The Bear Garden Theatre, London by Paul Braddon

'Watercolour by Paul Braddon depicting the Bear Garden Theatre, Bankside, London, from an old copper plate. The Bear Garden on Bankside had been the site of bear-baiting since the mid-16th century. In 1614, Philip Henslowe and Edward Alleyn set up The Hope theatre in its place, for the dual use of bear-baiting and staging plays. Paul Braddon (1864-1937) was the pseudonym of James Leslie Crees. Born in Birmingham, England, Braddon was a prolific watercolour artist, best known for his topographical paintings, which often featured buildings with a literary connection. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has almost a hundred of Braddon's watercolours in its collection, painted around 1890 and depicting scenes from Stratford-upon-Avon and other areas associated with William Shakespeare.'