{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1296568"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1296568/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HD6659/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HD6659/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HD6659","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1296568","accessionNumber":"S.1575-2014","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"Aladdin","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Actor and comedian Leslie Henson (1891-1957) joined the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and was sent to France, where he organised shows to entertain the  troops. In the autumn of 1918 he was stationed in Lille, which had been recently evacuated by the German forces, and was able to stage revues at the abandoned Lille Opera House. After the Armistice in November 1918 the troops remained in Lille and, according to Henson’s autobiography <i>My Laugh Story</i>, the shows at the Opera House became a regular institution. For Christmas 1918 the army commander demanded a pantomime, which had to be prepared within a fortnight. The company staged <i>Aladdin</i>. Henson, who co-wrote the script with the second comedian Rob Currie, played Abanazar. He also devised the staging, utilsing some of the  Opera House’s existing scenery which included what he described as ‘“Wagnerian” stuff’. The show was a great success. It opened on Christmas Eve 1918 and ran for six weeks, until Henson was demobbed.\r\n\r\nArtist Wilfrid René Wood (1888-1976) served in the Machine Gun Corps during World War I. Wood was an engraver and watercolourist who specialised in landscapes. In 1926 he designed a series of posters for London Transport, showing flowers in Kew Gardens.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Watercolour drawing, showing the set for a woodland scene in the pantomime <i>Aladdin</i>, with a small Chinese building to left and the statue of a blue dragon right. Inscribed in ink with a dedication to Leslie Henson and dated January 1919.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Wood, Wilfrid René","id":"AUTH332086"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"art board","id":"x33244"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour and pencil on paper, mounted on art board","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2014HD6659"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES356678"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawings","id":"AAT33973"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Lille","id":"x37424"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"January 1919","earliest":"1919-01-01","latest":"1919-01-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the Briitish Theatre Museum Association","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"13","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"18.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'To Leslie Henson with congratulations from Lt W R Wood M.G.C. / LILLE Jan 1919'\r\n ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed by the artist, beneath image"},{"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":"Given to the British Theatre Museum Association by the executors of Leslie Henson in June 1959.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Watercolour drawing by Wilfrid René Wood, showing the set for a woodland scene in the pantomime <i>Aladdin</i>, staged by Leslie Henson to entertain the troops, Lille Opera House, 1918-1919. Inscribed with a dedication to Leslie Henson and dated January 1919","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.1575-2014"],"accessionNumberNum":"1575","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2014,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"BTMA accession number","id":"THES51752"},"number":"59/W/13/279"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2014-07-17","availableToBook":true}}