Figure of Vesta Tilley
Figure
1977
1977
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This figure made by the property maker Martin Adams represents the hugely successful performer Vesta Tilley (1864-1952), the male impersonator who made her name on the music hall stage as a range of male characters including sailors and soldiers, at a time when women were never usually seen wearing trousers. She aimed to create convincing male characters, her most popular character being the smart, well-dressed 'man-about-town' made famous in her hit song Burlington Bertie.
During the First World War, Vesta Tilley organised and sang in many concerts for service charities, and was honoured with royal commands to appear before King Edward VII and King George V. It is in this connection that this figure was made to be part of Royal Box, the V&A exhibition about royalty and the theatre in 1977, the Silver Jubilee of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne.
Since making this figures, one of ten he made for the exhibition, Martin Adams went on to specialise in jewellery and jewellery-related props, making items including crowns, jewellery and sceptres for hundreds of films, television shows and theatrical productions.
During the First World War, Vesta Tilley organised and sang in many concerts for service charities, and was honoured with royal commands to appear before King Edward VII and King George V. It is in this connection that this figure was made to be part of Royal Box, the V&A exhibition about royalty and the theatre in 1977, the Silver Jubilee of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne.
Since making this figures, one of ten he made for the exhibition, Martin Adams went on to specialise in jewellery and jewellery-related props, making items including crowns, jewellery and sceptres for hundreds of films, television shows and theatrical productions.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Figure of Vesta Tilley (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Galvanised wire armature on metal rod, modelled with DAX self-hardening modelling clay painted in acrylic paint base with gouache details. Yak and synthetic hair, mixed fabrics, beads, buttons and sequins, ribbon, lace and Copydex adhesive. |
| Brief description | Figure of Vesta Tilley (1864-1952), made for the exhibition Royal Box, V&A 1977. Mixed media, made by Martin Adams, 1977 |
| Physical description | Figure of Vesta Tilley on a metal rod wearing a light grey suit with a pink lining and tie, a silver grey patterned waistcoat and a pinkish-grey top hat with a pink hat-band. She stands with her legs akimbo, her hands in her pockets, and a monocle around her neck |
| Object history | This figure is one of ten Victorian and Edwardian personalities made by the property maker Martin Adams for the exhibition Royal Box, held at the V&A from 3rd May until 2nd October 1977. They were commissioned by Alexander Schouvaloff, Head of the Theatre Collections at the Victoria & Albert Museum, for the exhibition designed by the set designer Bruno Santini. Each was made on a two inch to one foot scale, and was mouted on a metal rod for display purposes, the rods planted in blocks of polystyrene foam. The set comprised King Edward VII, The Mikado, Marie Taglioni, Giuditta Pasta, Niccoló Paginini, Lily Langtry, Vesta Tilley, Dan Leno, and Henry Irving and Queen Victoria, made to hold hands |
| Summary | This figure made by the property maker Martin Adams represents the hugely successful performer Vesta Tilley (1864-1952), the male impersonator who made her name on the music hall stage as a range of male characters including sailors and soldiers, at a time when women were never usually seen wearing trousers. She aimed to create convincing male characters, her most popular character being the smart, well-dressed 'man-about-town' made famous in her hit song Burlington Bertie. During the First World War, Vesta Tilley organised and sang in many concerts for service charities, and was honoured with royal commands to appear before King Edward VII and King George V. It is in this connection that this figure was made to be part of Royal Box, the V&A exhibition about royalty and the theatre in 1977, the Silver Jubilee of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne. Since making this figures, one of ten he made for the exhibition, Martin Adams went on to specialise in jewellery and jewellery-related props, making items including crowns, jewellery and sceptres for hundreds of films, television shows and theatrical productions. |
| Bibliographic reference | This object, along with the figure of Dan Leno (S.615-2019), was lent to the exhibition Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay: The British Music Hall Song 1850-1920 at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, 31 May to 29 October 2005 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.615-2019 |
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| Record created | September 27, 2019 |
| Record URL |
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