The First Pictorial Representation of Frankenstein's Monster in Print
Frankenstein; or, The Man and the Monster! A Peculiar Romantic Melo-Dramatic Pantomimic Spectacle, in Two Acts. Founded principally on Mrs. Shelley's singular Work entitled, Frankenstein; or, The modern Prometheus; and partly on the French piece, "Le magicien et le monstre," by H. M. Milner. The only edition correctly marked from the prompter's book; with the stage business, situations and directions. As performed at the London Theatres.
London: J. Duncombe, 1826.
. Frankenstein; or, The Man and the Monster!. A Peculiar Romantic Melo-Dramatic Pantomimic Spectacle, in Two Acts. Founded principally on Mrs. Shelley's singular Work entitled, Frankenstein; or, The modern Prometheus; and partly on the French piece, "Le magicien et le monstre," by H. M. Milner. The only edition correctly marked from the prompter's book; with the stage business, situations and directions. As performed at the London Theatres. London: J. Duncombe, 1826.
Full Description:
SHELLEY, Mary Wollstonecraft. MILNER, Henry M., [compiler]. Frankenstein; or, The Man and the Monster!. A Peculiar Romantic Melo-Dramatic Pantomimic Spectacle, in Two Acts. Founded principally on Mrs. Shelley's singular Work entitled, Frankenstein; or, The modern Prometheus; and partly on the French piece, "Le magicien et le monstre," by H. M. Milner. The only edition correctly marked from the prompter's book; with the stage business, situations and directions. As performed at the London Theatres. London: J. Duncombe, [1826].
First edition. Twelvemo (5 5/8 x 3 1/2 inches; 142 x 90 mm). 28 pp. Engraved frontispiece of 'Mr. O. Smith as the Monster in Frankenstein' which is the first pictorial representation of Frankenstein's monster in print. Woodcut diagram at end showing 'Disposition of the Characters when the Curtain falls.'
Full modern tan sheep. Front board lettered in gilt. Newer endpapers. Some minimal toning to frontispiece and some offsetting to the title-page. Otherwise about fine.
This edition is preceded only by the first two editions of Shelley's work, and appears five years before her third edition. "First performed at the Coburg theatre, July 3, 1826."
"The play was first performed at the Royal Cobourg Theatre, now better known as The Old Vic, with Mr. O. Smith as the Monster. An engraved frontispiece - reportedly the first-ever illustration of Frankenstein’s Monster – shows a muscular Smith wearing what can be best described as a toga and sporting a long head of curly locks, with practically none of the tropes that we now associate with the character. To their credit, Shelley did describe the Monster as having “lustrous black, and flowing” hair but the clothing is noticeably different from the dishevelled garments that the character wears in the novel." (The Independent, Greg Evans).
HBS 69696.
$15,000.
Price: $15,000.00
Item #69696