Fountain Handprints in Bath, England

When one thinks of the town of Bath, in the west of England, they may immediately have visions of Jane Austen (1775 -1817) and the Regency period (1811 - 1820). What they may not associate with this quaint municipality is that it is home to one of the country's longest established playhouses, the Theatre Royal.

Opened in 1805, for over two centuries the Theatre Royal has staged numerous productions and showcased the talents of countless performers. It has survived fires, wars, and economic downturns. The latter would see the great British actor Peter Ustinov (1921 -2004) lending a hand in raising monies to keep the lights on.

In the late 1990s a studio was dedicated in his honor. Perhaps a part of his fund raising scheme was a fountain located nearby, in the Seven Dials Courtyard, with a collection of sixteen handprints and signatures fabricated in brass. Much in the vain of the prints found at Grauman's Chinese Theatre,  Los Angeles, these denote famous British actors of both stage and screen. These include the names of such stars as Joan Collins, Derek Jacobi, and Haley Mills.