty; get her little nose" "cock'd in the air, her laughing eyes, & the play of her features, have an". "effect altogether:_Who is it that lifts the curtain there?" Roxalana __ "Tis I". __
Painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Engraved by J.K. Shirwin.
London, Publish'd Feby. 1. 1791, by J. Thane, Rupert Street, Hay Market.
A fine stipple and etching. Plate 285 x 210mm. 11¼ x 8¼". Foxing.
The famous comic actress Frances Abington (1737 - 1815) in character as Roxalana, an English slave in Isaac Bickstaffe's play 'The Sultan; or A Peep into the Seraglio' She is, as a contemporary newspaper reported, 'in the act of drawing the Curtain when she surprises the sultan in his retirement'. Mrs Abington was rumoured to have spent her teenage years working as a prostitute. After Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792).
Hamilton: pg.77, iii of iii. See 13807 for printed colour version.
[Ref: 21009]   £180.00   (£216.00 incl.VAT)
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Mrs Abington
Mrs Abington
Sr. Jos. Reynolds Pinx J. Wilson fec
[n.d., c.1770]
Mezzotint, platemark 150 x 115mm (6 x 4½").
Frances Abington (1737-1815), actress. Born in lowly circumstances, Abington grew up in the slums around Drury Lane, and sold flowers and sang in Covent Garden as a girl. Along with other jobs she did when young (kitchenmaid, milliner's assistant), various accounts of her life hint at prostitution during her early years. After making a start as an actress in London her first professional success came while working in Dublin, rejoining Garrick's Drury Lane company where she established herself as one of the leading comedy actresses of her generation. She was also the mistress of at least two prominent figures. Engraving after the several portrait 'Mrs Abington as the Comic Muse' by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1764-8, hair and dress repainted 1772-3) now in Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire. This was one of several portraits that Reynolds painted of Abington- he was an admirer and purchased twelve tickets for her benefit performance in 1772. Reynolds' portrait was a companion to his portrait of Sarah Siddons as 'the Tragic Muse'.
CS: 2. Not in Hamilton.
[Ref: 42094]   £160.00   (£192.00 incl.VAT)
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Mrs. Abington.
Mrs. Abington.
Engrav'd for the Universal Magazine. T. Cook del et sculp.
Publish'd as ye. Act directs, April 1st. 1783, by S. A. Cumberlege Paternoster Row.
Engraving. Platemark: 165 x 110mm (6¾ x 4¼"). Large margins on 3 sides. Cut on left.
A head and shoulders portrait of the famous comic actress, Frances Abington (1737 - 1815), who was as famed as much for her sense of fashion as she was for her acting.
[Ref: 35647]   £45.00   (£54.00 incl.VAT)
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Roxalana.
Roxalana. Mrs. Abbington in that Character, in the Sultan.
Painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Engraved by J.K. Shirwin.
London, Publish'd Feby. 1. 1791, by J. Thane, Rupert Street, Hay Market.
Stipple and etching, printed in colours. 285 x 210mm. 11¼ x 8¼". Some mount burn. Unexamined out of frame.
The famous comic actress Frances Abington (1737 - 1815) in character as Roxalana, an English slave in Isaac Bickstaffe's play 'The Sultan; or A Peep into the Seraglio' She is, as a contemporary newspaper reported, 'in the act of drawing the Curtain when she surprises the sultan in his retirement'. Mrs Abington was rumoured to have spent her teenage years working as a prostitute. After Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792).
Hamilton: pg.77, iii of iii. See 10597 & 10601.
[Ref: 13807]   £260.00   (£312.00 incl.VAT)
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[Roxalana.]
[Roxalana.]
[Painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Engraved by J.K. Sherwin.]
[London: J. Thane, 1791.]
Stipple and etching, proof before all letters, sheet 270 x 220mm. 10½ x 8¾". Trimmed to plate.
The famous comic actress Frances Abington (1737 - 1815) in character, appearing from behind a curtain which she pushes aside with her left hand. After Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792).
Hamilton: pg.77, I of III; for printed colour impression see ref. 13807
[Ref: 10601]   £220.00   (£264.00 incl.VAT)
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Roxalana.
Roxalana.
Painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Engraved by J.K. Shirwin.
London, Publish'd Feby. 1. 1791, by J. Thane, Rupert Street, Hay Market.
Stipple and etching, proof, title in open letters; 285 x 210mm (11¼ x 8¼"). Large margins.
The famous comic actress Frances Abington (1737 - 1815) in character in Isaac Bickerstaffe's 'The Sultan'; appearing from behind a curtain which she pushes aside with her left hand. After Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792).
Hamilton: pg.77, II of III. See Reg: 10601 for 1st state; & 10597 for 3rd state; for printed colour impression see ref. 13807 Harvard p.7: 45
[Ref: 16975]   £230.00   (£276.00 incl.VAT)
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Les Artistes Contemporaines.
Les Artistes Contemporaines. 1. M.elle Mars. 2. M.elle Sontag. 3. M.elle Malibran Garcia. 4. M.elle Damoreau Cinti. 5. M.elle Pasta. 6. M.elle Georges.
[after Jacques Francois Gauderique Llanta.]
[n.d., c.1832.]
Aquatint with very large margins. 245 x 160mm (9¾ x 6¼"). Some light staining.
