Own a Piece of the Playwright, George Bernard Shaw
Social reformer, vegetarian and teetotaller. The only person who could
boast about winning both Nobel Prize for literature and an Oscar. Oh
yeah, and he was one heck of a playwright, with classics like "Arms and
the Man", "Saint Joan" and "Pygmalion". The latter was converted to a
Broadway musical nearly fifty years after it was written when "My Fair
Lady" was born. We are talking about George Bernard Shaw, of course. A
brilliant mind with a social conscience, Shaw was know as much for his
difficult personality, large ego and left-wing political views as he was
for the plays he wrote.
George Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1856 where he was
raised in a family who bordered on poverty. His father's love of liquor
turned out to be his downfall, which is probably why Shaw swore off the
stuff throughout his life. At the age of 14, Shaw left school to work in
a real estate office, and in 1876, he moved to London where he began
writing and involved himself in socialist politics. In 1898, Shaw
married Charlotte Payne-Townshend. By this time, he had published five
novels in socialist magazines and was beginning to see his plays
produced.
This talented writer illustrated many of the key social causes of the
time in his work, like women's rights, war and freedom. Despite the
seriousness of the topics at hand, he was always able to artfully
approach them with wit and entertainment in mind - much to the delight
of his audiences. He also tirelessly crusaded for issues like animal
welfare and healthier food - very nearly up until his death from natural
causes at the ripe old age of 94. A man with many interests and
passions, Shaw leaves behind a legacy in his writing that generations
have studied and enjoyed.
If you or someone you know has admired George Bernard Shaw and the
volumes of work he left behind, what better way to honour that affection
than with an autographed photo of the playwright himself? Both the photo
and the autograph are tastefully mounted in an olive tipped matte and
set into a black frame flecked with gold for style in display. Any
collector would be proud to hand this commemorative picture on the wall
of his office or library. What a perfect gift for the literary mama or
the thespian in your crowd.