Case One

Case 1: Precursors and Theatrical Portraits 

The toy theatre belongs to a long world history of paper engineering, interactive media, and optical toys, some meant to amuse children, and others meant for education or adult entertainments. Well before the first toy theatre sheet was published, readers and audiences longed to interact with their favourite stories and with printed material, and many of the items in this case include features that would come together in the toy theatre.

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1. Kitchen scene. Augsburg: Martin Engelbrecht, c.1730–1750.

Engraver and publisher Martin Engelbrecht issued hand-coloured copper engravings of scenes which created a sense of depth when cut out, placed in sequence, and viewed through a hole or ‘peep’. A peepshow might be a large box with multiple peeps shown in public for a fee, or a smaller paper case for use in the home. This walnut and glass boîte d’optique allows the user to view the scene while protecting the cards from damage. Peepshows were also called miniature theatres because of their similar layout and perspective.

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2. Dr. Last, or the Devil upon Two Sticks. London: Rob’t Sayer, 1771.

A harlequinade, also called a turn-up or metamorphic book, is made up of four sections with hinged flaps that fold over. The reader lifts each flap, changing the illustration and advancing the story. Plots were often taken from popular pantomimes featuring the Harlequin character, and this gave the genre its name.

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3. Amelia Troward Girdlestone. The History of Little Fanny, Exemplified in a Series of Figures. London: S. & J. Fuller, 1810.

Each chapter in the moral tale of Little Fanny begins with a description of Fanny in a different outfit and situation. The reader combined Fanny’s head with one of the seven aquatint-printed figures and four hats in order to match the look to the scene. This book was part of a trend of creative uses of illustration techniques in books aimed specifically at children.

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4. Fantaisie-Fantasia-Fantasie-Fancy. No place: no publisher, c. 1840.

The reader inserts tabs at the base of the different figures into slits in one of the two backgrounds to create a tableau. Closing the book’s cover creates a frame for the scene.

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5. Mr. Young as Macbeth. London: W. West, 1812.

Theatre became more accessible in the early nineteenth century, and publishers produced portraits in response to the audience's growing demand for souvenirs. Notable illustrators like George and Robert Cruikshank drew detailed sketches directly from the stage to be engraved and printed. Some actors even paid for prints of themselves to distribute at events. Early portraits name the actor and character, providing a snapshot of the players and costumes of the time.

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6. Mr. Kirby as the Clown in Jack and Jill. Drawn and etched by W. Heath. London: W. West, 1812.

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7. Mr. Kean as Iago. London: J. Redington, 18–?

Edmund Kean was one of the most celebrated actors of his time, frequently appearing as the subject of theatrical portraits. Samuel Taylor Coleridge remarked that to see Edmund Kean perform was like ‘reading Shakespeare by flashes of lightning’.

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8. Combat in ‘The Flying Dutchman’. No place: A. Burcham, 1830.

Combats were a popular genre depicting the hero and villain of a play at battle with each other. The fine details in this drawing would be quite difficult to translate to the final printed sheet.

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9. Tinsel print of Edmund Kean as Othello. No place: no publisher, no date. From the collection of Robertson Davies.

Larger, less detailed portraits were made for those who wanted to decorate or ‘tinsel’ them. Embellishing portraits with textiles, leather, feathers, or foil was a popular hobby in the 1830s that allowed viewers to interact with their favourite performers at home. Edmund Kean is shown wearing blackface makeup in his role as Othello, which was a common but not universal choice for white actors portraying people of colour on the stage during this period.

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10. Undated drawing of Kera Khan by William Heath for William West’s juvenile drama play ‘Lodoiska’.

Well-known for his caricatures, artist William Heath also created many theatrical etchings and actor’s portraits. Collector Desmond Seaton-Reid noted that this drawing was never used for an etching.

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