The British Library holds a considerable collection of Playbills dating from the 1730s to the 1950s. These are single-sheet items which list entertainments at theatres, fairs, pleasure gardens and other such venues. Small 'handbills' circulated amongst theatre-goers enjoying the performance and larger 'great bills' used for posting on walls and windows are assembled in over 1000 bound volumes, comprising an estimated 234,000 playbills.
Given the ephemeral nature of Playbills (fires always needed lighting!) we are fortunate to have such a large number survive, thanks largely to the zeal of known collectors who gathered them together. These preserved Playbills offer a wealth of historical detail with thousands of personal names of actors, playwrights, composers, and theatre managers. Titles in characteristic large type indicate the range and frequency of popular performances and much-loved dramas but, equally important, glimpses the less well-known and even forgotten plays.
These promising rich details have been so near yet so far from our fingertips because past constraints have left this mass of historical print largely uncatalogued. Some volumes are listed on Explore but the entries do not expand beyond naming a location (town), particular theatre(s), and giving an indication of approximate date(s).
Current catalogue searching cannot uncover the level of detail important to researchers: no titles; no names of actors, dramatis personae; no dates of performance, or details of songs performed. Such indications can be crucial to informing and guiding selection of material for closer examination.
Large numbers of Playbills have now been digitised and can be freely viewed on the main catalogue Explore the British Library. But, the detail is buried.
Transcribing selected key components from individual playbills can be uploaded to Explore and will help permanently enhance the way they can be found and reviewed. Something that can be fun to read can be captured and recorded for others to discover and interpret.
Some of these plays may not have been independently recorded in printed form in playbooks; some songs may not have been committed to any printed score so some transcriptions will undoubtedly prove pioneering and help expose hidden details.
This is a work-in-progress, so please have a go and do let us know what you think: is there too much to transcribe, too little? Would a free-text box for additional comments be helpful?