The Fair One With The Golden Locks - Poster, 1876
Title
The Fair One With The Golden Locks - Poster, 1876
Date
1876
Description
Poster for The Fair One With the Golden Locks, the Theatre Royal Pantomime for 1876
What's the story?
In 2015, as part of the Theatre Royal's 150th anniversary celebrations, research took place at the venue to locate posters, playbills or programmes for each Pantomime the theatre had presented since 1865. These images were then displayed in the foyers during the run of Aladdin, the 2015 Panto.
However, despite research in various archives and private collections, no material could be found for the 1876 Pantomime The Fair One With the Golden Locks.
Three years later, in October 2018, the Theatre Royal was contacted by the Suffolk Record Office in Ipswich. Having heard about the new digital archive, they got in touch to inform us that they had a poster in their records for a Theatre Royal Nottingham show and would we like it back. The poster was for a show called The Fair One With The Golden Locks.
How it got to Suffolk and why it remained there for so long is a mystery, but to finally have this beautiful poster in the Theatre Royal archive and to present it digitally to the wider world is extremely exciting.
The Fair One With The Golden Locks is a rare Panto title and is based on a lesser-known fairy tale by Madame d’Aulnoy.
The colourful poster clearly shows how commedia dell’arte is still very much part of Pantomime in this period, showing both an Arlecchino and Pantalone type figures, as well as a clown reminiscent of the great Grimaldi.
The poster reads:
Theatre Royal
The Great Comic Pantomime
Introducing the most Gorgeous Scenic Effects, Magnificent Dresses and Splendid Appointments, entitled
THE FAIR ONE WITH THE GOLDEN LOCKS
Produced on a scale of unrivalled magnificence never before attempted,
EVERY EVENING
Stafford and Co., Printers and Engravers, Nottingham.
Many thanks to Louise Kennedy, Archivist, Suffolk Record Office, Suffolk County Council.
However, despite research in various archives and private collections, no material could be found for the 1876 Pantomime The Fair One With the Golden Locks.
Three years later, in October 2018, the Theatre Royal was contacted by the Suffolk Record Office in Ipswich. Having heard about the new digital archive, they got in touch to inform us that they had a poster in their records for a Theatre Royal Nottingham show and would we like it back. The poster was for a show called The Fair One With The Golden Locks.
How it got to Suffolk and why it remained there for so long is a mystery, but to finally have this beautiful poster in the Theatre Royal archive and to present it digitally to the wider world is extremely exciting.
The Fair One With The Golden Locks is a rare Panto title and is based on a lesser-known fairy tale by Madame d’Aulnoy.
The colourful poster clearly shows how commedia dell’arte is still very much part of Pantomime in this period, showing both an Arlecchino and Pantalone type figures, as well as a clown reminiscent of the great Grimaldi.
The poster reads:
Theatre Royal
The Great Comic Pantomime
Introducing the most Gorgeous Scenic Effects, Magnificent Dresses and Splendid Appointments, entitled
THE FAIR ONE WITH THE GOLDEN LOCKS
Produced on a scale of unrivalled magnificence never before attempted,
EVERY EVENING
Stafford and Co., Printers and Engravers, Nottingham.
Many thanks to Louise Kennedy, Archivist, Suffolk Record Office, Suffolk County Council.
Type
Poster
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall
Contributor
Researcher: David Longford
Format
29cm x 45.5cm