Half-length portrait of six actresses and singers: Mademoiselle Mars (Anne Françoise Hyppolyte Boutet Salvetat, 1779-1847); Henriette Sontag (1806-1854); Maria Malibran Garcia (1808-1836); Laure Cinti-Damoreau (1801-1863); Giuditta Pasta (1797-1865); Marguerite Georges (1787-1867, said to have had affairs with both Napoleon and Wellington).
[Ref: 36488]   £130.00   (£156.00 incl.VAT)
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Portrait de Comédien.
Portrait de Comédien. [Tableau de Dominique Feti, qui est dans le Cabinet de Mr Crozat / Peint sur toile, haut de 37 pouces, large de 30, gravé par Nicolas de Larmessin]
[n.d., c. 1729]
Engraving, sheet 305 x 250mm (12 x 9¾"). Trimmed, losing text; small tissue fragments attached to surface.
Portrait of Francesco Andreini (c.1548-1624), actor, holding a mask. Engraved for the 'Recueil Crozat' from a painting by Domenico Fetti now in the Hermitage, St Petersburg.
[Ref: 31330]   £90.00   (£108.00 incl.VAT)
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Mrs. Barry.
Mrs. Barry.
Kettle Pinxt. S Paul [pseudonym of Samuel De Wilde?] fecit.
[n.d., c.1780.]
Rare mezzotint. Sheet 355 x 250mm (14 x 9¾"). Trimmed to image on three sides, into plate at bottom.
Ann (or Anne) Barry (née Street) (baptised 1733 - 1801), actress, sitting with her hands folded in her lap, wearing a white gown with ribbons looping the sleeves and a sash around her waist. Her hair is up with pearls, she has a pearl necklace, with cloak over left shoulder and her knees. After Tilly Kettle (1735-86).
Chaloner Smith 1 ('Paul'), only state but sitter's face with some retouching, See ref: 23453.
[Ref: 61548]   £180.00   (£216.00 incl.VAT)
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Mrs. Barry.
Mrs. Barry.
Kettle Pinxt. S Paul [pseudonym of Samuel De Wilde?] fecit.
[n.d., c.1780.]
Rare mezzotint. 355 x 255mm (14 x 10"). Lower right margin corner chipped.
Ann (or Anne) Barry (née Street) (baptised 1733 - 1801), actress, sitting with her hands folded in her lap, wearing a white gown with ribbons looping the sleeves and a sash around her waist. Her hair is up with pearls, she has a pearl necklace, with cloak over left shoulder and her knees. After Tilly Kettle (1735-86).
Chaloner Smith 1 ('Paul'), only state but sitter's face with some retouching,
[Ref: 23453]   £220.00   (£264.00 incl.VAT)
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Bataille, role de Falstaff. dans Le Songe d'Une Nuit d'Ete.
Bataille, role de Falstaff. dans Le Songe d'Une Nuit d'Ete. Galerie Dramatique. Theatre De L'Opera Comique.
517 Paris maison Martinet _41, r. Vivienne et 15 r du Coq.
Paris, [n.d. c.1850]
Hand coloured lithograph. 250 x 165mm (9¾ x 6½").
A colour portrait of Eugene Bataille in full costume for his character Falstaff in Le Songe d'Une Nuit d'Ete (A Midsummer Night's Dream). Composed by Ambroise Thomas and first performed in 1850, this opera-comique of the same name bears no similarity to Shakespeare's play, though Shakespeare is a character in the play. Falstaff, in the play, is the govenor of Richmond Palace, charged with transporting an intoxicated Shakespeare.
[Ref: 54087]   £140.00   (£168.00 incl.VAT)
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Mrs. Aphara Behn.
Mrs. Aphara Behn. Aphara Behn, a celebrated wit and Dramatic writer of the reign of Charles II, was the daughter of Mr. Johnson, a Gentleman of a good family at Canterbury. Her acquaintance with the celebrated American Prince Oroonoko, whose adventures she was related, gave Southerne the first hint for his much admired play. Besides the above, she wrote several Histories and Novels, seventeen different Dramas, and published three Volumes of miscellaneous poetry, together with various translations. Her writings as well as her manner, were tinctured with the licentiousness of the reign in which she lived. She died April 16.th 1689, and was buried in the Cloisters of Westminster Abbey.
London. Published by Rob.t Wilkinson, 58, Cornhill. [n.d. c.1790.]
A very rare mezzotint with etching. Plate 180 x 120mm (7 x 4¾"). Trimmed to plate on right.
Aphra [Aphara] Behn (1640-1689) was a prolific dramatist of the English Restoration and was one of the first English professional female writers. Details of her life are scant, mainly because she was the main source: although there is evidence of her being the daughter of a barber, she suggested that she was daughter of the lieutenant general of Surinam, that country being the setting for one of her most famous works, 'Oroonoko'. Around 1664 she may have married Johan Behn, but he disappeared from her life almost immediately. Having been introduced to court about that time, she was employed as a spy by Charles II in Antwerp during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, seeking out English republican exiles. As a playwright she was mocked for her bawdy themes, including same-sex love between women. However she still earned a grave in Westminster Abbey (described as 'most scandalously but rather appropriately' by Virginia Wolff), although not in Poets' Corner.
[Ref: 42176]   £160.00   (£192.00 incl.VAT)
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Mrs. Aphara Behn.
