H Beard Print Collection

William Pleater Davidge (1814-1888) was an English-born comic actor, dramatist, and author who emigrated to the United States in 1850 when he made his first appearance on the American stage as Sir Peter Teazle in Sheridan's comedy The School for Scandal. In 1879 he played Dick Deadeye in the original production of Gilbert & Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore at New York's Standard Theatre.

His son, William Thomas Davidge (1847-1899), born in Manchester but taken to America aged three, also remained in America where he was also a comic actor and was married to the actress Maggie Harold (1852-1907). This drawing depicts Davidge as Pistol in Shakespeare's Henry V. A collection of phoographs of the Davidge family and associated personalities is in the Harvard Theatre Collection, known as the William Pleater Davidge collection of photographs.