Valued image set: Thespis, opera

	This is a valued image set on Wikimedia Commons. The image has been assessed under the valued image criteria and is considered the most valued image set on Commons within the scope: All known contemporary images of the original performance of Thespis, the lost Gilbert and Sullivan opera. You can see its nomination at Commons:Valued image candidates/Thespis.
Act I: Gods appear to the Thespians. Start of Act I finale. Mid-Act II, song "You're Diana, I'm Apollo". Rehearsal of Thespis, identified as such in the producer's memoirs. Scene uncertain - probably the opening number or the ballet.
At the time of its production, Thespis was just a Christmas entertainment, not expected to last, and, after a three month run, and a one-off revival in April, it was forgotten. Most of the music is now lost. However, as the first collaboration between W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, it proved of great interest in later years, and in modern times is frequently reconstructed using other music from Sullivan to fill the gaps. These images represent all known images of the original run, which thus represent our only glimpse into a lost opera.