January 1805 (published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Print depicting the child performer Miss Lee Sugg in the character of Rolla in Sheridan's play Pizarro. She is billed as 'The Infant Roscius and Billington'. The celebrated Roman actor Roscius achieved such fame that his name was used in the 18th and early 19th centuries to indicate a particularly talented player. The popular child star Master William Betty (1791-1874), who was acting at the same time as Miss Sugg, was billed as The Young Roscius. Billington, to whom Miss Sugg is also being compared, was the actress and singer Elizabeth Billington (1765 or 1768 - 1818). Miss Sugg did have the advantage of a good publicist. The print was published by her father, the ventriloquist Lee Sugg.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Hand-coloured engraving |
| Brief description | Print entitled 'The Infant Roscius and Billington, Miss Lee Sugg'. Published in January 1805 by Mr. Sugg at Jones's Hackney Coffee House and Tavern, Hackney. |
| Physical description | Full-length portrait of Miss Lee Sugg wearing a short tunic and feathered headdress, with an inscription which reads: 'The Infant ROSCIUS and BILLINGTON, MISS LEE SUGG / Born July 27th 1799. / Patroniz'd by the PRINCE of WALES at Brighton Aug't 29th 1804 / Rolla ---- We serve a MONARCH whom we Love. / A GOD whom we Adore. / This Child will Perform every Thursday & Saturday Evening at 7. o'Clock at the Kings Arms Cornhill, London.' |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Gabrielle Enthoven Collection |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Print depicting the child performer Miss Lee Sugg in the character of Rolla in Sheridan's play Pizarro. She is billed as 'The Infant Roscius and Billington'. The celebrated Roman actor Roscius achieved such fame that his name was used in the 18th and early 19th centuries to indicate a particularly talented player. The popular child star Master William Betty (1791-1874), who was acting at the same time as Miss Sugg, was billed as The Young Roscius. Billington, to whom Miss Sugg is also being compared, was the actress and singer Elizabeth Billington (1765 or 1768 - 1818). Miss Sugg did have the advantage of a good publicist. The print was published by her father, the ventriloquist Lee Sugg. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.425-2011 |
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| Record created | May 23, 2011 |
| Record URL |
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