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The Private Secretary

Poster
1954 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Poster advertising The Oxford Playhouse production of The Private Secretary by Charles Hawtrey. White background with black and red text. Printed by printers Hall The Printer Ltd in Oxford.

Part of the Ronnie Barker Collection (THM/407).

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Private Secretary (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Printed ink on paper
Brief description
Poster advertising The Oxford Playhouse production of The Private Secretary by Charles Hawtrey, with Raymond Somerville in 1954
Physical description
Poster advertising The Oxford Playhouse production of The Private Secretary. White background with black and red text.
Dimensions
  • Whole height: 76cm (approx.)
  • Whole width: 25cm (approx.)
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
'PLAYHOUSE / BEAUMONT STREET Business Manager: GORDON GIBSON Tel. OXFORD 47133 / Buses No. 3 and 93 pass the Door / MONDAY, 18th JAN. FOR TWO WEEKS / RONALD BARKER / THE PRIVATE SECRETARY / THE FAMOUS COMEDY BY / CHARLES HAWTREY / WITH RAYMOND SOMERVILLE / MON., TUE., THUR., FRI. at 7 WED. at 8 SAT. at 5 & 8 / 5/6, 4/3. 3'6-, 2'- / Next Production: Monday, 1st FEBRUARY / TEN LITTLE NIGGERS by AGATHA CHRISTIE / Eat before the show in the Playhouse Snack Bar / PLAYHOUSE GUILD DISCUSSION / AFTER FIRST MONDAY'S PERFORMANCE / HALL THE PRINTER, LTD, 6 BREWER STREET, OXFORD.'
Credit line
Given by Charlotte Barker, daughter of the late Ronald Barker OBE.
Object history
NB The term "nigger" has been used to describe people of black African heritage. From the 1800s it carried strong derogatory intent. The term is repeated here in its original historical context.

This poster was designed for The Oxford Playhouse and printed by Hall The Printer in Oxford. It advertises the production of The Private Secretary which was on for two weeks from the 18th January 1954. It came to the V&A as part of the Ronnie Barker Collection (THM/407).
Summary
Poster advertising The Oxford Playhouse production of The Private Secretary by Charles Hawtrey. White background with black and red text. Printed by printers Hall The Printer Ltd in Oxford.

Part of the Ronnie Barker Collection (THM/407).
Bibliographic reference
Hawtrey, Charles. 'The Private Secretary' 1907
Other number
THM/407/12
Collection
Accession number
S.281-2012

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Record createdApril 5, 2012
Record URL
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