{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O87245"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O87245/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AK9338/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AK9338/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AK9338","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O87245","accessionNumber":"S.131:96-2002","objectType":"Caricature","titles":[{"title":"Vera Pearce as Mrs Edgoose in <i>Bob's Your Uncle</i>","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This caricature shows Vera Pearce (1895-1956) as Mrs Edgoose in <i>Bob's Your Uncle</i> at the Oxford New Theatre on 10 June 1949.  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\n<i>Bob's Your Uncle</i>, a musical written by Austin Melford with music by Noel Gay, concerned the trials of a couple at their honeymoon hotel, and ran at London's Saville Theatre from May 1948 before going on tour.  Vera Pearce played the formidable Mrs Edgoose, the mother of the bride who towered over the diminutive Leslie Henson playing the drunken Robert Popejoy. \r\n\r\nVera Pearce, an Australian singer and actress, toured in England before the First World War and returned to Australia in 1914 where she worked in musical theatre and pantomime before coming to London in the 1920s and establishing a reputation for herself as a comedienne who also played opposite Sydney Howard in <i>Sitting Pretty</i> (1934) and <i>Wild Oats</i> (1938).","physicalDescription":"Pencil caricature of Vera Pearce as Mrs Edgoose in <i>Bob's Your Uncle</i>, New Theatre Oxford, 10 June 1949. From a hard-backed sketch book containing caricatures of theatrical performers and entertainers drawn by Gilbert Sommerlad.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Sommerlad, Gilbert","id":"A5980"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil 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":["2006AK9338"],"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":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"10 June 1949","earliest":"1949-06-10","latest":"1949-06-10"},"association":{"text":"dated","id":"AAT54714"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Michael Sommerlad","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"17.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"12.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Gilbert Sommerlad was a member of the resident orchestra at the New Theatre, Oxford when he drew this caricature.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Pencil caricature by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976) of Vera Pearce as Mrs Edgoose in <i>Bob's Your Uncle</i>, New Theatre Oxford, 10 June 1949","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Pearce, Vera","id":"N3399"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.131:96-2002"],"accessionNumberNum":"131","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2002,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-24","recordCreationDate":"2003-12-12","availableToBook":true}}