"First issued in Melbourne in 1864, Thatcher's Colonial Minstrel preserves the songs and comic verses of Charles Robert Thatcher, one of the most celebrated entertainers of the Australian goldfields. Written to popular tunes of the day and rich in colonial slang, humour and local references, the work provides a lively and often satirical account of life on the Victorian diggings during the turbulent years of the gold rush. More than a simple songbook, it was regarded by contemporaries as a humorous chronicle of the colony's early years and remains an important source for students of Australian folk culture and social history.
This edition was issued in Adelaide by the Libraries Board of South Australia in 1964 as a faithful facsimile of the scarce original 1864 Charlwood & Son Melbourne printing. Produced with the permission of Melbourne collector B. G. Brett, owner of the original volume, the reprint preserves the typography and layout of the nineteenth-century edition, including the decorative title pages and the original imprint details. It contains the complete collection of Thatcher's songs, described on the title page as "forming a complete comic history of the early diggings", and offers a fascinating insight into the tastes and amusements of colonial Australia.
Today, Thatcher's Colonial Minstrel is recognised as an important work of Australian literary and musical heritage. Charles Thatcher's compositions capture the humour, hardships and colourful characters of the goldfields era with remarkable immediacy, making the volume a desirable addition to collections devoted to Australiana, Australian folk music and the social history of the nineteenth century. This handsome 1964 facsimile edition is further enhanced by the attractive bookplate of J. B. Prentice, adding a pleasing touch of provenance to an already engaging piece of Australian cultural history."
Light wear to covers. Ex libris bookplate. Pages very clean and the book presents well. Please study photos to further understand condition.
