{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1657603"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1657603/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB4572/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB4572/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021NB4572","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1657603/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1657603","accessionNumber":"S.1067:1 to 2-2021","objectType":"Souvenir","titles":[{"title":"Souvenir cutout of Bertha Lewis as Lady Jane in Patience","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 Bertha Lewis 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\nBertha Lewis has been credited as the greatest contralto who ever worked with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Born in London, she studied music at London's Royal Academy of Music before joining the Principal Repertory Company aged nineteen in August 1905, playing Kate in <i>The Pirates of Penzance</i>, Saphir in <i>Patience</i>, Leila in <i>Iolanthe</i> and Vittoria in <i>The Gondoliers. </i>In July 1909 she replaced Ethel Morrison as principal contralto but left in 1910 when she married and toured the country appearing in concerts and opera. She rejoined the D'Oyly Carte in December 1914 and stayed with them until her death at the age of thirty three, on 8th May 1931 in a car accident near Cambridge where the company was appearing.","physicalDescription":"<b>S.1067:1-2021</b>\r\nPlywood cutout figure of Bertha Lewis in Patience\r\n\r\n<b>S.1067:2-2021</b>\r\nWooden base for the figure ","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"The Artograph Company","id":"AUTH372975"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x39720"},"note":"Two of the similar cutouts in this gift 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":["2021NB4572"],"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":"bases","id":"AAT14844"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1922","earliest":"1922-01-01","latest":"1922-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"This figure is undated but can be dated by the singer and date of the production"}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.1047-2021","id":"O1657545"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.1049-2021","id":"O1657555"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Peter Parker","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"18.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum height of figure","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"9.10","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum width of figure","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum depth of figure","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"0.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"height of base","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"9.10","unit":"cm","qualifier":"width of base","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"3.0","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 Bertha Lewis (1887-1931) as Lady Jane in <i>Patience</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.1067:1-2021","S.1067:2-2021"],"accessionNumberNum":"1067","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2021,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-19","recordCreationDate":"2021-09-06","availableToBook":true}}