Tag Archives: Orientalism

Scene from the Play of “The Children of Cyprus” (1851)

DescriptionEnglish: Scene from the Play of “The Children of Cyprus” (1851), performed at the Boston Museum
Date1851
SourceGleason’s Pictorial Drawing Room Companion (https://archive.org/details/gleasonspictoria01glea/page/16/mode/2up)
AuthorAnonymous engraver from the firm of Worcester & Peirce

“The capital engraving, below, will be recognized by all those who have witnessed this superb scenic spectacle, now performing at the Boston Museum. It is known in the programme of the play, as the ‘galley scene,’ and is certainly, as far as our experience goes, one of the best, for scenic effect, that we have ever witnessed. The gorgeous machinery and superior artistic effect of this play are of a character to surprise and delight the public taste, and since its performance the house has been nightly thronged by our citizens, and by parties from the neighboring towns and villages. To any one who has seen the play, the accompanying picture will possess peculiar interest, for its faithful and accurate copy of the original. Old theatre-goers are found night after night at the Museum, watching the performance of this charming spectacle, never tiring of its oft-repeated scenes and tableaux, The feelings of the audience have been carried on with the plot of the piece until this scene, when Cherry and Fair Star are represented as coming into the Oriental capital, where such a noted reception awaits them. It seems as though the hearts of the audience responded to every cheer that is uttered from the land to greet the incoming fairy galley. The pencil of our artist has performed its work with daguerreotype exactness, portraying the minutest belonging to this elegant scene, and the picture is indeed a very perfect and magnificent one. Probably no play ever introduced by Mr. Kimball to the Boston pubic is destined to so much popularity as this: it seems to be universally commended, and to be more and more popular, at every repetition of its performance. Too much praise cannot be awarded to the efficient stage manager, Mr. W. H. Smith, for the excellent manner in which lie has placed the play upon the boards of the Boston Museum. The actors are all perfect in their parts, the machinery works admirably, and there is little if anything left to be desired by the critical eye in the entire performance. Our readers who have not already done so, will not fail to tee this gorgeous pageant and show; it will repay a pilgrimage to enjoy, made up as it is, of graphic display and incident.”

Furnished via Mail Order from the Oriental Emporium of Keokuk

Description
English: Satirical depiction of a scene from an “oriental” movie. Caption: “The sheiks’ tents look as though they had been furnished via mail order from the Oriental Emporium of Keokuk.”
Date
Source Picture-Play, 1922 (https://archive.org/stream/Picture-playMagazineDec.1922/PicturePlay1222#page/n67/mode/1up)
Author Anonymous illustrator

Jephtha’s Daughter, by J. F. Lewis

Description
English: Jephtha’s Daughter, engraved from a painting by John Frederick Lewis, illustrating Byron’s poem on the story of Jephthah in Judges 11
Date
Source The Gallery of Byron Beauties, 1860 (https://archive.org/stream/galleryofbyronbe01byro#page/n111/mode/1up)
Author John Frederick Lewis, painter; R. A. Artlett, engraver