Let's Do Some Gilbert & Sullivan, by Edmond W. Rickett, (First Edition), 1940 🎭🎶📜

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is a First Edition of "Let's Do Some Gilbert & Sullivan: A Practical Production Handbook," by Edmond W. Rickett and Benjamin T. Hoogland. Published in 1940 by Coward-McCann, this book is a practical guide for amateur productions.

This copy is a unique collectible due to its history, which includes a handwritten note from a prior owner and its original sales receipt. The book is a sound acquisition for a collector of theater history.

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2. About the Book 📖✍️✨

This book is a practical production handbook designed for those involved in amateur theatricals. It offers advice, technical guidance, and insights into staging the famous operas of Gilbert and Sullivan.

The authors draw on their own experiences to provide a detailed guide, covering topics from casting and rehearsal to staging and lighting. The book also includes illustrations by W. S. Gilbert himself.

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3. About the Authors ✍️🏛️

Edmond W. Rickett and Benjamin T. Hoogland were theatrical enthusiasts dedicated to bringing the works of Gilbert & Sullivan to the amateur stage. Their practical experience in production and their deep knowledge of the operas make them guides on the subject.

A handwritten note on the front endpaper provides a personal connection to the book's ownership history.

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4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

Published in 1940, this book was a product of a time when community theater and amateur productions of musicals and operas were popular throughout the United States. The book’s focus on Gilbert and Sullivan reflects the enduring appeal of their work.

The inclusion of the original sales receipt, dated November 8, 1941, places this specific item in a precise moment in history, a year before the U.S. entered World War II, providing a unique snapshot of American cultural life.

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5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This book is for a collector of theatrical history, a scholar of Gilbert and Sullivan, or a private collector of historical ephemera. It is an item for an individual who values a book's historical significance.

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6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This First Edition from 1940 is 85 years old. Its value is derived from its status as a literary first edition and its unique history.

The book is a sound collectible due to its well-preserved state and the inclusion of its original sales receipt, a bookstore sticker, and a related advertising pamphlet. This history makes it a desirable item.

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7. Condition 🔎📚✨

• Used hardcover edition.

• The binding is solid.

• The pages are discolored consistent with age.

• The faint ink blot is on the first pages.

• The front endpaper contains a handwritten note from a prior owner.

• The book includes its original sales receipt, a bookstore sticker, and an advertising pamphlet.

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8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The original sales receipt is from Curtis Lindsay, a prominent bookseller in San Jose, California.

• The included receipt is dated November 8, 1941, providing a tangible link to a specific moment in time.

• The book's illustrations by W. S. Gilbert are a unique touch for fans of the operas.

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9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Author: Edmond W. Rickett and Benjamin T. Hoogland

• Publication Date: 1940

• Edition: First Edition

• Publisher: Coward-McCann, Inc.

• Place of Publication: New York

• Format: Hardcover

• Illustrator: W. S. Gilbert

• Genre: Theater, Non-fiction, Performing Arts, American History

• Notes: Includes a handwritten note, original sales receipt, bookstore sticker, and advertising pamphlet.