Plywood souvenir figure representing Lydia Lopokova as Mariuccia in Leonide Massine's ballet "The Good-Humoured Ladies".

Narrow rectangular plywood strip stained black with slit cut off-centre inscribed on reverse "Good Humoured / Ladies" and stamped with the names of the designer, maker and publisher. (very faint)

Cut-out plywood figure representing Lydia Lopokova as Mariuccia in Leonide Massine's ballet "The Good-Humoured Ladies". Full length female figure standing on left foot with right foot pointed and hands turned upwards at waist, wearing an ankle-length 18th century style costume with low neck and elbow-length cuffed sleeves, in yellow with an all-over pattern of a deep rose red 'ribbon' lattice with green and white bows at each intersection and, in each lozenge a floral design; at centre fron neck is a blue purple bow. Narrow rectangular plywood strip stained black with slit cut off-centre inscribed on reverse "Good Humoured / Ladies" and stamped with the names of the designer, maker and publisher. (very faint)
Plywood and gouache, 1920s.

Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest

The figure represents Lydia Lopokova as Mariuccia in Leonide Massine's ballet "Les Femmes de bonne humeur" ("The Good-Humoured Ladies") premiered by the Diaghilev Ballets Russes in 1917 with designs by Leon Bakst. It was designed by Ethelbert White and made by the Aldon Studios for the dance historian, bookseller and publisher, Cyril Beaumont, for sale in his shop at 75 Charing Cross Road. Another version of this subject, in different pose, attributed to Adrian P Allinson, was in the Ruth Page Collection, sold at Sotheby's New York on 7 November 1991, part lot 9 (illustrated).

S.944:1/2-1982 is included in The Complete Catalogue of the Publications of C. W. Beaumont, 1928, which lists 49 figures; examples of 30 of these came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest, plus 10 not in the 1928 catalogue.

The 1928 catalogue included the following description of the cut-outs (p.25):
"These figures of celebrated dancers of the Diaghileff Ballet have been issued with a view to supply the demand for something between a photograph and a statuette - something that would preserve the memory of a dancer as she appeared in a particular ballet. Each figure is based on drawings made from sittings given by the dancer herself, and from sketches made during an actual performance. The designs are by the following artists: Adrian Allinson, Eileen Mayo, Vera Willoughby, also working under the name of Vera Petrovna, Randolph Schwabe and Ethelbert White. The figures, which are of wood, average 8 3/4 inches high, and are hand-coloured with special care to ensure accuracy of costume. The black stands on which the figures are mounted are easily removable to afford facility in packing. The figures are priced at 7s. 6d. net."

The figure was originally numbered as S.944-1982 and the number was amended in 2001 to include the detachable base.

Historical significance: The existence of such figures are a testimony to the popularity of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes in London, and a growing 'popular' audience who demanded memorabilia and souvenirs. As the only specialist bookseller and publisher in London, and with access to the dancers and company, Beaumont was quick to identify the market and he commissioned the figures, prints and illustrated books to fulfil the demand.

The figure represents Lydia Lopokova as Mariuccia in Leonide Massine's ballet Les Femmes de bonne humeur (The Good-Humoured Ladies) premiered by the Diaghilev Ballets Russes in 1917 with designs by Leon Bakst. It was designed by Ethelbert White and made by the Aldon Studios for the dance historian, bookseller and publisher, Cyril Beaumont, for sale in his shop at 75 Charing Cross Road. Lopokova created the role of Mariuccia and danced the role until she left the Diaghilev Ballet in 1919, returning for a few performances in the 1920s.

Beaumont had admired Caran d'Ache's satirical wood carvings of political personalities, and, about 1914, he conceived the idea of two-dimensional wooden figures of principal dancers of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes. The figures represented the dancers in costume in a typical pose from the chosen work; they were cut out from two-ply wood, hand painted and mounted on detachable stands. Each design was limited to fifty copies, originally hand-coloured by the artist and issued at 7s 6d. They sold steadily. Adrian Allinson designed nineteen figures in all and after the War, Beaumont turned to other artists and commissioned a separate artist to execute the colouring.

S.944:1, 2-1982