Poster
1930 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This poster advertises the variety of equine and acrobatic entertainment offered at Astley's Circus in January 1844 when their Christmas pantomime was still running. Harlequin Tam O'Shanter was based on Robert Burns's famous poem and the inebriated ride that Tam O'Shanter makes on his horse Meg when he is terrified by the witches of Alloway Kirk, and Meg loses her tail. Fairy Thistledown was clearly a character added for fun, along with Harlequin and other pantomime characters, and although one of the more unusual subjects for a 19th century pantomime, it would have presented ample opportunity for a display of skilled and comic riding.
The managers of Atley's circus were always keen to make the most of their advertising and the possibilities offered by new typefaces and cheaper paper. Developments in printing and paper manufacture meant that playbills and posters increased enormously in size in the first half of the 19th century, and Astley's advertising frequently used coloured inks and engraved images to make their advertisements stand out from the crowd.
The managers of Atley's circus were always keen to make the most of their advertising and the possibilities offered by new typefaces and cheaper paper. Developments in printing and paper manufacture meant that playbills and posters increased enormously in size in the first half of the 19th century, and Astley's advertising frequently used coloured inks and engraved images to make their advertisements stand out from the crowd.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Letterpress on paper |
| Brief description | Poster advertising the evening's entertainment at Astley's Circus, 22 January 1844, featuring Mr. Gomersal in The Battle of Waterloo, Mons. Plege the rope dancer; Scenes in the Circle, concluding with the pantomime Harlequin Tam O'Shanter.Letterpress. Harry Beard Collection |
| Physical description | Typographical letterpress printed playbill or poster in orange and black print on cream paper advertising the circus programme at Astley's Amphiteatre of Arts, listing the entertainment and featuring the name Astley's at the top in decorative cream lettering reversed from an orange background, and underneath it in black the name of the proprietor William Batty; Mr Gomersal's name in orange and the name of Monsieur Plege the rope-dancer in black. The entertainment comprised The Battle of Waterloo and Contests of Quatre Bras and Ligny starring Mr Gomersal as Napoleon Bonaparte, followed by Mons. Plege rope-dancing; scenes in the circle with the equestrians and horses in Cossack costumes and trappings, featuring Monsieur Louis Touirnaire and Monsieur Thoedore ('The Two Hercules'); Mlle. Annette; Mr. Newsome, and the 'celebrated Hibernian clown' Mr. T. Barry, followed by the equestrian Christmas pantomime written by Nelso Lee Esq., Harlequin Tam O'Shanter and His Steed Meg!, or, the Fairy Thistledown and Witches of Alloway Kirk, with Mr. Gibson as Harlequin, Mr. King as Clown, Mlle. T. Cushnie as Columbine and Mr. Matthews as Pantaloon. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Harry R. Beard Collection |
| Summary | This poster advertises the variety of equine and acrobatic entertainment offered at Astley's Circus in January 1844 when their Christmas pantomime was still running. Harlequin Tam O'Shanter was based on Robert Burns's famous poem and the inebriated ride that Tam O'Shanter makes on his horse Meg when he is terrified by the witches of Alloway Kirk, and Meg loses her tail. Fairy Thistledown was clearly a character added for fun, along with Harlequin and other pantomime characters, and although one of the more unusual subjects for a 19th century pantomime, it would have presented ample opportunity for a display of skilled and comic riding. The managers of Atley's circus were always keen to make the most of their advertising and the possibilities offered by new typefaces and cheaper paper. Developments in printing and paper manufacture meant that playbills and posters increased enormously in size in the first half of the 19th century, and Astley's advertising frequently used coloured inks and engraved images to make their advertisements stand out from the crowd. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.118-2007 |
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| Record created | May 25, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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