ca. 1830s (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Hand coloured tinsel print of James William Wallack as the Monarch of the Deep Deep Sea, in a frame of bird's eye maple.
Tinsel prints were created from etched portraits, often of theatrical stars in popular roles. The decorating of prints with scraps of material and foil became a popular hobby in the first half of the 19th century and was considered an adult, rather than a child's, hobby. By the 1830s it was possible to buy the tinsel, leather and feather ornaments to go with each image.
Tinsel prints were created from etched portraits, often of theatrical stars in popular roles. The decorating of prints with scraps of material and foil became a popular hobby in the first half of the 19th century and was considered an adult, rather than a child's, hobby. By the 1830s it was possible to buy the tinsel, leather and feather ornaments to go with each image.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Hand coloured tinsel print |
| Brief description | Hand coloured tinsel print of James William Wallack as the Monarch of the Deep Deep Sea, in a frame of bird's eye maple. |
| Physical description | Print depicting James William Wallack as Neptune, standing with arms outstretched, holding a trident in his right hand. He is standing on a shell, surrounded by water, with a sea serpent at his feet and a fish to his left. Several parts of the image are decorated with pieces of foil. The print has been cut to the shape of the figure and has been mounted on card, in a frame of bird's eye maple. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label | 11, 12
TINSEL PRINTS AND SCRAPS
One of the earliest forms of souvenirs was the tinsel print. These were not ready made, but had to be painstakingly assembled by gluing punched metal shapes and bits of cloth on to an engraving of a celebrity or character.
Another popular pastime was compiling scrapbooks. Sheets could be bought featuring a series of characters to be collected and pasted in as keepsakes.
Tinsel print showing Mr Wallack as the Monarch of the Deep Deep Sea
About 1830
Paper and metal
M.W. Stone Collection
Given by M.W. Stone
Museum no. S.33-1981
Scrap for a Shakespeare character card: King Lear
About 1890
Printed card
Given by British Theatre Museum Association
Museum no. S.149-2008
(March 2014) |
| Credit line | M.W. Stone Collection |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Hand coloured tinsel print of James William Wallack as the Monarch of the Deep Deep Sea, in a frame of bird's eye maple. Tinsel prints were created from etched portraits, often of theatrical stars in popular roles. The decorating of prints with scraps of material and foil became a popular hobby in the first half of the 19th century and was considered an adult, rather than a child's, hobby. By the 1830s it was possible to buy the tinsel, leather and feather ornaments to go with each image. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.33-1981 |
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| Record created | July 1, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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