{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O84834"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O84834/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH2194/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH2194/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AH2194","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O84834/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O84834","accessionNumber":"S.393:6-2002","objectType":"Caricature","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This caricature is of Chung Ling Soo, ‘The Original Chinese Conjurer’ or ‘The Marvellous Chinese Conjurer’. It was drawn while he was performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 27 March 1905. It is one of the many superb caricatures of Edwardian music hall performers that were drawn by the artist George Cooke when he was based at the Grand Theatre. He compiled them in a series of albums. This was Chung Ling Soo’s second visit to Hanley.\r\n\r\nChung Ling Soo was an American of Scottish descent. He was born William Elsworth Robinson in New York in 1861. Originally billed as Hop Ling Soo, Robinson’s stage name and many of his tricks were inspired by Ching Ling Foo, a real Chinese conjurer working in America. Robinson made London his home. The public there loved the mystical image he cultivated with the help of promotional items, posters and stationery featuring Chinese icons. He even used an interpreter for interviews. When Foo appeared at the Empire in January 1905, near the Hippodrome where Robinson was performing, Foo challenged him to a competition. Since Foo never turned up for the challenge, Anderson was declared the winner. Chung Ling Soo died in March 1918 at the Wood Green Empire. He was killed during his spectacular bullet-catching act, which he had performed successfully for 16 years. He had performed it at Hanley.","physicalDescription":"Pen, ink and wash caricature, on pink paper, of Chung Ling Soo. He is shown wearing a yellow jacket with a high white mandarin collar; his head and shoulders appears within a large moon shape rising on the horizon of a night sea view, a lighthouse to the left and a sailing ship in front.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Cooke, George","id":"A10376"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Pen and ink","id":"x30618"},{"text":"Watercolour","id":"x33202"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Drawn","id":"x30545"},{"text":"Painted","id":"x30138"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and ink and wash on paper","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Caricatures & Cartoons","id":"THES48983"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006AH2194"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES352333"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"caricatures","id":"AAT15634"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Hanley","id":"x32079"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"March 1905","earliest":"1905-03-01","latest":"1905-03-31"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"25","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"16.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Chung Ling Soo","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"Pen and ink","method":"Hand written","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"Signature","note":"Signature; Hand written; Pen and ink"},{"content":"Chinese characters","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"Pen and ink","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Pen and ink"}],"objectHistory":"This caricature is of Chung Ling Soo (1861-1918) and was drawn during the week of 27 March 1905 when he was performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley. Chung Ling Soo was an American magician of Scottish origin whose real name was William Robinson.  He was an extremely inventive magician who made London his home and who worked in Britain as 'The Original Chinese Conjurer', or 'The Marvellous Chinese Conjurer'. The caricature comes from the second album of caricatures in a collection of albums owned by the Theatre Museum compiled by the graphic artist George Cooke.  It is labelled by the artist 'Geo Cooke HYS BOOKE' and features music hall performers working in the early 20th century.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Caricature of the Edwardian magician and music hall performer Chung Ling Soo (1861-1918), from an album of caricatures drawn by George Cooke. Probably 1905.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.393:6-2002"],"accessionNumberNum":"393","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2002,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"2003-10-21","availableToBook":true}}