{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1657609"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1657609/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB4714/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB4714/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021NB4714","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1657609/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1657609","accessionNumber":"S.1073:1 to 2-2012","objectType":"Souvenir","titles":[{"title":"Souvenir cutout of Darrell Fancourt in the title role of The Mikado","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 Darrell Fancourt 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\nDarrell Fancourt, born Darrell Louis Fancourt Leverson, trained at London's Royal Academy of Music and after a short career as a concert singer joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in May 1920, going on for Frederick Hobbs as Mountararat in <i>Iolanthe</i>, Arac in <i>Princess Ida</i> and the title role of <i>The Mikado. </i>When Hobbs left in June 1920 Fancourt played those roles as well as Dick Deadeye in <i>HMS Pinafore</i>, the Pirate King in <i>The Pirates of Penzance</i>, Colonel Calverley in <i>Patience</i>, Sir Roderic Murgatroyd in <i>Ruddigore</i> and Sergeant Meryll in <i>The Yeomen of the Guard</i>. He continued to play most of the principal bass-baritone roles for the company for 33 years, until 1953, the year he died and when he was succeeded by Donald Adams.","physicalDescription":"<b>S.1073:1-2021</b>\r\nPlywood cutout figure of Darrell Fancourt in the title role of <i>The Mikado</i> by Gilbert and Sullivan \r\n\r\n<b>S.1073:2-2021</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":["2021NB4714"],"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":"cutout","id":"AAT257411"}],[{"text":"stands","id":"AAT39767"}],[{"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.131:115-2002","id":"O87602"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.1046-2021","id":"O1657544"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.1049-2021","id":"O1657555"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"The Bequest of Peter Parker","dimensions":[],"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 Darrell Fancourt (1886-1953) in the title role of The Mikado 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.1073:1-2021","S.1073:2-2021"],"accessionNumberNum":"1073","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2021,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2021-09-06","availableToBook":true}}