The Private Secretary
Date1907
Artist
Bertha Corson Day
(American painter and illustrator, 1875–1968)
Illustration CitationThe Greenroom Club theatrical program for "The Private Secretary," at The New Century Club, December 16-17, 1907
MediumCharcoal and watercolor on paper
Dimensions17 3/8 × 12 3/4 in. (44.1 × 32.4 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Philip J. Kimball and Mrs. C. Lalor Burdick, 1963
Object number1963-11
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDRAWING
Label TextAlthough Bertha Corson Day retired from commercial illustration when she married in 1902, she continued to produce art for community projects such as this play put on by the Wilmington Greenroom Club. Here she captures the anxiety of the lead character in this mistaken-identity farce, a meek clergyman who carries his luggage as he is constantly rushed from place to place.The play's locale, The New Century Club of Wilmington, was the home of an affluent women's group dedicated to self-improvement and assistance to the poor. The organization built and occupied the building that now houses Delaware Children's Theater on Pennsylvania Avenue and North Jackson Street.
