Programme for the Royal Opera House illustrated by Rex Whistler 1939

WHISTLER, Rex (1905-1944). Programme for the State Performance in Honour of the President of the French Republic and Madame Lebrun. Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 22 March 1939.

395 x 230 mm. [8] pp., plus covers, comprising 12 sides in all. Original cream card wrappers and contents die-cut in the shape of an elaborate baroque cartouche, secured with the original gold cord and tassels. The upper cover with a pictorial design by Rex Whistler, within an ornate blind-embossed border, the royal crown and George VI's cypher printed in gold above. Rear cover with Whistler's decorative sun device. Contents printed in red and black, with Royal Arms by Whistler to the opening page. Occasional light spotting and minor handling wear, the tassels slightly frayed. A very good, notably well-preserved copy.

An elaborate example of Whistler's work in printed ephemera, produced for the state performance commanded by George VI in honour of the visit of French President Albert Lebrun and his wife. Whistler's cover combines the British lion and Gallic cockerel with the emblems of the two nations, surrounded by flags, arms and foliage.

The evening comprised Acts I and III of Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Princess, performed by the Vic-Wells Ballet under the direction of Ninette de Valois, with Margot Fonteyn as Princess Aurora. The London Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by Constant Lambert for the ballet and Sir Thomas Beecham for Debussy's Iberia, played between the two acts. Whistler & Fuller 386.