Original Seils-Sterling Circus Poster

1890s-early 1900s by the Donaldson Litho Co. of Newport, KY. "Al G. Field Big Minstrels - Dan Quinlan Poster has inset image of Field in upper left-hand corner. Main image of poster ...

This item is a lot smaller than it looks in the pictures. The handlebars are less that 2 foot tall. Its sized for a small child but has the proportions of a full size motorcycle. Tha...

This was an estate find and part of a beautiful collection of rare excellent turn of the century posters. They were hidden away for over 100 years. This is a rare and impressive 3 sheet poster that is 7 foot tall. It make quite a statement. About the poster: You'd think that a play called "The New Baby" might feature said child in its promotional material. But here's the thing - there really isn't a baby at the centre of the comedy, and that's the crux of this entertainment. The plot concerns a husband who is so bored with country life that he dreams up the idea of having an illegitimate son in London as a way to get into town for an occasional 'night off'. When his wife decides that the child should be adopted, the expected comic tissue of falsehoods and misunderstandings frays and hilarity ensues. Adapted from German by A. Bourchier, the farce opened in London in 1896 to what a local critic termed 'much mirth'. Several years later, when the play had crossed the Atlantic and entered the repertory of David de Wolf cleverly called the Baby's chaperone on the poster and his troupe of traveling players, that understated review was translated into the more American howling success. The cast and director would've been totally unfamiliar with the British hinterlands, so this splendid design concentrates on the hi-jinks of the characters and their situation. At the start of the 20th century, America was in the full glory of its cultural adolescence, bursting with energy and optimism. In 1900 in New York there were 33 legitimate Broadway theaters...

This was an estate find and part of a beautiful collection of rare excellent turn of the century posters. They were hidden away for over a 100 years. About the poster: You'd think that a play called 'The New Baby' might feature said child in its promotional material. But here's the thing, there really isn't a baby at the center of the comedy, and that's the crux of this entertainment. The plot concerns a husband who is so bored with country life that he dreams up the idea of having an illegitimate son in London as a way to get into town for an occasional 'night off'. When his wife decides that the child should be adopted, the expected comic tissue of falsehoods and misunderstandings frays and hilarity ensues. Adapted from German by A. Bourchier, the farce opened in London in 1896 to what a local critic termed 'much mirth'. Several years later, when the play had crossed the Atlantic and entered the repertory of David de Wolf - cleverly called the Baby's 'chaperone' on the poster - and his troupe of travelling players, that understated review was translated into the more American howling success'. The cast and director would've been totally unfamiliar with the British hinterlands, so this splendid design concentrates on the hi-jinks of the characters and their situation.' At the start of the 20th century, America was in the full glory of its cultural adolescence, bursting with energy and optimism. In 1900 in New York there were 33 legitimate Broadway theatres, and many more would be built within the next decade to meet growing audience demand. New York's exploding population was also enjoying increased mobility. In 1904, the city opened its first underground commuter railroad lines. Thanks to these 'subways,' tens of thousands living far from the theatre district could catch a Broadway show and still sleep in their own beds. Add in the ever-increasing numbers of tourists who came into the city by rail and steamship, and it was easy to see why Broadway could now support more productions and longer runs than ever before.' We believe this magnificent and awe inspiring poster typifies the best of musical history and musical posters...