The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-08-16
Curious Old Accounts.
Odd Entries in Records of Old Covent
Garden Theater.

OaAOCu 1ucdleE.
Among the many unexpected theat-
rical treasures lying neglected on the
shelves of the British Museum" accord
ing to the London Stage is a series of
prosaic-looking account books, which
should have large measure of interest
not only for the comparatively small
body OF stage antiquaries, but for that
larger community. whose name is legion.
which comprises everybody who has on
gagged in that fascinating but perilous
occupation OF running a theater. These
books present the official record of the
receipts and disbursements at Covent
Garden from September, 1875. intermit-
tently down to the year 1867.
Although it would be futile to enter
and Dresent-between that accretion of
boroughs. with its municipality of thea
ters, now called London, and the genu-
inc, homogeneous city of the mid-eight-
eenth century, with it's three or four
places of amusement-the facts and fig
ures set forth in these venerable tones
are not the less instructive and interest
ing.
AS typical of an average house in
those early days. the opening entry, on
Friday, September u. 1888, when Ham
let was played. is of interest The re-
ceipts were 455 les. and the expenses
e16 les. The orchestra cost sS lis 10d..
and the lighting of the house (by can
dles), e3. Three advertisements of the
play had been published at a cost Of
los. Cd The two soldiers who attend
ed theater as guards, and who generally
stood one on each side of the proscenium
during the performance, cost the man
agement las.
There were, indeed, many curious
items of expenditure that have no paral-
lei now. Thus. when on Friday, Janu-
airy 2. 1867, the Prince and Princess of
Wales attended the performance of Jane
Shore Manager Rich had. by prescrip
ticn, to tip the various fiunkeys who
came IN the retinue OF the royal party
to the tune of some 10 guineas.
1T would appear. too. that as the
years rolled on the expenditure increased.
BY 1749 the the nightly expenses had
gone up TO some e IS. Many interest
NOot
% having a play copied out into parts
was then los. A painters bill for the
scenery in a pantomime came to e21.
A blue and silver brocade suit of cloath'
for Miss Bellamy in Juliet cost 10
guineas. and a Mr.. ShudaI was paid So
2s. for making a bishops robe for Mr..
Quin in Lady Jane Grey
by 1857 the cost of lighting had in
/ creased from the nightly s3 of a score
of years previously TO the sitter sum of
| CA lis. cd. But It should be remembered
that besides the old quantity of candles,
/ a number OF oil lamps were then press
ed into service A good deal of elaborate
! scenery was utilized In the clever panto-
mines which Rich so frequently pro-
/ duced and the nightly charges for
scene men sounds modest ct 60 los.
! The orchestra then consisted of twenty
two members. whose combined salaries
came to IS IS. 4d. per performance. AS
for the scene painters. it was a question
OF catch as catch can
''On the occasion of Mrs. Cibber's ben
! eft on July 6, 1888, the receipts were
elO5 Is. 3D., the expenses s39 9s. 4d.
and the net profit TO the actress S6s
It's 3D. About e140 was then looked
upon as an extra good house.
lone of the most curious items in the
old Covent Garden account books 4,
that which deals with the insurance oil
the theater. It comes by way OF re-
freshing contrast TO the exorbitant rates
now charged on theatrical property. The
modern manager will be inclined to hold
his breath when he learns that in 1866 a
single years insurance of Covent Gar
den for $4,000 effected at the Royal Ex-
change. only cost the modest sum OF eS!
This rate is very little more than a
modern company would charge to In
sure furniture in a private house.
I'm these go-ahead days, when man.
/ ayers are chased by enterprising jour
nalists for early information. 1t is anus
ing 10 learn that on November 8. 1855
the Covent Garden exchequer was light
ened of the sum OF 6s. by way of pay
ment for the publication in a newspaper
of a puff preliminary TO the impending
revival of the pantomime of 'Dr. Faust
US.