{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1612221"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1612221/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MX5586/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MX5586/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021MX5586","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1612221","accessionNumber":"S.3786-1995","objectType":"Etching","titles":[{"title":"Tour poster advertising <i>William Cooke's Colossal Equestrian Entertainment</i>, ca.1857","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Nineteenth century circus often featured equestrian performance based on stage dramas and historical events, as well as more usual circus acts. None was more ambitious or spectacular than those produced by Cooke's Circus, and its posters frequently included eye-catching illustrations calculated to appeal to everyone, especially those who couldn't read the finer details of the programme.\n\nCooke's Circus was founded as a travelling circus in the late 18th century by the strongman Thomas Cooke. From about 1810 it was run by his son Thomas Taplin Cooke (1782-1866) who adopted the name Royal Circus following a Command Performance at Brighton's Royal Pavilion in 1830 attended by King Wiliam IV and Queen Adelaide. Thomas Taplin's son William Cooke (1808-1886) leased Astley's Amphitheatre in London from William Batty from 1853 until 1860, where he staged and took part in even more ambitious equestrian spectacles than those staged by Astley himself.\n\nCooke's was one of the first circuses to follow the example of Astley's Circus by touring abroad, taking the circus to Spain and Portugal in 1816 and America in 1836. The Cookes established a number of circuses in regional towns, particularly in Scotland where they ran circuses in wooden buildings in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth and Greenock. \n\nThis poster was printed for a regional tour of 'William Cooke's Colossal Establishment', leaving space at the bottom for details of dates and venues. The images include vignettes of Edward I presenting the first Prince of Wales to the Welsh; The Battle of Cressy (sic); Saint George and the Dragon; the Triumph of the Black Prince; Saint David; Prince Hal - Henry V, and an image of the River Thames with Windsor Castle in the distance. It lists the performers Miss Emily Cooke ('the Most Famous Female Equestrian of the Age'); Master Alfred ('the Daring Backward Rider'); Madame Henrietta ('Menage Horse Rider'); Mr. J. Gee ('The Great 4 Horse Rider'); Miss Pearl ('The Equestrian Enchantress'); Mr. Pearson ('The Flying Voltigeur'); Miss J. Jee ('The Fairy Sylph'); Mr. Orford (Melodist); Signor Antoine ('The Parisian Juggler'); Mr. E. Hemming ('The Equestrian Wizard'), The Elliotte Family (Gymnasts); Monsieur Elliotte ('The Parisian Grotesque'); Mr. J. Elliotte ('The Crystal Pyramid Equilibrist'); Tom Thumb ('Lilliputian Equestrian'), and 'the three best clowns in England' - Mitchell (the Shakesperean (sic) Jester'); Hemmings ('the Gymnastic Droll') and Monsieur Elliotte. It credits Sir Walter Scott's novel <i>Ivanhoe</i> in which a scene is set in Ashby de la Zouche Castle as inspiration for the Magnificent Tournament of 'the Lists of Ashby' reenacted at the end of the midday performance. The lists, or list-fields were roped-off enclosures where tournament fighting took place in the late medieval period.\n\nThe poster notes the huge popularity of the presentation of the scene from Shakespeare's King Richard III featuring the death of Richard III and his legendary horse White Surrey at Astley's where it ran for 'an unprecedented 94 days'. In tune with the theatrical craze of the day to produce increasingly historically accurate settings and costumes, this poster even notes that 'the spears, lances halberds etc' were bought by William Cooke from the Tower of London for this occasion!\n\n","physicalDescription":"Pictorial and typographical tour poster in brown and blue ink on white paper advertising <i>William Cooke's Colossal Equestrian Entertainment</i>, featuring a series of vignettes of incidents in British history concerning 13th century to 16th century monarchs, surrounding information about the performance and the performers from Astley's Royal Amphitheatre in London and the Cirque Napoleon, Paris.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"etching","id":"x39131"},{"text":"letterpress","id":"AAT178926"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printing ink on paper ","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"},{"text":"Posters","id":"THES252963"},{"text":"Royalty","id":"THES48899"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2021MX5586"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES345345"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"woodcut","id":"AAT53296"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1857","earliest":"1852-01-01","latest":"1861-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.3801-2013","id":"O1273287"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.36-2018","id":"O1435726"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.1215-2011","id":"O1242297"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"S.545-1994","id":"O1162144"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.1151-2011","id":"O1244453"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"63","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"09/06/2025","earliest":"2025-06-09","latest":"2025-06-09"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"50.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"09/06/2025","earliest":"2025-06-09","latest":"2025-06-09"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Image cut with rounded corners","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Tour poster advertising <i>William Cooke's Colossal Equestrian Entertainment</i> in towns in the UK, including <i>A Grand Historic and Magnificent Tournament!;</i> <i>Richard III or the Death of White Surrey,</i> and <i>The Battle of Bosworth Field.</i> Undated but probably ca.1857","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.3786-1995"],"accessionNumberNum":"3786","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1995,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-06-09","recordCreationDate":"2021-04-26","availableToBook":true}}