Acquisition: Gift; Lillian Moore.
Biographical/Historical: Boxing Day in Britain and other Commonwealth nations is the day after Christmas, December 26. Its name is often said to derive from the Christmas boxes (tips or gifts) given to servitors and underlings on that day. Though others may have celebrated it as a secular holiday, it was apparently not a day off for nineteenth-century theatrical performers.

Physical Description

Wood engravings
Extent: 1 print : wood engraving?, color ; 24 x 35 cm.

Abstract

One of two prints contrasting different moments in the lives of female ballet dancers of the nineteenth century. Here, they appear to be gathering for a rehearsal. Still dressed in street clothes, they mill about the stage. Only one woman, at far right, raises her leg in a grand battement as though warming up. The man behind them, pointing to something outside the frame, may be a member of the stage crew. In the related print, "Boxing Day ten p.m." (*MGZFX Anon Box 2) the women have metamorphosed into glamorously costumed dancers onstage, apparently captured in performance.

Languages

English

Identifiers

NYPL Catalog ID (bnumber): b19759045
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 156b95e0-616c-013c-96fd-0242ac110003

Rights

The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries. Though not required, if you want to credit us as the source, please use the following statement, "From The New York Public Library," and provide a link back to the item on our Digital Collections site. Doing so helps us track how our collection is used and helps justify freely releasing even more content in the future.

Type Of Resource

Still Image
Text

Date Issued

1850

Cite this item

MLA format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Boxing Day ten a.m." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1850 - 1859. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/156b95e0-616c-013c-96fd-0242ac110003

APA format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. (1850 - 1859). Boxing Day ten a.m. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/156b95e0-616c-013c-96fd-0242ac110003

Chicago/Turabian Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Boxing Day ten a.m." New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed November 14, 2025. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/156b95e0-616c-013c-96fd-0242ac110003

Wikipedia citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/156b95e0-616c-013c-96fd-0242ac110003 | title= (still image; text) Boxing Day ten a.m. (1850 - 1859) | author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library | accessdate=November 14, 2025 | publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>