Master Burke as Mr. Terence O'Leary
Not on view
Considered a wonder of the stage, and known as the "Irish Roscius," the boy actor Joseph Burke appears here as one of six characters he performed in "The March of Intellect" at the Surrey Theatre, London between 1827 and 1830. This show premiered when Burke was just nine and included dancing, music and various accents. The character shown in this print is an Irishman (allowing the actor to reflect on his home and origins), and the others included a child of eight, a lawyer, an Italian violinist, a British seaman, and Napoleon. A contemporary writer raved, Master Burke "is an immense favorite; in fact he might be termed one of the wonders of the world...in so young a child we never saw any thing like so much mind before...He is quite a master of his art, the stage is completely his own" (see 17.3.888-1075 to 17.3.888-1079 for the other characters).
