To Orwell Today,

I was cleaning my closet and came upon a book with a burgundy and gold leather cover. On the cover of the book reads:

A souvenir of "TRILBY" by Paul M. Potter (founded on George Du Maurier's novel) produced for the first time in London, at THE THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET, on the 30th October, 1895, By HERBERT BEERDOHM TREE.

On the inside is a list of the "Trilby" caste and photographs of the caste taken by T. C. Turner, photographer of the Royal Family.

Would you please e-mail me and tell me if I have anything of any importance?

Thank you so much,
Patty

Greetings Patty,

Sorry, I'm not knowledgeable about the value of old books, but perhaps a reader will write with info.

It seems you have a script or program of the theatre adaptation of the book TRILBY which had come out the year previously in 1894 (although it was first serialized in seven monthly installments of Harper's Magazine).

I read TRILBY a few years ago, after reading Orwell's 1946 review. See SVENGALIAN ANTI-SEMITISM

My 1994 paperback edition of the book (scanned above) contains almost 100 illustrations drawn by the author himself, George Du Maurier, from the 1894 edition.

The introduction mentions "a dramatization by Paul Potter that ran to packed houses at Her Majesty's Theatre. On the stage, Trilby wore a soft felt hat, not mentioned in the novel and the trilby hat is now the one permanent survivor of an 1890s craze".

Du Maurier lived for less than two years after the publication and success of TRILBY.

All the best,
Jackie Jura