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Not currently on display at the V&A

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 scrap is one of a set of twelve produced by Signumd Hildesheimer & Company depicting Shakespearean characters played by popular actors. They were sold in packs costing one shilling, titled Characters from Shakespeare. A Series of Twelve Relief Scraps. William Terriss (1847-1897) and Mary Anderson (1859-1940), seen here as Romeo and Juliet, starred in Romeo and Juliet at London's Lyceum Theatre, 8 March 1882.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitlePrint Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Printed paper
Brief description
Shakespearean characters paper scrap depicting William Terriss (1847-1897) as Romeo and Mary Anderson (1859-1940) as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet Act III scene 5. Chromolithograph printed by Siegmund Hildesheimer & Co., ca.1890
Physical description
Multicoloured paper scrap with printed lines of text depicting William Terriss as Romeo embracing Mary Anderson as Juliet, standing on the balcony with a rope ladder hanging from the balustrade of the balcony behind them. To the left of Romeo's head is printed some of the dialogue from the balcony scene with the attribution 'ROMEO AND JULIET ACT III Scene 5.' The scrap has been cut from its original sheet which also gave the name of the series, the number of the item and the monogram of the printer.
Dimensions
  • Height: 14.9cm
  • Width: 12.9cm
Marks and inscriptions
Monogram, entwined letters S.H & Co., printed in gold (Monogram of Siegmund Hildesheimer & Co,. London, New York & Manchester, 1888-1927.)
Credit line
Given by the British Theatre Museum Association
Object history
William Terriss and Mary Anderson appeared in Romeo and Juliet at the Lyceum Theatre, 8 March 1882.
Subjects depicted
Associations
Literary reference<i>Romeo and Juliet</i>
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 scrap is one of a set of twelve produced by Signumd Hildesheimer & Company depicting Shakespearean characters played by popular actors. They were sold in packs costing one shilling, titled Characters from Shakespeare. A Series of Twelve Relief Scraps. William Terriss (1847-1897) and Mary Anderson (1859-1940), seen here as Romeo and Juliet, starred in Romeo and Juliet at London's Lyceum Theatre, 8 March 1882.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
S.1:1-2008

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Record createdJanuary 15, 2008
Record URL
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