{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1463015"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1463015/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LD4991/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LD4991/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2018LD4991","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LD4992","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1463015/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1463015","accessionNumber":"S.259-2018","objectType":"Trade card","titles":[{"title":"Whiston in his Olio Of Oddities","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, one illustrated with images of their wedding in 1863, and another with images of their appearances on their 1864 European tour.\n\nThis card is shaped like an artist's palette as a novelty, and is illustrated with four images of J.H. Whiston the 'humorist' [sic]and 'great facial artist' as characters he impersonated in his 'Olio of Oddities' including the Yankee Phrenologer (in a stove-pipe hat) and Mrs. Partington (in a white bonnet). Whiston appeared on the 1882 tour along with Charles Stratton (Tom Thumb) and his wife, 'Major' Edward Newell, the skater on 'parlor skates', Zoe Meleke and her performing canaries, and James W. Bingham the ventriloquist. \n\nA playbill owned by the Connecticut Historical Society for a performance by Whiston at Allyn Hall, Hartford, 2 May 1864, depicts him as other characters he impersonated including A Yankee Orator, Judge Perriwinkle, Mr. Snubs, The Old Maid, a Fat Old Glutton, a Laughing Crying Sexton, and The Hypochondiac. In 1879 he also appeared at Burnell's Dime Museum, New York with his so-called 'parlor entertainments'.","physicalDescription":"Advertising trade card in the shape of an artist's palette illustrated with head and shoulders images of Whiston as four of the characters he impersonates (recto) and printed in blue ink (verso) with details of General Tom Thumb, his wife and Company's appearance at the New Grand 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":["2018LD4991","2018LD4992"],"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.256-2018","id":"O1462959"},"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"}],"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 head and shoulder portraits of J. H. Whiston as four of the characters he impersonated. Advertising Tom Thumb and his troupe appearing at the New Grand Opera House, on the 16th, 17th and 18th 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"},{"text":"Bump, Mercy Lavinia Warren","id":"N7474"},{"text":"Bingham, James W.","id":"AUTH350486"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.259-2018"],"accessionNumberNum":"259","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2018,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2024NR9665"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-17","recordCreationDate":"2018-10-19","availableToBook":true}}