Caricature
December 1906 (drawn)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This caricature is of Ludwig Amann, who was performing at the Grand Theatre, Hanley, during the week of 10 December 1906. He was billed as ‘The Greatest Facial Artiste of the Age’. 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.
Amann’s act was that of an impressionist, although he was variously called an ‘Expressionist’ and a ‘Facial Artist and Impersonator’. He did lightning make-up changes on stage. His performance at Hanley was praised for his powerful facial expression, and the way that he gave ‘really lifelike character sketches of the men who have been leading the world in recent times, as well as featuring well-known types of mankind’. He is surrounded in this drawing by images of Napoleon, Gladstone, Lord Kitchener and Edward VII, some of his subjects of impersonation. Amann was one of several similar performers about 1900. Others included George Moore ‘the Facial King’, Adelina, ‘Female Facialist and Quick Change Artiste’ and John Cronow, ‘The World’s Greatest Facial Expert’.
Amann’s act was that of an impressionist, although he was variously called an ‘Expressionist’ and a ‘Facial Artist and Impersonator’. He did lightning make-up changes on stage. His performance at Hanley was praised for his powerful facial expression, and the way that he gave ‘really lifelike character sketches of the men who have been leading the world in recent times, as well as featuring well-known types of mankind’. He is surrounded in this drawing by images of Napoleon, Gladstone, Lord Kitchener and Edward VII, some of his subjects of impersonation. Amann was one of several similar performers about 1900. Others included George Moore ‘the Facial King’, Adelina, ‘Female Facialist and Quick Change Artiste’ and John Cronow, ‘The World’s Greatest Facial Expert’.
Object details
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| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Pen and ink and wash on paper |
| Brief description | Caricature of the music hall performer the 'Facial Artist and Impersonator' Ludwig Amann (fl.1900), from an album of caricatures drawn by George Cooke. December 1906. |
| Physical description | Pen, ink and wash caricature on pink paper of Ludwig Amann in white shirt and bow tie, a head and shoulders portrait in a roundel. In the background of the roundel are portraits of (possibly) Napoleon, Gladstone, Kitchener and Edward VII. |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | This drawing is of the music hall performer Ludwig Amann performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 10th December 1906, when he was billed as 'The Greatest Facial Artiste of the Age', He was described variously as an 'Expressionist' and a 'Facial Artist and Impersonator', and was one of several similar performers working on the halls. The 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. |
| Summary | This caricature is of Ludwig Amann, who was performing at the Grand Theatre, Hanley, during the week of 10 December 1906. He was billed as ‘The Greatest Facial Artiste of the Age’. 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. Amann’s act was that of an impressionist, although he was variously called an ‘Expressionist’ and a ‘Facial Artist and Impersonator’. He did lightning make-up changes on stage. His performance at Hanley was praised for his powerful facial expression, and the way that he gave ‘really lifelike character sketches of the men who have been leading the world in recent times, as well as featuring well-known types of mankind’. He is surrounded in this drawing by images of Napoleon, Gladstone, Lord Kitchener and Edward VII, some of his subjects of impersonation. Amann was one of several similar performers about 1900. Others included George Moore ‘the Facial King’, Adelina, ‘Female Facialist and Quick Change Artiste’ and John Cronow, ‘The World’s Greatest Facial Expert’. |
| Bibliographic reference | Staffordshire Sentinel 11 February 1906 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.393:37-2002 |
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| Record created | November 17, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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