Fan printed with a plan of the boxes and names of the subscribers for the 1787 and 1788 seasons at the King's Theatre
Fan
1787 (made)
1787 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The King's Theatre, Haymarket, originally called the Queen's Theatre after the reigning monarch Queen Anne (1665-1714), was built by the architect and playwright Sir John Vanbrugh, opening in 1705. Between 1711 and 1739 more than twenty-five of Handel's operas premiered there.
Renting a box at the opera for a season was a mark of social standing. These fans would have been a practical accessory in a hot theatre and useful for knowing who else might be there. Here we can see that the subscribers who rented boxes for the 1778 and 1788 seasons included Mrs Fitzherbert, mistress of the Prince of Wales, and other members of society including the Duke of Gloucester. To prove their right to seats in the box, subscribers were issued with bone or ivory tokens from a bank in Pall Mall. Things changed however after a fire of 1789 when the theatre was rebuilt and a less fashionable season was introduced.
Renting a box at the opera for a season was a mark of social standing. These fans would have been a practical accessory in a hot theatre and useful for knowing who else might be there. Here we can see that the subscribers who rented boxes for the 1778 and 1788 seasons included Mrs Fitzherbert, mistress of the Prince of Wales, and other members of society including the Duke of Gloucester. To prove their right to seats in the box, subscribers were issued with bone or ivory tokens from a bank in Pall Mall. Things changed however after a fire of 1789 when the theatre was rebuilt and a less fashionable season was introduced.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Fan printed with a plan of the boxes and names of the subscribers for the 1787 and 1788 seasons at the King's Theatre (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Printed paper with ivory sticks and guards |
| Brief description | Fan printed with a plan of the boxes and names of the subscribers for the 1787 and 1788 seasons at the King's Theatre. Paper leaf with ivory sticks, published in London 1st June 1778 by H. Laurance, Pall Mall |
| Physical description | Paper and ivory folding fan, printed on one side with a seating plan of the King's Theatre, London, and a plan of the subscribers' boxes on the other. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label | Subscribers
Renting boxes by the season to subscribers was not only an important and dependable source of income for theatres. As it was important in high society to be seen in the most fashionable venues, the patronage of wealthy and influential renters increased a theatre’s status and earning power.
Subscribers identified themselves by means of tokens, often inscribed with their names.[ 60 words]
Box renter’s fan
About 1787–8
King’s Theatre (on the site of the present Her Majesty’s Theatre), London
Paper and ivory
Museum no. S.396-1985
Token
1870
Royal Italian Opera (now the Royal Opera House), London
Ivory and ribbon
Museum no. S.530-1985(March 2009) |
| Summary | The King's Theatre, Haymarket, originally called the Queen's Theatre after the reigning monarch Queen Anne (1665-1714), was built by the architect and playwright Sir John Vanbrugh, opening in 1705. Between 1711 and 1739 more than twenty-five of Handel's operas premiered there. Renting a box at the opera for a season was a mark of social standing. These fans would have been a practical accessory in a hot theatre and useful for knowing who else might be there. Here we can see that the subscribers who rented boxes for the 1778 and 1788 seasons included Mrs Fitzherbert, mistress of the Prince of Wales, and other members of society including the Duke of Gloucester. To prove their right to seats in the box, subscribers were issued with bone or ivory tokens from a bank in Pall Mall. Things changed however after a fire of 1789 when the theatre was rebuilt and a less fashionable season was introduced. |
| Associated object | S.1623:1-2014 (Object) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.396-1985 |
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| Record created | February 13, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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