{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O86491"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O86491/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AK7152/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AK7152/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AK7152","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AG8359","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O86491","accessionNumber":"S.130:5-2002","objectType":"Caricature","titles":[{"title":"Harry Acres conducting a performance of <font -i>King's Rhapsody</font -i>","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This caricature shows Harry Acres conducting a performance of <i>King's Rhapsody</i> at the Oxford New Theatre. It was drawn by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976), a rehearsal pianist and orchestral violinist at the Brighton Theatre Royal from 1932 until 1936, and at the Oxford New Theatre from 1936 for over forty years. Sommerlad sketched the stars on stage when he wasn't needed in the orchestra pit, compiling the sketches in a series of albums.\r\n\r\nHarry Acres was a musical director and conductor who worked on the orchestration of several musicals in the 1940s and 1950s, including <i>Perchance To Dream</i> and <i>Gay's The Word</i>.","physicalDescription":"Harry Acres conducting a performance of <font -i>King's Rhapsody</font -i>, part of an artist's hard-backed sketch book manufactured by George Rowney & Co., called 'The Euston Sketch Book'. The pencilled sketch is drawn directly onto the page (cream cartridge paper). Titled and dated by the artist and signed by the subject.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Sommerlad, Gilbert","id":"A5980"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pencil","id":"THES398741"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil on cream cartridge paper","categories":[{"text":"Caricatures & Cartoons","id":"THES48983"},{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006AK7152","2006AG8359"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES356599"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"caricatures","id":"AAT15634"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Oxford","id":"x31203"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x34232"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1952","earliest":"1952-01-01","latest":"1952-12-31"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Michael Sommerlad","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"15.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"12.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The artist of these caricatures, Gilbert Sommerlad, was by profession a musician who was born into a family that had a long tradition of professional musicians.    In 1936 he moved to the recently built New Theatre, Oxford, to join his brother Roy (violin and clarinet) as resident pianist.\r\n\r\nGilbert was an exceptionally good and popular rehearsal pianist, and visiting companies and individual performers used to make sure that he would be available.  He became well-known in the profession and his ability as a caricaturist became common knowledge.  The volume that includes this drawing contains sketches mostly of musical directors and conductors working at the Oxford New Theatre with Gilbert Sommerlad.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Pencil caricature by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976) of Harry Acres conducting a performance of <font -i>King's Rhapsody</font -i>, Oxford New Theatre, 1952.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Acres, Harry","id":"N3085"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"conductors (musicians)","id":"AAT25672"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.130:5-2002"],"accessionNumberNum":"130","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2002,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-24","recordCreationDate":"2003-11-28","availableToBook":true}}