{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1348660"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1348660/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JR6914/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JR6914/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017JR6914","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1348660","accessionNumber":"S.250-2016","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"London Laughs: Theatre Bookings","type":"published title"}],"summaryDescription":"The Yorkshire-born cartoonist Joe Lee  learned his  skill via Percy Bradshaw’s Press Art School correspondence course.  When unable to finance his training as an architect at the Royal College of Art, he turned to illustration.  After producing his first cartoon for <i>The Bystander</i> in 1920 he quickly developed as a freelance artist, and by 1921 was described by <i>The Strand</i> Magazine as  ‘the youngest of the men of his craft who have now an established reputation’\r\n\r\nLee contributed to a variety of periodicals in the mid-1930s, and between 1934 and 1966 worked for <i>The Evening News </i>where he created the hugely popular ‘London Laughs’ series, which has been credited as the first non-political topical cartoons in the UK. After almost 9000 cartoons – the longest running daily cartoonist in history – he retired to Norwich in July 1966  but continued to produce political cartoons three days a week for the local Eastern Daily Press and work for comics. In 1963 he was presented with an award for Special  Services to Cartooning by the Cartoonists’ Club of Great Britain.","physicalDescription":"Pen and ink on Reeves' Commercial Art Board signed LEE in black ink, showing a gentleman smoking a cigar talking to a member of the box office staff who is also on the telephone, for theatre tickets at the box office. Two theatre-goers holding a conversation are seen in the lobby beyond with the signs 'Circle' and 'Stall' (sic).  The typed title on a separate piece of paper has been added below the image: LONDON LAUGHS:  'Only two stalls... Row Z.... 15/6d...Tch! Does that include telescopes?'","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Lee, Joseph","id":"A16033"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"art board","id":"x33244"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and ink on art board","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Caricatures & Cartoons","id":"THES48983"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2017JR6914"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES356679"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Print","id":"AAT41273"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1935","earliest":"1935-01-01","latest":"1935-12-31"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.120-2007","id":"O135606"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"53-7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"38.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Cartoon satirising the price of theatre tickets. Published in the series <i>London Laughs</i> in the London Evening News, 2nd January 1936. Pen and ink on art board by Joseph Lee (1901-1974).","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.250-2016"],"accessionNumberNum":"250","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2016,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-18","recordCreationDate":"2016-04-15","availableToBook":true}}