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Hide and seek, or natural magic: a farce

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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

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Buckstone was an English actor, playwright, and comedian born in Hoxton, London, England. He was educated to become a solicitor, but joined a traveling acting troupe in 1821. Following his successful stage appearences at London theaters in 1823, Buckstone began perfoming at the Adelphi Theatre where he later wrote and produced plays. He worked in the summer season at the Haymarket theatre in 1833 where he later served as theater manager from the years from1853 to 1878. Buckstone was the author of over 150 plays. In 1828 Buckstone married Anne Maria Honeyman and the couple had five children. He was involved with and planned to marry actress Fanny Copeland Fitzwilliam, tragically she died from cholera in 1854 one month before the impending wedding. In 1857 Buckstone married Isabella Copeland. They had twelve children between the years 1857 and 1876.

This hand-sewn volume containing a comedic, one-act play has a paper-cover title page and consists of nineteen bifolia. The play is written on the verso of each leaf. Characters and stage notes are underlined in red ink. A cast of five characters is written on the inside front cover: Mordaunt, Merton, Mrs. Mordaunt, Charlotte, and Jane. Two actresses Mrs. Fitzwilliam and Mrs. Keeley are listed to play the roles of Charlotte and Jane. A note regarding Mrs. Fitzwilliam playing the role of Jane is written below the cast list. There are short notes and abbreviations in pencil written throughout the volume. "This is another version of the 'Secret'" is written in pencil on the front cover possibly referring to a play by Thomas Meadows entitled My husband's secret, or, Natural magic first performed at the Adelphi in 1822.

Sold by Blackwell's Rare Books (Oxford, England), 2017.

Publisher
University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
Finding Aid Author
Donna Brandolisio
Finding Aid Date
June 2017
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Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.

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Hide and Seek, or Natural Magic: a Farce, 1846.
Volume 1

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