{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1513775"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1513775/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MJ8286/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MJ8286/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019MJ8286","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MJ8285","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1513775","accessionNumber":"S.702:1 to 2-2019","objectType":"Boots","titles":[{"title":"Workman's boots worn by Berwick Kaler as Dame","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Berwick Kaler bought these boots in the now-defunct Army &amp; Navy Stores in York's Fossgate in 1977 to wear with his costume for Philholmena, one of the Ugly Sisters in <i>Cinderella</i>, the first wig and frock role he played for York Theatre Royal. He wore them for the final time in his last and fortieth pantomime <i>The Grand Old Dame of York</i> at the York Theatre Royal. Generations of children and their parents knew and loved Berwick as the Dame who called his audience: 'Me babbies, me bairns', threw chocolate biscuits called Wagon Wheels out to the audience, and handed bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale to some of the luckier occupants of the stalls.\r\n\r\nBerwick never wore make-up for his Dames, who he always wanted to be patently a man in a frock. To this end he also wore these brown workman's boots, their only flamboyant note one yellow lace and one red. He wore them with the yellow lace and the red lace on the right and left boot respectively, to contrast with the red right leg of his socks and the yellow left leg.\r\n\r\nIn 2019 when he gave the boots, Berwick Kaler recalled: 'These are the original boots I bought in an Army &amp; Navy Store in York 40 years ago - I knew then my Dame was never going to wear high heels! They have never been polished, probably out of laziness at first and then grew into a superstition. Although I had a backup pair they were hardly used. I first walked on stage as Dame wearing these boots and forty years later walked off wearing the same boots.'\r\n\r\n\r\n\n\n\n\n\n","physicalDescription":"Brown leather boots with a yellow cotton lace in the right boot and a red lace in the yellow boot","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"leather","id":"AAT11845"},{"text":"cotton (textile)","id":"AAT14067"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Leather and cotton","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Theatre costume","id":"THES268477"},{"text":"Pantomime","id":"THES266218"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2019MJ8286","2019MJ8285"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"105","id":"THES49926"},"free":"","case":"CA010","shelf":"FIG","box":""},{"current":{"text":"105","id":"THES49926"},"free":"","case":"CA010","shelf":"FIG","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"boots","id":"AAT46057"}],[{"text":"theatre costumes","id":""}],[{"text":"boots","id":"AAT46057"}],[{"text":"theatre costumes","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1977","earliest":"1972-01-01","latest":"1981-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"The boots were mass produced and sold by the now defunct Army & Navy Stores in York's Fossgate. They have no maker's name or label."}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.701:1-2019","id":"O1513293"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.701:2-2019","id":"O1513293"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.701:3-2019","id":"O1513293"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.701:4-2019","id":"O1513293"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.703-2019","id":"O1513016"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"Given by Berwick Kaler","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Workman's boots worn by Berwick Kaler in York Theatre Royal pantomimes 1977 to 2019. Mass-produced, ca.1977","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"Berwick Kaler purchased these boots from the now defunct Army & Navy Stores in York in 1977. They have no maker's name and would have been mass-produced","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Gallery rotation, 2022\n\nCOSTUME WORN BY BERWICK KALER AS THE DAME IN <i>THE GRAND OLD DAME OF YORK</i>\r\n2018\n\r\nBerwick Kaler played the role of pantomime dame for 40 years at Theatre Royal York. His last appearance at the theatre was in 2018 as Dame Molly Motley in <i>The Grand Old Dame of York</i>. In addition to his trademark wig and boots, his opening costume featured pages from the many pantomime scripts he had written, starred in, and co-directed for the theatre.\n\r\nDesigned by Mark Walters\r\nCotton, artificial silk, net, lace and synthetic hair (costume), leather (boots)\r\nGiven by York Theatre Royal (costume) and Berwick Kaler (boots)\r\nMuseum nos. S.701:1 to 4-2019, S.702:1, 2-2019\r\n","date":{"text":"07/03/2022","earliest":"2022-03-07","latest":"2022-03-07"}}],"partNumbers":["S.702:1-2019","S.702:2-2019"],"accessionNumberNum":"702","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2019,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-13","recordCreationDate":"2019-10-04","availableToBook":false}}