{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O153942"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O153942/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HE0689/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HE0689/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HE0689","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O153942","accessionNumber":"S.85-2008","objectType":"Poster","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Les Rouges et Noirs was formed by members of the British army serving in France during the First World War in response to a call from Lord Horne, Commander of the First Army, in 1917, for a touring concert party from among his troops. So-called because of the regimental colours of the First Army, the troupe entertained fellow soldiers in the trenches of France and Belgium. Not wanting an all-male revue, the troupe included a chorus of women played by soldiers, but the genuinely feminine appearance of the 'Beauty Chorus' meant that it did not come across as a drag show, but as a heterosexual concert party with an intriguing element. The revue title <i>Splinters</i> was chosen to describe the various sketches, songs and dances which made up their programme.\r\n\r\nIn December 1918 Les Rouges et Noirs was called by the War Office to appear in London and played a three-day engagement at the Canadian YMCA's Beaver Hut Theatre in London's Strand, followed by a Command Performance at Windsor Castle for George V and Queen Mary.  The troupe returned to France in 1919, and after hostilities ended appeared in London's West End in June and August 1919 and toured new versions of the revue commercially throughout the British Isles until 1924.","physicalDescription":"Typographic poster printed in blue and red letterpress on cream paper, advertising the revue <i>Splinters of 1921</i> performed by The First Army Entertainers <i>Les Rouges at Noirs</i>, Lewisham Hippodrome, London, week beginning Monday 25th July 1921.   SPLINTERS OF 1921; HAL JONES and REG STONE in red uppercase lettering, with blue lettering for the other information, including: 'LEW LAKE PRESENTS THE FIRST ARMY SHOW KNOWN IN FRANCE AS LES ROUGES ET NOIRS' and the information that 'ALL THE LADIES ARE GENTLEMEN. The edges have suffered a few tears and areas of paper loss, especially along the top and bottom edges. \r\n\r\nThe poster features the name of the managing director of the theatre Charles Gulliver, and the names of the cast in blue typeface - the men Eliot Makeham, Will B. Willby, Will Burns, Cecil Griffin, Harry Watson, C. Gordon Blackford, Victor Campbell, Jack Cottrell, Ernie Barrett, Alfred Grant, and the '? ladies' Mr. Vivian Taylor, Mr. Jack Hives, Mr. Jack Richards, Mr. Jimmie Slater, Mr. Teddie Martyn, Mr. Ernest Greene, Mr. Monte Burgess, Mr. Henri Harper, Mr. Stanley Bennett,  Reg Stone as Phil, and Hal Jones as Splinter. The musical director was C. Gordon Blackford.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"John Waddington Ltd.","id":"A4538"},"association":{"text":"printer","id":"x30811"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"letterpress printing","id":"AAT178926"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printed paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"},{"text":"Posters","id":"THES252963"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2014HE0689"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES345352"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"posters","id":"AAT27221"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Camberwell","id":"x34709"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"AAT53319"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1919","earliest":"1919-01-01","latest":"1919-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"AAT53319"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.83-2008","id":"O153923"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.84-2008","id":"O153935"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.86-2008","id":"O153949"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.87-2008","id":"O153953"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.88-2008","id":"O154029"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.89-2008","id":"O154033"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs D.K. Richards","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"50.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"31.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Poster advertising the Revue <i>Splinters of 1921</i> presented by <i>Les Rouges et Noirs</i>, The First Army Show, at the Lewisham Hippodrome, for the week beginning the 25th July 1921.  Printed by J. Waddington Ltd., Stoke Newington, 1921.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[{"text":"World War I","id":"V67"}],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.85-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"85","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2008-05-01","availableToBook":true}}