{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1657604"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1657604/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB4708/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB4708/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021NB4708","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1657604/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1657604","accessionNumber":"S.1068:1 to 2-2021","objectType":"Souvenir","titles":[{"title":"Souvenir cutout of Derek Oldham as Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore","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 Derek Oldham is one of several representing singers in roles they played with  D'Oyly Carte Opera Company productions in its 1919 to 1922 seasons 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\nThe tenor Derek Oldham began his professional career in musical theatre in 1914 in <i>The Daring of Diane</i> at the London Pavilion before serving in the Scots Guards during the first World War. He joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in August 1919, appearing as Alexis in <i>The Sorcerer</i>, Earl Tolloller in <i>Iolanthe</i>, Cyril in <i>Pricess Ida</i>, Nanki-Poo in <i>The Mikado</i>, Colonel Fairfax in <i>The Yeomen of the Guard</i>, and Marco in <i>The Gondoliers</i> in his first season. In 1920 he added the roles of Ralph Rackstraw in <i>H.M.S. Pinafor</i>e, Frederic in <i>The Pirates of Penzanc</i><i>e,</i> and Richard Dauntless in <i>HMS Pinafore</i>. in 1921 he swapped Cyril for Prince Hilarion in <i>Princess Ida</i>. He left to go into musical comedy in the summer of 1922, becoming a lead singer-actor at Drury Lane and other West End theatres throughout the 1920s. He returned to the D'Oyly Carte for seasons in the late 1920s and 1930s and appeared on nineteen full and abridged HMV recordings of the operas.\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n\r\n","physicalDescription":"<b>S.1068:1-2021</b>\r\nPlywood cutout figure mounted with a photographic image of Derek Oldham as Ralph Rackstraw in <i>HMS Pinafore</i>\r\n\r\n<b>S.1068:2-2021</b>\r\nWooden base for the figure","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"The Artograph Company","id":"AUTH372975"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"Two of the similar cutouts in this bequest 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":["2021NB4708"],"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":"souvenirs","id":"AAT28886"}],[{"text":"figures","id":"AAT189808"}],[{"text":"cutouts","id":"AAT257411"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","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":"20.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum height of figure","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"7.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum width of figure","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"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":"10.10","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 Derek Oldham (1887-1968) as Ralph Rackstraw in<i> HMS Pinafore</i> by Gilbert and Sullivan with the D'Oyly Carte Company during their 1920-1921 season at the Princes Theatre London. 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.1068:1-2021","S.1068:2-2021"],"accessionNumberNum":"1068","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2021,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2021-09-06","availableToBook":true}}