The Romance of A People. A Musical and Dramatic Spectacle

Philadelphia: Evening Ledger / Sunday Public Ledger, 1933. First printing. Softcover. Very good condition. Small Folio. 48pp. Original stiff tan wraps with modern design rendered in color lithography, black and white lettering on cover. With aquamarine decorative framing along foredge of all leaves. Inside covers with three color advertisements.

A musical and dramatic spectacle portraying the highlights of four thousand years of Jewish history, presented at the Convention Hall in Philadelphia. An event conceived as a means of symbolizing and representing the ideals and history of the Jewish people. The production originally planned as the Jewish Day, July 3, 1933, at the "Century of Progress Exposition at Chicago." The supporting cast, presumably recruited locally from city to city, numbered many hundreds.

At this and a subsequent performance, the pageant was seen by more than 200,00 people and won the unanimous praise of critics and public. On September 24, 1933, it was presented in New York City and ran for twenty-one performances, which were visited by more than 400,000 people.

Although "The Romance of a People" was produced for its artistic appeal, the sponsor and the beneficiary of the enterprise is the American Palestine Campaign, which is engaged in the effort to raise funds for the settlement of German Jewish refugees in Palestine.

With contributions on Jewish History, a synopsis of the pageant-drama "The Romance of a People," the musical background of the pageant, the principals of cast, an extensive list of the committee of sponsors, with a message from President Franklin D. Roosevelt and a contribution by Louis Lipsky, National Chairman of the American Palestine Campaign, on Palestine, Land of "Promise and Fulfillment."

Illustrated with an artistic depiction of Moses, sepia-toned photos of the principals of the cast, a drawing of President Roosevelt, and numerous illustrated advertisements, including inside and back covers. Wraps with light wear, crease at top foredge corner of cover.