Friday 6 February 2009

Out and About



16 April 1740 Went to Covent Garden Playhouse to see the Orphin with the rehearsall 2/-

This play by Thomas Otway (1652-85), more conventionally "the Orphan", is out of fashion but was a standard from its first production in 1680 until the nineteenth century. For a Restoration play it is uncommonly domestic, dealing with jealousy between brothers in love with the same woman. It was produced at Covent Garden between 1721 & 1741 (more research may let me tell you who was acting that night!!!). While I do that you will have to make do with this picture of the playwright....
The Rehearsal was the second play. A typical 18th Century evening at the theatre consisted of 5 acts. The first play would be a tragedy with the evening ending with a comedy.
17 April 170 Bout a pair of sissers 2/6

21 April 1740
Paid Mr Davis Limner in King Street for drawing my Picture in half length and paid him for it before Mr Walker £4.4s


According to my dictionary, a Limner was a painter of miniatures though Nicholas Hilliard called himself a Limner, regarding the word painter as referring to those who put the paint on walls.

Oh, I've spent hours googling and I can't find anything about Mr Davis who charged Thomas this princely sum for a portrait. There are even several King Streets but we shall assume it was this one.....

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