1898 Program for Joseph Murphy The Legitimate Irish Comedian

Item Details

1898

This is a program from 1898 for The Legitimate Irish comedian Joseph Murphy in The Donagh. The program has 16 pages including covers. Chromolithographic cover, front and back, with vignette illustrations, six in all, of scenes from Murphy's plays, and also a b/w half-profile of the actor/comedian/songwriter. In keeping with the Irish persona, the extensive interior illustrations are rendered in green and white, as opposed to b/w. The vignettes, of course, seek to capture the spellbinding conflict of each of the three plays, with short captions to hint at the narrative. On each of the pages the vignettes are arranged in a collage-like manner, both handsome in itself and suggestive of the story's propulsiveness. On the second to last page are drawings, presumably, of members of the troupe, each contained in a shamrock petal. The last page (the inside rear wrap cover) has the opening bars of three songs written by Murphy, all of a sentimental nature one would expect from an Irish company of the day. Murphy (1842-1919) performed extensively in the Wild West with his touring troupe.
the program is in good condition and measures 4 x 6 inches.