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2 unusual facts about penny gaff


Penny gaff

Easy to perform, well-known to the audience, and with simple exciting stories, the deeds of famous highwaymen, robbers and murderers, such as those featured in The Newgate Calendar were popular subjects for the plays.

The stories of the 18th-century robber, Jack Sheppard who escaped from prison on numerous occasions, and the gory Red Barn Murder were among the most enduring.


The True History of the Elephant Man

While on display in a penny gaff shop in London, Merrick met a surgeon named Frederick Treves who invited Merrick to the London hospital to be examined.


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