Mrs. Aphara Behn. Aphara Behn, a celebrated wit and Dramatic writer of the reign of Charles II, was the daughter of Mr. Johnson, a Gentleman of a good family at Canterbury. Her acquaintance with the celebrated American Prince Oroonoko, whose adventures she was related, gave Southerne the first hint for his much admired play. Besides the above, she wrote several Histories and Novels, seventeen different Dramas, and published three Volumes of miscellaneous poetry, together with various translations. Her writings as well as her manner, were tinctured with the licentiousness of the reign in which she lived. She died April 16.th 1689, and was buried in the Cloisters of Westminster Abbey.
London. Published by Rob.t Wilkinson, 58, Cornhill. [n.d. c.1790.]
A very rare mezzotint with etching. Plate 178 x 121mm (7 x 4¾"). Trimmed to the plate; crease.
Aphra [Aphara] Behn (1640-1689) was a prolific dramatist of the English Restoration and was one of the first English professional female writers. Details of her life are scant, mainly because she was the main source: although there is evidence of her being the daughter of a barber, she suggested that she was daughter of the lieutenant general of Surinam, that country being the setting for one of her most famous works, 'Oroonoko'. Around 1664 she may have married Johan Behn, but he disappeared from her life almost immediately. Having been introduced to court about that time, she was employed as a spy by Charles II in Antwerp during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, seeking out English republican exiles. As a playwright she was mocked for her bawdy themes, including same-sex love between women. However she still earned a grave in Westminster Abbey (described as 'most scandalously but rather appropriately' by Virginia Wolff), although not in Poets' Corner.
[Ref: 20928]   £160.00   (£192.00 incl.VAT)
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George Anne Bellamy. Atrice du Theatre de Covent Garden.
George Anne Bellamy. Atrice du Theatre de Covent Garden. [&] Désespoir de Mris. Bellamy sur les marches du Pont de Westminster.
La Ville fe. Benoist del. F. Maradan sculp.
[n.d., c.1810.]
Rare pair of stipple engravings, plate 190 x 135mm (7½ x 5¼") Torn within plate, surface dirt and time staining.
George Anne Bellamy (1731? - 1788), actress. Initially her beauty and social reputation stood her in good stead. She was small in stature, fair, with blue eyes, and apparently very beautiful. During her early life she was thrown into intimacy with Fox and many characters of highest mark. Her later years were burdened with suffering and debt however. She describes herself on her reappearance in Dublin, when still little more than thirty, as ‘a little dirty creature bent nearly double, enfeebled by fatigue, her countenance tinged with jaundice, and in every respect the reverse of a person who could make the least pretension to beauty.'
[Ref: 58570]   £180.00   (£216.00 incl.VAT) view all images for this item
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Désespoir de M.ris Bellamy sur les marches du Pont de Westminster.
Désespoir de M.ris Bellamy sur les marches du Pont de Westminster.
La Ville fe. Benoist del. F. Maradan sculp.
[n.d., c.1810.]
Engraving, 190 x 133mm.
George Anne Bellamy (1731? - 1788), actress. Initially her beauty and social reputation stood her in good stead. She was small in stature, fair, with blue eyes, and apparently very beautiful. During her early life she was thrown into intimacy with Fox and many characters of highest mark. Her later years were burdened with suffering and debt however. She describes herself on her reappearance in Dublin, when still little more than thirty, as ‘a little dirty creature bent nearly double, enfeebled by fatigue, her countenance tinged with jaundice, and in every respect the reverse of a person who could make the least pretension to beauty.'
Ex: Collection of Alec Clunes.
[Ref: 7882]   £130.00   (£156.00 incl.VAT)
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Madame Sarah Bernhardt.
Madame Sarah Bernhardt.
Judd & C.o Lith. Doctors' Commons, London E.C.
The Whitehall Review. 20th May 1880.
Tinted lithograph. Sheet 365 x 245mm (14½ x 9¾").
A seated portrait of actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923).
[Ref: 61393]   £130.00   (£156.00 incl.VAT)
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Sarah Bernhardt.
Sarah Bernhardt.
W. & D. Downey, 57 & 61, Ebury Street, London.
[Cassell & Company, 1890.]
Carbon print photograph, 140 x 95mm (5½ 3¾"), on original board with printed title, total 215 x 185mm (8½ x 7¼").
The actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) as Théodora in Victorien Sardou's play 'Théodora' (1884), based on the life of the Byzantine empress (c. 500-548), wife of Justinian I. Sardou (1831-1908) wrote this and other plays for Bernhardt. His play 'La Tosca' (1887) was the basis of Giacomo Puccini's opera
[Ref: 41743]   £85.00   (£102.00 incl.VAT)
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Mr. Berry in the Character, of Dominic, in the Spanish Friar.
Mr. Berry in the Character, of Dominic, in the Spanish Friar.
T. Worlidge pinx.t R.d. Houston fec.t
London, Printed for John Bowles and Son, at the Black Horse, in Cornhill. [n.d. c.1760.]
Mezzotint. 355 x 254mm (14 x 10"). Trimmed to plate. Slight damage on right.
Edward Berry (1697-1750), actor, shown in character for Dryden's 'Spanish Friar' (1681), wearing a Dominican habit and holding a large rosary in left hand at waist level.
