Not currently on display at the V&A

Drawing

1898 (drawn)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A series of pen and ink illustrations showing preparations for the pantomime 'The Forty Thieves' at Drury Lane Theatre in 1898. Each image is captioned and many show stage hands preparing props and painting backdrops. The properties include papier maché 'big heads' of geni, and pantomime animals including a horse, ostriches, an elephant and other animals for the zoo scene. The captions include a reference to the pantomime horse needing to be strong enough to carry the weight of the great performer Herbert Campbell, and another to the phrase 'one for his nob' used in the card game cribbage. The illustrations were drawn by the artist Ralph Cleaver and his signature appears in the bottom right hand corner. Another on the rear indicates that the sketches were commissioned for the Illustrated London News on the 24th of December 1898.

Pantomime rose in popularity during the Victorian period. As audience numbers increased the productions became increasingly lengthy, complex and spectacular, featuring beautiful costume and dramatic special effects. The most elaborate Victorian pantomimes were staged at London's Drury Lane Theatre. The lavish pantomimes presented by its manager Augustus Harris in the 1880s and 1890s cost vast sums of money, had hundreds of performers, and lasted for up to five hours. Many of the elements of today's pantomimes can be traced back to these Drury Lane pantomimes.

This item 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 drawing board
Brief description
Pen and ink illustration created for publication in a newspaper/illustrated magazine, probably the Illustrated London News. It shows stage hands and actors preparing for a production of the 'Forty Thieves' at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1898. It was drawn by the artist Ralph Cleaver and has been signed by him in the bottom left hand corner. Given by Sir William Ingram in 1914.
Physical description
Pen and ink illustration showing stage hands and actors preparing for a production of the 'Forty Thieves' at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1898. It was drawn by the artist Ralph Cleaver and has been signed by him in the bottom left hand corner.

Dimensions
  • Length: 43cm
  • Width: 31.6cm (approximate)
Marks and inscriptions
  • Preparing for the Forty Thieves/at Drury Lane (Handwritten annotation at the base of the sketch)
  • 12 1/2 -> put a rule round (Handwritten annotation in pencil at the right of the image)
  • Dec 24, 1898/Preparing for the Pantomime at Drury Lane (Handwritten annotation in pencil on the rear of the image)
  • Cleaver, R/I.L.N./Vol CXIII, p.963, 1898/I.G.37 (Handwritten annotation in pencil on the rear of the sketch)
  • 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
A series of pen and ink illustrations showing preparations for the pantomime 'The Forty Thieves' at Drury Lane Theatre in 1898. Each image is captioned and many show stage hands preparing props and painting backdrops. The properties include papier maché 'big heads' of geni, and pantomime animals including a horse, ostriches, an elephant and other animals for the zoo scene. The captions include a reference to the pantomime horse needing to be strong enough to carry the weight of the great performer Herbert Campbell, and another to the phrase 'one for his nob' used in the card game cribbage. The illustrations were drawn by the artist Ralph Cleaver and his signature appears in the bottom right hand corner. Another on the rear indicates that the sketches were commissioned for the Illustrated London News on the 24th of December 1898.

Pantomime rose in popularity during the Victorian period. As audience numbers increased the productions became increasingly lengthy, complex and spectacular, featuring beautiful costume and dramatic special effects. The most elaborate Victorian pantomimes were staged at London's Drury Lane Theatre. The lavish pantomimes presented by its manager Augustus Harris in the 1880s and 1890s cost vast sums of money, had hundreds of performers, and lasted for up to five hours. Many of the elements of today's pantomimes can be traced back to these Drury Lane pantomimes.

This item 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.389-2011

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Record createdFebruary 22, 2012
Record URL
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