Print of the Day: The Owl Quadrille, 1850

The British Museum

From the British Museum, we have the music-cover sheet from "The Owl Quadrille" by Charles Coote.  This handsome chromolithograph features a group of owls nestled into an ivy bush.  One wears a wig, others wear hats and glasses or a crown.  

The sheet music was published in London, circa 1850, by M. Davison and the printmaker was Britain's Thomas Wales Lee.

The music is inscribed:

"Tom Lee lith,"

and above,

"Composed expressly for & played at Mr Alfred Mellon's concerts."