SCENES FROM BEGGARS' OPERA NOW AT WIDENER

In the Treasure Room of the College Library there is now being shown an exhibition of early-illustrative and printed material dealing with the "Beggars' Opera". The exhibition includes many selected pictures depicting scenes from the Opera as first produced, as well as some of the early editions of the book itself, and a personal letter written by John Gay, the author.

Much of the material shown is from the Robert Gould Shaw and the Evert Wendell Collections which are the property of the Library. The greater portion, however, is from the collection of the late Ernest L. Gay '97, who for years collected everything connected with the "Beggars' Opera" or with its author, John Gay. This collection is on deposit at the College Library. Only those parts of it which are of more public interest have been selected to go on exhibition.

This exhibition should be of special interest at present due to the fact that a revival of the "Beggars' Opera" is even now playing in Boston. It was originally written by John Gay in 1728 and marks the beginning of the English comic opera. Since that time it has been frequently revived, and it is due to the interest shown when it was produced last year in London that it has since come to America, first to New York, and now to Boston.