Penny Dreadfuls, 1865 · page 4 of 204
Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This is an **illustrated page** from a Victorian penny dreadful. The image shows an ornate engraving titled "The Ballet-Girl's Dream," depicting a young woman in elaborate dress seated centrally, surrounded by numerous smaller scenes in clouds depicting her imagined future. The text explains that Rose Mortimer, an orphaned girl with only her criminal father as guardian, has chosen stage work for her livelihood. While awaiting an interview, she falls asleep and dreams of her future theatrical career. The caption indicates this is an introductory illustration for a serialized romance titled "Rose Mortimer; or, the Ballet-Girl's Revenge," distributed gratis with the first installment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
| ve HE BALLET=GURL’S DREAM li uu LS 2 | iL, - wi ' (ROSE MORTIMER, WITH NO GUARDIAN BUT HER CRIMINAL FATHER, HAS CHOSEN THE STAGE FOR A LIVELIHOOD. WHILE AWAITING AN Lee OMe (ovoy <S SHE FALLS ASLEEP AND DREAMS OF HER FUTURE CAREER—See “Rosk Mortimer; or, THe BALLet-Giry's REVENGE.”] 2 i ee : . 4 (Introductoru Plate to the new Romance, * Rose Mortimer, or the Ballet-Girl’s Revenge.’—Gratis to Purchasers of No. 1.)