{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O757635"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O757635/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PU0201/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PU0201/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2026PU0201","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PU0200","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O757635/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O757635","accessionNumber":"E.3695-1927","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"Hard Work in London","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Randolph Caldecott (1846 – 86) was an illustrator and artist best known for his children’s picture books. The album this piece is from contains 40 pen and ink sketches and a single lithograph, beginning with Caldecott's early career in about 1867 at the M&S Bank in Manchester, up to the success of 'Old Christmas' and his first oil painting shown at the Royal Academy in 1875. Some of the sketches are on notepaper or envelopes, and others are cut from letters. The volume originally belonged to William Clough, who was an official at the bank, but continued correspondence with Caldecott into his career as an illustrator.\r\n\r\nThe volume also contains one lithograph (E.3696-1927) of a boy looking at three horses, 'drawn in Oxford Road opposite the end of High St., to illustrate a paper against the Bearing rein'.","physicalDescription":"Pen and black ink sketch at the top of a letter. On the left, it depicts a man, presumably Randolph Caldecott, sat in an armchair at a table. He is smoking a pipe whilst drawing. The table is set with two candles, several empty bottles, an inkwell, corkscrew and glass. There is a lightfitting overhead and the background is roughly shaded, with the table and subject in light. On the right is a rectangle containing Caldecott's address and the date; from behind, a devil peeks out. Underneath on a separate piece of paper is written in pencil, 'Hard at Work in London'.\n\nThis drawing is within an album of 40 early sketches, compiled by William Clough. The front page reads 'Original drawings by Randolph Caldecott beginning with his early career in the M+S Bank + up to the success of 'Old Christmas' + first oil at the R.A W.C 1867 - 1875'.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Caldecott, Randolph","id":"A7562"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and ink drawing on paper","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Sketches","id":"THES392958"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2026PU0201","2026PU0200"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"94","shelf":"B","box":"2"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawing","id":"AAT33973"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"03/12/1872-04/12/1872","earliest":"1872-12-03","latest":"1872-12-04"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by J. R. Holliday","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"107","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"111","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"On irregularly shaped paper, cut from a larger sheet.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'46 / Gt. Russell / St. / LONDON / W.C. / 3/4 Dec 1872'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In ink, within illustration"},{"content":"'Dear clough, / The strike of the gasmen may be a joke, or it / may be a serious thing without flaw; / But candles I've got of far-famed Ozokerit, / so as for the strikes I don't care a button.'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In ink underneath illustration, continues off of the sheet"}],"objectHistory":"Compiled in an album with 40 drawings (E.3656 to 3695-1927) and a single lithograph (E.3696-1927). The album originally belonged to William Clough, who was an official at the Manchester and Salford (M&S) bank, where Randolph Caldecott worked until 1872.\n\nThe drawings run from about 1865 to 1875, beginning with his early career in the M&S Bank in Manchester, up to the success of <i>Old Christmas</i> by Washington Irving and his first oil painting exhibited at the Royal Academy. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"'Hard Work in London', drawing in an album of early sketches, pen and ink, by Randolph Caldecott, Great Britain, 1872\r\n","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1927</u>, London: Board of Education, 1928."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Caldecott, Randolph","id":"A7562"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"sketchbooks","id":"AAT27354"},{"text":"sketches","id":"AAT15617"},{"text":"candles","id":"AAT37654"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.3695-1927"],"accessionNumberNum":"3695","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1927,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-09-24","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}