{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O141278"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O141278/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BU2946/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BU2946/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BU2946","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O141278/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O141278","accessionNumber":"E.667-1949","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This image of a fashionably-dressed black couple reflects, in subject matter, caricatures made by artists in North America earlier in the century. Images like those created by Edward W. Clay for his <i>Life in Philadelphia</i> series in 1828-30 satirised the adoption of fashionable dress and manners by members of the black community, a community which had only recently gained freedom from slavery. Depicting black Americans as affected over-dressed dandies, the images reveal much about white attitudes to black emancipation.\r\n\r\nThis drawing was created in 1898 by Philip William May, a London-based social and political caricaturist. His most popular works deal with lower and middle-class London life in the late Victorian period and he drew inspiration from the street, the music hall, the boxing ring and gin palace. It is possible that May saw this couple, who appear to have been drawn from life, in London where there was a conspicuous, if not large, black population. Were it not for the cockerel on the woman’s hat and the caption added in pencil below (Woman[:] What'll Mrs Edwards say when she sees dis ere hat!’) this caricature would - more simply - be a lively figure study.\r\n\r\nIt is not clear what May intended to do with the drawing. He was a regular contributor to <i>Punch</i> and produced his own annual album, <i>Phil May’s Winter Annual</i>  from 1892.","physicalDescription":"A pen and ink drawing (over pencil) of a fashionably-dressed black couple. The woman wears a large hat surmounted by a crowing cockerel. A caption has been added in pencil below, 'Woman[:] What'll Mrs Edwards say when she sees dis 'ere hat!'.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"May, Phil","id":"A3180"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and ink (over pencil) on paper","categories":[{"text":"Black History","id":"THES48989"},{"text":"Caricatures & Cartoons","id":"THES48983"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2008BU2946"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"I","shelf":"58","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawing","id":"AAT33973"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1898","earliest":"1898-01-01","latest":"1898-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"38.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"31.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Woman What'll Mrs Edwards say when she sees dis 'ere hat!'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Caption in pencil"},{"content":"'The Copyright of this drawing is the property of W. Thacker & Co., 2 Creed Lane.'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Stamped on reverse of sheet"},{"content":"'PHIL MAY / 98'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In pen, bottom right of image"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Pen and ink drawing of a fashionable black couple, Philip William May, London, 1898","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1949</u>, London: HMSO, 1961.\r\n\r\n"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"cockerel","id":"x30582"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.667-1949"],"accessionNumberNum":"667","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1949,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2007-12-06","availableToBook":false}}