{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1481129"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1481129/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MT8647/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MT8647/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2020MT8647","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2020MT8820","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1481129","accessionNumber":"S.12-2019","objectType":"Badge","titles":[{"title":"Soroptimist International Association name badge for Mrs Gabrielle Enthoven ","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Soroptimist International Association name badge for Mrs Gabrielle Enthoven, mid 20th century.\r\n\r\nFrom an early age Gabrielle Enthoven, née Romaine (1868-1950), was fascinated by the theatre. After her marriage in 1893 she began to collect press cuttings and playbills and, following the death of her husband in 1910, she became involved with the Pioneer Players, a feminist theatre company for which she wrote plays. As her collection of  theatrical material grew, Mrs Enthoven became aware that no archive or museum was documenting the British theatre as she was doing. In 1911 she wrote to the <i>Observer</i> newspaper, beginning a campaign for the establishment of a national collection for the performing arts within an existing museum.  Though she received support in the press, an attempt by the London Museum to establish a permanent exhibition of theatre was unsuccessful. Mrs Enthoven, however, continued her campaign and, after several attempts, in 1924 she persuaded the V&amp;A to take her vast collection, which by this time was outgrowing her home. The Gabrielle Enthoven Collection was housed in the Prints and Drawings department and Mrs Enthoven continued to work on the collection in a voluntary capacity and provided funding for staff and for new acquisitions. The Gabrielle Enthoven Collection was one of the founding collections of the V&amp;A's Theatre Museum (1974-2007) and the collection's playbills, cuttings, photographs, prints, designs and memorabilia are now held in the V&amp;A Theatre and Performance department.\n\nDuring the First World War, Gabrielle Enthoven volunteered for war work and from August 1914 until December 1915 she was chief of records for the War Refugees Committee, a voluntary body which organised the reception of refugees fleeing mainland Europe. At the end of 1915 she joined the Red Cross, becoming chief of the records department for its Central Prisoners of War and Missing Persons Committee. Because of ill health, she left the Red Cross in August 1920. \n\nThis badge was part of Mrs Enthoven's personal collection. The Soroptimist Club was founded in the United States in 1921, with the the aim of advancing the status of women and helping them to achieve their potential. The name derives from the latin soros (sister) and optima (best), and is interpreted as 'the best for women'. The founding of international Soroptimist Federations led to the creation of the Soroptimist International Association in 1928.\n\n ","physicalDescription":"Soroptimist International Association badge, circular, silver, with figure of a woman in high relief, head and torso, her arms raised above her head holding a bar with the word 'SOROPTIMIST' in blue enamel. Behind her head are rays of light. At the upper edge are laurel leaves, at the lower are the words 'INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION' in blue enamel on a band. With metal pin. Attached to a bar on the reverse is a royal blue grosgrain ribbon, from which is suspended a yellow metal rectangular holder containing a white plastic label printed with the words 'GREATER LONDON'  in red, and, in black, 'MRS GABRIELLE ENTHOVEN, O.B.E. THEATRE ARCHIVIST'. In green card box with printed name, address and logo of Thomas Fattorini Ltd on inside of lid and printed guarantee on base, the latter annotated with the name 'Enthoven'.\n\n\n\n ","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Thomas Fattorini Ltd","id":"C8224"},"association":{"text":"makers","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"possibly"}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"},{"text":"enamel","id":"AAT14910"},{"text":"cotton (textile)","id":"AAT14067"},{"text":"metal","id":"AAT10900"},{"text":"plastic","id":"AAT14570"}],"techniques":[{"text":"enamelling","id":"x37485"},{"text":"striking (metal-working)","id":"AAT206846"},{"text":"metal-working","id":"AAT53946"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Enamelled silver, cotton ribbon, metal and plastic","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2020MT8647","2020MT8820"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES356784"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES356784"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES356784"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"badges","id":"AAT193994"}],[{"text":"badges","id":"AAT193994"}],[{"text":"badges","id":"AAT193994"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Birmingham","id":"x28748"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"mid 20th century","earliest":"1925-01-01","latest":"1975-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"The Soroptimist's badge is hallmarked but the date letter is difficult to read, possibly 1935."}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Gabrielle Enthoven Collection","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"1.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Soroptimist badge","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"2.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"name label","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"4.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"name label","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"6.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Soroptimist badge, ribbon and name label","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Soroptimist International Association name badge for Mrs Gabrielle Enthoven, mid 20th century.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.12:1-2019","S.12:2-2019","S.12:3-2019"],"accessionNumberNum":"12","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2019,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-17","recordCreationDate":"2019-02-27","availableToBook":true}}