CS: 10. Russell: 9.
[Ref: 27255]   £130.00   (£156.00 incl.VAT)
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Mr. Berry in the Character, of Dominic, in the Spanish Friar.
Mr. Berry in the Character, of Dominic, in the Spanish Friar.
T. Worlidge pinx.t R.d. Houston fec.t
[London, Printed for John Bowles and Son, at the Black Horse, in Cornhill.] [n.d. c.1760.]
Mezzotint. 355 x 254mm (14 x 10"), with large margins. Publication line scratched out. Slight rubbing.
Edward Berry (1697-1750), actor, shown in character for Dryden's 'Spanish Friar' (1681), wearing a Dominican habit and holding a large rosary in left hand at waist level.
CS: 10. Russell: 9.
[Ref: 43552]   £260.00   (£312.00 incl.VAT)
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Mr. Tho.s Betterton.
Mr. Tho.s Betterton. [Engraved for the Universal Magazine.]
[after Sir Godfrey Kneller.]
[For J. Hinton at the King's Arms in Newgate Street.] [n.d., 1754.]
Engraving. Sheet 170 x 110mm (6¾ x 4¼"). Trimmed, losing sur-title and publication line.
Thomas Betterton (c. 1635 - 1710), actor, son of an under-cook to King Charles I. Charles II sent Betterton to Paris to study improvements to stage craft, introducing shifting scenes rather than tapestry to the English theatre. He and his actress wife, Mary Saunderson, were regarded as respectable in a period when acting was seen as indecent, and were invited to teach the children from noble and royal families to perform John Crowne's Calisto, 1675, in the last Stuart court Masque.
[Ref: 52583]   £45.00   (£54.00 incl.VAT)
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Mr. Thomas Betterton
Mr. Thomas Betterton Totus Mundus Agit Histrionem.
G. Kneller. pinx: R: Williams fe:
E: Cooper Ex: [n.d., c.1700.]
Mezzotint. 340 x 255mm (13½ x 10"). Age toned.
Thomas Betterton (c. 1635 - 1710), actor, son of an under-cook to King Charles I. Charles II sent Betterton to Paris to study improvements to stage craft, introducing shifting scenes rather than tapestry to the English theatre. He and his actress wife, Mary Saunderson, were regarded as respectable in a period when acting was seen as indecent, and were invited to teach the children from noble and royal families to perform John Crowne's Calisto, 1675, in the last Stuart court Masque.
Chaloner Smith 7, ii of iv. Ex: Collection of Alec Clunes.
[Ref: 7833]   £260.00   (£312.00 incl.VAT)
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Mr. Henry Betty, (Son of W. H.W. Betty, the English Roscius.) In the Character of Macbeth.
Mr. Henry Betty, (Son of W. H.W. Betty, the English Roscius.) In the Character of Macbeth. "______and on high plac'd Macbeth. Shall live the lease of nature". Macbeth, Act 4th. Scene 1st.
Drawn from life & on Stone by F. Onwhyn. Hurst, lith, 244. Strand.
Proof. [n.d. c.1850.]
Lithograph. 355 x 266mm. 14 x 10½". Small paper repair, but still damaged to title area.
Henry Thomas Betty (1819-1897), actor and son of William Henry Best Betty (1791-1874).
See Harvard: p.102.2. NPG: D41914.
[Ref: 24439]   £90.00   (£108.00 incl.VAT)
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The Young Roscius in the Character of Douglas.
The Young Roscius in the Character of Douglas.
[Engraved by Godby from the original drawing in the possession of his Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales.]
[London, Edward Orme, 1805.]
Stipple engraving, printed in colours. Image 280 x 215mm, 11 x 8". Trimmed to printed border.
William Henry West Betty (1791-1874) as Douglas in the black verse tragedy by John Home. Betty. was a child actor billed as the 'Young Roscius' for his performances in adult roles like Hamlet and Romeo, 1804-1806, at Covent Garden.
Harvard Vol.I: p105, 45.
[Ref: 24252]   £130.00   (£156.00 incl.VAT)
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The Young Roscius in the Character of Douglas.
The Young Roscius in the Character of Douglas.
Engraved by Godby from the original drawing in the possession of his Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales.
Published Jan.y 1st 1805, by Edward Orme, His Majesty's Printseller, Bond Street, the Corner of Brook Street. Sold also by Mess.rs Colnaghi & Co. Cockspur Street, & J. Ginger, Booksellers to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Piccadilly.
Stipple engraving, printed in colours. Sheet 325 x 240mm (12¾ x 9½"). J. Whatman watermark 1801. Trimmed within plate.
William Henry West Betty (1791-1874) as Douglas in the black verse tragedy by John Home. Betty was a child actor billed as the 'Young Roscius' for his performances in adult roles like Hamlet and Romeo, 1804-1806, at Covent Garden.
Harvard Vol.I: p105, 45.
[Ref: 41881]   £160.00   (£192.00 incl.VAT)
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W.m. Henry West Betty, Ætatis Suæ 13.
W.m. Henry West Betty, Ætatis Suæ 13. From the first and only original Portrait in the possession of Tho.s Lister Parker Esq.r.
Painted by J. Northcote Esqr. R.A. Engraved by J. Ward Painter & Engraver to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales.
