{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O145114"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O145114/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BY8491/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BY8491/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009BY8491","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009BY8492","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O145114","accessionNumber":"S.746:1 to 9-1985","objectType":"Board game","titles":[{"title":"Show Business.  Emile Littler's New Game","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"Emile Littler's <i>Show Business</i> is a theatrical version of the game, Snakes and Ladders, in which the throw of a dice dictates the movement of players' counters on a board. Instructions on the squares of the board provide advancement or frustration to the theatrical career being pursued by each player, and the winner is the first to become a star. The path to stardom is illustrated with cartoon figures of performers. The caricatures, and those in the image on the box lid, include racial stereotyping typical of the mid-20th century.\n\nA printed label notes that show business involves 'a great deal of hard work, numerous difficulties and a certain amount of luck', and that the board game: 'is designed to give you an interesting insight into the numerous hazards in the pursuit of stardom.' Although made in 1950, it features hazards that are very similar to those encountered today.\r\n\r\nThe idea for the game came from Emile Littler (1903-1958), one of the greatest British theatrical impresarios of the 20th century, particularly for pantomime and musicals. The son of theatrical managers Agnes and Jules Richoux, Emile and his siblings were adopted by Frank Littler after he married their mother.  Three of the Littler children - Blanche, Prince and Emile - went on to become the most influential producers of their day who understood better than most the pitfalls of a career in show business.","physicalDescription":"Boxed board game with, printed on the lid, <i>EMILE LITTLER'S SHOW BUSINESS</i> in yellow upper case lettering outlined in red, and <i>New Game</i> in white italics. The lid is blue, printed in red, purple, yellow and white with a central image of a dancing show girl wearing a brief leotard and cutaway tail coat, standing on pointe in three spotlights, with three black musicians playing the drums, saxophone and violin, and a fourth black figure to her right. To right and left are two chorus lines, each of four dancers. The base of the box is covered with yellow paper and contains the folded playing board fitted with a chance wheel; a dice and four plastic counters - black, green, red and yellow in an unopened cellophane packet, and a black plastic dice pot with a screw lid. A white label stuck to the bottom of the box is printed with the instructions and the maker's name. Another white label with a red border is printed with the information: 'SHOW BUSINESS. Show business like other careers means a great deal of hard work, numerous difficulties and a certain amount of luck. This game has been designed by Emile Littler and is intended to give an interesting insight into the numerous hazards in the pursuit of stardom.'","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Littler, Emile (Sir)","id":"A21259"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Chad Valley Company Limited","id":"A1123"},"association":{"text":"manufacturers","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"plastic","id":"AAT14570"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"card","id":"x30344"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printed card and paper and plastic","categories":[{"text":"Games","id":"THES48947"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2009BY8491","2009BY8492"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES385865"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES355476"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES355476"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES355476"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES355476"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES355476"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES355476"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES355476"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES355476"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"board game","id":"AAT217912"}],[{"text":"dice pot","id":"THES289151"}],[{"text":"dice","id":"AAT211084"}],[{"text":"game pieces","id":"AAT211101"}],[{"text":"game pieces","id":"AAT211101"}],[{"text":"game pieces","id":"AAT211101"}],[{"text":"game pieces","id":"AAT211101"}],[{"text":"box","id":"x44081"}],[{"text":"box","id":"x44081"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"Yes-racial-stereotyping","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Harborne","id":"x32351"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1950","earliest":"1950-01-01","latest":"1950-12-31"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the estate of Sir Emile Littler","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"10","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"62","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"30","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Boxed board game. <i>Show Business. Emile Littler's New Board Game</I>. Manufactured by the Chad Valley Company Ltd., Harborne, Birmingham, England, 1950","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Littler, Emile","id":"N7512"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"spotlights","id":"AAT180323"},{"text":"dancers","id":"AAT25653"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.746:1-1985","S.746:2-1985","S.746:3-1985","S.746:4-1985","S.746:5-1985","S.746:6-1985","S.746:7-1985","S.746:8-1985","S.746:9-1985"],"accessionNumberNum":"746","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1985,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"41  G1/12/50","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN9129","2019LR6745","2019LV1356","2019LV9759"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-21","recordCreationDate":"2008-02-13","availableToBook":true}}