The Old Showmen and the Old London FairsFrost, Thomas
History
The Old Showmen and the Old London Fairs
Frost, Thomas
Fairs -- England -- London; London (England) -- Social life and customs
In Lee and Yeates's booth, opposite the Greyhound, _The Unnatural Parents_
was revived, "shewing the manner of her (the heroine) being forced to
wander from home by the cruelty of her parents, and beg her bread; and
being weary, fell into a slumber, in a grove, where a goddess appears to
her, and directs her to a nobleman's house; how she was there taken in as
a servant, and at length, for her beauty and modest behaviour, married to
a gentleman of great fortune, with her return to her parents, and their
happy reconciliation. Also the comical humours and adventures of Trusty,
her father's man, and the three witches." Then follow the _dramatis
personæ_, which show a strong company. "With the original dance performed
by three wild cats of the wood. With dancing between the acts by Mr.
Adams and Mrs. Ogden. A good band of music is provided, consisting of
kettle-drums, trumpets, French horns, hautboys, violins, etc. To begin
each day at twelve o'clock. The scenes and clothes are entirely new, and
the droll the same that was performed by Mrs. Lee fifteen years ago, with
great applause."
Near Cow Lane stood another new theatrical booth, that of Cousins and
Reynolds, at which the charges for admission ranged from threepence to a
shilling. Here the romantic drama of _The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green_
was presented, with dancing between the acts, an exhibition of life-size
wax figures, representing the Court of Maria Theresa, and the performance
of the Italian sword-dancers, "who have had the honour of performing
before the Prince of Wales, with great applause."
Among the minor shows was one at "the first house on the pavement, from
the end of Hosier Lane," where the sights to be seen were a camel, a
hyæna, a panther, "the wonderful and surprising satyr, call'd by Latin
authors, Pan," and a "young Oronutu savage." On the pavement, at the end
of Cow Lane, was a smaller show, the charge for admission to which was
threepence, consisting of a large hog, said to weigh a hundred and twenty
stones, and announced as "the greatest prodigy in Nature;" and an
"amazing little dwarf, being the smallest man in the world."
Bartholomew Fair was visited this year for the first time by the female
dwarf who obtained such wide-spread celebrity as the Corsican Fairy. It
will be seen from the following copy of the bill issued by her exhibitors
that she was not shown in a booth, but in a room hired for the purpose:--
"To the Nobility and Gentry, and to all who are Admirers of the
Extraordinary Productions of Nature.
"There is to be seen in a commodious Apartment, at the Corner of Cow
Lane, facing the Sheep-Pens, West Smithfield, During the short time of
Bartholomew Fair,
MARIA TERESIA,
the Amazing CORSICAN FAIRY, who has had the Honour of being shown
three Times before their Majesties.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account