Published March, 16. 1805. by Mr. Betty, at Messrs. Colnaghi & Co. Printsellers, Cockspur Street.
Fine mezzotint, open letter proof. 275 x 380mm (10¾ x 15"), with large margins. Pencil annotations in lower margin.
William Henry West Betty (1791-1874), a child actor billed as the 'Young Roscius' for his performances in adult roles like Hamlet and Romeo, 1804-6, at Covent Garden. He paid for the publication of this portrait before he was fifteen.
CS: 4: II of III.
[Ref: 50088]   £350.00  
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[William H.W. Betty
[William H.W. Betty Engraved by S.W.Reynolds from a drawing in the possession of Her Grace the Duchess of Devonshire to whom this plate is with permission respectfully inscribed by Her Grace's most humble servants S.W.Reynolds & J.s Ramsay.]
[Drawn by J.s Ramsay Sheffield Sept 1804 and published in London Feb.y 1805 by S.W.Reynolds 47 Poland Street, R.Ramsay Duke Street, Strand and sold by Ramsay Sheffield.]
Fine mezzotint, proof before all letters. 505 x 355mm (20 x 14"). Thread margins reinforced on verso, creasing.
William Henry West Betty (1791-1874), a child actor billed as the 'Young Roscius' for his performances in adult roles like Hamlet and Romeo, 1804-6, at Covent Garden. After leaving the stage in 1808 to study at Christ's College, Cambridge, his attempts to return to the stage as an adult all failed. This plate is unusual in that the entire surface is mezzotinted. The published state also had 'The Young Roscius' written in the lower image.
Whitman: 26, state i of ii.
[Ref: 51180]   £360.00  
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The Young Roscius, Aged 13.
The Young Roscius, Aged 13. Willm. Henry West Betty, Born at Shrewsbury. September 15, 1791.
A Warranted Likeness Drawn by Permission. F. Eginton, fecit Birmm.
Publish'd by J. Bisset. Museum, Birmingham, Feby. 12th 1803. Sold in London by Mr. Ackerman, Strand _ Messrs. Colnaghi & Co. Cockspur St. & Mr. Thompson, Gt. Newport St. Printseller to his Majesty, &c.&c.
Stipple and engraving, scarce, sheet 225 x 175mm. 8¾ x 7". Trimmed within plate.
William Henry West Betty (1791-1874) was a child actor billed as the 'Young Roscius' for his performances in adult roles like Hamlet and Romeo, 1804-1806, at Covent Garden. His bust is enclosed in a floral circular frame decorated with theatrical and musical motifs, on an inscribed pediment. Eight lines of text below, three lines of poetry above. Betty's first appearance on the stage at was at Belfast before he was twelve years old, as Osman in Aaron Hill's Zara, an English version of Voltaire's Zaire. His success was immediate, and he shortly afterwards appeared in Dublin, where it is said that in three hours of study he committed the part of Hamlet to memory. His precocious talents aroused great enthusiasm in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and he was favourably compared with some of the greatest tragedians. In 1801, he first appeared at Covent Garden, when the troops had to be called out to preserve order, so great was the crush to obtain admittance. At Drury Lane, the house was similarly packed. He was a great success socially; George III himself presenting him to the queen, and Pitt upon one occasion adjourning the House of Commons so that members might be in time for his performance. But this enthusiasm gradually subsided, and in 1808, he made his final appearance as a boy actor, and entered Christ's College, Cambridge. He re-appeared four years later, but the public would have none of him, and he retired to the enjoyment of the large fortune that he had amassed as a prodigy. His son Henry Thomas Betty (1819-1897) was also an actor. Engraved by Birmingham printmaker Francis Eginton (1737 - 1805), published for the Birmingham Museum.
Harvard Theatre Collection: pg.103, 10.
[Ref: 13321]   £140.00   (£168.00 incl.VAT)
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James Bick ye Famous Mimick, Trumpetter of Oxford 1712.
James Bick ye Famous Mimick, Trumpetter of Oxford 1712. [&] James Bick ye Famous Mimick, Trumpetter of Oxford 1712.
[Sold by Tim: Iordan & Tho: Bakewell at ye Golden Lion in Fleet Street.]
Mezzotint. Each sheet: 120 x 100mm (4¾ x 4"). Trimmed and laid on card.
A pair of portraits of Oxford mimic James Bick, set in an circle. A rare combination of 1st & 2nd states of the very rare print.
[Ref: 43734]   £520.00   view all images for this item
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Mr. Blakes as Monsr. la Medicine [faint pencil mss. below image in blue wash frame.]
Mr. Blakes as Monsr. la Medicine [faint pencil mss. below image in blue wash frame.] Mr Blakes [ink mss.]
De Wilde [in image lower right.]
[n.d., c.1820.]
Pen and ink and watercolour, image 239 x 165mm.
Portrait of the hatter and actor Charles Blakes (d.1763), in the character of 'Monsieur le Médecin', copied from the mezzotint portrait by James McArdell. The signature suggests the painter and watercolorist Samuel De Wilde (1751 - 1832), who was noted for his theatrical subjects. Probably this though is a copy by George Perfect Harding (1781 - 1853), portrait painter, copyist and antiquary.
Ex: Collection of Alec Clunes.
[Ref: 7807]   £260.00   (£312.00 incl.VAT)
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Mr Blanchard in the Character of Ralph.
