🔥 RARE Antique Edwardian British Royal Opera House Silk Programmes 1905 & 1907

Description: These are seldomly seen and RARE Antique Edwardian British Royal Opera House Silk Programmes (2), dating to 1905 and 1907. One commemorates the visit of King Alfonso XIII of Spain to the venue in 1905, and the other commemorates the visit of the King and Queen of Denmark in 1907. Each piece is approximately 15 1/4 x 19 inches (including frame.) Actual artwork is approximately 12 1/2 x 16 inches. Good condition for age, with some creases to the fabric from age and storage (please see photos.) Acquired from an old collection in Los Angeles County, California. Priced to Sell. If you like what you see, I encourage you to make an Offer. Please check out my other listings for more wonderful and unique artworks! The description of each programme is as follows: Programme 1: Exceptional Silk Programme of the Gala at the Royal Opera House, (1841-1910, King of Great Britain), ALEXANDRA (of Denmark, 1844-1925, his Queen), and ALFONSO XIII (1886-1941, King of Spain 1886-1931)] Printed in full colours, showing the arms of Spain and Great Britain, the Badges of the Golden Fleece and the Garter, with vignette photos of Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and King Alfonso, the programme, under the management of André Messager, consisting of an Act each from Romeo & Juliet, La Bohème (with Melba as Mimi and Caruso as Rodolpho) and The Huguenots, 14¾" x 11¼" plus fringes of one and a half inches all round, designed and printed by Finden Brown & Co., London, for Covent Garden, 8th June The young Alfonso XIII had arrived three days earlier on an official state visit. He was also known to be seeking a bride, and the expectation was that he might think of Princess Patricia of Connaught. However, at the 'family dinner' that evening at Buckingham Palace, he was much taken by a bashful Princess Victoria Eugenie. He continued the courtship, sending postcards on his travels, and they were married in Madrid on the following 31st May. Programme 2: Rare Antique Silk Royal Gala Opera Covent Garden Program 1907 Gala Performance BY COMMAND OF HIS MAJESTY THE KING In Honour of the Visit of The King and Queen of Denmark Tuesday, June 11, 1907 at 9 pm Madam Butterfly Singers - Caruso - Destinn - Scotti - Lejeune - Zucchi - Marcoux - Galletti La Boheme Caruso - Melba - Marcoux - Gilibert - Sammarco - Gianoli Die Meistersinger Van Rooy - Bechstein - Griswold - Hempel - Jorn - Tolli <> Measuring 17 ins by 13 ins A rare and lovely piece of Royal / Covent Garden history. This is an exemplary piece and very rare. To give an idea as to how rare at a recent auction an identical piece sold for £(X), below is there description: COVENT GARDEN: A good, original silk programme for a Gala Performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, by command of King Edward VII in honour of the visit of the King and Queen of Denmark, 11th June 1907. The programme features performances from Madame Butterfly, La Boheme and Die Meistersinger, the cast including Enrico Caruso , Nellie Melba , Emmy Destinn , Antonio Scotti etc. The silk programme is printed with a decorative border, featuring Royal ciphers and coats of arms, and has a tassled edge. About these Items: London Royal Opera silk theatre playbills and programmes, dating to the early 20th century. Playbills like these were printed for special performances, such as the benefit, gala and state performances promoted here. Since they were intended to be sold at the theatre as souvenirs, they were not printed on the rough, cheaper paper generally used for this type of promotional material, but on a fine silk fabric that gave a soft textured sheen. Playbills like these were often also embellished with a delicate fringe, making them all the more desirable as mementos of the performance.

Price: 1350 USD

Location: Orange, California

End Time: 2024-02-25T21:29:39.000Z

Shipping Cost: 45 USD