History Of The English Puppet Theatre Classic Reprint

Excerpt from History of the English Puppet Theatre In this book I have provided notes for two purposes. Firstly, to give the original authority of every reference to puppet history; and, secondly, to amplify my text with interesting information of secondary importance. These notes are placed at the back of the book. It is not necessary - nor advisable - to refer to them, one by one, while reading the text, and the general reader may well read the book without looking at the notes at all. I would suggest, however, that the inquiring reader may care to glance through the relevant notes after each section of a chapter has been read. In this way his memory may be refreshed, his curiosity satisfied, and his knowledge enlarged. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

A welcome reissue, revised and updated, of the classic work on the English puppet theatre, this detailed and lavishly illustrated book, first published in 1955, shows why puppet theatre in England developed along different lines from that on the Continent, and brings the story up to the television age. In 1938, at the age of 24, George Speaight left his job as a bookseller and went to work as a farmhand at Pigotts, the family settlement of Eric Gill and his group of artist-craftsworkers in Buckinghamshire. While there, Speaight decided to write a history of Punch and Judy. The project grew, and during the Second World War he spent his nights working in the Auxiliary Fire Service and his days at the British Museum Reading Room researching Punch and puppets. This book is the result of all his research.

Excerpt from The Home of the Puppet-Play: An Address An Address delivered by Richard Pischel on assuming the office of Rector of the Konigliche Vereinigte Friedrichs-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg, on the 12th July, 1900. Most Honourable Assembly! Among the ineffaceable impressions which we retain from earliest childhood to ripest old age, we must include the recollection of the time when we first heard from our mother's lips the immortal fairy tales of Snow-white and the Seven Dwarfs, Dame Holle and Goldilocks, and Little Red Riding Hood and the wicked wolf. Our delight in all these beings became still greater when we saw them afterwards in flesh and blood before us on the stage. Nowadays the Christmas fairy tales are produced for children with lavish splendour, and owing to the gorgeous externals the simple story is often not duly appreciated. But those of us who were children in the fifties and sixties or earlier in the nineteenth century, had to be content with plainer fare. In those days the stage consisted of a platform erected in a room only partially lighted by oil-lamps, and furnished with wooden benches, the actors being puppets. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."

Excerpt from The Puppet-Show: A Sketch Beg pardon, sir, this worthy said, pausing on the threshold. It's nine o'clock, sir. Beverly thought a minute: Mrs. Bran der Wells was certainly attractive but then What's it doing out? He finally inquired. Snowing, sir, the valet replied. A most disagreeable night, sir. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Puppet Show There flourished once in Aleppo a literary society consisting of seven old gentlemen whose custom it was to meet fortnightly to read and interpret the writings of the learned. And at one of such meetings the President stood up and read out the following story, called The Garden of Noureddin Ali. 'There lived once in the town of Moussoul a young gentleman called Noureddin Ali, the happy possessor of great beauty, great accomplishments and great wealth. And when he was come of age his tutors said to him, "Sir, you have now arrived at man's estate and you have learnt from us all there is to be learnt. Go forth, therefore, choose carefully a wife not less beautiful than yourself, and live happily ever afterwards." 'Hearing this, Noureddin Ali went forth and chose for himself a maiden called Fatima, lovely as the harvest moon, and he bought himself a house set in a little rose-garden in which to live happily ever afterwards. But when he had lived there three or four years he became discontented, for, as he said, the place was not worthy of the extreme beauty of his Fatima. Wherefore they packed up, and himself and Fatima, followed by twenty camels, twenty dromedaries and all their retinue, went forth to find a more suitable home. And, having wandered up and down the land for three months, they came to a garden of such beauty that, after careful and detailed consideration, Noureddin exclaimed, "It is not unworthy of my Fatima." And, having so exclaimed, he purchased it out of hand. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Puppet-Show, Vol. 2 The longest day is that on which your friend reads you a five act tragedy. The shortest day is that on which you five act tragedy to your friend. Moveable feasts. A box of sandwiches and a bottle of ale. A penn loaf, with a saveloy stuck in the centre, an a flask of brandy. Hard eggs and a Captain's biscuit. Pork pies. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.