Mr Blanchard in the Character of Ralph. The Passage. Theres no harm in putting a civil question be there Why you look as cross and ill natured.
Engraved by Leney from the original Picture which was painted from life by De Wilde, from the Maid of the Mill by Bickerstaff in the Celebrated Edition of Bell's British Theatre, which is now Publishing. Periodically.
Printed for J. Bell British Library London May 29.th 1792.
Coloured stipple, printed in colour, plate 295 x 210mm (11½ x 8¼"), very large margins. Slight creasing and time staining.
Full length portrait of the comic actor and tenor singer Thomas Blanchard (c.1760-1797), the second, as the character from Bickerstaff's 'The Maid of the Mill'. He stands head turned slightly and thoughtfully looking to left; wearing coat, long waistcoat, breeches and a cravat. His left hand dips into his waistcoat pocket and he holds his hat in the other. There is a watermill in the background and some trees.
[Ref: 56077]   £130.00   (£156.00 incl.VAT)
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Blanchard, Liston, and Mathews. In the Farce of Love, Law and Physic.
Blanchard, Liston, and Mathews. In the Farce of Love, Law and Physic. LOG: Do you mean as you can prove black is white? FLEXIBLE: Sir, black is white: shall a timber merchant dare contect with me in points of law?
Painted by G.Clint, A.R.A. Engraved by Tho.s Lupton.
London, Published April 22nd, 1832, by Tho.s Lupton, 4 Leigh Street, Burton Crescent, & R.Ackermann, 96 Strand.
Mezzotint. 480 x 380mm, 19 x 15". Tear entering plate on right, small worm hole, large margins.
The actors William Blanchard (1769 - 1835), John Liston (1776 - 1846) & Charles Mathews (1776 - 1835), in 'Love, Law and Physic' by James Kenney (1780 - 1849), first performed 1812.
[Ref: 20556]   £450.00  
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Mr. Booth
Mr. Booth
G. White fecit
Sold by S. Sympson in ye Strand near Catherine Street [c.1725]
Rare mezzotint, platemark 250 x 180mm (9¾ x 7"), with large margins.
Barton Booth (1681-1733), actor highly regarded by his contemporaries.
CS 9 iii/iv.
[Ref: 43748]   £240.00   (£288.00 incl.VAT)
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J.B. Booth Esq.r of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
J.B. Booth Esq.r of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. [From an original Painting.]
Ingrey & Madeley, Lithog. 310 Strand.
London Pubd. by Cowe & Strange, 2a FetterLane.
A rare lithograph. 145 x 96mm. 5¾ x 3¾". Cut.
Junius Brutus Booth (1796-1852), an English actor who performed alongside Edmund Kean in England in several Shakespearean production at the Drury Lane Theatre from 1817 to 1821.
Harvard Vol. I: p.136; 4.
[Ref: 19928]   £50.00   (£60.00 incl.VAT)
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Mrs. Brooks.
Mrs. Brooks.
C. Spooner Fecit.
[London: J. Bowles, c.1770.]
Mezzotint with etching on thin laid paper, heavily reworked, painter's name erased. Image 315 x 250mm, 12½ x 9¾". Trimmed within plate. One crease.
Portrait of Mrs Brooke, actress, wife of James Brooke, who trained as an engraver and was afterwards associated with the stage. Seated at a writing desk, arms folded in her lap with a miniature portrait of a gentleman in her right hand and a fan in the other; she wears a mantilla cape, a dress with fanned lace sleeves, and crescent hat. On the table is an inkstand, quills and papers. Prominent beauty patch on right temple. After Thomas Worlidge (1700 - 1766).
Chaloner Smith 3 (undescribed state).
[Ref: 23503]   £130.00   (£156.00 incl.VAT)
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Gustavus Vaughan Brooke.
Gustavus Vaughan Brooke.
Engraved by D. Pound, from a Daguerreotype by Fitzgibbon of St. Louis.
The London Printing and Publishing Company. [n.d., c.1860]
Engraving. Sheet: 255 x 160mm (10 x 6¼''). Trimmed. Central crease.
A portrait of Irish stage actor Gustavus Vaughan Brooke (1818-1866) who enjoyed success in Ireland, England and Australia, where he performed at Sydney and Melbourne 1855-1860. He died returning to Australia, when the overloaded SS London floundered in the Bay of Biscay, with a single lifeboat with 19 people surving out of 239.
Kivell p. 44.
[Ref: 48403]   £75.00   (£90.00 incl.VAT)
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Burbage [in pencil]. [Richard Burbage. The First Performer of King Richard III. From the Original Picture in Dulwich College…]
Burbage [in pencil]. [Richard Burbage. The First Performer of King Richard III. From the Original Picture in Dulwich College…]
[S. Harding del et sculp.]
[n.d. c.1790.]
Stipple. Proof before letters. Image 157 x 126mm. Image stuck onto separate sheet.
