Tom, Jerry, and Logic or Life in London by Pierce Egan

About the Item

A RARE Caledonian Theatre pamphlet, with witty satirical color plates in the Cruikshank style. Tom, Jerry, and Logic or Life in London: A Musical Extravaganza in Three Acts. Founded on Pierce Egan's Popular Work of "Life in London;" as performed with the most unbounded applause, at the Caledonian Theater, Edinburgh Edinburgh: W. Sutherland, 1823 12mo. 7 5/8 x 4 1/2 inches (192 x 113 mm); 64 pp; most pages uncut. Illustrated with 12 hand-colored plates including frontispiece, unattributed, in the style of George Cruikshank, that were printed separately and stitched in. Includes the full-page advertisement for "William Sutherland, Bookseller, Stationer, and Music Seller", and the two-page "Dramatis Personae". Offset from color plates and occasional stains and browning to page edges. In rare ORIGINAL BROWN PAPER PRINTED WRAPPERS, somewhat worn and with tears at head and tail, protected in a paper-lined red cloth chemise and housed in a red leather-backed slipcase, gilt stamped with 5 raised bands, which are both fine. [Cohn 266] Tom and Jerry, or Life in London, was one of several stage adaptations of Pierce Egan's popular book Life in London, published in 1821 with illustrations by George Cruikshank. The play depicts the adventures and misadventures of two young men in London, encountering both high- and low-life. It was quickly adapted to the stage by Egan himself, C. Dibdin, and by W.T. Moncrieff, and its most successful production at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End saw Tom and Jerry become the first play to have a continuous run of 100 performances in London. It became popular throughout the England, Scotland, the United States, and was staged in translation in France as early as 1822. Our copy was published in Edinburgh by W. Sutherland in conjunction with the production at the Caledonian Theater in 1823 (also known as the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh), and includes the "Dramatis Personae," listing the actors performing at the Caledonian, and the text of the play and songs, but no musical score. The 12 plates, including the frontispiece, are unattributed but are undoubtedly inspired by very popular 1821 edition of the novel (London: Sherwood, Neely, & Jones) which was richly illustrated by George and Robert Cruikshank. Cruikshank’s bibliographer Albert M. Cohn had a copy of this pamphlet in his library and considered it “of the greatest rarity.” (OCLC lists three copies of this edition in libraries).

Dimensions:

Height: 7.63 in (19.39 cm)Width: 4.5 in (11.43 cm)Depth: 0.63 in (1.61 cm)

Materials and Techniques:

Gold Leaf,Leather,Paper

Place of Origin:

Scotland

Period:

Early 19th Century

Date of Manufacture:

1823

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use.