Image of five character vignettes consisting of two male and two female musicians, in Spanish costumes, standing in a row playing mandolins; head-and-shoulder portraits of a whiteface clown and a hobo captioned "The Cherubs," a portrait of a man with a cane and long mustache and a woman wearing a bonnet captioned "Symantha and Algernon"; an old man in an historical costume patting a boy with an ax on the head captioned "The Little Hatchet"; and a pirate with a knife moving towards a girl in a nightgown with her arms raised captioned "The Amateur Villain and Maiden"; with vignettes of head-and-shoulder portraits of Ray L. Royce, at upper right, and Web Lansing, at lower left, and a decorative border; the poster advertises the musical-comedy show "Basket of Chips" performed by Royce and Lansing's company. Probable date approximated based on 1886 newspaper article for company: “Daily Tribune, Ft. Scott, Kan. Although the weather was bad last night a goodly number of people braved the storm and went to the opera house to see Royce’s Swiss Bell Ringers … The ‘Basket of Chips’ was a musical mélange and conglomeration of nonsense, and afforded a wide scope for introducing the character specialties of the different members of the troupe. Ray L. Royce was excellent in his impersonation, and Web Lansing’s ability to play on numerous musical instruments was highly appreciated. (“The Bell Ringers,” Albert Lea Freeborn County Standard [Minnesota], 29 September 1886, page 1) "Great / Western / Pr Eng / & / Lith. Co / St Louis / U.S.A."--text, bottom left. "501"--text, bottom left.
Type
image
Extent
1 lithograph : color printed ; overall 54.29 x 72.39 cm (21 3/8 x 28 1/2 in.)
Lansing, Web--Portraits Royce, Ray L.--Portraits Actors--Portraits Actors--Pictorial works Actresses--Pictorial works Clowns--Pictorial works Comedies Musicians--Pictorial works Musical entertainments Theatrical productions Tramps--Pictorial works Royce and Lansing Musical Comedy Company Lithographs--Color--1875-1900. (gmgpc) Portrait prints. (gmgpc) Theatrical posters--American. (gmgpc)
Source
Jay T. Last Collection Entertainment Large Size Music and Theater The Jay T. Last Collection of Graphic Arts and Social History, Huntington Digital Library
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