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Caricature
Cooke, George - Enlarge image
Caricature
- Place of origin:
Hanley, England (made)
- Date:
September 1907 (drawn)
- Artist/Maker:
Cooke, George (artist)
- Materials and Techniques:
Pen and ink and wash on paper
- Museum number:
S.393:55-2002
- Gallery location:
In Storage
This caricature is of Harry Lauder starring at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 23 September 1907. It is one of the many superb caricatures of Edwardian music hall performers that were drawn by the artist George Cooke when he was based at the Grand Theatre. He compiled them in a series of albums.
Born near Edinburgh in 1870, Harry Lauder became one of the most internationally recognised of all British music hall stars. He had worked as a miner for ten years before he appeared with Scottish concert parties. ‘The little wee man with the twinkling eyes’ first appeared in England in 1896 at the Argyll Theatre, Birkenhead, as an Irish comedian. He became an overnight sensation in 1900 after performing Scottish songs at Gatti’s music hall in London. His greatest songs included ‘I Love a Lassie’, which was first sung in pantomime in Glasgow in 1905, ‘Stop Your Ticklin’ Jock’ and ‘Keep Right On to the End of the Road’. ‘Tobermory’ was one of Lauder’s popular songs, which he later recorded. He sang his songs in costumes related to their themes, and often carried the twisted walking stick seen here. He was knighted in 1919 and entertained the troops in concert parties in both world wars. He died in 1950.
