1901 Original American Theater Poster, the New Baby

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Date: 1901
Size: 40.5 x 78.5 inches
Artist: Anonymous

According to Jack Rennert, a man we fondly call the Poster … Read more Date: 1901
Size: 40.5 x 78.5 inches
Artist: Anonymous

According to Jack Rennert, a man we fondly call the Poster King, you'd think that a play called 'The New Baby' might feature said child in its promotional material. But here's the thing - there really isn't a baby at the center of the comedy, and that's the crux of this entertainment.

The plot concerns a husband who is so bored with country life that he dreams up the idea of having an illegitimate son in London as a way to get into town for an occasional 'night off'. When his wife decides that the child should be adopted, the expected comic tissue of falsehoods and misunderstandings frays and hilarity ensues. Adapted from German by A. Bourchier, the farce opened in London in 1896 to what a local critic termed 'much mirth'. Several years later, when the play had crossed the Atlantic and entered the repertory of David de Wolf - cleverly called the Baby's 'chaperone' on the poster - and his troupe of travelling players, that understated review was translated into the more American 'howling success'.

The cast and director would've been totally unfamiliar with the British hinterlands, so this splendid design concentrates on the hi-jinks of the characters and their situation. We believe this magnificent and awe inspiring poster typifies the best of musical history and musical posters. Printed by the Russell & Morgan company, this ginormous (a very technical term) poster for what we think was a musical revue is a masterpiece – look at the golf bags! – in excellent condition and full of color! See less