{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1657600"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1657600/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB4563/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB4563/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021NB4563","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1657600/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1657600","accessionNumber":"S.1064:1 to 2-2021","objectType":"Souvenir","titles":[{"title":"Souvenir cutout of Helen Gilliland as Casilda in The Gondoliers","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Souvenir figures such as this became popular in the 1920s, apparently after a set representing dancers with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes Company were issued by Cyril Beaumont. He had the idea in about 1914 to produce them from artwork representing the dancers in costume, hoping they would: 'supply the demand for something between a   photograph and a statuette'. A 1928 catalogue of Beaumont's publications notes: 'The figures, which are of wood, average 8¾ inches high, and are hand-coloured with special care to ensure accuracy of costume. The black stands on which the figures are mounted are easily removable to afford facility in packing. The figures are priced at 7s.6d. net.' \r\n\r\nThis figure of Helen Gilliland is one of several representing singers in roles they played with D'Oyly Carte Opera Company productions in its 1921 to 1922 season at  London's Princes Theatre. They were reproduced from photographs and would have been issued in 1922 by the Artograph Technical and Photographic Company, located at 16, Grape  Street,  New Oxford Street, behind the Princes Theatre.\n\nHelen Gilliland was a principal soprano with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Repertory Company who first appared with them in July 1917 as Aline in <i>The Sorcerer</i>, Mabel in <i>The Pirates of Penzance</i>, Phyllis in <i>Iolanthe</i>, Yum-Yum in <i>The Mikado,</i> and Casilda in <i>The Gondoliers</i>. She left in June 1919 at the close of her second season, returning in September for the 18-week London season at the Princes Theatre, taking the same roles except Mabel which was played by Elsie Griffin. She left again at the end of the season in January 1920, returning in October 1920 for her third and last season when she played , Casilda, Phyllis, Yum-Yum, and the title role of <i>Patience</i>. At the end of the season in April 1922 she moved to the London Hippodrome, and after several roles in London moved to the US where she appeared in <i>The Red Robe</i> at New York's Shubert Theatre. Back in London she appeared regularly on the London stage playing appearing at Drury Lane in January 1931 in <i>The Song of the Drum</i>, and at the Gaiety in August 1931 in <i>Nina Rosa</i>. She appeared regularly in London and on tour over the next six years in musical comedy, variety, and pantomime but lost her life in 1942 when the ship on which she was travelling to an ENSA engagement was torpedoed and sunk in Far Eastern waters.","physicalDescription":"<b>S.1064:1-2021</b>\r\nPlywood cutout figure with removable base of Helen Gilliland as Casilda in <i>The Gondoliers</i>  \r\n\r\n<b>S.1064:2-2021</b>\r\nWooden base for the figure \r\n","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"The Artograph Company","id":"AUTH372975"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x39720"},"note":"Two of the similar cutouts are stamped with the name: 'The Autograph Company, Technical and Commercial Photography' but the company is also described in their publicity in 1924 for a set of Gilbert & Sullivan postcards as: 'The Artograph Publishing Co.'"}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Photographic paper on plywood","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Musical Theatre","id":"THES278879"},{"text":"Souvenirs","id":"THES287379"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2021NB4563"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES355409"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES355409"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"souvenirs","id":"AAT28886"}],[{"text":"figures","id":"AAT189808"}],[{"text":"cutouts","id":"AAT257411"}],[{"text":"stands","id":"AAT39767"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1922","earliest":"1922-01-01","latest":"1922-12-31"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":"This figure is undated but can be dated by the singer and date of the production"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Peter Parker","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"18.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"mximum height of figure","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"10.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"mximum width of figure","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"mximum depth of figure","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"3.0","unit":"","qualifier":"height of base","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"10.10","unit":"cm","qualifier":"width of base","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"depth of base","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This cutout figure, one of thirteen similar items in this bequest, was inherited by Peter Parker, along with a quantity of other objects related to the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, from his father Stanley H. Parker (d.1960). Stanley Parker was employed by the Savoy Hotel as a junior clerk in May 1909, straight from school. From that job, on the death of Helen D'Oyly Carte in 1913, he was appointed by Rupert D'Oyly Carte to understudy George A. Richardson who managed the theatre from November 1911 to February 1915. In 1913 Stanley H. Parker became Rupert and (later) Bridget D'Oyly Carte's private secretary, also secretary of both the Savoy Theatre Ltd., and the Opera Company. He worked for the company for 51 years, until his death in 1960.\r\n\r\nThis was subsequently part of Peter Parker's bequest to the V&amp;A.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Souvenir plywood cutout figure with wooden stand of Helen Gilliland (1894-1942) as Casilda in<i> The Gondoliers</i> by Gilbert and Sullivan with the D'Oyly Carte Company during their season at the Princes Theatre  London, 3rd October 1921 to 8th April 1922. Produced by the Artograph Company, 1922.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.1064:1-2021","S.1064:2-2021"],"accessionNumberNum":"1064","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2021,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-19","recordCreationDate":"2021-09-06","availableToBook":true}}