Wood engraved printing block, used for a publication relating to 'Kasper's Wonders', ca.1890.

Wooden printing block, carved with the words 'KASPER'S WONDERS', the word 'KASPER'S' in letters of decreasing size, the word 'WONDERS' in letters of increasing size.

Given by the Royal Courts of Justice

This printing block and four similar blocks were given to the V&A Theatre and Performance department, then the Theatre Museum, by the Royal Courts of Justice in 1982. The blocks and a quantity of papers were found in a deposit box held by the Court Fund Office of the Bank of England, recorded as being part of the unclaimed effects held by the Birkbeck Permanent Benefit Building Society. The printing blocks and papers had been deposited for safekeeping with the Building Society by Mr P.A. Gordon at some time after 1892. The Birkbeck Building Society fell into difficulties and was wound up in 1911, after which the box and its contents, along with other deposit boxes, were placed in the care of the Court Fund Office by the Liquidator, and remained there until opened in 1982.

On examination it was discovered that the box contained documents dating from the early 1890s, including letters addressed to Mr James Kasper from a company called Sequah Limited which operated from 44 Farringdon Street, London, but had offices in America, Canada and Australia. The company produced 'cure-all' medicines: 'Sequah's Oil', 'Sequah's Indian Prairie Flower', and a dental powder for tooth whitening. Kasper was a salesman for the company, responsible for the staging of travelling medicine shows. He travelled widely and the documents record visits to Spain, France, Canada, the United States and the West Indies, as well as to towns in England. The relation between Kasper and P.A. Gordon, and Mr Gordon's links to Sequah Limited, could not be established.

The documents, which related to the history of medicine, were offered to and accepted by the Wellcome Institute. The V&A retained the printing blocks.

This printing block and four similar blocks belonged to James Kasper, who worked for a company called Sequah Limited in the early 1890s. Sequah Limited had an address in London, but also operated from offices in America, Canada and Australia. The company produced 'cure-all' medicines: Sequah's Oil for assorted aches and pains, including earache, toothaches, rheumatic and muscular pains, Sequah's Indian Prairie Flower for flus, colds, diarrhoea and digestive complaints, and a dental powder for tooth whitening. Kasper was a salesman for the company, responsible for the staging of travelling medicine shows. These were theatrical affairs. They began with a band and the arrival of the salesman, dressed in native American costume, in a gilded wagon. The salesman encouraged individuals with toothache to come forward and 'painless' extractions were performed free of charge, followed by the sale of the medicines at two shillings a bottle. Kasper travelled widely, visiting Spain, France, Canada, the United States and the West Indies, as well as towns in England. Letters to Kasper from the company office instruct him to use all means possible to get a sale, including 'clairvoyance'.

A journal, Sequah's Chronicle, was sold to audiences for 1d, and in 1890 and 1891 the company produced a publication called Sequah's Annual. The printing blocks may have been used to provide illustrations for Sequah's publications or advertisements.

Two of the printing blocks, S.1211-1982 and S.1212-1983, were accompanied by a printed label advertising the engravers and printers, H. & A. Cockshaw of Leicester. It is possible that this block was produced by the same firm.

S.1215-1982