The Duchess of Dantzic is a
comic opera, set in
Paris, with music by
Ivan Caryll and a book and lyrics by
Henry Hamilton, based on the play
Madame Sans-Gêne by
Victorien Sardou and
Émile Moreau. Additional lyrics are by
Adrian Ross. The story concerns
Napoleon and a laundress,
Catherine Üpscher, who marries
Marshal Lefebvre and becomes a duchess. The opera was first produced in London at the
Lyric Theatre in 1903 and ran for 236 performances. Subsequently, it enjoyed a successful New York production at
Daly's Theatre and other productions around the world, and it was revived in London and performed regularly by amateur theatre groups, particularly in Britain, until the 1950s. This 1903 poster for the opera's original production was designed by the show's costume designer,
Percy Anderson.
Poster credit: Percy Anderson; restored by Adam Cuerden
