Author: DISHER, M.WILLSON
Title: Clowns & pantomimes. With illustrations.
Description: London, Constable & Co. Ltd., 1925. W. col. front., 56 pls., numerous ills. in the text. Very nice [privately commissioned] contemp. half mottled clf., over extra quality brown cloth brds., spine in compartments, single giltrules and giltlettered. Unfortunately the binder misspelt the title as 'Clowns and Pantomines'. Upper cover a 9 x 11.5 cm orange cloth inlay w. gilttooled figure playing flute and drums, taken from the full orange cloth publisher's binding. [n10, A-X8, Y4]. (XX, 343, (344) [pp. 333 - 344 Index] pp.). (Righthand and lower margin uncut.). (Plate opposite p. 5 upper margin a small portion of blank margin torn and gone.). (Some marginal light foxing.). An exhaustive history of clowns and pantomime, burlesque etc. dealing with antiquity up to the early 20th century. Detailed descriptions of the lives of circus clowns and music hall comedians. Excellent and well bound copy. Toole Stott, Circus and allied arts vol. I, 220: 'A fine, authoritative and exhaustive work on this subject, beautifully produced and magnificently illustrated.': Hartmans Circus-Bibliotheek (University Library Amsterdam) no. 654: 'A study of the clownship and of pantomime from the earliest times to the present day. The book contains, among much other new material, the authentic life story of the famous [Clown] Grock [=Adrien Wettach, 1880 - 1959, at one time the world's highest paid entertainer].' [see pages 203 - 218]. Toole-Stott, English circus books, p. 28: Cavanagh, British Theatre. A bibliography 1901 to 1985, item 4634: Auction J. van Doveren ['The Valuable collection of books on the circus', Sotheby's, London, 16th March 1970], p. 12: See aslo Thétard, La merveilleuse histoire du cirque [1947 Prisma], vol. 2 index of performers, p. 325: 'Grock, exentrique et auguste'.:

Keywords: acts drama entertainment Z4 bdrb2 check