Alfred Thompson (librettist)
Alfred Thompson (pseudonym: Thompson E. Jones,[1] 7 October 1831 – 31 August 1895)[2] was a British musical theatre librettist, set designer, costume designer, theatre manager, journalist and artist, contributing to Punch and Vanity Fair (signed "Ἀτη").
Biography
[edit | edit source]Thompson was born in London. He was educated at Rugby and Brighton. He matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1850 and graduated B.A. in 1855. He served as a cavalry officer in the 6th Dragoons from 1855 until he sold his commission in 1857; he started as cornet and rose to captain. In 1854 he sold his first drawing to Diogenes and in 1856–1858 sold numerous drawings to Punch.[3] He studied art in Munich with private lessons from Karl von Piloty and in Paris under Thomas Couture. In 1867 at the behest of Arthur à Beckett, Thompson joined the literary staff of The Tomahawk.[4]
From February to December 1868, Thompson and Leopold David Lewis edited a monthly review The Mask,[5] which failed. In the 1860s Thompson became successful as a librettist, set designer and costume designer for the British musical theatre in London. For the English stage he designed over five thousand costumes.[6] During the 1870s in Manchester he was managing director of the Theatre Royal and the Prince's Theatre. In May 1883 as a journalist he represented the Daily News at the coronation of Tsar Alexader III. In the latter part of his career Thompson moved to Manhattan and became successful as a librettist for New York City musicals similar to those he had worked on in London and Manchester.
Libretti
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Gallery from Vanity Fair
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John Villiers Stuart Townshend by "Ἀτη" in the 26 February 1870 issue
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Sir Robert Peel by "Ἀτη" in the 19 March 1870 issue
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Sir Frederick Pollock by "Ἀτη" in the 2 April 1870 issue
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Mansur Ali Khan of Bengal by "Ἀτη" in the 16 April 1870 issue
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Francis, Duke of Teck by "Ἀτη" in the 14 May 1870 issue
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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- ^ The Mask ("a humorous and fantastic review") – Hathitrust Digital Library
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External links
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- National Portrait Gallery – Person – Alfred Thompson (Atn)
- The log of the Water Lily, illustrated by Alfred Thompson — Hathi Trust Digital Library
- Fellows 1800 – 99 – Queens College Cambridge Thomas Perronet Thompson was Alfred's uncle.
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- 1831 births
- 1895 deaths
- Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
- American musical theatre librettists
- British caricaturists
- British costume designers
- British editorial cartoonists
- English musical theatre librettists
- People educated at Brighton College
- People educated at Rugby School
- Punch (magazine) cartoonists
- Vanity Fair (British magazine) artists
- Writers from London
- 19th-century American dramatists and playwrights