| Description | Almost all of these items are signed by, or marked as, Fitton's work. Those which are not may also be properly attributed to him, either by examination of their script, or by a clear association with other signed works. Some bear Fitton's copyright assertion, with the quoted 'Fee for each performance'. An association of some material with an Ernest B. Billington is indicated in items FIT/2/14 and FIT/2/22. Two items, (FIT/2/1, FIT/2/2) bear numbers in red ink, possibly indicating some much earlier arrangement. These original texts comprise both serious, melodramatic and comic works, some in Lancashire dialect. In form, they include a few narratives, a novel, some plays and many playlets, patter, verse and lyrics. Some subjects have been worked into several forms, while others are linked, typically, through patter. Many bear sketched illustrations, either incidentally within text, or as cover drawings for some of the more substantial texts. As well as complete works, there are some alternative versions, partial drafts and other incomplete notes and jottings. Patter: amusing lines delivered rapidly by an entertainer or performer, as in a comic routine or in a song. Playlet: A short play Verse: Poetry as distinct from prose Lyric: A short poem of song like quality |