Item #3292 The London Mathews : containing an account of this celebrated comedian's trip to America, being an annual lecture on peculiarities, characters, and manners, founded on his own observations and adventures, to which are prefixed, several original comic songs, viz. Travellers all. Mrs. Bradish's boarding house. Opposum up a gum-tree. Militia muster folk. Boston post-office. Ode to General Jackson. Illinois inventory. The American jester's song, and The farewell finale. Embellished with six copper-plate engravings. James Smith.
The London Mathews : containing an account of this celebrated comedian's trip to America, being an annual lecture on peculiarities, characters, and manners, founded on his own observations and adventures, to which are prefixed, several original comic songs, viz. Travellers all. Mrs. Bradish's boarding house. Opposum up a gum-tree. Militia muster folk. Boston post-office. Ode to General Jackson. Illinois inventory. The American jester's song, and The farewell finale. Embellished with six copper-plate engravings.

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The London Mathews : containing an account of this celebrated comedian's trip to America, being an annual lecture on peculiarities, characters, and manners, founded on his own observations and adventures, to which are prefixed, several original comic songs, viz. Travellers all. Mrs. Bradish's boarding house. Opposum up a gum-tree. Militia muster folk. Boston post-office. Ode to General Jackson. Illinois inventory. The American jester's song, and The farewell finale. Embellished with six copper-plate engravings.

Philadelphia: Morgan & Yeager, Chesnut Street. Simon Probasco, printer., 1824. 18mo, original printed brown wrappers. 36 pp., folding frontis. engraving with hand-coloring.

An account of celebrated English actor Charles Mathews’ first tour of America, from 1822 to 1823.

A multi-talented performer, Mathews was known for his “monodramatic entertainments,” or one-man shows, in which he played a variety of characters, thrilling audiences with song, dance, mimicry, storytelling, comedy, etc. During his highly successful tour of the United States he developed a cast of characters modeled on American types, six of whom are illustrated in the frontispiece, including an African-American fiddler named Agamemnon. The AAS identifies James Smith as the author of this pamphlet. A delightful piece of early nineteenth century theater history.

REFERENCES: Shoemaker 17078.

CONDITION: Good, partial separation along one fold of frontis.

Item #3292

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