-
Caricature
Cooke, George - Enlarge image
Caricature
- Place of origin:
Hanley, England (made)
- Date:
August 1904 (drawn)
- Artist/Maker:
Cooke, George (artist)
- Materials and Techniques:
Pen and ink and wash on paper
- Museum number:
S.392:14-2002
- Gallery location:
In Storage
This caricature is of the comedian Walter Stanley when he was performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 29 August 1904. 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. Stanley was on the bill at the Grand that week with Verno & Voyce doing their ‘Jack Sheppard!’ sketch, a double act later drawn by Cooke.
Stanley never became a top-billing comedian, but was one of the hundreds of stand-up comedians earning a living on the halls in the early 1900s. They were useful ‘front curtain’ acts, meaning that scenery could be changed behind the curtain while they did their act in front. This is one of two drawings of Walter Stanley by George Cooke in this collection. The other shows him out of stage costume.
