{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1462959"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1462959/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LD4920/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LD4920/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2018LD4920","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LD4921","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1462959/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1462959","accessionNumber":"S.256-2018","objectType":"Trade card","titles":[{"title":"Zoe Meleke with Genl. Tom Thumb's Museum","type":"published title"}],"summaryDescription":"This is one of a set of chromolithograph cards produced by Ballin & Liebler in 1882 advertising a tour managed by H.R. Jacobs of a Variety company starring 'General' Tom Thumb, or Charles Stratton (1838-1883) and his wife Lavinia (1842-1919). The New York lithographic company Ballin & Liebler issued two other sets of advertising cards related to General Tom Thumb and his wife illustrated with images of their appearance before royalty on one of their European tours, and of their wedding in 1863.\n\nThis card is shaped like an artist's palette as a novelty, and is illustrated with an image of Zoe Meleke and her performing canaries. Zoe Meleke had earlier been engaged by P.T. Barnum at his American Museum as a 'Circassian' beauty. She was in fact American, her lack of speaking any 'Circassian' language explained by Barnum by saying she had left her native country at a very tender age. She appeared on the tour along with Tom Thumb, his wife Lavinia, 'Major' Edward Newell the skater on 'parlor skates', J. H. Whiston the 'humourist and facial artist', and James W. Bingham the ventriloquist. ","physicalDescription":"Advertising trade card in the shape of an artist's palette illustrated with an image of Zoe Meleke and her performing canaries (recto) and printed in blue ink (verso) with details of General Tom Thumb, his wife and Company's appearance at the Opera House.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Ballin & Liebler","id":"AUTH350470"},"association":{"text":"Printed and published","id":"x38483"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"card","id":"x30344"}],"techniques":[{"text":"chromolithograph","id":"x44031"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printing ink on card","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"},{"text":"Variety","id":"THES269955"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2018LD4920","2018LD4921"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES356629"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"prints","id":"AAT41273"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"New York","id":"x29030"},"association":{"text":"Printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1882","earliest":"1882-01-01","latest":"1882-12-31"},"association":{"text":"Printed","id":"x46159"},"note":"probably"}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.254-2018","id":"O1462941"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"S.255-2018","id":"O1462957"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"S.257-2018","id":"O1463011"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"S.258-2018","id":"O1463013"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"S.259-2018","id":"O1463015"},"association":"Set"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"10.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"maximum height"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"7.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"maximum width"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This is one of a series of trade cards printed by Ballin & Liebler to advertise the tour of Tom Thumb, his wife Lavinia and their Variety troupe in the autumn of 1882, including the skater Edward Newell, Zoe Meleke and her performing canaries, the impressionist J. H. Whiston, and the ventriloquist James W. Bingham. Six cards were printed in this set, illustrating the different acts on the tour.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Trade card illustrated with an image of Zoe Meleke and her performing canaries, advertising Tom Thumb and his troupe appearing at the Opera House, 6th, 7th and 8th November 1882. Colour lithograph printed by Ballin & Liebler, New York","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Stratton, Charles Sherwood","id":"N7473"},{"text":"Newell, Edward 'Major'","id":"AUTH350476"},{"text":"Meleke, Zoe","id":"AUTH350477"},{"text":"Whiston, J.H.","id":"AUTH350485"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.256-2018"],"accessionNumberNum":"256","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2018,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2024NR9665"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-17","recordCreationDate":"2018-10-18","availableToBook":true}}