{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1254225"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1254225/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JG0383/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JG0383/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JG0383","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1254225/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1254225","accessionNumber":"S.751:43-2012","objectType":"Album","titles":[{"title":"Drury Lane Design Collection","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"Design from an album of costume designs by Attilio Comelli (1858-1925) for a production of <i>Babes in the Wood </i>at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1897.  It shows the costume worn by one of the Yokels in 'The Baron's Office'.\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 &amp; Sullivan productions.\r\n\r\nThe designs were produced for a production of <i>Babes in the Wood </i>at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1897. The production was written and invented by Arthur Sturgess and Arthur Collins, with music composed, selected and arranged by J.M.Glover. The costumes were specially designed and supervised by A.Comelli. They were made by Swan and Edgar, B.J. Simmons, Auguste et Cie, Chas., Mrs. S. May, Westoby, Debenham and Freebody, Morris Angel and Son, Fisher, Miss. Collier and Alias.\r\n\r\nThe pantomime <i>Babes in the Wood </i>was originally based on an old English ballad from 1595, called 'The Children in the Wood' or 'The Norfolk Gentleman's Last Will and Testament' and tells the story of two children, abandoned deep in the forest upon the orders of their Wicked Uncle. It was first staged in 1793 as an opera called, <i>The Children in the Wood, </i>at the Haymarket Theatre. A version of the story was revived again at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1827 in a pantomime entitled <i>Harlequin and Cock Robin or The Babes in the Wood</i>, the finale of which included tightrope walking!  In 1867 the character of Robin Hood was introduced to the story and in most interpretations of the story he arrives to rescue ‘the babes’. In the 1897 production of <i>Babes in the Wood </i>at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane starred the adult comedians Dan Leno (1860-1904) and Herbert Campbell (1844-1904) as ‘The Boy Babe’ and ‘The Girl Babe’, though most previous, and subsequent, productions cast small children, or juvenile performers, in these roles. In the second half of the pantomime, which also featured Harriet Vernon (1852[?]-1923) as Robin Hood, the babes grew up, and were seen enjoying a fashionable and exciting life in the city. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Design from an album of costume designs by Attilio Comelli (1858-1925) for a production of <i>Babes in the Wood </i>at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1897. The design has been created with watercolour paint on tracing paper and mounted on paper. It shows the costume for one of the 'Yokels' in the 'Baron's Office'. \nThe character is wearing a long, loose shirt with wide collar and blue smocking detailing at the chest and sleeve heads. He is also dressed in long white pantaloons, a red cap and thick white, stockings. He is shown smoking a pipe and is carrying a pitch fork over his left shoulder.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Attilio Comelli","id":"A30582"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x32486"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painted","id":"x39976"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"watercolour on tracing paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Pantomime","id":"THES266218"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Costumes","id":"THES269529"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2016JG0383"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES356632"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"album","id":"AAT26690"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1897","earliest":"1897-01-01","latest":"1897-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by George Hoare, Archivist of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"35","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approximate","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"26.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approximate","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"The edges of the paper are uneven and damaged. The measurements given are for the backing paper rather than the tissue paper, the base of which has been folded.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Collier'","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 blue pencil crayon, top left hand corner"},{"content":"'BARON'S OFFICE'","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, top right hand corner."},{"content":"'YOKELS'","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 in the bottom right hand corner"}],"objectHistory":"This album contains a series of costume designs by Attilio Comelli (1858-1925). Comelli 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 &amp; Sullivan productions. The programme for this particular production declares that the costumes were 'specially designed and supervised' by the designer.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Design from an album of costumes designs by Attilio Comelli (1858-1925), created for a production of <i>Babes in the Wood </i>at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1897.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Attilio Comelli","id":"A30582"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Babes in the Wood"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.751:43-2012"],"accessionNumberNum":"751","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2012,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-05","recordCreationDate":"2012-08-31","availableToBook":true}}