{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1328172"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1328172/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HX5364/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HX5364/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2015HX5364","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1328172/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1328172","accessionNumber":"S.2217-2015","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"Elaine","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Once a new production was in preparation, Richard D’Oyly Carte commissioned its replacement, never knowing how long it would last. This is one of several undated designs by Percy Anderson for a production of <i>Elaine</i> probably being considered by Richard D’Oyly Carte, but never realised.\r\n\r\n<i>Elaine</i> was a four act opera by Hermann Bemberg produced at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, under the management of Augustus Harris on Tuesday 5th July 1892, starring Nellie Melba as Elaine and Jean de Reszke as Lancelot. Set in King Arthur’s palace, Camelot, the Hermit’s grotto, Astolat and the garden of King Arthur’s palace, it was based on the Arthurian legend and was in tune with the Victorian taste for all things Arthurian, influenced by Tennyson’s <i>Idylls of the King</i> and Pre-Raphaelite paintings of the legend. Sullivan considered writing an opera based on Launcelot and Guinevere, but wrote <i>Ivanhoe</i> for the production that opened Carte’s Royal English Opera House in January 1891. Towards the end of <i>Ivanhoe</i>’s run Carte commissioned Henry Wood to write <i>The Flying Dutchman</i> but those plans were also shelved. In 1892 Carte leased the theatre to Sarah Bernhardt, and it is possible that while she was still there in July he saw <i>Elaine</i> and started planning his own production, but instead sold the theatre which opened in 1893 as The Palace Theatre of Varieties. It seems unlikely that Rupert D’Oyly Carte would have been thinking of a grand opera for the Savoy after his father’s death in 1901.\r\n\nThe artist and costume designer Percy Anderson (1851-1928) was based in London where he exhibited watercolours at the New Water Colour Society in 1886. He designed costumes for the original productions of the last four Gilbert and Sullivan operas at the Savoy Theatre - <i>The Yeomen of the Guard</i> (1888), <i>The Gondoliers</i> (1889), <i>Utopia, Limited</i> (1893), and <i>The Grand Duke</i> (1896), and for several D’Oyly Carte revivals including that for <i>Utopia, Limited</i> considered by Rupert D’Oyly Carte in 1926  and but never realised. Given Gilbert’s exacting attitude to his productions it is an accolade to Anderson that he worked with Gilbert on so many, including Gilbert and Edward German’s <i>Fallen Fairies</i> (1909), when Gilbert said Anderson: ‘surpassed himself’.\r\n\r\nAnderson designed costumes for many other notable late 19th century productions including several by Herbert Beerbohm Tree at His Majesty’s Theatre, and musical comedies produced by George Edwardes at Daly’s Theatre such as <i>San Toy</i> (1899) and <i>The Duchess of Dantzig</i> (1903). Among his other successes were costumes for Oscar Ashe’s spectacular productions <i>Kismet</i> (1911), <i>Chu Chin Chow</i> (1916), and <i>Cairo</i> (1921).  He also painted portraits including those of his great friend Edward Elgar (1905), Stephen Phillips (1902), and Joseph Conrad (1918).\r\n","physicalDescription":"Watercolour and bodycolour over pencil on card. The design features a man wearing a green tabard and breeches along with yellow stockings and an armour chest piece. The design also features an inset details of tabard, helmet and shield. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Anderson, Percy","id":"N4249"},"association":{"text":"designers","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"card","id":"x30344"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"bodycolour","id":"x34671"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"},{"text":"designing","id":"THES268626"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour and bodycolour over pencil on card","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2015HX5364"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES356607"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"late 19th century","earliest":"1850-01-01","latest":"1899-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Dame Bridget D'Oyly Carte. \r\nThe V&A wishes to acknowledge the generous support given by The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, which facilitated the cataloguing of the D’Oyly Carte Archive designs in 2015/16.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"24.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"17.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Percy Anderson for Lavaine from <i>Elaine,</i>late 19th century","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.2217-2015"],"accessionNumberNum":"2217","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2015,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-08","recordCreationDate":"2016-01-08","availableToBook":true}}