{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O88934"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O88934/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AG2421/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AG2421/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AG2421","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O88934","accessionNumber":"E.5492-1958","objectType":"Book illustration","titles":[{"title":"And this is Rachel - our head girl","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Ronald Searle made this image for <i>Lilliput</i> magazine, but it later appeared in the book <i>Back to the Slaughterhouse</i> in 1951. Searle created the infamous girls' school, St Trinians, in October 1941 with a cartoon in <i>Lilliput</i> magazine. These cartoons were later collected and published as books starting with <i>Hurrah for St Trinians</i> in 1948. His St Trinians characters also inspired a series of films.  \r\n\r\nWith a distinctive and lively pen and ink style, which has become blotchier and more angular in later years, Searle is one of the most recognisable British artists. His work is distinguished by its humour. As biographer Russell Davies said: 'He was not making the world look funny, but experiencing it as funny; it was less a style than a psychological condition'. Searle started work at just 15 years old as a professional cartoonist for the <i>Cambridge Daily News</i>. He continued to work for newspapers and magazines, including <i>Punch</i>, well into the 1950s. Since then he has produced numerous illustrated books including <i>Merry England, etc</i> (1956), <i>The Illustrated Winespeak</i> (1983) and <i>Slightly Foxed but Still Desirable</i> (1989).","physicalDescription":"Cartoon depicting a headmistress showing another lady into a room where the head-girl is sharpening her knife on a lathe. On a shelf above her are the heads of other school-girls.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Searle, Ronald","id":"A11420"},"association":{"text":"illustrator","id":"x36173"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"cardboard","id":"AAT14224"},{"text":"Pen and ink","id":"x30618"},{"text":"wash","id":"AAT11051"}],"techniques":[{"text":"hand drawn","id":"x34232"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and ink and wash on card","categories":[{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Caricatures & Cartoons","id":"THES48983"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AG2421"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF (VA)","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"EDUC","shelf":"1","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"illustration","id":"AAT54200"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1951","earliest":"1951-01-01","latest":"1951-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the artist","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"34.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"23.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Ronald Searle 1951","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"ink","method":"","position":"bottom left within image frame","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"Signature; date","note":"Signature; date; bottom left within image frame; ink"},{"content":"And this is Rachel - our head girl.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"pencil","method":"","position":"bottom centre within image frame; also under the frame crossed out","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"picture title","note":"picture title; bottom centre within image frame; also under the frame crossed out; pencil"},{"content":"Lilliput (crossed out)","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"crayon","method":"","position":"left below image","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"left below image; crayon"},{"content":"LILLIPUT","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"stamped","position":"below image","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"below image; stamped"},{"content":"5 APR 1951","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"reverse","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"reverse"},{"content":"RONALD SEARLE / STUDIO TWO / 77 BEDFORD GARDENS / W.8. / (Tel: Park 4519)","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"stamped","position":"reverse","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"reverse; stamped"},{"content":"(various other markings)","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"front outside image frame and reverse","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"front outside image frame and reverse"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Book illustration for <i>Lilliput</i> and later <i>Back to the Slaughterhouse</i>, 'And this is Rachel - our head girl', scene from St Trinians, by Ronald Searle, in pen and ink and wash, 1951.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<i>Lilliput</i>. London, Pocket Publications Ltd."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<i>Back to the Slaughterhouse</i>. London, Macdonald & Co., 1951."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"schoolgirls","id":"x37695"},{"text":"school","id":"AAT81443"},{"text":"knife","id":"x31542"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["St Trinian's"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.5492-1958"],"accessionNumberNum":"5492","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1958,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-30","recordCreationDate":"2004-01-08","availableToBook":false}}