{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O109410"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109410/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9212/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9212/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AB9212","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O109410","accessionNumber":"S.52-1981","objectType":"Figurine","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This is one of several wax figurines executed by Agatha Walker in the 1920s and 1930s, mostly of actors and actresses in character in successful London productions. The 19th century saw a craze for ceramic figurines of performers. Agatha Walker attempted to revive this tradition with her limited edition sculptures, modelled from life in plaster and coated with a fine wax layer which was then coloured.  In 1931 Agatha Walker's figures were exhibited at the Fine Art Society.\r\n\r\nGwen Ffrangcon-Davies (1891-1992) had an extraordinarily long stage career.  She is represented here as Elizabeth Barrett in Rudolph Besier's play <i>The Barretts of Wimpole Street</i> which originally opened at the Malvern Festival Theatre in August 1930 and transferred to London's Queen's Theatre in September.  Gwen Ffrangcon-Davis made her stage début as a fairy in a 1911 production of <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i>, and sang the soprano lead in <i>The Immortal Hour</i> and <i>The Birth of Arthur</i>, at the Glastonbury festival (1919–20) and at the Old Vic. She joined the Birmingham Repertory Company in 1921, and won critical acclaim for her roles in J. M. Barrie's <i>Quality Street</i> (1921) and <i>The Admirable Crichton</i> (1922). She made her name in London in 1923, creating the roles of Eve and the Newly Born in the first production of Shaw's <i>Back to Methuselah</i>.  In 1924 she played Juliet to John Gielgud's Romeo, starting a stage partnership that lasted for almost half a century.","physicalDescription":"Wax covered figurine painted in full colour of Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies as Elizabeth Barrett in the play <i>The Barretts of Wimpole Street</i> as she appeared on stage in a full-length blue dress decorated with diamond shaped black and white panels, forming a zig-zag pattern down the front.  She holds a grey pug dog in her arms. She is looking down and has her hair in a bun, with ringlets at the sides.  She stands on an integral dark brown base incised with details.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Walker, Agatha","id":"A14175"},"association":{"text":"designer and maker","id":"x34662"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"plaster","id":"AAT14922"},{"text":"wax","id":"AAT14585"},{"text":"pigment","id":"AAT13109"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Moulded plaster coated in wax and coloured","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Figures","id":"THES274372"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006AB9212"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES355426"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"figurines","id":"AAT47455"}],[{"text":"wax sculpture","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1931","earliest":"1931-01-01","latest":"1931-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"28.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approx","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"24.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approx, at widest point across skirt","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"11.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approx, at deepest point","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"2.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of base","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"11.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of base","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"10.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of base","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'54'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"This was number 54 in a limited edition of 60"},{"content":"'GWEN FFRANGCON DAVIES AS ELIZABETH BARRETT\r\nMOULTON-BARRETT'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Incised on front of base"},{"content":"'IN THE BARRETTS'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Incised on the left side of the base"},{"content":"'OF WIMPOLE STREET'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Incised on the right side of the base"},{"content":"'AW / 1931'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Agatha Walker's monogram nad date incised on back of base"}],"objectHistory":"This was made to be sold following the success of Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies in Rudolph Besier's play <i>The Barretts of Wimpole Street</i> at the Queen's Theatre, 1930.  She played Elizabeth opposite the Robert Browning of Scott Sunderland.  Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies herself owned one of these which were made in a limited edition of 60.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Figurine of Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies (1891-1992) as Elizabeth Barrett in Rudolph Besier's play <i>The Barretts of Wimpole Street</i> Queen's Theatre 1930. Moulded plaster, covered in wax and coloured, by Agatha Walker, 1931.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Article on Agatha Walker in <i>The Studio</i> Vol 101, 1931"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Ffrangcon-Davies, Gwen (Dame)","id":"N2916"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.52-1981"],"accessionNumberNum":"52","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1981,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-09","recordCreationDate":"2005-02-18","availableToBook":true}}