{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O172419"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O172419/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JN1820/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JN1820/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JN1820","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O172419","accessionNumber":"S.272-2008","objectType":"Poster","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Typographical posters such as this were typical of the advertisements for variety theatres in Great Britain in the first half of the 20th century. Variety developed out of music hall and, like its predecessor, provided a number of entertainers on one programme. As small music halls gave way to the large variety theatres built by profitable concerns such as Moss Empires, the type of entertainment on offer became more ambitious. Variety shows typically took place twice-nightly, and the star performer whose spot was the culmination of the show, had their name at the top of the poster, literally 'topping the bill'. \r\n\r\nBefore the days of television and radio, Variety was tremendously popular. Every town in Britain would have boasted a variety theatre and its stars could command fabulous salaries. As cinema and television became the mass means of entertainment, a host of variety theatres were converted to cinemas or were closed. Seaside Variety shows fared better than most and kept their patrons in the 1950s and 1960s by engaging stars who made their name on the radio, in the burgeoning rock and pop industry, or in television.","physicalDescription":"Typographic poster for the Shepherds Bush Empire, printed in red, yellow, orange and blue on paper, advertising the programme for the week of Monday 25 February 1935, featuring Syd Seymour and his Mad Hatters Band; Beryl Beresford; Leslie Hinton; Randolph Sutton; Stewart MacBean; Will Hatton & Ethel Manners; Bartlett and Ross; Sam Rayne; Dinks and Trixie; 4 Julians; 3 Hiltons. The poster also advertises ‘Sunday \"Talkies\"’ for 24 February featuring Matheson Lang & Margaret Bannerman and Wallace Ford & Marguerite de la Motte; and for 3 March featuring Katharine Hepburn and Tim McCoy. The Shepherds Bush Empire is in association with the London Coliseum. Printed with the names of the Chairman and Managing Director: Sir Oswald Stoll; District Manager: John Christie; Acting Manager: J.H. Christie, Junr; Musical Adviser to Stoll Theatre Companies: Herbert Griffiths.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"James Upton","id":"A1816"},"association":{"text":"printer","id":"x30811"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Printed","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printed paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2016JN1820"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES345164"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"posters","id":"AAT27221"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Birmingham","id":"x28748"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1935","earliest":"1935-01-01","latest":"1935-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"AAT53319"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Gwendoline Playle","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"55.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"41.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Poster for the Shepherds Bush Empire, advertising the programme for the week commencing on Monday 25 February 1935, featuring Syd Seymour, Beryl Beresford and Randolph Sutton.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.272-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"272","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-19","recordCreationDate":"2008-11-14","availableToBook":true}}