TINY TOT'S ELECTRIC SHADOW THEATRE, 1900s

Model theatre, measuring 276 x 285 x 136 mm, made of cardboard. Consists of proscenium and a ‘backstage’. The ‘backstage’ is equipped with winding mechanism as on diagram ‘a’; two wooden stabilisers, and two candle-holders in the ‘floor’. In the ‘roof’ of the ‘backstage’ are two smoke-holes and two cranks for rolling the panorama.

The panorama consists of translucent paper, upon the back of which silhouette characters have been printed in black. Proscenium printed in chromolithography, the panoramas printed in [...]. British toy theatre. Like a number of other toy theatres made by the same firm it carries the words: ‘British Manufacture’. Proscenium design consists of the title above the proscenium arch, and pilasters l. and r. Across the bottom are footlights and an announcement: ‘In various series comprising Cinderella. Jack the Giant Killer. Dick Whittington. Punch & Judy, Etc.’ The surviving box-lid carries the same design, except that the announcement appears within the stage. In the backstage the spools roll from l. to r.. The loaded spool consists of Dick Whittington (scenes numbered 1-16), and Punch & Judy (scenes numbered 1-16). Those for Puch state that a special Punch call is to be used (and presumably was supplied). ‘With a little practice the rendering of Punch is very realistic.’ There is no spool for Cinderella and Jack the Giant Killer. The toy is accompanied by three leaflets entitled Tales for the Electric Shadow Theatre, which have been printed on coloured paper. These are for Cinderella, Jack the Giant Killer, and Punch & Judy. There are no notes for Dick Whittington.