The
History of the Theatre Poster
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In the 19th century, circuses and menageries led the way in
pictorial advertising, because the acts and animals lent themselves
to illustration. Pictures of exciting circus acts also attracted
the attention of potential audience members who couldn’t
read. The invention of the first machine that could manufacture
paper in continuous sheets meant that paper-making costs dropped
dramatically, and circuses began to add woodcut,
or wood-engraved images to their posters.
Iron presses were introduced after 1800, followed by steam-powered
presses but although these were much faster, they were expensive
to install. As late as 1850, mechanised presses were considered
a novelty, and those who had them noted proudly on their posters
that they used ‘steam printers’. These presses only
printed the text, however, and images still had to be added separately.
Playbill, 1803
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The collection of acts advertised here is to take place in Hull, at 'The New Circus, in the Market Place'. The event itself is not called 'a circus' yet. The acts are very similar to what an audience would see at 'Astley's Amphitheatre'. There are demonstrations of horsemanship, and 'Men piled on Men' (in other words, acrobatic displays). Both these ingredients played a major part in Philip Astley's entertainments. The added extra here is the performance of a new pantomime called Harlequin's Gambols. The characters include Harlequin, Columbine, and Clown, all directly from Commedia dell'arte. Whether on the stage or on horseback, these characters were central to pantomime until the early part of the 20th century. Created: April 1803
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