{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1110920"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1110920/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EJ7994/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EJ7994/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EJ7994","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AH6417","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AT0342","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1110920/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1110920","accessionNumber":"S.5:1-2008","objectType":"Scrap","titles":[{"title":"Print Collection","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"Scraps first appeared in the early 19th century as black and white engravings, and were later coloured by hand. By the 1820s they had become more elaborate and sometimes embossed, and within a decade both the printing and embossing processes were automated. They were colour printed by chromolithography, and coated with a gelatine and gum layer to give them a gloss finish. After being embossed they were die-cut and put through a stamping press to cut away the unwanted areas of paper, leaving the individual images connected by small strips, often bearing the name or initials of the maker.\r\n\r\nScraps became extremely popular in Victorian England to be cut out by adults or children and stuck into albums, on to screens, or used for decorating greetings cards. This one for a decorative letter R is composed of characters that were popular in 19th century pantomime - Clown, Harlequin and Pantaloon. This appears to be a version of the trick invented in the 1814 pantomime <i>Harlequin Whittington</i> described in <i>The Morning Post</i> 27 December 1814: 'Much mirth was effected not by Harlequin, but by the Clown, who forces a mop-stick through a cheese, to make a wheel, and placing this between his hands, he plies several cheeses on his back, and using his legs as the handles of the barrow, fairly wheels the load of the stage.'","physicalDescription":"Multicoloured paper scrap depicting the letter R composed of Pantomime characters as each element of the letter. A white-faced clown stands on the left holding Pantaloon by his ankles behind him, and Harlequin on his back. Pantaloon is outstretched and balanced on a wheel.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Siegmund Hildesheimer & Co.","id":"A21308"},"association":{"text":"printer","id":"x30811"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printed paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Pantomime","id":"THES266218"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2010EJ7994","2006AH6417","2006AT0342"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES356616"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"scrap","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1890","earliest":"1885-01-01","latest":"1894-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"AAT53319"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the British Theatre Museum Association","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"7.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"irregular","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"6.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"irregular","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"This appears to be a version of the trick invented in the 1814 pantomime <i>Harlequin Whittington</i> described in <i>The Morning Post</i> 27 December 1814:\r\n'Much mirth was effected not by Harlequin, but by the Clown, who forces a mop-stick through a cheese, to make a wheel, and placing this between his hands, he plies several cheeses on his back, and using his legs as the handles of the barrow, fairly wheels the load of the stage.'","briefDescription":"Printed paper scrap depicting the letter R composed of pantomime characters as each element of the letter. Chromolithograph by Siegmund Hildesheimer & Co., ca.1890.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Mayer, David: <i>Harlequin In His Element</i> Harvard University Press, 1969 p.207. Reference to a similar trick."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Clown","id":"N4948"},{"text":"Harlequin","id":"N1204"},{"text":"Pantaloon","id":"N1211"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Pantomime"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.5:1-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"5","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"BTMA accession number","id":"THES51752"},"number":"1963/G/53"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2009-07-01","availableToBook":true}}