Album of caricatures by the commercial artist George Cooke, showing actors and music hall and variety entertainers who appeared at the Palace Theatre, Blackpool, 1904 -1930

Album of caricatures of actors and music hall and variety entertainers. Dark green bound album with board covers finished in imitation crocodile leather effect, with blue cartridge paper leaves. The spine is reinforced with brown paper on which is stuck a white label inscribed: 'GEORGE COOKE, CARICATURIST. ALBUM III 106-127'. The album contains 22 ink and wash caricatures, each glued to a separate page. All are autographed by the subjects, who are: Bert Weston, Fred Maitland, Owen Nares, Harry Pleon, Captain Kelly, Julian Mack, Harold Walden, Johnston Forbes-Robertson, Jay Laurier, Fred Storey, Gus Elen, Leo Dryden, Hackenschmidt, Arthur Roberts, Witty Watty Walton, George Carney, J.H. Milburn, Albert Whelan, Jorden & Harvey, Percy Hutchinson, Christy & Willis, and Godfrey Tearle. On the inside front cover is a circular paper label printed with a black and white self portrait by Cooke with the words 'George Cooke Caricaturist' round the edge and 'Palace / Blackpool' across the forehead. On the first paper is a painted rectangular shape, intended to frame an attached image (missing), surrounded by coloured 'wave' patterns with a happy face above and a sad face below, all in wash. On the final page is a printed black and white advertisement for George Cooke's 'Designs for Lithos, / Memo. Heads, / Post Cards, / &c.', illustrated with two caricatures of Cooke.

This is one of ten albums which, according to an article in The Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 12 December 1967, were inherited by Cyril Cooke, George Cooke's nephew. Cyril Cooke is quoted as saying, 'My uncle, a Yorkshireman, was a brilliant caricaturist who was in personal touch with all the celebrities visiting the Palace Theatre and Blackpool.... At one time he had a commission to produce groups for the Blackpool Illuminations.' These caricatures appear to have been done for George Cooke's own amusement, since it was he who collected them, and got the subjects to autograph them for him.

This was the third album that the commercial artist George Cooke used for his caricatures of actors and music hall and variety artists who appeared at the Palace Theatre, Blackpool. Originally from Yorkshire, George Cooke specialised in designing illustrated publicity material for performers. These included flyers, letterheads, posters and newspaper advertisements. Before moving to Blackpool he lived in Hanley, Staffordshire, where he drew performers at the Grand Theatre. By 1917 he had moved to London, where he established Cooke’s Publicity Agency at 453 The Strand.

S.394:1 to 24-2002