Background
Gilbert Fox was born in 1776 in England, and at an early age was apprenticed to Thomas Medland, line-engraver, in London.
(Originally published in 1887. This volume from the Cornel...)
Originally published in 1887. This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies. All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume.
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Gilbert Fox was born in 1776 in England, and at an early age was apprenticed to Thomas Medland, line-engraver, in London.
It so happened that an American (Edward Trenchard), who practiced engraving in Philadelphia without knowledge of the art, went on a voyage of discovery to London and finding young Fox, in the year 1793, bound by an apprentice’s articles to Medland, a well-known engraver of that city, conceived the design of purchasing the youth’s time if he could induce him to cross the seas to Philadelphia, the place of the adventurer’s abode, and teach him what he had learned from Medland. Fox’s reward was to be liberty and good wages.
Fox came to this country in 1795, and alter the completion of his contract with Trenchard, decided to teach drawing in a seminary for young ladies. Marrying one of his pupils, his position as drawing master was declared vacant, and in 1798 he joined the company of the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia as a singer.
For his benefit at the theatre, April 25, 1798, Fox induced Joseph Hopkinson to write the national song, “Hail, Columbia” to the then familiar tune of “The President’s March. ” When it was sung at the production it caused a sensation which lasted for many months.
Fox was connected with the New York Theatre during the seasons from 1799 to 1802, and at the same time, continued occasionally to engrave plates. Nearly all of his engravings are in line. He etched a view of the Chestnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, for William Birch, about this time, and three plates for William Mavor’s Voyages, volumes XV and XVIII. He also engraved a portrait of Kotzebue for Dunlap’s German theatre.
In 1804 he went to Boston, where he was a member of the Boston Theatre company until 1807. He appears to have done some engraving at the same time.
After 1807 all trace of Fox seems to be lost, but Dunlap states, that his father bequeathed him one thousand pounds, which might suggest that he returned to his native land.
(Originally published in 1887. This volume from the Cornel...)
As a player he is said to have been “a versatile, pleasant actor, good in tragedy, comedy, or comic opera”, and though he had an impediment in his speech, stuttering in private conversation, on the stage he lost all self-consciousness and hesitation.
One writer quotes a contemporary as remarking that “ he had some excellent qualities, but prudence was not one of them. ”