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Scene from Mr. Woodin's Entertainment, "Elopement Extraordinary," at the Polygraphic Hall, 1864. Creator: Unknown
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Scene from Mr. Woodin's Entertainment, "Elopement Extraordinary," at the Polygraphic Hall, 1864. Creator: Unknown
Scene from Mr. Woodin's Entertainment, "Elopement Extraordinary," at the Polygraphic Hall, 1864. A carriage on '...the London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway...A strong-minded young lady, taking advantage of Leap-year, has eloped with a weak-minded young gentleman, and is pursued by her uncle, who...[hides] in a second-class carriage, while they occupy one of the first class...the old gentleman...[discovers that the young man] has come into a large fortune...Hearing the lovers quarrel in the next carriage, he joins them with the design of preventing a rupture, still keeping his face concealed...Mr. Woodin plays all three characters himself, the audience burst into wondering laughter when they see carriages entered by one person after another, and behold heads popping now out of this window, now out of that, while all these travellers are but one and the same man. But their astonishment reaches its height when the scene changes...with the uncle, the two lovers, and the head of a ticket-collector thrust in at the window, all visible at once. This combination is produced by an ingenious arrangement of stuffed "dummies," which Mr. Woodin animates at pleasure by introducing his own face where the face ought to be and working the several arms'. From "Illustrated London News", 1864
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EDITORS COMMENTS
**A Marvel of Entertainment: "Elopement Extraordinary" at Polygraphic Hall, 1864**
This photograph captures a scene from Mr. Woodin's remarkable entertainment, "Elopement Extraordinary," which thrilled audiences at the Polygraphic Hall in 1864. The image shows multiple carriages on the London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway, each containing different characters - or so it seems! In reality, this is an ingenious feat of illusionism by Mr. Woodin himself.
The scene unfolds as a strong-willed young lady takes advantage of Leap-year to elope with her weak-minded suitor. Their uncle pursues them in hot pursuit, hiding in one carriage while the lovers occupy another. The old gentleman discovers that his nephew-in-law has inherited a substantial fortune and decides to intervene, keeping his face concealed.
The photograph captures the audience's amazement as multiple characters emerge from different carriages, all played by Mr. Woodin himself! This is achieved through an ingenious arrangement of stuffed "dummies," which he animates with ease. The image freezes a moment in time when the uncle, lovers, and ticket collector are simultaneously visible at once - a true marvel of entertainment.
This photograph offers a glimpse into the world of Victorian variety shows and the incredible feats that performers like Mr. Woodin could achieve through their skills and creativity. It is a testament to his remarkable talent as an entertainer and our own imagination in capturing this extraordinary scene from history.
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