Caricature
- Place of origin:
Stoke-on-Trent, England (made)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
- Materials and Techniques:
Pen and ink and wash on paper
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
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This caricature is of the music hall sketch artist John Lawson when he was topping the bill with his sketch ‘Humanity’ at Collins’ Hippodrome, Stoke-on-Trent, during the week of 20 June 1904. He was on the bill with Pat Carey. 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 of Varieties, Hanley. He compiled them in a series of albums.
Born near Manchester in 1865, Lawson began performing amateur magic as shipboard entertainment when at sea with a Liverpool ship-owning company. He made his first stage appearance in 1885 at the St James’s Theatre, Manchester. This was followed by five years’ touring in America as an actor. In 1896 he performed his sketch ‘Humanity’ at the Empire Theatre, Brighton. He adapted this from the melodrama Humanity or a Passage in the Life of Grace Darling, adding the song ‘Only a Jew’. After its performance at the Middlesex Music Hall in London in September 1896, it was in demand at all the leading London and provincial halls. Lawson became well known as a performer of dramatic sketches, including ‘Sally in our Alley’ and ‘The Monkey’s Paw’.
Physical description
Pen, ink and wash caricature on pink paper of John Lawson, full-length, his hands in his pockets, wearing a light brown overcoat and black trousers.
Place of Origin
Stoke-on-Trent, England (made)
Date
June 1904 (drawn)
Artist/maker
Cooke, George (artist)
Materials and Techniques
Pen and ink and wash on paper
Marks and inscriptions
John Lawson
Object history note
This caricature is of the music hall sketch artist John Lawson, performing at Collins' Hippodrome, Stoke on Trent, during the week of 20 June 1904 when he was topping the bill with his sketch 'Humanity' and was on the bill with Pat Carey. 'Humanity' was billed at Collins' Hippodrome as 'The Most Popular Entertainment Ever established'. Born near Manchester in 1865, the son of a theatre owner, Lawson trained as an architect before making his first stage appearance in 1885 as an actor at the St. James's Theatre Manchester. He toured as Jacob Silvani in the play Humanity and spent five years in America. In 1896 he performed 'Humanity' at the Empire Theatre, Brighton, in a sketch version he adapted from the melodrama Humanity, or a Passage in the Life of Grace Darling with the introduction of the song 'Only a Jew'. After he performed it at London's Middlesex Music Hall in September 1896 it was in demand at all the leading London and provincial halls. A large advertisement in The Era, 17 October 1903, features Lawson's sketches 'Mr Todd of London'; 'A Bride for a Living' and 'The Shield of David', noting that he is performing at the Argyll, Birkenhead. The caricature comes from the first of several albums compiled by the graphic artist George Cooke when he was based at the Grand Theatre, Hanley, featuring performers working in music hall in the early 20th century. The album is dated 1903-4-5.
Descriptive line
Caricature of the music hall sketch artist John Lawson (b.1865), from an album of caricatures drawn by George Cooke. June 1904.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
'Idols of the Halls' by H. Chance Newton
The Era Annual, 1908. p.47
'Some years before I produced 'Humanity' I was apprenticed to Messrs Grimes and Company, shipowners, Water Street, Liverpool, and I must confess, though I was never very much in love with the sea, that I owe a hardy constitution to it. My last voyage was to Malta, hence Bombay, Ceyon, and then a charter to Burma.
In the Tropics, where a cupful of wind was phenomenal for five days, we used to amuse ourselves by getting up entertainments, and this idea was fostered by the captain, who was a member of a dramatic club at Winchester. Every one who assisted in these entertainments had a desire to shine. I had seen Maskelyne and Cooke's, and was immediately fired with the desire to become a conjurer, ny greatest wish being to do the "spirit seance" - to make tables abnd chairs float, and float my own body.'
Materials
Watercolour; Pen and ink
Techniques
Painted; Drawn
Categories
Entertainment & Leisure; Drawings; Caricatures & Cartoons
Collection code
T&P
