- DENMARK -

German toy theatres were also introduced in Denmark, where German publishers found a new market to sell their production. However, the need to represent characters that were familiar to the Danish public soon became apparent. In 1880, Alfred Jacobsen launched the magazine Promter, specialised in toy theatres. As a marketing device, each issue of the magazine came with a free chapter and a character sheet of Capitan Grant’s Children, by Jules Verne. Each sheet was produced by a renowned artist, a novelty which, together with the quality of the full-colour lithographs, gave Jacobsen a definitive edge to introduce these toys into the market. The success led him to abandon the magazine in order to work exclusively on the publication of adaptations of plays from the Copenhagen scene. Jacobsen reached a remarkable success in his new industrialised activity, and toy theatres became an important part of Danish culture.

In the 20th century, toy theatre sheets were, once again, given away by a very popular Danish magazine, The Illustrated Family Journal. This happened in the 1920s, and the drawings were increasingly more inspired by the cinema rather than by the theatre.

Jacobsen’s sheets were perpetuated by the publisher Estrid Prior. The business survived in Denmark and many of the original designs from the 1880s are now commercially available.

ROYAL PROSCENIUM

“EI BLOT TIL LYST” ( "Not just to enjoy ") registered the phrase contained in this sober Danish proscenium signed by the publisher Alfred Jacobsen in 1880. This facade became very popular when Jacobsen, restless editing by other models, sold the rights of reproduction to Vilhelm Prior that took the reproduction and sale of all its designs at the death of Jacobsen .

Editor: Wilhem Prior
Year: 1929
Provenance: Copenhague, Denmark.