First edition. 64pp, copiously illustrated with stunning paintings by Patricia Neville. Blue publisher's cloth-covered boards, gilt-stamped lettering on the spine. Cream endpapers. 8vo. Clothgently pushed at spine ends. Front free endpaper corner clipped else internally neat, clean, bright and tight. In its original illustrated, glossy dust wrapper. a little shelf worn, very slightly rubbed on corners and spine ends.
Grimaldi was revered in his time for bringing to the London stage a unique comic genius that filled theatres to capacity night after night for months on end. The precursor of Charlie Chaplin, Marcel Marceau and Danny Kaye, Grimaldi's extraordinary hold on audiences lasted for thirty years, from the French Revolution until after the death of George III.
