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Print Collection

Scrap
ca.1890 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Scraps first appeared in the early 19th century as black and white engravings, and were later coloured by hand. By the 1820s they had become more elaborate and sometimes embossed, and within a decade both the printing and embossing processes were automated. They were colour printed by chromolithography, and coated with a gelatine and gum layer to give them a gloss finish. After being embossed they were die-cut and put through a stamping press to cut away the unwanted areas of paper, leaving the individual images connected by small strips, often bearing the name or initials of the maker.

Scraps became extremely popular in Victorian England to be cut out by adults or children and stuck into albums, on to screens, or used for decorating greetings cards. This one for a pair of black-face Minstrels, who were popular performers especially in London during the 19th century.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePrint Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Printed paper
Brief description
Miniature printed paper scrap of two black-face minstrels playing the bones and the banjo. Chromolithograph by Siegmund Hildesheimer & Co., ca.1890
Physical description
Multicoloured paper scrap of two black Minstrel performers, one in a blue tailcoat jacket with yellow lapels and red and white hoop-striped trousers, the other in a yellow jacket with red lapels and green and white striped trousers; both wearing top hats, white bow ties and white wing-collar shirts, dancing and playing the bones and the banjo.
Dimensions
  • Irregular height: 7.4cm
  • Irregular width: 6.6cm
Credit line
Given by the British Theatre Museum Association
Subjects depicted
Summary
Scraps first appeared in the early 19th century as black and white engravings, and were later coloured by hand. By the 1820s they had become more elaborate and sometimes embossed, and within a decade both the printing and embossing processes were automated. They were colour printed by chromolithography, and coated with a gelatine and gum layer to give them a gloss finish. After being embossed they were die-cut and put through a stamping press to cut away the unwanted areas of paper, leaving the individual images connected by small strips, often bearing the name or initials of the maker.

Scraps became extremely popular in Victorian England to be cut out by adults or children and stuck into albums, on to screens, or used for decorating greetings cards. This one for a pair of black-face Minstrels, who were popular performers especially in London during the 19th century.
Other number
1963/G/53 - BTMA accession number
Collection
Accession number
S.5:4-2008

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Record createdJuly 1, 2009
Record URL
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