Manuscript, in a single hand, of a daily journal recording the events of Waldie's daily life. He goes on daily excursions with his family and describes the landscapes and estates they visit; mentions teas, dinners, dances, and singing with acquaintances; plays card games; records and reviews books he has read, including Aaron Hill's Zara and Maria Edgeworth's Belinda; and frequents the theater. In describing the plays he attends, he provides the names of the actors, including those of Sarah Siddons and Priscilla Kemble, and reviews their performances
Description:
John Waldie (1781-1862) was the administrator of Hendersyde Park at Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland. While a student at the University of Edinburgh, he began to keep daily journals recording his extensive travels and his observations of theaters, museums, and concert halls. An accomplished tenor, Waldie performed at private entertainments with Angelica Catalani, Michael Kelly, and John Braham; met with the composer Gioachino Rossini; and socialized with such well-known actors as John Philip Kemble and Sarah Siddons. Waldie also served on the committee of the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, as one of its proprietors. He was the brother of Jane (Waldie) Watts (1793-1826) and Charlotte (Waldie) Eaton (1788-1859), whose diaries are cataloged as Osborn d182, Osborn d186, and Osborn d187., In English., Pasted at beginning of manuscript: floor plans "made by J. Waldie in 1802 for Hendersyde Park House the uppermost nearly as adopted in 1803.", Pasted inside front cover: bookplate of John Waldie, Hendersyde., Title from title page., and Binding: half calf over marbled boards.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and Scotland
Subject (Name):
Eaton, Charlotte Ann (Waldie), 1788-1859., Edgeworth, Maria, 1767-1849., Hill, Aaron, 1685-1750., Kemble, Priscilla, 1756-1845., Siddons, Sarah, 1755-1831., Waldie, John, 1781-1862., Watts, Jane (Waldie), 1793-1826., and Waldie family.
Subject (Topic):
Theater, Social life and customs, and Description and travel
The dancer wearing a Roman toga is perhaps David Garrick, with Mrs. Siddons accompanying him on the lute. In his imaginary journey through time, Three tours through London in the years 1748, 1776, 1797 (New Haven, 1941), Wilmarth S. Lewis 'goes' to the London theatre of 1776 where "Garrick still requires that those playing a scene with him shall turn their backs to the audience when addresssing him so that there will be no question whatever of its attention being diverted from him. Failure to observe this rule ... caused young Mrs. Siddons to fall into disfavour and contributed to her dismissal from the company."
Alternative Title:
Shadow box framed depiction two actors in performance
Description:
One of a pair of shadowboxes. The other box is titled: A shadowbox framed depiction David Garrick on stage. and Provenance from a label affixed to the top of one of a pair of boxes, in Mrs. Lewis hand.
Subject (Name):
Garrick, David, 1717-1779. and Siddons, Sarah, 1755-1831.
"A struggling crowd, partly within and partly without the pit door, a spiked gateway, of Drury Lane Theatre. Men, respectably dressed but of plebeian appearance, stand in the foreground on the outskirts of the crowd or fight their way in, some with sticks. There are a few women; one who has fainted but is in an erect position owing to the crowd, is being revived with smelling-salts. A man is vomiting. In the foreground two lady's hats, the ribbons partly torn off, lie on the ground with shoes and the broken fragments of a shoe-buckle. In the background two ladies and a man are passing through a narrow door into the theatre itself; through the doorway is seen a section of an upper gallery and boxes below it, both crowded. On the exterior wall, above the heads of the crowd, is a playbill ..."--British Museum online catalogue, description of the related print
Alternative Title:
Porte du parterre
Description:
Title from related print, which bears both the English title "The pit door" and the French title "La porte du parterre"., Unsigned and undated; artist attribution and approximate date from those assigned to the related print in the British Museum catalogue. See no. 6769 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum, v. 6., Inscribed on poster in upper center portion of image: By Command of their MAJESTIES. At the Theatre Royal Drury Lane The Grecian Daughter And Euphrasia Mrs Siddons To which will be added The Devil to Pay Tomorrow the Tragedy of Hamlet HAMLET by MR KEMBLE., and Laid down on wove paper with watermark "B. E. & S."
Subject (Geographic):
England and London.
Subject (Name):
Kemble, John Philip, 1757-1823., Siddons, Sarah, 1755-1831., and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (London, England),
Subject (Topic):
Theaters, Crowds, Gates, Doors & doorways, Vomiting, Loss of consciousness, and Signs (Notices)
