Beschreibung:

Hall, Jacob, and Richard LancashireThese are to give Notice to all Gentleman and Others, That there is Joyned together Two of the Best Companies in England, viz. Mr. Jacob Hall (Sworn Servant to his Majestie) and Mr. Richard Lancashire… Np: nd, ca. 1670 Broadside (164 x 200 mm). Woodcut royal coat of arms at top; old folds, wormhole at bottom. Mounted, framed, and glazed with Plexiglas; not examined out of frame. A remarkable survival, heralding a rope-dance challenge "With only ten lines of type set beneath an impressive royal crest, it is both an announcement and a challenge. It is an official notice of the collaborative efforts of two troupes of rope dancers, one directed by Richard Lancashire and the other by Jacob Hall[.] The enterprising performers concluded their advertisement with a 'Challenge [to] all Others whatsoever, whether English-men, or Strangers, to do the like with them for Twenty pounds, or what more They please.'" Of the two performers, Hall was the more famous, and was mentioned by Samuel Pepys in two diary entries from the 1660s. Jay notes that "Hall's notoriety seems to have been based on private as much as public performances, both of which took advantage of his grace and pleasing physiognomy. According to one contemporary account, women found him 'a due composition of Hercules and Adonis.' He was a lover of Lady Castlemaine, the influential Duchess of Cleveland, who made him the recipient of many favors" (EE). The present broadside is apparently exceedingly rare. According to Jay, until its relatively recent appearance, "we knew of it only as cited by the notorious scholar and forger John Payne Collier in 1859, and his compromised credibility called its very existence into question. It now seems likely that this copy was once owned by Collier" (EE). REFERENCE:EE, pp. 22-23 PROVENANCE:John Payne Collier (see catalogue note)Condition reportCondition as described in catalogue entry.