Not on display

H Beard Print Collection

Print
1903 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Harry Tate (187201940), born Ronald McDonald Hutchison, assumed his stage name from the company Henry Tate & Sons, Sugar Refiners, for whom he worked before becoming a professional performer. He first appeared under it at the Oxford Music-Hall on 13 April 1895 when his early act consisted of sketches in which he mimicked music-hall stars of the day, using clip-on paper costumes to allow as many as forty-two changes in one act. He went on to develop various sketches based on middle-class leisure pursuits such as fishing, golfing and gardening which he performed with a small company.

Motoring,Tate's first great success, became hugely popular for his company in the music halls. The sketch is about a father, an idiotic son in his Eton suit, and a chauffeur attempting to take the son back to school in a car that won’t start. The son sat in the back of the car making inane comments such as ‘It’s amazing, pa-pa’, and ‘Goodbye-eee’. 'Goodbye-eee' became Tate’s best-known catchphrase and the inspiration for the popular World War I song.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleH Beard Print Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Print
Brief description
Hand coloured print of the comedian Harry Tate in his costume for his Variety sketch Motoring, from a Vanity Fair Supplement on the theme of Men of the Day. This image of Tate in checked plus fours and cap is captioned The King's Jester, Harry Beard Collection.
Physical description
Hand coloured print of Mr. Harry Tate in his Variety sketch Motoring, dressed in a checked suit with plus fours and scarlet waistcoat, with driving googles perched on top of his checked cap. His moustache is at the slight angle adopted for his comic sketches.
A pencil note on the back of the print reads: 'appeared in Motoring at Holloway Empire [Sept 25th?] 1903.'
Dimensions
  • Height: 38cm
  • Width: 25.3cm
Credit line
Harry R. Beard Collection, given by Isobel Beard
Subject depicted
Summary
Harry Tate (187201940), born Ronald McDonald Hutchison, assumed his stage name from the company Henry Tate & Sons, Sugar Refiners, for whom he worked before becoming a professional performer. He first appeared under it at the Oxford Music-Hall on 13 April 1895 when his early act consisted of sketches in which he mimicked music-hall stars of the day, using clip-on paper costumes to allow as many as forty-two changes in one act. He went on to develop various sketches based on middle-class leisure pursuits such as fishing, golfing and gardening which he performed with a small company.

Motoring,Tate's first great success, became hugely popular for his company in the music halls. The sketch is about a father, an idiotic son in his Eton suit, and a chauffeur attempting to take the son back to school in a car that won’t start. The son sat in the back of the car making inane comments such as ‘It’s amazing, pa-pa’, and ‘Goodbye-eee’. 'Goodbye-eee' became Tate’s best-known catchphrase and the inspiration for the popular World War I song.
Associated objects
Other number
F.137-18A - H Beard collection numbering
Collection
Accession number
S.6027-2009

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Record createdDecember 8, 2009
Record URL
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