{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1263375"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1263375/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GY7587/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GY7587/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014GY7587","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1263375/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1263375","accessionNumber":"E.237-2013","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Diary of a Victorian Dandy: 17.00 hours","type":"assigned by artist"},{"title":"Diary of a Victorian Dandy","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"<i>Diary of a Victorian Dandy</i> is a series of five photographs depicting the artist Yinka Shonibare playing the role of a dandy. The series of tableaux show this pretentious, status-conscious figure who seeks acceptance in an aristocratic milieu, at different times of day, engaged in increasingly debaucherous activities. The work demonstrates Shonibare’s identification with the dandy as an outsider or foreigner who uses his flamboyance, wit and style to penetrate the highest levels of society, which would otherwise be closed to him. Much of Shonibare's work engages with his ‘outsider’ status as a black, disabled artist and investigates conditions of postcolonialism and globalisation. This series also engages with the construction of identity and nostalgic representations of British heritage.\r\n\r\nThe photographs are the result of an elaborate production. Shonibare employed professional actors, make up artists and costumiers, a commercial photographer, and the director of BBC costume dramas for a three day shoot ‘on location’ at a stately home. Shonibare describes the photographs, which he presents in fake gilt frames, as ‘pure theatre’. \r\n\r\nThe series was commissioned by the Institue of International Visual Arts (InIVA) and was first shown by reproducing one of the photographs as a poster at around 100 sites across the London Underground. The display was deliberately ambiguous and InIVA employed a market research company to test public responses to the posters. The people surveyed mostly associated the image with theatre productions, stately homes and period dramas, as well as genuine historical figures. The photographs are conscious imitations of these sources and also make reference to William Hogarth’s series of paintings and engravings <i>A Rake’s Progress</i> (1733). \r\n\r\n<i>Diary of a Victorian Dandy</i> was acquired in part through the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&amp;A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&amp;A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.","physicalDescription":"A framed colour photograph of a black man dressed in a ruffling white shirt and red suit standing next to a billiard table holding paper bills. He is surrounded by six other men wearing waistcoats and cravats. Two of the men hold paper bills towards him. There are six low hanging lights above the billiard table. \r\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Shonibare, Yinka","id":"A20592"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"C-type process","id":"THES258425"},{"text":"photography","id":"AAT54225"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"C-type print, unglazed in fake gilt frame","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"African Diaspora","id":"THES48873"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Colonialism and Empire","id":"THES253004"},{"text":"Fakes & forgeries","id":"THES48958"},{"text":"Frames","id":"THES48949"},{"text":"Disability","id":"THES268732"}],"styles":[{"text":"art photography","id":"AAT178594"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2014GY7587"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"B","id":"THES385235"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Herefordshire","id":"x33860"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":"'on location' at a stately home"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2012","earliest":"2012-01-01","latest":"2012-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1998","earliest":"1998-01-01","latest":"1998-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.235-2013","id":"O1261776"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.236-2013","id":"O1263374"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.238-2013","id":"O1263376"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.239-2013","id":"O1263377"},"association":"Series"}],"creditLine":"Purchased with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Photographs Acquisition Group","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"135","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"15/05/2013","earliest":"2013-05-15","latest":"2013-05-15"},"part":"frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"196","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"15/05/2013","earliest":"2013-05-15","latest":"2013-05-15"},"part":"frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"122","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"15/05/2013","earliest":"2013-05-15","latest":"2013-05-15"},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"183","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"15/05/2013","earliest":"2013-05-15","latest":"2013-05-15"},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"134.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"15/05/2013","earliest":"2013-05-15","latest":"2013-05-15"},"part":"frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"195.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"15/05/2013","earliest":"2013-05-15","latest":"2013-05-15"},"part":"frame","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The V&A acquired this photograph as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.\n\nThe series was originally commisioned by InIVA, as a site specific project to be shown across the London Underground in 1998.\r\n\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph by Yinka Shonibare, 'Diary of a Victorian Dandy: 17.00 hours' from the series<i> Diary of a Victorian Dandy</i>, C-type print, 1998, printed 2012, AP 1 of 2, from an edition of 5, plus 2 APs","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<i>Yinka Shonibare MBE</i> (Munich; Berlin; London; New York: Prestel, 2008)"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Artist's proof","id":"THES48869"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Yinka Shonibare","id":"A20592"}],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Hogarth","id":"N1442"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[{"text":"London Underground","id":"A12941"},{"text":"iniva","id":"C8145"}],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"billiards","id":"AAT222754"},{"text":"billiard room","id":"AAT4455"},{"text":"billiard table","id":"AAT39627"},{"text":"men","id":"AAT25928"},{"text":"money","id":"AAT37316"},{"text":"costume","id":"AAT178802"},{"text":"stately homes","id":"AAT71272"},{"text":"lights","id":"AAT69689"},{"text":"dandy","id":"x44979"},{"text":"self portraits","id":"AAT124534"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"identity","id":"AAT257052"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Making It Up: Photographic Fictions (2018)\r\n\r\nIn this series, Shonibare plays the role of a dandy, an outsider who uses his flamboyance, wit and style to penetrate the highest levels of society. Loosely based on William Hogarth’s cycle of paintings and engravings A Rake’s Progress (1733), the photographs follow the dandy’s increasingly decadent activities throughout the day. As a playful comment on historic depictions of black people, Shonibare imagines himself as a central character in scenes set during the height of British colonial power.\r\n\r\nMarta Weiss","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}},{"text":"Text label for the exhibition, 'Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience, 1950s-1990s\r\n16 February – 24 May 2015\r\n\nYinka Shonibare MBE (born 1962)\r\nDiary of a Victorian Dandy: 11.00 hours\r\nDiary of a Victorian Dandy: 14.00 hours\r\nDiary of a Victorian Dandy: 17.00 hours\r\nDiary of a Victorian Dandy: 21.00 hours\r\nDiary of a Victorian Dandy: 03.00 hours\r\n1998\n\r\nIn this series, Shonibare plays the role of a dandy, an\r\noutsider who uses his flamboyance, wit and style to\r\npenetrate the highest levels of society. Loosely based on\r\nWilliam Hogarth’s 18th-century series of paintings A Rake’s\r\nProgress, the photographs follow the dandy’s increasingly\r\ndecadent activities throughout the day. As a playful\r\ncomment on historic depictions of black people, Shonibare\r\nimagines himself as a central character in scenes set during\r\nthe height of British colonial power.\n\r\nC-type prints (printed 2012)\r\nPurchased in part by the Photographs Acquisition Group\r\nMuseum nos. E.235 to 239-2013","date":{"text":"16/02/2015-24/05/2015","earliest":"2015-02-16","latest":"2015-05-24"}}],"partNumbers":["E.237-2013"],"accessionNumberNum":"237","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2013,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"","id":""},"number":""}],"copyNumber":"1 of 2 artist's proofs","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-13","recordCreationDate":"2013-05-15","availableToBook":false}}