New audio story: "The Rise and Fall of Toy Theatre"
Miniature theatrical productions made of paper were all the rage in Victorian England. Our story dives into to the fascinating history behind the trend, and the artifacts that remain today.
Dear Friends,
In 19th-century England, children and adults alike collected small, intricately printed paper cutouts of their favorite stage actors and the theaters in which they performed. Lacking any of the electronic media we have today, fans then acted out that era’s famous plays in miniature by sliding these cutouts across paper floorboards. Beyond providing entertainment, these popular toy theatre kits served as the real theater industry’s PR campaigns of the time—and today, they provide fascinating glimpses into the past.
Sadly, the U.K.’s oldest repository of the Victorian relics—Pollock’s Toy Museum in London, also the world’s largest collector of these treasures—closed its doors just a few weeks ago, possibly for good. Fortunately, we got there earlier, to literally save the day. We now not only have a delightful portrait of this little-known slice of history (thanks to some masterful writing by Garrett Epps, a veteran journalist, author, and professor of law), we also have a rollicking audio recording of the story. The narration was done by Göran Norquist, a stage actor himself, who brings the story’s remarkable characters to life so vividly that it sounds like they’ve come visiting from the dead, right inside our recording studio. So I feel certain you will enjoy either version of this piece, “The Rise and Fall of Toy Theatre,” as much as I have.
As with all of our audio stories, you can listen to or download this one directly from our website, or from your favorite streaming services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also read the original story here.
Each Friday throughout the Winter issue, which highlights some masters of stonework, we’ll release a feature story, short article, mini-documentary, photo essay, or podcast that relates to our mission, to “create a world built to last.” Along with stories that speak to each issue’s theme, we always have works on other topics, so please, stay tuned.
In the meantime, I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read, watch, or listen to within our pages. We welcome your thoughts via email, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for donating to our cause when you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Be well,
Todd Oppenheimer
Editor & Publisher, Craftsmanship Quarterly
Winter 2023: The New Stone Age
When humans first embarked on their incessant quest for innovations, they began tinkering with little more than the rocks and stones at their feet. The Stone Age endured for more than 2 million years, and the stonework remains of ancient civilizations — from the Megalithic Temples of Malta to Stonehenge to the Great Pyramids — continue to awe and fascinate us today. Throughout the world, stone is still quarried for use in grand monuments, memorials, and much more. In this issue, along with other topics, we highlight some modern-day devotees of this timeless, prehistoric material.