Plum Park Press
THE BEGGAR'S OPERA was written by John Gay, and originally published in 1729. The 2017 Plum Park Press version reproduces the original edition in miniature. Like the original, the PPP edition contains both the playscript and the score for the music. Unlike the original, the miniature version also includes a block of color plates with sketches for the costumes and set designs for the 1921 production of the opera at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith (London).
The text uses the same typefaces (Baskerville and Caslon), and the same printer's cuts. The result is not a strict facsimile, however: the type in the miniature is still readable.
Both the original and the miniature use a combination of marbled paper on the boards and faux leather on the spine, with matching printed and gilded patterns. The title appears in gilt on the spine. The endpapers in the miniature also use the same red marbling as the original, scaled down. Here is a photograph of the original and the miniature:
The Beggar's Opera consists of 200 pages of text and music, plus 16 pages of color plates, with overall dimensions of 76 x 60 x 19 mm (3 x 2-3/8 x 9/16 inches). The edition consists of 20 copies, priced at $50 each, plus $5 for shipping and handling.
