{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1469555"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1469555/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH8581/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH8581/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AH8581","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AT3765","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1469555","accessionNumber":"S.21-1994","objectType":"Poster","titles":[{"title":"Ira Aldridge in 'Othello'","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Playbill advertising Ira Aldridge in Shakespeare's play <i>Othello</i> and the musical farce <i>The Padlock</i>, Surrey Theatre, 22 April 1833. \n\nIra Aldridge (?1807-1867) was born in New York but made his career in Britain and Europe. His first London appearance as Othello was in 1825 at the Royalty Theatre in London's East End, when he was billed as 'Mr. Keene, a Gentleman of Colour, from the New York Theatre'.  He played the part many times on tour, and in 1833 gave two performances at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, when the tragedian Edmund Kean was too ill to perform. He repeated the role at the Surrey Theatre in the following week. \n\nThe playbill for the Surrey calls Aldridge the African Roscius, comparing him to the celebrated Roman actor. To be regarded as a Roscius was high praise. The bill notes that 'The circumstance of a MAN of COLOUR performing OTHELLO, on the British Stage, is indeed an epoch in the history of Theatricals'.\n\r\n","physicalDescription":"Typographic poster with black lettering","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"S. G. Fairbrother and Son","id":"A22996"},"association":{"text":"printers","id":"x31107"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"letterpress printing","id":"AAT178926"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Letterpress","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Posters","id":"THES252963"},{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"},{"text":"Shakespeare","id":"THES253244"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006AH8581","2006AT3765"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES356596"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"posters","id":"AAT27221"}],[{"text":"playbills","id":"AAT27216"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1833","earliest":"1833-01-01","latest":"1833-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Gabrielle Enthoven Collection","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"33.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"playbill","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"20.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"playbill","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"53.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"38.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Playbill advertising Ira Aldridge in Shakespeare's play <i>Othello</i> and the musical farce <i>The Padlock</i>, Surrey Theatre, 22 April 1833. Letterpress","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[{"text":"Surrey Theatre","id":"AUTH323836"}],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.21-1994"],"accessionNumberNum":"21","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1994,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-13","recordCreationDate":"2019-01-14","availableToBook":true}}