Richard Burbage (1568-1619) was an actor and theatre owner. Burbage was a popular actor by his early 20s. His early acting career is poorly documented. It has been suggested that it included a stint in the Earl of Leicester's company, but there is no good evidence for this. He probably was acting with the Admiral's Men in 1590, with Lord Strange's Men in 1592, and with the Earl of Pembroke's Men in 1593; but most famously he was the star of William Shakespeare's theatre company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men which mutated into the King's Men on the ascension of James I in 1603. He played the title role in the first performances of many of Shakespeare's plays, including Hamlet, Othello, Richard III and King Lear. But he was in great demand and also appeared in the plays of many of the great contemporary writers, such as Ben Jonson (the title role in Volpone, and Subtle in The Alchemist), John Marston (The Malcontent), John Webster (The Duchess of Malfi) and Beaumont & Fletcher (The Maid's Tragedy).
Appears in NPG with title area.
[Ref: 12670]   £85.00   (£102.00 incl.VAT)
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[George William Campbell] A View of Argyle.
[George William Campbell] A View of Argyle.
Drawn Etchd [---] by Richd. Dighton. May 1819.
Pub.d by T McLean Haymarket [n.d., c.1825].
Etching. 280 x 150mm (11 x 6"), with large margins, watermarked 1825. Several small tears in right margin, publication line weakly inked. Mint.
A full-length, slightly satirical portrait of the actor George William Campbell (1768-1839), 6th Duke of Argyll.
BM Satires 13031.
[Ref: 63806]   £140.00   (£168.00 incl.VAT)
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[Ann Catley & Colonel Kerr] The Fluttering Macaroni.
[Ann Catley & Colonel Kerr] The Fluttering Macaroni. Say little, foolish, fluttering, thing, &c.
Publish'd as the Act directs Nov.r 7. 1772 by MDarly, 39, Strand.
Etching, on 18th century watermarked paper. Sheet 250 x 180mm (9¾ x 7"). Trimmed to plate, mounted in album paper at edges. Very small margins.
The giant figure of Ann Catley (1745-89, a singer, actress and prostitute, later Anne Lacelles) stands with the tiny figure of Colonel William John Kerr (1737-1815, 5th Marquess of Lothian from 1775) balanced on her fingertips. A caricature by the team of Matthew Darly (c.1721-80) & his wife Mary (1736-91).
BM Satires: 4706. See Ref: 63562
[Ref: 63561]   £280.00   (£336.00 incl.VAT)
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[Ann Catley & Colonel Kerr] A Fashionable Shittlecock.
[Ann Catley & Colonel Kerr] A Fashionable Shittlecock. (Alas! what a Race of Men.)
[drawn and engraved by Matthew Darley]
London, Publish'd by Robert Sayer, Fleet Street [n.d., c.1786].
Etching with hand colour, 18th century watermark. 250 x 180mm (9¾ x 7"). Narrow margins, mounted in album paper at edges.
This caricature is an updated version of a print originally issued in 1772 by the team of Matthew Darly (c.1721-80) & his wife Mary (1736-91). In the original version the figures were identified as Ann Catley (1745-89, a singer, actress and prostitute, later Anne Lacelles), who stands with the tiny figure of Colonel William John Kerr (1737-1815, 5th Marquess of Lothian from 1775) balanced on her fingertips. For this issue Catley has been updated with a wide-brimmed hat, loose curly hair and a voluminous fur-bordered pelisse, while Kerr keeps his outdated clothes. Whether the objects of the caricature have changed is unclear.
BM Satires: 8258. See Ref: 63561
[Ref: 63562]   £320.00  
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Miss Ada Cavendish.
Miss Ada Cavendish. "Heart on her lips, and Soul within her eyes." Byron: Beppo, Stanza 45. Figaro Cartoon Cards of the Day.
[Faustin Betbeder.]
[n.d. c.1874.]
Chromolithograph. 209 x 135mm. 8¼ x 5¼". Trimmed.
Ada Cavendish (1839-1895), the English actress known for her Shakespearean roles and for popularising the plays of Wilkie Collins in America. She married Frank Marshall (1840-1889), who published a scholarly edition of Shakespeare. From a collection of choromolithographs representing cariacatures of London celebrities, politicians, and royalty. After Faustin Betbeder (1847-1914) who contributed illustrations to the 'London Figaro'.
[Ref: 26618]   £45.00   (£54.00 incl.VAT)
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Sous les traits de Chanville admires ce sorcier, Mille talens heureux sont toute sa magie, L’estime du public fait son apologie, Que ce Colas dit on entend bien son metier. La nature qu’en tout il suit, il etudie, Se plut à le doüer du’ne aimable gaité,
Sous les traits de Chanville admires ce sorcier, Mille talens heureux sont toute sa magie, L’estime du public fait son apologie, Que ce Colas dit on entend bien son metier. La nature qu’en tout il suit, il etudie, Se plut à le doüer du’ne aimable gaité, Avec grace, finesse, esprit vivacité, Il n’est rien qu’il n’imite oû qu’Il ne parodie.
Peint par de Lorme, Pintre de S.A.S. Mgr. le Duc d'Orleans. de Lorraine Sculp.
[n.d. c.1800] Se Vend chés de Lorraine rue de Fouard chés un Papetier, et chés Buldet rue de Gêvres, au grand Coeur.
Engraving. 521 x 349mm. 20½ x 13¾". Some spotting outside the image.
Full-length portrait of Champville, actor of the Théâtre des Comédiens Italiens.
[Ref: 13949]   £380.00  
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Mlle. Colombe L'Ainee.
