Playbill

22 April 1914

Paper, printing

70,7х55,7

An Irkutsk playbill dated 22 April 1914 announces a charity performance “for the benefit of those affected by the hurricane in the Don Region”: a reference to the disaster of late February and early March 1914, which caused a catastrophic rise in water levels along the coast of the Sea of Azov and led to serious destruction. It is especially significant that the collection was organized in Irkutsk, thousands of kilometres from the Sea of Azov, making the playbill a testimony to a broad network of public assistance. The evening included a performance of the three-act comedy Nina, staged by dramatic actors with the participation of amateurs. After the performance, dancing was planned until three o’clock in the morning, accompanied by a military orchestra. The design features vignettes – images of dragonflies and beetles placed between the large letters of the play’s title. Such decorative elements were often used in the design of typographic playbills in the early twentieth century.

КП 310370/669/4245