Title: Henry Irving: A Record and Review
Author: by Charles Hiatt
SIGNED BY THE SUBJECT, SIGNED BY THE GREAT ACTOR, HENRY IRVING
(signed below his frontispiece in blue ink)
Frontispiece portrait after Millais
PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY AND PLEASE SEE PICTURES ABOVE. ALSO, NOTE THAT COLORS MIGHT DIFFER ON ANY COMPUTER / PHONE. THANK YOU!
First Edition
Published by George Bell and Sons, 1899
Format: Hardcover
Book condition: Near Fine (Good). Signed by Irving, below his frontispiece, in blue ink. Frontispiece portrait after Millais, plates, illustrations in the text.
A gift inscription from an unknown person can be found on free-end-paper, dated 1903.
The book contains a number of photographic plates and illustrations of Irving in custome. Pages are evenly age-toned. top edge gilt. Frontispiece is becoming slightly detached. Some light scattered foxing, cloth with some marks, extremities lightly rubbed, a little worn. Mild cracking between some of the pages.
Cover: Near Fine (Good). Pale brown cloth with gilt and color blocked lettering to upper cover. Spine slightly tilted.
Dust jacket: Protective, clear acetate jacket.
Sir Henry Irving (1838 – 1905) was considered the greatest Shakespearean actor of his generation and one of the most famous of English actors. He was the first of his profession to be knighted in 1895 for services to the stage.
He was known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility (supervision of sets, lighting, direction, casting, as well as playing the leading roles) for season after season at the West End's Lyceum Theatre, establishing himself and his company as representative of English classical theatre.
He became life long friends with his ardent supporter and manager, Bram Stoker,
who wrote the greatest Gothic novel Dracula in 1897, Stoker was also the business manager of the West End's Lyceum Theatre, which Irving owned.
Irving brought actress Ellen Terry into partnership with him as Ophelia to his Hamlet, Lady Macbeth to his Macbeth, Beatrice to his Benedick, etc. From an earlier relationship, she had two illegitimate children Teddy and Edy.
Ellen Terry's son Teddy, later known as Edward Gordon Craig*, spent much of his childhood (from 1879, when he was 8, until 1897) indulged by Irving backstage, at the Lyceum. Craig, who came to be regarded as something of a visionary for the theatre of the future, wrote this especially vivid, book-length tribute to Irving. ("Let me state at once, in clearest unmistakable terms, that I have never known of, or seen, or heard, a greater actor than was Irving.") George Bernard Shaw, at the time a theatre critic who was jealous of Irving's connection to Ellen Terry (whom Shaw himself wanted in his own plays), conceded Irving's genius after Irving died.
*Please see our uncommon signed copy of Gordon Craig's book
Publisher: George Bell and Sons, 1899
Thank you!
