{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O147116"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O147116/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LK6782/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LK6782/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019LK6782","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O147116/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O147116","accessionNumber":"RENIER.375","objectType":"Illustration","titles":[{"title":"'The Flute Player'","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Ernest Nister (1842-1909) began his publishing career in 1885 when he acquired a lithographic workshop in Nürnberg and printed books for London publishers. In 1888 he became a publisher in his own right with offices at 24 St. Bride Street, London. He appointed the writer and editor, Robert Ellice Mack, as director. \r\n\r\nNister specialised in high quality colour printing for children in the last quarter of the 19th century. Movable books with various mechanisms became his speciality after 1890 (when be published his first stand-up book) but he also produced numerous picture books, annuals, poetry, nursery rhymes, calendars and greetings cards. He worked with a core of writers, including Clifton Bingham and Robert Ellice Mack, and illustrators, in particular Eveline Lance, Lizzie Lawson, Harriett M. Bennett, Edith A. Cubitt and Rosa Petherick.\r\n\r\nThese two pen and ink drawings by Louis Wain were published in 1902 in <u>All Sorts of Comical Cats</u>, pictured by Louis Wain with verses by Clifton Bingham, and published in London by Ernest Nister and in New York by E. P. Dutton & Co. The drawings illustrate a hack poem by Clifton Bingham entitled 'The Flute Player':\r\n\r\nThomas Purr a flute had got,\r\nSat upon a chimney-pot,\r\nPlayed as well as he knew how,\r\n\"Take me home to mother now!\"\r\n\r\nMousie crept out from his hole:\r\nHe had music in his soul;\r\nThought he: \"I am charmed with that,\"\r\nSo upon Tom's flute he sat.\r\n\r\nCan you picture Tom's surprise?\r\nOpen wide went both his eyes;\r\nAll at once the music stopped,\r\nTom his precious new flute dropped.\r\nMoral: if you've got an ear\r\nFor sweet sounds - don't go too near.\r\n\r\nA third illustration by Wain appears in the published book depicting the mouse sitting on the end of the cat's flute.","physicalDescription":"Pen and ink drawing on paper depicting two chimneys. On the chimney on the left of the drawing a cat plays a flute sitting on one of two chimney pots. A small black mouse sits on the second chimnney pot.  On the chimney on the right of the drawing a cat peers down the second chimney pot, dropping its flute; smoke comes out of the first chimney pot. Mounted on grey card.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Nister, Ernest","id":"A21293"},"association":{"text":"publisher","id":"x32600"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Wain, Louis William","id":"A21518"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pen and ink","id":"x30618"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Books","id":"THES48986"},{"text":"National Art Library","id":"THES271541"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"NAL","id":"THES48605"},"images":["2019LK6782"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES317728"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"illustration","id":"AAT54200"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1902","earliest":"1902-01-01","latest":"1902-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Donated by Anne Renier and F.G. Renier.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"327","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Mount","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"380","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Mount","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Bookplate on verso of mount reads: 'From the Library of Anne Renier and F.G. Renier'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Initialled by Anne Renier in ink on verso of mount: 'AR'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Inscribed in blue crayon on verso of mount: 'A' and '68'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Inscribed in ink on verso of mount: '21366 XXIVa' and '21370 XXIVa'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Inscribed in pencil by Anne Renier on verso of mount: 'Wain'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Ink stamp on verso of drawing: 'Ernest Nister / Order no. 39054 /26'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Inscribed in ink on verso of drawing: '[?]21366'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Signed by the artist in ink in bottom left corner","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Drawn by Louis Wain in 1902 for Ernest Nister. Bequeathed to the V&A in 1970 by Anne Renier and Fernand G. Renier as part of the Renier Collection.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Pen and ink drawings by Louis Wain, 1902; produced for Ernest Nister.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"cats","id":"x34806"},{"text":"anthropomorphism","id":"AAT55956"},{"text":"chimneys (architectural elements)","id":"AAT3933"},{"text":"chimney pots","id":"AAT3961"},{"text":"mouse (animal)","id":"x35692"},{"text":"flutes (aerophones)","id":"AAT42513"},{"text":"smoke","id":"AAT73252"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Commissioned by Ernest Nister."],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["RENIER.375"],"accessionNumberNum":"375","accessionNumberPrefix":"RENIER","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Previous Renier Collection pressmark","id":"THES50312"},"number":"Nister"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-17","recordCreationDate":"2008-03-11","availableToBook":false}}