[Rarebooks] FS: Rare Monumental Poster for Oliver Twist, a Play based on the Charles Dickens novel of the same name

[Allington Books]

Greetings to All.
Today and Tomorrow we offer the below-described Rare Oliver Twist Theater
Poster.  *Multiple images* can be found at www.allingtonbooks.com and
offers are encouraged.
Immediate payment is required.  Please email us with any offers and we will
send the Buyer a PayPal invoice.  Alternatively, Buyer may call us to
provide his or her credit card information.
The Poster is returnable (in the same condition as delivered to Buyer)
within 15 days of delivery (or attempted delivery, if earlier) of the
poster to Buyer's mailing address.
The Poster is subject to prior sale.
With Thanks for your consideration of this Poster and
Best Wishes,
Stephen
Allington Antiquarian Books, LLC

Dickens, Charles [Rare Theatre Poster for Oliver Twist Play]; Cruikshank,
George
Fagin the Jew; [Oliver Twist]

Hartford, Conn: Calhoun Print Co., 181-. Cruikshank, George. First Edition.No
Binding. A beautiful example of this RARE woodblock Theater Poster
advertising a Play based on the Great Charles Dickens novel "Oliver Twist"
[the author's second novel] created from individual boxwood blocks produced
separately for each color, and being a brilliant example of late 19th
century woodblock technology. The novel was first published as a serial in
Bentley's Miscellany [Feb. 1837 - March, 1829] with illustrations by George
Cruikshank. In 1846, Bradbury and Evans published the novel in 10 monthly
Parts, also with illustrations by Cruikshank. The images depicted on the
Poster were taken from the original wrapper of Part II of "The Adventures
of Oliver Twist" by Dickens and illustrated by Cruikshank. The novel tells
the story of an orphan ("Oliver") living in the seamy underside of the
London criminal world. The main image shows Fagin in Jail on this last
night alive. In addition to the main image, the Poster hosts two vignettes
of other scenes from the tale. The Poster was produced in three pieces
using woodblocks and would have been glued to a wall to advertise the Play
to the public. The three pieces would be posted overlapping each other to
produce what appeared to be a massive Poster with only the outer margin and
the images remaining visible to the viewer. Each of the three sections
measures approximately 28 inches X 42 inches, and the three sections
combined would produce a massive Poster measuring nearly 7 feet X
approximately 3 ½ feet. As this example of the Poster was never used, the
colors remain remarkably brilliant. The Poster shows some chipping,
particularly to the margins, and there are a few modest closed tears. Each
of the three pieces has been placed on an archival poster board and
protected by shrink wrap, and each section can easily be removed from its
host board. Examples of the Poster are exceedingly difficult to find and
are especially hard to find in a condition as nice as is that of this
example -- which remains in an unsophisticated -- and remarkably nice --
condition. [A later printing from the 1920s is considerably smaller, lacks
the margins, and is printed on paper that is prone to turn brown.] Another
beautiful copy (located on the ABAA web site) appears to be in a condition
quite similar to that of this example (but, of course, is not ours.) A
remarkable example of what we believe to be a genuinely RARE 19th CENTURY
THEATER POSTER for a Play based on the great Charles Dickens novel "Oliver
Twist". A REMARKABLE SURVIVAL AND A COLLECTION-DISTINGUISHING ITEM. RARE
INDEED. Very good +. Item #953

Price: $3,850.00


Stephen Johnson
Allington Antiquarian Books, LLC
Rare and Collectible Books, both Antiquarian and Modern
www.allingtonbooks.com
336-414-0435