Item #05504 Theatrical Pleasures. LANE, heodore.
Theatrical Pleasures
Theatrical Pleasures
Theatrical Pleasures
Theatrical Pleasures
Theatrical Pleasures
Theatrical Pleasures

Theatrical Pleasures

London: Pubd. by Thos McLean, 1826. Item #05504

Excessively Rare Series of Caricatures of the London Theater

LANE, T[heodore]. Theatrical Pleasures. London: Pubd. by Thos. McLean, [n.d., ca. 1826].

First edition, complete. Large quarto (12 5/8 x inches; 321 x mm.). Six numbered hand-colored engraved plates each tipped-onto hinged stiff card mounts and measuring 10 1/2 8 5/8 inches; 265 x 220 mm. Published without explanatory text.

The plates are captioned: “Crowding to the Pit;” “Contending for a Seat;” “Snug in the Gallery;” “Taken Places Occupied;” “Feasting in the Saloon;” “Turning out half satisfied.”

Bound by Zaehnsdorf ca. 1900 (stamp-signed on verso on front free endpaper) in three-quarter red straight-grain morocco, ruled in gilt, over red morocco-grain cloth boards. Spine decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt. Top edge gilt. Marbled endpapers. Armorial bookplate of renowned collector Clarence S. Bemens on front pastedown.

A wonderful example of this fine series of satirical scenes of the London theater audiences of the 1820s.

Excessively rare. We have been able to locate only one other copy in OCLC and RLIN (at Harvard University Library).

We have had this title once before - in 2008 which we supplied to The Exotic and the Beautiful collection of Norman Bobins (Bobins III, 869).

Painter and caricaturist Theodore Lane (1800-1828) “Painter and caricaturist Theodore Lane was apprenticed to JC Barrow at Battle Bridge. Shortly after completing his time, he produced The Life of an Actor, 1822, six pls, which had some popular success. After meeting Pierce Egan, he issued with him as author, Life of an Actor Peregrine Proteus, 1825 with 27 colour plates, and many woodcuts. During the Queen Caroline scandals, Lane worked for the print seller Humphrey, 1820-1821, and did several satirical prints probably in collaboration with Theofore Hook. He died tragically on 21 February 1828 by falling through a skylight, being so badly mutilated that he was only recognisable by his card case (Houfe).

Bobins III, 869; Not in Abbey or Tooley.

Price: $9,500.00

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