ca. 1913 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This poster by Georges Kugelmann Benda (1883-1954) advertised Andre Charlot's elegant revue Eightpence a Mile: The New Stop Press Review that opened at London's Alhambra Theatre in Leicester Square on 9th May 1913. The review was named after the newly-reduced fare charged by a London taxi driver for a London tour, and despite being a fourteen scene whistle-stop tour of London, looked highly exotic because of its costumes by the imaginative French designer Paul Poiret (1879-1944), scenery by the French designer Ronsin, and a Persian ballet.
The poster illustrates the Persian ballet The Flowers of Allah, somehow incorporated into its London theme, and starring the willowy dancer Phyllis Monkman as a shackled prisoner. Unlike many modern posters, the image of this poster faithfully reproduced the scenery by Ronsin and one of Poiret's costumes. In keeping with the Asian theme, Benda used curved letter forms for his graphics, on everything but the title '8d a Mile'. The lines are clear and simple, with flat areas of colour contrasting with the more decorative footlight flowers and the leaves of the tree. The poster was printed by David Allen & Sons, one of the most prolific printers of posters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The poster illustrates the Persian ballet The Flowers of Allah, somehow incorporated into its London theme, and starring the willowy dancer Phyllis Monkman as a shackled prisoner. Unlike many modern posters, the image of this poster faithfully reproduced the scenery by Ronsin and one of Poiret's costumes. In keeping with the Asian theme, Benda used curved letter forms for his graphics, on everything but the title '8d a Mile'. The lines are clear and simple, with flat areas of colour contrasting with the more decorative footlight flowers and the leaves of the tree. The poster was printed by David Allen & Sons, one of the most prolific printers of posters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Printing ink on paper |
| Brief description | Poster illustrating the ballet The Flowers of Allahone of the items in the Andre Charlot Review Eightpence a Mile: The New Stop Press Review, Alhambra Theatre, London, 9 May 1913. |
| Physical description | Advertising poster for The Flowers of Allah, Alhambra Theatre, London, ca.1913. It depicts a dancer in a red dress against a bright green background. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production | This poster was one of several reproduced for sale by the V&A in 1985 and available for purchase in the Theatre Museum shop in Covent Garden from 1987 to 2006 |
| Summary | This poster by Georges Kugelmann Benda (1883-1954) advertised Andre Charlot's elegant revue Eightpence a Mile: The New Stop Press Review that opened at London's Alhambra Theatre in Leicester Square on 9th May 1913. The review was named after the newly-reduced fare charged by a London taxi driver for a London tour, and despite being a fourteen scene whistle-stop tour of London, looked highly exotic because of its costumes by the imaginative French designer Paul Poiret (1879-1944), scenery by the French designer Ronsin, and a Persian ballet. The poster illustrates the Persian ballet The Flowers of Allah, somehow incorporated into its London theme, and starring the willowy dancer Phyllis Monkman as a shackled prisoner. Unlike many modern posters, the image of this poster faithfully reproduced the scenery by Ronsin and one of Poiret's costumes. In keeping with the Asian theme, Benda used curved letter forms for his graphics, on everything but the title '8d a Mile'. The lines are clear and simple, with flat areas of colour contrasting with the more decorative footlight flowers and the leaves of the tree. The poster was printed by David Allen & Sons, one of the most prolific printers of posters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.772-1982 |
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| Record created | February 8, 2010 |
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