{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1171739"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1171739/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EP4243/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EP4243/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2011EP4243","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EP4240","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1171739/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1171739","accessionNumber":"S.1741-2010","objectType":"Costume Design","titles":[{"title":"Drury Lane Design Collection","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"Costume design by Comelli labelled a Jester in the ballet that formed part of the pantomime <i>Babes in the Wood</i> performed at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1907. \r\n\r\n<i>Babes in the Wood</i> is based on an old English ballad from 1595, called 'The Children in the Wood' or 'The Norfolk Gentleman's Last Will and Testament'. It was first staged in 1793 as an opera called, The Children in the Wood, at the Haymarket Theatre. The story emerged again at Drury Lane Theatre in 1827 entitled <i>Harlequin</i> and <i>Cock Robin</i> or <i>The Babes in the Wood</i>, with a finale that included tightrope walking. In 1897 <i>Babes in the Wood</i> was produced at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with Music Hall stars Dan Leno and Herbert Campbell as the babes, a shock to those used to the tradition that the babes are played by children or young actors. In the 1907 production (produced by Arthur Collins and J.Hickory Wood) the 'babes' were played by Miss Marie George and Mr.Walter Passmore and the music was composed by J.M.Glover.\r\n\r\nComelli (1858-1925) was the house designer of the Royal Opera House from the late 1880s to the early 1920s. During this period he also worked for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and also designed costumes from a number of Gilbert&Sullivan productions.\r\n\r\nThis design comes from a collection of costume designs, some of which are costumier's copies, which were originally part of the Archives of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.","physicalDescription":"Costume design by Comelli labelled a Jester in the ballet that formed part of the pantomime <i>Babes in the Wood</i> performed at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1907. A watercolour costume sketch shows a man dressed in a waistlength fitted top in green, yellow and blue. The sleeves of this garment have a loose outer layer, which finishes just above the elbow in jagged triangles of green and pale yellow to reveal the tight yellow undersleeve beneath. Tendrils of dark blue fabric (a bell on the end of each) are attached to the rear of the costume and similar green and yellow tendrils are spread around the base of the top. Below the tunic he wears pale yellow tights and pale green garter, tied in a bow below his knee. He also wears a wide blue, green and gold cap, again trimmed with bells, and carries a wooden staff decorated with strands of dark blue ribbon. The sketch is signed and dated Comelli, 1907.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Comelli, Attilio","id":"A30582"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"Watercolour on paper","id":"x32486"},{"text":"pen","id":"x32505"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"},{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2011EP4243","2011EP4240"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES356633"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}],[{"text":"paintings","id":"AAT33618"}],[{"text":"drawings","id":"AAT33973"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1907","earliest":"1907-01-01","latest":"1907-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"36.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"26.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Ballet/12","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Handwritten annotation in pencil on the bottom right hand corner of the design"},{"content":"Comelli, 1907","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 and date in ink on the left hand side of the design"},{"content":"12 Jesters (Ballet)/Mr. Parnell/\"Evans/\"Willcoxon/\"Maude/\"M.Willis/\"C.Willis/\"Knight/\"Winsor/\"Deaton/\"Chicrichetti[?]/\"Castella/\"Max","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Handwritten annotation in pencil on the rear of the design"},{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":" ","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Comelli for a Jester in <i>Babes in the Wood</i>, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1907. Drury Lane Design Collection.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Theatre Royal, Drury Lane","id":"x45049"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Babes in the Wood"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.1741-2010"],"accessionNumberNum":"1741","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2010,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"","id":""},"number":"Babes in the Wood File"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2010-08-27","availableToBook":true}}