Ada Cavendish
Figurine
ca. 1872 (made)
ca. 1872 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Ada Cavendish is seen here as the country girl Julia whose head is turned by the prospect of marrying the wealthy Lord Clifford in Sheridan Knowles' play The Hunchback. Originally performed at Covent Garden Theatre in 1832 with Fanny Kemble as Julia, it was a popular play in the 19th century, frequently revived with leading actresses of the day as Julia, including Charlotte Cushman, Isabel Glyn, Kate Bateman, Kate Terry and Mrs Patrick Campbell.
Ada Cavendish (?1839-1847) played the part in the Gaiety Theatre production which opened on 25 March 1872. She first appeared on the London stage in 1863 at the New Royalty Theatre in a burletta called The Pirates of Putney and made her name at the Royalty Theatre in 1869 as the original Mrs. Pinchbeck in T.W. Robertson's play Home. She became one of London's most popular leading ladies in the 1870s, managed the Olympic Theatre for a year from September 1872, and appeared on Broadway in 1878 and toured to San Francisco, Chicago and St. Louis as Rosalind, Juliet and Lady Teazle.
Ada Cavendish (?1839-1847) played the part in the Gaiety Theatre production which opened on 25 March 1872. She first appeared on the London stage in 1863 at the New Royalty Theatre in a burletta called The Pirates of Putney and made her name at the Royalty Theatre in 1869 as the original Mrs. Pinchbeck in T.W. Robertson's play Home. She became one of London's most popular leading ladies in the 1870s, managed the Olympic Theatre for a year from September 1872, and appeared on Broadway in 1878 and toured to San Francisco, Chicago and St. Louis as Rosalind, Juliet and Lady Teazle.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Ada Cavendish (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed porcelain |
| Brief description | Figurine of Ada Cavendish (1839-1895) as Julia in The Hunchback by James Sheridan Knowles which she played at the Gaiety Theatre, 1872. Glazed porcelain |
| Physical description | Porcelain figurine of Ada Cavendish as the country girl Julia in The Hunchback wearing a small straw hat and a white dress with a blue overskirt at the back. The bodice has a low, square-cut neckline in which a rose is tucked, and the skirt has a floral border of blue and purple flowers. Her head is inclined to the right and she is gazing slightly upwards. In her right hand she holds a fan to her chest, and with her left hand holds her skirt by her side. She stands on a square base, with concave corners, edged with gold lines and inscribed with the quote from the play: 'I'll set a pattern to your lady wives'. |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996 |
| Object history | The quote inscribed on the base is from speech by Julia, Act ll, scene ii, from The Hunchback by James Sheridan Knowles, originally produced at Covent Garden, 5 April 1832, with Fanny Kemble as Julia. In the play the country girl Julia is about to marry Lord Clifford and talks about the way she intends to enjoy her new-found status: Julia. Think not, when I am wed, I'll keep the house as owlet does her tower, Alone,- when every other bird's on wing. I'll use my palfrey, Helen; and my coach; My barge, too, for excursion on the Thames: What drives to Barnet, Hackney, Islington! What rides to Epping, Hounslow, and Blackheath! What sails to Greenwich, Woolwich, Fulham, Kew! I'll set a pattern to your lady wives! |
| Subject depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | Ada Cavendish is seen here as the country girl Julia whose head is turned by the prospect of marrying the wealthy Lord Clifford in Sheridan Knowles' play The Hunchback. Originally performed at Covent Garden Theatre in 1832 with Fanny Kemble as Julia, it was a popular play in the 19th century, frequently revived with leading actresses of the day as Julia, including Charlotte Cushman, Isabel Glyn, Kate Bateman, Kate Terry and Mrs Patrick Campbell. Ada Cavendish (?1839-1847) played the part in the Gaiety Theatre production which opened on 25 March 1872. She first appeared on the London stage in 1863 at the New Royalty Theatre in a burletta called The Pirates of Putney and made her name at the Royalty Theatre in 1869 as the original Mrs. Pinchbeck in T.W. Robertson's play Home. She became one of London's most popular leading ladies in the 1870s, managed the Olympic Theatre for a year from September 1872, and appeared on Broadway in 1878 and toured to San Francisco, Chicago and St. Louis as Rosalind, Juliet and Lady Teazle. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1037-1996 |
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| Record created | June 29, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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