THE MINIATURE PICTURE, A COMEDY IN THREE ACTS: Performed at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane.

Item Details

London, G. Riley, 1781.

First edition. Prologue by Richard Brinsley Sheridan; epilogue by [Joseph] Jekyll. A high-society comedy of manners set in 18th-century England exploring themes of courtship and marriage and demonstrating, in part, "the celebrity culture the playwright negotiated throughout her life as an aristocratic woman embroiled in both sexual scandal and theatrical life" (Heather A. Ladd, "Chasing Eliza," [Abstract]). Preceded by a 1780 printing by W. Richardson apparently done up for licensing purposes -- i.e., for the censorship purposes of the British government at that time – of which only a single copy has been recorded. Elizabeth Craven (1750 – 1828), an author perhaps best remembered for her travel writing was, earlier in her literary career, better known as a playwright. This particular play ran for four nights at Drury Lane beginning Wednesday May 24, 1780. Craven's friend, Horace Walpole (1717-1797), who attended the opening night performance with her, noted in a June 6, 1780 letter to Lady Ossory that "there was [nothing] execrable in the play but the actors"—as expressed by Craven in her introductory "Advertisement": "This Comedy of Three Acts was originally written as a Farce in Two Acts, and never intended for the Public Theatres, nor the Public Eye. The Author of it publishes it at the Request of several of her Friends, who saw it misrepresented on the Stage, at Drury-lane...." Interestingly, Sheridan (1751-1812), owner of the Drury at the time, reportedly so liked his own prologue that he tacked 2 lines onto the first 30 lines herein for use as the prologue to PIZARRO (1799). 8vo polished calf binding; gilt-ruled raised spine bands; decorative gilt-stamped leather spine label; 87 pages plus one page of publisher's advertisements. Binding evidently re-backed and repaired at some point, half-title leaf lacking, marginal tanning to text block, and small 1937 catalog description affixed to rear blank with short note in ink beneath. Altogether very good, if not better. Exceedingly scarce.

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