The Bill-Toppers 1909 Andre Castaigne ~ novel of life on the vaudeville stage ~ dust jacket art by Harrison Fisher

Title: The Bill-Toppers

Author: Andre Castaigne / With Illustrations by the Author

Description: A novel of vaudeville stage life, centering on the character of Lily, trained by her father as an expert trick bicycle rider, who succeeds in becoming a ''bill-topper'' or head-liner. The story follows her around the world, telling of her ups and downs, her temptations and triumphs, as she visits theaters, including in New Zealand, India, and Mexico, to London, Paris, Brussels and other European cities.

A. L. Burt reprint in the first edition Bobbs-Merrill dust jacket illustrated by Harrison Fisher. Red cloth boards, white stamped title block on front cover (partly worn), white lettering on spine. A couple short closed tears to cloth at spine ends. Previous owners' names on free front endpaper, else internally clean. One page has a bit of its corner torn off. Numerous illustrations by the author, including frontispiece, five full-page and 17 in-text illustrations. Dust jacket has some loss at spine ends and a few other small chips; in an archival mylar sleeve. The jacket illustration incorporates the original publisher's name (Bobbs-Merrill) into its design, as seen on the rear panel. pp. 386, plus [8] ads.

The French illustrator Andre Castaigne (1861-1929), was a leading illustrator in the United States during the first decade of the twentieth century. His illustrations were featured, notably, in the first American edition of Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera, and appeared regularly in Scribner's, Harper's, and The Century magazines.


Binding: Hardcover
Condition: VG-
Jacket Condition: VG-

Publisher: A. L. Burt Company
Place: New York
Year: 1909

Keywords: novel, vaudeville, circus, fiction, trick bicycle, Harrison Fisher,