{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1657608"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1657608/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1657608","accessionNumber":"S.1072:1 to 2-2021","objectType":"Souvenir","titles":[{"title":"Souvenir cutout of Sydney Granville as Strephon in Iolanthe","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 Sydney Granville 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\nSydney Granville, born Walter Dewhurst, first appeared with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as a chorus member in 1907 but by the following year was playing Counsel to the Plaintiff in <i>Trial by Jury,</i> Bill Bobstay in <i>HMS Pinafore</i>, Samuel in , Colonel Calverley in <i>Patience</i>, Strephon in <i>Iolanthe</i>, Arac in <i>Princess Ida</i>, Pish-Tush in <i>The Mikado</i>, the Lieutenant of the Tower in <i>The Yeomen of the Guard</i>, and Luiz in <i>The Gondoliers</i>. He left in March 1914 but rejoined in November 1917, staying until June 1917. He worked with the company again from 1918 until 1925 and from 1928 until his retirement in 1942 when his roles were The Sergeant of Police in <i>The Pirates of Penzance</i>, Pooh-Bah in <i>The Mikado</i>, Wilfred Shadbolt in <i>The Yeomen of the Guard</i>, and Don Alhambra in <i>The Gondoliers</i>).\n\n","physicalDescription":"<b>S.1072:1-2021</b>\r\nPlywood cutout figure of Sydney Granville as Strephon in <i>The Pirates of Penzance</i> by Gilbert and Sullivan \r\n\r\n<b>S.1072:2-2021</b>\r\nWooden base for the figure","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"The Artograph Company","id":"AUTH372975"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28674"},"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 print 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":[],"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"}],[{"text":"figures","id":"AAT189808"}],[{"text":"cutouts","id":"AAT257411"}],[{"text":"bases","id":"AAT14844"}]],"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":[{"object":{"text":"S.331-1989","id":"O119825"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Peter Parker","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"20.0","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":"10.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"width of base","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"3.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"depth of base","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'To dear old Parker/All the best \"Grannie\"'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Written in ink verso. The inscription shows that the figure was given to Stanley Parker by Sydney Granville."}],"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&A.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Souvenir plywood cutout figure with wooden stand of Sydney Granville (1880-1959) as Strephon in <i>Iolanthe</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":[{"text":"D'Oyly Carte Opera Company","id":"C5944"}],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.1072:1-2021","S.1072:2-2021"],"accessionNumberNum":"1072","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2021,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2021-09-06","availableToBook":true}}