1885 RARE Henry Dixey \"Adonis” Satin Fabric Commemorative and Prompt Book Bijou For Sale

1885 RARE Henry Dixey\"Adonis” Satin Fabric Commemorative for 250th Performance andPrompt Book for character “Marquis de Baccarat at the Bijou Opera House

TYPE: Fabric Promotional Piece

DATE: 1885.05.06

DESC: A pink satin cloth, printed with brown ink,celebrating Henry E. Dixey’s 250th performance of Adonis at the Bijou Opera House. “He was one of the ‘hottest’male stars in operetta history, he made ladies in the audience swoon with hisflesh coloured tights in the production of Adonis, a Boylesque retelling of thefamous Galatea saga that Franz von Suppé had used for his legendary one-actshow in Vienna. Broadway offered Mr. Dixey as an emancipated male alternative.”Herbert Gresham played the role of the Marquis de Baccarat.

MATERIAL: Satin Fabric DIM: 9.75 x 7inches

TYPE: Script – Prompt Book.

DATE: 1884

DESC: Herbert Gresham’s handwritten script excerpts for therole of the Marquis de Baccarat in Henry E. Dixey’s Adonis.

PERSONS: Herbert Gresham, Henry E. Dixey, Miles & Barton.ORG: Rice’sTheatre

MATERIAL: Paper DIM: 6 x 7.5inches

CONDITION: Fair. Heavy soiling and creasing. PAGES: 23

CAT #: PMK0226, 0225

COLLECTOR BIO:

Herbert Gresham (John T. Ford Son-In-Law)

1853, London – 1923, New York

During the period from 1884 to 1900, Herbert Greshamworked as an actor and stage manager with Augustin Daly – a leading theaterowner in New York and London. His dramatic roles included classical parts buttended toward the comedic. He was well known and reviewed for his roles asTouchstone in As You Like It and the Clown in Twelfth Night. Several of hisroles were in the great British tradition of cross-dressing. Herbert played therole of the Marquis de Baccarat in Adonis – a ‘Boylesque’ retelling of theGalatea legend.

Herbert travelled extensively with Daly and otherrepertories and his sub-collection includes his constant and deeply touchingcorrespondence with his wife and children from the road. Sometimes artfullyillustrated with caricatures, these letters are intimate, loving and redolentwith loneliness. Gresham spent the last 18 years of his career as general stagemanager and director for A. L. Erlanger.

I am selling several hundred pieces related toJohn T. Ford, Ford’s Theater and Ford’s descendants who were all figures inAmerican theater from 1840 – 1970. Visit my store – categories “AmericanTheater” and “John T. Ford Collection”.