{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1260685"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1260685/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LX3056/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LX3056/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019LX3056","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1260685/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1260685","accessionNumber":"S.212-2012","objectType":"'Living' marionette","titles":[{"title":"'Living marionette' of a lady","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This is one of a set of four 'living' marionettes or neck-puppets that were given to the museum in their original wooden travelling case, complete with the tabletop proscenium and black curtains used for his act. It was purchased by the donor's mother from the owner, a showman who lived in the north of England and it was believed to have been used for sea-front entertainment. \n\nThe act appears to have consisted of the four marionettes, or more accurately rod puppets, that represent a guardsman, a lady and two gentlemen in tweeds - possibly a father, his daughter and her two suitors. Each puppet has tapes attached to its shoulders that tied around the operator's neck so that the operator's head which poked through the black drapes became that of the marionette in front of the drapes. The limbs of the figure are worked by four metal rods, two attached to the elbows of the figure and two to its feet, held by the operator and an assistant wearing black gloves.\n\nThe act appears to have originated in France and was known before the Victorian magician Dr. Lynn (1831-1899), also known as High Washington Simmons and Washington Blythe made the act popular in the 1870s when he was appearing at the London Aquarium. Dr. Lynn's act is mentioned in <i>Hoffman's Modern Magic</i>, 1880, when he notes: 'On a small stage a real living head, attached to a miniature body, sings, talks and acts; and it is plain to the audience that while the head is really a human one, the body is but a toy.'\n\nAn undated chalk drawing by Walter Sickert (1860-1942) entitled <i>Living Marionettes</i>, now in the V&amp;A (E.1949-1926) but exhibited at London's Carfax Gallery in Bury Street in 1911, clearly shows the act on stage, probably at a London music hall, performed by a man and a woman.","physicalDescription":"Headless carved wooden figure of a girl or lady wearing a light cotton fabric dress printed with orange and brown flowers. The dress has a cream collar edged with orange chain-stitch and similar cuffs. Three metal rods are attached for manipulation, one to each elbow and one to the left foot, that for the right foot missing. \n\n","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"materials":[{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"cloth","id":"AAT162391"}],"techniques":[{"text":"hand carving","id":"x34992"},{"text":"hand sewing","id":"AAT257459"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved and painted wood torso with cotton fabric clothing.","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Music Hall","id":"THES267742"},{"text":"Puppetry","id":"THES266219"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2019LX3056"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES355790"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"living marionette","id":""}],[{"text":"marionette","id":"AAT211126"}],[{"text":"'living' marionette","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1890","earliest":"1885-01-01","latest":"1894-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.209-2012","id":"O1260676"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.210-2012","id":"O1260682"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.211-2012","id":"O1260684"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.213-2012","id":"O1260686"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.214-2012","id":"O1260759"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.215:1-2012","id":"O1260763"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.215:2-2012","id":"O1260764"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.216:2-2012","id":"O1260797"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"E.1949-1926","id":"O761339"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"Given by Michael Andrews","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"47","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approximately","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"neck to sole of feet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"17","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approximately","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"shoulder to shoulder","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The donor said of the theatre and its marionettes in an e-mail to the museum: 'I think my mother saw it advertised in a newspaper up north on the retirement of the original owner/performer. I seem to remember it had been used on the sea-front up north. She probably bought it in the late 1920s or early 1930s and the theatre is probably at least Edwardian.'\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"'Living marionette' of a girl or lady wearing a light cotton fabric dress printed with orange and brown flowers. The dress has a cream collar edged with orange chain-stitch and similar cuffs. Headless puppet with carved wooden body and three metal rods for manipulation, the rod for her right leg missing.. Used by a travelling showman with a tabletop theatre, ca.1890, using his head or that of his fellow performer as a talking head.  Given by Michael Andrews.\n\n","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.212-2012"],"accessionNumberNum":"212","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2012,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-05","recordCreationDate":"2013-02-06","availableToBook":true}}