Mlle. Colombe L'Ainee. Pensionnaire du Roy. Née a Venise eu 1754 ei recue a la Comedie Italienne en 1773. Ciel! ou Fuis-je......Belinde act 1er Scen 3e de la colonie.
Dessiné et Frave par Patas.
Se vend a Paris chez atas Graveur Rue du Platre ai cpom de ce;;e St.Jacques Maison de la Mde.de Modea. [n.d., c.1775.]
Engraving 290 x 410mm (11½ x 16¼").
Marie-Theodore Thérèse Ruggieri, was known as Mlle. Colombe being employed by the Comedie Italienne at an earlier time than her older sister. Marie-Catherine (1751-1830), Marie-Thérèse (1754-1837) and Marie-Madeleine Riggieri (1760-1841), known as Adeline, were among the most celebrated demi-mondaines of their era. Under the stage name 'Colombe', the beautiful (and notorious) Venetian-born actresses made a sensation in late eighteenth-century Paris. Jean Baptiste Patas french printmaker 1748 - 1817 may also be Charles Emmanuel Patas. This prints may be based on a composition by Fragonard who painted the famous actresses.
[Ref: 10548]   £320.00  
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[George Frederick Cooke.] Mr Cooke.
[George Frederick Cooke.] Mr Cooke. Ha! am I king? 'tis so - but - Edward lives.
Drawn, Etch'd by Dighton.
Pub.d Dec.r 1st 1800 by Dighton. Char.g Cross No 12.
Fine coloured etching, (Ed)meads 1808 watermark; 270 x 210mm (10½ x 8¼"). Very large margins.
The actor George Frederick Cooke (1756-1812) as Shakespeare's Richard III, performed at the Theatre Royal, the role that made him famous. However his career was blighted by his drinking.
Not in BM Satires.
[Ref: 39321]   £140.00   (£168.00 incl.VAT)
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George Frederick Cooke as Sir Pertinax MacSycophant.
George Frederick Cooke as Sir Pertinax MacSycophant.
Engraved by Woodman after a Drawing of the same size by De Wilde.
London, Published as the Act directs, by John Cawthorn, No.5, Catherine Street, Strand, Apr. 10. 1808.
Stipple, open letter state to watermarked laid paper; sheet 475 x 315mm. 18¾ x 12½". Trimmed roughly to plate; two small tears from lower extremity. Few small nicks.
Actor George Frederick Cooke (1756 - 1811) in costume in Charles Macklin's 'Man of the World', holding the pommel of his sword; rectangular frame. After Samuel De Wilde (1751-1832).
NPG D34094. Harvard p.282, 42.
[Ref: 20559]   £160.00   (£192.00 incl.VAT)
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M.rs. Corbyn.
M.rs. Corbyn.
[n.d., c.1780]
Stipple. Sheet: 120 x 160mm (4¾ x 6¼"). Trimmed.
Half-length portrait in an oval of Mrs Corbyn. A trade card (BM Heal, 132.26) from the 1780s describes a Mrs Corbyn who was celebrated for answering astrological questions 'in a most suprising manner' at The Golden Ball, Stanhope St., London.
[Ref: 34503]   £140.00   (£168.00 incl.VAT)
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"The Gaffer." (Frank Curzon.) Vanity Fair Supplement.
Spy [monogram of Sir Leslie Ward in image.]
Hentschel-Colourtype, London. [1908.]
Chromolithograph with biographical sheet. 385 x 254mm. 15¼ x 10".
Frank Curzon (1868-1927) was an English actor who became an important theatre manager, leasing the Royal Strand Theatre, Avenue Theatre, Criterion Theatre, Comedy Theatre, Prince of Wales Theatre and Wyndham's Theatre, amongst others. Later in life, he became a very successful racehorse breeder, and in 1927 his horse Call Boy won the Epsom Derby. He was a keen golfer.
[Ref: 19249]   £120.00   (£144.00 incl.VAT)
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Madame Davis.
Madame Davis.
P.Lely pinxit. R.Tompson excudit.
[n.d., c.1675.]
Mezzotint. 335 x 247mm (13¼ x 9¾"). Trimmed within plate and laid on separate sheet repaired tear right side.
Mary 'Moll' Davis, playing a guitar. An actress and mistress of Charles II, her child Mary Tudor (1673-1726) married the second Earl of Derwentwater.
CS: 11: ii of ii. Ex: Collection of The Hon. C. Lennox-Boyd.
[Ref: 17006]   £280.00   (£336.00 incl.VAT)
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Galerie de la Presse, de la Litterature & des Beaux Arts.
Galerie de la Presse, de la Litterature & des Beaux Arts. M.lle Dejazet.
Chez Augbert gal. Vero-Dodat.
Imp d'Aubert & Co. [n.d., c.1830].
Lithograph with large margins. Sheet size: 290 x 225mm. (11½ x 8¾).
A portrait of Pauline Virginie Déjazet (1798 - 1875), a French actress, who made her first appearance on the stage at the age of five. It was not until 1820, when she began her enrollment with the recently founded Gymnase, that she gained recognition with parts which came to be known as 'Dejazets'. She played at the Theatre des Varietes and finally became manager. It was then renamed Theatre Dejazet. She took a touring company to London's Opera Comique in 1870. One of the great names of the French stage.
[Ref: 31676]   £70.00   (£84.00 incl.VAT)
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