Caricature of the Edwardian music hall performer Joe Elvin (1862-1935), from an album of caricatures drawn by George Cooke. Probably 1907.

Pen, ink and wash caricature on pink paper of Joe Elvin, full-length, with a thatch of orange hair and white make-up. He wears the dark blue uniform of a railway employee, with a blue cap and black boots. In his right hand he carries a wheel-tapping hammer.

George Cooke Collection

This caricature is of Joe Elvin (1862-1935) who specialised in performing sketches, many of which were written by Wal Pink. Joe Elvin was especially well-known for spectacular sketches on racing themes, including 'Taffy's Totter', 'Over The Sticks', and 'On The Flat', which featured horses, jockeys and as many as a hundred supernumeraries. Born Joseph Patrick Keegan in 1862 in London's Seven Dials, he made his first stage appearance in pantomime in Brighton in 1872. He was a juvenile comedian and clog dancer before forming a sketch act with his father called Keegan and Elvin. Over a fifty year career, Joe Elvin presented over 100 different sketch acts on the halls. 'Over The Sticks' filled the Oxford for eight months in 1897. This caricature comes from the second album of caricatures in a collection of albums owned by the Theatre Museum compiled by the graphic artist George Cooke. It is labelled by the artist 'Geo Cooke HYS BOOKE' and features music hall performers working in the early 20th century.

This caricature of Joe Elvin (1862-1935) with his trademark red wig, is one of many superb caricatures of Edwardian music hall performers drawn by the artist George Cooke and compiled in a series of albums. Born Joseph Patrick Keegan in London's Seven Dials, Joe Elvin made his first appearance aged eight in Brighton, and later worked with his father as Keegan and Little Elvin doing comedy song and dance routines. Later he specialised in spectacular sketches, many of them written by Wal Pink, especially with racing themes such as 'Taffys Totter', 'Over The Sticks', and 'On The Flat'. He was famous for his catch-phrases, including 'I'm obliging My Brother, I Am', and for his benevolence off-stage. In 1889 he was instrumental in the formation of The Grand Order of Water Rats; he was King Rat in 1894 and in 1907 was one of the founders of the Variety Artists' Federation, and active in the music hall strike to ensure fair pay for music hall performers who, unlike him, were not top-liners.

S.393:57-2002