Drawing

This illustration, entitled "The Private Stage Door, Adelphi Theatre", shows members of the public gathering outside the stage door of the Adelphi Theatre on the day after the death of the actor William Terris (1847-1897).

The sketch was drawn by the artist William B. Robinson (1870-1925) and has been signed by him at the base of the image. The image was created for reproduction in a newspaper/magazine, probably The Sketch.

William Terris, born William Charles James Lewin, was a successful and popular stage actor. On 16 December 1897, as he was entering the Adelphi Theatre to prepare for the evening's performance of Secret Service, he was stabbed to death by a deranged and out of work actor, Richard Archer Prince. His death was met with great shock and sadness both by fellow performers and members of the public.