{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O158356"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O158356/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BY0158/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BY0158/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009BY0158","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O158356/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O158356","accessionNumber":"S.49-2008","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"The Pit Door","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"This print shows the rowdy nature of theatre audiences in the 18th century.  Although caricatured in this image, the pit offered some of the cheapest tickets and notoriously raucous behaviour. The less wealthy patrons fought, threw things on to the stage and made loud comments. The genteel woman in the midst, being given smelling salts, is clearly in the wrong part of the theatre. \r\n\r\nThis print was produced after a watercolour by Robert Dighton, the son of the London printseller John Dighton. The first prints he designed were of actors for John Bell's edition of Shakespeare (1775-6), and soon he was offered consistent employment by the publisher Carington Bowles.He knew the theatrical world well, as he had a successful parallel career as an actor and singer and appeared at the Haymarket, Covent Garden and Sadler's Wells.","physicalDescription":"Hand-coloured mezzotint showing violent 18th Century crowds jostling to get in to a performance at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The title is printed at the bottom in English and French.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Carington Bowles","id":"A13272"},"association":{"text":"printers (people)","id":"AAT25732"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"mezzotint","id":"AAT53233"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Hand-coloured mezzotint","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Audiences","id":"THES267738"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2009BY0158"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES356589"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}],[{"text":"mezzotint","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"AAT53319"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1784","earliest":"1784-01-01","latest":"1784-12-31"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Harry R. Beard Collection, given by Isobel Beard","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"37","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"27","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"BY COMMAND OF / Their MAJESTIES. / At the Theatre Royal / Drury Lane / The Grecian Daughter. / Euphrafia Mrs. Siddons. / To which will be added / The Devil to Pay. / Tomorrow the Tragedy of Hamlet / HAMLET by Mr. KEMBLE.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Printed on the playbill on the wall in the picture"},{"content":"Printed for & sold by Carington Bowles","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":"No. 69 in St. Pauls Church Yard, London","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":"THE PIT DOOR.","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":"La PORTE du PARTERRE.","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":"542","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":"Publish'd as the Act directs 9 Nov 1784.","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":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Hand-coloured mezzotint, <i>The Pit Door</i>, showing a crowd pushing its way into an entrance to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. After Dighton. Printed and sold by Carrington Bowles. Published 9 November 1784.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"figures","id":"AAT189808"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"The Pit Door\r\n1784\r\n\r\nIn the 18th century the pit offered some of the cheapest tickets: wealthy people preferred to sit in the boxes where they could be seen. Pit audiences were notorious for their raucous behaviour. They fought, threw things on to the stage and made loud comments. The genteel woman in the midst, being given smelling salts, is clearly in the wrong part of the theatre.\r\n\r\nHand-coloured mezzotint\r\nAfter Dighton\r\nPrinted and sold by Carrington Bowles\r\n\r\nHarry R. Beard Collection, given by Isobel Beard \r\nMuseum no. S.49-2008","date":{"text":"2008","earliest":"2008-01-01","latest":"2008-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["S.49-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"49","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"H Beard collection numbering","id":"THES50444"},"number":"f.81-12"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN7601","2019LR1905","2019LU1787","2019LW7645"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-18","recordCreationDate":"2008-07-03","availableToBook":true}}