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On the french side of toytheatre, the best sceneries have been produced by Imageries d'Epinal circa 1880 and 1900. The Imageries d'Epinal, SA still exist and the Museum of Epinal is being constructed in Epinal, Vosges, East of France. They have kindly sent copies and the characters from the Huguenots have been taken from these sheets and enlarged and painted in watercolor.
The french have produced several scripts from the writer Jules Verne, eighty days round the world between others. Usually the backdrop is quite big. Le theatre Nouveau with pictures of Racine and Corneille is so huge that english sceneries cannot fit properly and drapes and curtains must be brought in to reduce the stage.
The french engaged also in another sort of toytheatre, movement is not possible here and the interior of a shop, of a market scene are presented to the spectator. Its a minute reconstitution of the props and street-life of the period. These specimens are extremely rare and expensive.
The story of Puss in Boots has also been exploited by the french. Several characters are so designed that they can change costumes in the manner of the paper dolls at the same period.
Several designers have worked for french toytheatre. Generally speaking the draughsmanship is excellent and elaborate in contrast to more abrupt attempts. I have seen 1900 interiors, scenes with a casino and a seashore, numerous woods scenes, sophisticated parks with fountains,on the wings side, giant elephants, intricate patterns. Most of the time, these scenes are not complete because some pieces are missing due to neglect and time and fragility of paper or other ailments
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Comte de Nevers
Nevers will marry Valentine on the night of the massacre in Paris
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the first scene of the Huguenots after Meyerbeer and Scribe
carboard sceneries for the massacre in Paris
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Bussy d'Amboise after Chapman
Duke of Guise, from the Catholic party, Countess of Montsoreau and Bussy d'Amboise. Chapman wrote a sequel to Bussy d'Amboise.
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A performance in Sheffield by the late Percy Press
Captures the excitement of being around this toytheatre show. The spectators are all members of the Guild. Sheffield is the hotbed of toytheatre agitation
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