{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1140972"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1140972/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GX5128/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GX5128/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014GX5128","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1140972","accessionNumber":"S.226-1998","objectType":"Cartoon","titles":[{"title":"<i>Mack the Knife</i>","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"On 17 February 1956 Harold Macmillan, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, made a speech on the current economic situation to the House of Commons. He listed a series of measures intended to reduce public expenditure, which included a reduction of government subsidies on bread and milk and consequent price increases. Macmillan believed that the existing subsidies could not be justified at a time of full employment and high wages. The Communist Party newspaper, the <i>Daily Worker</i>, thought otherwise and on 21 February published a drawing by its cartoonist 'Gabriel' (Jimmy Friell 1912-1997) with the title <i>Mack the Knife</i>. Friell represented Macmillan as an aristocrat in top hat and opera cloak who stabs a worker in the back and snatches a paper, bearing the words 'Pay rise won by workers', which the unfortunate man has just been given by his boss. \r\n\r\nThe equating of Macmillan with the gangster hero of Bertolt Brecht's play <i>The Threepenny Opera</i> was topical. The play had opened on 9 February at the Royal Court Theatre and was a great success ('One of the most exciting things seen in London for some time' wrote the theatre critic Harold Hobson). The company responsible for the production was led by Oscar Lewenstein (1917-1997), an early champion of Brecht. Lewenstein had a long association with the Royal Court, becoming a founder of the English Stage Company which was based at the theatre, and in the 1970s its artistic director. He owned this cartoon which was given to the V&A by his widow, Eileen.","physicalDescription":"Political cartoon by 'Gabriel', printed in the <i>Daily Worker</i>, 21 February 1956, showing Harold Macmillan, in top hat and opera cloak, as 'Mack the Knife', snatching a paper inscribed 'Pay rise won by workers' from a seated worker while stabbing him in the back. The words 'Rising Prices' are written on Macmillan's cloak.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Friell, Jimmy","id":"A29365"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"water-colour","id":"AAT15045"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Ink and watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Caricatures & Cartoons","id":"THES48983"},{"text":"Scotland","id":"THES262877"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2014GX5128"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES356677"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"cartoons (humorous images)","id":"AAT123430"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"21 February 1956","earliest":"1956-02-21","latest":"1956-02-21"},"association":{"text":"dated","id":"AAT54714"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Eileen Lewenstein","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"29.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"41.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'MACK THE KNIFE'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Centre, lower edge"},{"content":"'With apologies to \"The Threepenny Opera\"'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Lower left hand corner"},{"content":"'Gabriel'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signature, lower right hand corner"},{"content":"'Daily Worker. 21 Feb '56'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Lower right hand corner"}],"objectHistory":"<i>Mack the Knife</i> or <i>The Ballad of Mack the Knife</i>, originally <i>Die Moritat von Mackie Messer</i>, was composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their music drama <i>Die Dreigroschenoper</i>, or <i>The Threepenny Opera</i>. It premiered in Berlin in 1928 at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Political cartoon by 'Gabriel' (Jimmy Friell 1912-1997) showing Harold Macmillan as 'Mack the Knife', a reference to Kurt Weill's<i>The Threepenny Opera</i>. Published in the <i>Daily Worker</i>, 21 February 1956. Ink and watercolour on paper","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Macmillan, Harold","id":"N11213"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.226-1998"],"accessionNumberNum":"226","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1998,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2009-11-24","availableToBook":true}}