Not currently on display at the V&A

Drawing

1880-1900 (drawn)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Line Drawn illustration in pen and ink created for publication in an illustrated newspaper or magazine, probably the Penny Illustrated Paper.

The image is labelled 'The Handel Festival at the Crystal Palace' and shows a women singing before a large audience. She is being accompanied by an orchestra and the conductor stands to her left. The illustration has not been signed or dated but annotation on the rear indicates it was drawn by the artist Dudley Cleaver (b.1872) and the dress of the female performer, with its high collar and full sleeves, resembles that worn in the late 1880s or early 1890s.

The Handel Festival appears to have taken place at Crystal Palace, London on a Triennial basis between 1859 and 1926 The last Handel Festival took place there in 1926, with Sir Henry Wood as conductor. Some rare recordings survive from the 1888 festival; these were the first ever recordings made in a live concert environment.

The Crystal Palace was a vast cast-iron and plate-glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. After the exhibition, the building was moved to a new park in Penge Common, near Sydenham Hill, which was then a suburb full of large villas, it remained there from 1854 to 1936, when it was destroyed by fire.

This sketch is one of several theatrical drawings from a collection of sketches commissioned from contemporary artists to be printed in illustrated magazines. The collection was donated to the museum by Sir William James Ingram in 1914.



Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
pen and ink on paper
Brief description
Line Drawn illustration created for publication in an illustrated newspaper or magazine, probably the Penny Illustrated Paper. The image shows 'The Handel Festival at the Crystal Palace'. It has not been signed or dated but annotation on the rear indicates it was drawn by the artist Dudley Cleaver (b.1872) and the dress of the performers resembles that worn in the late 1880s or early 1890s. Given by Sir William Ingram in 1914.
Physical description
Line Drawn illustration in pen and ink created for publication in an illustrated newspaper or magazine, probably the Penny Illustrated Paper. The image is labelled 'The Handel Festival at the Crystal Palace' and shows a women singing before a large audience. She is being accompanied by a live orchestra and the conductor stands to her left.
The illustration has not been signed or dated but annotation on the rear indicates it was drawn by the artist Dudley Cleaver (b.1872) and the dress of the female performer, with its high collar and full sleeves, resembles that worn in the late 1880s or early 1890s.
Dimensions
  • Length: 31.6cm
  • Width: 19.6cm (approximate)
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'The Handel Festival at the Crystal Palace' (Handwritten annotation in ink, at the top left side of the image)
  • 'P.I.P./4 1/2 inches wide' (Handwritten annotation in ink at the base of the illustration)
  • '67791-/P.P.P/Tuesday 2%' (Handwritten annotation in pencil on the rear of the image)
  • 'D. Cleaver' (Handwritten annotation in pencil on the rear of the image)
  • Transliteration
Credit line
Given by Sir William Ingram
Object history
Sir William Ingram (27 October 1847 – 18 December 1924) was a Liberal politician who was elected to, and sat, in the House of Commons on three occassions between 1878 and 1895. He was also the Managing Director of The Illustrated London News from the late 1870s until 1900 and became the proprietor of a number of additional publications including The Sketch and The English Illustrated Magazine.

The Illustrated London News was the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper. Founded by Sir William Ingram’s father, Herbert Ingram, in 1842 the first edition was sold on 14th May 1842 at a cost of sixpence per copy. Building from an original circulation of 26,000 to in excess of 300,000 at its peak, The Illustrated London News remained in print until 2003 and commissioned illustrations from many of the leading artists of the late nineteenth century. Photographs were used alongside illustrations from the late 19th century onwards but illustrations were a major feature of paper until after the end of the First World War.

Historical context
This sketch was one of a group of prints and pencil and pen and ink sketches donated to the museum in 1914 by Sir William Ingram (1847–1924). Part of this collection was originally donated to the Prints and Drawings Department with the majority later passing to the Theatre and Performance Department. The full collection includes work by a variety of artists amongst whom are: A. J Finberg; Ralph Cleaver; F.V.Poole and Rossi Ashton. Though not all the publications for which they were created are identified the majority of the sketches were commissioned for, and appeared in, The Illustrated London News, The English Illustrated Magazine or The Sketch.

Sir William Ingram became the proprietor of The Illustrated London News in the mid to late 1870s and remained in post until circa 1900 when he was succeeded by his he was succeeded by his son, Bruce Stirling Ingram (1877–1963). He also became the proprietor of The Sketch amongst other papers in which capacity he gave commissions to many leading artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Summary
Line Drawn illustration in pen and ink created for publication in an illustrated newspaper or magazine, probably the Penny Illustrated Paper.

The image is labelled 'The Handel Festival at the Crystal Palace' and shows a women singing before a large audience. She is being accompanied by an orchestra and the conductor stands to her left. The illustration has not been signed or dated but annotation on the rear indicates it was drawn by the artist Dudley Cleaver (b.1872) and the dress of the female performer, with its high collar and full sleeves, resembles that worn in the late 1880s or early 1890s.

The Handel Festival appears to have taken place at Crystal Palace, London on a Triennial basis between 1859 and 1926 The last Handel Festival took place there in 1926, with Sir Henry Wood as conductor. Some rare recordings survive from the 1888 festival; these were the first ever recordings made in a live concert environment.

The Crystal Palace was a vast cast-iron and plate-glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. After the exhibition, the building was moved to a new park in Penge Common, near Sydenham Hill, which was then a suburb full of large villas, it remained there from 1854 to 1936, when it was destroyed by fire.

This sketch is one of several theatrical drawings from a collection of sketches commissioned from contemporary artists to be printed in illustrated magazines. The collection was donated to the museum by Sir William James Ingram in 1914.

Collection
Accession number
S.383-2011

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Record createdJanuary 3, 2012
Record URL
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